Exhibit 10.1

EXECUTION COPY

AMENDMENT NO. 8 TO
LOAN AND SERVICING AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDMENT NO. 8 TO LOAN AND SERVICING AGREEMENT , dated as of January 3, 2017, (this “ Amendment ”) is entered into by and among Ares Capital CP Funding LLC, as the borrower (in such capacity, the “ Borrower ”), Ares Capital Corporation, as the servicer (in such capacity, the “ Servicer ”), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as the swingline lender (in such capacity, the “ Swingline Lender ”), as a lender (in such capacity, a “ Lender ”) and as the successor agent (in such capacity, the “ Agent ”), Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as the resigning agent, Bank of America, N.A., as a lender (in such capacity, a “ Lender ”), and U.S. Bank National Association as the collateral custodian (in such capacity, the “ Collateral Custodian ”), the trustee (in such capacity, the “ Trustee ”) and as the bank (in such capacity, the “ Bank ”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meanings provided in the Agreement (as defined below).

R E C I T A L S

WHEREAS , reference is made to the Loan and Servicing Agreement, dated as of January 22, 2010 (as further amended, modified, waived, supplemented or restated from time to time, the “ Agreement ”), by and among the Borrower, the Servicer, the Transferor, the Lenders, the Agent, the Trustee, the Collateral Custodian and the Bank; and

WHEREAS , the parties hereto desire to further amend the Agreement in certain respects as specified herein, pursuant to and in accordance with Section 11.01 of the Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE , based upon the above Recitals, the mutual premises and agreements contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

SECTION 1.                          AMENDMENT .

The Agreement, including all exhibits and schedules thereto, is hereby amended such that, after giving effect to all such amendments, it shall read in its entirety as Exhibit A attached hereto.

SECTION 2.                          WAIVER .

The Borrower, the Servicer, the Agent and each of the Lenders hereby waive the requirements specified in clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 2.07(h) of the Agreement with respect to transfers of the Loan Assets specified by the Borrower to the Agent in Exhibit B hereto (the “ Exempted Transfers ”) and such Exempted Transfers shall not be included in the calculation of the Outstanding Balance of Loan Assets transferred during the 12-month period immediately preceding proposed future transfers of Loan Assets; provided that such Exempted Transfers are settled on or prior to the 45th day following the date hereof.

SECTION 3.                          AGREEMENT IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS AMENDED .

Except as specifically amended hereby, all provisions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.  After this Amendment becomes effective, all references to the Agreement and corresponding references thereto or therein such as “hereof”, “herein”, or words of similar effect referring to the Agreement shall be deemed to mean the Agreement as amended hereby.  This Amendment shall not be deemed to expressly or impliedly waive, amend or supplement any provision of the Agreement other than as expressly set forth herein.

SECTION 4.                          REPRESENTATIONS .

Each of the Borrower and the Servicer, severally for itself only, represents and warrants as of the date of this Amendment as follows:

(i)                                      it is duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization;

(ii)                                   the execution, delivery and performance by it of this Amendment and the Agreement as amended hereby are within its powers, have been duly authorized, and do not contravene (A) its charter, by-laws, or other organizational documents, or (B) any Applicable Law;

(iii)                                no consent, license, permit, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with any governmental authority, is required in connection with the execution, delivery, performance, validity or enforceability of this Amendment and the Agreement as amended hereby by or against it;

(iv)                               this Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by it;

(v)                                  each of this Amendment and the Agreement as amended hereby constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general principles of equity; and

(vi)                               there is no Unmatured Event of Default, Event of Default or Servicer Termination Event.

SECTION 5.                          CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS .

This Amendment shall be effective upon satisfaction of the conditions precedent that:

(i)                                      all reasonable up-front expenses and fees (including legal fees and any fees required under any Lender Fee Letter and the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter) that are invoiced at or prior to the Eighth Amendment Effective shall have been paid in full (or as set forth in the applicable Lender Fee Letter);

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(ii)                                   any and all information submitted to each Lender and the Agent by the Borrower, the Transferor, the Equityholder or the Servicer or any of their Affiliates is true, accurate, complete in all material respects and not misleading in any material respect;

(iii)                                in the reasonable judgment of each Lender, there shall have been no material adverse change in the Borrower’s (and the Servicer’s as applicable) underwriting, servicing, collection, operating, and reporting procedures and systems;

(iv)                               in the reasonable judgment of each Lender, there has not been any change in Applicable Law which adversely affects such Lender’s ability to enter into the Transaction Documents or any material adverse change or material disruption after May 23, 2016 in the financial, banking or commercial loan or capital markets generally;

(v)                                  each Lender shall have received all documentation and other information requested by such Lender in its sole discretion and/or required by regulatory authorities with respect to the Borrower, the Transferor and the Servicer under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the USA PATRIOT Act, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to each Lender;

(vi)                               the Agent shall have received on or before the date of such effectiveness (A) delivery of executed signature pages by all parties hereto to the Agent; (B) delivery and execution of certain amendments to the Wells Fargo Fee Letter by the parties thereto; (C) delivery of each other executed Lender Fee Letter to the Agent; (D) delivery of the executed Non-Usage Fee Letter to the Agent; and (E) delivery of favorable opinions of counsel, in each case, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and each Lender, as applicable; and

(vii)                            no material adverse effect on the business, assets, financial conditions or performance of the Servicer and its subsidiaries, including the Borrower, on a consolidated basis, has occurred.

SECTION 6.                          MISCELLANEOUS .

(a)                                  The Borrower, by its execution of this Amendment (a) re-pledges and re-grants to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in the Collateral Portfolio (as defined in the Agreement) to secure the Obligations (as defined in the Agreement) and (b) confirms and ratifies that all of its obligations and the security interests granted by it under each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party shall continue in full force and effect in favor of the Trustee, for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

(b)                                  This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or e-mail), and by the different parties hereto on the same or separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original instrument but all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

(c)                                   The descriptive headings of the various sections of this Amendment are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

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(d)                                  This Amendment may not be amended or otherwise modified except as provided in the Agreement.

(e)                                   The failure or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall not affect the other provisions of this Amendment.

(f)                                    Whenever the context and construction so require, all words used in the singular number herein shall be deemed to have been used in the plural number, and vice versa, and the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter and the neuter shall include the masculine and feminine.

(g)                                   This Amendment and the Agreement represent the final agreement among the parties with respect to the matters set forth therein and may not be contradicted by evidence of prior, contemporaneous or subsequent oral agreements among the parties.  There are no unwritten oral agreements among the parties with respect to such matters.

(h)                                  THIS AMENDMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES UNDER THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT AND SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL AND NOTICE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT.

(i)                                      Each of the Lenders, Swingline Lender and Agent direct U.S. Bank National Association in its capacity as Collateral Custodian and Trustee and the Bank to execute, deliver and perform in accordance with this Amendment.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties have caused this Amendment No. 8 to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the date first above written.

[SIGNATURES CONTINUE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]

Ares Capital CP Funding LLC

Amendment No. 8 to LSA

[SIGNATURES CONTINUE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]

Ares Capital CP Funding LLC

Amendment No. 8 to LSA

[SIGNATURES CONTINUE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]

Ares Capital CP Funding LLC

Amendment No. 8 to LSA

[SIGNATURES CONTINUE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]

Ares Capital CP Funding LLC

Amendment No. 8 to LSA

[SIGNATURES CONTINUE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]

Ares Capital CP Funding LLC

Amendment No. 8 to LSA

Ares Capital CP Funding LLC

Amendment No. 8 to LSA

EXHIBIT A

(ATTACHED)

EXECUTION COPY

Conformed through Amendment No. 8

Up to U.S. $1,000,000,000

LOAN AND SERVICING AGREEMENT

Dated as of January 22, 2010

Among

ARES CAPITAL CP FUNDING LLC,
as the Borrower

and

ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION,
as the Servicer and the Transferor

and

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as the Agent and the Swingline Lender

and

EACH OF THE LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY HERETO,

as the Lenders

and

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as the Collateral Custodian, Trustee and the Bank

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

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This LOAN AND SERVICING AGREEMENT (as amended, restated, supplemented or modified from time to time, the “ Loan and Servicing Agreement ”) is made as of January 22, 2010, among:

(1)                                  ARES CAPITAL CP FUNDING LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the “ Borrower ”);

(2)                                  ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Maryland corporation, as the Servicer (as defined herein) and the Transferor (as defined herein);

(3)                                  WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as agent (together with its successor and assigns in such capacity, the “ Agent ”) and as swingline lender (together with its successor and assigns in such capacity, the “ Swingline Lender ”);

(4)                                  EACH OF THE LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY HERETO, as a Lender; and

(5)                                  U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (“ U.S. Bank ”), as the Trustee (together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the “ Trustee ”), the Bank (as defined herein) and the Collateral Custodian (together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the “ Collateral Custodian ”).

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

WHEREAS, certain parties hereto were party to a Sale and Servicing Agreement, dated as of November 3, 2004, by and among the Servicer, as the servicer, the Transferor, as the originator, the Borrower, as the borrower, Ares CP Funding II LLC, as the guarantor, Variable Funding Capital Company LLC (“ VFCC ”), as a conduit purchaser, the Note Purchaser, as an institutional purchaser, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC  (f/k/a Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC) (together with its successors and assigns, “ WFS ”), as the administrative agent and as the purchaser agent for VFCC, Ares Capital CP Funding II, as the guarantor (the “ Guarantor ”) the Trustee, as the trustee, and Lyon Financial Services, Inc. d/b/a U.S. Bank Portfolio Services (“ Lyon ”), as the backup servicer (as amended, restated, supplemented or modified prior to the date hereof, the “ Original Agreement ”);

WHEREAS, certain parties hereto are party to an Amended and Restated Sale and Servicing Agreement, dated as of January 22, 2010, by and among the Servicer, as the servicer, the Transferor as the originator, the Borrower, as the borrower, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, in its individual capacity (together with its successors and assigns, “ Wells Fargo ”), as the note purchaser, WFS, as the administrative agent, and U.S. Bank, as the collateral custodian, trustee and bank (as amended, restated, supplemented or modified prior to the date hereof, (the “ Restatement Agreement ”) that amended and restated the Original Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Lenders have agreed, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, to provide a secured revolving credit facility which shall provide for Advances from time to time in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed the Borrowing Base; and

WHEREAS, the proceeds of the Advances will be used to finance the Borrower’s origination or purchase, on a “true sale” basis, of Eligible Loan Assets from the Equityholder and the Equityholder’s purchase, on a “true sale” basis, of Eligible Loan Assets from the Transferor, approved by the Agent, pursuant to the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement between the Borrower and the Equityholder and the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement between the Equityholder and the Transferor, respectively.

NOW THEREFORE, based upon the foregoing Preliminary Statement, the parties agree as follows:

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01                                       Certain Defined Terms .

(a)                                  Certain capitalized terms used throughout this Agreement are defined above or in this Section 1.01 .

(b)                                  As used in this Agreement and the exhibits, schedules and annexes thereto (each of which is hereby incorporated herein and made a part hereof), the following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

“ 1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“ Accreted Interest ” means interest accrued on a Loan Asset that is added to the principal amount of such Loan Asset instead of being paid as interest as it accrues.

“ Acquisition Agreement ” means that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 23, 2016 by and among Ares Capital Corporation, Orion Acquisition Sub, Inc.,  Ivy Hill Asset Management, L.P. and Ivy Hill Asset Management GP, LLC, in its capacity as general partner of Ivy Hill Asset Management, L.P. (collectively, the “ Buyers ”), and each of American Capital, Ltd. and American Capital Asset Management, LLC, (collectively the “ Seller Parties ”), and, solely for purposes of Section 2.2(a)(ii)(B), Section 2.3(a)(iii), Section 4.29, Section 4.30, Section 7.4 and Article VIII thereof, Ares Capital Management LLC, in its capacity as Ares Capital Corporation’s investment adviser.

“ Acquisition Participation Elevation Period ” means the period commencing on the Eighth Amendment Effective Date and ending on March 4, 2017.

“ Acquisition Participation Interests ” means the Participation Interests transferred to the Borrower in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Acquisition Agreement on the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, the seller thereof is a Seller Party or an Affiliate thereof.

“ Action ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 8.03 .

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“ Additional Amount ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.11(a) .

“ Adjusted Borrowing Value ” means for any Loan Asset, for any date of determination, an amount equal to the lowest of: (i) the Outstanding Balance of such Loan Asset at such time, (ii) the Assigned Value of such Loan Asset, as of the applicable Advance Date, multiplied by the principal balance of such Loan Asset (exclusive of Accreted Interest) and (iii) the Assigned Value of such Loan Asset at such time multiplied by the principal balance of such Loan Asset (exclusive of Accreted Interest); provided that the parties hereby agree that the Adjusted Borrowing Value of any Loan Asset that is no longer an Eligible Loan Asset shall be zero.

“ Advance ” means each loan advanced by the Lenders (including the Swingline Lender) hereunder (including each Advance, each Swingline Advance and each loan advanced for the purpose of refunding the Swingline Lender for any Swingline Advances pursuant to Section 2.25(a)  and funding the Unfunded Exposure Account pursuant to Section 2.02(f) ) to the Borrower on an Advance Date pursuant to Article II .

“ Advance Date ” means, with respect to any Advance and any Swingline Advance, the date on which such Advance or such Swingline Advance is made.

“ Advances Outstanding ” means, at any time, the sum of the principal amounts of Advances loaned to the Borrower for the initial and any subsequent borrowings pursuant to Sections 2.01 and 2.02 as of such time, reduced by the aggregate Available Collections received and distributed as repayment of principal amounts of Advances outstanding pursuant to Section 2.04 at or prior to such time and any other amounts received by the Lenders to repay the principal amounts of Advances outstanding pursuant to Section 2.18 or otherwise at or prior to such time; provided that the principal amounts of Advances outstanding shall not be reduced by any Available Collections or other amounts if at any time such Available Collections or other amounts are rescinded or must be returned for any reason.

“ Affected Party ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.10 .

“ Affiliate ” when used with respect to a Person, means any other Person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control,” when used with respect to any specified Person, means the power to vote 20% or more of the voting securities of such Person or to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing; provided that for purposes of determining whether any Loan Asset is an Eligible Loan Asset or for purposes of Section 5.01(b)(xix) , the term Affiliate shall not include any Affiliate relationship which may exist solely as a result of direct or indirect ownership of, or control by, a common Financial Sponsor; provided , further , that, for the purposes of Section 2.07(b) , Section 2.07(g) , Section 4.01(ii) , Section 4.03(q) , Section 5.01(p)  and Section 5.03(j)  of this Agreement, as well as Section 4.1(ii)  and Section 5.2(j)(v)  of each of the Purchase and Sale Agreements, the term “Affiliate” shall not include any Excluded Affiliate.

“ Agent ” means Wells Fargo, in its capacity as agent for the Lenders, together with its successors and assigns, including any successor appointed pursuant to Article IX .

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“ Agent Fee ” means the “agent fee” set forth in the Wells Fargo Fee Letter.

“ Agented Note ” means any Loan Asset (i) originated as a part of a syndicated loan transaction that has been closed (without regard to any contemporaneous or subsequent syndication of such Loan Asset) prior to such Loan Asset becoming part of the Collateral Portfolio and (ii) with respect to which, upon an assignment of the note under the Purchase and Sale Agreements to the Borrower, the Borrower, as assignee of the note, will have all of the rights but none of the obligations of the Transferor with respect to such note and the Underlying Collateral.

“ Aggregate Funded Coupon ” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of, for each Eligible Loan Asset included in the Collateral Portfolio that is a Fixed Rate Loan Asset, the product of (i) the current per annum rate at which such Eligible Loan Asset provides payment of interest in cash (including, for any PIK Loan Asset, only the required current cash pay interest rate thereon) multiplied by (ii) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of such Eligible Loan Asset.

“ Aggregate Funded Spread ” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of:

(a)                                  in the case of each Eligible Loan Asset (other than any Floor Obligation) included in the Collateral Portfolio that is a Floating Rate Loan Asset that bears interest at a spread over the Ares LIBOR Rate, (i) the stated interest rate spread on such Eligible Loan Asset (including, for any PIK Loan Asset, only the required current cash pay interest rate thereon) above the Ares LIBOR Rate on such date multiplied by (ii) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of such Eligible Loan Asset; and

(b)                                  in the case of each Floor Obligation included in the Collateral Portfolio and each other Eligible Loan Asset included in the Collateral Portfolio that is a Floating Rate Loan Asset that bears interest at a spread over an index other than the Ares LIBOR Rate, (i) the excess of the sum of such spread and such index (including in the case of each Floor Obligation, the “floor” rate) on such Eligible Loan Asset (including, for any PIK Loan Asset, only the required current cash pay interest rate thereon) above the Ares LIBOR Rate on such date multiplied by (ii) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of such Eligible Loan Asset.

“ Agreement ” means this Loan and Servicing Agreement, as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented and/or otherwise modified from time to time hereafter.

“ Applicable Law ” means for any Person all existing and future laws, rules, regulations (including proposed, temporary and final income tax regulations), statutes, treaties, codes, ordinances, permits, certificates, orders, licenses of and interpretations by any Governmental Authority which are applicable to such Person (including, without limitation, predatory lending laws, usury laws, the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulations “B” and “Z”, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 and state adaptations of the National Consumer Act and of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code and all other consumer credit laws and equal credit opportunity and disclosure laws) and applicable judgments, decrees,

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injunctions, writs, awards or orders of any court, arbitrator or other administrative, judicial, or quasi-judicial tribunal or agency of competent jurisdiction.

“ Applicable Percentage ” means (a) with respect to any First Lien Loan Asset, 65%, (b) with respect to any First Lien Last Out Loan Asset, 55% and (c) with respect to any Second Lien Loan Asset, 35%.

“ Applicable Spread ” means, for any date of determination, in the event that the Yield Rate is calculated utilizing LIBOR 2.30% per annum , and in the event that the Yield Rate is calculated utilizing the Base Rate, 1.30% per annum .

“ Approval Notice ” means, with respect to any Eligible Loan Asset, the written notice, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A , evidencing the approval by the Agent, in its sole discretion, of the conveyance of such Eligible Loan Asset by the Transferor to the Equityholder pursuant to the terms of the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement and by the Equityholder to the Borrower pursuant to the terms of the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement and the Assignments by which the Transferor effects such conveyance.

“ Approved Lender ” means any prospective Lender that acting, for its own account, in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis, not less than $25,000,000 in investments.

“ Ares ” means Ares Capital Corporation.

