TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. 8.11% Senior Notes, due February 12, 2028 Note Purchase Agreement Dated January 23, 2025

Exhibit 10.1

 

Execution Copy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.

 

$50,000,000

 

8.11% Senior Notes, due February 12, 2028

 

 

Note Purchase Agreement

 

 

Dated January 23, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Section			Heading		Page
Section 1.			Authorization of Notes; Interest Rate		1
	Section 1.1.		Authorization of Notes		1
	Section 1.2.		Changes in Interest Rate		1
Section 2.			Sale and Purchase of Notes		4
Section 3.			Closing		4
Section 4.			Conditions to Closing		4
	Section 4.1.		Representations and Warranties		4
	Section 4.2.		Performance; No Default		5
	Section 4.3.		Compliance Certificates		5
	Section 4.4.		Opinions of Counsel		5
	Section 4.5.		Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc		5
	Section 4.6.		Sale of Other Notes		5
	Section 4.7.		Payment of Special Counsel Fees		6
	Section 4.8.		Private Placement Number		6
	Section 4.9.		Changes in Corporate Structure		6
	Section 4.10.		Funding Instructions		6
	Section 4.11.		Rating		6
	Section 4.12.		Proceedings and Documents		6
Section 5.			Representations and Warranties of the Company		7
	Section 5.1.		Organization; Power and Authority		7
	Section 5.2.		Authorization, Etc		7
	Section 5.3.		Disclosure		7
	Section 5.4.		Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries		8
	Section 5.5.		Financial Statements; Material Liabilities		8
	Section 5.6.		Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc		9
	Section 5.7.		Governmental Authorizations, Etc		9
	Section 5.8.		Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders		9
	Section 5.9.		Taxes		10
	Section 5.10.		Title to Property; Leases		10
	Section 5.11.		Licenses, Permits, Etc		10
	Section 5.12.		Compliance with Employee Benefit Plans		10
	Section 5.13.		Private Offering by the Company		11
	Section 5.14.		Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations		11
	Section 5.15.		Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens		11
	Section 5.16.		Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc.		12
	Section 5.17.		[Reserved]		13
	Section 5.18.		Environmental Matters		13
	Section 5.19.		Investment Company Act		13

 

 

Section 6.			Representations of the Purchasers		14
	Section 6.1.		Purchase for Investment		14
	Section 6.2.		Source of Funds		14
	Section 6.3.		Investment Experience; Access to Information		16
	Section 6.4.		Authorization		16
	Section 6.5.		Reliance		16
Section 7.			Information as to Company		17
	Section 7.1.		Financial and Business Information		17
	Section 7.2.		Officer’s Certificate		19
	Section 7.3.		Visitation		20
	Section 7.4.		Electronic Delivery		21
Section 8.			Payment and Prepayment of the Notes		21
	Section 8.1.		Maturity		21
	Section 8.2.		Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount		22
	Section 8.3.		Allocation of Partial Prepayments		22
	Section 8.4.		Maturity; Surrender, Etc		22
	Section 8.5.		Purchase of Notes		22
	Section 8.6.		Make-Whole Amount		23
	Section 8.7.		Payments Due on Non-Business Days		24
	Section 8.8.		Change in Control		25
Section 9.			Affirmative Covenants		26
	Section 9.1.		Compliance with Laws		26
	Section 9.2.		Insurance		26
	Section 9.3.		Maintenance of Properties		26
	Section 9.4.		Payment of Taxes and Claims		26
	Section 9.5.		Corporate Existence, Etc.		27
	Section 9.6.		Books and Records		27
	Section 9.7.		Subsidiary Guarantors		27
	Section 9.8.		Rating Confirmation		28
	Section 9.9.		Status of RIC and BDC		29
	Section 9.10.		Investment Policies		29
Section 10.			Negative Covenants		29
	Section 10.1.		Transactions with Affiliates		29
	Section 10.2.		Merger, Consolidation, Fundamental Changes, Etc		30
	Section 10.3.		Line of Business		31
	Section 10.4.		Economic Sanctions, Etc.		32
	Section 10.5.		Liens		32
	Section 10.6.		Restricted Payments		35
	Section 10.7.		Certain Financial Covenants		37

 

 

Section 11.			Events of Default		38
Section 12.			Remedies on Default, Etc.		41
	Section 12.1.		Acceleration		41
	Section 12.2.		Other Remedies		41
	Section 12.3.		Rescission		42
	Section 12.4.		No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc.		42
Section 13.			Registration; Exchange; Substitution of Notes		42
	Section 13.1.		Registration of Notes		42
	Section 13.2.		Transfer and Exchange of Notes		43
	Section 13.3.		Replacement of Notes		43
Section 14.			Payments on Notes		44
	Section 14.1.		Place of Payment		44
	Section 14.2.		Payment by Wire Transfer		44
	Section 14.3.		Tax Forms		45
Section 15.			Expenses, Etc.		45
	Section 15.1.		Transaction Expenses		45
	Section 15.2.		Certain Taxes		46
	Section 15.3.		Survival		47
Section 16.			Survival of Representations and Warranties; Entire Agreement		47
Section 17.			Amendment and Waiver		47
	Section 17.1.		Requirements		47
	Section 17.2.		Solicitation of Holders of Notes		47
	Section 17.3.		Binding Effect, Etc.		48
	Section 17.4.		Notes Held by Company, Etc.		48
Section 18.			Notices		49
Section 19.			Reproduction of Documents		49
Section 20.			Confidential Information		50
Section 21.			Substitution of Purchaser		51
Section 22.			Miscellaneous		51
	Section 22.1.		Successors and Assigns		51
	Section 22.2.		Accounting Terms		51
	Section 22.3.		Severability		52
	Section 22.4.		Construction, Etc.		52
	Section 22.5.		Counterparts; Electronic Contracting		53
	Section 22.6.		Governing Law		53
	Section 22.7.		Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial		53

 

 

Schedule A		—		Defined Terms
Schedule 1.1		—		Form of 8.11% Senior Note, due February 12, 2028
Schedule 4.4(a)		—		Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Company
Schedule 4.4(b)		—		Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Purchasers
Schedule 5.3		—		Disclosure Materials
Schedule 5.4		—		Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary Stock; Senior Officers and Directors; Agreements Containing Contractual Restrictions on Subsidiaries
Schedule 5.5		—		Financial Statements
Schedule 5.14		—		Use of Proceeds
Schedule 5.15		—		Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 10.1		—		Affiliate Transactions
Schedule 10.5		—		Liens
Purchaser Schedule		—		Information Relating to Purchasers

 

 

 

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

Menlo Park, California 94025

8.11% Senior Notes, due February 12, 2028

 

January 23, 2025

 

To Each of the Purchasers Listed in

the Purchaser Schedule Hereto:

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), agrees with each of the Purchasers as follows:

 

Section 1. Authorization of Notes; Interest Rate.

 

Section 1.1. Authorization of Notes. The Company will authorize the issue and sale of $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 8.11% Senior Notes, due February 12, 2028 (the “Notes”). The Notes shall be substantially in the form set out in Schedule 1.1. Certain capitalized and other terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule A and, for purposes of this Agreement, the rules of construction set forth in Section 22.4 shall govern.

 

Section 1.2. Changes in Interest Rate.

 

(a)(i) If at any time a Below Investment Grade Event occurs, then:

 

(A) as of the date of the occurrence of the Below Investment Grade Event to and until the date on which such Below Investment Grade Event is no longer continuing (as evidenced by the receipt and delivery to the holders of the Notes of any Rating necessary to cure such Below Investment Grade Event), the Notes shall bear interest at the Below Investment Grade Adjusted Interest Rate; and

 

(B) the Company shall promptly, and in any event within ten (10) Business Days after a Below Investment Grade Event has occurred, notify the holders of the Notes in writing, sent in the manner provided in Section 18, that a Below Investment Grade Event has occurred, which written notice shall be accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Required Holders to such effect and confirming the effective date of the Below Investment Grade Event and that the Below Investment Grade Adjusted Interest Rate will be payable in respect of the Notes in consequence thereof.

 

(ii) The fees and expenses of any NRSRO and all other costs incurred in connection with obtaining, affirming or appealing a Rating pursuant to this Section 1.2 shall be borne solely by the Company.

 

 

(iii) As used herein, “Below Investment Grade Adjusted Interest Rate” means the interest rate per annum which is 1.00% above the rate of interest then in effect on the Notes (or the Default Rate based on the rate of interest then in effect on the Notes, as the case may be). For the avoidance of doubt, the Below Investment Grade Adjusted Interest Rate shall not apply unless and until a Below Investment Grade Event has occurred.

 

(iv) As used herein, a “Below Investment Grade Event” shall occur if:

 

(A) at any time the Company has obtained a Rating of the Notes from only one NRSRO, the then most recent Rating from such NRSRO that is in full force and effect (not having been withdrawn) is less than Investment Grade; or

 

(B) at any time the Company has obtained a Rating of the Notes from two NRSROs, the then lower of the most recent Ratings from the NRSROs that are in full force and effect (not having been withdrawn) is less than Investment Grade; or

 

(C) at any time the Company has obtained a Rating of the Notes from three or more NRSROs, the then second lowest of the most recent Ratings from the NRSROs that is in full force and effect (not having been withdrawn) is less than Investment Grade (provided, for the avoidance of doubt, if two or more of the most recent Ratings are equal or equivalent as the lowest such Rating, then one of such equal or equivalent Ratings will be deemed to be the second lowest Rating for purposes of such determination); or

 

(D) at any time the Company shall have failed to receive and deliver to the holders of the Notes a Rating of the Notes from at least one NRSRO as required pursuant to Section 9.8.

 

A Below Investment Grade Event shall end immediately upon the delivery by the Company of one or more Ratings such that the foregoing conditions are no longer triggered. Upon the end of the Below Investment Grade Event, the applicable interest rate shall automatically return to the interest rate for the Notes in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Below Investment Grade Event.

 

(b)(i) If at any time a PIK Ratio Event occurs, then:

 

(A) as of the first day of the applicable fiscal quarter or fiscal year for which financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 7.1 evidence the occurrence of a PIK Ratio Event to and until the last day of the fiscal quarter or fiscal year prior to the applicable fiscal quarter or fiscal year for which financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 7.1 evidence that such PIK Ratio Event is no longer continuing (as evidenced by the receipt and delivery to the holders of the Notes of financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 7.1 evidencing that such PIK Ratio Event has been cured), the Notes shall bear interest at the PIK Ratio Adjusted Interest Rate; and

 

 

(B)  to the extent the Company has knowledge thereof, the Company shall promptly, and in any event within ten (10) Business Days after the Company has knowledge that a PIK Ratio Event has occurred, notify the holders of the Notes in writing, sent in the manner provided in Section 18, that a PIK Ratio Event has occurred and confirming the effective date of the PIK Ratio Event, the date from which the PIK Ratio Adjusted Interest Rate will accrue and that the PIK Ratio Adjusted Interest Rate will be payable on each subsequent interest payment date until such PIK Ratio Event is no longer continuing, in consequence thereof.

 

(ii) As used herein, “PIK Income” means, with respect to any period, the aggregate amount of investment income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such period as determined in accordance with GAAP and received in the form of Securities or other obligations and not Cash or Cash Equivalents. For the avoidance of doubt, any end-of-term payment received by the Company or its Subsidiaries in connection with a Portfolio Investment in the form of Securities and not Cash or Cash Equivalents shall not be included in the calculation of PIK Income under this Agreement.

 

(iii) As used herein, “PIK Ratio” means, for any date of determination, the ratio of (A) PIK Income for the immediately preceding six months ending on such date of determination to (B) Net Investment Income for the immediately preceding six months ending on such date of determination.

 

(iv) As used herein, “PIK Ratio Adjusted Interest Rate” means the interest rate per annum which is 1.00% above the rate of interest then in effect on the Notes (or the Default Rate based on the rate of interest then in effect on the Notes, as the case may be). For the avoidance of doubt, the PIK Ratio Adjusted Interest Rate shall not apply unless and until a PIK Ratio Event has occurred.

 

(v) As used herein, a “PIK Ratio Event” shall occur if as of the last of any fiscal quarter occurring within the period specified in the chart below, the Company’s PIK Ratio exceeds the percentage set forth opposite such period below:

 

Period		PIK Ratio Percentage
From Closing to but not including February 12, 2026			45	%
At any time on or after February 12, 2026			35	%

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the PIK Ratio Event shall end immediately upon the PIK Ratio (as evidenced by the receipt and delivery to the holders of the Notes of financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 7.1 evidencing that such PIK Ratio Event has been cured), within the period specified in the chart above, being less than or equal to the percentage set forth opposite such period above (provided that the PIK Ratio is in fact less than or equal to the applicable percentage). Upon the end of the PIK Ratio Event, the applicable interest rate shall automatically return to the interest rate for the Notes in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the PIK Ratio Event.

 

(c) Following the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Notes shall bear interest at the Default Rate.

 

 

Section 2. Sale and Purchase of Notes.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, at the Closing provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount specified opposite such Purchaser’s name in the Purchaser Schedule at the purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof. The Purchasers’ obligations hereunder are several and not joint obligations and no Purchaser shall have any liability to any Person for the performance or non-performance of any obligation by any other Purchaser hereunder.

 

Section 3. Closing.

 

This Agreement shall be executed and delivered at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, on January 23, 2025. (the “Execution Date”). The sale and purchase of the Notes to be purchased by each Purchaser shall occur at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, at 9:00 a.m. Central Standard Time (the “Closing”). The Closing shall be held on February 12, 2025 or on such other Business Day thereafter as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers of the Notes. At the Closing, the Company will deliver to each Purchaser the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser in the form of a single Note to be purchased by such Purchaser (or such greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000 as such Purchaser may request) dated the date of the Closing and registered in such Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), against delivery by such Purchaser to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in the amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds for the account of the Company pursuant to the applicable funding instructions delivered in accordance with Section 4.10. If at the Closing the Company shall fail to tender such Notes to any Purchaser as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, such Purchaser shall, at its election, be relieved of all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights such Purchaser may have by reason of such failure by the Company to tender such Notes or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 not having been fulfilled to such Purchaser’s satisfaction.

 

Section 4. Conditions to Closing.

 

Each Purchaser’s obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to such Purchaser at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, prior to or at the Closing, of the following conditions:

 

Section 4.1. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and at the Closing.

 

 

Section 4.2. Performance; No Default. The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing. From the Execution Date, before and after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Section 5.14) at the Closing, no Change in Control or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 

Section 4.3. Compliance Certificates.

 

(a) Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of the Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.9 have been fulfilled.

 

(b) Secretary’s Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of its Secretary, dated the date of the Closing, certifying as to (i) the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes and this Agreement and (ii) the Company’s organizational documents as then in effect.

 

Section 4.4. Opinions of Counsel. Such Purchaser shall have received opinions in form and substance satisfactory to such Purchaser, dated the date of the Closing (a) from Dechert LLP, counsel for the Company, covering the matters set forth in Schedule 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser or its counsel may reasonably request (and the Company hereby instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to the Purchasers) and (b) from ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, the Purchasers’ special counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in Schedule 4.4(b) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser may reasonably request.

 

Section 4.5. Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc. On the date of the Closing such Purchaser’s purchase of Notes shall (a) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which such Purchaser is subject, without recourse to provisions (such as section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as to the character of the particular investment, (b) not violate any applicable law or regulation (including Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and (c) not subject such Purchaser to any tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date hereof. If requested by such Purchaser, such Purchaser shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to such matters of fact as such Purchaser may reasonably specify to enable such Purchaser to determine whether such purchase is so permitted.

 

Section ▇.▇.▇▇▇▇ of Other Notes. Contemporaneously with the Closing the Company shall sell to each other Purchaser and each other Purchaser shall purchase the Notes to be purchased by it at the Closing as specified in the Purchaser Schedule.

 

 

Section 4.7. Payment of Special Counsel Fees. Without limiting Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before the Closing the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, charges and disbursements of the Purchasers’ special counsel referred to in Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to the Company at least two Business Days prior to the Closing.

