Delaware
(State of Incorporation) |
83-0423116
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
Copies to: | ||
Thomas R. Salley, Esq.
|
John A. Good, Esq. | |
Darren K. DeStefano, Esq.
|
Helen Woodyard, Esq. | |
Cooley Godward LLP
|
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC | |
One Freedom Square
|
The Tower at Peabody Place | |
Reston Town Center
|
100 Peabody Place, Suite 900 | |
11951 Freedom Drive
|
Memphis, Tennessee 38103-3672 | |
Reston, Virginia 20190
|
(901) 543-5900 | |
(703) 456-8000
|
(888) 543-5999 (facsimile) | |
(703) 456-8100 (facsimile)
|
Proposed Maximum | ||||||||||||
Title of Securities | Amount Being | Offering Price | Proposed Maximum | Amount of | ||||||||
Being Registered | Registered(1) | Per Unit | Offering Price(2) | Registration Fee | ||||||||
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
|
13,800,000 | $15.00 | $207,000,000 | $24,363.90 | ||||||||
(1) | Includes 1,800,000 shares subject to sale pursuant to the underwriters over-allotment option. |
(2) | Estimated pursuant to Rule 457 solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee. |
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted. |
|
GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION |
Per share | Total | |||||||
Public offering price
|
$ | 15.00 | $ | 180,000,000 | ||||
Sales load
|
$ | 1.05 | $ | 12,600,000 | ||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us(1)
|
$ | 13.95 | $ | 167,400,000 |
(1) | We estimate that we will incur approximately $1,300,000 in expenses in connection with this offering. |
Retail Book Runner | Institutional Book Runner |
Ferris, Baker Watts
Incorporated |
Jefferies & Company, Inc. |
BB&T Capital Markets | Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, |
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| The senior management team of Gladstone Management, led by Mr. Gladstone, and its other investment professionals are among the most experienced providers in the United States of capital to small and mid-sized companies, having invested in over 500 companies in more than 25 different industries. This team has forged relationships with an extensive network of private equity sponsors that focus on investments in the small to mid-sized companies that we will be targeting. | |
| The Gladstone Group is capable of providing almost any type of capital and delivering customized financing solutions to small and mid-sized companies, which we believe induces small and mid-sized companies with a variety of financing needs to seek capital from the Gladstone Group before going to other capital providers. | |
| We intend to provide a one stop shop for small businesses that are looking for an acquiror. In such smaller acquisitions, we would generally provide the subordinated debt, mezzanine debt and preferred stock necessary to complete the acquisition. We may also provide senior debt in connection with these acquisitions, although we would generally seek to refinance this senior debt with a local bank or other senior lender shortly after the completion of the transaction. By offering to be a one stop shop for such transactions, we believe we will have a competitive advantage over other potential purchasers that must arrange for various levels of financing from multiple parties in order to consummate an acquisition. |
4
| The Gladstone Management team follows a disciplined, value and income-oriented investment approach involving an exhaustive due diligence process from the perspective of a long-term investor and focusing on companies with some or all of the following characteristics: leading market positions, strong cash flows, seasoned management teams, and relatively low multiples of purchase price to cash flows. | |
| As a publicly-traded closed-end management investment company, we will be able to reinvest our capital and take a longer term view with respect to our investments than a private equity partnership, thereby allowing us to align our interests better with the interests of our portfolio companies management teams and providing opportunities for both current income and capital appreciation. |
5
Common stock offered by us
12,000,000 shares, excluding 1,800,000 shares of common stock
issuable pursuant to the over-allotment option granted to the
underwriters. The underwriters will reserve up to 2,000,000
shares of common stock for sale, directly or indirectly, to our
directors and employees, their families and certain other
parties designated by Gladstone Management at the public
offering price less the sales load.
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering
12,000,100 shares, excluding 1,800,000 shares of common
stock issuable pursuant to the over-allotment option granted to
the underwriters.
Use of proceeds
We plan to invest the net proceeds of this offering in cash
acquisitions, changes of control or recapitalizations of small
and mid-sized companies in accordance with our investment
objectives and the strategies described in this prospectus. We
anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds of this
offering will be invested within two years, depending on the
availability of appropriate investment opportunities consistent
with our investment objectives and other market conditions. We
expect that our portfolio will initially consist primarily of
senior secured loans because we anticipate that we will be able
to invest in such loans more rapidly than in subordinated debt,
mezzanine debt and preferred stock. Pending such interim
investments, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in cash,
cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, and other high-
quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from
the date of investment. See Use of Proceeds.
Dividends and distributions
We intend to make monthly cash distributions to our stockholders
out of assets legally available for distribution. Our monthly
distributions, if any, will be determined by our board of
directors. Some distributions in the initial years may be a
return of capital.
Taxation
We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes
as a RIC. Accordingly, we generally will pay no corporate-level
federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains
that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends. To maintain
our RIC status, we must meet specified source-of-income and
asset diversification requirements and distribute annually at
least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term
capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital
losses, if any, out of assets legally available for
distribution. See Dividends and Distributions.
Dividend reinvestment plan
We have a dividend reinvestment plan for our stockholders. This
is an opt in dividend reinvestment plan, meaning
that stockholders may elect to have their cash dividends
automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common
stock. Stockholders who do not so elect will receive their
dividends in cash. Stockholders who receive distributions in the
form of stock will be subject to the same federal, state and
local tax consequences
6
as stockholders who elect to receive their distributions in
cash. See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Proposed Nasdaq National Market symbol
GAIN
Trading at a Discount
Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a
discount to their net asset value. The possibility that our
shares may trade at a discount to our net asset value is
separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per
share may decline. We cannot predict whether our shares will
trade above, at or below net asset value.
Anti-takeover provisions
Our board of directors will be divided into three classes of
directors serving staggered three-year terms. This structure is
intended to provide us with a greater likelihood of continuity
of management, which may be necessary for us to realize the full
value of our investments. A staggered board of directors also
may serve to deter hostile takeovers or proxy contests, as may
certain provisions of Delaware law and other measures we have
adopted. See Description of our capital stock.
Risk factors
See Risk Factors beginning on page 11 and the
other information included in this prospectus for a discussion
of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to
invest in shares of our common stock.
Management arrangements
Gladstone Management will serve as our investment adviser, and
Gladstone Administration will serve as our administrator. We
have entered into a license agreement with Gladstone Management,
pursuant to which Gladstone Management has agreed to grant us a
non-exclusive license to use the name Gladstone and
the Diamond G logo. For a description of Gladstone Management,
Gladstone Administration, the Gladstone Group and our
contractual arrangements with these companies, see
Management Investment Advisory and Management
Agreement, Management Administration
Agreement and Management License
Agreement.
Available information
After completion of this offering, we will be required to file
periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with
the SEC. This information will be available at the SECs
public reference room in Washington, D.C. and on the SECs
Internet website at www.sec.gov. We intend to provide much of
the same information on our website at
www.GladstoneInvestment.com. Information contained on our
website is not part of this prospectus and should not be relied
upon as such.
7
7.00%
(1)
0.70%
(2)
None
(3)
7.72%
2.00%
(4)
0.00%
(5)
None
(6)
0.20%
(7)
2.20%
(4)(7)
(1) | The sales load (underwriting discounts and commissions) with respect to shares sold in this offering, which is a one-time fee, is the only sales load paid in connection with this offering. |
(2) | Amount reflects estimated offering expenses of approximately $1,300,000. |
(3) | The expenses of the dividend reinvestment plan are included in other expenses. |
(4) | Our base management fee is based on our gross assets. Gross assets are defined as total assets of Gladstone Investment, including investments made with proceeds of borrowings, less any uninvested cash or cash equivalents resulting from borrowings. However, until March 31, 2006 the base management fee calculation will exclude uninvested cash proceeds from this offering, resulting in a lower fee than indicated by the examples set forth herein. See Management Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and footnote 5 below. |
(5) | Based on our current business plan, we do not expect to invest fully the net proceeds from this offering for up to two years, and we expect that during the first year after completion of this offering we will not have any capital gains and that our interest income will not exceed the quarterly hurdle rate discussed below. As a result, we do not anticipate paying any incentive fees in the first year after the completion of this offering. In addition, until March 31, 2006 the base management fee calculation will exclude uninvested cash proceeds from this offering, resulting in a lower fee than indicated by the examples set forth herein. Once we have fully invested the net proceeds of this offering, we expect that our results of operations may obligate us to pay incentive fees. The incentive fee consists of two parts: an income-based fee and a capital gains-based fee. The income-based fee will be payable quarterly in arrears, and will equal 20% of the excess, if any, of our pre-incentive fee net investment income that exceeds a 1.75% quarterly (7% annualized) hurdle rate, subject to a catch-up provision measured as of the end of each calendar quarter. The catch-up provision requires us to pay 100% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 125% of the quarterly hurdle rate (or 2.1875%) in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). The catch-up provision is meant to provide Gladstone Management with 20% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income as if a hurdle rate did not apply when our pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds 125% of the quarterly hurdle |
8
rate in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). The income-based incentive fee will be computed and paid on income that may include interest that is accrued but not yet received in cash. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income used to calculate this part of the income incentive fee is also included in the amount of our gross assets used to calculate the 2% base management fee (see footnote 4 above). The capital gains-based incentive fee will equal 20% of our net realized capital gains, if any, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation and will be payable at the end of each calendar year beginning after March 31, 2006. |
| Assuming pre-incentive fee net investment income of 0.55%, there would be no income-based incentive fee because such income would not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.75%. | |
| Assuming pre-incentive fee net investment income of 2.00%, the income-based incentive fee would be as follows: |
| Assuming pre-incentive fee net investment income of 2.30%, the income-based incentive fee would be as follows: |
| Assuming net realized capital gains of 6% and realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation of 1%, the capital gains-based incentive fee would be as follows: |
For a more detailed discussion of the calculation of the two-part incentive fee, see Management Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. |
(6) | We do not plan to incur any indebtedness, or to pay interest in respect thereof, before the proceeds of this offering are substantially invested. We have not decided whether, and to what extent, we will finance investments using debt; however, in the future, we do expect to use debt to finance our investments. |
Assuming we borrowed for investment purposes an amount equal to 40% of our total assets (including such borrowed funds) and that the annual interest rate on the amount borrowed is 3%, our total annual expenses (estimated) would be as follows: |
Management fees
|
2.00 | % | ||
Incentive fees payable under investment advisory and management
agreement (20% of realized capital gains and 20% of
pre-incentive fee net investment income)
|
0.00 | % | ||
Interest payments on borrowed funds
|
1.20 | % | ||
Other expenses
|
0.10 | % | ||
Total annual expenses (estimated)
|
3.30 | % |
(7) | Includes estimated organizational expenses of $100,000 (which are non-recurring) and our overhead expenses, including payments under the administration agreement based on our projected allocable |
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portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by Gladstone Administration in performing its obligations under the administration agreement. See Management Administration Agreement. |
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |||||||||||||
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment,
assuming a 5% annual return
|
$ | 97.59 | $ | 140.52 | $ | 185.88 | $ | 310.88 |
10
We are a new company with no operating history. |
We are dependent on Gladstone Managements key personnel and on their access to potential transactions for our future success. |
Our financial condition and results of operation will depend on our ability to manage future growth effectively. |
11
If we do not invest the proceeds of this offering in a timely manner, our returns to stockholders will be significantly lower. |
If our primary investments are deemed not to be qualifying assets, we could lose our status as a business development company or be precluded from investing according to our current business plan. |
12
We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities. |
We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC. |
13
We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize a significant amount of income from original issue discount, payment-in-kind interest or other income that is accrued but not paid currently. |
Regulations governing our operation as a business development company will affect our ability to and the way in which we raise additional capital. |
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If we issue senior securities, including debt, we will be exposed to additional risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage. |
We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates. |
Many of our portfolio investments will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors based on recommendations by Standard & Poors Evaluation Service, who recommends values using its own methodology; this may result in uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. |
The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business. |
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We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results. |
There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could impact our investment returns. |
16
Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business. |
17
We will typically invest in transactions involving acquisitions, buyouts and recapitalizations of companies, which will subject us to the risks associated with change in control transactions. |
We may not realize gains from our equity investments. |
We have not yet identified any portfolio company investments. |
Our portfolio may be concentrated initially in senior secured debt of a limited number of portfolio companies, and we may not be able to execute our long-term investment strategy if we are unable to sell our interests in senior debt and may suffer significant losses if any of our portfolio companies default on their debt obligations. |
Our investments in prospective portfolio companies may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment. |
| these companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us collecting on any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment; |
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| these companies typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns; | |
| these companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our portfolio company and, in turn, on us; and | |
| these companies generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion, or maintain their competitive positions. In addition, our executive officers, directors, and Gladstone Management may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in these portfolio companies. |
Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results. |
An investment strategy focused primarily on privately-held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies. |
Our portfolio companies are likely to have debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies. |
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Our incentive fee may induce Gladstone Management to make certain investments, including speculative investments. |
Our investments in securities of companies with foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in investments in companies primarily based in the U.S. |
20
Our hedging activities may not fully protect us from adverse changes in exchange rates or interest rates. |
There is a risk that you may not receive dividends or that our dividends may not grow over time. |
Provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could restrict a change in control and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock. |
21
Investing in our shares may involve an above average degree of risk. |
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly. |
| significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of business development companies or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies; | |
| changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or business development companies; | |
| loss of RIC status; | |
| changes in earnings or variations in operating results; | |
| changes in the value of our portfolio of investments; | |
| any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts; | |
| departure of Gladstone Managements key personnel; | |
| operating performance of companies comparable to us; | |
| general economic trends and other external factors; and | |
| loss of a major funding source. |
We may allocate the net proceeds from this offering in ways with which you may not agree. |
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and we cannot assure you that the market price of our shares will not decline following the offering. |
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Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. |
| our future operating results; | |
| our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies; | |
| the impact of investments that we expect to make; | |
| our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties; | |
| the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest; | |
| the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives; | |
| our expected financings and investments; | |
| the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital; and | |
| the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies. |
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| our organization and this offering; calculating our net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm we engage); | |
| expenses incurred by Gladstone Management payable to third parties, including agents, consultants, or other advisors in monitoring our financial and legal affairs; | |
| monitoring our investments and performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies; | |
| interest payable on debt incurred, if any, to finance our investments; | |
| future offerings of our common stock and other securities; | |
| investment advisory and management fees; | |
| fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants, or other advisors relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; | |
| transfer agent and custodial fees; | |
| registration fees; | |
| listing fees; | |
| taxes; |
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| independent directors fees and expenses; | |
| costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents of the SEC; | |
| the costs of any reports, proxy statements, or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; | |
| our allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; | |
| direct costs and expenses of administration, including auditor and legal costs; and | |
| all other expenses incurred by us or Gladstone Administration in connection with administering our business, such as our allocable portion of overhead under the administration agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the salaries and benefits expense of our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer and controller and their respective staffs. |
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As of February 18, 2005 | ||||||||
(inception) | ||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted(1) | |||||||
Assets:
|
||||||||
Cash
|
$ | |||||||
Total assets
|
$ | |||||||
Stockholders equity:
|
||||||||
Common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 100,000,000 common
shares authorized
|
$ | |||||||
Capital in excess of par value
|
$ | |||||||
Total stockholders equity
|
$ |
(1) | Does not include the underwriters over-allotment option of 1,800,000 shares. |
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Equity | ||||||||||||
Capital | Current | |||||||||||
Raised | Current | Monthly | ||||||||||
Fund Name | Investment Focus | (in millions) | Status | Dividend | ||||||||
Gladstone Capital Corporation
(Nasdaq NMS: GLAD) |
Senior, second lien and senior subordinated debt of small and mid-sized companies | $ | 155 | Fully invested and now leveraging | $ | 0.12 | ||||||
Gladstone Commercial Corporation
(Nasdaq NMS: GOOD) |
Real estate investment trust that net leases commercial and industrial real estate, and selectively provides mortgage loans, to small and mid-sized companies | $ | 105 | 83% invested | $ | 0.06 |
29
Source: MergerStats.com. |
30
Source: Standard and Poors. |
Source: M&A Monitor. |
31
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| focusing on companies with leading market positions, established management teams and good cash flow; | |
| investing in businesses with experienced management teams; | |
| engaging in extensive due diligence from the perspective of a long-term investor; | |
| investing at low price-to-cash flow multiples; and/or | |
| adopting flexible transaction structures by drawing on the experience of the investment professionals of Gladstone Management and its affiliates. |
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Automotive
|
Healthcare | |
Building materials
|
Homebuilding | |
Business services
|
Lodging/Leisure/Resorts | |
Cable television
|
Manufacturing/Basic industry | |
Chemicals
|
Media | |
Communications
|
Packaging | |
Consumer products
|
Printing and publishing | |
Distribution
|
Radio Stations | |
Education
|
Restaurants | |
Energy/Utilities
|
Retail | |
Environmental services
|
Transportation | |
Financial services
|
Warehousing | |
Food
|
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| the portfolio company is not controlled by us or any of our affiliates, | |
| the portfolio company satisfies the tenant underwriting criteria or owns real estate that meets the lease underwriting criteria of Gladstone Commercial, and | |
| the transaction is approved by a majority of our independent directors and a majority of the independent directors of Gladstone Commercial. |
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| review of historical and prospective financial information; | |
| on-site visits to the business; | |
| interviews with management, employees, customers, and vendors of the potential portfolio company; | |
| review of all loan documents; | |
| background checks on the management team; and | |
| research relating to the companys management, industry, markets, products and services, and competitors. |
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| making investments with an expected total return on our investments (including both interest and potential equity appreciation) that we believe compensates us for the credit risk we incur in connection with the investment; | |
| seeking collateral or superior positions in the portfolio companys capital structure where possible; | |
| incorporating put rights and call protection into the investment structure where possible; and |
39
| negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible, consistent with preservation of our capital. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions, and board rights, including either observation or participation rights. |
| assessing the portfolio companys success in adhering to its business plan and compliance with applicable covenants; | |
| maintaining periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the companys financial or strategic sponsor to discuss the companys financial position, requirements, and accomplishments; | |
| performing comparisons to other companies in the portfolio companys industry; | |
| attending and participating in board meetings; and | |
| reviewing monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies. |
40
Our | First | Second | ||||||||||||
System | NRSRO | NRSRO | Summary Description(a) | |||||||||||
>10 | Baa2 | BBB | Probability of Default (PD) during the next ten years is 4% and the Expected Loss (EL) is 1% or less | |||||||||||
10 | Baa3 | BBB | PD is 5% and the EL is 1% to 2% | |||||||||||
9 | Ba1 | BB+ | PD is 10% and the EL is 2% to 3% | |||||||||||
8 | Ba2 | BB | PD is 16% and the EL is 3% to 4% | |||||||||||
7 | Ba3 | BB | PD is 17.8% and the EL is 4% to 5% | |||||||||||
6 | B1 | B+ | PD is 22.0% and the EL is 5% to 6.5% | |||||||||||
5 | B2 | B | PD is 25% and the EL is 6.5% to 8% | |||||||||||
4 | B3 | B | PD is 27% and the EL is 8% to 10% | |||||||||||
3 | Caa1 | CCC+ | PD is 30% and the EL is 10.0% to 13.3% | |||||||||||
2 | Caa2 | CCC | PD is 35% and the EL is 13.3% to 16.7% | |||||||||||
1 | Caa3 | CC | PD is 65% and the EL is 16.7% to 20% | |||||||||||
0 | N/A | D | PD is 85% or there is a payment default and the EL is greater than 20% |
(a) | The default rates above are for a ten year term debt. If the maturity of the borrowers debt security is less than ten years then the probability of default is adjusted to a lower percentage for the shorter period, which may move the security higher on our risk rating scale. |
| Our quarterly valuation process begins with each investment being initially valued by Gladstone Managements investment professionals; | |
| Preliminary valuation conclusions will then be documented and discussed with our senior management; |
41
| An independent valuation firm will review and value the investments (currently we plan to use Standard and Poors Evaluation Service); | |
| The board of directors will discuss valuations made by the independent valuation firm and will determine the fair value of each such investment in good faith based on the input of Gladstone Management and the independent valuation firm. |
42
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Director | Expiration | |||||||||||||
Name | Age | Position | Since | of Term | ||||||||||
Interested Directors
|
||||||||||||||
David Gladstone
|
62 | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (1)(2) | 2005 | 2007 | ||||||||||
Terry L. Brubaker
|
61 | Vice Chairman, Chief Operating Officer and Director (1)(2) | 2005 | 2006 | ||||||||||
George Stelljes III
|
43 | President, Chief Investment Officer and Director (1) | 2005 | 2008 | ||||||||||
Anthony W. Parker
|
59 | Director (1)(2)(6)(7) | 2005 | 2008 | ||||||||||
Independent Directors
|
||||||||||||||
David A.R. Dullum
|
57 | Director (3)(7) | 2005 | 2006 | ||||||||||
Michela A. English
|
55 | Director (3)(7) | 2005 | 2008 | ||||||||||
Paul W. Adelgren
|
62 | Director (4)(7) | 2005 | 2007 | ||||||||||
Maurice W. Coulon
|
63 | Director (4)(5)(7) | 2005 | 2006 | ||||||||||
John H. Outland
|
59 | Director (3)(5)(7) | 2005 | 2007 |
(1) | Interested person as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. |
(2) | Member of the executive committee. |
(3) | Member of the audit committee. |
(4) | Member of the ethics, nominating, and corporate governance committee. |
(5) | Member of the compensation committee. |
(6) | Mr. Parker is considered to be an interested person by virtue of certain transactions between an affiliate of Mr. Parker and our affiliate Gladstone Capital. We expect to consider Mr. Parker an independent director beginning on October 1, 2005. See Certain Relationships and Related Transactions. |
(7) | Has agreed to join the board of directors prior to the completion of this offering. |
44
Name | Age | Position | ||||||
Harry T. Brill, Jr.