“ Ares Competitor ” means, as of any date, (1) any Person that (a) is a business development company under the 1940 Act as of such date or (b) has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to become a business development company under the 1940 Act as of such date or (2) any investment platform that is primarily engaged in the business of originating, acquiring, managing or investing in middle market loans as of such date which, for the avoidance of doubt, would include the individual business units of the companies set forth on Schedule VI that specialize in the business of originating, acquiring, managing or investing in middle market loans as of such date.

“ Ares LIBOR Rate ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, the definition of “LIBOR Rate” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “LIBOR Rate” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, the rate per annum appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or on any successor or substitute page of such service, or any successor to or substitute for such service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such service, as determined by the Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time for such day, provided, if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day, as the rate for dollar deposits with a one-month, a two-month or a three-month maturity, as applicable, as and when determined in accordance with the applicable Loan Agreement.

“ Ares Prime Rate ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, the definition of “Prime Rate” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “Prime Rate” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, the rate designated by certain reference lenders in the applicable Loan Agreement from time to time as

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its prime rate in the United States, such rate to change as and when the designated rate changes; provided that the Ares Prime Rate is not intended to be lowest rate of interest charged by Ares in connection with extensions of credit to debtors.

“ Asset Coverage Ratio ” means the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of (a) the value of the total assets of Ares and its Subsidiaries, less all liabilities (other than outstanding Indebtedness, including outstanding Indebtedness hereunder) of Ares and its Subsidiaries, to (b) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness of Ares and its Subsidiaries. For purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio, Indebtedness of an SBIC Subsidiary outstanding as of the date of such calculation shall be excluded from the calculation of the Asset Coverage Ratio to the extent and in the manner that such Indebtedness may be excluded from the asset coverage requirements of sections 18(a) and 61(d) of the Investment Company Act pursuant to an effective exemptive order issued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

“ Asset Specific Hedge ” means any interest rate exchange agreement between the Borrower and a Hedge Counterparty that is entered into by the Borrower in connection with the purchase or holding of a Fixed Rate Loan Asset or a Floating Rate Loan Asset.

“ Asset Specific Hedged Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset for which the Borrower has entered into an Asset Specific Hedge.  If an Asset Specific Hedge effectively provides for the conversion of a fixed rate of interest under the related Loan Asset to a floating rate of interest, such Loan Asset will, for all purposes under this Agreement, (i) be considered a Floating Rate Loan Asset and (ii) be deemed to pay interest at a floating rate equal to the implied spread over LIBOR to be received by the Borrower under such Asset Specific Hedge.  If an Asset Specific Hedge effectively provides for the conversion of a floating rate of interest under the related Loan Asset to a fixed rate of interest, such Loan Asset will, for all purposes under this Agreement, (a) be considered a Fixed Rate Loan Asset and (b) be deemed to pay interest at a fixed rate to be received by the Borrower under the related Asset Specific Hedge.

“ Assigned Documents ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.12 .

“ Assigned Value ” means, with respect to each Loan Asset, as of any date of determination and expressed as a percentage of the principal balance of such Loan Asset (exclusive of Accreted Interest), the lower of (x) the amount (not greater than par) paid by the Borrower to acquire such Loan Asset from the Equityholder (in each case, expressed exclusive of Accreted Interest) or (y) the value determined by the Agent, in its sole reasonable discretion, as of the applicable Cut-Off Date (and, with respect to Loan Assets of the Obligors, ADF Capital, Inc. & ADF Restaurant Goup, LLC and Eckler Industries, Inc., as of the Eight Amendment Effective Date), subject to the following terms:

(a)                                  If a Value Adjustment Event of the type described in clauses (ii) , (iv)  or (vi)  of the definition thereof with respect to such Loan Asset occurs, the Assigned Value of such Loan Asset will be zero.

(b)                                  If a Value Adjustment Event of the type described in clauses (i) , (iii)  or (v)  of the definition thereof with respect to such Loan Asset occurs, “Assigned Value” may be amended at

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any time by the Agent, in its sole discretion ( provided that, after the initial amendment to the Assigned Value with respect to any Loan Asset, any additional amendment (other than an amendment as a result of the occurrence of a separate Value Adjustment Event) shall only be on a quarterly or monthly basis, as applicable, after receipt by the Agent from the Servicer of the applicable financial information with respect to such Loan Asset).

(c)                                   The Assigned Value of any Loan Asset may be increased at the sole reasonable discretion of the Agent upon improvement in the Net Leverage Ratio or the Interest Coverage Ratio of such Loan Asset, as the case may be, as part of a Value Adjustment Event. The Assigned Value of any Loan Asset whose Assigned Value is lower than 100% may be increased at the sole reasonable discretion of the Agent (i)(x) upon the cure of any Value Adjustment Event with respect to such Loan Asset or (y) if the Net Leverage Ratio for such Loan Asset is at least 0.50x lower than the Net Leverage Ratio calculated as of the applicable Cut-Off Date and (ii) upon the written request of the Borrower.

The Agent shall promptly notify the Servicer of any change effected by the Agent of the Assigned Value of any Loan Asset; provided that, solely with respect to the occurrence of a Value Adjustment Event of the type described in clause (i)(y)  of the definition thereof, immediately after giving effect to any such reevaluation, the Assigned Value shall not be lower than such value that would result in the Facility Attachment Ratio for such Loan Asset (based upon such Loan Asset’s Senior Net Leverage Ratio or Net Leverage Ratio, as applicable)  being lower than the “Minimum Facility Attachment Ratio” specified therefor in accordance with the grid below:

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For purposes of determining the Minimum Facility Attachment Ratio in reference to the grid above with respect to Second Lien Loan Assets and Designated Loan Assets, the calculation of the “Net Leverage Ratio” shall exclude Indebtedness of the applicable Obligor that is subordinate in right of payment to tranches of Indebtedness of such Obligor having a second priority security interest on the Obligor’s assets constituting Underlying Collateral for the applicable Loan Asset.

At the time of approval of each Loan Asset, the Agent in its sole discretion will designate any applicable Loan Asset as a “Designated Loan Asset” for purposes of determining the Assigned Value of such Loan Asset in reference to the Minimum Facility Attachment Ratios set forth in the definition of “Assigned Value”.

“ Assignment of Mortgage ” means an assignment of the Mortgage, notice of transfer or equivalent instrument in recordable form sufficient under the laws of the jurisdiction wherein the related mortgaged property is located to effect the assignment of the Mortgage to the Trustee, which assignment, notice of transfer or equivalent instrument may be in the form of one or more blanket assignments covering the Loan Assets secured by mortgaged properties located in the same jurisdiction, if permitted by Applicable Law, substantially in the form of Exhibit B .

“ Assignments ” means the First Tier Loan Assignment and the Second Tier Loan Assignment.

“ Attached Equity ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, any stock, partnership or membership interest, beneficial interest or other equity security, warrant, option, or any right, including, without limitation, any registration right, with respect to the foregoing received by the Transferor in connection with the origination or acquisition of such Loan Asset.

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“ Availability ” means, at any time, an amount equal to the positive excess (if any) of the Borrowing Base over the Advances Outstanding.   On and after the end of the Reinvestment Period or the Facility Maturity Date, the Availability shall be zero.

“ Available Collections ” means, (a) all cash collections and other cash proceeds with respect to any Loan Asset, including, without limitation, all Principal Collections, all Interest Collections, all proceeds of any sale or disposition with respect to such Loan Asset, cash proceeds or other funds received by the Borrower or the Servicer with respect to any Underlying Collateral (including from any guarantors), all other amounts on deposit in the Collection Account from time to time, and all proceeds of Permitted Investments with respect to the Controlled Accounts and (b) all payments received pursuant to any Hedging Agreement or Hedge Transaction; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, “Available Collections” shall not include amounts on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account which do not represent proceeds of Permitted Investments; provided , further , that all amounts paid into the Collection Account pursuant to Section 5.09(c)(iii)  which are received on or prior to the Determination Date immediately preceding any Payment Date shall be included as “Available Collections” for such Payment Date.

“ Average Life ” means, for any Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, the number determined by multiplying the amount of each Scheduled Payment of principal to be paid after such date of determination by the number of years (rounded to the nearest hundredth) from such date of determination until such Scheduled Payment of principal is due.

“ Bail-In Action ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ Bail-In Legislation ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ Bank ” means U.S. Bank, in its capacity as the “Bank” pursuant to each of the Collection Account Agreement and the Unfunded Exposure Account Agreement.

“ Bankruptcy Code ” means Title 11, United States Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq ., as amended from time to time.

“ Bankruptcy Event ” shall be deemed to have occurred with respect to a Person if either:

(i)                                      a case or other proceeding shall be commenced, without the application or consent of such Person, in any court, seeking the liquidation, reorganization, debt arrangement, dissolution, winding up, or composition or readjustment of debts of such Person, the appointment of a trustee, receiver, custodian, liquidator, assignee, sequestrator or the like for such Person or all or substantially all of its assets under any Bankruptcy Laws, or any similar action with respect to such Person, in each case, under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, winding up or composition or adjustment of debts, and such case or proceeding shall continue undismissed, or unstayed and in effect, for a period of 60 consecutive days; or an order for relief in respect of such Person shall be entered in an involuntary case under the federal bankruptcy laws or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect; or

(ii)                                   such Person shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding under any Bankruptcy Laws now or hereafter in effect, or shall consent to the appointment of or taking

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possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other similar official) for such Person or all or substantially all of its assets under any Bankruptcy Laws, or shall make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail to, or admit in writing its inability to, pay its debts generally as they become due, or, if a corporation or similar entity, its board of directors or members shall vote to implement any of the foregoing.

“ Bankruptcy Laws ” means the Bankruptcy Code and all other applicable liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, suspension of payments, or similar debtor relief laws from time to time in effect affecting the rights of creditors generally.

“ Bankruptcy Proceeding ” means a ny case, action or proceeding before any court or other Governmental Authority relating to any Bankruptcy Event.

“ Base Rate ” means, on any date, a fluctuating per annum interest rate equal to the higher of (a) the Prime Rate or (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5%.

“ Benefit Plan Investor ” means a “benefit plan investor” as defined in Department of Labor regulation 29 C.F.R. Section 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, and includes an employee benefit plan that is subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of Title I of ERISA, a plan that is subject to Section 4975 of the Code, and an entity the underlying assets of which are deemed to include plan assets.

“ Borrower ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.

“ Borrowing Base ” means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the lesser of:

(a)                                  (i) the product of (A) the Weighted Average Applicable Percentage as of such date and (B) the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets as of such date minus the Excess Concentration Amount, plus (ii) the amount on deposit in the Principal Collection Account as of such date, minus (iii) the Unfunded Exposure Equity Shortfall; or

(b)                                  (i) the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets as of such date, minus (ii) the Large Obligor Exposure Amount, minus (iii) the Excess Concentration Amount, plus (iv) the amount on deposit in the Principal Collection Account as of such date, minus (v) the Unfunded Exposure Equity Shortfall; or

(c)                                   the Maximum Facility Amount minus the Unfunded Exposure Amount;

provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, any Loan Asset which at any time is no longer an Eligible Loan Asset shall not be included in the calculation of “Borrowing Base”.

“ Borrowing Base Certificate ” means a certificate setting forth the calculation of the Borrowing Base as of the applicable date of determination substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, prepared by the Servicer.

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“ Borrowing Base Deficiency ” means, as of any date of determination, the extent to which the aggregate Advances Outstanding on such date exceeds the Borrowing Base.

“ Breakage Fee ” means, for Advances which are repaid (in whole or in part) on any date other than a Payment Date, the breakage costs, if any, related to such repayment, it hereby being understood that the amount of any loss, costs or expense payable by the Borrower to any Lender as Breakage Fee shall be determined in the respective Lender’s reasonable discretion based upon the assumption that such Lender funded its loan commitment in the London Interbank Eurodollar market and using any reasonable attribution or averaging methods which such Lender deems appropriate and practical.

“ Business Day ” means a day of the year other than (i) Saturday or a Sunday or (ii) any other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York or the city in which the offices of the Trustee are authorized or required by Applicable Law, regulation or executive order to close; provided that, if any determination of a Business Day shall relate to an Advance bearing interest at LIBOR, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.  For avoidance of doubt, if the offices of the Trustee are authorized by Applicable Law, regulation or executive order to close but remain open, such day shall not be a “Business Day”.

“ Buyers ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the definition of “Acquisition Agreement”.

“ Capital Lease Obligations ” means, with respect to any entity, the obligations of such entity to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such entity under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

“ Change of Control ” shall be deemed to have occurred if any of the following occur:

(a)                                  the Management Agreement shall fail to be in full force and effect;

(b)                                  the creation or imposition of any Lien on any limited liability company membership interest in the Borrower (other than pursuant to the Pledge Agreement);

(c)                                   the failure by the Transferor to own 100% of the limited liability company membership interests in the Equityholder;

(d)                                  the failure by the Equityholder to own 100% of the limited liability company membership interests in the Borrower; or

(e)                                   the dissolution, termination or liquidation in whole or in part, transfer or other disposition, in each case, of all or substantially all of the assets of, Ares, that does not comply with the provisions of Section 5.04(a)  of this Agreement.

“ Closing Date ” means November 3, 2004.

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“ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“ Collateral Custodian ” means U.S. Bank, not in its individual capacity, but solely as collateral custodian pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

“ Collateral Custodian Expenses ” means the custodial expenses set forth in the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter and any other accrued and unpaid fees, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses) and indemnity amounts payable by the Borrower or the Servicer to the Collateral Custodian under the Transaction Documents.

“ Collateral Custodian Fees ” means the custodial fees set forth in the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter, as such fee letter may be amended, restated, supplemented and/or otherwise modified from time to time.

“ Collateral Custodian Termination Notice ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 12.05 .

“ Collateral Portfolio ” means all right, title, and interest (whether now owned or hereafter acquired or arising, and wherever located) of the Borrower in the property identified below in clauses (i)  through (v)  and all accounts, cash and currency, chattel paper, tangible chattel paper, electronic chattel paper, copyrights, copyright licenses, equipment, fixtures, contract rights, general intangibles, instruments, certificates of deposit, certificated securities, uncertificated securities, financial assets, securities entitlements, commercial tort claims, deposit accounts, inventory, investment property, letter-of-credit rights, software, supporting obligations, accessions, or other property consisting of, arising out of, or related to any of the following (in each case excluding the Retained Interest and the Excluded Amounts):

(i)                                      the Loan Assets, and all monies due or to become due in payment under such Loan Assets on and after the related Cut-Off Date, including, but not limited to, all Available Collections, but excluding any related Attached Equity;

(ii)                                   the Portfolio Assets with respect to the Loan Assets referred to in clause (i) ;

(iii)                                the Purchase and Sale Agreements, any other agreement pursuant to which an Eligible Loan Asset is sold to the Borrower and all other documents now or hereafter in effect to which the Borrower is a party (collectively, the “ Borrower Assigned Agreements ”), including (a) all rights of the Borrower to receive moneys due and to become due under or pursuant to the Borrower Assigned Agreements, (b) all rights of the Borrower to receive proceeds of any insurance, indemnity, warranty or guaranty with respect to the Borrower Assigned Agreements, (c) claims of the Borrower for damages arising out of or for breach of or default under the Borrower Assigned Agreements, and (d) the right of the Borrower to amend, waive or terminate the Borrower Assigned Agreements, to perform under the Borrower Assigned Agreements and to compel performance and otherwise exercise all remedies and rights under the Borrower Assigned Agreements;

(iv) the Controlled Accounts and all Permitted Investments purchased with funds on deposit in the Controlled Accounts; and

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(v)                                  all income and Proceeds of the foregoing.

“ Collateral Quality Test ” means each of the tests set forth below:

(i)                                      the Minimum Weighted Average Spread Test;

(ii)                                   the Minimum Weighted Average Coupon Test; and

(iii)                                the Maximum Weighted Average Rating Factor Test.

“ Collection Account ” means a trust account (account number 787456-200 at the Bank) in the name of the Borrower subject to the lien of the Trustee for the benefit of the Secured Parties; provided that the funds deposited therein (including any interest and earnings thereon) from time to time shall constitute the property and assets of the Borrower, and the Borrower shall be solely liable for any Taxes payable with respect to the Collection Account.

“ Collection Account Agreement ” means that certain Amended and Restated Securities Account Control Agreement, dated the Closing Date and amended and restated as of the Restatement Date, among the Borrower, the Servicer, the Bank, the Agent and the Trustee, which agreement relates to the Collection Account, as such agreement may from time to time be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms thereof.

“ Collection Date ” means the date on which the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Advances have been repaid in full and all Yield and Fees and all other Obligations have been paid in full, and the Borrower shall have no further right to request any additional Advances.

“ Commitment ” means, with respect to each Lender, (i) prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period or for purposes of Advances made pursuant to Section 2.02(f) , the dollar amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex A hereto (as such amount may be revised from time to time pursuant to the terms of this Agreement) or the amount set forth as such Lender’s “Commitment” on Schedule I to the Joinder Supplement relating to such Lender, as applicable, and (ii) on or after the Reinvestment Period (other than for purposes of Advances made pursuant to Section 2.02(f) ), such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the aggregate Advances Outstanding.

“ Commitment Termination Premium ” means, in the event that this Agreement is terminated or the Maximum Facility Amount is permanently reduced, in each case, pursuant to Section 2.18(b), (i) prior to the one year anniversary of the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, an amount equal to 1.00%, or (ii) on or after the one year anniversary of the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, but prior to the one year and six month anniversary of the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, an amount equal to 0.50%, in each case, of either (x) the Maximum Facility Amount, in the case of such termination, or (y) the amount of such reduction, in the case of such permanent reduction of the Maximum Facility Amount and, in each case, such amounts shall be payable pro rata to each Lender.