 

Section 4.8. Private Placement Number. A Private Placement Number issued by the PPN CUSIP Unit of CUSIP Global Services (in cooperation with the SVO) shall have been obtained for the Notes.

 

Section 4.9. Changes in Corporate Structure. The Company shall not have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, as applicable, or been a party to any merger or consolidation (in each case, other than as permitted under Section 10.2) or succeeded to all or any substantial part of the liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of the most recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5.

 

Section 4.10. Funding Instructions. (a) At least five (5) Business Days prior to the date of the Closing, each Purchaser shall have received written instructions signed by a Responsible Officer on letterhead of the Company confirming the information specified in Section 3 including (i) the name and address of the transferee bank, (ii) such transferee bank’s ABA number, (iii) the account name and number into which the purchase price for such Purchaser’s Notes is to be deposited, which account shall be fully opened and able to receive micro deposits in accordance with this Section 4.10 at least five (5) Business Days prior to the date of Closing and (iv) contact information of a representative at the transferee bank and a representative at the Company who will be available to confirm such instructions by telephone.

 

(b) Each Purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, upon written notice (which may be by email) to the Company, to elect to deliver a micro deposit (less than $50.00) to the account identified in the written instructions no later than two (2) Business Days prior to Closing.  If a Purchaser delivers a micro deposit, a Responsible Officer must verbally verify the receipt and amount of the micro deposit to such Purchaser on a telephone call initiated by such Purchaser prior to Closing.  The Company shall not be obligated to return the amount of the micro deposit, nor will the amount of the micro deposit be netted against the Purchaser’s purchase price of the Notes.

 

(c) At least two (2) Business Days prior to the date of the Closing, if requested by a Purchaser, a Responsible Officer of the Company shall have confirmed the aforementioned written instructions in a live video conference call made available to the Purchasers.

 

Section 4.11. Rating. The Purchasers shall have received evidence that the Notes shall be rated “BBB (low)” or better by DBRS, which rating shall specifically describe the Notes, including their interest rate, maturity and Private Placement Number.

 

Section 4.12. Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be reasonably satisfactory to such Purchaser, and such Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as such Purchaser may reasonably request.

 

 

Section 5. Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

The Company represents and warrants to each Purchaser, as of the date of the Closing (or, if any such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, then as of such earlier date), that:

 

Section 5.1. Organization; Power and Authority. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Notes and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.

 

Section 5.2. Authorization, Etc. This Agreement and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

Section 5.3. Disclosure. (a)  This Agreement, the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5 and the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to the Purchasers by or on behalf of the Company (other than financial projections, pro forma financial information and other forward-looking information referenced in Section 5.3(b), information relating to third parties and general economic information) prior to December 20, 2024 in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and identified in Schedule 5.3 (this Agreement, and such documents, certificates or other writings and such financial statements delivered to each Purchaser being referred to, collectively, as the “Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole, do not, as of the Execution Date, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Documents, since December 31, 2023, there has been no change in the financial condition, operations, business or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary except changes that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no fact known to the Company that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein or in the Disclosure Documents.

 

(b) All financial projections, pro forma financial information and other forward-looking information which has been delivered to each Purchaser by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are based upon good faith assumptions and, in the case of financial projections and pro forma financial information, good faith estimates, in each case, believed to be reasonable at the time made, it being recognized that (i) such financial information as it relates to future events is subject to significant uncertainty and contingencies (many of which are beyond the control of the Company) and are therefore not to be viewed as fact, and (ii) actual results during the period or periods covered by such financial information may materially differ from the results set forth therein.

 

 

Section 5.4. Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries. (a) Schedule 5.4 (as may be updated by the Company for the Closing pursuant to any supplement executed and delivered in connection with the Closing) contains (except as noted therein) complete and correct lists as of the Execution Date of (i) the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as to each Subsidiary, the name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization, the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary and whether such Subsidiary is a Subsidiary Guarantor, and (ii) the Company’s directors and executive officers.

 

(b) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 (as may be updated by the Company for the Closing pursuant to any supplement executed and delivered in connection with the Closing) as being owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, and, to the extent applicable, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien that is prohibited by this Agreement.

 

(c) Each Subsidiary is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and, where applicable, in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and, where applicable, is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d) No Subsidiary is subject to any legal, regulatory, contractual or other restriction (other than the agreements listed on Schedule 5.4 (as may be updated by the Company for the Closing pursuant to any supplement executed and delivered in connection with the Closing) and customary limitations imposed by corporate law or similar statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay dividends out of profits or make any other similar distributions of profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of such Subsidiary.

 

Section 5.5. Financial Statements; Material Liabilities. The Company has delivered to each Purchaser copies of the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.5. All of such financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and notes, but excluding all financial projections, pro forma financial information and other forward-looking information) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the respective dates specified in such Schedule 5.5 and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows (as applicable) for the respective periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end adjustments and lack of footnotes).

 

 

Section 5.6. Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Notes will not (i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any (A) indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected or (B) the corporate charter or by-laws of the Company, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary, or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary, in each case, except where any of the foregoing (other than clause (i)(B) above), individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 5.7. Governmental Authorizations, Etc. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of each of the Purchasers of the Notes, no consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement or the Notes, other than any filing required under the Exchange Act or the rules or regulations promulgated thereunder on Form 8-K, Form 10-Q and Form 10-K.

 

Section 5.8. Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders. (a) There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (i) in default under any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, (ii) in violation of any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, any arbitrator of any kind or any Governmental Authority or (iii) in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority (including Environmental Laws, the USA PATRIOT Act or any of the other laws and regulations that are referred to in Section 5.16), which default or violation would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

Section 5.9. Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments (i) the amount of which, individually or in the aggregate, is not Material or (ii) the amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP.

 

Section 5.10. Title to Property; Leases. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to their respective properties that individually or in the aggregate are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or purported to have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after such date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement. All leases that individually or in the aggregate are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material respects.

 

Section 5.11. Licenses, Permits, Etc. (a) The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known conflict with the rights of others, except for any such conflicts that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b) To the best knowledge of the Company, no product or service of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes in any material respect any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c) To the best knowledge of the Company, there is no Material violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

Section 5.12. Compliance with Employee Benefit Plans. (a) All Plans have been established, operated, administered and maintained in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders applicable thereto, except where failure so to comply would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All premiums, contributions and any other amounts required by applicable Plan documents or applicable laws to be paid or accrued by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been paid or accrued as required, except where failure so to pay or accrue would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b) The Company and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred any obligation in connection with the termination of or withdrawal from any Plan that individually or in the aggregate would be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(c) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes hereunder will not involve any transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of Section 406 of ERISA or in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to Section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code. The representation by the Company to each Purchaser in the first sentence of this Section 5.12(c) is made in reliance upon and subject to the accuracy of such Purchaser’s representation in Section 6.2 as to the sources of the funds to be used to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser.

 

Section 5.13. Private Offering by the Company. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any substantially similar debt Securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy the Notes or any substantially similar debt Securities from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other than the Purchasers and not more than five other Institutional Investors, each of which has been offered the Notes at a private sale for investment. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration requirements of any Securities or blue sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction.

 

Section 5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations. The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes hereunder as described in Schedule 5.14. No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any Securities under such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220). Margin stock does not constitute more than 25.0% of the value of the consolidated assets of the Company and its subsidiaries and the Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will constitute more than 25.0% of the value of such assets. As used in this Section, the terms “margin stock” and “purpose of buying or carrying” shall have the meanings assigned to them in said Regulation U.

 

Section 5.15. Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens. (a) Except as described therein, Schedule 5.15 (as may be updated by the Company for the Closing pursuant to any supplement executed and delivered in connection with the Closing) sets forth a complete and correct list of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the last day of the month immediately preceding the Execution Date, since which date there has been no Material change in the amounts, interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries. As of the last day of the month immediately preceding the Execution Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment.

 

 

(b) Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15 (as may be updated by the Company for the Closing pursuant to any supplement executed and delivered in connection with the Closing), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien that secures Indebtedness or to cause or permit in the future (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien that secures Indebtedness.

 

(c) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any provision contained in, any instrument evidencing Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary, any agreement relating thereto or any other agreement (including its charter or any other organizational document) which limits the amount of, or otherwise imposes restrictions on the incurring of, Indebtedness of the Company, except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15 (as may be updated by the Company for the Closing pursuant to any supplement executed and delivered in connection with the Closing) .

 

Section 5.16. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc. (a) Neither the Company nor any Controlled Entity (i) is a Blocked Person or Canada Blocked Person, (ii) has been notified that its name appears or may in the future appear on a State Sanctions List or (iii) is a target of sanctions that have been imposed by Canada, the United Nations, the United Kingdom or the European Union.

 

(b) Neither the Company nor any Controlled Entity (i) has violated, been found in violation of, or been charged or convicted under, any applicable U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Canadian Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws or Anti-Corruption Laws or (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, is under investigation by any Governmental Authority for possible violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Canadian Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws or Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

(c) No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder:

 

(i) constitutes or will constitute funds obtained on behalf of any Blocked Person or Canada Blocked Person or will otherwise be used by the Company or any Controlled Entity, directly or indirectly, (A) in connection with any investment in, or any transactions or dealings with, any Blocked Person or Canada Blocked Person, (B) for any purpose that would cause any Purchaser to be in violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws or Canadian Economic Sanctions or (C) otherwise in violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws or Canadian Economic Sanctions Laws;

 

(ii) will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of, or cause any Purchaser to be in violation of, any applicable Anti-Money Laundering Laws; or

 

(iii) will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of making any improper payments, including bribes, to any Governmental Official or commercial counterparty in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in each case which would be in violation of, or cause any Purchaser to be in violation of, any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

 

(d) The Company has established procedures and controls which it reasonably believes are adequate (and otherwise comply with applicable law) to ensure that the Company and each Controlled Entity is and will continue to be in compliance with all applicable U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Canadian Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

Section 5.17. [Reserved].

 

Section 5.18. Environmental Matters. (a) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any written claim and no proceeding has been instituted asserting any claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or with respect to any real property now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them, alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would reasonably be expected to give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of or liability under Environmental Laws by the Company or any Subsidiary, except, in each case, such as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has handled, stored, or disposed of any Hazardous Materials on real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them in a manner which has violated any Environmental Law that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has had a release of any Hazardous Materials in a manner which would reasonably be expected to give rise to liability under any Environmental Law that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 5.19. Investment Company Act.

 

(a) The Company has elected to be regulated as a “business development company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2014.

 

(b) The business and other activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries, including the issuance of the Notes hereunder, the application of the proceeds and repayment thereof by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement do not result in a violation or breach in any material respect of the provisions of the Investment Company Act or any rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC thereunder, in each case that are applicable to the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

 

(c) The Company is in compliance in all respects with the Investment Policies, except to the extent that the failure to so comply would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 6. Representations of the Purchasers.

 

Section 6.1. Purchase for Investment. (a) Each Purchaser severally represents that it is purchasing the Notes for its own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by such Purchaser or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view to the distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of such Purchaser’s or their property shall at all times be within such Purchaser’s or their control. Each Purchaser understands that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is not required to register the Notes.

 

(b) Each Purchaser severally understands and agrees that it will not transfer the Notes or any part or portion thereof held by it (i) to any Person who is not an Institutional Investor or who is a Competitor or (ii) in violation of applicable law.

 

Section 6.2. Source of Funds. Each Purchaser severally represents that at least one of the following statements is an accurate representation as to each source of funds (a “Source”) to be used by such Purchaser to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser hereunder:

 

(a) the Source is an “insurance company general account” (as the term is defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95-60) in respect of which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by the annual statement for life insurance companies approved by the NAIC (the “NAIC Annual Statement”)) for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the amount of the reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95-60) or by the same employee organization in the general account do not exceed 10% of the total reserves and liabilities of the general account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with such Purchaser’s state of domicile; or

 

(b) the Source is a separate account of an insurance company that is maintained solely in connection with such Purchaser’s fixed contractual obligations of the insurance company under which the amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or its related trust) that has any interest in such separate account (or to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment performance of the separate account;

 

(c) the Source is either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1 or (ii) a bank collective investment fund, within the meaning of the PTE 91-38 and, except as disclosed by such Purchaser to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment fund;

 

 

(d) the Source constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84-14 (the “QPAM Exemption”)) managed by a “qualified professional asset manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of Part VI of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets that are managed by the QPAM in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Part VI(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization and managed by such QPAM, represent more than 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the QPAM nor a person controlling or controlled by the QPAM (applying the definition of “control” in Section VI(e) of the QPAM Exemption) maintains an ownership interest in the Company that would cause the QPAM and the Company to be “related” within the meaning of Part VI(h) of the QPAM Exemption and (i) the identity of such QPAM and (ii) the names of any employee benefit plans whose assets in the investment fund, when combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Part VI(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization, represent 10% or more of the assets of such investment fund, have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (d);

 

(e) the Source constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning of Part IV(h) of PTE 96-23 (the “INHAM Exemption”)) managed by an “in-house asset manager” or “INHAM” (within the meaning of Part IV(a) of the INHAM Exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and (h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM nor a person controlling or controlled by the INHAM (applying the definition of “control” in Part IV(d)(3) of the INHAM Exemption) owns a 10% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s) whose assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (e); or

 

(f) the Source is a governmental plan;

 

(g) the Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each of which has been heretofore disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (g); or

 

(h) the assets of the Source do not and will not constitute “plan assets” of any employee benefit plan, as determined in accordance with Section 3(42) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder.

 

As used in this Section 6.2, the terms “employee benefit plan,” “governmental plan,” and “separate account” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.

 

 

Section 6.3. Investment Experience; Access to Information. Each Purchaser (for itself and for each account for which such Purchaser is acquiring the Notes) severally represents that such Person (a) is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act and an “Institutional Account” as defined in FINRA Rule 4512(c), (b) either alone or together with its representatives has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of this investment and make an informed decision to so invest and has so evaluated and analyzed the risks and merits of such investment, (c) has the ability to bear the economic risks of this investment and can afford a complete loss of such investment, (d) understands the terms of and risks associated with the purchase of the Notes, including, without limitation, a lack of liquidity, pricing availability and risks associated with the industry in which the Company operates, (e) has had the opportunity to review (i) the Disclosure Documents, (ii) the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, (iii) the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Company for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, (iv) the Current Report on Form 8-K for the Company filed with the SEC on December 18, 2024, (v) such other disclosure regarding the Company, its business and its financial condition as such Purchaser has determined to be necessary in connection with the purchase of the Notes and (vi) has not received any other information, whether orally or in writing, contrary to the information in this sub-clause (e), (f) has had an opportunity to ask such questions and make such inquiries concerning the Company, its business and its financial condition as such Purchaser has deemed appropriate in connection with its purchase of the Notes and to receive satisfactory answers to such questions and inquiries, and (g) is purchasing the Notes without a view to distribution thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act and agrees not to reoffer or resell the Notes except pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act or pursuant to an effective registration statement thereunder (it being understood, however, that the disposition of such Person’s property shall at all times be within such Person’s control).

 

Section 6.4. Authorization. Each Purchaser severally represents that (a) it has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and (b) this Agreement, when executed and delivered by such Purchaser, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of such Purchaser, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance and any other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies.

 

Section 6.5. Reliance. Each Purchaser severally (a) acknowledges that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, as placement agent for the Notes, may rely on the representations and warrants of such Purchaser contained in this Section 6 as if it were a party to this Agreement; (b) represents and warrants that such Purchaser is not relying upon, and has not relied upon, any statement, representation or warranty made by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, any of its Affiliates or any of its or their Control persons, officers, directors or employees, in making its investment or decision to invest in the Company; and (c) agrees (for itself and for each account for which such Purchaser is acquiring the Notes) that none of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, any of its Affiliates or any of its or their Control persons, officers, directors or employees shall be liable to any Purchaser in connection with its purchase of the Notes, except to the extent arising from fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, any of its Affiliates or any other of the foregoing Persons.

 

 

Section 7. Information as to Company.