|
58 | Chief Financial Officer |
Independent Directors (in alphabetical order) |
45
Interested Directors |
46
47
Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors |
48
Total estimated | ||||||||||||
compensation from | ||||||||||||
Aggregate estimated | Pension or retirement | Gladstone | ||||||||||
compensation from | benefits accrued as part | Investment paid to | ||||||||||
Name | Gladstone Investment(1) | of our expenses(2) | director | |||||||||
Independent directors
|
||||||||||||
Paul W. Adelgren
|
$ | 27,000 | None | $ | 27,000 | |||||||
Michela A. English
|
$ | 25,000 | None | $ | 25,000 | |||||||
Maurice W. Coulon
|
$ | 25,000 | None | $ | 27,000 | |||||||
John H. Outland
|
$ | 25,000 | None | $ | 25,000 | |||||||
David A.R. Dullum
|
$ | 27,000 | None | $ | 27,000 | |||||||
Interested directors
|
||||||||||||
David Gladstone(3)
|
None | None | None | |||||||||
Terry L. Brubaker(3)
|
None | None | None | |||||||||
George Stelljes III(3)
|
None | None | None | |||||||||
Anthony W. Parker
|
$ | 25,000 | None | $ | 25,000 | |||||||
Executive officers who are not directors
|
||||||||||||
Harry T. Brill(3)
|
None | None | None |
(1) | We are newly organized, and the amounts listed are estimated for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006. |
(2) | We do not have a profit sharing or retirement plan, and directors do not receive any pension or retirement benefits. |
(3) | Our executive officers and employee directors are employed by either Gladstone Management or Gladstone Administration and do not receive any direct compensation from Gladstone Investment. |
Management Services |
| determine the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio, and the manner of implementing such changes; |
49
| identify, evaluate, and negotiate the structure of the investments we make (including performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies); | |
| close and monitor the investments we make; and | |
| make available on our behalf, and provide if requested, managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. |
Fees under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement |
50
| no incentive fee in any calendar quarter in which our pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate (1.75%) (7% annualized); | |
| 100% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 125% of the hurdle rate (2.1875%) in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). We refer to this portion of the income-based incentive fee as the catch-up. The catch-up provision is intended to provide Gladstone Management with an incentive fee of 20% on all of our pre-incentive fee investment income up to 125% of the quarterly hurdle rate once the hurdle rate has been surpassed; and | |
| 20% of the amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 125% of the quarterly hurdle rate (2.1875%) in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). |
51
Assumptions |
| Gross Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 1.25% | |
| Base management fee(1) = 0.50% | |
| Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(2) = 0.20% | |
| Pre-incentive fee net investment income (investment income - (base management fee + other expenses)) = 0.55% | |
| Hurdle rate(3) = 1.75% |
Assumptions |
| Gross investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 2.70% | |
| Base management fee(1) = 0.50% | |
| Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(2) = 0.20% | |
| Pre-incentive fee net investment income (investment income - (base management fee + other expenses)) = 2.00% | |
| Hurdle rate(3) = 1.75% |
Income-based incentive fee = |
100% × catch-up + (the greater of 0% and 20%
× (pre-incentive fee Net investment income - 2.1875%))
= 100% × (2.00-1.75%) + 0% = 100% × 0.25% + 0% = 0.25% |
Assumptions |
| Gross Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 3.00% | |
| Base management fee(1) = 0.50% |
52
| Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(2) = 0.20% | |
| Pre-incentive fee net investment income (investment income - (base management fee + other expenses)) = 2.30% | |
| Hurdle rate(3) = 1.75% |
Income-based incentive fee = |
100% × catch-up + (the greater of 0% and 20%
× (pre-incentive fee net investment income - 2.1875%))
= 100% × (2.1875% - 1.75%) + (20% × (2.3% - 2.1875%)) = 0.4375% + (20% × 0.1125%) = 0.4375% + 0.0225% = 0.46% |
(*) | The hypothetical amounts shown are based on percentages of total net assets. |
(1) | Represents 2.0% annualized base management fee without the reduction of the base management fee to 2.00% of gross invested assets through March 31, 2006 and assumes no leverage. |
(2) | Excludes organizational and offering expenses. |
(3) | Represents 7.0% annualized hurdle rate. |
Assumptions |
| Year 1: $20 million investment made in Company A (Investment A), and $30 million investment made in Company B (Investment B) | |
| Year 2: Investment A is sold for $50 million and fair market value (FMV) of Investment B determined to be $32 million | |
| Year 3: FMV of Investment B determined to be $25 million | |
| Year 4: Investment B sold for $31 million |
| Year 1: None | |
| Year 2: Capital gains-based incentive fee of $6 million ($30 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20%) | |
| Year 3: None; $5 million (20% multiplied by ($30 million cumulative capital gains less $5 million cumulative capital depreciation)) less $6 million (previous capital gains-based fee paid in Year 2) | |
| Year 4: Capital gains-based incentive fee of $200,000; $6.2 million ($31 million cumulative realized capital gains multiplied by 20%) less $6 million (capital gains-based incentive fee paid in Year 2) |
Assumptions |
| Year 1: $20 million investment made in Company A (Investment A), $30 million investment made in Company B (Investment B) and $25 million investment made in Company C (Investment C) |
53
| Year 2: Investment A sold for $50 million, FMV of Investment B determined to be $25 million and FMV of Investment C determined to be $25 million | |
| Year 3: FMV of Investment B determined to be $27 million and Investment C sold for $30 million | |
| Year 4: FMV of Investment B determined to be $35 million | |
| Year 5: Investment B sold for $20 million |
| Year 1: None | |
| Year 2: $5 million capital gains-based incentive fee; 20% multiplied by $25 million ($30 million realized capital gains on Investment A less unrealized capital depreciation on Investment B) | |
| Year 3: $1.4 million capital gains-based incentive fee; $6.4 million (20% multiplied by $32 million ($35 million cumulative realized capital gains less $3 million unrealized capital depreciation)) less $5 million capital gains-based fee received in Year 2 | |
| Year 4: None | |
| Year 5: None; $5 million (20% multiplied by $25 million (cumulative realized capital gains of $35 million less realized capital losses of $10 million)) less $6.4 million cumulative capital gains-based fee paid in Year 2 and Year 3 |
Duration and termination |
Board approval of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement |
| the nature, quality, and extent of the advisory and other services to be provided to us by Gladstone Management; |
54
| comparative data with respect to advisory fees or similar expenses paid by other business development companies with similar investment objectives; | |
| our projected operating expenses and expense ratio compared to business development companies with similar investment objectives; | |
| any existing and potential sources of indirect income to Gladstone Management from its relationships with us and the profitability of those relationships; | |
| information about the services to be performed and the personnel performing such services under the investment advisory and management agreement; | |
| the organizational capability and financial condition of Gladstone Management and its affiliates; | |
| Gladstone Managements practices regarding the selection and compensation of brokers that may execute our portfolio transactions and the brokers provision of brokerage and research services to Gladstone Management; and | |
| the possibility of obtaining similar services from other third party service providers or through an internally managed structure. |
Organization of Gladstone Management |
Payment Of Our Expenses |
| our organization and this offering; |
55
| calculation of our net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); | |
| expenses incurred by Gladstone Management payable to third parties, including agents, consultants, or other advisors in monitoring our financial and legal affairs and in monitoring our investments and performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies; | |
| interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance our investments; | |
| offerings of our common stock and other securities; | |
| investment advisory and management fees; | |
| fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants, or other advisors relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; | |
| transfer agent and custodial fees; | |
| registration fees; | |
| listing fees; | |
| taxes; | |
| independent directors fees and expenses; | |
| costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents of the SEC; | |
| the costs of any reports, proxy statements, or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; | |
| our allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers insurance and any other insurance premiums; and | |
| direct costs and expenses of administration, including auditor and legal costs. |
Indemnification |
Board approval of the administration agreement |
Organization of Gladstone Administration |
56
57
Percentage of common stock outstanding | ||||||||||||||||||
Immediately prior to | Immediately after this | |||||||||||||||||
this offering | offering(1) | |||||||||||||||||
Shares | Shares | |||||||||||||||||
Name and address | Type of ownership | owned | Percentage | owned | Percentage | |||||||||||||
David Gladstone
|
Record and beneficial | 100 | 100.0 | % | % | |||||||||||||
All officers and directors as a group (10 persons)(2)
|
Record and beneficial | 100 | 100.0 | % | % |
(1) | Assumes issuance of 12,000,000 shares offered hereby. Does not reflect shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. |
(2) | The address for all officers and directors is c/o Gladstone Investment Corporation, 1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200, McLean, Virginia 22102. |
Dollar Range of | Dollar Range of | |||||||
Equity Securities in | Equity Securities in | |||||||
Gladstone Investment | Gladstone Investment | |||||||
Name of Director | Before the Offering(1) | After the Offering(1) | ||||||
Independent Directors
|
||||||||
Michela A. English
|
None | |||||||
John H. Outland
|
None | |||||||
Maurice W. Coulon
|
None | |||||||
David A.R. Dullum
|
None | |||||||
Paul W. Adelgren
|
None | |||||||
Interested Directors
|
||||||||
Anthony W. Parker
|
None | |||||||
David Gladstone
|
$1 $10,000 | |||||||
Terry Lee Brubaker
|
None | |||||||
George Stelljes III
|
None |
(1) | In accordance with SEC rules, equity ownership is calculated in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act, and dollar ranges are as follows: none, $1 $10,000, $10,001 $50,000, $50,001 $100,000, or over $100,000. |
58
59
| a citizen or individual resident of the United States; | |
| a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; or | |
| a trust or an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source. |
60
| qualify as a RIC; and | |
| satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement; |
| qualify to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year; | |
| derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities (the 90% Income Test); and | |
| diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year: |
| at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and | |
| no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the securities, other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer or of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable tax rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses (the Diversification Tests). |
61
62
63
64
Common Stock |
65
Preferred Stock |
66
| Any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder; | |
| Any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation; | |
| Subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder, or | |
| The receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. |
| Prior to the date of the transaction, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; | |
| The interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding (a) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and (b) shares owned by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or | |
| On or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2 / 3 % of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
67
| pursuant to our notice of the meeting; | |
| by our board of directors; or | |
| by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of the provision of notice and at the time of the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and has complied with the advance notice procedures set forth in our bylaws. |
| pursuant to our notice of the meeting; | |
| by our board of directors; or | |
| provided that our board of directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of the provision of notice and at the time of the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and has complied with the advance notice provisions set forth in our bylaws. |
68
| approves the settlement and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made; or | |
| dismisses with prejudice or makes a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and a court approves the indemnification. |
69
(1) | Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which: |
(a) | is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States; | |
(b) | is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the business development company) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and |
70
(c) | satisfies any of the following: |
| does not have any class of securities with respect to which a broker or dealer may extend margin credit; | |
| is controlled by a business development company or a group of companies including a business development company and the business development company in fact exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of such eligible portfolio company and, as a result of such control, has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company; or | |
| is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2 million. |
(2) | Securities of any eligible portfolio company which we control. | |
(3) | Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements. | |
(4) | Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company. | |
(5) | Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities. | |
(6) | Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. |
71
72
73
74
75
Underwriters | Number of shares | |||
Ferris, Baker Watts, Incorporated
|
||||
Jefferies & Company, Inc.
|
||||
BB&T Capital Markets, a division of Scott &
Stringfellow, Inc.
|
||||
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
|
||||
J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.
|
||||
Total
|
12,000,000 |
| receipt and acceptance of our common stock by the underwriters; and | |
| absence of material adverse change and satisfaction of other closing conditions, including delivery of customary opinions and closing certificates. |
76
No exercise | Full exercise | |||||||
Per share
|
$ | 1.05 | $ | 1.05 | ||||
Total
|
$ | 12,600,000 | $ | 14,490,000 |
| stabilizing transactions; | |
| short sales; | |
| purchases to cover positions created by short sales; | |
| imposition of penalty bids; and | |
| syndicate covering transactions. |
77
| the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to representatives; | |
| our prospects and the history and prospects for the industry in which we compete; | |
| an assessment of our management; | |
| our prospects for future earnings; | |
| the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this offering; | |
| the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded common stock of generally comparable companies; and | |
| other factors deemed relevant by the underwriters and us. |
78
79
Item 25. | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
1. | Financial Statements |
2. | Exhibits |
Exhibit | ||||
Number | Description | |||
a.1 | Certificate of Incorporation. | |||
a.2* | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. | |||
b | Bylaws. | |||
c | Not applicable. | |||
d* | Specimen Stock Certificate. | |||
e* | Dividend Reinvestment Plan. | |||
f | Not applicable. | |||
g | Form of Investment Advisory and Management Agreement between the Company and Gladstone Management Corporation. | |||
h* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |||
i | Not applicable. | |||
j* | Custody Agreement with with respect to safekeeping. | |||
k.1* | Stock Transfer Agency Agreement between the Company and the Bank of New York. | |||
k.2 | Form of Administration Agreement between the Company and Gladstone Administration, LLC. | |||
k.3 | Trademark License Agreement between the Company and Gladstone Management Corporation. | |||
l* | Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP. | |||
m | Not applicable. | |||
n.1* | Consent of independent registered public accounting firm. | |||
n.2* | Consent of Cooley Godward LLP (included in Exhibit l). | |||
n.3 | Consent of Anthony W. Parker to serve as director. | |||
n.4 | Consent of David A.R. Dullum to serve as director. | |||
n.5 | Consent of Michela A. English to serve as director. | |||
n.6 | Consent of Paul W. Adelgren to serve as director. | |||
n.7 | Consent of Maurice W. Coulon to serve as director. | |||
n.8 | Consent of John H. Outland to serve as director. | |||
o | Not applicable. | |||
p | Founder Stock Purchase Agreement dated February 18, 2005. | |||
q | Not applicable. | |||
r | Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. |
* | to be filed by amendment. |
C-1
Item 26. | Marketing Arrangements |
Item 27. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution |
Commission registration fee
|
$ | 24,364 | |||
Nasdaq National Market Listing Fee
|
100,000 | ||||
Accounting fees and expenses*
|
** | ||||
Legal fees and expenses*
|
** | ||||
Printing and engraving*
|
** | ||||
Miscellaneous fees and expenses*
|
** | ||||
Total*
|
$ | ** | |||
* | Estimated for filing purposes. |
** | To be completed by amendment. |
Item 28. | Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control |
Item 29. | Number of Holders of Securities |
Number of | ||||
Title of Class | Record Holders | |||
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share
|
1 |
Item 30. | Indemnification |
C-2
Item 31. | Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser |
Item 32. | Location of Accounts and Records |
Item 33. | Management Services |
Item 34. | Undertakings |
(a) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rules 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. | |
(b) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
C-3
GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION |
By: | /s/ David Gladstone |
|
|
David Gladstone | |
Chairman of the Board and Chief | |
Executive Officer |
Signature | Title | |
/s/
David Gladstone
|
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer) |
|
/s/
Terry Lee Brubaker
|
Vice Chairman, Chief Operating Officer and Director | |
/s/
George Stelljes III
|
President, Chief Investment Officer and Director | |
/s/
Harry T. Brill, Jr.
|
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
C-4
Exhibit
Number
Description
Certificate of Incorporation.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
Bylaws.
Not applicable.
Specimen Stock Certificate.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Not applicable.
Form of Investment Advisory and Management Agreement between the
Company and Gladstone Management Corporation.
Form of Underwriting Agreement.
Not applicable.
Custody Agreement
with with
respect to safekeeping.
Stock Transfer Agency Agreement between the Company and the Bank
of New York.
Form of Administration Agreement between the Company and
Gladstone Administration, LLC.
Trademark License Agreement between the Company and Gladstone
Management Corporation.
Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP.
Not applicable.
Consent of independent registered public accounting firm.
Consent of Cooley Godward LLP (included in Exhibit l).
Consent of Anthony W. Parker to serve as director.
Consent of David A.R. Dullum to serve as director.
Consent of Michela A. English to serve as director.
Consent of Paul W. Adelgren to serve as director.
Consent of Maurice W. Coulon to serve as director.
Consent of John H. Outland to serve as director.
Not applicable.
Founder Stock Purchase Agreement dated February 18, 2005.
Not applicable.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
* | to be filed by amendment. |
C-5
Exhibit A.1
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
The undersigned, a natural person (the Sole Incorporator ), for the purpose of organizing a corporation to conduct the business and promote the purposes hereinafter stated, under the provisions and subject to the requirements of the laws of the State of Delaware hereby certifies that:
I.