“ Concentration Limits ” means, for the purposes of determining the Excess Concentration Amount, with respect to the Borrowing Base:

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(i)                                      the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets to Obligors in the same Moody’s Industry Classification Group shall not exceed 15% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets; provided that for two individual industries the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets to Obligors in such industries may exceed 15% but shall not exceed 20%; provided , further , that for one additional individual industry the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets to Obligors in such industry may exceed 15% but shall not exceed 25%;

(ii)                                   the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets to the same Obligor shall not exceed the greater of $50,000,000 and 7.5% of the Maximum Facility Amount; provided that for two individual Obligors the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets to such Obligors may exceed 7.5% but shall not exceed 9% of the Maximum Facility Amount;

(iii)                                the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets rated “Caa1” or lower by Moody’s shall not exceed 25% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets;

(iv)                               the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets that are Second Lien Loan Assets shall not exceed 20% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets;

(v)                                  the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets that are First Lien Last Out Loan Assets and Eligible Loan Assets that are Second Lien Loan Assets shall not exceed 50% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets;

(vi)                               the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets that are Fixed Rate Loan Assets shall not exceed 15% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets; provided that Asset Specific Hedged Loan Assets shall be considered Fixed Rate Loan Assets or Floating Rate Loan Assets, as applicable, as provided in the definition thereof;

(vii)                            the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets that pay interest in cash less frequently than quarterly shall not exceed 15% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets;

(viii)                         the aggregate Outstanding Balances and Exposure Amounts of all Eligible Loan Assets that are Revolving Loan Assets and the Exposure Amounts of Eligible Loan Assets that are Delayed Draw Loan Assets shall not exceed 10% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets;

(ix)                               the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets that are Partial PIK Loan Assets shall not exceed 10% of the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets; and

(x)                                  the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets that are Participation Interests shall not exceed (i) during the Acquisition Participation Elevation Period, 10.0% and (ii) thereafter, 0.0%.

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“ Controlled Accounts ” means the Collection Account and the Unfunded Exposure Account.

“ Cut-Off Date ” means, with respect to each Loan Asset, the date such Loan Asset is Pledged hereunder.

“ Default Funding Rate ” means a floating interest rate per annum equal to 4.00% plus LIBOR; provided that if any Lender shall have notified the Agent that a Eurodollar Disruption Event has occurred, the Default Funding Rate with respect to Advances of such Lender shall be equal to the Base Rate plus 3.00% until such Lender shall have notified the Agent that such Eurodollar Disruption Event has ceased, at which time the Default Funding Rate with respect to Advances of such Lender shall again be equal to LIBOR for such date plus 4.00%.

“ Defaulting Lender ” means any Lender that (i) has failed to fund any portion of the Advances or participations in Swingline Advances required to be funded by it hereunder within one Business Day of the date required to be funded by it hereunder, (ii) has otherwise failed to pay over to the Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within three Business Days of the date when due, unless such amount is the subject of a good faith dispute, (iii) has notified the Borrower, the Agent or any other Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement or has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply or has failed to comply with its funding obligations under this Agreement or generally under other agreements in which it commits or is obligated to extend credit or (iv) has (or, with respect to such Lender (x) the bank holding company (as defined in Federal Reserve Board Regulation Y), if any, of such Lender and/or (y) any Person owning, beneficially or of record, directly or indirectly, a majority of the shares of such Lender, has) become or is insolvent or has become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee or custodian appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment.

“ Delayed Draw Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset that is fully committed on the initial funding date of such Loan Asset and is required to be fully funded in one or more installments on draw dates to occur after the initial funding of such Loan Asset but which, once all such installments have been made, has the characteristics of a Term Loan Asset.

“ Designated Lender ” means Wells Fargo, in its capacity as a Lender hereunder, and any successor-in-interest thereto.

“ Designated Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset designated by the Agent in its sole discretion as a “Designated Loan Asset” at the time of approval of such Loan Asset.

“ Determination Date ” means the last day of each calendar month.

“ Disbursement Request ” means a disbursement request from the Borrower to the Agent and the Trustee in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D in connection with a disbursement request from the Unfunded Exposure Account in accordance with Section 2.04(d)  or a disbursement request from the Principal Collection Account in accordance with Section 2.21 , as applicable.

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“ EBITDA ” means, with respect to any period and any Loan Asset, the meaning of “EBITDA”, “Adjusted EBITDA” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “EBITDA”, “Adjusted EBITDA” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, an amount, for the principal obligor on such Loan Asset and any of its parents or Subsidiaries that are obligated pursuant to the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset (determined on a consolidated basis without duplication in accordance with GAAP) equal to earnings from continuing operations for such period plus interest expense, income taxes and unallocated depreciation and amortization for such period (to the extent deducted in determining earnings from continuing operations for such period), and any other item the Borrower and the Agent mutually deem to be appropriate.

“ EEA Financial Institution ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ EEA Member Country ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ EEA Resolution Authority ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ Eighth Amendment Effective Date ” means January 3, 2017.

“ Eligible Bid ” means a bid made in good faith (and acceptable as a valid bid in the Agent’s reasonable discretion) by a bidder for all or any portion of the Collateral Portfolio in connection with a sale of the Collateral Portfolio in whole or in part pursuant to Section 7.02(i) .

“ Eligible Loan Asset ” means, at any time, a Loan Asset in respect of which each of the representations and warranties contained in Section 4.02 and Schedule III hereto is true and correct.

“ Environmental Laws ” means any and all foreign, federal, state and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, permits, licenses, approvals, interpretations (with the force of law) and orders of courts or Governmental Authorities, relating to the protection of human health or the environment, including, but not limited to, requirements pertaining to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, handling, reporting, licensing, permitting, investigation or remediation of Hazardous Materials.  Environmental Laws include, without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq .), the Hazardous Material Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. § 331 et seq .), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq .), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq .), the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq .), the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq .), the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § 300, et seq .), the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations relating to underground storage tanks (40 C.F.R. Parts 280 and 281), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. § 651 et seq .), and the rules and regulations thereunder, each as amended or supplemented from time to time.

“ Equity Security ” means (i) any equity security or any other security that is not eligible for purchase by the Borrower as a Loan Asset, (ii) any security purchased as part of a “unit” with a Loan Asset and that itself is not eligible for purchase by the Borrower as a Loan Asset, and (iii) any obligation that, at the time of commitment to acquire such obligation, was eligible for purchase by the Borrower as a Loan Asset but that, as of any subsequent date of determination,

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no longer is eligible for purchase by the Borrower as a Loan Asset, for so long as such obligation fails to satisfy such requirements.

“ Equityholder ” means Ares Capital CP Funding Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which owns 100% of the equity interests in the Borrower.

“ ERISA ” means the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

“ ERISA Affiliate ” means (a) any corporation that is a member of the same controlled group of corporations (within the meaning of Section 414(b) of the Code) as the Borrower, (b) a trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control (within the meaning of Section 414(c) of the Code) with the Borrower, or (c) a member of the same affiliated service group (within the meaning of Section 414(m) of the Code) as the Borrower, any corporation described in clause (a)  above or any trade or business described in clause (b)  above.

“ EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ Eurodollar Disruption Event ” means the occurrence of any of the following: (a) any Lender shall have notified the Agent of a determination by such Lender or any of its assignees or participants that it would be contrary to law or to the directive of any central bank or other Governmental Authority (whether or not having the force of law) to obtain United States dollars in the London interbank market to fund any Advance, (b) any Lender shall have notified the Agent of the inability, for any reason, of such Lender or any of its assignees or participants to determine LIBOR, (c) any Lender shall have notified the Agent of a determination by such Lender or any of its assignees or participants that the rate at which deposits of United States dollars are being offered to such Lender or any of its assignees or participants in the London interbank market does not accurately reflect the cost to such Lender or such assignee or such participant of making, funding or maintaining any Advance or (d) any Lender shall have notified the Agent of the inability of such Lender or any of its assignees or participants to obtain United States dollars in the London interbank market to make, fund or maintain any Advance.

“ Event of Default ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 7.01 .

“ Excepted Persons ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.13(a) .

“ Excess Concentration Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, with respect to all Eligible Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio, the amount by which the sum of the Adjusted Borrowing Value of such Eligible Loan Assets exceeds any applicable Concentration Limits, to be calculated without duplication after giving effect to any sales, purchases or substitutions of Loan Assets as of such date.

“ Exchange Act ” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

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“ Excluded Affiliate ” means any portfolio company of the Servicer or the Transferor, as applicable, that is not consolidated on the financial statements of the Servicer or the Transferor, as applicable.

“ Excluded Amounts ” means (a) any amount received in the Collection Account with respect to any Loan Asset included as part of the Collateral Portfolio, which amount is attributable to the payment of any Tax, fee or other charge imposed by any Governmental Authority on such Loan Asset or on any Underlying Collateral and (b) any amount received in the Collection Account or other Controlled Account representing (i) any amount representing a reimbursement of insurance premiums, (ii) any escrows relating to Taxes, insurance and other amounts in connection with Loan Assets which are held in an escrow account for the benefit of the Obligor and the secured party pursuant to escrow arrangements under a Loan Agreement, (iii) any amount received in the Collection Account with respect to any Loan Asset retransferred or substituted for upon the occurrence of a Warranty Event or that is otherwise replaced by a Substitute Eligible Loan Asset, or that is otherwise sold or transferred by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.07 , to the extent such amount is attributable to a time after the effective date of such replacement or sale, (iv) any amounts paid in respect of Attached Equity, (v) any interest accruing on a Loan Asset prior to the related Cut-Off Date that was not purchased by the Borrower and is for the account of the Person from whom the Borrower purchased such Loan Asset and (vi) any amounts deposited into the Collection Account manifestly in error .

“ Excluded Taxes ” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to an Indemnified Party or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to an Indemnified Party, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Indemnified Party being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender hereunder pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in this Agreement (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 2.24(b) ) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.11 , amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.11(d)  and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

“ Exposure Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, with respect to any Delayed Draw Loan Asset or Revolving Loan Asset, (i) the maximum commitment of the Borrower with respect to such Revolving Loan Asset or Delayed Draw Loan Asset (excluding any original issue discount) under the terms of the applicable Loan Agreement to make advances (and, for the avoidance of doubt, the Borrower’s commitment in respect of a Loan Asset as to which the commitment to make additional advances has been terminated shall be zero) minus (ii) the Outstanding Balance of such Delayed Draw Loan Asset or Revolving Loan Asset on such date of determination.

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“ Exposure Amount Shortfall ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.02(f) .

“ Facility Attachment Ratio ” means (a) for any First Lien Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to, the product of (i) the First Out Attachment Ratio, (ii) the Applicable Percentage and (iii) the Assigned Value, as of such date; (b) for any First Lien Last Out Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to, the sum of (i) the First Out Attachment Ratio and (ii) the product of (A) the Last Out Attachment Ratio less the First Out Attachment Ratio, (B) the Applicable Percentage and (C) the Assigned Value, as of such date and (c) for any Second Lien Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to, the sum of (i) the Senior Net Leverage Ratio and (ii) the product of (A) the Net Leverage Ratio less the Senior Net Leverage Ratio, (B) the Applicable Percentage and (C) the Assigned Value, as of such date; provided that the Facility Attachment Ratio for any Designated Loan Asset that is a First Lien Loan Asset, First Lien Last Out Loan Asset or Second Lien Loan Asset shall be determined as set forth above in clause (a), (b) or (c) respectively, as applicable.

“ Facility Maturity Date ” means the earliest to occur of (i) the Stated Maturity Date, (ii) the date of the declaration, or automatic occurrence, of the Facility Maturity Date pursuant to Section 7.01 , (iii) the Collection Date and (iv) the occurrence of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 2.18(b)  hereof.

“ FATCA ” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any intergovernmental agreements (and any related laws) implementing or modifying the foregoing.

“ FDIC ” means the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and any successor thereto.

“ Federal Funds Rate ” means, for any period, a fluctuating interest per annum rate equal, for each day during such period, to the weighted average of the overnight federal funds rates as in Federal Reserve Board Statistical Release H.15(519) or any successor or substitute publication selected by the Agent (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for the next preceding Business Day), or, if for any reason such rate is not available on any day, the rate determined, in the sole discretion of the Agent, to be the rate at which overnight federal funds are being offered in the national federal funds market at 9:00 a.m. on such day.

“ Fees ” means all fees payable to each Lender pursuant to the terms of any Lender Fee Letter.

“ Fifth Amendment Effective Date ” means June 7, 2012.

“ Financial Asset ” has the meaning specified in Section 8-102(a)(9) of the UCC.

“ Financial Sponsor ” means any Person, including any Subsidiary of such Person, whose principal business activity is acquiring, holding, and selling investments (including controlling interests) in otherwise unrelated companies that each are distinct legal entities with separate management, books and records and bank accounts, whose operations are not integrated with one

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another and whose financial condition and creditworthiness are independent of the other companies so owned by such Person.

“ First Lien Last Out Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset that (i) is secured by a valid and perfected first priority Lien on all of the Obligor’s assets constituting Underlying Collateral for the Loan Asset, subject to any expressly permitted liens under the applicable covenants in the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset, including those set forth in “permitted liens” as defined in the applicable Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset or such comparable definition if “permitted liens” is not defined therein, so long as such definition is reasonable and customary, (ii) has a Loan-to-Value Ratio not greater than 65%, and (iii) is not by its terms (and is not expressly permitted by its terms to become) subordinate in right of payment to any other obligation for borrowed money of the Obligor of such Loan Asset, other than with respect to the liquidation of such Obligor or such Underlying Collateral.

“ First Lien Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset that (i) is secured by a valid and perfected first priority Lien on all of the Obligor’s assets constituting Underlying Collateral for the Loan Asset, subject to any expressly permitted liens under the applicable covenants in the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset, including those set forth in “permitted liens” as defined in the applicable Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset or such comparable definition if “permitted liens” is not defined therein, so long as such definition is reasonable and customary, (ii) has a Loan-to-Value Ratio not greater than 60%, and (iii) provides that the payment obligation of the Obligor on such Loan Asset is either senior to, or pari passu with, all other Indebtedness of such Obligor.

“ First Out Attachment Ratio ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the Senior Net Leverage Ratio with respect to all or any portion of such Loan Asset that constitutes first lien senior secured Indebtedness that is not (and cannot by its terms become) subordinate in right of payment to any obligation of the Obligor in any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, moratorium or liquidation proceedings (excluding any First Lien Last Out Loan Asset or first lien last out Indebtedness within the capital structure).

“ First Tier Loan Assignment ” has the meaning set forth in the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement.

“ First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement ” means that certain Amended and Restated Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date and amended and restated as of the Restatement Date, between the Transferor, as the seller, and the Equityholder, as the purchaser, as amended, modified, waived, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time.

“ Fitch ” means Fitch, Inc. or any successor thereto.

“ Fixed Rate Excess ” means as, as of any date of determination, a fraction (expressed as a percentage) the numerator of which is the product of (i) the greater of zero and the excess of the Weighted Average Coupon for such date of determination over the Minimum Weighted Average Coupon on such date of determination and (ii) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Fixed Rate Loan Assets (excluding any defaulted Loan Assets) held by the Borrower as of such date of

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determination, and the denominator of which is the Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Floating Rate Loan Assets (excluding any defaulted Loan Assets) held by the Borrower as of such date of determination.

“ Fixed Rate Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset other than a Floating Rate Loan Asset.

“ Floating Rate Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset under which the interest rate payable by the Obligor thereof is based on the Ares Prime Rate or Ares LIBOR Rate, plus some specified interest percentage in addition thereto, and which provides that such interest rate will reset immediately upon any change in the related Ares Prime Rate or Ares LIBOR Rate.

“ Floor Obligation ” means, as of any date, a Floating Rate Loan Asset (a) for which the related Underlying Instruments allow a floating rate option, (b) that provides that such floating rate is (in effect) calculated as the greater of (i) a specified “floor” rate per annum and (ii) the London interbank offered rate or other floating rate for the applicable interest period for such Loan Asset and (c) that, as of such date, bears interest based on such floating rate option, but only if as of such date such London interbank offered rate or other floating rate for the applicable interest period is less than the “floor” rate.

“ Foreign Lender ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.11(d)(ii)(B) .

“ Fronting Exposure ” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, with respect to the Swingline Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Pro Rata Share of Swingline Advances other than Swingline Advances as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders, repaid by the Borrower or for which cash collateral or other credit support acceptable to the Swingline Lender shall have been provided in accordance with the terms hereof.

“ GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States.

“ Governmental Authority ” means, with respect to any Person, any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any central bank (or similar monetary or regulatory authority) thereof, any body or entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government and any court or arbitrator having jurisdiction over such Person.

“ Hazardous Materials ” means all materials subject to any Environmental Law, including, without limitation, materials listed in 49 C.F.R. § 172.010, materials defined as hazardous pursuant to § 101(14) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, flammable, explosive or radioactive materials, hazardous or toxic wastes or substances, lead-based materials, petroleum or petroleum distillates or asbestos or material containing asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, urea formaldehyde and any substances classified as being “in inventory”, “usable work in process” or similar classification that would, if classified as unusable, be included in the foregoing definition.

“ Hedge Breakage Costs ” means, for any Hedge Transaction, any amount payable by the Borrower for the early termination of that Hedge Transaction or any portion thereof.

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“ Hedge Collateral ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 5.09(b) .

“ Hedge Counterparty ” means any entity that either (i) is approved in writing by the Agent (in its reasonable discretion) or (ii) satisfies the Hedge Counterparty Minimum Ratings, which has entered into a Hedging Agreement in connection with this Agreement.

“ Hedge Counterparty Minimum Ratings ” means (i) a rating of its unsecured and otherwise unsupported long-term debt obligations of at least “A1” and a rating of its unsecured and otherwise unsupported short-term debt obligations of at least “P-1” respectively by Moody’s, if such counterparty has both long-term and short-term ratings, or if it has no such short-term rating, “A2” and (ii) a rating of its unsecured and otherwise unsupported short-term debt obligations of at least “A-1” by S&P, or if it has no such short-term rating, the rating of its unsecured and otherwise unsupported long-term debt obligations of “A” (or, with respect to any Hedge Counterparty not so rated, whose obligations in respect of the Hedging Agreement are absolutely and unconditionally guaranteed by an Affiliate of such Hedge Counterparty, such ratings of such Affiliate’s debt obligations); provided that in each case, if it has the minimum specified rating, it is not on watch for possible downgrade.

“ Hedge Transaction ” means each Asset Specific Hedge, interest rate swap transaction, interest rate cap transaction, interest rate floor transaction or other derivative transaction approved in writing by the Agent, between the Borrower and a Hedge Counterparty that is entered into pursuant to Section 5.09 and is governed by a Hedging Agreement.

“ Hedge Notional Amount ” means, for any Loan Asset, the aggregate notional amount in effect on any day under all Hedge Transactions entered into pursuant to Section 5.09 for that Loan Asset.

“ Hedging Agreement ” means each agreement between the Borrower and a Hedge Counterparty that governs one or more Hedge Transactions entered into by the Borrower and such Hedge Counterparty pursuant to Section 5.09 , which agreement shall consist of a “Master Agreement” in a form published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., together with a “Schedule” and each “Confirmation” thereunder confirming the specific terms of each such Hedge Transaction; provided that the “Schedule” and the form of each “Confirmation” to any Hedging Agreement shall be subject to the written approval of the Agent, in its reasonable discretion.