 

Section 7.1. Financial and Business Information. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser and each holder of a Note that, in each case, is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a) Quarterly Statements — within 60 days (or such shorter period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Form 10-Q”) with the SEC regardless of whether the Company is subject to the filing requirements thereof) after the end of each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year), duplicate copies of:

 

(i) a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as at the end of such quarter, and

 

(ii) consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, for such quarter and/or (in the case of the consolidated statements of operations for the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter,

 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial statements generally (other than absence of footnotes and year-end adjustments), and certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries being reported on and their results of operations and cash flows, subject to changes resulting from year-end adjustments;

 

(b) Annual Statements — within 105 days (or such shorter period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) with the SEC regardless of whether the Company is subject to the filing requirements thereof) after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of:

 

(i) a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as at the end of such year, and

 

(ii) consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for such year,

 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by an opinion thereon (without a “going concern” qualification or exception as to the Company (other than as a result of the impending maturity or any prospective default under any credit agreement of the Company, including this Agreement and the Notes) and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of the audit on which such opinion is based) of independent public accountants of recognized national standing, which opinion shall state that such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported upon and their results of operations and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, and that the examination of such accountants in connection with such financial statements has been made in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and that such audit provides a reasonable basis for such opinion in the circumstances;

 

 

(c) SEC and Other Reports — promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of (i) each financial statement, report, notice, proxy statement or similar document sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to its public Securities holders generally, and (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company with the SEC and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are Material;

 

(d) Notice of Event of Default — promptly, and in any event within 5 Business Days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(f), a written notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(e) Employee Benefits Matters — promptly, and in any event within 5 Business Days, after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any of the following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect thereto:

 

(i) with respect to any Plan, any reportable event, as defined in section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder, that could reasonably be expected to result in Material liability to the Company and for which notice thereof has not been waived pursuant to such regulations as then in effect;

 

(ii) the taking by the PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan;

 

 

(iii) any event, transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken together with any other such liabilities or Liens then existing, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(iv) receipt of notice by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of the imposition of a Material financial penalty (which for this purpose shall mean any tax, penalty or other liability, whether by way of indemnity or otherwise) with respect to one or more Non-U.S. Plans;

 

(f) Notices from Governmental Authority — promptly, and in any event within 30 days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to the Company or any Subsidiary from any Governmental Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or regulation that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and to the extent such notice is required to be disclosed in connection with any regulation or disclosure obligations under the Securities Act;

 

(g) Resignation or Replacement of Auditors — within 10 days following the date on which the Company’s auditors resign or the Company elects to change auditors, as the case may be, notification thereof, together with such further information as the Required Holders may request; and

 

(h) Requested Information — with reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or relating to the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to time may be reasonably requested by the Required Holders, in each case to the extent reasonably available to the Company.

 

Section 7.2. Officer’s Certificate. Each set of financial statements delivered to a Purchaser or holder of a Note pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer:

 

(a) Covenant Compliance — setting forth the information from such financial statements that is required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.7, during the quarterly or annual period covered by the financial statements then being furnished (including with respect to each such provision that involves mathematical calculations, the information from such financial statements that is required to perform such calculations) and detailed calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Section, and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in existence. In the event that the Company or any Subsidiary has made an election to measure any financial liability using fair value (which election is being disregarded for purposes of determining compliance with this Agreement pursuant to Section 22.2) as to the period covered by any such financial statement, such Senior Financial Officer’s certificate as to such period shall include a reconciliation from GAAP with respect to such election;

 

 

(b) Event of Default — certifying that such Senior Financial Officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions and conditions of the Company and its Subsidiaries from the beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists, specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto; and

 

(c) Subsidiary Guarantors — setting forth a list of all Subsidiaries that are Subsidiary Guarantors and certifying that each Subsidiary that is required to be a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.7 is a Subsidiary Guarantor, in each case, as of the date of such certificate of Senior Financial Officer.

 

Section 7.3. Visitation. The Company shall permit the representatives of each Purchaser and each holder of a Note that, in each case, is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a) No Default — if no Default or Event of Default then exists and is continuing, at the expense of such Purchaser or such holder and upon at least ten (10) Business Days’ prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) its independent public accountants, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested in writing; provided, that such visitation rights set forth in this clause (a) may be exercised only once per calendar year for each holder of a Note; and

 

(b) Default — if a Default or Event of Default then exists and is continuing, at the expense of the Company and upon at least ten (10) Business Days’ prior written notice to the Company, to visit and inspect any of the offices or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers and independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested.

 

 

Section 7.4. Electronic Delivery. Financial statements, opinions of independent certified public accountants, other information and Officer’s Certificates that are required to be delivered by the Company pursuant to Sections 7.1(a), (b), (c) or (h) and Section 7.2 shall be deemed to have been delivered if the Company satisfies any of the following requirements with respect thereto:

 

(a) such financial statements satisfying the requirements of Section 7.1(a) or (b) and related Officer’s Certificate satisfying the requirements of Section 7.2 and any other information required under Section 7.1(c) are delivered to each holder of a Note by e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in such holder’s Purchaser Schedule or as communicated from time to time in a separate writing delivered to the Company;

 

(b) the Company shall have timely filed such Form 10–Q or Form 10–K, satisfying the requirements of Section 7.1(a), Section 7.1(b) or Section 7.1(h), as the case may be, with the SEC on ▇▇▇▇▇ and shall have made such form accessible from its home page on the internet, which is located at ▇▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇/ as of the Execution Date, and shall have delivered, with respect to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b), the related Officer’s Certificate satisfying the requirements of Section 7.2 to each holder of a Note by electronic mail;

 

(c) such financial statements satisfying the requirements of Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) and related Officer’s Certificate(s) satisfying the requirements of Section 7.2 and any other information required under Section 7.1(c) are timely posted by or on behalf of the Company on Intralinks or on any other similar website to which each holder of Notes has free access; or

 

(d) the Company shall have timely filed any of the items referred to in Section 7.1(c) or Section 7.1(h) with the SEC on ▇▇▇▇▇ or shall have made such items available on its home page on the internet or on Intralinks or on any other similar website to which each holder of Notes has free access;

 

provided however, that in no case shall access to such financial statements, other information and Officer’s Certificates be conditioned upon any waiver or other agreement or consent (other than confidentiality provisions consistent with Section 20 of this Agreement); provided further, that in the case of any of clauses (b), (c) or (d), the Company shall have given each holder of a Note prior written notice, which may be by e-mail, included in the Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 7.2, or in accordance with Section 18, of such posting or filing in connection with each delivery, provided further, that upon request of any holder to receive paper copies of such forms, financial statements, other information and Officer’s Certificates or to receive them by e-mail, the Company will promptly e-mail them or deliver such paper copies, as the case may be, to such holder.

 

Section 8. Payment and Prepayment of the Notes.

 

Section 8.1. Maturity. As provided therein, the entire unpaid principal balance of each Note shall be due and payable on the Maturity Date thereof.

 

 

Section 8.2. Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount. The Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes, in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, and the Make-Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount; provided, that at any time on or after November 12, 2027 the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay all or any part of the Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with accrued interest to the prepayment date. The Company will give each holder of Notes written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not less than 10 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment unless the Company and the Required Holders agree to another time period pursuant to Section 17. Each such notice shall specify such date (which shall be a Business Day), the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid on such date, the principal amount of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.3), and the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such prepayment (calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the specified prepayment date.

 

Section 8.3. Allocation of Partial Prepayments. In the case of each partial prepayment of the Notes pursuant to Section 8.2, the principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid shall be allocated among all of the Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment. All prepayments made pursuant to Section 8.8 shall be applied only to the Notes of the holders who have accepted the offer of prepayment.

 

Section 8.4. Maturity; Surrender, Etc. In the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant to this Section 8, the principal amount of each Note to be prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for such prepayment, together with interest on such principal amount accrued to such date and the applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any. From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such principal amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount of any Note.

 

Section 8.5. Purchase of Notes. The Company will not and will not permit any Controlled Entity to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the outstanding Notes except:

 

(a) upon the payment or prepayment of the Notes in accordance with this Agreement and the Notes or

 

 

(b) pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company or a Controlled Entity pro rata to the holders of all Notes at the time outstanding upon the same terms and conditions. Any such offer shall provide each holder with sufficient information to enable it to make an informed decision with respect to such offer, and shall remain open for at least 10 Business Days. If the holders of more than 25% of the principal amount of the Notes then outstanding accept such offer, the Company shall promptly notify the remaining holders of such fact and the expiration date for the acceptance by holders of Notes of such offer shall be extended by the number of days necessary to give each such remaining holder at least 5 Business Days from its receipt of such notice to accept such offer. For the avoidance of doubt, no Make-Whole Amount shall be owed in connection with any prepayment made pursuant to this Section 8.5(b).

 

The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any Controlled Entity pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.

 

Section 8.6. Make-Whole Amount.

 

“Make-Whole Amount” means, with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called Principal, provided that the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero. For the purposes of determining the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

“Called Principal” means, with respect to any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.

 

“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (a) 0.50% plus (b) the yield to maturity implied by the “Ask Yield(s)” reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities (“Reported”) having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there are no such U.S. Treasury securities Reported having a maturity equal to such Remaining Average Life, then such implied yield to maturity will be determined by (i) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (ii) interpolating linearly between the “Ask Yields” Reported for the applicable most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities with the maturities (1) closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note.

 

 

If such yields are not Reported or the yields Reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), then “Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.50% plus (y) the yield to maturity implied by the U.S. Treasury constant maturity yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any comparable successor publication) for the U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there is no such U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to such Remaining Average Life, such implied yield to maturity will be determined by interpolating linearly between (1) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note.

 

“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years obtained by dividing (i) such Called Principal into (ii) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (b) the number of years, computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months and calculated to two decimal places, that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

 

“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.2 or Section 12.1.

 

“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

Section 8.7. Payments Due on Non-Business Days. Anything in this Agreement or the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding, (x) except as set forth in clause (y), any payment of interest on any Note that is due on a date that is not a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day without including the additional days elapsed in the computation of the interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day; and (y) any payment of principal of, or Make-Whole Amount on, any Note (including principal due on the Maturity Date of such Note) that is due on a date that is not a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and shall include the additional days elapsed in the computation of interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day.

 

 

Section 8.8. Change in Control.

 

(a) Notice of Change in Control. The Company will, within fifteen Business Days after any Responsible Officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Change in Control, give written notice of such Change in Control to each holder of Notes. Such notice shall contain and constitute an offer to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph (b) of this Section 8.8 and shall be accompanied by the certificate described in subparagraph (e) of this Section 8.8.

 

(b) Offer to Prepay Notes. The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by subparagraph (a) of this Section 8.8 shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.8, all, but not less than all, the Notes held by each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Section 8.8 Proposed Prepayment Date”). Such date shall be not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days after the date of such offer (if the Section 8.8 Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the Section 8.8 Proposed Prepayment Date shall be the first Business Day after the 45th day after the date of such offer).

 

(c) Acceptance/Rejection. A holder of Notes may accept the offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.8 by causing a notice of such acceptance to be delivered to the Company not later than 15 Business Days after receipt by such holder of the most recent offer of prepayment. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.8 shall be deemed to constitute rejection of such offer by such holder.

 

(d) Prepayment. Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.8 shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to, but excluding, the date of prepayment, but without Make-Whole Amount or other premium.

 

(e) Officer’s Certificate. Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.8 shall be accompanied by a certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Section 8.8 Proposed Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.8; (iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to, but excluding, the Section 8.8 Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this Section 8.8 have been fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date of the Change in Control.

 

 

Section 9. Affirmative Covenants.

 

From the Execution Date until the Closing and thereafter, so long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company covenants that:

 

Section 9.1. Compliance with Laws. Without limiting Section 10.4, the Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject (including Environmental Laws, the USA PATRIOT Act and the other laws and regulations that are referred to in Section 5.16) and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, conduct its business and other activities in compliance in all Material respects with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act and any applicable rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC thereunder.

 

Section 9.2. Insurance. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain insurance with respect to their respective properties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly situated.

 

Section 9.3. Maintenance of Properties. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and kept, their respective properties in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times, provided that this Section 9.3 shall not prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has concluded that such discontinuance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.4. Payment of Taxes and Claims. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, file all tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes, assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent the same have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim if (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (ii) the nonpayment of all such taxes, assessments, charges, levies and claims would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

Section 9.5. Corporate Existence, Etc. Subject to Section 10.2, the Company will at all times preserve and keep its corporate existence in full force and effect. Subject to Section 10.2, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate existence of each of its Subsidiaries (unless merged into the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate existence, right or franchise would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.6. Books and Records. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain proper books of record and account in conformity with GAAP and all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having legal or regulatory jurisdiction over the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep books, records and accounts which, in reasonable detail, accurately reflect all transactions and dispositions of assets. The Company and its Subsidiaries have devised a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that their respective books, records, and accounts accurately reflect all transactions and dispositions of assets and the Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, continue to maintain such system.

 

Section 9.7. Subsidiary Guarantors. (a) The Company will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries and Foreign Subsidiaries) that guarantees or otherwise becomes liable at any time, whether as a borrower or an additional or co-borrower or otherwise, for or in respect of any Indebtedness under any Material Credit Facility for which the Company is a borrower or guarantor to concurrently therewith:

 

(i) enter into (A) an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Required Holders providing for the guaranty by such Subsidiary, on a joint and several basis with all other such Subsidiaries, of (x) the prompt payment in full when due of all amounts payable by the Company pursuant to the Notes (whether for principal, interest, Make-Whole Amount or otherwise) and this Agreement, including all indemnities, fees and expenses payable by the Company thereunder and (y) the prompt, full and faithful performance, observance and discharge by the Company of each and every covenant, agreement, undertaking and provision required pursuant to the Notes or this Agreement to be performed, observed or discharged by it (a “Subsidiary Guaranty”) or (B) a joinder to the Subsidiary Guaranty; and

 

(ii) deliver the following to each holder of a Note:

 

(A) an executed counterpart of such Subsidiary Guaranty or a joinder thereto;

 

 

(B) a certificate signed by an authorized responsible officer of such Subsidiary containing representations and warranties on behalf of such Subsidiary to the same effect, mutatis mutandis, as those contained in Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.6 and 5.7 of this Agreement (but with respect to such Subsidiary and such Subsidiary Guaranty rather than the Company);

 

(C) all documents as may be reasonably requested by the Required Holders to evidence the due organization, continuing existence and, where applicable, good standing of such Subsidiary and the due authorization by all requisite action on the part of such Subsidiary of the execution and delivery of such Subsidiary Guaranty and the performance by such Subsidiary of its obligations thereunder; and

 

(D) an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders covering such matters relating to such Subsidiary and such Subsidiary Guaranty as the Required Holders may reasonably request.

 

(b) At the election of the Company and by written notice to each holder of Notes, any Subsidiary Guarantor may be discharged from all of its obligations and liabilities under its Subsidiary Guaranty and shall be automatically released from its obligations thereunder without the need for the execution or delivery of any other document by the holders, provided that (i) if such Subsidiary Guarantor is a guarantor or is otherwise liable for or in respect of any Material Credit Facility, then such Subsidiary Guarantor has been released and discharged (or will be released and discharged concurrently with the release of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guaranty) under such Material Credit Facility, (ii) at the time of, and after giving effect to, such release and discharge, no Event of Default shall be existing, (iii) no amount is then due and payable under such Subsidiary Guaranty, (iv) if in connection with such Subsidiary Guarantor being released and discharged under any Material Credit Facility (other than in connection with a sale of such Subsidiary or its Equity Interests), any fee or other form of consideration is given to any holder of Indebtedness under such Material Credit Facility specifically for such release, the holders of the Notes shall receive equivalent consideration substantially concurrently therewith and (v) each holder shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying as to the matters set forth in clauses (i) through (iv).

 

Section 9.8. Rating Confirmation. The Company covenants and agrees that, at its sole cost and expense, it shall cause to be maintained at all times a Rating from at least one NRSRO that indicates that it will monitor the rating on an ongoing basis. No later than January 23 of each year (beginning January 23, 2026) the Company further covenants and agrees it shall provide a notice to each of the holders of the Notes sent in the manner provided in Section 18 with respect to all then-current Ratings.