The name of this corporation is Gladstone Investment Corporation.
II.
The address of the registered office of the corporation in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware 19808 and the name of the registered agent of the corporation in the State of Delaware at such address is Corporation Service Company.
III.
The purpose of this corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a corporation may be organized under the Delaware General Corporation Law ( DGCL ).
IV.
A. This corporation is authorized to issue only one class of stock, to be designated Common Stock. The total number of shares of Common Stock presently authorized is One Hundred Million (100,000,000), each having a par value of one-tenth of one cent ($0.001).
V.
B. The management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the corporation shall be vested in its Board of Directors. The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed by the Board of Directors in the manner provided in the Bylaws.
C. The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the corporation. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the corporation; provided, however, that, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the corporation required by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the corporation entitled to vote generally in
1.
the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the Bylaws of the corporation.
VI.
A . The liability of the directors for monetary damages shall be eliminated to the fullest extent under applicable law. If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
B. Any repeal or modification of this Article VI shall be prospective and shall not affect the rights under this Article VI in effect at the time of the alleged occurrence of any act or omission to act giving rise to liability or indemnification.
VII.
The corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon the stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
VIII.
The name and the mailing address of the Sole Incorporator is as follows:
In Witness Whereof , this Certificate has been subscribed this 18 th day of February, 2005 by the undersigned who affirms that the statements made herein are true and correct.
|
/s/
Thomas
R. Salley
|
|||||
|
||||||
|
Thomas R. Salley
Sole Incorporator |
2.
Exhibit B
BYLAWS
OF
GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
(A DELAWARE CORPORATION)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
|
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ARTICLE I OFFICES | 1 | |||||||
|
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|
Section 1. | Registered Office | 1 | |||||
|
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|
Section 2. | Other Offices | 1 | |||||
|
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ARTICLE II CORPORATE SEAL | 1 | |||||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 3. | Corporate Seal | 1 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 4. | Place Of Meetings | 1 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 5. | Annual Meetings | 1 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 6. | Special Meetings | 4 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 7. | Notice Of Meetings | 4 | |||||
|
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|
Section 8. | Quorum | 5 | |||||
|
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|
Section 9. | Adjournment And Notice Of Adjourned Meetings | 5 | |||||
|
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|
Section 10. | Voting Rights | 6 | |||||
|
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|
Section 11. | Joint Owners Of Stock | 6 | |||||
|
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|
Section 12. | List Of Stockholders | 6 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 13. | Action Without Meeting | 6 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 14. | Organization | 8 | |||||
|
||||||||
ARTICLE III DIRECTORS | 8 | |||||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 15. | Number And Term Of Office | 8 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 16. | Powers | 9 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 17. | Classes of Directors | 9 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 18. | Vacancies | 9 | |||||
|
||||||||
|
Section 19. | Resignation | 9 | |||||
|
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Section 20. | Removal | 10 | |||||
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Section 21. | Meetings | 10 | |||||
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Section 22. | Quorum And Voting | 11 | |||||
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Section 23. | Action Without Meeting | 11 | |||||
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Section 24. | Fees And Compensation | 11 | |||||
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Section 25. | Committees | 12 | |||||
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Section 26. | Organization | 14 | |||||
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ARTICLE IV OFFICERS | 14 |
i.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
(CONTINUED)
PAGE
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Section 27. | Officers Designated | 14 | |||||
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Section 28. | Tenure And Duties Of Officers | 14 | |||||
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Section 29. | Delegation Of Authority | 16 | |||||
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Section 30. | Resignations | 16 | |||||
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Section 31. | Removal | 16 | |||||
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ARTICLE V EXECUTION OF CORPORATE INSTRUMENTS AND VOTING OF SECURITIES OWNED BY THE CORPORATION | 16 | |||||||
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Section 32. | Execution Of Corporate Instruments | 16 | |||||
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Section 33. | Voting Of Securities Owned By The Corporation | 17 | |||||
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ARTICLE VI SHARES OF STOCK | 17 | |||||||
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Section 34. | Form And Execution Of Certificates | 17 | |||||
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Section 35. | Lost Certificates | 18 | |||||
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Section 36. | Transfers | 18 | |||||
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Section 37. | Fixing Record Dates | 18 | |||||
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Section 38. | Registered Stockholders | 19 | |||||
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ARTICLE VII OTHER SECURITIES OF THE CORPORATION | 19 | |||||||
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Section 39. | Execution Of Other Securities | 19 | |||||
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ARTICLE VIII DIVIDENDS | 20 | |||||||
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Section 40. | Declaration Of Dividends | 20 | |||||
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Section 41. | Dividend Reserve | 20 | |||||
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ARTICLE IX FISCAL YEAR | 20 | |||||||
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Section 42 . | Fiscal Year | 20 | |||||
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ARTICLE X INDEMNIFICATION | 20 | |||||||
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Section 43. | Indemnification Of Directors, Executive Officers, Other Officers, Employees And Other Agents | 20 | |||||
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Section 44. | Limitation for Disabling Conduct | 22 | |||||
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Section 45. | Advisory Committee Members | 23 | |||||
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Section 46. | General | 23 | |||||
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ARTICLE XI NOTICES | 25 | |||||||
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Section 47. | Notices | 25 |
ii.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
(CONTINUED)
PAGE
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ARTICLE XII AMENDMENTS | 26 | |||||||
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Section 48. | The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the corporation | 26 | |||||
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ARTICLE XIIILOANS TO OFFICERS | 26 | |||||||
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Section 49. | Loans To Officers | 26 | |||||
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ARTICLE XIVINVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | 27 | |||||||
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Section 50. | Investment Company Act | 27 |
iii.
BYLAWS
OF
GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
(A DELAWARE CORPORATION)
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. Registered Office. The registered office of the corporation in the State of Delaware shall be in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle.
Section 2. Other Offices. The corporation shall also have and maintain an office or principal place of business at such place as may be fixed by the Board of Directors, and may also have offices at such other places, both within and without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
CORPORATE SEAL
Section 3. Corporate Seal. The Board of Directors may adopt a corporate seal. The corporate seal shall consist of a die bearing the name of the corporation and the inscription, Corporate Seal-Delaware. Said seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.
STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS
Section 4. Place Of Meetings. Meetings of the stockholders of the corporation may be held at such place, either within or without the State of Delaware, as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as provided under the Delaware General Corporation Law ( DGCL ).
Section 5. Annual Meetings.
(a) The annual meeting of the stockholders of the corporation, for the purpose of election of directors and for such other business as may lawfully come before it, shall be held on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the corporation and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders: (i) pursuant to the corporations notice of meeting of stockholders; (ii) by or at the
1.
direction of the Board of Directors; or (iii) by any stockholder of the corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving the stockholders notice provided for in the following paragraph, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in Section 5.
(b) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of Section 5(a) of these Bylaws, (i) the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the corporation, (ii) such other business must be a proper matter for stockholder action under DGCL, (iii) if the stockholder, or the beneficial owner on whose behalf any such proposal or nomination is made, has provided the corporation with a Solicitation Notice (as defined in clause (iii) of the last sentence of this Section 5(b)), such stockholder or beneficial owner must, in the case of a proposal, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the corporations voting shares required under applicable law to carry any such proposal, or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of a percentage of the corporations voting shares reasonably believed by such stockholder or beneficial owner to be sufficient to elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by such stockholder, and must, in either case, have included in such materials the Solicitation Notice, and (iv) if no Solicitation Notice relating thereto has been timely provided pursuant to this section, the stockholder or beneficial owner proposing such business or nomination must not have solicited a number of proxies sufficient to have required the delivery of such a Solicitation Notice under this Section 5. To be timely, a stockholders notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90 th ) day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120 th ) day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days prior to or delayed by more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120 th ) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90 th ) day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth (10 th ) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above. Such stockholders notice shall set forth: (A) as to each person whom the stockholder proposed to nominate for election or reelection as a director all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act ) and Rule 14a-4(d) thereunder (including such persons written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); (B) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; and (C) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i)
2.
the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the corporations books, and of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class and number of shares of the corporation which are owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, and (iii) whether either such stockholder or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of the proposal, at least the percentage of the corporations voting shares required under applicable law to carry the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, a sufficient number of holders of the corporations voting shares to elect such nominee or nominees (an affirmative statement of such intent, a Solicitation Notice ).
(c) Notwithstanding anything in the third sentence of Section 5(b) of these Bylaws to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Corporation is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the corporation at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting, a stockholders notice required by this Section 5 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10 th ) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the corporation.
(d) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 5 shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 5. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made, or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with these Bylaws, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall not be presented for stockholder action at the meeting and shall be disregarded.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 5, in order to include information with respect to a stockholder proposal in the proxy statement and form of proxy for a stockholders meeting, stockholders must provide notice as required by the regulations promulgated under the 1934 Act. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the corporation proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the 1934 Act.
(f) For purposes of this Section 5, public announcement shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the 1940 Act ) or Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.
3.
Section 6. Special Meetings.
(a) Special meetings of the stockholders of the corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, (ii) the Chief Executive Officer, or (iii) the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board of Directors.
(b) If a special meeting is properly called by any person or persons other than the Board of Directors, the request shall be in writing, specifying the general nature of the business proposed to be transacted, and shall be delivered personally or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary of the corporation. No business may be transacted at such special meeting otherwise than specified in such notice. The Board of Directors shall determine the time and place of such special meeting, which shall be held not less than thirty-five (35) nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the date of the receipt of the request. Upon determination of the time and place of the meeting, the officer receiving the request shall cause notice to be given to the stockholders entitled to vote, in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 of these Bylaws. Nothing contained in this paragraph (b) shall be construed as limiting, fixing, or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Board of Directors may be held.
(c) Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the corporations notice of meeting (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) by any stockholder of the corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of giving notice provided for in these Bylaws who shall be entitled to vote at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6(c). In the event the corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be), for election to such position(s) as specified in the corporations notice of meeting, if the stockholders notice required by Section 5(b) of these Bylaws shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120 th ) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90 th ) day prior to such meeting or the tenth (10 th ) day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment of a special meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above.
Section 7. Notice Of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided by law, notice, given in writing or by electronic transmission, of each meeting of stockholders shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting, such notice to specify the place, if any, date and hour, in the case of special meetings, the purpose or purposes of the meeting, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at any such meeting. If mailed, notice is given when deposited in the United
4.
States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholders address as it appears on the records of the corporation. Notice of the time, place, if any, and purpose of any meeting of stockholders may be waived in writing, signed by the person entitled to notice thereof, or by electronic transmission by such person, either before or after such meeting, and will be waived by any stockholder by his attendance thereat in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or by proxy, except when the stockholder attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Any stockholder so waiving notice of such meeting shall be bound by the proceedings of any such meeting in all respects as if due notice thereof had been given.
Section 8. Quorum. At all meetings of stockholders, except where otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation, or by these Bylaws, the presence, in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or by proxy duly authorized, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned, from time to time, either by the chairman of the meeting or by vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented thereat, but no other business shall be transacted at such meeting. The stockholders present at a duly called or convened meeting, at which a quorum is present, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum. Except as otherwise provided by statute or by applicable stock exchange or Nasdaq rules, or by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote generally on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders. Except as otherwise provided by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote generally on the election of directors. Where a separate vote by a class or classes or series is required, except where otherwise provided by the statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or classes or series, present in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy duly authorized, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter. Except where otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the affirmative vote of the majority (plurality, in the case of the election of directors) of shares of such class or classes or series present in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy at the meeting shall be the act of such class or classes or series.
Section 9. Adjournment And Notice Of Adjourned Meetings. Any meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time either by the chairman of the meeting or by the vote of a majority of the shares present in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy at the meeting. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, if any, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place, if any, thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days or if
5.
after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.
Section 10. Voting Rights. For the purpose of determining those stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of the stockholders, except as otherwise provided by law, only persons in whose names shares stand on the stock records of the corporation on the record date, as provided in Section 12 of these Bylaws, shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders. Every person entitled to vote or execute consents shall have the right to do so either in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or by an agent or agents authorized by a proxy granted in accordance with Delaware law. An agent so appointed need not be a stockholder. No proxy shall be voted after three (3) years from its date of creation unless the proxy provides for a longer period.
Section 11. Joint Owners Of Stock. If shares or other securities having voting power stand of record in the names of two (2) or more persons, whether fiduciaries, members of a partnership, joint tenants, tenants in common, tenants by the entirety, or otherwise, or if two (2) or more persons have the same fiduciary relationship respecting the same shares, unless the Secretary is given written notice to the contrary and is furnished with a copy of the instrument or order appointing them or creating the relationship wherein it is so provided, their acts with respect to voting shall have the following effect: (a) if only one (1) votes, his act binds all; (b) if more than one (1) votes, the act of the majority so voting binds all; (c) if more than one (1) votes, but the vote is evenly split on any particular matter, each faction may vote the securities in question proportionally, or may apply to the Delaware Court of Chancery for relief as provided in the DGCL, Section 217(b). If the instrument filed with the Secretary shows that any such tenancy is held in unequal interests, a majority or even-split for the purpose of subsection (c) shall be a majority or even-split in interest.
Section 12. List Of Stockholders. The Secretary shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at said meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (b) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the corporation. In the event that the corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the corporation. The list shall be open to examination of any stockholder during the time of the meeting as provided by law.
Section 13. Action Without Meeting.
(a) Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required by statute to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders, or any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent in writing, or by electronic transmission setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock
6.
having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted.
(b) Every written consent or electronic transmission shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent, and no written consent or electronic transmission shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within sixty (60) days of the earliest dated consent delivered to the corporation in the manner herein required, written consents or electronic transmissions signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take action are delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to a corporations registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested.
(c) Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing or by electronic transmission and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take action were delivered to the corporation as provided in Section 228 (c) of the DGCL. If the action which is consented to is such as would have required the filing of a certificate under any section of the DGCL if such action had been voted on by stockholders at a meeting thereof, then the certificate filed under such section shall state, in lieu of any statement required by such section concerning any vote of stockholders, that written consent has been given in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.
(d) A telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission consent to an action to be taken and transmitted by a stockholder or proxyholder, or by a person or persons authorized to act for a stockholder or proxyholder, shall be deemed to be written, signed and dated for the purposes of this section, provided that any such telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission sets forth or is delivered with information from which the corporation can determine (i) that the telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission was transmitted by the stockholder or proxyholder or by a person or persons authorized to act for the stockholder or proxyholder and (ii) the date on which such stockholder or proxyholder or authorized person or persons transmitted such telegram, cablegram or electronic transmission. The date on which such telegram, cablegram or electronic transmission is transmitted shall be deemed to be the date on which such consent was signed. No consent given by telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission shall be deemed to have been delivered until such consent is reproduced in paper form and until such paper form shall be delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to a corporations registered office shall be made by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Notwithstanding the foregoing limitations on delivery, consents given by telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission may be otherwise delivered to the principal place of business of the corporation or to an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders
7.
are recorded if, to the extent and in the manner provided by resolution of the Board of Directors of the corporation. Any copy, facsimile or other reliable reproduction of a consent in writing may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing for any and all purposes for which the original writing could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original in writing.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such action by written consent or by electronic transmission may be taken following the closing of the initial public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act ), covering the offer and sale of Common Stock of the corporation to the public (the Initial Public Offering ).
Section 14. Organization.
(a) At every meeting of stockholders, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or, if a Chairman has not been appointed or is absent, the Vice Chairman, or, if the Vice Chairman is absent, the President, or, if the President is absent, a chairman of the meeting chosen by a majority in interest of the stockholders entitled to vote, present in person or by proxy, shall act as chairman. The Secretary, or, in his absence, an Assistant Secretary directed to do so by the President, shall act as secretary of the meeting.
(b) The Board of Directors of the corporation shall be entitled to make such rules or regulations for the conduct of meetings of stockholders as it shall deem necessary, appropriate or convenient. Subject to such rules and regulations of the Board of Directors, if any, the chairman of the meeting shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are necessary, appropriate or convenient for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, establishing an agenda or order of business for the meeting, rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, limitations on participation in such meeting to stockholders of record of the corporation and their duly authorized and constituted proxies and such other persons as the chairman shall permit, restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof, limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants and regulation of the opening and closing of the polls for balloting on matters which are to be voted on by ballot. The date and time of the opening and closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at the meeting shall be announced at the meeting. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with rules of parliamentary procedure.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
Section 15. Number And Term Of Office. The authorized number of directors of the corporation shall be fixed in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation. Directors need not be stockholders unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation. If for any cause, the directors shall not have been elected at an annual meeting, they may be elected as soon thereafter
8.
as convenient at a special meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose in the manner provided in these Bylaws.
Section 16. Powers. The powers of the corporation shall be exercised, its business conducted and its property controlled by the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation.
Section 17. Classes of Directors. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the directors shall be divided into three classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. At the first annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the term of office of the Class I directors shall expire and Class I directors shall be elected for a full term of three years. At the second annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the term of office of the Class II directors shall expire and Class II directors shall be elected for a full term of three years. At the third annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the term of office of the Class III directors shall expire and Class III directors shall be elected for a full term of three years. At each succeeding annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected for a full term of three years to succeed the directors of the class whose terms expire at such annual meeting.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, each director shall serve until his successor is duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
Section 18. Vacancies.
(a) Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or the 1940 Act, and subject to the applicable provisions of and the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall, unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that any such vacancies or newly created directorships shall be filled by stockholders, be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the director for which the vacancy was created or occurred and until such directors successor shall have been elected and qualified. A vacancy in the Board of Directors shall be deemed to exist under this Section 18 in the case of the death, removal or resignation of any director.
Section 19. Resignation. Any director may resign at any time by delivering his or her notice in writing or by electronic transmission to the Secretary, such resignation to specify whether it will be effective at a particular time, upon receipt by the Secretary or at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. If no such specification is made, it shall be deemed effective at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. When one or more directors shall resign from the Board of Directors, effective at a future date, a majority of the directors then in office, including those
9.
who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each Director so chosen shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the term of the Director whose place shall be vacated and until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.
Section 20. Removal.
(a) Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, neither the Board of Directors nor any individual director may be removed without cause.
(b) Subject to any limitation imposed by law, any individual director or directors may be removed with cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of sixty-six and two thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the voting power of all then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the corporation entitled to vote generally at an election of directors.
Section 21. Meetings.
(a) Regular Meetings. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time or date and at any place within or without the State of Delaware which has been designated by the Board of Directors and publicized among all directors, either orally or in writing, by telephone, including a voice-messaging system or other system designed to record and communicate messages, facsimile, telegraph or telex, or by electronic mail or other electronic means. No further notice shall be required for regular meetings of the Board of Directors.
(b) Special Meetings. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time and place within or without the State of Delaware whenever called by the Chairman of the Board, the President or a majority of the Board of Directors.
(c) Meetings by Electronic Communications Equipment. Any member of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting (except for those instances where the 1940 Act requires action to be taken by the Corporations Board of Directors in person, including without limitation the selection of independent auditors and the approval of an Investment Agreement).