“ Indebtedness ” means:

(i)                                      with respect to any Obligor under any Loan Asset, for the purposes of the definition of the Interest Coverage Ratio, the Senior Net Leverage Ratio and the Net Leverage Ratio, the meaning of “Indebtedness” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “Indebtedness” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such entity for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such entity evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such entity under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such entity, (d) all obligations of such entity in respect of the deferred purchase price of property

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or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such entity, whether or not the indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (f) all guarantees by such entity of indebtedness of others, (g) all Capital Lease Obligations of such entity, (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such entity as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such entity in respect of bankers’ acceptances; and

(ii)                                   for all other purposes, with respect to any Person at any date, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money or for the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than current liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business and payable in accordance with customary trade practices) or that is evidenced by a note, bond, debenture or similar instrument or other evidence of indebtedness customary for indebtedness of that type, (b) all obligations of such Person under leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases, (c) all obligations of such Person in respect of acceptances issued or created for the account of such Person, (d) all liabilities secured by any Lien on any property owned by such Person even though such Person has not assumed or otherwise become liable for the payment thereof, (e) all indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of that Person in respect of derivatives, and (f) all obligations under direct or indirect guaranties in respect of obligations (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or otherwise acquire, or to otherwise assure a creditor against loss in respect of, indebtedness or obligations of others of the kind referred to in clauses (a)  through (e)  of this clause (ii) .

“ Indemnified Amounts ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 8.01 .

“ Indemnified Party ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 8.01 .

“ Indemnified Taxes ” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of Borrower under this Agreement and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a) , Other Taxes.

“ Indemnifying Party ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 8.03 .

“ Independent Director ” means a natural person who, (A) for the five-year period prior to his or her appointment as Independent Director, has not been, and during the continuation of his or her service as Independent Director is not: (i) an employee, director, stockholder, member, manager, partner or officer of the Borrower, the Equityholder or any of their respective Affiliates (other than his or her service as an Independent Director, independent officer or other independent capacity of the Borrower or other Affiliates that are structured to be “bankruptcy remote”); (ii) a customer or supplier of the Borrower, the Equityholder or any of their Affiliates (other than his or her service as an Independent Director, independent officer or other independent capacity of the Borrower or other Affiliates that are structured to be “bankruptcy remote”); or (iii) any member of the immediate family of a person described in (i) or (ii), and (B) has, (i) prior experience as an Independent Director for a corporation or limited liability company whose charter documents required the unanimous consent of all Independent Directors thereof before such corporation or limited liability company could consent to the institution of

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bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it or could file a petition seeking relief under any applicable federal or state law relating to bankruptcy and (ii) at least three years of employment experience with one or more entities that provide, in the ordinary course of their respective businesses, advisory, management or placement services to issuers of securitization or structured finance instruments, agreements or securities.

“ Indorsement ” has the meaning specified in Section 8-102(a)(11) of the UCC, and “ Indorsed ” has a corresponding meaning.

“ Initial Advance ” means the first Advance made pursuant to Article II .

“ Initial Payment Date ” means the 15 th  day of April 2010 (or if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day).

“ Instrument ” has the meaning specified in Section 9-102(a)(47) of the UCC.

“ Insurance Policy ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, an insurance policy covering liability and physical damage to, or loss of, the Underlying Collateral.

“ Insurance Proceeds ” means any amounts received on or with respect to a Loan Asset under any Insurance Policy or with respect to any condemnation proceeding or award in lieu of condemnation which is neither required to be used to restore, improve or repair the related real estate nor required to be paid to the Obligor under the Loan Agreement.

“ Interest ” means, with respect to any period and any Loan Asset, for the Obligor on such Loan Asset and any of its parents or Subsidiaries that are obligated under the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset (determined on a consolidated basis without duplication in accordance with GAAP), the meaning of “Interest” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset and in any case that “Interest” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, all interest in respect of Indebtedness (including the interest component of any payments in respect of Capital Lease Obligations) accrued or capitalized during such period (whether or not actually paid during such period).

“ Interest Collection Account ” means a sub-account (account number 787456-201 at the Bank) of the Collection Account into which Interest Collections shall be segregated.

“ Interest Collections ” means, (i) with respect to any Loan Asset, all payments and collections attributable to interest on such Loan Asset, including, without limitation, all scheduled payments of interest and payments of interest relating to principal prepayments, all guaranty payments attributable to interest and proceeds of any liquidations, sales, dispositions or securitizations attributable to interest on such Loan Asset and (ii) amendment fees, late fees, waiver fees or other amounts received in respect of Loan Assets.

“ Interest Coverage Ratio ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset for any Relevant Test Period, the meaning of “Interest Coverage Ratio” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “Interest Coverage Ratio” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, the ratio of (a) EBITDA to (b) Interest.

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“ Joinder Supplement ” means an agreement among the Borrower, a Lender and the Agent in the form of Exhibit E to this Agreement (appropriately completed) delivered in connection with a Person becoming a Lender hereunder after the Restatement Date.

“ Large Obligor Exposure Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the sum of the Adjusted Borrowing Values of all Eligible Loan Assets attributable to the three (3) Obligors having the largest Obligor concentration; such Obligor concentrations to be determined by summing, for each Obligor, the Adjusted Borrowing Values for all Eligible Loan Assets of such Obligor on such date of determination.

“ Last Out Attachment Ratio ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the Senior Net Leverage Ratio with respect to all or any portion of such Loan Asset that constitutes first lien senior secured Indebtedness that is (or by its terms could become) subordinate in right of payment to one or more tranches of first lien senior secured indebtedness.

“ Lender ” means (i) Wells Fargo and (ii) each financial institution which may from time to time become a Lender hereunder by executing and delivering this Agreement or a Joinder Supplement to the Agent and the Borrower as contemplated by Section 2.22, and/or any other Person to whom a Lender assigns any part of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the terms of Section 11.04 . For the avoidance of doubt, the Swingline Lender shall constitute a “Lender” with respect to the repayment of Swingline Advances for all purposes hereunder.

“ Lender Fee Letter ” means each fee letter agreement that shall be entered into by and among the Borrower, the Servicer, the Agent and the applicable Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as amended, modified, waived, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time.

“ LIBOR ” means, for any day during the Remittance Period, with respect to any Advance (or portion thereof) the greater of (x)(a) the rate per annum appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or any successor or substitute page) as the London interbank offered rate for deposits in dollars at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, for such day, provided, if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day, for a one-month maturity; and (b) if no rate specified in clause (a)  of this definition so appears on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or any successor or substitute page), the interest rate per annum at which dollar deposits of $5,000,000 and for a one-month maturity are offered by the principal London office of Wells Fargo in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, for such day and (y) zero.

“ Lien ” means any mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, collateral assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, claim, preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale, lease or other title retention agreement, sale subject to a repurchase obligation, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the

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same economic effect as any of the foregoing) or the filing of or agreement to give any financing statement perfecting a security interest under the UCC or comparable law of any jurisdiction.

“ Lien Release Dividend ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.07(d) .

“ Lien Release Dividend Date ” means the date specified by the Borrower, which date may be any Business Day, provided written notice is given in accordance with Section 2.07(d) .

“ Loan Agreement ” means the loan agreement, credit agreement or other agreement pursuant to which a Loan Asset has been issued or created and each other agreement that governs the terms of or secures the obligations represented by such Loan Asset or of which the holders of such Loan Asset are the beneficiaries.

“ Loan Asset ” means any loan originated or acquired by the Transferor in the ordinary course of its business (or, during the Acquisition Participation Elevation Period, any Acquisition Participation Interest in any such loan), which loan includes, without limitation, (i) the Required Loan Documents and Loan Asset File, and (ii) all right, title and interest of the Transferor in and to the loan and any Underlying Collateral (or the applicable Acquisition Participation Interest), but excluding, in each case, the Retained Interest, any Attached Equity and Excluded Amounts and which loan or Acquisition Participation Interest was (x) acquired from the Transferor by the Borrower prior to the Restatement Date pursuant to the Original Purchase and Sale Agreement or (y) acquired by the Borrower from the Equityholder under the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement and by the Equityholder from the Transferor under the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement and owned by the Borrower on the initial Advance Date (as set forth on the Loan Asset Schedule delivered on the initial Advance Date) or acquired by the Borrower after the initial Advance Date pursuant to the delivery of the Loan Assignments and listed on Schedule I to such Loan Assignments (or in the case of the Acquisition Participation Interests, the applicable participation documentation), which Schedule I is in the possession of Ares Capital Funding LLC and includes specific accounts, instruments or general intangibles.

“ Loan Asset Checklist ” means an electronic or hard copy, as applicable, of a checklist delivered by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Collateral Custodian, for each Loan Asset, of all Required Loan Documents to be included within the respective Loan Asset File, which shall specify (i) whether such document is an original or a copy and (ii) whether such Loan Asset is a Third Party Acquired Loan Asset.

“ Loan Asset File ” means, with respect to each Loan Asset, a file containing (a) each of the documents and items as set forth on the Loan Asset Checklist with respect to such Loan Asset and (b) duly executed originals (to the extent required by the Servicing Standard) and copies of any other Records relating to such Loan Assets and Portfolio Assets pertaining thereto.

“ Loan Asset Register ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 5.03(l) .

“ Loan Asset Schedule ” means the schedule of Loan Agreements evidencing Loan Assets delivered by the Borrower to the Collateral Custodian and the Agent. Each such schedule shall set forth, as to any Eligible Loan Asset to be Pledged hereunder, the applicable information specified on Schedule V , which shall also be provided to the Collateral Custodian in electronic format acceptable to the Collateral Custodian.

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“ Loan Assignments ” means, collectively, the First Tier Loan Assignment (as such term is defined in the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement) and the Second Tier Loan Assignment (as such term is defined in the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement).

“ Loan-to-Value Ratio ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, as of any date of determination, the percentage equivalent of a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is equal to the commitment amount as provided in the applicable Loan Agreements of such Loan Asset plus the commitment amount of any other senior or pari passu Indebtedness of the related Obligor (including, in the case of Revolving Loan Assets and Delayed Draw Loan Assets, without duplication, the maximum availability thereof) and (ii) the denominator of which is equal to the enterprise value of the Underlying Collateral securing such Loan Asset (as determined by the Transferor in accordance with the Servicing Standard unless the Agent in its reasonable discretion disagrees with such determination, in which case the Agent shall determine the enterprise value of the Underlying Collateral).

“ Management Agreement ” means the Restated Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, dated as of June 6, 2011, between Ares Capital Corporation and Ares Capital Management LLC, as further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.

“ Margin Stock ” means “margin stock” as such term is defined in Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

“ Material Adverse Effect ” means, with respect to any event or circumstance, a material adverse effect on (a) the business, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, performance or properties of the Transferor, the Servicer or the Borrower, (b) the validity, enforceability or collectability of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document or the validity, enforceability or collectability of the Loan Assets generally or any material portion of the Loan Assets, (c) the rights and remedies of the Trustee, the Agent, any Lender and the Secured Parties with respect to matters arising under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, (d) the ability of each of the Borrower and the Servicer, to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, or (e) the status, existence, perfection, priority or enforceability of the Trustee’s, the Agent’s or the other Secured Parties’ lien on the Collateral Portfolio.

“ Material Modification ” means any amendment or waiver of, or modification or supplement to, a Loan Agreement governing a Loan Asset executed or effected on or after the Cut-Off Date for such Loan Asset (or, solely in the case of clause (d)(ii)(y) , a change to any loan senior to a Loan Asset) which:

(a)                                  reduces or forgives any or all of the principal amount due under such Loan Asset;

(b)                                  delays or extends the required or scheduled amortization in any way that increases the Average Life of such Loan Asset; provided that a “Material Modification” shall not be deemed to have occurred pursuant to this clause (b) if (x) the Average Life of such Loan Asset is increased by not more than 20% from its Average Life on the related Cut-Off Date and (y) the Net Leverage Ratio of such Loan Asset is not more than 85% of the maximum established in the Net Leverage Ratio covenant of such Loan Asset;

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(c)                                   waives one or more interest payments, permits any interest due in cash to be deferred or capitalized and added to the principal amount of such Loan Asset (other than any deferral or capitalization already allowed by the terms of the Loan Agreement of any Partial PIK Loan Asset), or reduces the spread or coupon with respect to such Loan Asset; provided that a “Material Modification” shall not be deemed to have occurred pursuant to this clause (c) if (x) such spread or coupon is reduced a maximum of one time and by not more than 20% from the spread or coupon on the related Cut-Off Date and (y) the Interest Coverage Ratio of such Loan Asset is greater than 2.0:1.0 at the time of such reduction;

(d)                                  (i) in the case of a First Lien Loan Asset, contractually or structurally subordinates such Loan Asset by operation of a priority of payments, turnover provisions, the transfer of assets in order to limit recourse to the related Obligor or the granting of Liens (other than “permitted liens” as defined in the applicable Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset or such comparable definition if “permitted liens” is not defined therein, so long as such definition is reasonable and customary) on any of the Underlying Collateral securing such Loan Asset or (ii) in the case of a First Lien Last Out Loan Asset or Second Lien Loan Asset, (x) contractually or structurally subordinates such Loan Asset to any obligation (other than any loan which existed at the Cut-Off Date for such Loan Asset which is senior to such Loan Asset) by operation of a priority of payments, turnover provisions, the transfer of assets in order to limit recourse to the related Obligor or the granting of Liens (other than “permitted liens” as defined in the applicable Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset or such comparable definition if “permitted liens” is not defined therein, so long as such definition is reasonable and customary) on any of the Underlying Collateral securing such Loan Asset or (y) increases the commitment amount of any loan senior to such Loan Asset and the Net Leverage Ratio of such Loan Asset increases by more than 0.5x as a result of such increase;

(e)                                   substitutes, alters or releases the Underlying Collateral securing such Loan Asset and each such substitution, alteration or release, as determined in the sole reasonable discretion of the Agent, materially and adversely affects the value of such Loan Asset;

(f)                                    provides additional funds to the Obligor of such Loan Asset with the intent of keeping that Loan Asset current; or

(g)                                   amends, waives, forbears, supplements or otherwise modifies (i) the meaning of “Senior Net Leverage Ratio”, “Net Leverage Ratio”, “Interest Coverage Ratio” or “Permitted Liens” or any respective comparable definitions in the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset or (ii) any term or provision of such Loan Agreement referenced in or utilized in the calculation of the “Senior Net Leverage Ratio”, “Net Leverage Ratio”, “Interest Coverage Ratio” or “Permitted Liens” or any respective comparable definitions for such Loan Asset, in either case in a manner that, in the sole reasonable judgment of the Agent, is materially adverse to the Secured Parties.

“ Maximum Facility Amount ” means the aggregate Commitments of the Lenders then in effect, which amount may be up to $1,000,000,000, as such amount may vary from time to time pursuant to Section 2.18(b)  or Section 2.22 ; provided that, at all times after the Reinvestment Period, the Maximum Facility Amount shall mean the aggregate Advances Outstanding at such time.

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“ Maximum Weighted Average Rating Factor Test ” means a test that will be satisfied as of any date of determination if the Moody’s Weighted Average Rating Factor of all Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio is less than or equal to 3600.

“ Minimum Weighted Average Coupon ” means 7.00%.

“ Minimum Weighted Average Coupon Test ” means a test that will be satisfied on any date of determination if the Weighted Average Coupon of all Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio is equal to or greater than the Minimum Weighted Average Coupon.

“ Minimum Weighted Average Spread ” means 3.00%.

“ Minimum Weighted Average Spread Test ” means a test that will be satisfied on any date of determination if the Weighted Average Spread of all Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio is equal to or greater than the Minimum Weighted Average Spread.

“ Monthly Period ” means, for any date of determination, the period from but excluding the immediately preceding Determination Date to and including the immediately succeeding Determination Date.

“ Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (or its successors in interest).

“ Moody’s Industry Classification Group ” means any of the industry classification groups set forth in Schedule VII hereto, as such industry classification groups shall be updated with the consent of the Borrower if Moody’s publishes revised industry classifications.

“ Moody’s Rating ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset as of any date of determination, the rating determined as follows:

(i)                                      if the Obligor of such Loan Asset has a “corporate family rating” (including any “senior implied rating”) published by Moody’s as of such date of determination, then such corporate family rating;

(ii)                                   if not determined pursuant to subclause (i)  above, if the Obligor of such Loan Asset has a long-term issuer rating by Moody’s, then such long-term issuer rating;

(iii)                                if not determined pursuant to subclause (i)  or (ii)  above, if such Loan Asset (A) is publicly rated by Moody’s, such public rating, or (B) is not publicly rated by Moody’s but a private rating has been assigned to such Loan Asset by Moody’s upon the request of the Borrower or the Servicer, such private rating; provided that a Moody’s Rating may not be determined pursuant to this subclause (iii)(B)  prior to the receipt by the Borrower or the Servicer of such private rating from Moody’s; or

(iv)                               if not determined pursuant to subclause (i) , (ii)  or (iii)  above, then the rating estimate assigned to such Loan Asset based on Moody’s RiskCalc; provided that any Moody’s Rating based on Moody’s RiskCalc must be updated within 12 months of determination.

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“ Moody’s Rating Factor ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, the number set forth in the table below opposite the Moody’s Rating of such Loan Asset:

“ Moody’s RiskCalc ” means Moody’s KMV RiskCalc®, as set forth in Schedule VIII .

“ Moody’s Weighted Average Rating Factor ” means the number (rounded up to the nearest whole number) determined by dividing (a) the product of (i) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of each Eligible Loan Asset included in the Collateral Portfolio and (ii) the Moody’s Rating Factor of such Loan Asset by (b) the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio.

“ Mortgage ” means the mortgage, deed of trust or other instrument creating a Lien on an interest in real property securing a Loan Asset, including the assignment of leases and rents related thereto.

“ Multiemployer Plan ” means a “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which, in the case of the Borrower, the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate thereof, or in the case of the Servicer, the Servicer or any ERISA Affiliate thereof, contributed or had any obligation to contribute on behalf of its employees at any time during the current year or the preceding five years.

“ Net Leverage Ratio ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset for any Relevant Test Period, the meaning of “Net Leverage Ratio” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “Net Leverage Ratio” or such

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comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, the ratio of (a) Indebtedness minus Unrestricted Cash to (b) EBITDA.

“ Non-Usage Fee ” has the meaning ascribed thereto in the Non-Usage Fee Letter.