 

 

Section 9.9. Status of RIC and BDC. The Company shall at all times, subject to applicable grace periods and curing periods set forth in the Code, maintain its status as a RIC, and as a “business development company” under the Investment Company Act.

 

Section 9.10. Investment Policies. The Company shall at all times be in compliance with its Investment Policies, except to the extent that the failure to so comply would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 10. Negative Covenants.

 

From the Execution Date until the Closing and thereafter, so long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company covenants that:

 

Section 10.1. Transactions with Affiliates. The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into directly or indirectly any transaction or group of related transactions (including the purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of any kind or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate (other than the Company or any of its subsidiaries), except

 

(a) in the ordinary course and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary than would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate;

 

(b) transactions with Affiliates in connection with the agreements set forth in Schedule 10.1;

 

(c) transactions with one or more Affiliates (including co-investments) as permitted by any SEC exemptive order (as may be amended from time to time), any no-action letter or as otherwise permitted by applicable law, rule or regulation or SEC staff interpretations thereof or based on advice of counsel;

 

(d) transactions between or among, on the one hand, the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries, and, on the other hand, any SBIC Subsidiary or any “downstream affiliate” (as such term is used under the rules promulgated under the Investment Company Act) of the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries at prices and on terms and conditions, taken as a whole, not materially less favorable to the Company and/or such Subsidiaries than in good faith is believed could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties,

 

(e) a transaction that has been approved by a majority of the independent directors of the board of directors of the Company;

 

(f) any Investment that results in the creation of an Affiliate;

 

(g) customary compensation to Affiliates in connection with investment advisory, administration, financial advisory, financing, underwriting or placement services or in respect of other investment banking activities and other transaction fees, which payments are approved by the majority of the members of the board of directors (or similar governing body) or a majority of the disinterested members of the board of directors of the Company in good faith;

 

 

(h) transactions and payments required under the definitive agreement for any acquisition or Investment permitted under this Agreement (to the extent any seller, employee, officer or director of an acquired entity becomes an Affiliate in connection with such transaction);

 

(i) the payment of customary fees and reasonable out-of-pocket costs to, and indemnities provided on behalf of, members of the board of directors (or similar governing body), officers, employees, members of management, managers, consultants, investment advisers, administrative service providers and independent contractors of the Company and/or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

 

(j) transactions with customers, clients, suppliers, joint ventures, purchasers or sellers of goods or services or providers of employees or other labor entered into in the ordinary course of business, which are (i) fair to the Company and/or the applicable Subsidiary in the good faith determination of the board of directors (or similar governing body) of the Company or the senior management thereof or (ii) on terms at least as favorable as might reasonably be obtained from a Person other than an Affiliate; and

 

(k) the Company may issue and sell Equity Interests to its Affiliates.

 

Section 10.2. Merger, Consolidation, Fundamental Changes, Etc. The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary Guarantor to, consolidate with or merge with any other Person or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or series of transactions to any Person except:

 

(a) in the case of any such transaction involving the Company, the successor formed by such consolidation or the survivor of such merger or the Person that acquires by conveyance, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the assets of the Company as an entirety, as the case may be, shall be a solvent corporation or limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof (including the District of Columbia), and, if the Company is not such corporation or limited liability company, (i) such corporation or limited liability company shall have executed and delivered to each holder of any Notes its assumption of the due and punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition of this Agreement and the Notes and (ii) such corporation or limited liability company shall have caused to be delivered to each holder of any Notes an opinion of nationally recognized outside legal counsel, or other outside legal counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the effect that all agreements or instruments effecting such assumption are enforceable in accordance with their terms and comply with the terms hereof;

 

(b) in the case of any such transaction involving a Subsidiary Guarantor, the successor formed by such consolidation or the survivor of such merger or the Person that acquires by conveyance, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor as an entirety, as the case may be, shall be (1) the Company, such Subsidiary Guarantor or another Subsidiary Guarantor; or (2) a solvent corporation or limited liability company (other than the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor) that is organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof (including the District of Columbia) and, if such Subsidiary Guarantor is not such corporation or limited liability company, (A) such corporation or limited liability company shall have executed and delivered to each holder of Notes its assumption of the due and punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition of the Subsidiary Guaranty of such Subsidiary Guarantor and (B) the Company shall have caused to be delivered to each holder of Notes an opinion of nationally recognized outside legal counsel, or other outside legal counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the effect that all agreements or instruments effecting such assumption are enforceable in accordance with their terms and comply with the terms hereof;

 

 

(c) the Equity Interests of any Subsidiary Guarantor may be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to an Obligor;

 

(d) any Subsidiary Guarantor may be liquidated or dissolved; provided that (i) in connection with such liquidation or dissolution, any and all of the assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be distributed or otherwise transferred to an Obligor and (ii) the Company determines in good faith that such liquidation is in the best interests of the Company and is not materially disadvantageous to the holders of the Notes;

 

(e) the Obligors may convey, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of their assets to a Financing Subsidiary;

 

(f)  in the cases of clauses (a) and (b)(2) above, each Subsidiary Guarantor under any Subsidiary Guaranty that is outstanding at the time such transaction or each transaction in such a series of transactions occurs reaffirms its obligations under such Subsidiary Guaranty in writing at such time pursuant to documentation that is reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders; and

 

(g) in the case of clauses (a) and (e) above, immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and the Company shall deliver to the holders of the Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer to such effect.

 

No such conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall have the effect of releasing the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor, as the case may be, or any successor corporation or limited liability company that shall theretofore have become such in the manner prescribed in this Section 10.2, from its liability under (x) this Agreement or the Notes (in the case of the Company) or (y) the Subsidiary Guaranty (in the case of any Subsidiary Guarantor), unless, in the case of the conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of a Subsidiary Guarantor, such Subsidiary Guarantor is released from its Subsidiary Guaranty in accordance with Section 9.7(b) in connection with or immediately following such conveyance, transfer or lease.

 

Section 10.3. Line of Business. The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary (other than a Financing Subsidiary) to engage in any business if, as a result, the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, would then be engaged would be substantially changed from the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are engaged on Execution Date, as described in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Company for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024.

 

 

Section 10.4. Economic Sanctions, Etc. The Company will not, and will not permit any Controlled Entity to (a) become (including by virtue of being owned or controlled by a Blocked Person or Canada Blocked Person), own or control a Blocked Person or Canada Blocked Person or (b) directly or indirectly have any investment in or engage in any dealing or transaction (including any investment, dealing or transaction involving the proceeds of the Notes) with any Person if such investment, dealing or transaction (i) would cause any Purchaser or holder or any affiliate of such holder to be in violation of, or subject to sanctions under, any law or regulation applicable to such holder, or (ii) is prohibited by or subject to sanctions under any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws or Canadian Economic Sanctions Laws.

 

Section 10.5. Liens. The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume or permit to exist (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any Lien on or with respect to any property or asset (including any document or instrument in respect of goods or accounts receivable) of the Company or any such Subsidiary Guarantor, whether now owned or held or hereafter acquired, or any income or profits therefrom, or assign or otherwise convey any right to receive income or profits, except:

 

(a) any Lien on any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor existing on the Execution Date and set forth in Schedule 10.5, provided that (i) no such Lien shall extend to any other property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and (ii) any such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on Execution Date and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof (except by an amount equal to unpaid accrued interest, fees and expenses applicable thereto and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder);

 

(b) ▇▇▇▇▇ imposed by any Governmental Authority for taxes, assessments or charges not yet due or that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Company in accordance with GAAP;

 

(c) Liens of clearing agencies, broker-dealers and similar Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Liens (i) attach only to the securities (or proceeds) being purchased or sold and (ii) secure only obligations incurred in connection with such purchase or sale, and not any obligation in connection with margin financing;

 

(d) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen’s, mechanics’, carriers’, workmens’, storage, landlord, and repairmen’s Liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money) not yet due or that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP;

 

 

(e) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made to secure obligations incurred to secure public or statutory obligations;

 

(f) Liens securing the performance of, or payment in respect of, bids, insurance premiums, deductibles or co-insured amounts, tenders, government or utility contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money), surety, stay, customs and appeal bonds and other obligations of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(g) Liens arising out of judgments or awards that have been in force for less than the applicable period for taking an appeal so long as such judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default;

 

(h) customary rights of setoff and liens upon (i) deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions in which such cash is maintained in the ordinary course of business, (ii) cash and financial assets held in securities accounts in favor of banks and other financial institutions with which such accounts are maintained in the ordinary course of business and (iii) assets held by a custodian in favor of such custodian in the ordinary course of business, in the case of each of clauses (i) through (iii) above, securing payment of fees, indemnities, charges for returning items and other similar obligations;

 

(i) Liens arising solely from precautionary filings of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code of the applicable jurisdictions;

 

(j) zoning restrictions, easements, rights-of-way, encroachments, protrusions, licenses, or other restrictions on, and other minor defects or irregularities affecting, the use of any real estate (including leasehold title), in each case which do not interfere with or affect in any Material respect the ordinary course conduct of the business of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors;

 

(k) purchase money Liens on specific equipment and fixtures provided that (i) such Liens only attach to such equipment and fixtures, (ii) the Indebtedness secured thereby is incurred in the ordinary course of business to finance equipment and fixtures and (iii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the lesser of the cost and the fair market value of such equipment and fixtures at the time of the acquisition thereof;

 

(l) deposits of money securing leases to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party as lessee made in the ordinary course of business;

 

(m) Liens consisting of any (i) interest or title of a lessor or sub-lessor under any lease of real estate not prohibited hereunder, (ii) landlord lien permitted by the terms of any lease, (iii) restriction or encumbrance to which the interest or title of such lessor or sub-lessor may be subject or (iv) subordination of the interest of the lessee or sub-lessee under such lease to any restriction or encumbrance referred to in the preceding clause (iii);

 

 

(n) Liens (i) solely on any ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ money deposits made by the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement with respect to any Investment permitted hereunder or (ii) consisting of an agreement to dispose of any property;

 

(o) Liens securing obligations (other than obligations representing Indebtedness for borrowed money) under operating, reciprocal easement or similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business of the Company and/or any Subsidiary;

 

(p) leases, licenses, subleases or sublicenses granted to others in the ordinary course of business which do not (i) interfere in any Material respect with the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries or (ii) secure any Indebtedness;

 

(q) Liens on Securities that are the subject of repurchase agreements constituting permitted Investments arising out of such repurchase transaction;

 

(r) Liens arising (i) out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for the sale of any assets or property in the ordinary course of business or (ii) by operation of law under Article 2 of the UCC (or similar law of any jurisdiction);

 

(s) Liens in favor of any Obligor;

 

(t) Liens securing obligations under Swap Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ business for financial planning and not for speculative purposes;

 

(u) (i) Liens on Equity Interests of joint ventures or non-Obligors securing capital contributions to, or obligations of, such Persons and (ii) customary rights of first refusal and tag, drag and similar rights in joint venture agreements and agreements with respect to non-Obligors;

 

(v) Liens on cash or Cash Equivalents arising in connection with the defeasance, discharge or redemption of Indebtedness;

 

(w) any encumbrance or restriction assumed in connection with an acquisition of the property or Equity Interests of any Person, so long as such encumbrance or restriction relates solely to the property so acquired (or to the Person or Persons (and its or their subsidiaries) bound thereby) and was not created in connection with or in anticipation of such acquisition;

 

(x) any right of offset, banker’s lien, security interest or other like right against any Portfolio Investments held by a custodian;

 

 

(y) Liens on Equity Interests in any SBIC Subsidiary created in favor of the SBA or its designee;

 

(z) Liens on Equity Interests in any Financing Subsidiaries in favor of and required by any lender providing third-party financing to such Financing Subsidiary;

 

(aa) prior to release of the relevant escrow, Liens on cash or Cash Equivalents (and the related escrow accounts) constituting the proceeds, and the related prefunding of interest, premiums and other customary amounts, from an issuance into (and pending the release from) escrow,

 

(bb) Liens securing collateral posted as margin to secure obligations under any Indebtedness so long as, after giving pro forma effect to such Liens, the Company is in compliance with Section 10.7;

 

(cc) Liens on Special Equity Interests included in the Investments of the Company or any of its subsidiaries but only to the extent securing obligations in the manner provided in the definition of “Special Equity Interests”;

 

(dd) other Liens on assets securing Indebtedness of the Company so long as, (i) after giving pro forma effect to such Liens, the Company is in compliance with Section 10.7 and (ii) in the event that the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such ▇▇▇▇▇ exceeds $25,000,000, the Notes (and any guaranty delivered in connection therewith) shall concurrently be secured equally and ratably with such Indebtedness pursuant to documentation reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders in substance and in form, including an intercreditor agreement and opinions of counsel to the Company from counsel that is reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders; and

 

(ee) Liens on assets securing other obligations in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed $500,000.

 

Section 10.6. Restricted Payments. The Company will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiary Guarantors to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except that any Obligor may declare and pay:

 

(a) dividends with respect to the capital stock of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor (including, for the avoidance of doubt, pursuant to any distribution or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor) to the extent payable in additional shares of the stock, units or interests or the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor;

 

(b) Restricted Payments to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or, other than the Company, to each other owner of Equity Interests of such Subsidiary Guarantor based on their relative ownership interests;

 

 

(c) Restricted Payments in or with respect to any taxable year of the Company (or any calendar year, as relevant) in amounts not to exceed 125% of the higher of (x) the Net Investment Income of the Company for the applicable year determined in accordance with GAAP and as specified in the annual financial statements most recently delivered pursuant to Section 7.1(b) and (y) for so long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC under the Code, the amount that is estimated in good faith by the Company to allow the Company to (i) satisfy the minimum distribution requirements imposed by Section 852(a) of the Code (or any successor thereto) to maintain its eligibility to be taxed as a RIC for any such taxable year, (ii) reduce to zero for any such taxable year the Company’s liability for federal income taxes imposed on (A) its investment company taxable income pursuant to Section 852(b)(1) of the Code (or any successor thereto) and (B) its net capital gain pursuant to Section 852(b)(3) of the Code (or any successor thereto), and (iii) reduce to zero the Company’s liability for federal excise taxes for any such calendar year imposed pursuant to Section 4982 of the Code (or any successor thereto);

 

(d) any settlement in respect of a conversion feature in any convertible security that may be issued by such Obligor to the extent made through the delivery of common stock (except in the case of interest (which may be payable in cash));

 

(e) Restricted Payments to pay general administrative costs and expenses (including corporate overhead, legal or similar expenses and payments to directors, investment advisers, administrators and/or consultants of any Obligor or any of its subsidiaries) and franchise fees and taxes and similar fees, taxes and expenses required to enable the recipient of such Restricted Payment to maintain its organizational existence or qualification to do business, in each case, which are reasonable and customary and incurred in the ordinary course of business, plus any reasonable and customary indemnification claims made by directors, officers, members of management, managers, or consultants of any such recipient, in each case, to the extent attributable to the ownership or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries;

 

(f) Restricted Payments to finance or acquire any Investment permitted hereunder;

 

(g) Restricted Payments to current or former directors, managers or consultants of any Obligor or any of its subsidiaries;

 

(h) Restricted Payments to enable the recipient of such Restricted Payment to make cash payments in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares in connection with the exercise of warrants, options or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for Equity Interests of such recipient;

 

(i) Restricted Payments for the repurchase of Equity Interests upon the exercise of warrants, options or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for Equity Interests if such Equity Interests represents all or a portion of the exercise price of, or tax withholdings with respect to, such warrants, options or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for Equity Interests as part of a “cashless” exercise;

 

 

(j) to the extent constituting a Restricted Payment, any other transaction permitted under Section 10;

 

(k) any dividend or consummation of any redemption within 60 days after the date of the declaration thereof or the provision of a redemption notice with respect thereto, as the case may be, if at the date of such declaration or notice, the dividend or redemption notice would have complied with the provisions hereof; and

 

(l) any Restricted Payments, so long as (i) as of the date of such Restricted Payment, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (ii) after giving pro forma effect to such Restricted Payment, the Company is in compliance with Section 10.7.

 

Section 10.7. Certain Financial Covenants.

 

(a) Asset Coverage Ratio. The Company will not permit the Asset Coverage Ratio as of the last Business Day of any fiscal quarter to be less than 1.50 to 1.00.

 

(b) Interest Coverage Ratio. The Company will not permit the Interest Coverage Ratio as of the last Business Day of any fiscal quarter to be less than 1.25 to 1.00.

 

(c) Minimum Shareholders’ Equity. The Company will not permit Shareholders’ Equity at the last day of any fiscal quarter of the Company to be less than (i) the higher of (A) $236,776,000 and (B) an amount equal to 65% of Shareholders’ Equity as of December 31, 2024 as reflected in the financial statement delivered in accordance with Section 7.1 plus (ii) 65% of the net proceeds of the sale of Equity Interests by the Company after (A) September 30, 2024 if the amount in the foregoing clause (i)(A) is higher than clause (i)(B) or (B) December 31, 2024 if amount in the foregoing clause (i)(B) is higher than clause (i)(A).

 

(d) Cure Right. If, within thirty (30) calendar days after delivery of an officer’s certificate delivered pursuant to Section 7.2(a), which certificate demonstrates (i) a Financial Covenant Default and (ii) an Asset Coverage Ratio not less than 1.35:1.00, the Company may present the holders of the Notes with a reasonably feasible plan for the Company to offer or sell Equity Interests or raise Indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (the “Cure Right”), the proceeds of which shall be deemed received immediately prior to such default and used immediately prior to such default as specified in such plan to enable such Financial Covenant Default to be cured within sixty (60) calendar days after the end of the applicable quarter or fiscal year to which such officer’s certificate relates, then, once such plan is submitted, the Company shall be deemed to have complied with the relevant covenant under Section 10.7 that gave rise to such Financial Covenant Default as of the relevant date of determination and each subsequent fiscal quarter within such sixty (60) day period with the same effect as though there had been no failure to comply therewith at such date, and the applicable Financial Covenant Default that had occurred shall be deemed cured for each subsequent fiscal quarter for the purposes of this Agreement; provided, that if the transaction specified in such plan is not consummated within such 60-day period, it shall constitute an immediate Event of Default. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) no more than two (2) Cure Rights may be exercised during the term of this Agreement, and (ii) the Cure Right shall not be exercised in any two (2) consecutive fiscal quarters (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include any subsequent fiscal quarter within any applicable 60-day period).

 

The holders of the Notes agree that from and after their receipt of notice from the Company of its intent to exercise the Cure Right in respect of any Financial Covenant Default in accordance with this Section 10.7(d), no holder of the Notes shall accelerate its Notes or exercise any of its rights or remedies pursuant to Section 12 solely on the basis of the occurrence and continuance of such Financial Covenant Default during the period from the date of delivery of such notice and until the date that is sixty (60) calendar days after the expiration of the end of the applicable quarter or fiscal year to which such officer’s certificate relates.

 

 

Section 11. Events of Default.

 

An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a) the Company defaults in the payment of any principal or Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise;

 

(b) the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable;

 

(c) subject to Section 10.7(d), the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in Section 10.7(a), (b) or (c);

 

(d) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained herein (other than those referred to in Sections 11(a), (b) and (c)) or in any Subsidiary Guaranty and such default is not remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the Company receiving written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any such written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer specifically to this Section 11(d));

 

(e)(i) any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the Company or by any officer of the Company in this Agreement or any writing furnished in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made or (ii) any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of any Subsidiary Guarantor or by any officer of such Subsidiary Guarantor in any Subsidiary Guaranty or in any writing furnished in connection with such Subsidiary Guaranty proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made;

 

 

(f) (i) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any principal of or premium or make-whole amount or interest on any Indebtedness for borrowed money that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least the Default Threshold beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is in default in the performance of or compliance with any financial or negative covenant (other than (1) any default set forth in clause (f)(i) above, or (2) any default that is immaterial to the operations or performance of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor and that is not reasonably likely to have a material impact on the operations or performance of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor) of any evidence of any Indebtedness for borrowed money in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least the Default Threshold or of any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto, and, in each case, as a consequence of such default such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to declare such Indebtedness to be), due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is in default in the performance of or compliance with any other term of any evidence of any Indebtedness for borrowed money (including any indenture or mortgage) in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least the Default Threshold or any other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared, due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iv) as a consequence of the occurrence or continuation of any event or condition (other than the passage of time or the right of the holder of Indebtedness to convert such Indebtedness into equity interests), the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has become obligated to purchase or repay Indebtedness before its regular maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least the Default Threshold; provided that this clause (f) shall not apply to (1) secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness, the net cash proceeds of which are used to repay such Indebtedness within thirty (30) days after such sale or transfer; or (2) convertible debt that becomes due as a result of a conversion or redemption event, other than as a result of an “event of default” (as defined in the documents governing such convertible debt);

 

(g) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing against it of, a petition for relief or reorganization or arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of the foregoing;

 

(h) a court or other Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering the dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries and such petition shall not be dismissed within 60 days;

 

 

(i) any event occurs with respect to the Company or any Significant Subsidiary which under the laws of any jurisdiction is analogous to any of the events described in Section 11(g) or Section 11(h), provided that the applicable grace period, if any, which shall apply shall be the one applicable to the relevant proceeding which most closely corresponds to the proceeding described in Section 11(g) or Section 11(h);

 

(j) one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money aggregating in excess of the Judgment Default Threshold, including any such final order enforcing a binding arbitration decision, are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries and which judgments are not, within 60 days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within 60 days after the expiration of such stay;

 

(k) if (i) any Plan shall fail to satisfy the minimum funding standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or part thereof or a waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization period is sought or granted under section 412 of the Code, (ii) a notice of intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is reasonably expected to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall have instituted proceedings under ERISA section 4042 to terminate or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan or the PBGC shall have notified the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that a Plan may become a subject of any such proceedings, (iii) there is any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (within the meaning of section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA) under one or more Plans, determined in accordance with Title IV of ERISA, (iv) the aggregate present value of accrued benefit liabilities under all funded Non-U.S. Plans exceeds the aggregate current value of the assets of such Non-U.S. Plans allocable to such liabilities, (v) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall have incurred or is reasonably expected to incur any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, (vi) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, (vii) the Company or any Subsidiary establishes or amends any employee welfare benefit plan that provides post-employment welfare benefits in a manner that would increase the liability of the Company or any Subsidiary thereunder, (viii) the Company or any Subsidiary fails to administer or maintain a Non-U.S. Plan in compliance with the requirements of any and all applicable laws, statutes, rules, regulations or court orders or any Non-U.S. Plan is involuntarily terminated or wound up, or (ix) the Company or any Subsidiary becomes subject to the imposition of a financial penalty (which for this purpose shall mean any tax, penalty or other liability, whether by way of indemnity or otherwise) with respect to one or more Non-U.S. Plans; and any such event or events described in clauses (i) through (ix) above, either individually or together with any other such event or events, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. As used in this Section 11(k), the terms “employee benefit plan” and “employee welfare benefit plan” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in section 3 of ERISA;

 

 

(l)(i) any Subsidiary Guaranty which is a Significant Subsidiary shall cease to be in full force and effect (other than in accordance with its terms) in any material respect, (ii) any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Person acting on behalf of any Subsidiary Guarantor shall contest in any manner the validity, binding nature or enforceability of any Subsidiary Guaranty, or (iii) the obligations of any Subsidiary Guarantor under any Subsidiary Guaranty are not or cease to be legal, valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with the terms of such Subsidiary Guaranty, except in the cases of clauses (l)(i) and (ii) above pursuant to a transaction permitted hereunder; or

 

(m) both ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ cease to be involved in the operations of the Company, unless the Company shall have within a reasonable period of time (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be no less than 120 days or, in the case of death or disability, 150 days) obtained a successor of at least comparable background, experience and ability who is reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders.

 

Section 12. Remedies on Default, Etc.

 

Section 12.1. Acceleration. (a) If an Event of Default with respect to the Company described in Section 11(g), (h) or (i) (other than an Event of Default described in clause (i) of Section 11(g) or described in clause (vi) of Section 11(g) by virtue of the fact that such clause encompasses clause (i) of Section 11(g)) has occurred, all the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable.

 

(b) If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Required Holders may at any time at their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then outstanding to be immediately due and payable.

 

(c) If any Event of Default described in Section 11(a) or (b) has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of Default may at any time, at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it or them to be immediately due and payable.

 

Upon any Notes becoming due and payable under this Section 12.1, whether automatically or by declaration, such Notes will forthwith mature and the entire unpaid principal amount of such Notes, plus (x) all accrued and unpaid interest thereon (including interest accrued thereon at the Default Rate) and (y) the Make-Whole Amount determined in respect of such principal amount, shall all be immediately due and payable, in each and every case without presentment, demand, protest or further notice, all of which are hereby waived. The Company acknowledges, and the parties hereto agree, that each holder of a Note has the right to maintain its investment in the Notes free from repayment by the Company (except as herein specifically provided for) and that the provision for payment of a Make-Whole Amount by the Company in the event that the Notes are prepaid or are accelerated as a result of an Event of Default, is intended to provide compensation for the deprivation of such right under such circumstances.

 

Section 12.2. Other Remedies. If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective of whether any Notes have become or have been declared immediately due and payable under Section 12.1, the holder of any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce the rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement contained herein or in any Note or Subsidiary Guaranty, or for an injunction against a violation of any of the terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted hereby or thereby or by law or otherwise.

 

 

Section 12.3. Rescission. At any time after any Notes have been declared due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1(b) or (c), the Required Holders, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such declaration and its consequences if (a) the Company has paid all overdue interest on the Notes, all principal of and Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Notes that are due and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all interest on such overdue principal and Make-Whole Amount, if any, and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in respect of the Notes, at the Default Rate, (b) neither the Company nor any other Person shall have paid any amounts which have become due solely by reason of such declaration, (c) all Events of Default and Defaults, other than non-payment of amounts that have become due solely by reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to Section 17, and (d) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of any monies due pursuant hereto or to the Notes. No rescission and annulment under this Section 12.3 will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 12.4. No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc. No course of dealing and no delay on the part of any holder of any Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights, powers or remedies. No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or any Note upon any holder thereof shall be exclusive of any other right, power or remedy referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise. Without limiting the obligations of the Company under Section 15, the Company will pay on demand such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of up to one firm of outside counsel for all of the holders of the Notes collectively incurred in any enforcement or collection under this Section 12.

 

Section 13. Registration; Exchange; Substitution of Notes.

 

Section 13.1. Registration of Notes. The Company shall keep at its principal executive office a register for the registration and registration of transfers of Notes. The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more Notes shall be registered in such register. If any holder of one or more Notes is a nominee, then (a) the name and address of the beneficial owner of such Note or Notes shall also be registered in such register as an owner and holder thereof and (b) at any such beneficial owner’s option, either such beneficial owner or its nominee may execute any amendment, waiver or consent pursuant to this Agreement. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all purposes hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the contrary. The Company shall give to any holder of a Note that is an Institutional Investor promptly upon request therefor, a complete and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders of Notes.

 

 

Section 13.2. Transfer and Exchange of Notes.

 

(a) Subject to clause (b) below, any registered holder of a Note or a Purchaser (an “Assigning Party”) may assign to one or more assignees (other than a Competitor) (an “Assignee”) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under its Note and/or under this Agreement.

 

(b) Any such assignment or transfer shall be subject to the following conditions: (i) the Assigning Party shall deliver to the Company a written instrument of transfer duly executed by the Assigning Party or such Assigning Party’s attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the relevant name, address and other information for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof; (ii) the Assignee shall have made the representations set forth in Section 6 to the Company as to itself; provided, however, that if disclosure is required by the Purchaser under clause (c), (d), (e) or (g) of Section 6.2, no transfer of Notes shall be permitted or effective except with the confirmation by the Company (which confirmation shall not be unreasonably withheld taking in to account the specifics of the applicable disclosure) that the transfer will not involve any transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of Section 406 of ERISA or in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to Section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code; (iii) an exemption from registration of the Notes under the Securities Act is available; and (iv) if requested by the Company, the Assigning Party shall have delivered to the Company such legal opinions, certifications or other evidence to determine that such assignment or transfer is being made in compliance with the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, in each case at the sole expense of the Assigning Party.

 

(c)  Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in clause (b) above and surrender of any Note to the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(iii)), for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case of a surrender for registration of transfer accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by the registered holder of such Note or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the relevant name, address and other information for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof), within 10 Business Days thereafter, the Company shall execute and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof) in exchange therefor, in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of the surrendered Note. Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the form of Schedule 1.1. Each such new Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the date of the surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of any such transfer of Notes. Notes shall not be transferred in denominations of less than $100,000, provided that if necessary to enable the registration of transfer by a holder of its entire holding of Notes, one Note may be in a denomination of less than $100,000. Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have made the representations set forth in Section 6.

 

Section 13.3. Replacement of Notes. Upon receipt by the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(iii)) of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note (which evidence shall be, in the case of an Institutional Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of such ownership and such loss, theft, destruction or mutilation in the form of a lost note affidavit), and

 

(a) in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it (provided that if the holder of such Note is, or is a nominee for, an original Purchaser or another holder of a Note with a minimum net worth of at least $50,000,000 or a Qualified Institutional Buyer, such Person’s own unsecured agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to be satisfactory), or

 

 

(b) in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation thereof,

 

within 10 Business Days thereafter, the Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new Note, dated and bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon.

 

Section 14. Payments on Notes.

 

Section 14.1. Place of Payment. Subject to Section 14.2, payments of principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest becoming due and payable on the Notes shall be made in New York, New York at the principal office of the Company in such jurisdiction. The Company (or its agent or sub-agent) may at any time, by notice to each holder of a Note, change the place of payment of the Notes so long as such place of payment shall be either the principal office of the Company, the principal office of the Company’s agent or sub-agent in such jurisdiction or the principal office of a bank or trust company in such jurisdiction.

 

Section 14.2. Payment by Wire Transfer. So long as any Purchaser or its nominee shall be the holder of any Note, and notwithstanding anything contained in Section 14.1 or in such Note to the contrary, the Company (or its agent or sub-agent) will pay all sums becoming due on such Note for principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, interest and all other amounts becoming due hereunder by the method and at the address specified for such purpose below such Purchaser’s name in the Purchaser Schedule or by such other method or at such other address as such Purchaser shall have from time to time specified to the Company in writing for such purpose, without the presentation or surrender of such Note or the making of any notation thereon, except that upon written request of the Company made concurrently with or reasonably promptly after payment or prepayment in full of any Note, such Purchaser shall surrender such Note for cancellation, reasonably promptly after any such request, to the Company at its principal executive office or at the place of payment most recently designated by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1. Prior to any sale or other disposition of any Note held by a Purchaser or its nominee, such Person will, at its election, either endorse thereon the amount of principal paid thereon and the last date to which interest has been paid thereon or surrender such Note to the Company in exchange for a new Note or Notes pursuant to Section 13.2. The Company will afford the benefits of this Section 14.2 to any Institutional Investor that is the direct or indirect transferee of any Note purchased by a Purchaser under this Agreement and that has made the same agreement relating to such Note as the Purchasers have made in this Section 14.2.

 

 

 

Section 14.3. Tax Forms. Any holder that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments made under any Note shall deliver to the Company, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Company, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Company as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any holder, if reasonably requested by the Company, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Company as will enable the Company whether or not such holder is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements (including FATCA). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any holder that is a United States person shall deliver to the Company on or before the date on which such holder obtains a Note (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company), executed copies of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such holder is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax. Any holder that is a not United States person shall deliver to the Company on or before the date on which such holder obtains a Note (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company), executed copies of the applicable IRS Form W-8 and any documentation prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption (if any) from or a reduction (if any) in U.S. federal withholding tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Company to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made. If a payment made to a holder under any Note would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax imposed by FATCA if such holder were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such holder shall deliver to the Company at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Company such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Company as may be necessary for the Company to comply with its obligations under FATCA and to determine that such holder has complied with such holder’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount, if any, to deduct and withhold from such payment. For purposes of this Section 14.3, “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the Execution Date.

 

Section 15. Expenses, Etc.

 

Section 15.1. Transaction Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Company will pay all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (but limited, in the case of attorneys’ fees and expenses, to the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees of one special counsel for, collectively, the Purchasers and each other holder of a Note, taken as a whole, and, if reasonably required by the Required Holders, one local counsel in each relevant jurisdiction) incurred by the Purchasers and each other holder of a Note in connection with such transactions and in connection with any amendments, waivers or consents under or in respect of this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes (whether or not such amendment, waiver or consent becomes effective), including: (a) the costs and expenses incurred in enforcing or defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend) any rights under this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes or in responding to any subpoena or other legal process or informal investigative demand issued in connection with this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, or by reason of being a holder of any Note, (b) the costs and expenses, including financial advisors’ fees, incurred in connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any Subsidiary or in connection with any work-out or restructuring of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Notes and any Subsidiary Guaranty and (c) the costs and expenses incurred in connection with the initial filing of this Agreement and all related documents and financial information with the SVO provided, that such costs and expenses under this clause (c) shall not exceed $3,500. If required by the NAIC, the Company shall obtain and maintain at its own cost and expense a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI).

 

 

The Company will pay, and will save each Purchaser and each other holder of a Note harmless from, (i) all claims in respect of any fees, costs or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those, if any, retained by a Purchaser or other holder in connection with its purchase of the Notes), and (ii) any judgment, liability, claim, order, decree, fine, penalty, cost, fee, expense (but limited, in the case of attorneys’ fees and expenses, to the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees of one special counsel for, collectively, the Purchasers and each other holder of a Note, taken as a whole) or obligation resulting from the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the use of the proceeds of the Notes by the Company, in each case, other than any such judgment, liability, claim, order, decree, fine, penalty, cost, fee, expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) or obligation that resulted from (x) the bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct or breach of this Agreement or any Note by such Purchaser or such holder of a Note or (y) a claim between a Purchaser or holder of a Note, on the one hand, and any other Purchaser or holder of a Note, on the other hand (other than claims arising out of any act or omission by the Company and/or its Affiliates). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Company shall not be liable to a Purchaser or holder of a Note for any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of the transactions contemplated hereunder or under any Note asserted by a Purchaser or a holder of a Note against the Company or any of its Affiliates.

 

Section 15.2. Certain Taxes. The Company agrees to pay all stamp, documentary or similar taxes or fees which may be payable in respect of the execution and delivery or the enforcement of this Agreement, or any Subsidiary Guaranty or the execution and delivery (but not the transfer) or the enforcement of any of the Notes in the United States or any other jurisdiction where the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has assets or of any amendment of, or waiver or consent under or with respect to, this Agreement, or any Subsidiary Guaranty or of any of the Notes, and to pay any value added tax due and payable in respect of reimbursement of costs and expenses by the Company pursuant to this Section 15, and will save each holder of a Note to the extent permitted by applicable law harmless against any loss or liability resulting from nonpayment or delay in payment of any such tax or fee required to be paid by the Company hereunder.

 

 

Section 15.3. Survival. The obligations of the Company under this Section 15 will survive the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, and the termination of this Agreement.

 

Section 16. Survival of Representations and Warranties; Entire Agreement.

 

All representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Notes, the purchase or transfer by any Purchaser of any Note or portion thereof or interest therein and the payment of any Note, and may be relied upon by any subsequent holder of a Note, regardless of any investigation made at any time by or on behalf of such Purchaser or any other holder of a Note. All statements contained in any certificate or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed representations and warranties of the Company under this Agreement. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement, the Notes and any Subsidiary Guaranties embody the entire agreement and understanding between each Purchaser and the Company and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.

 

Section 17. Amendment and Waiver.

 

Section 17.1. Requirements.

 

This Agreement and the Notes may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders, except that:

 

(a) no amendment or waiver of any of Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 21 hereof or any defined term (as it is used in any such Section), will be effective as to any Purchaser unless consented to by such Purchaser in writing; and

 

(b) no amendment or waiver may, without the written consent of each Purchaser and the holder of each Note at the time outstanding, (i) subject to Section 12 relating to acceleration or rescission, change the amount or time of any prepayment or payment of principal of, or reduce the rate or change the time of payment or method of computation of (x) interest on the Notes or (y) the Make-Whole Amount; (ii) change the percentage of the principal amount of the Notes the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment or waiver, (iii) change the principal amount of the Notes that the Purchasers are to purchase pursuant to Section 2 upon the satisfaction of the conditions to Closing that appear in Section 4 or (iv) amend any of Sections 8 (except as set forth in the second sentence of Section 8.2, 11(a), 11(b), 12, 17 or 20.

 

Section 17.2. Solicitation of Holders of Notes.

 

(a) Solicitation. The Company will provide each Purchaser and holder of a Note with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance of the date a decision is required, to enable such Purchaser or such holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to any proposed amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof or of the Notes or any Subsidiary Guaranty. The Company will deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to this Section 17 or any Subsidiary Guaranty to each Purchaser and holder of a Note promptly following the date on which it is executed and delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite Purchasers or holders of Notes.

 

 

(b) Payment. The Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause to be paid any remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional interest, fee or otherwise, or grant any security or provide other credit support, to any Purchaser or holder of a Note as consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by such Purchaser or holder of any waiver or amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof or of any Subsidiary Guaranty or any Note unless such remuneration is concurrently paid, or security is concurrently granted or other credit support concurrently provided, on the same terms, ratably to each Purchaser or holder of a Note even if such Purchaser or holder did not consent to such waiver or amendment.

 

(c) Consent in Contemplation of Transfer. Any consent given pursuant to this Section 17 or any Subsidiary Guaranty by a holder of a Note that has transferred or has agreed to transfer its Note to (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary or any other Affiliate or (iii) any other Person in connection with, or in anticipation of, such other Person acquiring, making a tender offer for or merging with the Company and/or any of its Affiliates, in each case in connection with such consent, shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such holder, and any amendments effected or waivers granted or to be effected or granted that would not have been or would not be so effected or granted but for such consent (and the consents of all other holders of Notes that were acquired under the same or similar conditions) shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such holder.

 

Section 17.3. Binding Effect, Etc. Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this Section 17 or any Subsidiary Guaranty applies equally to all Purchasers or holders of Notes and is binding upon them and upon each future Purchaser or holder of any Note and upon the Company without regard to whether such Note has been marked to indicate such amendment or waiver. No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant, agreement, Default or Event of Default not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereon. No course of dealing between the Company and any Purchaser or any holder of a Note and no delay in exercising any rights hereunder or under any Note or Subsidiary Guaranty shall operate as a waiver of any rights of any Purchaser or any holder of such Note.

 

Section 17.4. Notes Held by Company, Etc. Solely for the purpose of determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding approved or consented to any amendment, waiver or consent to be given under this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, or have directed the taking of any action provided herein or in any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes to be taken upon the direction of the holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, Notes directly or indirectly owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be deemed not to be outstanding.

 

 

Section 18. Notices.

 

Except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 7.4, all notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent (a) by telecopy if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by an internationally recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), (b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested (postage prepaid), or (c) by an internationally recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid); provided, that any such notice may be sent by email, provided that, upon written request of any holder to receive paper copies of such notices or communications, the Company will promptly deliver such paper copies to such holder:

 

(i) if to any Purchaser or its nominee, to such Purchaser or nominee at the address specified for such communications in the Purchaser Schedule, or at such other address as such Purchaser or nominee shall have specified to the Company in writing,

 

(ii) if to any other holder of any Note, to such holder at such address as such other holder shall have specified to the Company in writing, or

 

(iii) if to the Company, to the Company at its address set forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of the President and the Chief Financial Officer, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified to the holder of each Note in writing, in each case, with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to: Dechert LLP, ▇▇▇▇ ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Email: ▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇.

 

Notices under this Section 18 will be deemed given only when actually received. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any notice to be given by the Company (other than an officer’s certificate) may be delivered by an agent or sub-agent of the Company.

 

Section 19. Reproduction of Documents.

 

This Agreement and all documents relating thereto, including (a) consents, waivers and modifications that may hereafter be executed, (b) documents received by any Purchaser at the Closing (except the Notes themselves), and (c) financial statements, certificates and other information previously or hereafter furnished to any Purchaser, may be reproduced by such Purchaser by any photographic, photostatic, electronic, digital, or other similar process and such Purchaser may destroy any original document so reproduced. The Company agrees and stipulates that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by such Purchaser in the regular course of business) and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence. This Section 19 shall not prohibit the Company or any other holder of Notes from contesting any such reproduction to the same extent that it could contest the original, or from introducing evidence to demonstrate the inaccuracy of any such reproduction.

 

 

Section 20. Confidential Information.

 

For the purposes of this Section 20, “Confidential Information” means information delivered to any Purchaser by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly marked or labeled or otherwise adequately identified when received by such Purchaser as being confidential information of the Company or such Subsidiary, provided that such term does not include information that (a) was publicly known or otherwise known to such Purchaser prior to the time of such disclosure, (b) subsequently becomes publicly known through no act or omission by such Purchaser or any Person acting on such Purchaser’s behalf, (c) otherwise becomes known to such Purchaser other than through disclosure by the Company or any Subsidiary or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to such Purchaser under Section 7.1 that are otherwise publicly available. Each Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with procedures adopted by such Purchaser in good faith to protect confidential information of third parties delivered to such Purchaser, provided that such Purchaser may deliver or disclose Confidential Information to (i) its affiliates and its and their respective directors, officers, employees (legal and contractual), agents, attorneys, trustees and partners (collectively, “Related Persons”) (to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the administration of the investment represented by its Notes and such disclosure is made on a confidential basis), (ii) its auditors, financial advisors, investment advisors and other professional advisors and in the case of any Purchaser or holder that is a Related Fund, to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the administration and/or selection of the investment represented by such Related Fund’s Notes, to its investors and partners and their Related Persons, in each case under this clause (ii) who agree to hold confidential the Confidential Information substantially in accordance with this Section 20, (iii) any other holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor to which it sells or offers to sell such Note or any part thereof or any participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by this Section 20), (v) any Person from which it offers to purchase any Security of the Company (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by this Section 20), (vi) any federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Purchaser, (vii) the NAIC or the SVO or, in each case, any similar organization, or any nationally recognized rating agency that requires access to information about such Purchaser’s investment portfolio, or (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with any law, rule, regulation or order applicable to such Purchaser, (x) in response to any subpoena or other legal process, (y) in connection with any litigation to which such Purchaser is a party or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to the extent such Purchaser may reasonably determine such delivery and disclosure to be necessary in the enforcement or for the protection of the rights and remedies under such Purchaser’s Notes, this Agreement or any Subsidiary Guaranty. Each holder of a Note, by its acceptance of a Note, will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by and to be entitled to the benefits of this Section 20 as though it were a party to this Agreement. On reasonable request by the Company in connection with the delivery to any holder of a Note of information required to be delivered to such holder under this Agreement or requested by such holder (other than a holder that is a party to this Agreement or its nominee), such holder will enter into an agreement with the Company embodying this Section 20.

 

In the event that as a condition to receiving access to information relating to the Company or its Subsidiaries in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement, any Purchaser or holder of a Note is required to agree to a confidentiality undertaking (whether through Intralinks, another secure website, a secure virtual workspace or otherwise) which is different from this Section 20, this Section 20 shall not be amended thereby and, as between such Purchaser or such holder and the Company, this Section 20 shall supersede any such other confidentiality undertaking.

 

 

Section 21. Substitution of Purchaser.

 

Each Purchaser shall have the right to substitute any one of its Affiliates or another Purchaser or any one of such other Purchaser’s Affiliates (other than a Competitor) (a “Substitute Purchaser”) as the purchaser of the Notes that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, by written notice to the Company, which notice shall be signed by both such Purchaser and such Substitute Purchaser, shall contain such Substitute Purchaser’s agreement to be bound by this Agreement and shall contain a confirmation by such Substitute Purchaser of the accuracy with respect to it of the representations set forth in Section 6. Upon receipt of such notice, any reference to such Purchaser in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21), shall be deemed to refer to such Substitute Purchaser in lieu of such original Purchaser. In the event that such Substitute Purchaser is so substituted as a Purchaser hereunder and such Substitute Purchaser thereafter transfers to such original Purchaser all of the Notes then held by such Substitute Purchaser, upon receipt by the Company of notice of such transfer, any reference to such Substitute Purchaser as a “Purchaser” in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21), shall no longer be deemed to refer to such Substitute Purchaser, but shall refer to such original Purchaser, and such original Purchaser shall again have all the rights of an original holder of the Notes under this Agreement.

 

Section 22. Miscellaneous.

 

Section 22.1. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and other agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns (including any subsequent holder of a Note) permitted hereby whether so expressed or not, except that, subject to Section 10.2, the Company may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder or under the Notes without the prior written consent of each holder. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

Section 22.2. Accounting Terms.

 

(a) All accounting terms used herein which are not expressly defined in this Agreement have the meanings respectively given to them in accordance with GAAP. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, (i) all computations made pursuant to this Agreement shall be made in accordance with GAAP, and (ii) all financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of determining compliance with this Agreement (including Section 9, Section 10 and the definition of “Indebtedness”), any election by the Company to measure any financial liability using fair value (as permitted by Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. ▇▇▇-▇▇-▇▇ – Fair Value Option, International Accounting Standard 39 – Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement or any similar accounting standard) shall be disregarded and such determination shall be made as if such election had not been made.

 

 

(b) If the Company notifies the holders of the Notes that the Company requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if a holder of the Notes notifies the Company that the Required Holders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.

 

Section 22.3. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 22.4. Construction, Etc. Each covenant contained herein shall be construed (absent express provision to the contrary) as being independent of each other covenant contained herein, so that compliance with any one covenant shall not (absent such an express contrary provision) be deemed to excuse compliance with any other covenant. Where any provision herein refers to action to be taken by any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such provision shall be applicable whether such action is taken directly or indirectly by such Person.

 

Defined terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein) and, for purposes of the Notes, shall also include any such notes issued in substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13, (b) subject to Section 22.1, any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Sections and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Sections of, and Schedules to, this Agreement, and (e) any reference to any law or regulation herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

 

Section 22.5. Counterparts; Electronic Contracting. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which together shall constitute one instrument. Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties hereto. The parties agree to electronic contracting and signatures with respect to this Agreement and all documents relating thereto (other than the Notes). Delivery of an electronic signature to, or a signed copy of, this Agreement and all documents relating thereto (other than the Notes) by facsimile, email or other electronic transmission shall be fully binding on the parties to the same extent as the delivery of the signed originals and shall be admissible into evidence for all purposes. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and all documents relating thereto (other than the Notes) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Company, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the Electronic Commerce Security Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Purchaser shall request manually signed counterpart signatures to any documents relating to the Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to use its reasonable endeavors to provide such manually signed signature pages as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

Section 22.6. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

 

Section 22.7. Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial. (a) The Company and each Purchaser irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Notes. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company and each Purchaser irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

(b) The Company and each Purchaser agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, that a final judgment in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.7(a) brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon it subject to rights of appeal, as the case may be, and may be enforced in the courts of the United States of America or the State of New York (or any other courts to the jurisdiction of which it or any of its assets is or may be subject) by a suit upon such judgment.

 

(c) The Company and each Purchaser consents to process being served by or on behalf of any holder of Notes in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.7(a) by mailing a copy thereof by registered, certified, priority or express mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, return receipt or delivery confirmation requested, to it at its address specified in Section 18 or at such other address of which such holder shall then have been notified pursuant to said Section. The Company and each Purchaser agrees that such service upon receipt (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be taken and held to be valid personal service upon and personal delivery to it. Notices hereunder shall be conclusively presumed received as evidenced by a delivery receipt furnished by the United States Postal Service or any reputable commercial delivery service.

 

(d) Nothing in this Section 22.7 shall affect the right of any holder of a Note to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or limit any right that the holders of any of the Notes may have to bring proceedings against the Company in the courts of any appropriate jurisdiction or to enforce in any lawful manner a judgment obtained in one jurisdiction in any other jurisdiction.

 

(e) The parties hereto hereby waive trial by jury in any action brought on or with respect to this Agreement, the Notes or any other document executed in connection herewith or therewith.

 

*****

 

 

If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of agreement on a counterpart of this Agreement and return it to the Company, whereupon this Agreement shall become a binding agreement between you and the Company.

 

	Very truly yours,
	TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.
	By:	/s/▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		Name:	▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		Title:	Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page to Note Purchase Agreement]

 

 

This Agreement is hereby

accepted and agreed to as

of the date hereof

 

	Ares Strategic Income Fund
	By:	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ III
		Name:	▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ III
		Title:	Authorized Signatory
	CION Ares Diversified Credit Fund
	By:	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ III
		Name:	▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ III
		Title:	Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Note Purchase Agreement]

 

 

Schedule A

 

Defined Terms

 

As used herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or set forth in the Section hereof following such term:

 

“Affiliate” means, at any time, and with respect to any Person, any other Person that at such time directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, or is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such first Person. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to an “Affiliate” is a reference to an Affiliate of the Company. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the term “Affiliate” shall not include any Person that constitutes a Portfolio Investment held by any Obligor or any of its or their subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.

 

“Agreement” means this Note Purchase Agreement, including all Schedules and Exhibits attached to this Agreement, as may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

“Anti-Corruption Laws” means any law or regulation in a U.S. or any non-U.S. jurisdiction regarding bribery or any other corrupt activity, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010.

 

“Anti-Money Laundering Laws” means any law or regulation in a U.S. or any non-U.S. jurisdiction regarding money laundering, drug trafficking, terrorist-related activities or other money laundering predicate crimes, including the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (otherwise known as the Bank Secrecy Act) and the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

“Asset Coverage Ratio” means the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis for Company and its Subsidiaries, without duplication, of (a) the value of total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by Senior Securities to (b) the aggregate amount of Senior Securities representing indebtedness of Company and its Subsidiaries (including any Indebtedness outstanding under the Notes), in each case as determined pursuant to the Investment Company Act, and any orders of the SEC issued to or with respect to Company thereunder, including any exemptive relief granted by the SEC with respect to the indebtedness of any SBIC Subsidiary or otherwise (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any exclusion of such indebtedness in the foregoing calculation).

 

“Assignee” is defined in Section 13.2(a).

 

“Assigning Party” is defined in Section 13.2(a).

 

“Below Investment Grade Adjusted Interest Rate” is defined in Section 1.2(a).

 

“Below Investment Grade Event” is defined in Section 1.2(a).

 

“Blocked Person” means (a) a Person whose name appears on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons published by OFAC, (b) a Person, entity, organization, country or regime that is blocked or a target of sanctions that have been imposed under U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws or (c) a Person that is an agent, department or instrumentality of, or is otherwise beneficially owned by, controlled by or acting on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any Person, entity, organization, country or regime described in clause (a) or (b).

 

 

“Business Day” means (a) for the purposes of Section 8.6 only, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York City are required or authorized to be closed, and (b) for the purposes of any other provision of this Agreement, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are required or authorized to be closed.

 

“Canada Blocked Person” means (i) a “terrorist group” as defined for the purposes of Part II.1 of the Criminal Code (Canada), as amended or (ii) a Person identified in or pursuant to (w) Part II.1 of the Criminal Code (Canada), as amended or (x) the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, as amended or (y) the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Law), as amended or (z) regulations or orders promulgated pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act (Canada), as amended, the United Nations Act (Canada), as amended, or the Freezing Assets of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Canada), as amended, in any case pursuant to this clause (ii) as a Person in respect of whose property or benefit a holder of Notes would be prohibited from entering into or facilitating a related financial transaction.

 

“Canadian Economic Sanctions Laws” means those laws, including enabling legislation, orders-in-council or other regulations administered and enforced by Canada or a political subdivision of Canada pursuant to which economic sanctions have been imposed on any Person, entity, organization, country or regime, including Part II.1 of the Criminal Code (Canada), as amended, the Special Economic Measures Act (Canada), as amended, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, as amended, the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Law), as amended, the United Nations Act (Canada), as amended, the Export and Import Permits Act (Canada), as amended, and the Freezing Assets of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Canada), as amended, and including all regulations promulgated under any of the foregoing, or any other similar sanctions program or action.

 

“Capital Lease” means, at any time, a lease with respect to which the lessee is required concurrently to recognize the acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of a liability in accordance with GAAP.

 

“cash” means any immediately available funds in Dollars or in any currency other than Dollars (measured in terms of the Dollar Equivalent thereof) which is a freely convertible currency.

 

“Cash Equivalents” means (a) marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States or issued by any agency thereof and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in each case maturing within 1 year from the date of acquisition thereof, (b) marketable direct obligations issued by any state of the United States or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof maturing within 1 year from the date of acquisition thereof and, at the time of acquisition, having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from either S&P or ▇▇▇▇▇’▇, (c) commercial paper maturing no more than 270 days from the date of creation thereof and, at the time of acquisition, having a rating of at least A-1 from S&P or at least P-1 from ▇▇▇▇▇’▇, (d) certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances maturing within 1 year from the date of acquisition thereof issued by any bank organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof having at the date of acquisition thereof combined capital and surplus of not less than $250,000,000, (e) demand deposit accounts maintained with any bank organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof so long as the amount maintained with any individual bank is less than or equal to $250,000 and is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and (f) Investments in money market funds or mutual funds substantially all of whose assets are invested in the types of assets described in clauses (a) through (e) above.

 

 

“Change in Control” means (i) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Exchange Act and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date hereof) of shares representing more than 50.00% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock in the Company or (ii) the External Manager (or an Affiliate thereof) ceases to be the external manager of the Company, except upon an internalization of the manager.

 

“Closing” is defined in Section 3.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time.

 

“Company” is defined in the first paragraph of this Agreement.

 

“Competitor” means (a) any entity that has elected to be regulated as a “business development company” under the Investment Company Act; (b) any Person who is not an Affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and who engages (or whose Affiliate engages), as its primary business, in (i) the same or similar business as a material business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) the business of providing loans in the middle market or to venture companies and such Person is not a bank or an insurance company; or (c) any Affiliate of any of the foregoing; provided that:

 

(i) the provision of investment advisory services by a Person to a Plan which is owned or controlled by a Person which would otherwise be a Competitor shall not in any event cause the Person providing such services to be deemed to be a Competitor, provided that such Person providing such services has established and maintains procedures which will prevent Confidential Information supplied to such Person from being transmitted or otherwise made available to such Plan;

 

(ii) in no event shall an Institutional Investor be deemed a Competitor if such Institutional Investor is a pension plan sponsored by a Person which would otherwise be a Competitor but which is a regular investor in privately placed Securities and such pension plan has established and maintains procedures which will prevent Confidential Information supplied to such pension plan by the Company from being transmitted or otherwise made available to such plan sponsor; and

 

(iii) in any event that any Private Placement Agent that would otherwise be deemed to be a Competitor pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this definition, such Private Placement Agent shall not be deemed to be a Competitor if such Private Placement Agent holds the Notes only in connection with its role as an intermediary in the prompt and expeditious sale in accordance with customary financial market conditions of the Note or Notes owned by one Institutional Investor who is not a Competitor to another purchasing Institutional Investor who is a permitted transferee under the terms of this Agreement that is not a Competitor and such Private Placement Agent has established procedures which will prevent confidential information supplied to either the selling or buying Institutional Investor by the Company from being transmitted or otherwise made available to such Private Placement Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity other than as the agent and intermediary in connection with such sale of any such Note or Notes.

 

 

“Confidential Information” is defined in Section 20.

 

“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “Controlled” and “Controlling” shall have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

“Controlled Entity” means (a) any of the Subsidiaries of the Company and any of their or the Company’s respective Controlled Affiliates and (b) if the Company has a parent company, such parent company and its Controlled Affiliates.

 

“Controlled Foreign Corporation” means any Subsidiary which is (i) a “controlled foreign corporation” (within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code), (ii) a Subsidiary substantially all the assets of which consist (directly or indirectly through one or more flow-through entities) of Equity Interests and/or indebtedness of one or more Subsidiaries described in clause (i) of this definition, or (iii) an entity treated as disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes and substantially all of the assets of which consist (directly or indirectly through one or more flow-through entities) of the Equity Interests and/or indebtedness of one or more Subsidiaries described in clause (i) or (ii) of this definition.

 

“Cure Right” is defined in Section 10.7(d).

 

“DBRS” means DBRS, Inc. or, if applicable, its successor.

 

“Default” means an event or condition the occurrence or existence of which would, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both, become an Event of Default.

 

“Default Rate” means that rate of interest per annum that is 2% above the rate of interest then in effect on the Notes.

 

“Default Threshold” means $25,000,000 (or its equivalent in the relevant currency of payment).

 

“Disclosure Documents” is defined in Section 5.3.

 

“Dollar Equivalent” means, on any date of determination, with respect to an amount denominated in any Foreign Currency, the amount of Dollars that would be required to purchase such amount of such Foreign Currency on the date two Business Days prior to such date, based upon the spot selling rate at which ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Bank (USA) offers to sell such Foreign Currency for Dollars in the London foreign exchange market at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) for delivery two Business Days later.

 

 

“Dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.

 

“▇▇▇▇▇” means the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor SEC electronic filing system for such purposes.

 

“Environmental Laws” means any applicable federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment.

 

“Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests or equivalents (however designated, including any instrument treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest. As used in this Agreement, “Equity Interests” shall not include convertible debt unless and until such debt has been converted to capital stock.

 

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that is treated as a single employer together with the Company under section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code.

 

“Event of Default” is defined in Section 11.

 

“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Execution Date” is defined in Section 3.

 

“Existing Notes” means the Company’s (a) 4.50% Series 2020A Senior Notes, due March 19, 2025 in an aggregate principal amount of $70,000,000, (b) 4.50% Series 2021A Senior Notes, due March 1, 2026 in an aggregate principal amount of $200,000,000, and (c) 5.00% Series 2022A Senior Notes, due February 28, 2027 in an aggregate principal amount of $125,000,000.

 

“External Manager” means TriplePoint Advisers LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

 

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the Execution Date (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.

 

 

“Financial Covenant Default” means an Event of Default under Section 11(c) for failure to comply with Section 10.7(a), Section 10.7(b) or Section 10.7(c).

 

“Financing Subsidiary” means any SPE Subsidiary or SBIC Subsidiary.

 

“FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

 

“Foreign Currency” means at any time any currency other than Dollars.

 

“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company that is a Controlled Foreign Corporation or a Subsidiary of a Controlled Foreign Corporation.

 

“Form 10-K” means the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

“Form 10-Q” means the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

“GAAP” means (a) generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States of America and (b) for purposes of Section 9.6, with respect to any Subsidiary, generally accepted accounting principles (including International Financial Reporting Standards, as applicable) as in effect from time to time in the jurisdiction of organization of such Subsidiary.

 

“▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇” means ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC.

 

“Governmental Authority” means

 

(a) the government of

 

(i) the United States of America or any state or other political subdivision thereof, or

 

(ii) any other jurisdiction in which the Company or any Subsidiary conducts all or any part of its business, or which asserts jurisdiction over any properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, or

 

(b) any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of, or pertaining to, any such government.

 

“Governmental Official” means any governmental official or employee, employee of any government-owned or government-controlled entity, political party, any official of a political party, candidate for political office, official of any public international organization or anyone else acting in an official capacity.

 

 

“Guaranty” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guaranty shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business or customary indemnification agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business in connection with obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness. The amount of any Guaranty at any time shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the maximum stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Guaranty is incurred, unless the terms of such Guaranty expressly provide that the maximum amount for which such Person may be liable thereunder is a lesser amount (in which case the amount of such Guaranty shall be deemed to be an amount equal to such lesser amount).

 

“Hazardous Materials” means any and all pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous wastes, substances or which are regulated by Environmental Law, including asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, polychlorinated biphenyls, petroleum, or petroleum products.

 

“Hedging Agreement” means any interest rate protection agreement, foreign currency exchange protection agreement, commodity price protection agreement or other interest or currency exchange rate or commodity price hedging arrangement.

 

“holder” means, with respect to any Note, the Person in whose name such Note is registered in the register maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 13.1, provided, however, that if such Person is a nominee, then for the purposes of Sections 7, 12, and 18 and any related definitions in this Schedule A, “holder” shall mean the beneficial owner of such Note whose name and address appears in such register.

 

“Indebtedness” with respect to any Person means, at any time, without duplication,

 

(a) its liabilities for borrowed money and its redemption obligations in respect of mandatorily redeemable Preferred Stock;

 

(b) its liabilities for the deferred purchase price of property acquired by such Person (excluding accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business but including all liabilities created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to any such property);

 

(c) (i) all liabilities appearing on its balance sheet in accordance with GAAP in respect of Capital Leases and (ii) all liabilities which would appear on its balance sheet in accordance with GAAP in respect of Synthetic Leases assuming such Synthetic Leases were accounted for as Capital Leases;

 

 

(d) all liabilities for borrowed money secured by any Lien with respect to any property owned by such Person (whether or not it has assumed or otherwise become liable for such liabilities);

 

(e) all its liabilities in respect of letters of credit or instruments serving a similar function issued or accepted for its account by banks and other financial institutions (whether or not representing obligations for borrowed money);

 

(f) the aggregate Swap Termination Value of all Swap Contracts of such Person; and

 

(g) any Guaranty of such Person with respect to liabilities of a type described in any of clauses (a) through (f) hereof.

 

Indebtedness of any Person shall include all obligations of such Person of the character described in clauses (a) through (g) to the extent such Person remains legally liable in respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is deemed to be extinguished under GAAP. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Indebtedness” shall not include (x) purchase price holdbacks arising in the ordinary course of business in respect of a portion of the purchase price of an asset or Investment to satisfy unperformed obligations of the seller of such asset or Investment, (y) a commitment arising in the ordinary course of business to make a future Portfolio Investment or fund the delayed draw or unfunded portion of any existing Portfolio Investment or (z) indebtedness of an Obligor on account of the sale by an Obligor of the first out tranche of any debt Portfolio Investment that is entitled to the benefit of a first lien that arises solely as an accounting matter under ASC 860, provided that such indebtedness (i) is non-recourse to the Company and its Subsidiaries and (ii) would not represent a claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in a bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation proceeding of the Company or its Subsidiaries, in each case in excess of the amount sold or purportedly sold.

 

“INHAM Exemption” is defined in Section 6.2(e).

 

“Interest Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis for Company and its Subsidiaries, without duplication, of (a) Net Investment Income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended, plus interest expense to (b) interest expense for such period.

 

“Institutional Investor” means (a) any Purchaser of a Note, (b) any holder of a Note holding (together with one or more of its affiliates) more than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, (c) any bank, trust company, savings and loan association or other financial institution, any pension plan, any investment company, any insurance company, any broker or dealer, or any other similar financial institution or entity, regardless of legal form, and (d) any Related Fund of any holder of any Note.

 

“Investment” means, for any Person: (a) Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person (including convertible securities) or any agreement to acquire any Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person (including any “short sale” or any sale of any securities at a time when such securities are not owned by the Person entering into such sale); (b) deposits, advances, loans or other extensions of credit made to any other Person (including purchases of property from another Person subject to an understanding or agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such property to such Person); or (c) Hedging Agreements and/or Swap Contracts.

 

 

“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and all exemptive relief, if any, obtained by the Company thereunder.

 

“Investment Grade” means a rating of at least “BBB (low)” (or its equivalent) or higher by DBRS or its equivalent by any other NRSRO without giving effect to any credit watch.

 

“Investment Policies” means, with respect to the Company, the investment objectives, policies, restrictions and limitations as the same may be changed, altered, expanded, amended, modified, terminated or restated from time to time.

 

“Judgment Default Threshold” means $25,000,000 (or its equivalent in the relevant currency of payment).

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any Person, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or other encumbrance, or any interest or title of any vendor, lessor, lender or other secured party to or of such Person under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or Capital Lease, upon or with respect to any property or asset of such Person (including in the case of stock, stockholder agreements, voting trust agreements and all similar arrangements but, in the case of Portfolio Investments that are equity securities, excluding customary drag-along, tag-along, right of first refusal and other similar rights in favor of other equity holders of the same issuer). For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of Investments that are loans or other debt obligations, customary restrictions on assignments or transfers thereof on customary and market based terms pursuant to the underlying documentation relating to such Investment shall not be deemed to be a “Lien”.

 

“Make-Whole Amount” is defined in Section 8.6.

 

“Material” means material in relation to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) taken as a whole.

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, operations, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) taken as a whole (excluding in any case a decline in the net asset value of the Company or a change in general market conditions or values of the Portfolio Investments), (b) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Notes, (c) the ability of any Subsidiary Guarantor to perform its obligations under its Subsidiary Guaranty, or (d) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement, the Notes or any Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

“Material Credit Facility” means, as to the Company and its Subsidiaries, (a) the Existing Notes and (b) any agreement(s) creating or evidencing indebtedness for borrowed money entered into on or after the Execution Date by the Company or any Subsidiary (other than a Financing Subsidiary or Foreign Subsidiary), or in respect of which the Company or any Subsidiary (other than a Financing Subsidiary or Foreign Subsidiary) is an obligor or otherwise provides a guarantee or other credit support (“Credit Facility”), in a principal amount outstanding or available for borrowing equal to or greater than $25,000,000 (or the equivalent of such amount in the relevant currency of payment, determined as of the date of the closing of such facility based on the exchange rate of such other currency); and if no Credit Facility or Credit Facilities equal or exceed such amounts, then the largest Credit Facility shall be deemed to be a Material Credit Facility.

 

 

“Maturity Date” is defined in the first paragraph of each Note.

 

“▇▇▇▇▇’▇” means ▇▇▇▇▇’▇ Investors Service, Inc. or any successor thereto.

 

“Multiemployer Plan” means any Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” (as such term is defined in section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).

 

“NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

 

“Net Investment Income” means, with respect to any period, net investment income determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Non-U.S. Plan” means any plan, fund or other similar program that (a) is established or maintained outside the United States of America by the Company or any Subsidiary primarily for the benefit of employees of the Company or one or more Subsidiaries residing outside the United States of America, which plan, fund or other similar program provides, or results in, retirement income, a deferral of income in contemplation of retirement or payments to be made upon termination of employment, and (b) is not subject to ERISA or the Code.

 

“Notes” is defined in Section 1.1.

 

“NRSRO” means a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization so designated by the SEC whose status has been confirmed by the SVO, other than ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Rating Company and its successors.

 

“Obligors” means, collectively, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors.

 

“OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.

 

“OFAC Sanctions Program” means any economic or trade sanction that OFAC is responsible for administering and enforcing. A list of OFAC Sanctions Programs may be found at ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇/▇▇▇▇▇/▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇.

 

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer or of any other officer of the Company whose responsibilities extend to the subject matter of such certificate.

 

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA.

 

“Permitted Equity Interests” means common stock of the Company that after its issuance is not subject to any agreement between the holder of such common stock and the Company where the Company is required to purchase, redeem, retire, acquire, cancel or terminate any such common stock.

 

“Permitted SBIC Guaranty” means a guarantee by the Company of Indebtedness of an SBIC Subsidiary on the SBA’s then applicable form; provided that the recourse to the Company thereunder is expressly limited only to periods after the occurrence of an event or condition that is an impermissible change in the control of such SBIC Subsidiary.

 

 

“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, business entity or Governmental Authority.

 

“PIK Income” is defined in section 1.2(b).

 

“PIK Ratio” is defined in section 1.2(b).

 

“PIK Ratio Adjusted Interest Rate” is defined in section 1.2(b).

 

“PIK Ratio Event” is defined in section 1.2(b).

 

“Plan” means an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA that is or, within the preceding five years, has been established or maintained, or to which contributions are or, within the preceding five years, have been made or required to be made, by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has any liability.

 

“Portfolio Investment” means any Investment held by the Company or one of its subsidiaries in their asset portfolio (and, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Subsidiary of the Company).

 

“Preferred Stock” means any class of capital stock of a Person that is preferred over any other class of capital stock (or similar equity interests) of such Person as to the payment of dividends or the payment of any amount upon liquidation or dissolution of such Person

 

“Private Placement Agent” means any company organized as a “broker” or “dealer” (as each such term is defined in Section 3(a) (4) and (5), respectively, of the Exchange Act) of recognized national standing regularly engaged as an intermediary in the placement or sale to and among Institutional Investors of debt securities exempt from registration under the Securities Act.

 

“property” or “properties” means, unless otherwise specifically limited, real or personal property of any kind, tangible or intangible, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ or inchoate.

 

“PTE” is defined in Section 6.2(a).

 

“Purchaser” or “Purchasers” means each of the purchasers that has executed and delivered this Agreement to the Company and such Purchaser’s successors and assigns (so long as any such assignment complies with Section 13.2) and any Substitute Purchaser (so long as any such substitution complies with Section 21), provided, however, that any Purchaser of a Note that ceases to be the registered holder or a beneficial owner (through a nominee) of such Note as the result of a transfer thereof pursuant to Section 13.2 or as the result of a substitution pursuant to Section 21 shall cease to be included within the meaning of “Purchaser” of such Note for the purposes of this Agreement upon such transfer.

 

 

“Purchaser Schedule” means the Purchaser Schedule to this Agreement listing the Purchasers of the Notes and including their notice and payment information.

 

“QPAM Exemption” is defined in Section 6.2(d).

 

“Qualified Institutional Buyer” means any Person who is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of such term as set forth in Rule 144A(a)(1) under the Securities Act.

 

“Rating” means a public rating of the Notes, which rating shall specifically describe the Notes, including their interest rate, maturity and Private Placement Number, issued by a NRSRO.

 

“Related Fund” means, with respect to any holder of any Note, any fund or entity that (a) invests in Securities or bank loans, (b) is advised or managed by such holder, the same investment advisor as such holder or by an affiliate of such holder or such investment advisor, and (c) is not a Competitor.

 

“Required Holders” means (i) prior to the Closing, the Purchasers and (ii) at any time thereafter, the holders of greater than 50.00% in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding (exclusive of Notes then owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates).

 

“Responsible Officer” means any Senior Financial Officer and any other officer of the Company with responsibility for the administration of the relevant portion of this Agreement.

 

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution in cash with respect to any shares of any class of capital stock of the Company, or any payment in cash, including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such shares of capital stock of the Company or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such shares of capital stock of the Company, provided, for clarity, neither the conversion of convertible debt into Permitted Equity Interests nor the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of convertible debt made solely with Permitted Equity Interests shall be a Restricted Payment hereunder.

 

“RIC” means a person qualifying for treatment as a “regulated investment company” under the Code.

 

“S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global, Inc., a New York corporation, or any successor thereto.

 

“SBA” means the United States Small Business Administration or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions thereof.

 

“SBIC Equity Commitment” means a commitment by the Company to make one or more capital contributions to an SBIC Subsidiary.

 

“SBIC Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Subsidiary (including such Subsidiary’s general partner or managing entity to the extent that the only material asset of such general partner or managing entity is its equity interest in the SBIC Subsidiary) of the Company licensed as a small business investment company under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended (or that has applied for such a license and is actively pursuing the granting thereof by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted) and which is designated by the Company (as provided below) as an SBIC Subsidiary, so long as

 

 

(a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of such Subsidiary: (i) is Guaranteed by any Obligor (other than a Permitted SBIC Guaranty), (ii) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way (other than in respect of any SBIC Equity Commitment or Permitted SBIC Guaranty), or (iii) subjects any property of any Obligor, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than Equity Interests in any SBIC Subsidiary pledged to secure such Indebtedness, and

 

(b) none of the Obligors has any obligation to maintain or preserve such Subsidiary’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results. Any such designation by the Company shall be effected pursuant to a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer delivered to the holders of the Notes, which certificate shall include a statement to the effect that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.

 

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America.

 

“Section 8.8 Proposed Prepayment Date” is defined in Section 8.8.

 

“Securities” or “Security” shall have the meaning specified in section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act.

 

“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

“Senior Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Company.

 

“Senior Securities” means senior securities (as such term is defined and determined pursuant to the Investment Company Act and any orders of the SEC issued to the Company thereunder); provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that any commitment arising in the ordinary course of business to make a future Portfolio Investment or fund the delayed draw or unfunded portion of any existing Portfolio Investment shall be excluded from the definition of Senior Securities.

 

“Shareholders’ Equity” means, at any date, the amount determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of shareholders’ equity or net assets, as applicable, for the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at such date.

 

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which is a “significant subsidiary” (within the meaning specified in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X, promulgated under the Securities Act) of the Company, excluding any Subsidiary of the Company (a) which is a nonrecourse or limited recourse subsidiary, (b) which is a bankruptcy remote special purpose vehicle, (c) that is not consolidated with the Company for purposes of GAAP, or (d) any Financing Subsidiary; provided that each Subsidiary Guarantor shall be deemed to be a “Significant Subsidiary.”

 

 

“Source” is defined in Section 6.2.

 

“Special Equity Interest” means any Equity Interest that is subject to a Lien in favor of creditors of the issuer of such Equity Interest provided that such Lien was created to secure Indebtedness owing by such issuer to such creditors.

 

“SPE Subsidiary” means (1) TPVG Variable Funding Company LLC and (2) any other direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company to which an Obligor sells, conveys or otherwise transfers (whether directly or indirectly) Portfolio Investments, and which engages in no material activities other than in connection with the purchase or financing of such assets and other Portfolio Investments and which is designated by the Company (as provided below) as an SPE Subsidiary; and, in the case of each of (1) and (2) so long as:

 

(a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of such Subsidiary (i) is Guaranteed by the Company (other than Guarantees in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings), (ii) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or (iii) subjects any property of any Obligor, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or any Guaranty thereof,

 

(b) with which no Obligor has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding with such Subsidiary other than on terms no less favorable to the Company than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of any Obligor, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables, and

 

(c) to which no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such Subsidiary’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results.

 

Any such designation by the Company pursuant to sub-clause (2) shall be effected pursuant to a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer delivered to the holders of the Notes, which certificate shall include a statement to the effect that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions. Each Subsidiary of an SPE Subsidiary shall be deemed to be an SPE Subsidiary and shall comply with the foregoing requirements of this definition.

 

“Standard Securitization Undertakings” means, collectively, (a) customary arms-length servicing obligations (together with any related performance guarantees), (b) obligations (together with any related performance guarantees) to refund the purchase price or grant purchase price credits for dilutive events or misrepresentations (in each case unrelated to the collectability of the assets sold or the creditworthiness of the associated account debtors) and (c) representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities (together with any related performance guarantees) of a type that are reasonably customary in commercial loan and other asset-backed securitizations.

 

“State Sanctions List” means a list that is adopted by any state Governmental Authority within the United States of America pertaining to Persons that engage in investment or other commercial activities in Iran or any other country that is a target of economic sanctions imposed under U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws.

 

 

“Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, any other Person in which such first Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries owns sufficient equity or voting interests to enable it or them (as a group) ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, to elect a majority of the directors (or Persons performing similar functions) of such second Person, and any partnership or joint venture if more than a 50% interest in the profits or capital thereof is owned by such first Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries (unless such partnership or joint venture can and does ordinarily take major business actions without the prior approval of such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries). Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term “Subsidiary” shall not include any Person that constitutes an Investment held by the Company or a Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business and that is not, under GAAP, consolidated on the financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company.

 

“Subsidiary Guarantor” means each Subsidiary that has executed and delivered a Subsidiary Guaranty or a joinder thereto.

 

“Subsidiary Guaranty” is defined in Section 9.7(a).

 

“Substitute Purchaser” is defined in Section 21.

 

“SVO” means the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC.

 

“Swap Contract” means (a) any and all interest rate swap transactions, basis swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, currency options, spot contracts or any other similar transactions or any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement.

 

“Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed  out and  termination  values(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amounts(s) determined as the mark-to-market values(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts.

 

“Synthetic Lease” means, at any time, any lease (including leases that may be terminated by the lessee at any time) of any property (a) that is accounted for as an operating lease under GAAP and (b) in respect of which the lessee retains or obtains ownership of the property so leased for U.S. federal income tax purposes, other than any such lease under which such Person is the lessor.

 

“United States Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

 

“USA PATRIOT Act” means United States Public Law 107-56, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

“U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws” means those laws, executive orders, enabling legislation or regulations administered and enforced by the United States pursuant to which economic sanctions have been imposed on any Person, entity, organization, country or regime, including the Trading with the Enemy Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Iran Sanctions Act, the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act and any other OFAC Sanctions Program.

 

“Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” means, at any time, any subsidiary all of the equity interests (except directors’ qualifying shares) and voting interests of which are owned by any one or more of the Company and the Company’s other Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries at such time.

 

 

Schedule 1.1

 

[See Attached]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Form of Note]

 

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.

 

8.11% Senior Note Due February 12, 2028

 

No. [    ]	[Date]___________
$[     ]	PPN 89677Y B*0

 

For Value Received, the undersigned, TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (herein called the “Company”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland, hereby promises to pay to [___________], or registered assigns, the principal sum of [___________________] Dollars (or so much thereof as shall not have been prepaid) on February 12, 2028 (the “Maturity Date”), with interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) (a) on the unpaid balance hereof at the rate of 8.11% per annum, as may be adjusted in accordance with Section 1.2 of the Note Purchase Agreement (as hereinafter defined), from the date hereof, payable semiannually, on the 12th day of February and August in each year, commencing with the February or August next succeeding the date hereof, and on the Maturity Date, until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, and (b) to the extent permitted by law, (x) on any overdue payment of interest and (y) during the continuance of an Event of Default, on such unpaid balance and on any overdue payment of any Make-Whole Amount (if any), at a rate per annum from time to time equal to the Default Rate, payable semiannually as aforesaid (or, at the option of the registered holder hereof, on demand).

 

Payments of principal of, interest on and any Make-Whole Amount with respect to this Note are to be made in lawful money of the United States of America at the Company in New York, New York or at such other place as the Company shall have designated by written notice to the holder of this Note as provided in the Note Purchase Agreement referred to below.

 

This Note is one of a series of Senior Notes (herein called the “Notes”) issued pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, dated January 23, 2025 (as from time to time amended, the “Note Purchase Agreement”), between the Company and the respective Purchasers named therein and is entitled to the benefits thereof. Each holder of this Note will be deemed, by its acceptance hereof, to have (i) agreed to the confidentiality provisions set forth in Section 20 of the Note Purchase Agreement and (ii) made the representations set forth in Section 6 of the Note Purchase Agreement. Unless otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this Note shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

This Note is a registered Note with the Company and, as provided in (and subject to the terms and conditions of) the Note Purchase Agreement, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed, by the registered holder hereof or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, a new Note for a like principal amount will be issued to, and registered in the name of, the transferee. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment and for all other purposes, and the Company will not be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

This Note is not subject to regularly scheduled prepayments of principal. This Note is subject to prepayment, in whole or from time to time in part, on the terms specified in the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or otherwise become due and payable in the manner, at the price (including any applicable Make-Whole Amount) and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

 

This Note shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the Company and the holder of this Note shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

 

	TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.
	By:

 

 

Schedule 4.4(a)

 

[See Attached]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Form of Opinion of Counsel
for the Company

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

Schedule 4.4(b)

 

Form of Opinion of Special Counsel
for the Purchasers

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 5.3

 

Disclosure Materials

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

  

 

Schedule 5.4

 

Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary Stock;

Senior Officers and Directors; Agreements Containing Contractual Restrictions on Subsidiaries

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 5.5

 

Financial Statements

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 5.14

 

Use of Proceeds

 

The Company expects to use the net proceeds from this private placement of Notes to repay outstanding indebtedness.

 

 

 

 

Schedule 5.15

 

Existing Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 10.1

 

Affiliate Transactions

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 10.5

 

Liens

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

Purchaser Schedule

 

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

Menlo Park, California 94025

 

Information Relating to Purchasers

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

Purchaser Schedule
(to Note Purchase Agreement)