(d) Notice of Special Meetings. Notice of the time and place of all special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be orally or in writing, by telephone, including a voice messaging system or other system or technology designed to record and communicate messages, facsimile, telegraph or telex, or by electronic mail or other electronic means, during normal business hours, at least twenty-four (24) hours before the date and time of the meeting. If notice is sent by US mail, it shall be sent by first class mail, charges prepaid, at least three (3) days before the date of the meeting. Notice of any meeting may be waived in writing, or by electronic transmission, at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any director by
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attendance thereat, except when the director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
(e) Waiver of Notice. The transaction of all business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, however called or noticed, or wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum be present and if, either before or after the meeting, each of the directors not present who did not receive notice shall sign a written waiver of notice or shall waive notice by electronic transmission. All such waivers shall be filed with the corporate records or made a part of the minutes of the meeting.
Section 22. Quorum And Voting.
(a) Unless the Certificate of Incorporation requires a greater number, a quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the exact number of directors fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation; provided, however, at any meeting whether a quorum be present or otherwise, a majority of the directors present may adjourn from time to time until the time fixed for the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors, without notice other than by announcement at the meeting.
(b) At each meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present, all questions and business shall be determined by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present, unless a different vote be required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
Section 23. Action Without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and such writing or writings or transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee (except for those instances where the 1940 Act requires action to be taken by the Corporations Board of Directors in person, including without limitation the selection of independent auditors and the approval of an Investment Agreement). Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
Section 24. Fees And Compensation. Directors shall be entitled to such compensation for their services as may be approved by the Board of Directors, including, if so approved, by resolution of the Board of Directors, a fixed sum and expenses of attendance, if any, for attendance at each regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors and at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation therefor.
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Section 25. Committees.
(a) Executive Committee. The Board of Directors may appoint an Executive Committee to consist of one (1) or more members of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee, to the extent permitted by law and provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the corporation, and may authorize the seal of the corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to (i) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopting, amending or repealing any bylaw of the corporation.
(b) Nominating Committee. The Board of Directors may appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of not fewer than three members, one of whom shall be designated as Chairman of the Nominating Committee. A majority of members of the Nominating Committee shall not be officers of the Corporation. The Nominating Committee shall have and may exercise those rights, powers and authority of the Board of Directors as may from time to time be granted to it by the Board of Directors; provided, however , that in addition to any such rights, powers or authority, the Nominating Committee shall have the exclusive right to recommend candidates for election as directors to the Board of Directors.
(c) Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors may appoint from its membership a Compensation Committee consisting of not fewer than two members, one of whom shall be designated as Chairman of the Compensation Committee. None of the members of the Compensation Committee shall be officers of the Corporation. The Compensation Committee shall have and may exercise those rights, powers and authority of the Board of Directors as may from time to time be granted to it by the Board of Directors.
(d) Audit Committee. The Board of Directors may appoint from its membership an Audit Committee consisting of not fewer than three members, each of whom shall be independent directors, and free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as a committee member, one of whom shall be designated as Chairman of the Audit Committee. All members of the Audit Committee shall have a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices, and at least one member of the Audit Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. The Board of Directors shall adopt a formal written charter for the Audit Committee that specifies (1) the scope of the Audit Committees responsibilities and the means by which the Audit Committee carries out these responsibilities, (2) the outside auditors accountability to the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee and the Audit Committees ultimate authority to select, evaluate and, where appropriate, replace the outside auditor, and (3) the Audit Committees responsibility to oversee the independence of the outside auditor through the receipt of a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the corporation and active dialogue with the auditors.
(e) Advisory Committee.
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(1) The Board of Directors may appoint individuals of its selection to an Advisory Committee to assist the Board of Directors in the conduct of its duties and responsibilities. The Advisory Committee may meet in conjunction with meetings of the Board of Directors and shall serve as advisers and counselors to the Board of Directors as the members thereof shall determine best serves the Corporations interests.
(2) The Board of Directors, by resolutions adopted by a majority of the whole Board, may appoint an Advisory Committee complying with the terms of Section 2(a)(1) of the 1940 Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder, to provide advice and counsel in respect to investment and loan transactions entered or contemplated by the Corporation or its subsidiaries. The Advisory Committee may be composed of up to five persons, who shall not be directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation or any subsidiary or investment adviser thereof. Advisory Committee members shall be entitled to indemnification under Article VII below. The Advisory Committee and its members will have no voting power and no authority, as agent or otherwise, to act on behalf of the Corporation, in respect of any matter; and directors shall be under no obligation to accept or reject any particular item of advice or counsel provided thereby. The Advisory Committee may be invited to hold meetings jointly with meetings of directors. Any one or more members of the Advisory Committee may be invited to attend meetings of the directors and may be offered access to the same information and materials otherwise provided only to directors. The Advisory Committee may render its advice in written or verbal form, and the same may or may not be recorded.
(f) Other Committees. The Board of Directors may, from time to time, appoint such other committees as may be permitted by law. Such other committees appointed by the Board of Directors shall consist of one (1) or more members of the Board of Directors and shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the resolution or resolutions creating such committees, but in no event shall any such committee have the powers denied to the Executive Committee in these Bylaws.
(g) Term. The Board of Directors, subject to any requirements of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock and the provisions of subsections (a) or (b) of this Bylaw, may at any time increase or decrease the number of members of a committee or terminate the existence of a committee. The membership of a committee member shall terminate on the date of his death or voluntary resignation from the committee or from the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may at any time for any reason remove any individual committee member and the Board of Directors may fill any committee vacancy created by death, resignation, removal or increase in the number of members of the committee. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee, and, in addition, in the absence or disqualification of any member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member.
(h) Meetings. Unless the Board of Directors shall otherwise provide, regular meetings of the Executive Committee or any other committee appointed pursuant to this
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Section 24 shall be held at such times and places as are determined by the Board of Directors, or by any such committee, and when notice thereof has been given to each member of such committee, no further notice of such regular meetings need be given thereafter. Special meetings of any such committee may be held at any place which has been determined from time to time by such committee, and may be called by any director who is a member of such committee, upon notice to the members of such committee of the time and place of such special meeting given in the manner provided for the giving of notice to members of the Board of Directors of the time and place of special meetings of the Board of Directors. Notice of any special meeting of any committee may be waived in writing at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any director by attendance thereat, except when the director attends such special meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors in the resolutions authorizing the creation of the committee, a majority of the authorized number of members of any such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of those present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of such committee.
Section 26. Organization. At every meeting of the directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or, if a Chairman has not been appointed or is absent, the Vice Chairman, or, if the Vice Chairman is absent, the President, or if the President is absent, the most senior Vice President (if a director), or, in the absence of any such person, a chairman of the meeting chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall preside over the meeting. The Secretary, or in his absence, any Assistant Secretary directed to do so by the President, shall act as secretary of the meeting.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
Section 27. Officers Designated. The officers of the corporation shall include, if and when designated by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, one or more Vice Presidents, the Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer and the Controller, all of whom shall be elected at the annual organizational meeting of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may also appoint one or more Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers, Assistant Controllers and such other officers and agents with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary. The Board of Directors may assign such additional titles to one or more of the officers as it shall deem appropriate. Any one person may hold any number of offices of the corporation at any one time unless specifically prohibited therefrom by law. The salaries and other compensation of the officers of the corporation shall be fixed by or in the manner designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 28. Tenure And Duties Of Officers.
(a) General. All officers shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, unless sooner removed. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed at any
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time by the Board of Directors. If the office of any officer becomes vacant for any reason, the vacancy may be filled by the Board of Directors.
(b) Duties of Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers, as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time. If there is no President, then the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall also serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation and shall have the powers and duties prescribed in paragraph (c) of this Section 28.
(c) Duties of Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall preside over all meeting of the Board of Directors and stockholders. He shall be involved in the general management of the business of the Corporation, and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect. He shall execute in the corporate name all authorized deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments requiring a seal, under the seal of the Corporation, except in cases in which the signing or execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the Corporation.
(d) Duties of President. The President shall be primarily responsible for the implementation of policies of the Board of Directors. In addition, in the absence or permanent incapacity of a Chief Executive Officer, the President shall maintain the duties of the Chief Executive Officer. He shall have authority over the operations of the Company and its divisions, if any, subject only to the ultimate authority of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors. He may sign and execute in the name of the Company certificates, deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments except in cases where the signing and the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by this Agreement to some other officer or agent of the Company or shall be required by law otherwise to be signed or executed. In addition, he shall perform all duties incident to the office of the President and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Directors.
(e) Duties of Vice Presidents and Principals. The Vice-President or Principal, if any, or if there shall be more than one, the Vice-Presidents and Principals, in the order determined by the Board of Directors, shall, in the absence or disability of the Chief Executive Officer or President, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Chief Executive Officer or President, and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
(f) Duties of Secretary. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors and shall record all acts and proceedings thereof in the minute book of the corporation. The Secretary shall give notice in conformity with these Bylaws of all meetings of the stockholders and of all meetings of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof requiring notice. The Secretary shall perform all other duties provided for in these Bylaws and other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers, as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time. The President may direct any Assistant Secretary to assume and perform the duties of the
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Secretary in the absence or disability of the Secretary, and each Assistant Secretary shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.
(g) Duties of Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall keep or cause to be kept the books of account of the corporation in a thorough and proper manner and shall render statements of the financial affairs of the corporation in such form and as often as required by the Board of Directors or the President. The Chief Financial Officer, subject to the order of the Board of Directors, shall have the custody of all funds and securities of the corporation. The Chief Financial Officer shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time. The President may direct the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, or the Controller or any Assistant Controller to assume and perform the duties of the Chief Financial Officer in the absence or disability of the Chief Financial Officer, and each Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer and each Controller and Assistant Controller shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.
Section 29. Delegation Of Authority. The Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officer or agent, notwithstanding any provision hereof.
Section 30. Resignations. Any officer may resign at any time by giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission to the Board of Directors or to the President or to the Secretary. Any such resignation shall be effective when received by the person or persons to whom such notice is given, unless a later time is specified therein, in which event the resignation shall become effective at such later time. Unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of any such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation shall be without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract with the resigning officer.
Section 31. Removal. Any officer may be removed from office at any time, either with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors in office at the time, or by the unanimous written consent of the directors in office at the time, or by any committee or superior officers upon whom such power of removal may have been conferred by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE V
EXECUTION OF CORPORATE INSTRUMENTS AND VOTING OF SECURITIES OWNED BY THE CORPORATION
Section 32. Execution Of Corporate Instruments. The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, determine the method and designate the signatory officer or officers, or other person or persons, to execute on behalf of the corporation any corporate instrument or document, or to sign on behalf of the corporation the corporate name without limitation, or to enter into
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contracts on behalf of the corporation, except where otherwise provided by law or these Bylaws, and such execution or signature shall be binding upon the corporation.
All checks and drafts drawn on banks or other depositaries on funds to the credit of the corporation or in special accounts of the corporation shall be signed by such person or persons as the Board of Directors shall authorize so to do.
Unless authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.
Section 33. Voting Of Securities Owned By The Corporation. All stock and other securities of other corporations owned or held by the corporation for itself, or for other parties in any capacity, shall be voted, and all proxies with respect thereto shall be executed, by the person authorized so to do by resolution of the Board of Directors, or, in the absence of such authorization, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or any Vice President.
ARTICLE VI
SHARES OF STOCK
Section 34. Form And Execution Of Certificates. Certificates for the shares of stock of the corporation shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock in the corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of the corporation by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or the President or any Vice President and by the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or Assistant Secretary, certifying the number of shares owned by him in the corporation. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be facsimiles. In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent, or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent, or registrar at the date of issue. Each certificate shall state upon the face or back thereof, in full or in summary, all of the powers, designations, preferences, and rights, and the limitations or restrictions of the shares authorized to be issued or shall, except as otherwise required by law, set forth on the face or back a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional, or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated stock, the corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to this section or otherwise required by law or with respect to this section a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
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Section 35. Lost Certificates. A new certificate or certificates shall be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen, or destroyed. The corporation may require, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, the owner of such lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate or certificates, or the owners legal representative, to agree to indemnify the corporation in such manner as it shall require or to give the corporation a surety bond in such form and amount as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed.
Section 36. Transfers.
(a) Transfers of record of shares of stock of the corporation shall be made only upon its books by the holders thereof, in person or by attorney duly authorized, and upon the surrender of a properly endorsed certificate or certificates for a like number of shares.
(b) The corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes of stock of the corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.
Section 37. Fixing Record Dates.
(a) In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall, subject to applicable law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
(b) Prior to the Initial Public Offering, in order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. Any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take corporate action by written consent shall, by written notice to the Secretary, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date. The Board of Directors shall promptly, but in all events within ten (10) days after the date on which such a request is received, adopt a resolution fixing the record date. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors within ten (10) days of the date on which such a request is received, the record date for
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determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the corporations registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors and prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.
(c) In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.
Section 38. Registered Stockholders. The corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.
ARTICLE VII
OTHER SECURITIES OF THE CORPORATION
Section 39. Execution Of Other Securities. All bonds, debentures and other corporate securities of the corporation, other than stock certificates (covered in Section 34), may be signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Vice Chairman, the President or any Vice President, or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, and the corporate seal impressed thereon or a facsimile of such seal imprinted thereon and attested by the signature of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, or the Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer; provided, however, that where any such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be authenticated by the manual signature, or where permissible facsimile signature, of a trustee under an indenture pursuant to which such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be issued, the signatures of the persons signing and attesting the corporate seal on such bond, debenture or other corporate security may be the imprinted facsimile of the signatures of such persons. Interest coupons appertaining to any such bond, debenture or other corporate security, authenticated by a trustee as aforesaid, shall be signed by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the corporation or such other person as may be
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authorized by the Board of Directors, or bear imprinted thereon the facsimile signature of such person. In case any officer who shall have signed or attested any bond, debenture or other corporate security, or whose facsimile signature shall appear thereon or on any such interest coupon, shall have ceased to be such officer before the bond, debenture or other corporate security so signed or attested shall have been delivered, such bond, debenture or other corporate security nevertheless may be adopted by the corporation and issued and delivered as though the person who signed the same or whose facsimile signature shall have been used thereon had not ceased to be such officer of the corporation.
ARTICLE VIII
DIVIDENDS
Section 40. Declaration Of Dividends. Dividends upon the capital stock of the corporation, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors pursuant to law at any regular or special meeting. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law.
Section 41. Dividend Reserve. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the Board of Directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the corporation, or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall think conducive to the interests of the corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.
ARTICLE IX
FISCAL YEAR
Section 42. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 43. Indemnification Of Directors, Executive Officers, Other Officers, Employees And Other Agents.
(a) Directors and Officers. The corporation shall indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent not prohibited by the DGCL or any other applicable law; provided, however, that the corporation may modify the extent of such indemnification by individual contracts with its directors and officers; and, provided, further, that the corporation shall not be required to indemnify any director or officer in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law,
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(ii) the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the corporation, (iii) such indemnification is provided by the corporation, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the corporation under the DGCL or any other applicable law or (iv) such indemnification is required to be made under subsection (d).
(b) Employees and Other Agents. The corporation shall indemnify its employees and other agents as set forth in the DGCL or any other applicable law. The Board of Directors shall have the power to delegate the determination of whether indemnification shall be given to any such person to such officers or other persons as the Board of Directors shall determine.
(c) Expenses. The corporation shall advance to any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or executive officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, prior to the final disposition of the proceeding, promptly following request therefor, all expenses incurred by any director or officer in connection with such proceeding provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such indemnitee, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the corporation of an undertaking (hereinafter an undertaking ), by or on behalf of such indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (hereinafter a final adjudication ) that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Section 43 or otherwise.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section 43, no advance shall be made by the corporation to an officer of the corporation (except by reason of the fact that such officer is or was a director of the corporation in which event this paragraph shall not apply) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, if a determination is reasonably and promptly made (i) by a majority vote of directors who were not parties to the proceeding, even if not a quorum, or (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (iii) if there are no such directors, or such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, that the facts known to the decision-making party at the time such determination is made demonstrate clearly and convincingly that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation.
(d) Enforcement. Without the necessity of entering into an express contract, all rights to indemnification and advances to directors and officers under this Bylaw shall be deemed to be contractual rights and be effective to the same extent and as if provided for in a contract between the corporation and the director or officer. Any right to indemnification or advances granted by this Section 43 to a director or officer shall be enforceable by or on behalf of the person holding such right in any court of competent jurisdiction if (i) the claim for
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indemnification or advances is denied, in whole or in part, or (ii) no disposition of such claim is made within ninety (90) days of request therefor. The claimant in such enforcement action, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting the claim. In connection with any claim for indemnification, the corporation shall be entitled to raise as a defense to any such action that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct that make it permissible under the DGCL or any other applicable law for the corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed. In connection with any claim by an officer of the corporation (except in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such officer is or was a director of the corporation) for advances, the corporation shall be entitled to raise a defense as to any such action clear and convincing evidence that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, or with respect to any criminal action or proceeding that such person acted without reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was lawful. Neither the failure of the corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL or any other applicable law, nor an actual determination by the corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
Section 44. Limitation for Disabling Conduct.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 43 hereof, the Corporation may not indemnify any director, officer, employee or other agent of the Corporation against any liability, nor shall any director, officer or other agent of the Corporation be exculpated from any liability, to the Corporation or its stockholders to which such director, officer, employee or other agent might otherwise be subject by reason of disabling conduct , as hereinafter defined. Accordingly, each determination with respect to the permissibility of indemnification of a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Corporation because such person has met the applicable standard of conduct shall include a determination that the liability for which such indemnification is sought did not arise by reason of such persons disabling conduct. The determination required by this subsection may be based on:
(1) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the action, suit or proceeding was brought that the person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of disabling conduct, or
(2) in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination, based on a review of the facts, that the person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of such persons disabling conduct by: (A) the vote of a majority of a quorum of directors who are disinterested, non-party directors; or (B) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. In making such determination, such disinterested, non-party directors or independent legal counsel, as the case may be, may deem the dismissal for insufficiency of evidence of any disabling conduct of either a court action or an administrative proceeding against a person to be
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indemnified to provide reasonable assurance that such person was not liable by reason of disabling conduct.
Section 45. Advisory Committee Members. The Corporation shall indemnify any person appointed to any Advisory Committee pursuant to Article III, Section 25(e) hereof (or the heirs, executors, or administrators of such person) who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a member of the Advisory Committee of this Corporation, if the Board of Directors determines that such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest of the Corporation, and in the case of any criminal action or proceeding, that such person had no reasonable cause to believe that such persons conduct was unlawful.
Section 46. General.
(a) Certain Definitions. For the purposes of this Article X, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) The term the corporation shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article X with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(2) References to a director , executive officer , officer , employee , or agent of the corporation shall include, without limitation, situations where such person is serving at the request of the corporation as, respectively, a director, executive officer, officer, employee, trustee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.