“ Non-Usage Fee Letter ” means that certain non-usage fee letter agreement, dated as of the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, by and among the Borrower, the Servicer and the Agent (on behalf of the Lenders), as amended, modified, waived, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time.

“ Noteless Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset with respect to which the Loan Agreements (i) do not require the Obligor to execute and deliver a promissory note to evidence the indebtedness created under such Loan Asset or (ii) require any holder of the indebtedness created under such Loan Asset to affirmatively request a promissory note from the related Obligor.

“ Notice and Request for Consent ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.07(d)(i) .

“ Notice of Borrowing ” means an irrevocable written notice of borrowing from the Borrower to the Agent in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F .

“ Notice of Reduction ” means a notice of a reduction of the Advances Outstanding or a reduction of the aggregate Commitments, as applicable, pursuant to Section 2.18 , in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G or Exhibit H , as applicable.

“ Obligations ” means all present and future indebtedness and other liabilities and obligations (howsoever created, arising or evidenced, whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, or due or to become due) of the Borrower to the Lenders, the Agent, the Bank, any Hedge Counterparty, the Trustee or the Collateral Custodian arising under this Agreement and/or any other Transaction Document and shall include, without limitation, all liability for principal of and interest on the Advances, Hedge Breakage Costs, Breakage Fees, indemnifications and other amounts due or to become due by the Borrower to the Lenders, any Hedge Counterparty, the Agent or the Trustee under this Agreement and/or any other Transaction Document, including, without limitation, any amounts payable under any Hedging Agreement (including, without limitation, payments in respect of the termination of any such Hedging Agreement), any Lender Fee Letter, any Commitment Termination Premium and costs and expenses payable by the Borrower to the Lenders, the Agent, the Bank, the Trustee or the Collateral Custodian, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses, including without limitation, interest, fees and other obligations that accrue after the commencement of an insolvency proceeding (in each case whether or not allowed as a claim in such insolvency proceeding).

“ Obligor ” means, collectively, each Person obligated to make payments under a Loan Agreement, including any guarantor thereof.

“ Officer’s Certificate ” means a certificate signed by the president, the secretary, an assistant secretary, the chief financial officer or any vice president, as an authorized officer, of any Person.

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“ Opinion of Counsel ” means a written opinion of counsel, which opinion and counsel are acceptable to the Agent in its sole discretion; provided that Latham & Watkins LLP, Richards Layton & Finger, P.A. and Venable LLP shall be considered acceptable counsel for purposes of this definition.

“ Optional Sale ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.07(c) .

“ Optional Sale Date ” means any Business Day, provided 45 days’ prior written notice is given in accordance with Section 2.07(c) .

“ Original Agreement ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the Preliminary Statement.

“ Original Loan Asset ” means each Loan Asset acquired by the Borrower prior to the Restatement Date.

“ Original Purchase and Sale Agreement ” means that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of November 3, 2004, by and between the Transferor, as the seller, and the Borrower, as the Buyer, as amended and modified prior to the Restatement Date.

“ Other Connection Taxes ” means, with respect to any Indemnified Party, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Indemnified Party and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Indemnified Party having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced this Agreement, or sold or assigned an interest in any obligation hereunder).

“ Other Taxes ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.07(b) .

“ Outstanding Balance ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset as of any date of determination, the outstanding principal balance of any advances or loans made to the related Obligor pursuant to the related Loan Agreement as of such date of determination (exclusive of any interest and Accreted Interest).

“ Partial PIK Loan Asset ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the definition of “PIK Loan Asset”.

“ Participation Agreement ” means a participation agreement, with respect to any Acquisition Participation Interests, if any, in such form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion.

“ Participation Interest ” means a participation interest in a loan that would, at the time of acquisition or the Borrower’s commitment to acquire the same, satisfy each of the following criteria: (i) such loan would constitute an Eligible Loan Asset were it acquired directly, (ii) the seller of the participation is the lender on the subject loan, (iii) the aggregate participation in the loan does not exceed the principal amount or commitment of such loan, (iv) such participation does not grant, in the aggregate, to the participant in such participation a greater interest than the seller holds in the loan or commitment that is the subject of the participation, (v) the entire

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purchase price for such participation is paid in full at the time of its acquisition, and (vi) the participation provides the participant all of the economic benefit and risk of the whole or part of the loan or commitment that is the subject of the loan participation.

“ Payment Date ” means the 15 th  day of each of January, April, July and October or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day, commencing on the 15 th  day of April 2010; provided that the final Payment Date shall occur on the Collection Date.

“ Payment Duties ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 10.02(b)(i) .

“ Pension Plan ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 4.01(x) .

“ Permitted Investment Required Ratings ” means a long-term credit rating by Moody’s that is no lower than Moody’s then current long-term sovereign rating of the United States and by S&P that is no lower than S&P’s then current long-term sovereign rating of the United States, in the case of long-term debt obligations, or “Prime-1” by Moody’s (which is not then on credit watch for possible downgrade by Moody’s) and “A-1+” by S&P, in the case of commercial paper and short-term obligations; provided that if such obligation or security has a maturity of longer than 91 days, the issuer thereof must also have at the time of such investment a long-term credit rating by Moody’s that is no lower than Moody’s then current long-term sovereign rating of the United States and by S&P that is no lower than S&P’s then current long-term sovereign rating of the United States.

“ Permitted Investments ” means either cash or any United States dollar investment that, at the time it is delivered (directly or through an intermediary or bailee), (x) matures not later than the earlier of (A) the date that is 60 days after the date of delivery thereof and (B) the Business Day immediately preceding the Payment Date immediately following the date of delivery thereof, and (y) is one or more of the following obligations or securities:

(a)                                  direct Registered obligations of, and Registered obligations the timely payment of principal and interest on which is fully and expressly guaranteed by, the United States or any agency or instrumentality of the United States the obligations of which are expressly backed by the full faith and credit of the United States;

(b)                                  demand and time deposits in, certificates of deposit of, trust accounts with, bankers’ acceptances issued by, or federal funds sold by any depository institution or trust company incorporated under the laws of the United States (including the Bank) or any state thereof and subject to supervision and examination by federal and/or state banking authorities or with the Agent, in each case payable within 60 days after issuance, so long as the commercial paper and/or the debt obligations of such depository institution or trust company (or, in the case of the principal depository institution in a holding company system, the commercial paper or debt obligations of such holding company) at the time of such investment or contractual commitment providing for such investment have the Permitted Investment Required Ratings;

(c)                                   commercial paper or other short-term obligations (other than asset-backed commercial paper) that is payable in United States dollars with the Permitted Investment Required Ratings and that either bear interest or are sold at a discount from the face amount thereof and have a maturity of not more than 60 days from their date of issuance; and

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(d)                                  money market funds that have, at all times, credit ratings of “Aaa” and “MR1+” by Moody’s and “AAAm” or “AAAm-G” by S&P, respectively; and

provided that (1) Permitted Investments purchased with funds in any Controlled Account shall be held until maturity except as otherwise specifically provided herein and shall include only such obligations or securities, other than those referred to in clause (f)  above, as mature (or are putable at par to the issuer thereof) no later than the Business Day prior to the next Payment Date unless such Permitted Investments are issued by the Collateral Agent in its capacity as a banking institution, in which event such Permitted Investments may mature on such Payment Date; and (2) none of the foregoing obligations or securities shall constitute Permitted Investments if (A) such obligation or security has an “f”, “r”, “p”, “pi”, “q” or “t” subscript assigned by S&P, (B) all, or substantially all, of the remaining amounts payable thereunder consist of interest and not principal payments, (C) payments with respect to such obligations or securities or proceeds of disposition are subject to withholding Taxes by any jurisdiction unless the payor is required to make “gross-up” payments that cover the full amount of any such withholding Taxes on an after-tax basis, (D) such obligation or security is secured by real property, (E) such obligation or security is purchased at a price greater than 100% of the principal or face amount thereof, (F) such obligation or security is subject of a tender offer, voluntary redemption, exchange offer, conversion or other similar action, (G) in the Servicer’s judgment, such obligation or security is subject to material non-credit related risks, (H) such obligation is a structured finance obligation or (I) such obligation or security is represented by a certificate of interest in a grantor trust.  Any investment that is a Permitted Investment pursuant to the above provisions of this definition shall not be disqualified from being a Permitted Investment because it is issued by or made with the Bank or because the Bank or the Trustee or an Affiliate of the Bank or the Trustee provides services for such investment and receives compensation therefor); provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing clauses (a) through (d), unless the Borrower and the Servicer have received the written advice of counsel of national reputation experienced in such matters to the contrary (together with an Officer’s Certificate of the Borrower or the Servicer to the Agent that the advice specified in this definition has been received by the Borrower and the Servicer), Permitted Investments may only include obligations or securities that constitute cash equivalents for purposes of the rights and assets in paragraph (c)(8)(i)(B) of the exclusions from the definition of “covered fund” for purposes of the Volcker Rule.

“ Permitted Liens ” means any of the following as to which no enforcement, collection, execution, levy or foreclosure proceeding shall have been commenced (a) Liens for state, municipal or other local Taxes if such Taxes shall not at the time be due and payable or if a Person shall currently be contesting the validity thereof in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which reserves in accordance with GAAP have been provided on the books of such Person, (b) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen’s, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, carriers’, workmen’s and repairmen’s Liens and other similar Liens, arising by operation of law in the ordinary course of business for sums that are not overdue or are being contested in good faith and (c) Liens granted pursuant to or by the Transaction Documents.

“ Permitted Refinancing ” means any refinancing transaction undertaken by the Transferor, the Borrower or an Affiliate of the Transferor that is secured, directly or indirectly, by any Loan

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Asset currently or formerly included in the Collateral Portfolio or any portion thereof or any interest therein released from the Lien of this Agreement.

“ Permitted Securitization ” means any private or public term or conduit securitization transaction (a) undertaken by the Transferor, the Borrower or an Affiliate of the Transferor, that is secured, directly or indirectly, by any Loan Asset currently or formerly included in the Collateral Portfolio or any portion thereof or any interest therein released from the Lien of this Agreement, including, without limitation, any collateralized loan obligation or collateralized debt obligation offering or other asset securitization and (b) in the case of a term securitization in which the Transferor or an Affiliate thereof or underwriter or placement agent has agreed to purchase or place 100% of the equity and non-investment grade tranches of notes issued in such term securitization transaction.  For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding any agreement by the Transferor or an Affiliate to purchase or place 100% of the equity in such term securitization transaction, any such party agreeing to so purchase or place may designate other Persons as purchasers of such equity provided such party or parties remain primarily liable therefor if such designees fail to purchase or place in connection with the closing date of such term securitization and/or, after the closing of such term securitization, may transfer equity it purchases at the closing thereof.

“ Person ” means an individual, partnership, corporation (including a statutory or business trust), limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, sole proprietorship, joint venture, government (or any agency or political subdivision thereof) or other entity.

“ PIK Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset which provides for a portion of the interest that accrues thereon to be added to the principal amount of such Loan Asset for some period of the time prior to such Loan Asset requiring the current cash payment of such previously capitalized interest, which cash payment shall be treated as an Interest Collection at the time it is received; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, no Loan Asset shall constitute a PIK Loan Asset if the portion of the interest accruing thereon that is contractually required to be paid in cash accrues at a rate equal to or in excess of (a) the Ares LIBOR Rate plus 2.5%, if such Loan Asset is a Floating Rate Loan Asset with an interest rate based on the London interbank offered rate applicable to such Loan Asset pursuant to the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset, (b) the Ares Prime Rate, if such Loan Asset is a Floating Rate Loan Asset with an interest rate based on the Ares Prime Rate, and (c) 6.0%, if such Loan Asset is a Fixed Rate Loan Asset (any such Loan Asset described in this proviso, a “ Partial PIK Loan Asset ”).

“ Pledge ” means the pledge of any Eligible Loan Asset or other Portfolio Asset pursuant to Article II .

“ Pledge Agreement ” means that certain Pledge Agreement, dated as of the Restatement Date, between the Equityholder, as pledgor, and the Trustee, as pledgee, as such Pledge Agreement may from time to time be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof.

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“ Portfolio Assets ” means all Loan Assets owned by the Borrower, together with all proceeds thereof and other assets or property related thereto, including all right, title and interest of the Borrower in and to:

(a)                                  any amounts on deposit in any cash reserve, collection, custody or lockbox accounts securing the Loan Assets;

(b)                                  all rights with respect to the Loan Assets to which the Transferor is entitled as lender under the applicable Loan Agreement;

(c)                                   the Controlled Accounts, together with all cash and investments in each of the foregoing other than amounts earned on investments therein;

(d)                                  any Underlying Collateral securing a Loan Asset and all Recoveries related thereto, all payments paid in respect thereof and all monies due, to become due and paid in respect thereof accruing after the applicable Cut-Off Date and all liquidation proceeds;

(e)                                   all Required Loan Documents, the Loan Asset Files related to any Loan Asset, any Records, and the documents, agreements, and instruments included in the Loan Asset Files or Records;

(f)                                    all Insurance Policies with respect to any Loan Asset;

(g)                                   all Liens, guaranties, indemnities, warranties, letters of credit, accounts, bank accounts and property subject thereto from time to time purporting to secure or support payment of any Loan Asset, together with all UCC financing statements, mortgages or similar filings signed or authorized by an Obligor relating thereto;

(h)                                  the Purchase and Sale Agreements (including, without limitation, rights of recovery of the Borrower against the Equityholder and the Transferor) and the assignment to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, of all UCC financing statements filed by the Borrower against the Equityholder and filed by the Equityholder against the Transferor under or in connection with the Purchase and Sale Agreements;

(i)                                      any Hedging Agreement and all payments from time to time due thereunder;

(j)                                     all records (including computer records) with respect to the foregoing; and

(k)                                  all collections, income, payments, proceeds and other benefits of each of the foregoing.

“ Prime Rate ” means the rate announced by Wells Fargo from time to time as its prime rate in the United States, such rate to change as and when such designated rate changes.  The Prime Rate is not intended to be the lowest rate of interest charged by Wells Fargo or any other specified financial institution in connection with extensions of credit to debtors.

“ Principal Collection Account ” means a sub-account (account number 787456-202 at the Bank) of the Collection Account into which Principal Collections shall be segregated.

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“ Principal Collections ” means (i) any deposits by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.06(a)(i)  or Section 2.07(e)(i) , (ii) with respect to any Loan Asset, all amounts received which are not Interest Collections, including, without limitation, all Recoveries, all Insurance Proceeds, all scheduled payments of principal and principal prepayments and all guaranty payments and proceeds of any liquidations, sales, dispositions or securitizations, in each case, attributable to the principal of such Loan Asset and (iii) all payments received pursuant to any Hedging Agreement or Hedge Transaction; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, “Principal Collections” shall not include amounts on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account or amounts withdrawn pursuant to Section 2.21 .

“ Pro Rata Share ” means, with respect to each Lender, the percentage obtained by dividing the Commitment of such Lender (as determined under clause (i)  of the definition of “Commitment”), by the aggregate Commitments of all the Lenders (as determined under clause (i)  of the definition of “Commitment”).

“ Proceeds ” means, with respect to any Collateral Portfolio, all property that is receivable or received when such Collateral Portfolio is collected, sold, liquidated, foreclosed, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of, whether such disposition is voluntary or involuntary, and includes all rights to payment with respect to any insurance relating to such Collateral Portfolio.

“ Purchase and Sale Agreements ” means the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement and the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement.

“ Rating Agency ” means each of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch.

“ Records ” means all documents relating to the Loan Assets, including books, records and other information executed in connection with the origination or acquisition of the Collateral Portfolio or maintained with respect to the Collateral Portfolio and the related Obligors that the Borrower, the Transferor or the Servicer have generated, in which the Borrower, the Transferor or the Equityholder have acquired an interest pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreements or in which the Borrower, the Transferor or the Equityholder have otherwise obtained an interest.

“ Recoveries ” means, as of the time any Underlying Collateral with respect to any Loan Asset subject to clauses (ii)  or (iv)  of the definition of “Value Adjustment Event”, as applicable, is sold, discarded or abandoned (after a determination by the Servicer that such Underlying Collateral has little or no remaining value) or otherwise determined to be fully liquidated by the Servicer in accordance with the Servicing Standard, the proceeds from the sale of the Underlying Collateral, the proceeds of any related Insurance Policy, any other recoveries with respect to such Loan Asset, as applicable, the Underlying Collateral, and amounts representing late fees and penalties, net of any amounts received that are required under such Loan Asset, as applicable, to be refunded to the related Obligor.

“ Register ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.14 .

“ Registered ” means, for the purposes of the definition of “Permitted Investments”, in registered form for United States federal income tax purposes and issued after July 18, 1984; provided that a certificate of interest in a grantor trust shall not be treated as Registered unless each of the obligations or securities held by the trust was issued after that date.

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“ Reinvestment Agreement ” means a guaranteed reinvestment agreement from a bank, insurance company or other corporation or entity having a Permitted Investment Required Rating; provided that such agreement provides that it is terminable by the purchaser, without penalty, if the rating assigned to such agreement by either S&P or Moody’s is at any time lower than such agreement’s Permitted Investment Required Rating.

“ Reinvestment Period ” means the date commencing on the Eighth Amendment Effective Date and ending on the earliest to occur of (i) January 3, 2019 (or such later date as is agreed to in writing by the Borrower, the Servicer, the Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.19 ), (ii) the occurrence of an Event of Default (past any applicable notice or cure period provided in the definition thereof) and (iii) the date of any voluntary termination by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.18(b) ; provided that if any of the foregoing is not a Business Day, the Reinvestment Period shall end on the next succeeding Business Day.

“ Release Date ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.07(e) .

“ Relevant Test Period ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, the relevant test period for the calculation of Senior Net Leverage Ratio, Net Leverage Ratio or Interest Coverage Ratio, as applicable, for such Loan Asset in the Loan Agreements or, if no such period is provided for therein, for Obligors delivering monthly financing statements, each period of the last 12 consecutive reported calendar months, and for Obligors delivering quarterly financing statements, each period of the last four consecutive reported fiscal quarters of the principal Obligor on such Loan Asset; provided that with respect to any Loan Asset for which the relevant test period is not provided for in the Loan Agreement, if an Obligor is a newly-formed entity as to which 12 consecutive calendar months have not yet elapsed, “Relevant Test Period” shall initially include the period from the date of formation of such Obligor to the end of the twelfth calendar month or fourth fiscal quarter (as the case may be) from the date of formation, and shall subsequently include each period of the last 12 consecutive reported calendar months or four consecutive reported fiscal quarters (as the case may be) of such Obligor.

“ Remittance Period ” means, (i) as to the Initial Payment Date, the period beginning on January 1, 2010 and ending on, and including, the Determination Date immediately preceding such Payment Date and (ii) as to any subsequent Payment Date, the period beginning on the first day after the most recently ended Remittance Period and ending on, and including, the Determination Date immediately preceding such Payment Date, or, with respect to the final Remittance Period, the Collection Date.

“ Replacement Servicer ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 6.01(c) .

“ Reportable Event ” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than an event for which the 30 day notice period has been waived.

“ Reporting Date ” means the date that is two Business Days prior to the 15 th  of each calendar month (unless in such month a Payment Date occurs, in which case two Business Days prior to such Payment Date), commencing February, 2010.

“ Required Lenders ” means (i) so long as Wells Fargo (or an Affiliate of Wells Fargo) is the Agent hereunder, Wells Fargo (as a Lender hereunder) and its successors and assigns and (ii) 

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the Lenders representing an aggregate of more than 50% of the aggregate Commitments of the Lenders then in effect; provided that, if there are two or more unaffiliated Lenders party to this Agreement as of the applicable date of determination, then at least two such Lenders shall be required to constitute the Required Lenders; provided further that the Commitment of, and the portion of any outstanding Advances, as applicable, held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

“ Required Loan Documents ” means, for each Loan Asset, originals (except as otherwise indicated) of the following documents or instruments, all as specified on the related Loan Asset Checklist:

(a)                                  (i) other than in the case of a Noteless Loan Asset, the original or, if accompanied by an original “lost note” affidavit and indemnity, a copy of, the underlying promissory note, endorsed by the Borrower or the prior holder of record either in blank or to the Trustee (and evidencing an unbroken chain of endorsements from each prior holder thereof evidenced in the chain of endorsements either in blank or to the Trustee, subject to Section 11.19 ), with any endorsement to the Trustee to be in the following form: “U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for the Secured Parties” and (ii) in the case of a Noteless Loan Asset (x) a copy of each transfer document or instrument relating to such Noteless Loan Asset evidencing the assignment of such Noteless Loan Asset to the Transferor and from the Transferor to the Borrower (or, in the case of Third Party Acquired Loan Assets purchased by the Transferor from third parties, from such third party directly to the Borrower as provided in Section 11.19 ) and from the Borrower either to the Trustee or in blank, and (y) a copy of the Loan Asset Register with respect to such Noteless Loan Asset, as described in Section 5.03(l)(ii) ;

(b)                                  originals or copies of each of the following, to the extent applicable to the related Loan Asset; any related loan agreement, credit agreement, note purchase agreement, security agreement (if separate from any Mortgage), sale and servicing agreement, acquisition agreement, subordination agreement, intercreditor agreement or similar instruments, guarantee, Insurance Policy, assumption or substitution agreement or similar material operative document, in each case together with any amendment or modification thereto, as set forth on the Loan Asset Checklist;

(c)                                   if any Loan Asset is secured by a Mortgage, in each case as set forth in the Loan Asset Checklist:

(i)                                      either (i) the original Mortgage, the original assignment of leases and rents, if any, and the originals of all intervening assignments, if any, of the Mortgage and assignments of leases and rents with evidence of recording thereon, (ii) copies thereof certified by the Servicer, by closing counsel or by a title company or escrow company to be true and complete copies thereof where the originals have been transmitted for recording until such time as the originals are returned by the public recording office; provided that, solely for purposes of the Review Criteria, the Collateral Custodian shall have no duty to ascertain whether any certification set forth in this subsection (c)(ii) has been received, other than a certification which has been clearly delineated as being provided by the Servicer or (iii) copies certified by the public recording offices where such documents were recorded to be true and complete copies

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thereof in those instances where the public recording offices retain the original or where the original recorded documents are lost; and

(ii)                                   other than with respect to any Agented Note, to the extent the Borrower is the sole lender under the Loan Agreement, an Assignment of Mortgage and of any other material recorded security documents (including any assignment of leases and rents) in recordable form, executed by the Borrower or the prior holder of record, in blank or to the Trustee (and evidencing an unbroken chain of assignments from the prior holder of record to the Trustee), with any assignment to the Trustee to be in the following form: “U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for the Secured Parties”;

(d)                                  with respect to any Loan Asset originated by the Transferor and with respect to which the Transferor acts as administrative agent (or in a comparable capacity), either (i) copies of the UCC-1 Financing Statements, if any, and any related continuation statements, each showing the Obligor as debtor and the Trustee as total assignee or showing the Obligor, as debtor and the Transferor as secured party and each with evidence of filing thereon, or (ii) copies of any such financing statements certified by the Servicer to be true and complete copies thereof in instances where the original financing statements have been sent to the appropriate public filing office for filing, in each case as set forth in the Loan Asset Checklist; and

(e) with respect to any Acquisition Participation Interest, prior to the elevation thereof by assignment, the participation interest documentation.

“ Required Reports ” means, collectively, the Servicing Report required pursuant to Section 6.08(b) , the Servicer’s Certificate required pursuant to Section 6.08(c) , the financial statements of the Servicer required pursuant to Section 6.08(d) , the tax returns of the Borrower and the Servicer required pursuant to Section 6.08(e) , the financial statements and valuation reports of each Obligor required pursuant to Section 6.08(f) , the annual statements as to compliance required pursuant to Section 6.09 , and the annual independent public accountant’s report required pursuant to Section 6.10 .

“ Responsible Officer ” means, with respect to any Person, any duly authorized officer of such Person with direct responsibility for the administration of this Agreement and also, with respect to a particular matter, any other duly authorized officer of such Person to whom such matter is referred because of such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

“ Restatement Agreement ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.

“ Restatement Date ” means January 22, 2010.

“ Restricted Junior Payment ” means (i) any dividend or other distribution, direct or indirect, on account of any class of membership interests of the Borrower now or hereafter outstanding, except a dividend paid solely in interests of that class of membership interests or in any junior class of membership interests of the Borrower; (ii) any redemption, retirement, sinking fund or similar payment, purchase or other acquisition for value, direct or indirect, of any class of membership interests of the Borrower now or hereafter outstanding, (iii) any payment made to redeem, purchase, repurchase or retire, or to obtain the surrender of, any outstanding

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warrants, options or other rights to acquire membership interests of the Borrower now or hereafter outstanding, and (iv) any payment of management fees by the Borrower (except for reasonable management fees to the Transferor or its Affiliates in reimbursement of actual management services performed).  For the avoidance of doubt, (x) payments and reimbursements due to the Servicer in accordance with this Agreement or any other Transaction Document do not constitute Restricted Junior Payments, and (y) distributions by the Borrower to holders of its membership interests of Loan Assets or of cash or other proceeds relating thereto which have been substituted by the Borrower in accordance with this Agreement shall not constitute Restricted Junior Payments.

“ Retained Interest ” means, with respect to any Agented Note that is transferred to the Borrower, (i) all of the obligations, if any, of the agent(s) under the documentation evidencing such Agented Note and (ii) the applicable portion of the interests, rights and obligations under the documentation evidencing such Agented Note that relate to such portion(s) of the indebtedness that is owned by another lender.

“ Review Criteria ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 12.02(b)(i) .

“ Revolving Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset that is a line of credit or contains an unfunded commitment arising from an extension of credit by the Transferor to an Obligor, pursuant to the terms of which amounts borrowed may be repaid and subsequently reborrowed.

“ SBIC Subsidiary ” means any direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary (including such Subsidiary’s general partner or managing entity to the extent that the only material asset of such general partner or managing entity is its equity interests in the SBIC Subsidiary) of the Borrower licensed as a small business investment company under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended (or that has applied for such a license and is actively pursuing the granting thereof by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted), and which is designated by the Borrower (pursuant to a certificate of a financial officer delivered to the Agent) as an SBIC Subsidiary.

“ S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (or its successors in interest).

“ Scheduled Payment ” means each scheduled payment of principal and/or interest required to be made by an Obligor on the related Loan Asset, as adjusted pursuant to the terms of the related Loan Agreement.

“ Scheduled Payments ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, each required, if any, monthly, quarterly, or annual payment of principal required to be made by the Obligor thereof under the terms of such Loan Asset; in all cases, excluding any payment in the nature of, or constituting, interest.

“ Second Amendment Effective Date ” means January 18, 2011.

“ Second Lien Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset that (i) is secured by a valid and perfected second priority security interest on all of the Obligor’s assets constituting Underlying Collateral for the Loan Asset (whether or not there is also a security interest of a higher or lower

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priority in additional collateral), subject to any expressly permitted liens under the applicable covenants in the Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset, including those set forth in “permitted liens” as defined in the applicable Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset or such comparable definition if “permitted liens” is not defined therein, so long as such definition is reasonable and customary, (ii) with respect to priority of payment obligations is pari passu with the indebtedness of the holder with the first priority security interest except after an event of default thereunder, (iii) pursuant to an intercreditor agreement between the Borrower and the holder of such first priority security interest, the amount of the indebtedness covered by such first priority security interest is limited (in terms of aggregate dollar amount or percent of outstanding principal or both), and (iv) has a Loan-to-Value Ratio of not greater than 70%.

“ Second Tier Loan Assignment ” has the meaning set forth in the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement.

“ Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement ” means that certain Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of the Restatement Date, between the Equityholder, as the seller, and the Borrower, as the purchaser, as amended, modified, waived, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time.

“ Secured Party ” means each of the Agent, each Lender (together with its successors and assigns), the Trustee, the Collateral Custodian, the Bank and each Hedge Counterparty.

“ Securities Act ” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“ Seller Parties ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the definition of “Acquisition Agreement”.

“ Senior Net Leverage Ratio ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset for any Relevant Test Period, the meaning of “Senior  Net Leverage Ratio” or any comparable definition relating to first lien senior secured (or such applicable lien or applicable level within the capital structure) Indebtedness in the Loan Agreement for each such Loan Asset, and in any case that “Senior Net Leverage Ratio” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, the ratio of (a) first lien senior secured (or such applicable lien or applicable level within the capital structure) Indebtedness (including First Lien Last Out Loan Assets) minus Unrestricted Cash, as of the applicable test date, to (b) EBITDA, for the applicable test period, as calculated by the Servicer in good faith using information from and calculations consistent with the relevant compliance statements and financial reporting packages provided by the relevant Obligor as per the requirements of the related Loan Agreement.

“ Servicer ” means at any time the Person then authorized, pursuant to Section 6.01 to service, administer, and collect on the Loan Assets and exercise rights and remedies in respect of the same.

“ Servicer Pension Plan ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 4.03(p).

“ Servicer Termination Event ” means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:

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(a)                                  any failure by the Servicer to make any payment, transfer or deposit into the Collection Account (including, without limitation, with respect to bifurcation and remittance of Interest Collections and Principal Collections) or the Unfunded Exposure Account, as required by this Agreement or any Transaction Document which continues unremedied for a period of two Business Days;

(b)                                  any failure on the part of the Servicer duly to (i) observe or perform in any material respect any other covenants or agreements of the Servicer set forth in this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents to which the Servicer is a party (including, without limitation, any material delegation of the Servicer’s duties that is not permitted by Section 6.01 of this Agreement) or (ii) comply in any material respect with the Servicing Standard regarding the servicing of the Collateral Portfolio and in each case the same continues unremedied for a period of 30 days (if such failure can be remedied) after the earlier to occur of (x) the date on which written notice of such failure requiring the same to be remedied shall have been given to the Servicer by the Agent or the Trustee and (y) the date on which a Responsible Officer of the Servicer acquires knowledge thereof;

(c)                                   the failure of the Servicer to make any payment when due (after giving effect to any related grace period) under one or more agreements for borrowed money to which it is a party in an aggregate amount in excess of United States $100,000,000, individually or in the aggregate, or the occurrence of any event or condition that has resulted in the acceleration of such amount of recourse debt whether or not waived;

(d)                                  a Bankruptcy Event shall occur with respect to the Servicer;

(e)                                   [Reserved];

(f)                                    Ares or an Affiliate thereof shall cease to be the Servicer including by resignation otherwise permitted hereunder;

(g)                                   at any time, Ares fails to maintain the Asset Coverage Ratio at greater than or equal to 2.00:1.00;

(h)                                  Ares permits Shareholders’ Equity at the last day of any of its fiscal quarters to be less than $2,700,000,000 plus 25% of the net proceeds of the sale of equity interests by the Servicer and its Subsidiaries after April 15, 2016;

(i)                                      [Reserved];

(j)                                     any failure by the Servicer to deliver (i) any required Servicing Report on or before the date occurring two Business Days after the date such report is required to be made or given, as the case may be or (ii) any other Required Reports hereunder on or before the date occurring five Business Days after the date such report is required to be made or given, as the case may be, in each case under the terms of this Agreement;

(k)                                  any representation, warranty or certification made by the Servicer in any Transaction Document or in any certificate delivered pursuant to any Transaction Document shall prove to have been incorrect when made, which has a Material Adverse Effect on the Agent

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or any of the Secured Parties and continues to be unremedied for a period of 30 days after the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which written notice of such incorrectness requiring the same to be remedied shall have been given to the Servicer by the Agent or the Trustee and (ii) the date on which a Responsible Officer of the Servicer acquires knowledge thereof;

(l)                                      any financial or other information reasonably requested by the Agent or the Trustee is not provided as requested within a reasonable amount of time following such request;

(m)                              the rendering against the Servicer of one or more final judgments, decrees or orders for the payment of money in excess of United States $100,000,000, individually or in the aggregate (excluding, in each case, any amounts covered by insurance), and the continuance of such judgment, decree or order unsatisfied and in effect for any period of more than 60 consecutive days after the later of (i) the date on which the right to appeal thereof has expired if no such appeal has commenced, or (ii) the date on which all rights to appeal have been extinguished, without such judgment, decree or order being vacated, stayed or discharged during such 60 day period;

(n)                                  any change in the control of the Servicer that takes the form of either a merger or consolidation that does not comply with the provisions of Section 5.04(a)  of this Agreement;

(q)                                  any other event (i) which has caused, or which may cause, a Material Adverse Effect on the assets, liabilities, financial condition, business or operations of the Servicer or (ii) which has caused, or which would reasonably be expected to cause, a Material Adverse Effect on the ability of the Servicer to meet its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party.

“ Servicer Termination Notice ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 6.01(b) .

“ Servicer’s Certificate ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 6.08(c) .

“ Servicing Fees ” means the fee payable to the Servicer on each Payment Date in arrears in respect of each Remittance Period, which fee shall be equal to the product of (i) 0.50%, (ii) the arithmetic mean of the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the Collateral Portfolio on the first day and on the last day of the related Remittance Period and (iii) the actual number of days in such Remittance Period divided by 360.

“ Servicing File ” means, for each Loan Asset, (a) copies of each of the Required Loan Documents and (b) any other portion of the Loan Asset File which is not part of the Required Loan Documents.

“ Servicing Report ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 6.08(b) .

“ Servicing Standard ” means, with respect to any Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio, to service and administer such Loan Assets on behalf of the Secured Parties in

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accordance with Applicable Law, the terms of this Agreement, the Loan Agreements, all customary and usual servicing practices for loans like the Loan Assets and, to the extent consistent with the foregoing, (i) if the Servicer is the originator or an Affiliate thereof, the higher of: (A) in a manner which the Servicer believes to be consistent with the practices and procedures followed by institutional servicers of national standing relating to assets of the nature and character of the Loan Assets, and (B) the same care, skill, prudence and diligence with which the Servicer services and administers loans for its own account or for the account of others, and (ii) if the Servicer is not the originator or an Affiliate thereof, the same care, skill, prudence and diligence with which the Servicer services and administers loans for its own account or for the account of others.

“ Seventh Amendment Effective Date ” means May 14, 2014.

“ Shareholders’ Equity ” means, at any date, the amount determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of shareholders equity for the Servicer and its Subsidiaries at such date.

“ Spread Differential ” means, for any date of determination, (a) the weighted average interest rate of the Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio (and for the avoidance of doubt, with respect to Floating Rate Loan Assets, including LIBOR) on such date minus (b) the Yield Rate for such date.

“ Spread Excess ” means, as of any date of determination, a fraction (expressed as a percentage) the numerator of which is the product of (i) the greater of zero and the excess of the Weighted Average Spread for such date of determination over the Minimum Weighted Average Spread on such date of determination and (ii) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Floating Rate Loan Assets (excluding any defaulted Loan Assets) held by the Borrower as of such date of determination, and the denominator of which is the Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Fixed Rate Loan Assets (excluding any defaulted Loan Assets) held by the Borrower as of such date of determination.

“ State ” means one of the fifty states of the United States or the District of Columbia.

“ Stated Maturity Date ” means January 3, 2022 or such later date as is agreed to in writing by the Borrower, the Servicer, the Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.19 .

“ Subsidiary ” means with respect to a person, a corporation, partnership or other entity of which shares of stock or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power (other than stock or such other ownership interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership or other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such person.

“ Substitute Eligible Loan Asset ” means each Eligible Loan Asset Pledged by the Borrower to the Trustee, on behalf of the Secured Parties, pursuant to Section 2.07(a)  or Section 2.07(e)(ii) .

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“ Supermajority ” means a combination of Lenders representing an aggregate of more than 66-2/3% of the aggregate Commitments of the Lenders then in effect; provided that, if there are two or more unaffiliated Lenders party to this Agreement as of the applicable date of determination, then at least two such Lenders shall be required to constitute a Supermajority; provided further that the Commitment of, and the portion of any outstanding Advances, as applicable, held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of a Supermajority.

“ Swingline Advance ” means any swingline loan made by the Swingline Lender to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01 , and all such swingline loans collectively as the context requires.

“ Swingline Commitment ” means the commitment of the Swingline Lender to fund Swingline Advances, subject to the terms and conditions herein, in an amount not greater than $175,000,000 (without regard to any future reimbursement of Swingline Advances by the Lenders), as such amount may be reduced, increased or assigned from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.  The Swingline Commitment is a sub-limit of the Commitment of the Swingline Lender, in its capacity as a Lender hereunder, and is not in addition thereto.

“ Swingline Lender ” means Wells Fargo in its capacity as swingline lender hereunder or any successor thereto.

“ Swingline Refund Date ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.25(a) .

“ Taxes ” means any present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, assessments or fees of any nature (including interest, penalties, and additions thereto) that are imposed by any Governmental Authority.

“ Term Loan Asset ” means a Loan Asset that is a term loan that has been fully funded and does not contain any unfunded commitment on the part of the Transferor arising from an extension of credit by the Transferor to an Obligor.

“ Third Party Acquired Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset purchased by the Transferor from third parties not Affiliated with the Transferor and then sold from the Transferor to the Equityholder pursuant to the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement and from the Equityholder to the Borrower pursuant to the Second Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement.

“ Transaction Documents ” means this Agreement, any Hedging Agreement, any Joinder Supplement, the Purchase and Sale Agreements, the Participation Agreement, the Collection Account Agreement, the Unfunded Exposure Account Agreement, the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter, any Lender Fee Letter, the Pledge Agreement and each document, instrument or agreement related to any of the foregoing.

“ Transferee Letter ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.22 .

“ Transferor ” means Ares, in its capacity as the transferor hereunder and as the seller under the First Tier Purchase and Sale Agreement, together with its successors and assigns in such capacity.

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“ Trustee ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.

“ Trustee Expenses ” means the trustee expenses set forth in the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter and any other accrued and unpaid fees, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses) and indemnity amounts payable by the Borrower or the Servicer to the Trustee under the Transaction Documents.

“ Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter ” means the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter, dated as of the Restatement Date and amended and restated on the Fifth Amendment Effective Date, between the Trustee, the Collateral Custodian, the Borrower, the Servicer and the Agent, as such letter may be amended, modified, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time.

“ Trustee Fees ” means the trustee fees set forth in the Trustee and Collateral Custodian Fee Letter, as such fee letter may be amended, restated, supplemented and/or otherwise modified from time to time.

“ Trustee Termination Notice ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 10.05 .

“ U.S. Bank ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.

“ U.S. Person ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.11(d)(ii)(A) .

“ U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.11(d)(ii)(B)(3) .

“ UCC ” means the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the specified jurisdiction.

“ Underlying Collateral ” means, with respect to a Loan Asset, any property or other assets designated and pledged or mortgaged as collateral to secure repayment of such Loan Asset, as applicable, including, without limitation, mortgaged property and/or a pledge of the stock, membership or other ownership interests in the related Obligor and all proceeds from any sale or other disposition of such property or other assets.

“ Unfunded Exposure Account ” means a special trust account (account number 787456-702 at the Bank) in the name of the Borrower subject to the Lien of the Trustee for the benefit of the Secured Parties; provided that the funds deposited therein (including any interest and earnings thereon) from time to time shall constitute the property and assets of the Borrower and the Borrower shall be solely liable for any Taxes payable with respect to the Unfunded Exposure Account.

“ Unfunded Exposure Account Agreement ” means that certain controlled account agreement (unfunded exposure account), dated as of the Second Amendment Effective Date, among the Borrower, the Servicer, the Bank, the Agent, and the Trustee, which agreement relates to the Unfunded Exposure Account, as such agreement may from time to time be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms thereof.

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“ Unfunded Exposure Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, the amount, if any, by which (i) the aggregate of all Exposure Amounts exceeds (ii) the amount on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account.

“ Unfunded Exposure Equity Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, with respect to any Revolving Loan Asset or Delayed Draw Loan Asset, an amount equal to (a) the Exposure Amount for such Revolving Loan Asset or Delayed Draw Loan Asset multiplied by (b) the difference of 100% minus the product of (i) the Applicable Percentage for such Revolving Loan Asset or Delayed Draw Loan Asset and (ii) the Assigned Value for such Revolving Loan Asset or Delayed Draw Loan Asset.

“ Unfunded Exposure Equity Shortfall ” means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (i) the aggregate of all Unfunded Exposure Equity Amounts over (ii) the amount on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account.

“ United States ” means the United States of America.

“ Unmatured Event of Default ” means any event that, if it continues uncured, will, with lapse of time, notice or lapse of time and notice, constitute an Event of Default.

“ Unrestricted Cash ” the meaning of “Unrestricted Cash” or any comparable definition in the Loan Agreements for each Loan Asset, and in any case that “Unrestricted Cash” or such comparable definition is not defined in such Loan Agreement, all cash available for use for general corporate purposes and not held in any reserve account or legally or contractually restricted for any particular purposes or subject to any lien (other than blanket liens permitted under or granted in accordance with such Loan Agreement).

“ Value Adjustment Event ” means, with respect to any Loan Asset, the occurrence of any one or more of the following events after the related Cut-Off Date:

(i)                                      (x) The Interest Coverage Ratio for any Relevant Test Period with respect to such Loan Asset is (A) less than 90% of the Interest Coverage Ratio with respect to such Loan Asset as calculated on the applicable Cut-Off Date and (B) less than 1.50:1.00, or (y) the Senior Net Leverage Ratio (or, with respect to any Second Lien Loan Asset or Designated Loan Asset, the Net Leverage Ratio) for any Relevant Test Period of the related Obligor with respect to such Loan Asset is (A) more than 0.50x higher than such ratio as calculated on the applicable Cut-Off Date and (B) greater than 3.50:1.00;

(ii)                                   an Obligor payment default under any Loan Asset (after giving effect to any applicable grace or cure periods, but in any case not to exceed five Business Days, in accordance with the Loan Agreement);

(iii)                                (x) the failure to deliver a “loan level” financial reporting package no later than 45 days after the end of each month (to the extent required by the underlying loan documents), 60 days after the end of each quarter or 130 days after the end of each fiscal year, or such greater number of days as allowed in the Loan Agreement, including any grace and/or cure periods set forth in the Loan Agreement, but which shall in no case exceed 150 days after the end of each fiscal year (unless waived or otherwise agreed to by the Agent in its sole discretion) or (y) any

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other Obligor default under any Loan Asset (after giving effect to any applicable grace or cure periods in accordance with the Loan Agreement) that could reasonably be expected to have a material and adverse effect on the creditworthiness of such Obligor or on the collectability of any amount required to be paid under the related Loan Agreement for such Loan Asset;

(iv)                               a Bankruptcy Event with respect to the related Obligor;

(v)                                  the occurrence of a Material Modification (in accordance with clauses (b) - (c)  or clauses (e) - (g)  of the definition thereof) with respect to such Loan Asset; or

(vi)                               the occurrence of a Material Modification (in accordance with clauses (a)  or (d)  of the definition thereof) with respect to such Loan Asset.

“ Volcker Rule ” means Section 13 of the U.S. Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder.

“ Warranty Event ” means, as to any Loan Asset, the discovery that as of the related Cut-Off Date for such Loan Asset there existed a breach of any representation or warranty relating to such Loan Asset, whether pursuant to this Agreement (as amended and restated) or pursuant to the Restatement Agreement or to the Original Agreement, as applicable (other than any representation or warranty that the Loan Asset satisfies the criteria of the definition of Eligible Loan Asset) and the failure of Borrower to cure such breach, or cause the same to be cured, within 30 days after the earlier to occur of the Borrower’s receipt of notice thereof from the Agent or the Borrower becoming aware thereof.

“ Warranty Loan Asset ” means any Loan Asset that fails to satisfy any criteria of the definition of Eligible Loan Asset as of the Cut-Off Date for such Loan Asset (or any Loan Asset that failed to satisfy any criteria of the definition of “Eligible Loan” as defined in the Restatement Agreement or the Original Agreement, as applicable, as of the Cut-Off Date for such Loan Asset) or a Loan Asset with respect to which a Warranty Event has occurred; provided that any Loan Asset approved by the Agent in accordance with Section 11 of Schedule III on the applicable Cut-Off Date shall not be a Warranty Loan Asset due to the failure of such Loan Asset to satisfy the requirements of Section 11 of Schedule III on any date thereafter.

“ Weighted Average Applicable Percentage ” means, on any date of determination, the number (expressed as a percentage) equal to a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the sum of the products of (a) the Applicable Percentage of each Eligible Loan Asset included in the Collateral Portfolio on such date multiplied by (b) the Adjusted Borrowing Value of the applicable Eligible Loan Asset on such date, and (ii) the denominator of which is the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets forming a part of the Collateral Portfolio on such date.

“ Weighted Average Coupon ” means, as of any date of determination, the number (expressed as a percentage) equal to (i) the Aggregate Funded Coupon divided by (ii) the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio that are Fixed Rate Loan Assets; provided that, if the foregoing amount is less than the Minimum Weighted Average Coupon, the amount of the Spread Excess, if any, as of such date of determination, shall be added to such amount.

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“ Weighted Average Spread ” means, as of any date of determination, the number (expressed as a percentage) equal to (i) the Aggregate Funded Spread divided by (ii) the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of all Eligible Loan Assets included in the Collateral Portfolio that are Floating Rate Loan Assets; provided that, if the foregoing amount is less than the Minimum Weighted Average Spread, the amount of the Fixed Rate Excess, if any, as of such date of determination, added to such amount.

“ Wells Fargo ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.

“ Wells Fargo Fee Letter ” means the Lender Fee Letter, dated the Closing Date and amended and restated on the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, among the Borrower, Ares, the Agent and Wells Fargo (as further amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time).

“ Write-Down and Conversion Powers ” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 11.14 .

“ WFS ” has the meaning assigned to that term in the Preliminary Statement.

“ Yield ” means with respect to any Remittance Period, the sum for each day in such Remittance Period determined in accordance with the following formula:

provided that (i) no provision of this Agreement shall require the payment or permit the collection of Yield in excess of the maximum permitted by Applicable Law and (ii) Yield shall not be considered paid by any distribution if at any time such distribution is later required to be rescinded by any Lender to the Borrower or any other Person for any reason including, without limitation, such distribution becoming void or otherwise avoidable under any statutory provision or common law or equitable action, including, without limitation, any provision of the Bankruptcy Code.

“ Yield Rate ” means, as of any date of determination, an interest rate per annum equal to LIBOR for such date (not less than zero) plus the Applicable Spread; provided that (i) if any Lender shall have notified the Agent that a Eurodollar Disruption Event has occurred, the Yield Rate with respect to Advances of such Lender shall be equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Spread until such Lender shall have notified the Agent that such Eurodollar Disruption Event has ceased, at which time the Yield Rate with respect to Advances of such Lender shall again be equal to LIBOR for such date plus the Applicable Spread and (ii) if any Event of Default has occurred, the Yield Rate shall be increased to the Default Funding Rate, effective as of the date

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of the occurrence of such Event of Default, and shall remain at the Default Funding Rate following the occurrence of such Event of Default.

SECTION 1.02                                       Other Terms . All accounting terms used but not specifically defined herein shall be construed in accordance with GAAP. All terms used in Article 9 of the UCC in the State of New York, and used but not specifically defined herein, are used herein as defined in such Article 9.

SECTION 1.03                                       Computation of Time Periods . Unless otherwise stated in this Agreement, in the computation of a period of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including” and the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding.”

SECTION 1.04                                       Interpretation .

In each Transaction Document, unless a contrary intention appears:

(a)                                  the singular number includes the plural number and vice versa;

(b)                                  reference to any Person includes such Person’s successors and assigns but only if such successors and assigns are not prohibited by the Transaction Documents;

(g)                                   reference to any agreement (including any Transaction Document), document or instrument means such agreement, document or instrument as amended, modified, waived, supplemented, restated or replaced and in effect from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof and, if applicable, the terms of the other Transaction Documents, and reference to any promissory note includes any promissory note that is an extension or renewal thereof or a substitute or replacement therefor;

(h)                                  reference to any Applicable Law means such Applicable Law as amended, modified, codified, replaced or reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect from time to time, including rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and reference to any Section or other provision of any Applicable Law means that provision of such Applicable Law from time to time in effect and constituting the substantive amendment, modification, codification, replacement or reenactment of such Section or other provision;

(i)                                      reference to the “occurrence” of an Event of Default or a Servicer Termination Event means after any grace period applicable to such Event of Default or Servicer Termination Event and shall not include any Event of Default or Servicer

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Termination Event that has been expressly waived in writing in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; and

(j)                                     reference to the par or principal amount of any Loan Asset shall, unless otherwise expressly set forth herein, be calculated exclusive of accrued and Accreted Interest.

ARTICLE II.

THE FACILITY

SECTION 2.01                                       Advances .

(a)                                  Advances . On the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, from time to time from the Closing Date until the end of the Reinvestment Period, the Borrower may request that the Lenders make Advances to the Borrower secured by the Collateral Portfolio, in an aggregate amount up to the Availability as of such date, (x) to the Borrower for the purpose of purchasing Eligible Loan Assets or as otherwise permitted in accordance with Section  5.02(i)  or (y) to the Unfunded Exposure Account in an amount up to, prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period, the aggregate of all Unfunded Exposure Equity Amounts and, on the last day of the Reinvestment Period, the Exposure Amount Shortfall; provided that, other than pursuant to Section 2.02(f) , no Lender shall be obligated to make any Advance on or after the earlier to occur of the last day of the Reinvestment Period or the date that is two Business Days prior to the Termination Date. Other than pursuant to Section 2.02(f) , under no circumstances shall any Lender be required to make any Advance if after giving effect to such Advance and the addition to the Collateral Portfolio of the Eligible Loan Assets being acquired by the Borrower using the proceeds of such Advance, (i) an Event of Default has occurred or would result therefrom or an Unmatured Event of Default exists or would result therefrom or (ii) the aggregate Advances Outstanding would exceed the Borrowing Base. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein (other than pursuant to Section  2.02(f) ), no Lender shall be obligated to provide the Borrower (or to the Unfunded Exposure Account, if applicable) with aggregate funds in connection with an Advance that would exceed the lesser of (x) such Lender’s unused Commitment then in effect and (y) the aggregate unused Commitments then in effect.

(b)                                  Swingline Advances .  On the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, from time to time from the Eighth Amendment Effective Date until the end of the Reinvestment Period, the Borrower may, at its option, request the Swingline Lender make Swingline Advances to the Borrower by delivering a Borrowing Notice with respect to such requested Swingline Advance to the Agent, which shall forward such Borrowing Notice to the Swingline Lender and provide notification to the Lenders with respect thereto.  Following the receipt of a Borrowing Notice during the Reinvestment Period and subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, the Swingline Lender shall make the requested Swingline Advances to the Borrower; provided that the Swingline Lender shall not fund any Swingline Advance if, after giving effect to the amount of the Swingline Advance requested, in the sole discretion of the Swingline Lender, an Event of Default has occurred or would result therefrom or an Unmatured Event of Default exists or would result therefrom.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Swingline Lender shall not be obligated to provide the Borrower with aggregate funds in connection with a Swingline Advance that would exceed the least of (x) the amount requested by

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the Borrower for such Swingline Advance, (y) the positive difference between (A) the Swingline Commitment then in effect and (B) the aggregate outstanding Swingline Advances as of such date and (z) the maximum amount that, after taking into account the proposed use of the proceeds of such Swingline Advance, could be advanced to the Borrower hereunder without causing the Advances Outstanding to exceed the Borrowing Base.

(c)                                   Evidence of Advances . Each Advance and all repayments thereof shall be evidenced by the applicable Lender’s loan accounts and records.  Such loan accounts and records shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Advances and repayments thereof.  Any failure to record any Advance or repayment thereof or any error in doing so shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower to pay any amount owing with respect to the Advances.

(d)                                  Intent of Parties . Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, the parties hereto intend that the Advances made hereunder and all other Obligations of the Borrower to the Lenders and the Agent incurred through the Advances shall constitute “loans” and not “securities” for all purposes, including, without limitation for purposes of Section 8-102(15) of the UCC.

Advances to be made for the purpose of refunding Swingline Advances shall be made by the Lenders as provided in Section 2.25 .

SECTION 2.02                                       Procedure for Advances .

(a)                                  During the Reinvestment Period, the Lenders will make Advances and the Swingline Lender will make Swingline Advances on any Business Day at the request of the Borrower, subject to and in accordance with the terms and conditions of Sections 2.01 and 2.02 and subject to the provisions of Article III hereof.

(b)                                  Each Advance shall be made on at least one Business Day’s irrevocable written notice from the Borrower to the Agent (who will provide each Lender with a copy promptly upon receipt thereof), with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian, in the form of a Notice of Borrowing; provided that such Notice of Borrowing shall be deemed to have been received by the Agent on a Business Day if delivered no later than 3:00 p.m. (New York City time) on such Business Day and if not delivered by such time, shall be deemed to have been received on the following Business Day.  Each Swingline Advance shall be made on any Business Day on which written notice is received from the Borrower by the Agent (who will provide the Swingline Lender and each other Lender with a copy promptly upon receipt thereof), with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian, in the form of a Notice of Borrowing; provided that such Notice of Borrowing shall be deemed to have been received by the Agent on a Business Day if delivered no later than 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on such Business Day and if not delivered by such time, shall be deemed to have been received on the following Business Day.  The Borrower or Servicer shall post all Loan Agreements and other loan documents and information with respect to each proposed Eligible Loan Asset, if any, to an IntraLinks (or other replacement) website to which the Agent has access.  Each Notice of Borrowing shall include a duly completed Borrowing Base Certificate (updated to the date such

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Advance is requested and giving pro forma effect to the Advance requested and the use of the proceeds thereof), and shall specify:

(i)                                      the aggregate amount of such Advance which amount shall not cause the Advances Outstanding to exceed the Borrowing Base; provided that, except with respect to an Advance pursuant to Section 2.02(f) , the amount of such Advance must be at least equal to $500,000;

(ii)                                   the proposed date of such Advance;

(iii)                                a representation that all conditions precedent for an Advance described in Article III hereof have been satisfied; and

(iv)                               the amount of cash that will be funded into the Unfunded Exposure Account in connection with the Advance, if applicable.

On the date of each Advance (other than a Swingline Advance), upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Article III , each Lender shall make available to the Agent on the applicable Advance Date in same day funds by no later than 12:00 noon, an amount equal to such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such Advance and upon receipt of such amounts with respect to such Advance, the Agent shall promptly fund such amounts by wire transfer to the account which the Borrower has designated in writing; provided that, with respect to an Advance funded pursuant to Section 2.02(f) , each Lender shall remit the Advance equal to such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Exposure Amount Shortfall in same day funds by no later than 12:00 noon to the Agent and upon receipt of such amounts with respect to such Advance, the Agent shall promptly fund such amounts to the Unfunded Exposure Account.  On the date of any Swingline Advance, the Swingline Lender shall make available to the Agent in same day funds, an amount equal to the amount of such Swingline Advance and upon receipt of such amount with respect to such Swingline Advance, the Agent shall promptly fund such amounts by wire transfer to the account which the Borrower has designated in writing.

(c)                                   The Advances shall bear interest at the Yield Rate.

(d)                                  Subject to Section 2.18 and the other terms, conditions, provisions and limitations set forth herein (including, without limitation, the payment of the Commitment Termination Premium, if any, as applicable), the Borrower may (i) borrow and reborrow Advances without any penalty, on and after the Restatement Date and prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period and (ii) repay or prepay Advances without any penalty, on and after the Restatement Date and prior to the Facility Maturity Date.

(e)                                   Determinations by any Lender of the existence of any Eurodollar Disruption Event with respect to such Lender (any such determination to be communicated to the Borrower by written notice from the Agent promptly after the Agent learns of such event), or of the effect of any Eurodollar Disruption Event on its making or maintaining Advances at LIBOR, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(f)                                    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein (including, without limitation, the occurrence of an Event of

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Default or the existence of an Unmatured Event of Default or a Borrowing Base Deficiency), if, on the last day of the Reinvestment Period, the amount on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account is less than the aggregate of all Exposure Amounts, the Borrower shall request an Advance in the amount of such shortfall (the “ Exposure Amount Shortfall ”).  Following receipt of a Notice of Borrowing (which shall specify the account details of the Unfunded Exposure Account where the funds will be made available), each Lender shall fund such Exposure Amount Shortfall in accordance with Section 2.02(b) , notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein (including, without limitation, the Borrower’s failure to satisfy any of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 3.02 ).

(g)                                   The obligation of each Lender to remit its Pro Rata Share of any Advance shall be several from that of each other Lender and the failure of any Lender to so make such amount available to the Borrower shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligation hereunder.  For the avoidance of doubt no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to remit its Pro Rata Share of any Advance requested hereunder.

SECTION 2.03                                       Determination of Yield . The Agent shall determine the Yield for the Advances (including unpaid Yield related thereto, if any, due and payable on a prior Payment Date) to be paid by the Borrower on each Payment Date for the related Remittance Period and shall advise the Servicer thereof on the Determination Date prior to such Payment Date.

SECTION 2.04                                       Remittance Procedures . The Servicer, as agent for the Agent and the Lenders, shall instruct the Trustee and, if the Servicer fails to do so, the Agent may instruct the Trustee, to apply funds on deposit in the Controlled Accounts as described in this Section 2.04 ; provided that, at any time after delivery of Notice of Exclusive Control (as defined in the Collection Account Agreement), the Agent shall instruct the Trustee to apply funds on deposit in the Controlled Accounts as described in this Section 2.04 .

(a)                                  Interest Payments Absent an Event of Default . On each Payment Date, so long as no Event of Default has occurred, and in any case prior to the Facility Maturity Date, the Servicer shall (as directed pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 2.04 ) transfer Interest Collections held by the Bank in the Collection Account, in accordance with the Servicing Report, to the following Persons in the following amounts, calculated as of the Determination Date immediately preceding any Payment Date, and priority:

(i)                                      pari passu to (a) the Trustee, in payment in full of all accrued Trustee Fees and all Trustee Expenses, and (b) the Collateral Custodian, in payment in full of all accrued Collateral Custodian Fees and Collateral Custodian Expenses; provided that amounts payable to the Trustee for Trustee Expenses and Collateral Custodian for Collateral Custodian Expenses pursuant to the foregoing clauses (a)  and (b)  shall not exceed $40,000 for any Payment Date;

(ii)                                   to the Servicer, in payment in full of all accrued Servicing Fees;

(iii)                                pro rata in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, to each Hedge Counterparty, any amounts (other than any Hedge Breakage Costs) owing to that Hedge Counterparty under its respective Hedging Agreement in respect of any Hedge Transaction(s);

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(iv)                               to the Agent, in an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid Agent Fee;

(v)                                  to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, all Yield and the Non-Usage Fee that is accrued and unpaid as of the last day of the related Remittance Period;

(vi)                               pro rata to the Agent (for the account of each Lender), the Agent (for its own account) or the Collateral Custodian, as applicable, all accrued and unpaid fees, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses) and indemnity amounts payable by the Borrower to any Lender, the Agent or the Collateral Custodian under the Transaction Documents;

(vii)                            (a) prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period, if any Borrowing Base Deficiency is a result of a shortfall in the Unfunded Exposure Amount, at the discretion and direction of the Servicer, to fund the Unfunded Exposure Account (in an amount up to the aggregate of all Unfunded Exposure Equity Amounts), and (b) after the end of the Reinvestment Period but prior to the Facility Maturity Date, to fund the Unfunded Exposure Account (in an amount up to the aggregate of all Exposure Amounts);

(viii)                         to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, an amount necessary to satisfy any outstanding Borrowing Base Deficiency not paid in Section 2.04(a)(vii) , pro rata in accordance with the amount of Advances Outstanding;

(ix)                               to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, to pay the Advances Outstanding, including any Commitment Termination Premium, in connection with any complete refinancing or termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 2.18(b) ;

(x)                                  pro rata in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, to each Hedge Counterparty, any Hedge Breakage Costs owing to that Hedge Counterparty under its respective Hedging Agreement;

(xi)                               to pay any other amounts due (other than with respect to the repayment of Advances) under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents (including any indemnity amounts due from the Borrower hereunder and thereunder);

(xii)                            to the Servicer, in respect of all reasonable expenses (except allocated overhead) incurred during the immediately ended Remittance Period in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder or paid on behalf of the Borrower, plus any outstanding deferred reimbursement amount plus interest thereon as further set forth in Section 6.07 ; and

(xiii)                         to the Borrower, any remaining amounts.

(b)                                  Principal Payments Absent an Event of Default .  On each Payment Date, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and, in any case, prior to the Facility Maturity Date,

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the Servicer shall (as directed pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 2.04 ) transfer Principal Collections held by the Bank in the Collection Account, in accordance with the Servicing Report, to the following Persons in the following amounts, calculated as of the Determination Date immediately preceding any Payment Date, and priority:

(i)                                      to pay amounts due under Section 2.04(a)(i)  through (vi) , to the extent not paid thereunder;

(ii)                                   (a) prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period, at the discretion and direction of the Servicer, to fund the Unfunded Exposure Account (in an amount up to the aggregate of all Unfunded Exposure Equity Amounts) and (b) after the end of the Reinvestment Period but prior to the Facility Maturity Date, to fund the Unfunded Exposure Account (in an amount up to the aggregate of all Exposure Amounts);

(iii)                                (a) prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period, to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, an amount necessary to satisfy any outstanding Borrowing Base Deficiency, pro rata in accordance with the amount of Advances Outstanding and (b) after the end of the Reinvestment Period but prior to the Facility Maturity Date, to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, an amount necessary to pay the Advances Outstanding, including any Commitment Termination Premium, until paid in full, pro rata in accordance with the amount of Advances Outstanding;

(iv)                               pro rata in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, to each Hedge Counterparty, any Hedge Breakage Costs owing to that Hedge Counterparty under its respective Hedging Agreement;

(v)                                  to pay any other amounts due under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents (including any indemnity amounts due from the Borrower hereunder and thereunder);

(vi)                               to the Servicer, in respect of all reasonable expenses (except allocated overhead) incurred during the immediately ended Remittance Period in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder or paid on behalf of the Borrower, plus any outstanding deferred reimbursement amount plus interest thereon as further set forth in Section 6.07 ; and

(vii)                            to the Borrower, any remaining amounts.

(c)                                   Payment Date Transfers Upon the Occurrence of an Event of Default . On each Payment Date, if an Event of Default has occurred, or in any case on and after the Facility Maturity Date, the Servicer shall (as directed pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 2.04 ) transfer collected funds held by the Bank in the Collection Account, in accordance with the Servicing Report, to the following Persons in the following amounts, calculated as of the Determination Date immediately preceding any Payment Date, and priority:

(i)                                      pari passu to (a) the Trustee, in payment in full of all accrued Trustee Fees and all Trustee Expenses, and (b) the Collateral Custodian, in payment in

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full of all accrued Collateral Custodian Fees and Collateral Custodian Expenses; provided that amounts payable to the Trustee for Trustee Expenses and Collateral Custodian for Collateral Custodian Expenses pursuant to the foregoing clauses (a)  and (b)  shall not exceed $40,000 for any Payment Date;

(ii)                                   to the Servicer, in payment in full of all accrued Servicing Fees;

(iii)                                pro rata in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, to each Hedge Counterparty, any amounts (other than any Hedge Breakage Costs) owing to that Hedge Counterparty under its respective Hedging Agreement in respect of any Hedge Transaction(s);

(iv)                               to the Agent, in an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid Agent Fee;

(v)                                  to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, all Yield and the Non-Usage Fee that is accrued and unpaid as of the last day of the related Remittance Period;

(vi)                               to the Unfunded Exposure Account in an amount necessary to cause the amount on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account to equal the aggregate of all Exposure Amounts;

(vii)                            pro rata to the Agent (for the account of each Lender), the Agent (for its own account) or the Collateral Custodian, as applicable, all accrued and unpaid fees, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses) and indemnity amounts payable by the Borrower to any Lender, the Agent or the Collateral Custodian under the Transaction Documents;

(viii)                         to the Agent to be distributed pro rata to each Lender, to pay the Advances, and any applicable Commitment Termination Premium, until paid in full;

(ix)                               pro rata in accordance with the amounts due under this clause, to each Hedge Counterparty, any Hedge Breakage Costs owing to that Hedge Counterparty under its respective Hedging Agreement;

(x)                                  to pay any other amounts due under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents (including any indemnity amounts due from the Borrower hereunder and thereunder);

(xi)                               to the Servicer, in respect of all reasonable expenses (except allocated overhead) incurred during the immediately ended Remittance Period in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder or paid on behalf of the Borrower, plus any outstanding deferred reimbursement amount plus interest thereon as further set forth in Section 6.07 ; and

(xii)                            to the Borrower, any remaining amounts.

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(d)                                  Unfunded Exposure Account . Funds on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account as of any date of determination may be withdrawn to fund draw requests of the relevant Obligors under any Revolving Loan Asset or Delayed Draw Loan Asset; provided that, prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period, the amount withdrawn to fund such draw request shall not create any Borrowing Base Deficiency. Any such draw request made by an Obligor, along with wiring instructions for the applicable Obligor, shall be forwarded by the Borrower or the Servicer to the Trustee (with a copy to the Agent) in the form of a Disbursement Request, and the Trustee shall instruct the Bank to fund such draw request in accordance with such Disbursement Request. As of any date of determination, any amounts on deposit in the Unfunded Exposure Account that exceed (i) the aggregate of all Unfunded Exposure Equity Amounts prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period and (ii) the aggregate of all Exposure Amounts after the end of the Reinvestment Period, in each case shall be transferred into the Principal Collection Account as Principal Collections.

(e)                                   Insufficiency of Funds . For the sake of clarity, the parties hereby agree that if the funds on deposit in the Collection Account are insufficient to pay any amounts due and payable on a Payment Date or otherwise, the Borrower shall nevertheless remain responsible for, and shall pay when due, all amounts payable under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.

SECTION 2.05                                       Instructions to the Trustee and the Bank . All instructions and directions given to the Trustee or the Bank by the Servicer, the Borrower or the Agent pursuant to Section 2.04 shall be in writing (including instructions and directions transmitted to the Trustee or the Bank by telecopy or e-mail), and such written instructions and directions shall be delivered with a written certification that such instructions and directions are in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.04 . The Servicer and the Borrower shall promptly transmit to the Agent by telecopy or e-mail a copy of all instructions and directions given to the Trustee or the Bank by such party pursuant to Section 2.04 . The Agent shall promptly transmit to the Servicer and the Borrower by telecopy or e-mail a copy of all instructions and directions given to the Trustee or the Bank by the Agent, pursuant to Section 2.04 . In the event the Trustee or the Bank receives instructions from the Servicer or the Borrower which conflict with any instructions received by the Agent, the Trustee or the Bank, as applicable, shall rely on and follow the instructions given by the Agent; provided that the Trustee or Bank, as applicable, shall promptly provide notification to the Servicer or the Borrower of such conflicting instructions; provided , further , that any such failure on the part of the Trustee to deliver such notice shall not render such action by the Trustee invalid.

SECTION 2.06                                       Borrowing Base Deficiency Payments .

(a)                                  In addition to any other obligation of the Borrower to cure any Borrowing Base Deficiency pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, if, on any day prior to the Collection Date, any Borrowing Base Deficiency exists, then the Borrower shall, within five Business Days from the date of such Borrowing Base Deficiency, eliminate such Borrowing Base Deficiency in its entirety by effecting one or more (or any combination thereof) of the following actions in order to eliminate such Borrowing Base Deficiency as of such date of determination: (i) deposit cash in United States dollars into the Principal Collection Account, (ii) repay Advances (together

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with any Breakage Fees, any Hedge Breakage Costs and all accrued and unpaid costs and expenses of the Agent and the Lenders, in each case in respect of the amount so prepaid), and/or (iii) subject to the approval of the Agent, in its sole discretion (and the Agent shall use reasonable efforts to give such approval in a timely fashion), Pledge additional Eligible Loan Assets.

(b)                                  No later than 2:00 p.m. on the Business Day prior to the proposed repayment of Advances or Pledge of additional Eligible Loan Assets pursuant to Section 2.06(a) , the Borrower (or the Servicer on its behalf) shall deliver (i) to the Agent (with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian), notice of such repayment or Pledge and a duly completed Borrowing Base Certificate, updated to the date such repayment or Pledge is being made and giving pro forma effect to such repayment or Pledge, and (ii) to the Agent, if applicable, a description of any Eligible Loan Asset and each Obligor of such Eligible Loan Asset to be Pledged and added to the updated Loan Asset Schedule.  Any notice pertaining to any repayment or any Pledge pursuant to this Section 2.06 shall be irrevocable.

SECTION 2.07                                       Substitution and Sale of Loan Assets; Affiliate Transactions .

(a)                                  Substitutions . The Borrower may, with the consent of the Agent in its sole discretion, replace any Loan Asset as a Loan Asset so long as (i) no event has occurred, or would result from such substitution, which constitutes an Event of Default and no event has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such substitution, which constitutes an Unmatured Event of Default or a Borrowing Base Deficiency; provided that the Borrower may effect a substitution as necessary to facilitate a cure of a Borrowing Base Deficiency (and any Unmatured Event of Default arising therefrom) so long as immediately after giving effect to such substitution and any other sale or transfer substantially contemporaneous therewith, such Borrowing Base Deficiency shall be cured or closer to being cured and (ii) simultaneously therewith, the Borrower Pledges (in accordance with all of the terms and provisions contained herein) a Substitute Eligible Loan Asset.

(b)                                  Discretionary Sales . The Borrower shall be permitted to sell Loan Assets to Persons other than the Transferor or its Affiliates from time to time; provided that (i) the proceeds of such sale shall be deposited into the Collection Account to be disbursed in accordance with Section 2.04 hereof or reinvested, prior to the end of the Reinvestment Period, in additional Eligible Loan Assets in accordance with Section 2.21 hereof, (ii) no event has occurred, or would result from such sale, which constitutes an Event of Default and no event has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such sale, which constitutes an Unmatured Event of Default or a Borrowing Base Deficiency; provided that the Borrower may sell Loan Assets as necessary to facilitate a cure of a Borrowing Base Deficiency (and any Unmatured Event of Default arising therefrom) so long as the Agent shall approve of such sale and, immediately after giving effect to such sale and any other substitution or transfer substantially contemporaneous therewith, the Borrowing Base Deficiency shall be cured or closer to being cured and (iii) the prior written consent of the Agent shall be required if such Loan Asset is sold for an amount which is less than the Adjusted Borrowing Value.

(c)                                   Optional Sales . On any Optional Sale Date the Borrower shall have the right to prepay all or a portion of the Advances Outstanding in connection with the sale and

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assignment by the Borrower of all or a portion of the Loan Assets, as the case may be in connection with a Permitted Securitization or a Permitted Refinancing (each, an “ Optional Sale ”), subject to the following terms and conditions:

(i)                                      The Borrower shall have given the Agent (with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian) at least 45 days’ prior written notice of its intent to effect an Optional Sale in connection with a Permitted Securitization or a Permitted Refinancing, and the Agent shall have delivered to the Borrower its prior written consent (in its sole discretion) to such Optional Sale, unless such 45 days’ notice requirement is waived or reduced by the Agent; provided that no such consent will be required for any Optional Sale of any Loan Asset at a price equal to or greater than the Adjusted Borrowing Value of such Loan Asset as of the date of the Optional Sale to the extent that the aggregate Outstanding Balance of all Loan Assets sold pursuant to this proviso (taking into account the proposed sale) during the 12-month period immediately preceding and including the proposed date of such sale does not exceed 15% of the highest aggregate Outstanding Balance of any month during such 12-month period;

(ii)                                   Unless an Optional Sale is to be effected on a Payment Date (in which case the relevant calculations with respect to such Optional Sale shall be reflected on the applicable Servicing Report), the Servicer shall deliver to the Agent (with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian) a certificate and evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agent (which evidence may consist solely of a certificate from the Servicer) that the Borrower shall have sufficient funds on the related Optional Sale Date to effect the contemplated Optional Sale in accordance with this Agreement.  In effecting an Optional Sale, the Borrower may use the Proceeds of sales of the Loan Assets to repay all or a portion of the Obligations;

(iii)                                no Event of Default has occurred, or would result from such Optional Sale, and no Unmatured Event of Default or Borrowing Base Deficiency exists or would result from such Optional Sale; and

(iv)                               on the related Optional Sale Date, the Borrower shall have deposited into the Collection Account, in immediately available funds, the proceeds of such Optional Sale, which shall at least equal the aggregate Adjusted Borrowing Value of the Loan Assets being sold.

(d)                                  Lien Release Dividend .  Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, provided no Event of Default has occurred and no Unmatured Event of Default exists, on a Lien Release Dividend Date, the Borrower may dividend to the Equityholder and the Equityholder may dividend to the Transferor a portion of those Loan Assets that were sold by the Transferor to the Equityholder and by the Equityholder to the Borrower, or portions thereof (each, a “ Lien Release Dividend ”), subject to the following terms and conditions, as certified by the Borrower and the Transferor to the Agent (with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian):

(i)                                      The Borrower and the Transferor shall have given the Agent, with a copy to the Trustee and the Collateral Custodian, at least five Business Days prior

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written notice of its intent to effect a Lien Release Dividend, in the form of Exhibit I hereto (a “ Notice and Request for Consent ”), and the Agent shall have delivered to the Borrower prior written consent, which consent shall be given in the sole and absolute discretion of the Agent; provided that, if the Agent shall not have responded to the Notice and Request for Consent by 11:00 a.m. on the day that is one Business Day prior to the proposed Lien Release Dividend Date, the Agent shall be deemed not to have given its consent;