(3) The term disabling conduct shall mean a persons willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office or any other conduct prohibited under Section 17(h) of the 1940 Act or any other applicable securities laws;
(4) The term disinterested, non-party director shall mean a director of the Corporation who is neither an interested person of the Corporation as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor a party to the action, suit or proceeding in connection with which indemnification is sought;
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(5) The term expenses shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, court costs, attorneys fees, witness fees, fines, amounts paid in settlement or judgment and any other costs and expenses of any nature or kind incurred in connection with any proceeding.
(6) The term independent legal counsel shall mean a member of the Bar of the State of Delaware who is not, and for at least two (2) years prior to his or her engagement to render the opinion in question has not been, employed or retained by the Corporation, by any investment adviser to or principal underwriter for the Corporation, or by any person affiliated with any of the foregoing; and
(7) References to other enterprises shall include employee benefit plans; references to fines shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to serving at the request of the corporation shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner not opposed to the best interests of the corporation as referred to in this Article X.
(8) The term proceeding shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, settlement, arbitration and appeal of, and the giving of testimony in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative.
(b) Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Article X shall not be exclusive of any other right which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any applicable statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office. The corporation is specifically authorized to enter into individual contracts with any or all of its directors, officers, employees or agents respecting indemnification and advances, to the fullest extent not prohibited by the DGCL, or by any other applicable law.
(c) Survival of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Article X shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
(d) Insurance. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL or any other applicable law, the corporation, upon approval by the Board of Directors, may purchase insurance on behalf of any person required or permitted to be indemnified pursuant to this Article X, provided, that no insurance may be obtained for the purpose of indemnifying any disabling conduct.
(e) Amendments. Any repeal or modification of this Article X shall only be prospective and shall not affect the rights under this Article X in effect at the time of the alleged
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occurrence of any action or omission to act that is the cause of any proceeding against any agent of the corporation.
(f) Saving Clause. If this Article X or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each director and officer to the full extent not prohibited by any applicable portion of this Article X that shall not have been invalidated, or by any other applicable law. If this Article X shall be invalid due to the application of the indemnification provisions of another jurisdiction, then the corporation shall indemnify each director and officer to the full extent under any other applicable law.
ARTICLE XI
NOTICES
Section 47. Notices.
(a) Notice To Stockholders. Written notice to stockholders of stockholder meetings shall be given as provided in Section 7 herein. Without limiting the manner by which notice may otherwise be given effectively to stockholders under any agreement or contract with such stockholder, and except as otherwise required by law, written notice to stockholders for purposes other than stockholder meetings may be sent by US mail or nationally recognized overnight courier, or by facsimile, telegraph or telex or by electronic mail or other electronic means.
(b) Notice To Directors. Any notice required to be given to any director may be given by the method stated in subsection (a), as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, or by overnight delivery service, facsimile, telex or telegram, except that such notice other than one which is delivered personally shall be sent to such address as such director shall have filed in writing with the Secretary, or, in the absence of such filing, to the last known post office address of such director.
(c) Affidavit Of Mailing. An affidavit of mailing, executed by a duly authorized and competent employee of the corporation or its transfer agent appointed with respect to the class of stock affected, or other agent, specifying the name and address or the names and addresses of the stockholder or stockholders, or director or directors, to whom any such notice or notices was or were given, and the time and method of giving the same, shall in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts therein contained.
(d) Methods of Notice. It shall not be necessary that the same method of giving notice be employed in respect of all recipients of notice, but one permissible method may be employed in respect of any one or more, and any other permissible method or methods may be employed in respect of any other or others.
(e) Notice To Person With Whom Communication Is Unlawful. Whenever notice is required to be given, under any provision of law or of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the corporation, to any person with whom communication is
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unlawful, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required and there shall be no duty to apply to any governmental authority or agency for a license or permit to give such notice to such person. Any action or meeting which shall be taken or held without notice to any such person with whom communication is unlawful shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. In the event that the action taken by the corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate under any provision of the DGCL, the certificate shall state, if such is the fact and if notice is required, that notice was given to all persons entitled to receive notice except such persons with whom communication is unlawful.
(f) Notice to Stockholders Sharing an Address. Except as otherwise prohibited under DGCL, any notice given under the provisions of DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws shall be effective if given by a single written notice to stockholders who share an address if consented to by the stockholders at that address to whom such notice is given. Such consent shall have been deemed to have been given if such stockholder fails to object in writing to the corporation within 60 days of having been given notice by the corporation of its intention to send the single notice. Any consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the corporation.
ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS
Section 48. The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the corporation. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the corporation by the Board of Directors shall require the approval of a majority of the Board of Directors. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the corporation; provided, however, that, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the corporation required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the Bylaws of the corporation.
ARTICLE XIII
LOANS TO OFFICERS
Section 49. Loans To Officers. Except as otherwise prohibited by applicable law, the corporation may lend money to, or guarantee any obligation of, or otherwise assist any officer or other employee of the corporation or of its subsidiaries, including any officer or employee who is a Director of the corporation or its subsidiaries, whenever, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, such loan, guarantee or assistance may reasonably be expected to benefit the corporation. The loan, guarantee or other assistance may be with or without interest and may be unsecured, or secured in such manner as the Board of Directors shall approve, including, without limitation, a pledge of shares of stock of the corporation. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to deny, limit or restrict the powers of guaranty or warranty of the corporation at common law or under any statute.
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ARTICLE XIV
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Section 50. Investment Company Act. If and to the extent that any provisions of the DGCL or any provision of the certificate of incorporation or these Bylaws conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act shall control.
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Exhibit G
FORM OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
AND
GLADSTONE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Agreement made this ___day of ____________, 2005, by and between Gladstone Investment Corporation , a Delaware corporation (the Corporation ), and Gladstone Management Corporation , a Delaware corporation (the Adviser ).
Whereas , the Corporation is a newly organized closed-end management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Investment Company Act );
Whereas , the Adviser is an investment adviser that has registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act ); and
Whereas , the Corporation desires to retain the Adviser to furnish investment advisory services to the Corporation on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Adviser wishes to be retained to provide such services.
Now, Therefore, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Duties of the Adviser .
(a) The Corporation hereby employs the Adviser to act as the investment adviser to the Corporation and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Corporation, subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, for the period and upon the terms herein set forth, (i) in accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions that are set forth in the Corporations Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed March 29, 2005, as the same shall be amended from time to time (as amended, the Registration Statement ), (ii) in accordance with the Investment Company Act and (iii) during the term of this Agreement in accordance with all other applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and the Corporations charter and by-laws. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Adviser shall, during the term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, (i) determine the composition of the portfolio of the Corporation, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes; (ii) identify, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments made by the Corporation; (iii) close and monitor the Corporations investments; (iv) determine the securities and other assets that the Corporation will purchase, retain, or sell; (v) perform due diligence on prospective portfolio companies; and (vi) provide the Corporation with such other investment advisory, research and related services as the Corporation may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of its funds. The Adviser shall have the discretion, power and authority on behalf of the Corporation to effectuate its investment decisions for the Corporation, including the execution and delivery of all documents relating to the Corporations investments and the placing of orders for other purchase or sale transactions on behalf of the Corporation. In the event that the Corporation determines to
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acquire debt financing, the Adviser will arrange for such financing on the Corporations behalf, subject to the oversight and approval of the Corporations Board of Directors. If it is necessary for the Adviser to make investments on behalf of the Corporation through a special purpose vehicle, the Adviser shall have authority to create or arrange for the creation of such special purpose vehicle and to make such investments through such special purpose vehicle in accordance with the Investment Company Act.
(b) The Adviser hereby accepts such employment and agrees during the term hereof to render the services described herein for the compensation provided herein.
(c) Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, the Adviser is hereby authorized to enter into one or more sub-advisory agreements with other investment advisers (each, a Sub-Adviser ) pursuant to which the Adviser may obtain the services of the Sub-Adviser(s) to assist the Adviser in fulfilling its responsibilities hereunder. Specifically, the Adviser may retain a Sub-Adviser to recommend specific securities or other investments based upon the Corporations investment objective and policies, and work, along with the Adviser, in structuring, negotiating, arranging or effecting the acquisition or disposition of such investments and monitoring investments on behalf of the Corporation, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Corporation. The Adviser, and not the Corporation, shall be responsible for any compensation payable to any Sub-Adviser. Any sub-advisory agreement entered into by the Adviser shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act and other applicable federal and state law and shall contain a provision requiring the Sub-Adviser to comply with sections 1(e) and 1(f) below as if it were the Adviser.
(d) The Adviser shall for all purposes herein provided be deemed to be an independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or authorized herein, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Corporation in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Corporation.
(e) The Adviser shall keep and preserve for the period required by the Investment Company Act any books and records relevant to the provision of its investment advisory services to the Corporation and shall specifically maintain all books and records with respect to the Corporations portfolio transactions and shall render to the Corporations Board of Directors such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request. The Adviser agrees that all records that it maintains for the Corporation are the property of the Corporation and will surrender promptly to the Corporation any such records upon the Corporations request, provided that the Adviser may retain a copy of such records.
(f) The Adviser has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the Federal Securities laws by the Adviser. The Adviser has provided the Corporation, and shall provide the Corporation at such times in the future as the Corporation shall reasonably request, with a copy of such policies and procedures and a report of such policies and procedures. Such report shall be of sufficient scope and in sufficient detail, as may reasonably be required to comply with Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act and to provide reasonable assurance that any material inadequacies would be disclosed by such examination, and, if there are no such inadequacies, the report shall so state.
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2. Corporations Responsibilities and Expenses Payable by the Corporation .
All investment professionals of the Adviser and their respective staffs, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services hereunder, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser and not by the Corporation. The Corporation will bear all other costs and expenses of its operations and transactions, including (without limitation) those relating to: organization and offering; calculating the Corporations net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); expenses incurred by the Adviser payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors (such as independent valuation firms, accountants and legal counsel), in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Corporation and in monitoring the Corporations investments and performing due diligence on its prospective portfolio companies; interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance the Corporations investments; offerings of the Corporations common stock and other securities; investment advisory and management fees; administration fees, if any, payable under the Administration Agreement between the Corporation and Gladstone Administration, LLC (the Administrator ), the Corporations administrator; fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; transfer agent and custodial fees; federal and state registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the Corporations shares on any securities exchange; federal, state and local taxes; independent Directors fees and expenses; costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the Securities and Exchange Commission; costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; the Corporations allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; and all other expenses incurred by the Corporation or the Administrator in connection with administering the Corporations business, including payments under the Administration Agreement between the Corporation and the Administrator based upon the Corporations allocable portion of the Administrators overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of the Corporations chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
3. Compensation of the Adviser .
The Corporation agrees to pay, and the Adviser agrees to accept, as compensation for the services provided by the Adviser hereunder, a base management fee ( Base Management Fee ) and an incentive fee ( Incentive Fee ) as hereinafter set forth. The Corporation shall make any payments due hereunder to the Adviser or to the Advisers designee as the Adviser may otherwise direct.
(a) Base Management Fee.
(i) For services rendered during the period from the date of the closing of the Corporations initial public offering of its common stock (the IPO ) through March 31, 2006, the Base Management Fee shall be payable monthly in arrears, and shall be calculated at an
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annual rate of 2.00% of the value of the Corporations total assets, less the cash proceeds and cash equivalent investments from the IPO that are not invested in debt or equity securities of portfolio companies in accordance with the Corporations investment objectives described in the Registration Statement (the Gross Invested Assets ), valued as of the end of each month during the period.
(ii) For services rendered during the period from the date that is six months after the date of the closing of the IPO through March 31, 2006, the Base Management Fee shall be payable quarterly in arrears, and shall be calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of the average value of the Corporations Gross Invested Assets, valued as of the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters.
(iii) For services rendered after March 31, 2006, the Base Management Fee shall be payable quarterly in arrears, and shall be calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of the average value of the Corporations total assets, including investments made with proceeds of borrowings, less any uninvested cash or cash equivalents resulting from borrowings (the Gross Assets ), valued as of the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, and appropriately adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current calendar quarter.
(iv) Base Management Fees payable for any partial month or quarter will be appropriately prorated.
(b) The Incentive Fee shall consist of two parts, as follows:
(i) One part will be calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. For this purpose, pre-Incentive Fee net investment income means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence, consulting fees that the Corporation receives from portfolio companies, but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance) accrued by the Corporation during the calendar quarter, minus the Corporations operating expenses for the quarter (including the Base Management Fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee). Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that the Corporation has not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Corporations net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, will be compared to a hurdle rate of 1.75% per quarter (7% annualized). The Corporation will pay the Adviser an Incentive Fee with respect to the Corporations pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows: (1) no Incentive Fee in any calendar quarter in which the Corporations pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate; (2) 100% of the Corporations pre-Incentive Fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-Incentive Fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.1875% in any calendar
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quarter (8.75% annualized); and (3) 20% of the amount of the Corporations pre-Incentive Fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). These calculations will be appropriately pro rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current quarter.
(ii) The second part of the Incentive Fee (the Capital Gains Fee ) will be determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each fiscal year (or upon termination of this Agreement as set forth below), commencing on March 31, 2006, and will equal 20.0% of the Corporations realized capital gains for the calendar year, if any, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation at the end of such year; provided that the Capital Gains Fee determined as of March 31, 2006 will be calculated for a period of shorter than twelve calendar months to take into account any net realized capital gains, if any, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation for the period ending March 31, 2006. The amount of capital gains used to determine the Capital Gains Fee shall be calculated at the end of each applicable year by subtracting the sum of the Corporations Cumulative Aggregate Realized Capital Losses and Aggregate Unrealized Capital Depreciation from the Corporations Cumulative Aggregate Realized Capital Gains (each as defined in Section below. If this number is positive at the end of such year, then the Capital Gains Fee for such year will be equal to 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of any Capital Gains Fees paid in all prior years. In the event that this Agreement shall terminate as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a Capital Gains Fee.
(iii) For purposes of this Section 3:
(1) Cumulative Aggregate Realized Capital Gains shall mean the sum of the differences between the net sales price of each investment in the Corporations portfolio when sold, and the original cost of such investment since inception.
(2) Cumulative Aggregate Realized Capital Losses shall mean the sum of the amounts by which the net sales price of each investment in the Corporations portfolio when sold is less than the original cost of such investment since inception.
(3) Aggregate Unrealized Capital Depreciation shall mean the sum of the difference, if negative, between the valuation of each investment in the Corporations portfolio as of the applicable Capital Gains Fee calculation date and the original cost of such investment.
4. Covenants of the Adviser .
The Adviser covenants that it is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. The Adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws governing its operations and investments.
5. Excess Brokerage Commissions .
The Adviser is hereby authorized, to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law, to cause the Corporation to pay a member of a national securities exchange, broker or dealer an
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amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess of the amount of commission another member of such exchange, broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firms risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities, that such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or its overall responsibilities with respect to the Corporations portfolio, and constitutes the best net results for the Corporation.
6. Limitations on the Employment of the Adviser .
The services of the Adviser to the Corporation are not exclusive, and the Adviser may engage in any other business or render similar or different services to others including, without limitation, the direct or indirect sponsorship or management of other investment based accounts or commingled pools of capital, however structured, having investment objectives similar to those of the Corporation, so long as its services to the Corporation hereunder are not impaired thereby, and nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith (including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, one or more of the Corporations portfolio companies, subject to applicable law). So long as this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment remains in effect, the Adviser shall be the only investment adviser for the Corporation, subject to the Advisers right to enter into sub-advisory agreements. The Adviser assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the services called for hereunder. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Corporation are or may become interested in the Adviser and its affiliates, as directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members, managers or otherwise, and that the Adviser and directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members and managers of the Adviser and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Corporation as stockholders or otherwise.
7. Responsibility of Dual Directors, Officers and/or Employees.
If any person who is a manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator is or becomes a director, officer and/or employee of the Corporation and acts as such in any business of the Corporation, then such manager, partner, officer and/or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator shall be deemed to be acting in such capacity solely for the Corporation, and not as a manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator or under the control or direction of the Adviser or the Administrator, even if paid by the Adviser or the Administrator.
8. Limitation of Liability of the Adviser: Indemnification .
The Adviser (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation the Administrator) shall not be liable to the Corporation for any action taken or omitted to be
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taken by the Adviser in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Corporation, except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty (as the same is finally determined by judicial proceedings) with respect to the receipt of compensation for services, and the Corporation shall indemnify, defend and protect the Adviser (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its general partner and the Administrator, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the Indemnified Parties ) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Advisers duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Corporation. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Paragraph 8 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Corporation or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Advisers duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Advisers duties and obligations under this Agreement (as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff thereunder).
9. Effectiveness, Duration and Termination of Agreement .
This Agreement shall become effective as of the first date above written. This Agreement shall remain in effect for two years, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) the vote of the Corporations Board of Directors, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation and (b) the vote of a majority of the Corporations Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of any such party, in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon 60 days written notice, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation, or by the vote of the Corporations Directors or by the Adviser. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined for purposes of Section 15(a)(4) of the Investment Company Act). The provisions of Paragraph 8 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Adviser and its representatives shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination or expiration of this Agreement. Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Adviser shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 3 through the date of termination or expiration.
7.
10. Notices .
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office.
11. Amendments .
This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Corporation must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
12. Entire Agreement: Governing Law .
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent the applicable laws of the State of Delaware, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
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8.
In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on the date above written.
Gladstone Investment Corporation | ||||
By: |
David Gladstone Chief Executive Officer |
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Gladstone Management Corporation | ||||
By: |
David Gladstone Chief Executive Officer |
9.
Exhibit K.2
FORM OF ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
This Administration Agreement (this Agreement ) is made as of ___________________, 2005 by and between Gladstone Investment Corporation, a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as the Corporation ), and Gladstone Administration, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (hereinafter referred to as the Administrator ).
PREAMBLE
The Corporation is a newly organized closed-end management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (hereinafter referred to as the Investment Company Act ). The Corporation desires to retain the Administrator to provide administrative services to the Corporation in the manner and on the terms hereinafter set forth. The Corporations investment adviser is the Administrators sole member. The Administrator is willing to provide administrative services to the Corporation on the terms and conditions hereafter set forth.
AGREEMENT
Now, Therefore, in consideration of the premises and the covenants hereinafter contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the Corporation and the Administrator hereby agree as set forth below:
1. Duties of the Administrator .
(a) Employment of Administrator . The Corporation hereby employs the Administrator to act as administrator of the Corporation, and to furnish, or arrange for others to furnish, the administrative services, personnel and facilities described below, subject to review by and the overall control of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, for the period and on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render, or arrange for the rendering of, such services and to assume the obligations herein set forth subject to the reimbursement of costs and expenses provided for below. The Administrator and such others shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be independent contractors and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized herein, have no authority to act for or represent the Corporation in any way or otherwise be deemed agents of the Corporation.
(b) Services . The Administrator shall perform (or oversee, or arrange for, the performance of) the administrative services necessary for the operation of the Corporation. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator shall provide the Corporation with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities and such other services as the Administrator, subject to review by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, shall from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also, on behalf of the Corporation, conduct relations with custodians, depositories, transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents, other stockholder servicing agents, accountants, attorneys, underwriters, brokers and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and such other persons in any such other capacity
1.
deemed to be necessary or desirable. The Administrator shall make reports to the Corporations Board of Directors of its performance of obligations hereunder and furnish advice and recommendations with respect to such other aspects of the business and affairs of the Corporation as it shall determine to be desirable; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to require the Administrator to, and the Administrator shall not, provide any advice or recommendation relating to the securities and other assets that the Corporation should purchase, retain or sell or any other investment advisory services to the Corporation. The Administrator shall be responsible for the financial and other records that the Corporation is required to maintain and shall prepare reports to stockholders, and reports and other materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC ). The Administrator will provide on the Corporations behalf significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which the Corporation is required to provide such assistance under the Investment Company Act or other applicable law. In addition, the Administrator will assist the Corporation in determining and publishing the Corporations net asset value, overseeing the preparation and filing of the Corporations tax returns, and the printing and dissemination of reports to stockholders of the Corporation, and generally overseeing the payment of the Corporations expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Corporation by others.
(c) The Administrator is hereby authorized to enter into one or more sub-administration agreements with other service providers (each a Sub-Administrator ) pursuant to which the Administrator may obtain the services of the service providers in fulfilling its responsibilities hereunder. Any such sub-administration agreements shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act and other applicable federal and state law and shall contain a provision requiring the Sub-Administrator to comply with Sections 2 and 3 below as if it were the Administrator.
2. Records .
The Administrator agrees to maintain and keep all books, accounts and other records of the Corporation that relate to activities performed by the administrator hereunder and, if required by the Investment Company Act, will maintain and keep such books, accounts and records in accordance with that Act. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the Investment Company Act, the Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for the Corporation shall at all times remain the property of the Corporation, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of the Agreement or otherwise on written request. The Administrator further agrees that all records which it maintains for the Corporation pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the Investment Company Act will be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the Investment Company Act unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records shall be surrendered in usable machine-readable form. The Administrator shall have the right to retain copies of such records subject to observance of its confidentiality obligations under this Agreement.
3. Policies and Procedures.
The Administrator has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the Federal Securities laws by the Administrator.
2.
The Administrator shall provide the Corporation, at such times as the Corporation shall reasonably request, with a copy of such policies and procedures and a report of such policies and procedures; such report shall be of sufficient scope and in sufficient detail, as may reasonably be required to comply with Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act and to provide reasonable assurance that any material inadequacies would be disclosed by such examination, and, if there are no such inadequacies, the report shall so state.
4. Confidentiality .
The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the terms and conditions of this Agreement and all information provided by each party to the other regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto, including nonpublic personal information pursuant to Regulation S-P of the Securities & Exchange Commission ( SEC ), shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party, without the prior consent of such providing party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by any regulatory authority, any authority or legal counsel of the parties hereto, by judicial or administrative process or otherwise by applicable law or regulation.
5. Compensation: Allocation of Costs and Expenses .
In full consideration of the provision of the services of the Administrator, the Corporation shall reimburse the Administrator for the costs and expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations and providing personnel and facilities hereunder.
The Corporation will bear all costs and expenses that are incurred in its operation and transactions that are not specifically assumed by the Corporations investment adviser (the Adviser ), pursuant to that certain Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of _______________, 2005 by and between the Corporation and the Adviser. Costs and expenses to be borne by the Corporation include, but are not limited to, those relating to: organization and offering; calculating the Corporations net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); expenses incurred by the Adviser payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors (such as independent valuation firms, accountants and legal counsel), in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Corporation and in monitoring the Corporations investments and performing due diligence on its prospective portfolio companies; interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance the Corporations investments; offerings of the Corporations common stock and other securities; investment advisory and management fees; administration fees, if any, payable under this Agreement; fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; transfer agent and custodial fees; federal and state registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the Corporations shares on any securities exchange; federal, state and local taxes; independent directors fees and expenses; costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the SEC; costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to
3.
stockholders, including printing costs; the Corporations allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; and all other expenses incurred by the Corporation or the Administrator in connection with administering the Corporations business, including payments under this Agreement based upon the Corporations allocable portion of the Administrators overhead in performing its obligations under this Agreement, including rent, and the allocable portion of the salaries and benefits expenses of the Corporations chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and controller and their respective staffs.
6. Limitation of Liability of the Administrator: Indemnification .
The Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation its sole member, the Adviser) shall not be liable to the Corporation for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Administrator in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Corporation, and the Corporation shall indemnify, defend and protect the Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation the Adviser, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the Indemnified Parties ) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Administrators duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Corporation. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Paragraph 6 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Corporation or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of the Administrators duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Administrators duties and obligations under this Agreement (to the extent applicable, as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
7. Activities of the Administrator .
The services of the Administrator to the Corporation are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Administrator and each affiliate is free to render services to others. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Corporation are or may become interested in the Administrator and its affiliates, as directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners, stockholders or otherwise, and that the Administrator and directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners and stockholders of the
4.
Administrator and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Corporation as stockholders or otherwise.
8. Duration and Termination of this Agreement .
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof, and shall remain in force with respect to the Corporation for two years thereafter, and thereafter continue from year to year, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Directors of the Corporation and (ii) a majority of those Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of any such party. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of the Directors of the Corporation, or by the Administrator, upon 60 days written notice to the other party. This Agreement may not be assigned by a party without the consent of the other party.
9. Amendments of this Agreement .
This Agreement may be amended pursuant to a written instrument by mutual consent of the parties.
10. Governing Law .
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, if any. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Delaware, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, if any, the latter shall control.
11. Entire Agreement .
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof.
12. Notices .
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office.
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5.
In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written.
Gladstone Investment Corporation | ||||
By: |
David Gladstone Chief Executive Officer |
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Gladstone Administration, LLC | ||||
By: |
David Gladstone, Manager |
6.
Exhibit K.3
TRADEMARK LICENSE AGREEMENT
THIS TRADEMARK LICENSE AGREEMENT (Agreement) made this March 29, 2005 (the Effective Date) between GLADSTONE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION , a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Delaware, with its principal place of business at 1616 Anderson Road, McLean, Virginia 22102 (Licensor), and GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION , a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Delaware, with its principal place of business at 1616 Anderson Road, McLean, Virginia 22102 (Licensee) (together, the Parties).
WHEREAS , Licensor is the owner of the GLADSTONE word mark and the GLADSTONE & Diamond G Design Logo, both displayed in Appendix A attached hereto (the Marks), which Licensor has adopted, used and continues to use in connection with financial services, namely, lending money to businesses, investment of funds for others, financial investment in the field of real estate, lease-purchase financing, and leasing of real property (the Gladstone Services);
WHEREAS , Licensor owns a United States application to register the GLADSTONE & Diamond G Design Logo in connection with the Gladstone Services, as evidenced by United States Serial No. 76/597,879;
WHEREAS , Licensee desires a license to use the Marks on a worldwide basis in connection with the Gladstone Services offered by Licensee in the field of financial investments;
WHEREAS, Licensor is willing to grant Licensee a license to use the Marks pursuant to the terms and conditions hereinafter recited;
NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual rights and obligations contained herein, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
1. LICENSE GRANT : Licensor hereby grants to Licensee a non-assignable, revocable, nonexclusive license to use the Marks in connection with services relating to debt, equity and other financial investments, namely, investment of funds for others in companies, and in connection with the advertising, promotion, sale and marketing of such services.
2. ROYALTY PAYMENT: In consideration for the license granted hereunder, Licensee agrees to make quarterly royalty payments to Licensor, due on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year throughout the term of the Agreement. The first such royalty payment, due on April 1, 2005, shall be in the amount of One Dollar (US$1). The amount of the quarterly royalty payment shall be reviewed and negotiated by the Parties every March preceding the upcoming year to assure that it continues to reflect the arms length value of the rights granted to Licensee under the terms of this Agreement. If the Parties are unable to mutually agree on an acceptable quarterly royalty payment for the upcoming year by March 31 of the year proceeding the upcoming year, the license granted hereunder shall be revoked indefinitely until the Parties are able to reach an agreement on the royalty payment.
3. DISPLAY OF THE MARKS: Licensee will display the Marks only in such form and manner as displayed in Appendix A attached hereto, except that Licensor shall also be permitted to (a) use the word marks and trade names GLADSTONE INVESTMENT and GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION in connection with the services identified in Section 1 of this Agreement, and (b) use fonts and upper and lower case lettering schemes of its choice with respect to the word marks GLADSTONE, GLADSTONE INVESTMENT, and GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION.
4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Licensee hereby acknowledges the validity of the Marks and Licensors exclusive right, title, interest and all related rights in and to the Marks. Licensee further recognizes the value of the reputation and goodwill associated with the Marks, and acknowledges that the Marks have acquired secondary meaning, and that all related rights and goodwill belong exclusively to Licensor.
5. LIMITED LICENSE: Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to grant Licensee any rights or license to any trademark, trade name, certification mark, service mark, domain name, product name, logo, trade secret, technical information, copyright or other intellectual property owned by Licensor other than as specified herein. All rights not expressly granted herein to Licensee are reserved to Licensor and may be exercised and exploited by Licensor during the term of this Agreement freely and without restriction or limitation. Licensor shall have the right to exploit its intellectual property in any manner whatsoever, including without limitation, the right to license the Marks to a third party during the term of the Agreement.
6. ASSIGNMENT TO LICENSOR: Upon request, Licensee shall transfer to Licensor any rights which accrue to Licensee arising from its use of the Marks.
7. PROTECTION OF THE MARKS: Licensee shall cooperate with Licensor in taking all appropriate measures for the protection of the Marks, including but not limited to the use of appropriate trademark symbols in connection with the same, and shall faithfully observe and execute the requirements, procedures, and directions of Licensor with respect to the use and protection of the Marks. Licensee shall not, during the term of this Agreement, or thereafter:
a. do or permit to be done any act or thing which prejudices, infringes or impairs the rights of Licensor with respect to the Marks;
b. represent that it has any right, title, or interest in or to the Marks, other than the limited license granted hereunder;
c. use, register or attempt to register any trademarks, trade names, or logos, that are identical to, or confusingly similar to the Marks or any other trademarks, trade names or logos of Licensor or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies;
d. offer any goods or services, or otherwise do anything, in connection with the Marks that damages or reflects adversely upon Licensor, its subsidiaries or affiliated companies or any of their trademarks, trade names, logos or domain names; and/or
2
e. continue any use or action in relation to or in connection with the Marks or this Agreement if objected to by Licensor.
8. ASSIGNMENT, SUB-LICENSING: This agreement and the rights hereunder shall be freely assignable by Licensor. This Agreement and the rights hereunder shall not be assignable by Licensee without the prior written consent of Licensor, and any attempt to assign this Agreement and/or the rights hereunder without such consent is null and void. Further, this Agreement and the rights herein granted may not be sub-licensed by Licensee except to a company in which Licensee has a majority ownership interest. Any attempt to sub-license this Agreement and/or the rights hereunder in violation of the foregoing shall be null and void and of no force or effect.
9. ASSIGNS & SUB-LICENSEES : To the extent this Agreement and the rights hereunder may be assigned or sub-licensed pursuant to Section 8 above, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Parties assignees and sub-licensees. By taking an assignment or sub-license, an assignee or sub-licensee shall be deemed to have accepted and agreed to perform all of the rights and obligations of the assignor or sub-licensor under this Agreement.
10. TERM AND TERMINATION: This Agreement shall become effective upon the Effective Date and shall continue in full force and effect until terminated. The Agreement and the license granted herein shall terminate:
a. if Licensee, or substantially all of Licensees assets, are no longer managed by Licensor; or
b. if Licensee files a petition in bankruptcy or is adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or an arrangement pursuant to any bankruptcy or insolvency law.
Moreover, this Agreement may be terminated by either party upon THIRTY (30) days prior written notice. Such termination may be with or without cause and in the event thereof neither party shall be liable to the other for any loss, expense, liability, termination compensation or payments of any kind, including but not limited to, any investment, promotion or selling expense. Upon termination of this Agreement, Licensee shall immediately discontinue all use of the Marks.
11. NOTIFICATION OF INFRINGEMENT: Licensee shall notify Licensor in writing of any manufacture, distribution, sale or advertisement of any product or offering of any service, or any other activity, that may constitute an infringement upon Licensors rights or Licensees authorized use of the Marks. Licensee shall not commence, prosecute or institute any action or proceeding against any person, firm, or entity alleging infringement, imitation, or unauthorized use of the Marks.
12. INFRINGEMENT ACTION: Licensor shall have the sole right to determine the appropriate action to be taken against any infringement, imitation, or unauthorized use of the Marks including having the sole discretion to settle any claims or any controversy arising out of any such claims. Licensee shall provide Licensor with such reasonable assistance as Licensor may require in obtaining any protection of Licensors rights to the Marks at no expense to
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Licensor. Licensee shall not have any rights or claim against Licensor for damages or otherwise arising from any determination by Licensor to act or not to act with respect to any alleged infringement, imitation or unauthorized use by others, and any such determination by Licensor shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement. Any and all damages and settlements recovered or arising from any action or proceeding relating to the Marks shall belong solely and exclusively to Licensor.
13. QUALITY STANDARDS: So that the value of the goodwill and reputation associated with the Marks will not be diminished, Licensee shall have an obligation to ensure that all services offered by Licensee under or relating to the Marks, and all promotional, advertising and marketing materials bearing the Marks, shall (a) be at least the same uniform high quality as offered by Licensee immediately prior to the effective date of this Agreement, and (b) meet any reasonable quality standards that Licensor may issue from time to time at its discretion. To monitor for Licensees adherence to such obligations, Licensor shall have the right to review any services, promotional materials, advertising materials, or marketing materials offered, rendered or distributed by Licensee or on behalf of Licensee under the Marks. Services, promotional materials, or marketing materials with or on which the Marks are used that do not meet the quality standards or other requirements set forth in this Agreement shall not be sold, offered, distributed, or in any way promoted in connection with the Marks, and all references to the Marks on promotional materials and marketing materials shall be removed at Licensees expense. If the quality of the services, or of any promotional and marketing materials, associated with the Marks falls below such quality, Licensee shall use its best efforts to restore such quality. In the event that Licensee has not taken appropriate steps to restore such quality within THIRTY (30) days after receiving from Licensor notification that Licensee in is breach of this Paragraph 13, Licensor shall have the right to require that Licensee immediately cease using the Marks, and Licensee acknowledges that it shall do so if instructed accordingly by Licensor.
14. LICENSING NOTICE: Licensee shall include a notice on all advertising, promotional literature, Internet sites, and other marketing materials that the Marks are licensed from Licensor. The notice shall be as follows or as otherwise specified by Licensor:
The GLADSTONE word mark and the GLADSTONE & Diamond G Design mark are trademarks of Gladstone Management Corporation and are used under license to Gladstone Investment Corporation.
15. CHOICE OF LAW: This Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, excluding conflicts of laws principles. Any suit hereunder may be brought in the federal or state courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and both Parties hereby agree to submit to the jurisdiction thereof.
16. SEVERABILITY: In the event that one or more provisions of this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall be unimpaired and shall be given full force and effect.
17. INDEMNITY: Licensee hereby agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold Licensor harmless from and against any and all claims, suits, obligations, causes of action, liabilities, costs, and damages based upon, arising out of, or directly or indirectly related to, the operations
4
or business conducted by Licensee under this or related to this Agreement. Said indemnity shall further extend to the Licensees performance or nonperformance under this Agreement, including any default on the part of the Licensee, whether or not any such violation or failure to comply has been disclosed to Licensor. This indemnity and all representations and warranties made by the Parties herein or in any instrument or document furnished in connection herewith shall survive termination of the Agreement.
18. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This Agreement constitutes the understanding of the Parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior understandings, whether written or oral, express or implicit, pertaining to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not be modified except by written instrument agreed to and executed by both Parties, or their authorized representatives. Facsimiles and photo copies of executed versions of this Agreement shall be treated as originals.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and the year first written above.
Gladstone Management Corporation | Gladstone Investment Corporation | |||
/s/ David Gladstone
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/s/ George Stelljes
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By: David Gladstone | By: George Stelljes | |||
Title: Chairman | Title: President | |||
Date: March 29, 2005 | Date: March 29, 2005 | |||
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5
APPENDIX A
GLADSTONE
Exhibit N 3
March 29, 2005
Gladstone Investment Corporation
1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200
McLean, VA 22102
Consent to Reference in Prospectus
In connection with the Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed by Gladstone Investment Corporation (the Company ), File No. 333- , I hereby consent to the reference to me in the prospectus included in such registration statement as a future member of the board of directors of the Company.
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Very truly yours, | |||
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/s/ ANTHONY W. PARKER | |||
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Anthony W. Parker |
Exhibit N 4
March 29, 2005
Gladstone Investment Corporation
1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200
McLean, VA 22102
Consent to Reference in Prospectus
In connection with the Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed by Gladstone Investment Corporation (the Company ), File No. 333- , I hereby consent to the reference to me in the prospectus included in such registration statement as a future member of the board of directors of the Company.
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Very truly yours, | |||
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/s/ DAVID A.R. DULLUM | |||
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David A.R. Dullum |
Exhibit N 5
March 29, 2005
Gladstone Investment Corporation
1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200
McLean, VA 22102
Consent to Reference in Prospectus
In connection with the Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed by Gladstone Investment Corporation (the Company ), File No. 333- , I hereby consent to the reference to me in the prospectus included in such registration statement as a future member of the board of directors of the Company.
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Very truly yours, | |||
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/s/ MICHELA A. ENGLISH | |||
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Michela A. English |
Exhibit N 6
March 29, 2005
Gladstone Investment Corporation
1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200
McLean, VA 22102
Consent to Reference in Prospectus
In connection with the Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed by Gladstone Investment Corporation (the Company ), File No. 333- , I hereby consent to the reference to me in the prospectus included in such registration statement as a future member of the board of directors of the Company.
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Very truly yours, | |||
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/s/ PAUL W. ADELGREN | |||
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Paul W. Adelgren |
Exhibit N 7
March 29, 2005
Gladstone Investment Corporation
1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200
McLean, VA 22102
Consent to Reference in Prospectus
In connection with the Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed by Gladstone Investment Corporation (the Company ), File No. 333- , I hereby consent to the reference to me in the prospectus included in such registration statement as a future member of the board of directors of the Company.
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Very truly yours, | |||
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/s/ MAURICE W. COULON | |||
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Maurice W. Coulon |
Exhibit N 8
March 29, 2005
Gladstone Investment Corporation
1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200
McLean, VA 22102
Consent to Reference in Prospectus
In connection with the Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed by Gladstone Investment Corporation (the Company ), File No. 333- , I hereby consent to the reference to me in the prospectus included in such registration statement as a future member of the board of directors of the Company.
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Very truly yours, | |||
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/s/ JOHN H. OUTLAND | |||
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John H. Outland |
Exhibit P
GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
FOUNDER STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Founder Stock Purchase Agreement (the Agreement) is made as of the 18 th day of February, 2005, by and between Gladstone Investment Corporation , a Delaware corporation (the Company ), and David Gladstone ( Purchaser ).
Whereas, the Company desires to issue, and Purchaser desires to acquire, stock of the Company as herein described, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
Now, Therefore, It Is Agreed between the parties as follows:
1. Purchase and Sale of Stock. Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to sell to Purchaser, an aggregate of one hundred (100) shares of the Common Stock of the Company (the Stock ) at $15.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $1,500.00, payable in cash.
The closing hereunder, including payment for and delivery of the Stock shall occur at the offices of the Company immediately following the execution of this Agreement, or at such other time and place as the parties may mutually agree.
2. Limitations on Transfer. Purchaser shall not assign, hypothecate, donate, encumber or otherwise dispose of any interest in the Stock except in compliance with the provisions herein and applicable securities laws. Purchaser hereby further acknowledges that Purchaser may be required to hold the Common Stock purchased hereunder indefinitely. During the period of time during which the Purchaser holds the Common Stock, the value of the Common Stock may increase or decrease, and any risk associated with such Common Stock and such fluctuation in value shall be borne by the Purchaser.
3. Restrictive Legends. Any certificates representing the Stock shall have endorsed thereon legends in substantially the following forms (in addition to any other legend which may be required by other agreements between the parties hereto):
(a) THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AS AMENDED. THEY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AS TO THE SECURITIES UNDER SAID ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
(b) Any legend required by appropriate blue sky officials.
4. Investment Representations. In connection with the purchase of the Stock, Purchaser represents to the Company the following:
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(a) Purchaser is aware of the Companys business affairs and financial condition and has acquired sufficient information about the Company to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the Stock. Purchaser is purchasing the Stock for investment for Purchasers own account only and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution thereof within the meaning of the Act.
(b) Purchaser understands that the Stock has not been registered under the Act by reason of a specific exemption therefrom, which exemption depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of Purchasers investment intent as expressed herein.
(c) Purchaser further acknowledges and understands that the Stock must be held indefinitely unless the Stock is subsequently registered under the Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Purchaser understands that any certificates evidencing the Stock will be imprinted with a legend which prohibits the transfer of the Stock unless the Stock is registered or such registration is not required in the opinion of counsel for the Company.
(d) Purchaser is familiar with the provisions of Rule 144 under the Act, as in effect from time to time, which, in substance, permit limited public resale of restricted securities acquired, directly or indirectly, from the issuer thereof (or from an affiliate of such issuer), in a non-public offering subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. The Stock may be resold by Purchaser in certain limited circumstances subject to the provisions of Rule 144, which requires, among other things: (i) the availability of certain public information about the Company and (ii) the resale occurring following the required holding period under Rule 144 after the Purchaser has purchased, and made full payment of (within the meaning of Rule 144), the securities to be sold.
(e) Purchaser further understands that at the time Purchaser wishes to sell the Stock there may be no public market upon which to make such a sale, and that, even if such a public market then exists, the Company may not be satisfying the current public information requirements of Rule 144, and that, in such event, Purchaser would be precluded from selling the Stock under Rule 144 even if the minimum holding period requirement had been satisfied.
(f) Purchaser represents that Purchaser is an accredited investor as that term is defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
5. Miscellaneous.
(a) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company and, subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth, be binding upon Purchaser, Purchasers successors, and assigns.
(b) Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. The parties agree that any action brought by either party to interpret or enforce any provision of this Agreement shall be brought in, and each party agrees to, and does hereby, submit to the jurisdiction and venue of, the appropriate state or federal court for the district encompassing the Companys principal place of business.
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(c) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.
In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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Gladstone Investment Corporation | |||||
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/s/ Terry L. Brubaker | |||||
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Terry L. Brubaker
Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer |
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Purchaser: | |||||
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/s/ David Gladstone | |||||
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David Gladstone |
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Exhibit R
I. Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Introduction
Underlying our Core Values is our commitment to maintain the highest standards of business conduct and ethics. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (hereafter referred to as this Code) reflects the business practices and principles of behavior that support our core values and this commitment. We expect every employee, officer and director to read and understand this Code and its application to the performance of his or her business responsibilities.
References in this Code to employees are intended to cover all employees including officers and, as applicable, directors. References to our companies mean all the affiliated companies in the Gladstone group of companies, including Gladstone Capital Corporation (Gladstone Capital), Gladstone Commercial Corporation (Gladstone Commercial), Gladstone Investment Corporation (Gladstone Investment), Gladstone Capital Advisers, Inc. (the Adviser), and Gladstone Management Corporation (the Manager). References to the Board of Directors mean the Boards of Directors of all the affiliated companies in the Gladstone group of companies, as applicable. References to the Ethics Committee mean the Ethics, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees of Gladstone Capital, Gladstone Commercial and Gladstone Investment, as applicable.
Officers, managers and other supervisors are expected to develop in employees a sense of commitment to the spirit, as well as the letter, of this Code. Supervisors are also expected to ensure that all agents and contractors conform to this Codes standards when working for or on behalf of our companies. The compliance environment within each supervisors assigned area of responsibility will be a significant factor in evaluating the quality of that individuals performance. In addition, any employee who makes an exemplary effort to implement and uphold our legal and ethical standards will be recognized for that effort in his or her performance review. Nothing in this Code alters the at-will employment policy of our companies.
The Code addresses conduct that is particularly important to proper dealings with the people and entities with whom we interact, but reflects only a part of our commitment. From time to time we may adopt additional policies and procedures with which our employees, officers and directors are expected to comply, if applicable to them. However, it is the responsibility of each employee to apply common sense, together with his or her own highest personal ethical standards, in making business decisions where there is no stated guideline in this Code.
Action by members of your immediate family, significant others or other persons who live in your household also may potentially result in ethical issues to the extent that they involve our companies business. For example, acceptance of inappropriate gifts by a family member from one of our suppliers or portfolio companies could create a conflict of interest and result in a Code violation attributable to you. Consequently, in complying with this Code, you should consider not only your own conduct, but also that of your immediate family members, significant others and other persons who live in your household.
You should not hesitate to ask questions, voice concerns or clarify gray areas about whether any conduct may violate this Code. The Appendix details the compliance resources available to you. In addition, you should be alert to possible violations of this Code by others and report suspected violations, without fear of any form of retaliation, as further described in Section 15. Violations of this Code will not be tolerated. Any employee who violates the standards in this Code may be subject to disciplinary action, which, depending on the nature of the violation and the history of the employee, may range from a warning or reprimand to and including termination of employment and, in appropriate cases, civil legal action or referral for regulatory or criminal prosecution.
1. Honest and Ethical Conduct
It is the policy of our companies to promote high standards of integrity by conducting our affairs in an honest and ethical manner. The integrity and reputation of our companies depends on the honesty, fairness and integrity brought to the job by each person associated with us. Unyielding personal integrity is the foundation of corporate integrity.
2. Legal Compliance
Obeying the law, both in letter and in spirit, is the foundation of this Code. Our success depends upon each employees operating within legal guidelines and cooperating with local, national and international authorities. We expect employees to understand the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to their business units and areas of responsibility. We hold periodic training sessions to ensure that all employees comply with the relevant laws, rules and regulations associated with their employment. While we do not expect you to know every detail of these laws, rules and regulations, we want you to be able to determine when to seek advice from others. If you do have a question in the area of legal compliance, it is important that you not hesitate to seek answers from your supervisor or the Compliance Officer (see Section 15 below for more information about the Compliance Officer).
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Disregard of the law will not be tolerated. Violation of domestic or foreign laws, rules and regulations may subject an individual, as well as our companies, to civil or criminal penalties. You should be aware that conduct and records, including emails, are subject to internal and external audits and to discovery by third parties in the event of a government investigation or civil litigation. It is in everyones best interests to know and comply with our legal obligations.
3. Insider Trading
Employees who have access to confidential (or inside) information are not permitted to use or share that information for stock trading purposes or for any other purpose except to conduct our business. All non-public information about our companies or about companies with which we do business is considered confidential information. To use material non-public information in connection with buying or selling securities, including tipping others who might make an investment decision on the basis of this information, is not only unethical, it is illegal. You must exercise the utmost care when handling material inside information.
To help you avoid prohibited insider trading, and to comply with the separate requirements of Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, we require you to obtain pre-clearance of all securities trades for which you may have insider information. To request pre-clearance of a securities transaction, you should complete Schedule A of the attached Appendix and forward it to our Compliance Officer. The attached Appendix provides detailed legal provisions of the Act and imposes requirements on certain securities trades that you may wish to make. If you have question regarding the requirements or compliance procedures of the Act, or if you dont know whether your situation requires pre-clearance, you should contact our Compliance Officer.
4. International Business Laws
You are expected to comply with the applicable laws in all countries to which you travel, in which we operate and where we otherwise do business, including laws prohibiting bribery, corruption or the conduct of business with specified individuals, companies or countries. The fact that, in some countries, certain laws are not enforced or that violation of those laws is not subject to public criticism will not be accepted as an excuse for noncompliance. In addition, we expect you to comply with U.S. laws, rules and regulations governing the conduct of business by its citizens and corporations outside the U.S. If you have a question as to whether an activity is restricted or prohibited, seek assistance before taking any action, including giving any verbal assurances that might be regulated by international laws.
5. Environmental Compliance
It is our policy to conduct our business in an environmentally responsible way that minimizes environmental impacts. We are committed to minimizing and, if practicable, eliminating the use of any substance or material that may cause environmental damage, reducing waste generation and disposing of all waste through safe and responsible methods, minimizing environmental risks by employing safe technologies and operating procedures, and being prepared to respond appropriately to accidents and emergencies.
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6. Conflicts of Interest
We respect the rights of our employees to manage their personal affairs and investments and do not wish to impinge on their personal lives. At the same time, you should avoid conflicts of interest that occur when your personal interests may interfere in any way with the performance of your duties or the best interests of our companies. A conflicting personal interest could result from an expectation of personal gain now or in the future or from a need to satisfy a prior or concurrent personal obligation. We expect you be free from influences that conflict with the best interests of our companies, or might deprive our companies of your undivided loyalty in business dealings. Even the appearance of a conflict of interest where none actually exists can be damaging and should be avoided. Whether or not a conflict of interest exists or will exist can be unclear.
If you have any questions about a potential conflict or if you become aware of an actual or potential conflict, and you are not an officer or director of one of our companies, you should discuss the matter with your supervisor or the Compliance Officer. Supervisors may not authorize conflict of interest matters or make determinations as to whether a problematic conflict of interest exists without first seeking the approval of the Compliance Officer and providing the Compliance Officer with a written description of the activity. If the supervisor is involved in the potential or actual conflict, you should discuss the matter directly with the Compliance Officer. Officers and directors may seek authorizations and determinations from the Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors. Factors that may be considered in evaluating a potential conflict of interest are, among others:
| whether it may interfere with the employees job performance, responsibilities or morale; | |||
| whether the employee has access to confidential information; | |||
| whether it may interfere with the job performance, responsibilities or morale of others within the organization; | |||
| any potential adverse or beneficial impact on our business; | |||
| any potential adverse or beneficial impact on our relationships with our customers or suppliers or other service providers; | |||
| whether it would enhance or support a competitors position; | |||
| the extent to which it would result in financial or other benefit (direct or indirect) to the employee; | |||
| the extent to which it would result in financial or other benefit (direct or indirect) to one of our customers, suppliers or other service providers ; and | |||
| the extent to which it would appear improper to an outside observer. |
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Although no list can include every possible situation in which a conflict of interest could arise, the following are examples of situations that may, depending on the facts and circumstances, involve problematic conflicts of interests:
| Employment by (including consulting for) or service on the board of a competitor, customer or supplier or other service provider. Activity that enhances or supports the position of a competitor to the detriment of one or more of our companies is prohibited, including employment by or service on the board of a competitor. Employment by or service on the board of a customer or supplier or other service provider is generally discouraged and you must seek authorization in advance if you plan to take such a position. |
| Owning, directly or indirectly, a significant financial interest in any entity that does business, seeks to do business or competes with us. In addition to the factors described above, persons evaluating ownership in other entities for conflicts of interest will consider the size and nature of the investment; the nature of the relationship between the other entity and any one of our companies; the employees access to confidential information and the employees ability to influence one of our companies decisions. If you would like to acquire a financial interest of any kind, you must seek written approval in advance from the Compliance Officer. |
| Soliciting or accepting gifts, favors, loans or preferential treatment from any person or entity that does business or seeks to do business with us. See Section 10 for further discussion of the issues involved in this type of conflict. |
| Soliciting contributions to any charity or for any political candidate from any person or entity that does business or seeks to do business with us. |
| Taking personal advantage of corporate opportunities. See Section 7 for further discussion of the issues involved in this type of conflict. |
| Working at a second job without permission. |
| Conducting business transactions between any one of our companies and your family member or a business in which you or a family member has a significant financial interest. Material related-party transactions must be approved by the Audit Committee and the Ethics Committee and, if that activity involves any executive officer or director, that activity will be required to be publicly disclosed as required by applicable laws and regulations. |
Loans to, or guarantees of obligations of, employees or their family members by our companies could constitute an improper personal benefit to the recipients of these loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances. Some loans are expressly prohibited by law and applicable law requires that our Board of Directors approve all loans and guarantees to employees. As a result, all loans and guarantees by our companies must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors.
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7. Corporate Opportunities .
You may not take personal advantage of the opportunities of our companies that are presented to you or discovered by you as a result of your position with us or through your use of corporate property or information, unless authorized by the Board of Directors. Even opportunities that are acquired privately by you may be questionable if they are related to our existing or proposed lines of business. Significant participation in an investment or outside business opportunity that is directly related to our lines of business must be pre-approved by the board of directors of our company that is affected. You may not use your position with us or corporate property or information for improper personal gain, nor should you compete with us in any way.
8. Maintenance of Corporate Books, Records, Documents and Accounts; Financial Integrity; Public Reporting
The integrity of our records and public disclosure depends upon the validity, accuracy and completeness of the information supporting the entries to our books of account. Therefore, our corporate and business records should be completed accurately and honestly. The making of false or misleading entries, whether they relate to financial results or test results, is strictly prohibited. Our records serve as a basis for managing our business and are important in meeting our obligations to customers, suppliers, creditors, employees and others with whom we do business. As a result, it is important that our books, records and accounts accurately and fairly reflect, in reasonable detail, our assets, liabilities, revenues, costs and expenses, as well as all transactions and changes in assets and liabilities. We require that:
| no entry be made in our books and records that intentionally hides or disguises the nature of any transaction or of any of our liabilities or misclassifies any transactions as to accounts or accounting periods; |
| transactions be supported by appropriate documentation; |
| the terms of sales and other commercial transactions be reflected accurately in the documentation for those transactions and all such documentation be reflected accurately in our books and records; |
| employees comply with our system of internal controls; and |
| no cash or other assets be maintained for any purpose in any unrecorded or off-the-books fund. |
Our accounting records are also relied upon to produce reports for our management, stockholders and creditors, as well as for governmental agencies. In particular, we rely upon our accounting and other business and corporate records in preparing the periodic and current reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Securities laws require that these reports provide full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure and fairly present our financial condition and results of operations. Employees who collect, provide or analyze information for or otherwise contribute in any way in preparing or verifying these reports should
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strive to ensure that our financial disclosure is accurate and transparent and that our reports contain all of the information about the Gladstone group of companies that would be important to enable stockholders and potential investors to assess the soundness and risks of our business and finances and the quality and integrity of our accounting and disclosures. In addition:
| no employee may take or authorize any action that would intentionally cause our financial records or financial disclosure to fail to comply with generally accepted accounting principles, the rules and regulations of the SEC or other applicable laws, rules and regulations; |
| all employees must cooperate fully with our Accounting Department and, when one is established, Internal Auditing Departments, as well as our independent public accountants and counsel, respond to their questions with candor and provide them with complete and accurate information to help ensure that our books and records, as well as our reports filed with the SEC, are accurate and complete; and |
| no employee should knowingly make (or cause or encourage any other person to make) any false or misleading statement in any of our reports filed with the SEC or knowingly omit (or cause or encourage any other person to omit) any information necessary to make the disclosure in any of our reports accurate in all material respects. |
Any employee who becomes aware of any departure from these standards has a responsibility to report his or her knowledge promptly to a supervisor, the Compliance Officer, the Audit Committee or one of the other compliance resources described in Section 15.
9. Fair Dealing
We strive to outperform our competition fairly and honestly. Advantages over our competitors are to be obtained through superior performance of our products and services, not through unethical or illegal business practices. Acquiring proprietary information from others through improper means, possessing trade secret information that was improperly obtained, or inducing improper disclosure of confidential information from past or present employees of other companies is prohibited, even if motivated by an intention to advance our interests. If information is obtained by mistake that may constitute a trade secret or other confidential information of another business, or if you have any questions about the legality of proposed information gathering, you must consult your supervisor or the Compliance Officer, as further described in Section 15.
You are expected to deal fairly with our customers, suppliers, employees and anyone else with whom you have contact in the course of performing your job. Be aware that the Federal Trade Commission Act provides that unfair methods of competition in commerce, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce, are declared unlawful. It is a violation of this Act to engage in deceptive, unfair or unethical practices and to make misrepresentations in connection with sales activities.
Employees involved in procurement have a special responsibility to adhere to principles of fair competition in the purchase of products and services by selecting suppliers based
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exclusively on normal commercial considerations, such as quality, cost, availability, service and reputation, and not on the receipt of special favors.
10. Gifts and Entertainment
Business gifts and entertainment are meant to create goodwill and sound working relationships and not to gain improper advantage with customers or facilitate approvals from government officials. The exchange, as a normal business courtesy, of meals or entertainment (such as tickets to a game or the theatre or a round of golf) is a common and acceptable practice as long as it is not extravagant. Unless express written permission is received from a supervisor, the Compliance Officer or the Ethics Committee, gifts and entertainment cannot be offered, provided or accepted by any employee unless consistent with customary business practices and not (a) of more than token or nominal monetary value, (b) in cash, (c) susceptible of being construed as a bribe or kickback, (d) made or received on a regular or frequent basis or (e) in violation of any laws. This principle applies to our transactions everywhere in the world, even where the practice is widely considered a way of doing business. Employees should not accept gifts or entertainment that may reasonably be deemed to affect their judgment or actions in the performance of their duties. Our customers, suppliers and the public at large should know that our employees judgment is not for sale.
11. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets
All employees are expected to protect our assets and ensure their efficient use. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on our profitability. Our property, such as office supplies, computer equipment, buildings and products, are expected to be used only for legitimate business purposes, although incidental personal use may be permitted. You may not, however, use our corporate name, any brand name or trademark owned or associated with our companies or any letterhead stationery for any personal purpose.
You may not, while acting on behalf of our companies or while using our computing or communications equipment or facilities, either:
| access the internal computer system (also known as hacking) or other resource of another entity without express written authorization from the entity responsible for operating that resource; or |
| commit any unlawful or illegal act, including harassment, libel, fraud, sending of unsolicited bulk email (also known as spam) in violation of applicable law, trafficking in contraband of any kind or espionage. |
| If you receive authorization to access another entitys internal computer system or other resource, you must make a permanent record of that authorization so that it may be retrieved for future reference, and you may not exceed the scope of that authorization. |
Unsolicited bulk email is regulated by law in a number of jurisdictions. If you intend to send unsolicited bulk email to persons outside of our companies, either while acting on our
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behalf or using our computing or communications equipment or facilities, you should contact your supervisor or the Compliance Officer for approval.
All data residing on or transmitted through our computing and communications facilities, including email and word processing documents, is the property of our companies and subject to inspection, retention and review by us , with or without an employees or third partys knowledge, consent or approval, in accordance with applicable law. Any misuse or suspected misuse of our assets must be immediately reported to your supervisor or the Compliance Officer.
12. Confidentiality
One of our most important assets is our confidential information. As an employee of our companies, you may learn of information about our business that is confidential and proprietary. You also may learn of information before that information is released to the general public. Employees who have received or have access to confidential information should take care to keep this information confidential. Confidential information includes non-public information that might be of use to competitors or harmful to our companies or its customers if disclosed, such as business, marketing and service plans, financial information, product architecture, source codes, designs, databases, customer lists, pricing strategies, personnel data, personally identifiable information pertaining to our employees, customers or other individuals, and similar types of information provided to us by our customers, suppliers and partners. This information may be protected by patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws.
In addition, because we interact with other companies and organizations, there may be times when you learn confidential information about other companies before that information has been made available to the public. You must treat this information in the same manner as you are required to treat our confidential and proprietary information. There may even be times when you must treat as confidential the fact that we have an interest in, or are involved with, another company.
You are expected to keep confidential and proprietary information confidential unless and until that information is released to the public through approved channels (usually through a press release, an SEC filing or a formal communication from a member of senior management, as further described in Section 13). Every employee has a duty to refrain from disclosing to any person confidential or proprietary information about us or any other company learned in the course of employment here, until that information is disclosed to the public through approved channels. This policy requires you to refrain from discussing confidential or proprietary information with outsiders and even with other of our companies employees, unless those fellow employees have a legitimate need to know the information in order to perform their job duties. Unauthorized use or distribution of this information could also be illegal and result in civil liability and/or criminal penalties.
You should also take care not to inadvertently disclose confidential information. Materials that contain confidential information, such as memos, notebooks, computer disks and laptop computers, should be stored securely. Unauthorized posting or discussion of any information concerning our business, information or prospects on the Internet is prohibited. You may not discuss our business, information or prospects in any chat room, regardless of whether
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you use your own name or a pseudonym. Be cautious when discussing sensitive information in public places like elevators, airports, restaurants and quasi-public areas within the Gladstone group of companies. All our companies emails, voicemails and other communications are presumed confidential and should not be forwarded or otherwise disseminated outside of our companies , except where required for legitimate business purposes.
In addition to the above responsibilities, if you are handling information protected by any privacy policy published by us, such as our website privacy policy, then you must handle that information in accordance with the applicable policy.
13. Media/Public Discussions
It is our policy to disclose material information concerning our companies to the public only through specific limited channels to avoid inappropriate publicity and to ensure that all those with an interest in the company will have equal access to information. All inquiries or calls from the press and financial analysts should be referred to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or our Head of Investor Relations. We have designated our CEO as our official spokesperson for financial matters. We have designated the President of one of our companies or our Chief Investment Officer (CIO) as our official spokesperson for marketing, and other related information. Unless a specific exception has been made by the CEO, these designees are the only people who may communicate with the press on behalf of our companies . Y ou also may not provide any information to the media about us off the record, for background, confidentially or secretly.
14. Waivers
Any waiver of this Code for executive officers (including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller (or persons performing similar functions) or directors may be authorized only by the Board of Directors of our companies, and will be disclosed to stockholders as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
15. Compliance Standards and Procedures
Compliance Resources; Compliance Officer
To facilitate compliance with this Code, we have implemented a program of Code awareness, training and review. We have established the position of Compliance Officer to oversee this program. The Compliance Officer is a person to whom you can address any questions or concerns. The current Compliance Officer is the head of Human Resources in the McLean office of our companies.
In addition to fielding questions or concerns with respect to potential violations of this Code, the Compliance Officer is responsible for:
| investigating possible violations of this Code; |
| training new employees in Code policies; |
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| conducting annual training sessions to refresh employees familiarity with this Code; | |||
| distributing copies of this Code annually by hard copy or by email to each employee with a reminder that each employee is responsible for reading, understanding and complying with this Code; | |||
| updating this Code as needed and alerting employees to any updates, with appropriate approval of the Ethics Committee, to reflect changes in the law, our companies operations and in recognized best practices, and to reflect our companies experience; and | |||
| otherwise promoting an atmosphere of responsible and ethical conduct. | |||
| Your most immediate resource for any matter related to this Code is your supervisor. He or she may have the information you need or may be able to refer the question to another appropriate source. |
There may, however, be times when you prefer not to go to your supervisor. In these instances, you should feel free to discuss your concern with the Compliance Officer. If you are uncomfortable speaking with the Compliance Officer because he or she works in your department or is one of your supervisors, please contact either board member on the Ethics Committee: Paul Adelgren or Maurice Coulon . You may also report violations directly to members of the Ethics Committee by either sending a letter to Pinkertons Compliance Services, 13950 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28277 or by calling our companies toll-free hotline run by Pinkertons at 1-800-528-5745 and speaking with a representative who will transmit the information to the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee will pass on to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors all information related to complaints or observations that involve accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing concerns.
You may call the toll-free number anonymously if you prefer as it is not equipped with caller identification, although Pinkertons Compliance Services will be unable to obtain follow-up details from you that may be necessary to investigate the matter. Whether you identify yourself or remain anonymous, your telephonic contact with Pinkertons Compliance Services through the toll-free number will be kept strictly confidential to the extent reasonably possible within the objectives of this Code.
16. Amendments and Modifications
This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics may not be amended or modified except in a written form which is specifically approved by majority vote of the independent directors of the applicable entities.
This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics was adopted by the Boards of Directors, including the independent directors, of Gladstone Capital Corporation and Gladstone Commercial Corporation on September 7, 2004, and of Gladstone Investment Corporation on ___, 2005.
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II. Appendix for Rule 17j-1 Compliance
Pre-Clearing Securities Trades
This Appendix to the Code has been adopted to comply with Rule 17j-l (the Rule) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Act) to establish standards and procedures for the detection and prevention of activities by which persons having knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of Gladstone Capital, Gladstone Investment and other funds managed by Gladstone Management (collectively, the Funds) may abuse their fiduciary duties and to deal with other types of conflict of interest situations to which the Rule is addressed.
(a) General Prohibitions
The specific provisions and reporting requirements of the Rule and this Appendix are concerned primarily with those investment activities of Access Persons, defined below, who are associated with the Funds and who thus may benefit from or interfere with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities by the Funds. However, the Rule and this Appendix apply to all affiliated persons of the Funds (including the Adviser and the Manager) and affiliated persons of the Adviser and the Manager (Covered Persons).
The Rule makes it unlawful for Covered Persons to engage in conduct which is deceitful, fraudulent or manipulative, or which involves false or misleading statements, in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by an investment company. Accordingly, under the Rule and this Appendix no Covered Person shall use any information concerning the investments or investment intentions of the Funds, or his or her ability to influence such investment intentions, for personal gain or in a manner detrimental to the interests of the Funds.
In addition, no Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly in connection with the purchase or sale of a security held or to be acquired by the Funds: (a) employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Funds; or (b) make to the Funds, the Adviser or the Manager any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to any of the foregoing a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; or (c) engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Funds; or (d) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Funds.
(b) General Principles.
This Appendix acknowledges the general principles that Covered Persons: (A) owe a fiduciary obligation to the Funds, the Adviser and the Manager; (B) have the duty at all times to place the interests of stockholders first; (C) must conduct all personal securities transactions in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or abuse of an individuals
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position of trust and responsibility; and (D) should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions in relation to the Funds, the Adviser and the Manager.
(c) Definitions.
For purposes of this Appendix,
(i) Access Person means (1) any officer, director or employee of the Adviser, the Manager or the Funds; (2) any employee of any company in a control relationship to the Adviser, the Manager or the Funds who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Funds, or whose functions or duties relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and (3) any natural person in a control relationship to the Adviser, the Manager or the Funds who obtains information concerning recommendations made for the purchase or sale of Securities by the Funds.
(ii) Administrator has the meaning in Section (k)(i) below.
(iii) Affiliated Person of another person means (1) any person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote, 5% or more of the outstanding voting Securities of such other person; (2) any person 5% or more of whose outstanding voting Securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote, by such other person; (3) any person directly or indirectly controlling controlled by, or under common control with, such other person; (4) any officer, director, partner, copartner, or employee of such other person; and (5) any investment adviser of the Funds.
(iv) Beneficial Interest means any interest by which an Access Person or any member of his or her immediate family (relative by blood or marriage living in the same household), can directly or indirectly derive a monetary benefit from the purchase, sale (or other acquisition or disposition) or ownership of a Security, except such interests as Clearing Officers (defined below) shall determine to be too remote for the purpose of this Appendix. (A transaction in which an Access Person acquires or disposes of a Security in which he or she has or thereby acquires a direct or indirect Beneficial Interest will be referred to in this Code of Ethics as a personal securities transaction or as a transaction for the persons own account).
(v) Clearing Officers has the meaning in Section (e)(i)(1) below.
(vi) Control means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company (unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company). Any person who owns beneficially, directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the voting securities of a company shall be presumed to control such company. Natural persons shall be presumed not to be controlled persons.
(vii) Covered Persons shall have the meaning set forth in Section (a) above.
(viii) Investment Person means an Access Person described in Section (c)(i)(2) above.
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(ix) Loan Officer means an Access Person who is responsible for making decisions as to Securities to be bought or sold for the Funds portfolio.
(x) Security includes all debt obligations, stock and other instruments comprising the investments of the Funds, including any warrant or option to acquire or sell a security and financial futures contracts, but excludes securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies, bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and shares of a mutual Company. References to a Security in this Appendix shall include any warrant for, option in, or security immediately convertible into that Security.
(xi) A Security held or to be acquired by the Funds means any Security (as defined above) which, within the most recent 180 days is or has been held by the Funds or is being or has been considered for purchase by the Funds.
(xii) A Security is being considered for purchase or sale from the time an amendment letter is signed by or on behalf of the Funds until the closing with respect to that Security is completed or aborted.
(d) Prohibited Transactions. An Access Person may not effect a personal securities transaction if he or she knows or should know at the time of entering into the transaction that: (i) any of the Funds has engaged in a transaction in the same Security within the last 180 days, or is engaging in a transaction or is going to engage in a transaction in the same Security in the next 180 days; or (ii) the Adviser or the Manager has within the last 180 days considered a transaction in the same Security for any of the Funds or is considering such a transaction in the Security or within the next 180 days is going to consider such a transaction in the Security, unless such Access Person (1) obtains advance clearance of such transaction and (2) reports to the applicable Fund the information described in Section (e) of this Appendix.
(e) Advance Clearance Requirement
(i) Procedures
(1) From Whom Obtained. Advance clearance of a personal securities transaction required to be approved under Section (d) above must be obtained from the Compliance Officer plus another officer, or from any two officers of the Funds who are not either parties to the transaction or a relative of a party to the transaction. For purposes of this Appendix, these officers are sometimes referred to as Clearing Officers .
(2) Form. Clearance must be obtained in writing by completing and signing a form provided for that purpose by the Company, which form shall set forth the details of the proposed transaction, and obtaining the signatures of any two of the Clearing Officers. An example of such Form is annexed to this Appendix as Schedule A .
(3) Filing. A copy of all completed clearance forms, with all required signatures, shall be retained by the Administrator of this Appendix.
(f) Factors Considered in Clearance of Personal Transactions. The Clearing Officers may refuse to grant clearance of a personal transaction in their sole discretion without
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being required to specify any reason for the refusal. Generally, the Clearing Officers will consider the following factors in determining whether or not to clear a proposed transaction: (1) whether the amount or nature of the transaction or person making it is likely to affect the price or market for the Security; (2) whether the individual making the proposed purchase or sale is likely to benefit from purchases or sales being made or being considered by the Funds; (3) whether the Security proposed to be purchased or sold is one that would qualify for purchase or sale by the Funds; (4) whether the transaction is non-volitional on the part of the individual, such as receipt of a stock dividend, bequest or inheritance.
(g) Exempt Transactions
Neither the prohibitions nor the reporting requirements of this Appendix apply to:
(i) Not Controlled Securities. Purchases, sales or other acquisitions or dispositions of Securities for an account over which the Covered Person or Access Person has no direct influence or control and does not exercise indirect influence or control;
(ii) Ineligible Securities. Purchases, sales or other acquisitions or dispositions of Securities which are not eligible for purchase or sale by the Funds;
(iii) Involuntary Transactions. Involuntary purchases or sales made by a Covered Person or an Access Person;
(iv) DRPs. Purchases which are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan;
(v) Rights Offerings. Purchases or other acquisitions or dispositions resulting from the exercise of rights acquired from an issuer as part of a pro rata distribution to all holders of a class of Securities of such issuer and the sale of such rights; and
(vi) Cleared Transactions. Purchases, sales or other acquisitions or dispositions which receive the prior approval of the Clearing Officers upon consideration of the factors stated in Section (e) above and/or because: (1) their potential harm to the Funds is remote; (2) they would be unlikely to affect a highly institutional market; or (3) they are clearly not related economically to Securities being considered for purchase or sale by the Funds.
(h) Reporting Requirements .
(i) Quarterly Reports .
(1) Quarterly Obligation. Within ten (10) days after the end of each calendar quarter, each Access Person shall make a written report to the Compliance Officer of all non-exempt transactions occurring in the quarter by which they acquired or disposed of a Beneficial Interest in any Security.
(2) Contents. Such report must contain the following information with respect to each reportable transaction: (a) date and nature of the transaction (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition); (b) title, number of shares or principal amount of
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each Security and the price at which the transaction was effected; and (c) name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected.
(3) Disclaimer. Such report may contain a statement that the report is not to be construed as an admission that the person making it has or had any direct or indirect Beneficial Interest in any Security to which the report relates.
(4) Director Exception. Notwithstanding the quarterly reporting requirement set forth in Section (h)(i)(1) above, a director of the Company who is not an interested person of the Company, as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act, shall not be subject to such reporting requirement for a quarter as to which such director did not engage in any securities transactions that were subject to Section (d) of this Appendix other than those as to which such director received advance approval in accordance with Section (e); provided, however, that such reporting is required if that director knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her duties as a director of the Funds, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately before or after the directors transaction in a Security, or any of the Funds purchased or sold that Security, or any of the Funds, the Adviser or the Manager considered purchasing or selling that Security.
(5) Form of Report. The report may be on the form attached to this Appendix as Schedule B, or may consist of broker statements which provide at least the same information.
(6) Responsibility to Report. The responsibility for taking the initiative to report is imposed on each individual required to make a report. Any effort by the Manager, the Adviser or the Funds to facilitate the reporting process does not change or alter that responsibility.
(7) Where to File Report. All reports must be filed with the Compliance Officer.
(i) Confidentiality of Transactions
Until disclosed in a public report to stockholders or to the SEC in the normal course, all information concerning Securities being considered for purchase or sale by the Funds shall be kept confidential by all Access Persons and disclosed by them only on a need to know basis. It shall be the responsibility of the Compliance Officer to report any inadequacy found by him or her to the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee appointed by the Board of Directors to deal with such information.
(j) Sanctions
Any violation of this Appendix shall be subject to the imposition of such sanctions by the Funds, the Adviser or the Manager as may be deemed appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of the Rule and this Appendix, which may include suspension or termination of employment, a letter of censure and/or restitution of an amount equal to the difference between the price paid or received by the Funds and the more advantageous price paid
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or received by the offending person. Sanctions for violation of this Appendix by a director of the Funds will be determined by a majority vote of its independent directors of the applicable Fund.
(k) Administration and Construction
(i) The Administrator. The administration of this Appendix shall be the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer (the Compliance Officer) of the Manager, the Adviser and the Funds.
(ii) Duties. The duties of the Compliance Officer under this Appendix include: (1) continuous maintenance of a current list of the names of all Access Persons, with an appropriate description of their title or employment; (2) providing each Access Person a copy of this Appendix and informing them of their duties and obligations thereunder, and assuring that Covered Persons who are not access persons are familiar with applicable requirements of this Appendix; (3) supervising the implementation of this Appendix and its enforcement by the Adviser, the Manager and the Funds; (4) maintaining or supervising the maintenance of all records and reports required by this Appendix; (5) preparing listings of all transactions effected by any Access Person within thirty (30) days of the date on which the same security was held, purchased or sold by the Funds; (6) determining whether any particular securities transaction should be exempted pursuant to the provisions of this Appendix; (7) issuing either personally or with the assistance of counsel, as may be appropriate, any interpretation of this Appendix which may appear consistent with the objectives of the Rule and this Appendix; (8) conducting of such inspections or investigations, including scrutiny of the listings referred to in the preceding subparagraph, as shall reasonably be required to detect and report, with recommendations, any apparent violations of this Appendix to the Board of Directors of the Funds or any Committee appointed by them to deal with such information; and (9) submitting a quarterly report to the directors of the Funds containing a description of any violation and the sanction imposed; transactions which suggest the possibility of a violation of interpretations issued by and any exemptions or waivers found appropriate by the Compliance Officer; and any other significant information concerning the appropriateness of this Appendix.
(l) Required Records.
The Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in an easily accessible place, the following records:
(i) Rule 17 Code. A copy of this Appendix and any other code of ethics adopted pursuant to the Rule (a Rule 17 Code) which has been in effect during the past five (5) years;
(ii) Violations. A record of any violation of any such Rule 17 Code and of any action taken as a result of such violation;
(iii) Reports. A copy of each report made by the Compliance Officer within two (2) years from the end of the fiscal year of the Funds in which such report or interpretation is made or issued, and for an additional three (3) years in a place which need not be easily accessible; and
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(iv) List. A list of all persons who are, or within the past five (5) years have been, required to make reports pursuant to the Rule and any Rule 17 Code.
(m) Amendments and Modifications
This Appendix may not be amended or modified except in a written form which is specifically approved by majority vote of the independent directors of the applicable Funds.
This Appendix was adopted by the Board of Directors, including the independent directors, of Gladstone Capital on September 7, 2004, and of Gladstone Investment on ___, 2005.
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SCHEDULE A
REQUEST FOR PERMISSION
TO ENGAGE IN PERSONAL TRANSACTION
I hereby request permission to effect a transaction in securities as indicated below for my own account or other account in which I have a beneficial interest or legal title.
(Use approximate dates and amounts of proposed transactions.)
PURCHASES AND ACQUISITIONS
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SCHEDULE B
The following lists all transactions in securities in which I had any direct or indirect
beneficial ownership during the last calendar quarter in any Security which the Company held or
intended to acquire or that was being considered for purchase or sale by the Company. (If no
transactions took place you may write None.) Sign and return to the Secretary of the Company no
later than the 10th day of the month following the end of the quarter. Use reverse side if
additional space is needed. You do not need to file this report if you have had no transactions
and all categories would be filled in with None.
PURCHASES AND ACQUISITIONS
No. of Shares
or Principal
Name of
Date
Amount
Security
Unit Price
Total Price
Broker
Name:
Signature:
Permission Granted
o
Permission Denied
o
Signature:
Signature:
QUARTERLY SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
CONFIDENTIAL REPORT
No. of Shares
or Principal
Name of
Date
Amount
Security
Unit Price
Total Price
Broker
Name:
Signature
: