As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 19, 2023.
Securities Act File No. 333-268622
File No. 812-01599
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-2
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 ☒
Post-Effective Amendment No. ☐
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 235-5900
(Address and telephone number, including area code, of principal executive offices)
George P. Hawley
Secretary
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000
Los Angeles, California 90025
(310) 235-5900
(Name and address of agent for service)
COPIES TO:
Monica J. Shilling, P.C. H. Thomas Felix Kirkland & Ellis LLP 2049 Century Park East, 37th Floor Los Angeles, California 90067 (310) 552-4200 |
Nicole M. Runyan. P.C. Kirkland & Ellis LLP 601 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10022 (212) 446-4800 |
Lisa Nosal Kirkland & Ellis LLP 200 Clarendon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 385-7500 |
Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
☐ | Check box if the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plan. |
☒ | Check box if any securities being registered on this Form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act), other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan. |
☐ | Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction A.2 or a post-effective amendment thereto. |
☐ | Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction B or a post-effective amendment thereto that will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act. |
☐ | Check box if this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction B to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act. |
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
☐ | when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Securities Act. |
If appropriate, check the following box:
☐ | This [post-effective] amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed [post-effective amendment] [registration statement]. |
☐ | This Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: . |
☐ | This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: . |
☐ | This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: . |
Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:
☐ | Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (Investment Company Act)). |
☒ | Business Development Company (closed-end company that intends or has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act). |
☐ | Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act). |
☐ | A.2 Qualified (qualified to register securities pursuant to General Instruction A.2 of this Form). |
☐ | Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (as defined by Rule 405 under the Securities Act). |
☒ | Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act)). |
☐ | If an Emerging Growth Company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. |
☒ | New Registrant (registered or regulated under the Investment Company Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding this filing). |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JULY 19, 2023
Preliminary Prospectus
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
Class S, Class D and Class I Shares of Common Stock
Maximum Offering of $
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. is a Maryland corporation that seeks to invest primarily in directly originated assets, including debt securities and related equity investments, made to or issued by U.S. middle-market companies. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with annual earnings before income tax expense, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies.
To a lesser extent, we may make investments in syndicated loans and other liquid credit opportunities, including in publicly traded debt instruments, for cash management purposes, while also presenting an opportunity for attractive investment returns. Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. Throughout the prospectus, we refer to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. as the Fund, we, us or our, and Crescent Capital Group LP and its controlled affiliates as Crescent.
We are a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act). We are externally managed by our adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC (the investment adviser). Our investment adviser is an affiliate of Crescent. CCAP Administration LLC (the administrator) provides certain administrative services and other services necessary for us to operate. We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
We are offering on a continuous basis up to $ of shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Shares), including shares of our Class S common stock (the Class S shares), shares of our Class D common stock (the Class D shares) and shares of our Class I common stock (the Class I shares). We are offering to sell any combination of these three classes of Common Shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. The share classes have different ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees. We have submitted an application to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an exemptive order to permit us to offer multiple classes of our Common Shares, and the SEC has published a notice in the Federal Register giving interested persons an opportunity to request a hearing on the application. If no hearing request is received by July 31, 2023, the SEC will issue the exemptive order. Until the exemptive order is granted, we will only offer Class I shares and will not issue Class S shares or Class D shares. There can be no assurance that we will receive the exemptive order. The purchase price per share for each class of Common Shares will equal our net asset value (NAV) per share, as of the effective date of the monthly share purchase date. This is a best efforts offering, which means that Emerson Equity LLC, the intermediary manager for this offering, will use its best efforts to sell shares, but is not obligated to purchase or sell any specific number of shares in this offering.
Investing in our Common Shares involves a high degree of risk. You should purchase these securities only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment. See Risk Factors beginning on page 31 of this prospectus. Also consider the following:
| We have a limited operating history and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objectives. |
| We have not identified specific investments that we will make with the proceeds of this offering. As a result, this may be deemed a blind pool offering and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them. |
| We invest primarily in privately-held companies for which very little public information exists. Such companies are also generally more vulnerable to economic downturns and may experience substantial variations in operating results. |
| The privately-held companies and below-investment-grade securities in which we will invest will be difficult to value and are illiquid. |
| You should not expect to be able to sell your Common Shares regardless of how we perform. |
| You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time. |
| We do not intend to list our Common Shares on any securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our Common Shares to develop prior to any listing. |
| Because you may be unable to sell your Common Shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn. |
| Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus, and at the sole discretion of our board of directors (our Board), we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) in each quarter. In addition, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, any such repurchases will be at prices equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable month designated by our Board, except that the Fund deducts 2.00% from such NAV for shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year. Such share repurchase prices may be lower than the price at which you purchase our Common Shares in this offering. |
| An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest. See Suitability Standards and Share Repurchase Program. |
| An investment in our Common Shares is suitable only for investors with the financial ability and willingness to accept the high risks and lack of liquidity inherent in an investment in our Common Shares. |
| We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or offering proceeds, and although we generally expect to fund distributions from cash flow from operations, we have not established limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. A return of capital is a return of a portion of your capital investment in our Common Shares. |
| Distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by our investment adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to our investment adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to our investment adviser or our affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled. |
| We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureOur strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions. |
| We qualify as an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors. |
| We invest in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value. See Prospectus SummaryQ: What type of investments do you make? |
Neither the SEC nor any state securities regulator has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. Securities regulators have also not passed upon whether this offering can be sold in compliance with existing or future suitability or conduct standards including the Regulation Best Interest standard to any or all purchasers.
The use of forecasts in this offering is prohibited. Any oral or written predictions about the amount or certainty of any cash benefits or tax consequences that may result from an investment in our Common Shares is prohibited. No one is authorized to make any statements about this offering different from those that appear in this prospectus.
Price to the Public(1) |
Sales Load(2) | Proceeds to Us, Before Expenses(3) |
||||||||||
Maximum Offering(4) |
$ | Up to $ | ||||||||||
Class S Shares, per Share |
$ | None | $ | |||||||||
Class D Shares, per Share |
$ | None | $ | |||||||||
Class I Shares, per Share |
$ | None | $ |
(1) | Shares of each class of our Common Shares will be offered on a monthly basis at a price per share equal to the NAV per share for such class. As of , our most recent available NAV, the NAV per share of our Class I shares was $ . No Class S shares or Class D shares were outstanding as of such date. |
(2) | The Fund will not charge investors an upfront sales load with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares. However, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amounts as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares. Selling agents will not charge brokerage commissions on Class I shares. |
(3) | We and, ultimately, our common stockholders will also pay the following stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to Emerson Equity LLC, the intermediary manager, subject to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) limitations on underwriting compensation: (a) for Class S shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares; and (b) for Class D shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. No stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee will be paid with respect to Class I shares. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We and, ultimately, our common stockholders, will also pay or reimburse certain organization and offering expenses, including, subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, certain wholesaling expenses. See Plan of Distribution and Estimated Use of Proceeds. FINRA defines underwriting compensation as any payment, right, interest, or benefit received or to be received by a participating member from any source for underwriting, allocation, distribution, advisory and other investment banking services in connection with a public offering. The total underwriting |
compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering. Proceeds are calculated before deducting stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees or organization and offering expenses payable by us, which are paid over time. Our investment adviser has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. We and, ultimately, our common stockholders will also pay certain ongoing offering expenses associated with our continuous offering of Common Shares if such ongoing offering costs are (i) paid by us or (ii) advanced by our investment adviser and reimbursed by us subject to certain conditions contained in the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. Reimbursement by us of expenses advanced by our investment adviser associated with either our initial or continuous offering of Common Shares will reduce our NAV at the time we make such reimbursement payment and may reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled. |
(4) | The table assumes that all Common Shares are sold in the primary offering, with 1/3 of the gross offering proceeds from the sale of Class S shares, 1/3 from the sale of Class D shares, and 1/3 from the sale of Class I shares. The number of Common Shares of each class sold and the relative proportions in which the classes of Common Shares are sold are uncertain and may differ significantly from this assumption. The proceeds may differ from that shown if the then-current NAV at which Common Shares are sold varies from that shown and/or additional Common Shares are registered. |
The date of this prospectus is , 2023
Common Shares offered through this prospectus are suitable only as a long-term investment for persons of adequate financial means such that they do not have a need for liquidity in this investment. We have established financial suitability standards for initial stockholders in this offering which require that a purchaser of shares have either:
| a gross annual income of at least $70,000 and a net worth of at least $70,000, or |
| a net worth of at least $250,000. |
For purposes of determining the suitability of an investor, net worth in all cases should be calculated excluding the value of an investors home, home furnishings and automobiles. In the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, these minimum standards must be met by the beneficiary, the fiduciary account or the donor or grantor who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary.
In addition, we will not sell shares to investors in the states named below unless they meet special suitability standards set forth below:
AlabamaIn addition to the suitability standards set forth above, an investment in us will only be sold to Alabama residents that have a liquid net worth of at least 10 times their investment in us and our affiliates.
CaliforniaCalifornia residents may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us and must have either (a) a liquid net worth of $350,000 and annual gross income of $65,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $500,000.
IdahoPurchasers residing in Idaho must have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, the total investment in us shall not exceed 10% of their liquid net worth.
IowaIowa investors must (i) have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000 (net worth should be determined exclusive of home, auto and home furnishings); and (ii) limit their aggregate investment in this offering and in the securities of other non-traded BDCs to 10% of such investors liquid net worth (liquid net worth should be determined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities).
KansasIt is recommended by the Office of the Securities Commissioner that Kansas investors limit their aggregate investment in our securities and other non-traded BDCs to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth shall be defined as that portion of total net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
KentuckyA Kentucky investor may not invest more than 10% of its liquid net worth in us or our affiliates. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
MaineThe Maine Office of Securities recommends that an investors aggregate investment in this offering and similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of the investors liquid net worth. For this purpose, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
MassachusettsIn addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Massachusetts residents may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us and in other illiquid direct participation programs.
i
MissouriIn addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Missouri residents may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.
NebraskaNebraska investors must have (i) either (a) an annual gross income of at least $70,000 and a net worth of at least $70,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $250,000; and (ii) Nebraska investors must limit their aggregate investment in this offering and the securities of other business development companies to 10% of such investors net worth. Investors who are accredited investors as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) are not subject to the foregoing investment concentration limit.
New JerseyNew Jersey investors must have either (a) a minimum liquid net worth of at least $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of not less than $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of home, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. In addition, a New Jersey investors investment in us, our affiliates and other non-publicly-traded direct investment programs (including real estate investment trusts, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of his or her liquid net worth.
New MexicoIn addition to the general suitability standards listed above, a New Mexico investor may not invest, and we may not accept from an investor more than ten percent (10%) of that investors liquid net worth in shares of us, our affiliates and in other non-traded BDCs. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth which consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
North DakotaPurchasers residing in North Dakota must have a net worth of at least ten times their investment in us.
OhioIt is unsuitable for Ohio residents to invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in the issuer, affiliates of the issuer and in any other non-traded BDCs. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
OklahomaPurchasers residing in Oklahoma may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.
OregonIn addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Oregon investors may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us and our affiliates. Liquid net worth is defined as net worth excluding the value of the investors home, home furnishings and automobile.
Puerto RicoPurchasers residing in Puerto Rico may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us, our affiliates and other non-traded BDCs. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles minus total liabilities) consisting of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
TennesseePurchasers residing in Tennessee must have a liquid net worth of at least ten times their investment in us.
VermontAccredited investors in Vermont, as defined in 17 C.F.R. §230.501, may invest freely in this offering. In addition to the suitability standards described above, non-accredited Vermont investors may not purchase an amount in this offering that exceeds 10% of the investors liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as an investors total assets (not including home, home furnishings or automobiles) minus total liabilities.
ii
Our investment adviser, those selling shares on our behalf and participating brokers and registered investment advisers recommending the purchase of shares in this offering are required to make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of shares in this offering is a suitable and appropriate investment for each investor based on information provided by the investor regarding the investors financial situation and investment objectives and must maintain records for at least six years after the information is used to determine that an investment in our Common Shares is suitable and appropriate for each investor. In making this determination, our investment adviser, the participating broker, registered investment adviser, authorized representative or other person selling shares will, based on a review of the information provided by the investor (including age, investment objectives, investment experience, income, net worth, financial situation and other investments), consider whether the investor:
| meets the minimum income and net worth standards established in the investors state; |
| can reasonably benefit from an investment in our Common Shares based on the investors overall investment objectives and portfolio structure; |
| is able to bear the economic risk of the investment based on the investors overall financial situation, including the risk that the investor may lose their entire investment; and |
| has an apparent understanding of the following: |
| the fundamental risks of the investment, including the risk that the investor may lose their entire investment; |
| the lack of liquidity of our Common Shares; |
| the restrictions on transferability of our Common Shares; |
| the background and qualifications of our investment adviser; and |
| the tax consequences of the investment. |
In addition to investors who meet the minimum income and net worth requirements set forth above, our Common Shares may be sold to financial institutions that qualify as institutional investors under the state securities laws of the state in which they reside. Institutional investor is generally defined to include banks, insurance companies, investment companies as defined in the Investment Company Act, pension or profit sharing trusts and certain other financial institutions. A financial institution that desires to purchase shares will be required to confirm that it is an institutional investor under applicable state securities laws.
In addition to the suitability standards established herein, (i) a participating broker may impose additional suitability requirements and investment concentration limits to which an investor could be subject and (ii) various states may impose additional suitability standards, investment amount limits and alternative investment limitations.
Broker-dealers must comply with Regulation Best Interest, which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and establishes a best interest obligation for broker-dealers and their associated persons when making recommendations of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. The obligations of Regulation Best Interest are in addition to, and may be more restrictive than, the suitability requirements listed above. When making such a recommendation to a retail customer, a broker-dealer must, among other things, act in the best interest of the retail customer at the time a recommendation is made, without placing its interests ahead of its retail customers interests. A broker-dealer may satisfy the best interest standard imposed by Regulation Best Interest by meeting disclosure, care, conflict of interest and compliance obligations. In addition, broker-dealers are required to provide retail investors a brief relationship summary, or Form CRS, that summarizes for the retail investor key information about the broker-dealer. Form CRS is different from this prospectus, which contains detailed information regarding this offering and the Fund. Investors should refer to the prospectus for detailed information about this offering before deciding to purchase Common Shares.
iii
Under Regulation Best Interest, high cost, high risk and complex products may require greater scrutiny by broker-dealers and their salespersons before they recommend such products. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our Common Shares, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. Currently, there is no administrative or case law interpreting Regulation Best Interest and the full scope of its applicability on brokers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time.
iv
Please carefully read the information in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplements, which we refer to collectively as the prospectus. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date later than the date hereof or such other dates as are stated herein or as of the respective dates of any documents or other information incorporated herein by reference.
We will disclose the NAV per share of each class of our Common Shares for each month when available on our website at www. .com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.
The words we, us, our and the Fund refer to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., together with its consolidated subsidiaries.
Unless otherwise noted, numerical information relating to Crescent is approximate as of March 31, 2023.
Citations included herein to industry sources are used only to demonstrate third-party support for certain statements made herein to which such citations relate. Information included in such industry sources that do not relate to supporting the related statements made herein are not part of this prospectus and should not be relied upon. The industry sources and reports are provided below:
| The National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) is a collaboration between The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, Chubb and Visa. NCMM is a source of research on the middle market economy, providing data analysis, insights, and perspectives for companies, policymakers, and other key stakeholders, to help accelerate growth, increase competitiveness and create jobs in the sector. www.middlemarketcenter.org |
| Leveraged Commentary and Data (LCD), a part of Pitchbook, is a provider of real-time coverage of the US and European leveraged loan and high-yield bond markets, from deal inception through the trading life of the debt. With over 500 leveraged loan indexes in the US and Europe that track performance, index characteristics, and risk measures, LCD is the industry standard for leveraged loan data, news, analysis, and indexesproviding coverage across the full loan lifecycle. Additionally, LCD provides growing coverage of investment grade bond issuance, distressed debt, corporate bankruptcies, and middle market transactions. https://pitchbook.com/leveraged-commentary-data |
| Preqin is a privately held London-based investment data company that provides financial data and insight on the alternative assets market, as well as tools to support investment in alternatives. By the companys own definition, its data encompasses private capital and hedge funds, including fund, fund manager, investor, performance and deal information. The asset classes it covers are: private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources and secondaries. https://www.preqin.com/ |
| Refinitiv, a London Stock Exchange Group business, is one of the worlds largest providers of financial markets data and infrastructure, providing information, insights, and technology that enable customers to execute investing, trading and risk decisions. https://www.refinitiv.com |
| S&P Capital IQ is the research division of S&P Global, one of the worlds largest providers of ratings, data, research, and the S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Capital IQ investigates financial news, market insights, company performance data, and sector-specific data. The firm provides subscribers with intelligence on more than 62,000 public companies and 4.4 million private firms. According to the companys website, it covers financials for 88,000 publicly-listed companies or 99% of global market capitalization. https://www.capitaliq.com/ |
v
This prospectus relates to our Class S, Class D and Class I Common Shares. We are currently only offering Class I shares for sale. We have submitted to the SEC an application for an exemptive order to permit us to offer additional classes of Common Shares, and the SEC has published a notice in the Federal Register giving interested persons an opportunity to request a hearing on the application. If no hearing request is received by July 31, 2023, the SEC will issue the exemptive order. We will not take actions in reliance on the order until an exemptive order is granted. Accordingly, until such exemptive relief is granted, we will only offer Class I shares and will not offer or issue Class S shares or Class D shares. There can be no assurance we will obtain the exemptive order.
vi
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements included in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about us, our current or prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs, and our assumptions. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our investors. Words such as anticipates, expects, intends, plans, believes, seeks, estimates, would, will, should, targets, projects, and variations of these words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements.
The following factors and factors listed under Risk Factors in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. The occurrence of the events described in these risk factors and elsewhere in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial position. The following factors are among those that may cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements:
| the impact of global health crises on our portfolio companies and the markets in which they operate, interest rates and the economy in general; |
| the ability of our investment adviser to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments; |
| regulations governing our operation as a business development company; |
| financing investments with borrowed money; |
| operation in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities; |
| the receipt of an SEC exemptive order allowing the offering of multiple classes of shares; |
| our ability to successfully complete and integrate any acquisitions; |
| risks associated with original issue discount (OID) and payment-in-kind (PIK) interest income; |
| changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income; |
| the impact of changes in London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) on our operating results; |
| uncertainty as to the value of certain portfolio investments; |
| our ability to deploy any capital raised in this offering; |
| lack of liquidity in investments; |
| the impact of changes in laws or regulations (including the interpretation thereof), including tax laws, governing our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies; |
| the social, geopolitical, financial, trade and legal implications of Brexit; |
| the timing, form and amount of any dividend distributions; |
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| risks regarding distributions; |
| potential resignation of our investment adviser and/or administrator; |
| potential adverse effects of price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets; |
| potential impact of economic recessions or downturns; |
| defaults by portfolio companies; |
| the outcome and impact of any litigation; |
| uncertainty surrounding the financial stability of the United States, Europe and China; |
| adverse developments in the credit markets; and |
| potential fluctuation in quarterly operating results. |
Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based upon are reasonable, some of those assumptions may be based on the work of third parties and any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate; as a result, forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could prove to be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or other information incorporated herein by reference, as applicable. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or any other information contained herein, except as required by applicable law. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. These forward-looking statements do not meet the safe harbor for forward-looking statements pursuant to Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act.
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CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND DISTRIBUTION PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR |
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F-1 |
This prospectus summary highlights certain information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This is only a summary and it may not contain all of the information that is important to you. Before deciding to invest in this offering, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including the Risk Factors section. Except where the context suggests otherwise, the terms we, us, our, the Fund and Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. refer to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries; Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC and our investment adviser refer to Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC; CCAP Administration LLC and our administrator refer to CCAP Administration LLC and Crescent and Crescent Capital refer to Crescent Capital Group LP and its affiliated companies (other than portfolio companies and its affiliated funds).
Q: | What is Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.? |
A: | We are a specialty finance company focused on lending to middle-market companies. We are a Maryland corporation formed on November 10, 2022. We are a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act). We are externally managed by our adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC (the investment adviser), an affiliate of Crescent Capital Group LP (Crescent). |
Q: | Who is Crescent? |
A: | Crescent is a global credit investment manager with total assets under management of over $40 billion. Crescent focuses on below investment grade credit through strategies that invest in marketable and privately originated debt securities including senior bank loans, high yield bonds, as well as private senior, unitranche and junior debt securities. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Crescent has over 200 employees based in five offices in the U.S. and Europe. |
Crescent was formed in 1991 by Mark Attanasio and Jean-Marc Chapus as an asset management firm specializing in below-investment grade debt securities. With a 30-year investment track record in private credit, Crescent possesses the scale, market presence and experience to provide bespoke one-stop solutions to all segments of the middle-market.
In 2021, Sun Life Financial (collectively with its affiliates, Sun Life) acquired a majority economic interest in Crescent. Crescent operates as an independent business within Sun Life, with its own product offerings and investment, marketing and support teams. Sun Life is a publicly-owned Canadian financial services organization with an over 150-year history and over $1 trillion of assets under management. Sun Life has committed to invest up to $750 million in Crescents investment strategies, supporting the launch of new products and creating alignment with Crescents investors. In May 2023, we entered into a subscription agreement with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, an affiliate of Sun Life, for the commitment to purchase an aggregate of up to $150 million of the Funds unregistered Class I shares. In June 2023, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada subsequently transferred its undrawn capital commitment to BK Canada Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Sun Life. See Prospectus SummaryRecent Developments.
Our objective is to bring Crescents leading credit investment platform to the non-exchange traded BDC industry.
Q: | What are your investment objectives? |
A: | Our investment objectives are to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments. |
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Q: | What is your investment strategy? |
A: | We seek to meet our investment objectives by: |
| utilizing the experience and expertise of the management team of the investment adviser, along with the broader resources of Crescent, in sourcing, evaluating and structuring transactions, subject to Crescents policies and procedures regarding the management of conflicts of interests; |
| employing an investment approach focused on long-term credit performance and principal protection, generally investing in loans with loan-to-value metrics and interest coverage ratios that the investment adviser believes provide substantial credit protection, and also seeking favorable financial protections, including, where the investment adviser believes necessary, more restrictive covenants; |
| focusing primarily on loans and securities of middle-market private U.S. borrowers who seek access to financing and who historically relied heavily on bank lending or capital markets. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with EBITDA of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies. We believe this opportunity set generates favorable pricing and more rigorous structural protections relative to that offered by investments in the broadly syndicated markets. From time to time, we may also invest in loans and debt securities issued by corporate borrowers outside of the middle-market private borrower space to the extent we believe such investments enhance the overall risk/return profile for our common stockholders and help us meet our investment objectives; and |
| maintaining rigorous portfolio monitoring in an attempt to mitigate negative credit events within our portfolio. |
Our investment strategy is expected to capitalize on Crescents scale and reputation in the market as an attractive financing partner to source investments with attractive pricing and terms, emphasizing capital preservation through credit selection and risk mitigation. This approach reflects Crescents view that the cornerstone of successful investing is fundamental credit analysis. We expect to benefit from Crescents ability to transact in size and provide speed and certainty of execution, as well as its long-standing and extensive relationships with both private equity firms and companies. We also expect our targeted portfolio to provide downside protection through conservative capital structures with meaningful cash flow and interest coverage, priority in the capital structure and information requirements.
Q: | What type of investments do you make? |
A: | Under normal circumstances, we will invest at least 80% of our total assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in private credit investments (loans, bonds and other credit instruments that are issued in private offerings or issued by private companies, and related equity securities (including equity securities added to debt instruments to make them more desirable, such as warrants or preferred equity securities, as well as investments in equity securities of issuers of loans, bonds or other credit instruments owned by us)). |
Once we have invested a substantial amount of proceeds from this offering, under normal circumstances we expect that the majority of our portfolio will be in privately originated and privately negotiated investments, predominantly directly lending to U.S. middle market companies through (i) first lien senior secured and unitranche loans and (ii) second lien, unsecured, subordinated or mezzanine loans and structured credit, as well as broadly syndicated loans, club deals (generally investments made by a small group of investment firms) and other debt and equity securities of private U.S. middle-market companies, including equity co-investments (the investments described in this sentence, collectively, private credit). The first and second lien senior secured loans generally have terms of five to eight years. In connection with our first and second lien senior secured loans, we generally receive security interests in certain assets of our portfolio companies that could serve as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. First and second lien senior secured loans generally have floating interest rates, which may have interest rate floors, and also may
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provide for some amortization of principal and excess cash flow payments, with the remaining principal balance due at maturity. To a lesser extent, we will also invest in publicly traded securities of large corporate issuers, which will generally be liquid, and may be used for the purposes of maintaining liquidity for our share repurchase program and cash management, while also presenting an opportunity for attractive investment returns.
While most of our investments will be in private U.S. companies, we also expect to invest to some extent in European and other non-U.S. companies (subject to compliance with BDCs regulatory requirement to invest at least 70% of its assets in qualifying assets, including private U.S. companies). We do not, however, expect to invest in emerging markets. Subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, we may also invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or securities of companies whose debt is owned by other Crescent funds. We expect that the majority of our private credit investments will be originated by our investment adviser or its affiliates, which we may participate in pursuant to the exemptive relief granted to Crescent from the SEC that allows us to engage in such co-investment transactions. See RegulationCo-Investment Exemptive Order.
The loans in which we invest will generally pay floating interest rates based on a variable base rate. The senior secured loans, unitranche loans and senior secured bonds in which we will invest generally have stated terms of five to eight years, and the mezzanine, unsecured or subordinated debt investments that we may make will generally have stated terms of up to ten years, but the expected average life of such securities is generally between three and five years. However, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of any security we may hold in our portfolio. We expect most of our debt investments will be unrated, which is often an indication of size, credit worthiness and speculative nature relative to the capacity of the borrower to pay interest and principal. Generally, if our unrated investments were rated, they would be rated below investment grade. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. These securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be difficult to value and are illiquid.
We may, but are not required to, enter into interest rate, foreign exchange or other derivative agreements to hedge interest rate, currency, credit or other risks, but we do not generally intend to enter into any such derivative agreements for speculative purposes. Any derivative agreements entered into for speculative purposes are not expected to be material to the Funds business or results of operations. These hedging activities, which will be in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, may include the use of futures, options, currency options, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors. We will bear the costs incurred in connection with entering into, administering and settling any such derivative contracts. There can be no assurance any hedging strategy we employ will be successful.
Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See Investment Objective and Strategies and Risk Factors.
The investments we will make are also subject to a number of risks, including as a result of the debt instruments we will invest in, economic recessions, inflation, and risks related to the structure of the type of debt investments we will make, among others. Furthermore, we intend to primarily invest in U.S. middle-market companies and such investments involve a number of risks, including that these companies may have limited financial resources, may be unable to meet their obligations, typically have shorter operating histories, typically depend on the talents and efforts of a small group of persons, generally have little available public information, generally have less predictable operating results and may have difficulty accessing capital markets to meet future capital needs. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to our Investments for more information on the types of investments we may make and their risks.
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Q: | What is an originated loan? |
A: | An originated loan is a loan where we lend directly to the borrower and hold the loan on our own or generally with other Crescent affiliates or sometimes with a small number of other unaffiliated lenders. This is distinct from a syndicated loan, which is generally originated by a bank and then syndicated, or sold, to other investors. Originated loans are generally held until maturity or until they are refinanced by the borrower. Syndicated loans often have liquid markets and can be traded by investors. |
Q: | What competitive strengths does the investment adviser offer? |
A: | Crescent is one of the longest-tenured players in the middle market direct lending space and in the private credit space more broadly, with extensive experience originating and managing below-investment grade debt investments across multiple strategies and over numerous market cycles. We believe investors may benefit from the following investment adviser strengths: |
| The Crescent Platform. Since 1991, Crescent has been focused on and is a leading investor and credit manager in the below-investment grade credit markets. Crescents experience and performance across its investment strategies has earned the firm recognition and a reputation as a leading, reliable and creative provider of below-investment grade secured and unsecured debt capital solutions. We believe that the breadth of Crescents over $40 billion platform is a distinct strength when sourcing proprietary investment opportunities, providing access to an extensive network of relationships and insights into industry trends and the state of the capital markets. The Funds affiliation with Crescent provides a distinct competitive advantage across the credit spectrum through Crescents market presence, scale, origination capabilities and experience investing in private credit. Crescents private credit strategies have collectively invested over $35 billion across more than 550 transactions since inception, with a primary focus on partnering with private equity firms on new opportunities. Over its history, Crescents private credit investment team (the Private Credit Team) has: |
| Reviewed over 16,000 transactions |
| Originated opportunities from over 1,200 unique private equity firms, and |
| Closed one or more debt financings with over 250 unique private equity firms |
Crescent also leverages market information, company knowledge and industry insight to enhance its ability to select liquid and illiquid credit assets for the Fund. Crescents professionals maintain extensive financial sponsor and intermediary relationships, which provide valuable insight and access to transactions and information.
| Scale and Tenure in the Credit Markets. As a large institution exclusively focused on below investment grade credit, Crescent has closed one or more deals with over 250 private equity firms. We believe Crescent is known as a reliable counterparty with valuable and focused expertise, which provides Crescent with access to investment opportunities not broadly available to other market participants. Crescent is also one of the largest U.S. direct lenders and liquid credit managers, which makes it a desirable and flexible capital provider, especially in competitive markets. We believe Crescents scale and experience enables it to identify attractive investment opportunities throughout economic cycles and across a companys capital structure so we can make investments consistent with |
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our stated investment objectives. Given its focus on capital preservation, Crescent has been entrusted with third party capital to invest across the below investment grade corporate credit landscape for over three decades and across numerous market cycles: |
| Seasoned and Integrated Investment Team. We believe the depth of the experience of Crescents senior management team, together with the wider resources of Crescents team of investment professionals, which is dedicated to identifying, originating, investing in and managing a portfolio of credit investments, is one of Crescents key strengths when sourcing and analyzing investment opportunities. Within Crescent, there are 110 dedicated investment professionals, including the 80+ person Private Credit Team. Senior investment professionals on the Private Credit Team average over 20 years of relevant industry experience and over 10 years at Crescent. |
| Established, Research-Focused Investment Process. With over three decades of experience of investing in below investment grade credit, Crescent has developed an extensive investment review process, seeking to achieve attractive risk adjusted returns while minimizing losses. Crescents investment approach seeks to combine a rigorous analysis of macroeconomic and market factors with a deep understanding of individual companies and their respective industries, management and prospects. We believe Crescents disciplined investment approach is distinguished by the following: |
| Credit-Focused Due Diligence. Crescents investment process and the depth and experience of its investment team allow it to conduct thorough due diligence necessary to identify and appropriately evaluate risks and opportunities. Crescents disciplined approach is focused on identifying sustainable businesses with leading and defensible market positions, strong, and properly incentivized management teams, solid liquidity and free cash flow generation, and |
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appropriate capital structures. Evaluation of investment opportunities begins with fundamental credit-focused company and industry research and, in Crescents private fund strategies, culminates in a formal review by the respective investment committees. |
| Ability to Structure Investments Creatively. Crescent has extensive experience investing across the capital structure of portfolio companies. The resulting investments include secured and unsecured debt, including senior notes, subordinated debt and related equity securities. Furthermore, we believe that Crescent can structure attractively priced debt investments which allow for the incorporation of other return-enhancing mechanisms such as commitment fees, original issue discounts, early redemption premiums, PIK interest or some form of equity securities. |
| Active Portfolio Monitoring. Crescent actively monitors the credit profile of portfolio investments, with the aim of proactively identifying sector and operational issues and carefully managing risks. Crescent regularly receives monthly and/or quarterly financial and operating reporting metrics from its portfolio companies as well as typically engages in direct dialogue with the management team and private equity sponsor. |
| Long-Term Investment Horizon. Our long-term investment horizon gives us great flexibility, which we believe allows us to maximize returns on our investments. Unlike most private equity and venture capital funds, as well as many private debt funds, we will not be required to return capital to our common stockholders once we exit a portfolio investment. We believe that freedom from such capital return requirements, which allows us to invest using a long-term lens, provides us with an attractive opportunity to increase total returns on invested capital. |
| Track Record of Strong Capital Preservation. Capital preservation is a core component of Crescents investment philosophy. In addition to its focus on sustainable businesses, Crescent employs a highly selective and rigorous diligence and investment evaluation process focused on identification of potential risks. Crescent believes tight credit structuring is a fundamental part of the risk and recovery calculus, as the illiquidity in private credit means that secondary market liquidity is not a reliable risk mitigant. This philosophy has translated into what we believe to be one of the strongest track records in the private credit space. Since inception, Crescents Credit Solutions (1992) (formerly known as Mezzanine), CCAP (defined below) (2015), Direct Lending (2005) and European Specialty Lending strategies (2014) (collectively, Crescent Private Credit) have experienced historical net loss ratios of less than 20 basis points, 12 basis points, 5 basis points and 0 basis points, respectively. |
| Breadth of Middle Market Coverage. Crescent Private Credit strategies collectively cover lower-, middle- and upper-middle market companies. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with EBITDA of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies. We believe Crescent has the flexibility to opportunistically make investments across a wide spectrum of debt opportunities given its dedicated strategies focused on the middle-market. We believe this target market has been underserved by banks, which have withdrawn from the middle- and upper-middle markets, as well as many direct lending institutions, who do not have the scale or resources needed to service the requirements of these borrowers. |
Q: | What is the market opportunity? |
A: | Private credit as an asset class has grown considerably since the global financial crisis of 2008. We expect this growth to continue and, along with the factors outlined below, to provide a robust backdrop to what Crescent believes will be a significant number of attractive investment opportunities aligned to our investment strategy. |
Attractive Opportunities in Senior Secured Loans. We believe that opportunities in senior secured loans are significant because of the strong defensive characteristics of this asset class. While there is inherent risk in investing in any securities, senior secured loans benefit from their priority position, typically sitting as the
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most senior obligation in an issuers or borrowers capital structure. Senior secured loans generally consist of floating rate cash interest payments that Crescent believes can be an attractive return attribute in a rising interest rate environment. In addition to a current income component, senior secured loans typically include original issue discount, closing payments, commitment fees, Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) (or other benchmark interest rate) floors, call protection, and/or prepayment penalties and related fees that are additive components of total return. The seniority and security of a senior secured loan, coupled with the privately negotiated nature of direct lending, are helpful mitigants in reducing downside risk. Further, these investments are secured by the issuers or borrowers assets, and often have restrictive covenants for the purpose of additional principal protection and ensuring repayment before junior creditors. These attributes have contributed to the comparatively strong record of recovery after a default, as senior secured loans have historically demonstrated a higher recovery rate than unsecured parts of an issuers capital structure.
Large and Growing Target Market. According to the NCMM, there were nearly 200,000 middle market companies in the United States with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion as of December 31, 2022. This market, which employs approximately 48 million people and represents one-third of private sector GDP in the United States, has generated a significant number of investment opportunities for investment vehicles advised by Crescent and its affiliates over the past three decades, and we believe that this market segment will continue to produce significant investment opportunities for us.
Consistent, Strong Leveraged Buyout Volumes Driving Demand. Leveraged buyout transaction volume in the United States has experienced significant growth over the past decade:
Source: LCD, a part of PitchBook.
We believe that the private equity markets will remain active, in part due to the significant amount of uninvested capital available to private equity funds. According to Preqin, as of December 31, 2022, private equity funds globally had approximately $939 billion of capital available for new investments. This large
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pool of private equity capital will be used for future investments, which will require debt financing. The potential for a significant amount of private equity investment activity comes at a time when Crescent believes that the supply of private debt fund capital, while growing, is relatively limited. The amount of private debt fund capital available globally as of December 31, 2022 was approximately $265 billion, representing just under 30% of the available private equity capital, as illustrated in the chart below.
Source: Preqin.
Increasing activity in the leveraged buyout market suggests greater demand for various forms of private, direct debt solutions. We believe that the current levels of private equity activity present attractive investment opportunities for middle-market lenders with dedicated pools of committed capital to deploy, and Crescents ability to compete for these opportunities on the basis of size, certainty of execution and deep relationships with hundreds of private equity sponsors, affords us advantages.
Sponsor-Backed Middle Market Companies Attracted to Private Credit Solutions. Private equity firms continue to allocate an increasing share of their financings to direct lenders over the syndicated debt markets. As private credit has grown in size, the ability to commit to and hold larger debt tranches has led to market share gains. One driver of the market share gains is due to the fact that private credit typically provides for greater certainty of execution, particularly in periods of market volatility, relative to the syndicated credit markets, with one or more private credit lenders committing to an entire tranche and / or capital structure, significantly reducing the market risk typically associated with a broadly syndicated deal.
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Source: S&P Capital IQ, LCD, Refinitiv.
Q: | Why do you invest in liquid credit investments in addition to originated loans? |
A: | We believe that our liquid credit investments will help maintain liquidity to satisfy our share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) in each quarter and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into originated loans while also seeking attractive investment returns. We expect these investments to enhance our risk/return profile and serve as a source of liquidity for the Fund. |
Q: | How will you identify investments? |
A: | In order to source transactions, the investment adviser will leverage the breadth of its platform and its significant access to transaction flow, along with its trading platform. The investment adviser seeks to generate investment opportunities primarily through direct origination channels, as well as through syndicate and club deals. The investment adviser will continue to employ a disciplined approach with respect to sourcing, evaluating and executing prospective investment opportunities, consistent with how Crescent manages its funds investments across the firm. Crescents process is defined by an emphasis on meaningful downside protection and the preservation of capital, which our investment adviser seeks to achieve through extensive due diligence, asset-level and market environment analysis, a systematic approach to identifying risk and structuring and a hands-on approach to driving value and managing investments throughout the ownership period. We believe that Crescents strong reputation and longstanding relationships will help drive meaningful proprietary deal flow and a significant pipeline of investment opportunities for the Fund. |
Q: | Will you use leverage? |
A: | Yes. To seek to enhance our returns, we intend to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the investment adviser, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to a 2:1 debt to equity ratio. We |
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intend to use leverage in the form of borrowings, including loans from certain financial institutions and the issuance of debt securities. We may also use leverage in the form of the issuance of preferred shares, but do not currently intend to do so. In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. Any such leverage, if incurred, would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund. |
Q: | How will the Fund be allocated investment opportunities? |
A: | Crescent, including our investment adviser, provides or may provide investment management services to other BDCs, including Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. (CCAP), registered investment companies, investment funds, client accounts and proprietary accounts that Crescent may establish. |
Our investment adviser has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us and other BDCs and registered closed-end management investment companies managed by Crescent to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment funds (the Co-Investment Exemptive Order). Co-investments made under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order are subject to compliance with certain conditions and other requirements which could limit our ability to participate in a co-investment transaction. We may also otherwise co-invest with funds managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and our investment advisers allocation procedures.
If an investment falls within our investment objective and strategies, Crescent must offer an opportunity for us to participate. We may determine to participate or not to participate, depending on whether our investment adviser determines that the investment is appropriate for us (e.g., based on investment strategy). If our investment adviser determines that our participation is appropriate, it will then determine an appropriate level of investment. If the size of a co-investment opportunity is insufficient to meet our and the other Crescent funds desired level of participation in full, co-investment would generally be allocated to us and the other Crescent funds that target similar assets pro rata based on available capital in the applicable asset class. If our investment adviser determines that such investment is not appropriate for us, the investment will not be allocated to us, but our investment adviser will be required to report such investment and the rationale for its determination for us to not participate in the investment to the Board at the next quarterly board meeting.
Q: | How is an investment in our Common Shares different from an investment in listed BDCs? |
A: | An investment in our Common Shares generally differs from an investment in listed BDCs in a number of ways, including: |
| Shares of listed BDCs are priced by the trading market, which is influenced generally by numerous factors, not all of which are related to the underlying value of the entitys assets and liabilities. Our Board, rather than the market, determined the initial offering price of our Common Shares in its sole discretion after considering the initial public offering prices per share of other blind pool non-traded BDCs. The estimated value of our assets and liabilities will be used to determine our NAV for Common Shares sold in this offering. As a result, non-traded BDCs are generally less volatile and more closely correlated with the values of their underlying loans as opposed to other conditions that may impact public markets. |
| An investment in our Common Shares has limited or no liquidity outside of our share repurchase program and our share repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated. In contrast, an investment in a listed BDC is a liquid investment, as shares can be sold on an exchange at any time the exchange is open. |
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| Some listed BDCs are self-managed, whereas our investment operations are managed by the investment adviser, which is part of Crescent. |
| Listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to the Fund and may be less costly and less complex with fewer and/or different risks than we have. Such listed BDCs will likely have historical performance that investors can evaluate and transactions for listed securities often involve nominal or no commissions. |
| Unlike the offering of a listed BDC, this offering will be registered in every state in which we are offering and selling shares. As a result, we include certain limits in our governing documents that are not typically provided for in the charter of a listed BDC. For example, our charter limits the fees we may pay to the investment adviser. A listed BDC does not typically provide for these restrictions within its charter. A listed BDC is, however, subject to the governance requirements of the exchange on which its shares are traded, including requirements relating to its board, its audit committee, independent director oversight of executive compensation and the director nomination process, code of conduct, stockholder meetings, related party transactions, stockholder approvals and voting rights. |
Although we expect to follow many of these same governance guidelines, there is no requirement that we do so unless it is required for other reasons. Both listed BDCs and non-traded BDCs are subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act and the Exchange Act.
Q: | For whom may an investment in our Common Shares be appropriate? |
A: | An investment in our Common Shares may be appropriate for you if you: |
| meet the minimum suitability standards described above under Suitability Standards; |
| seek to allocate a portion of your investment portfolio to a direct investment vehicle with an income-oriented portfolio of primarily U.S. credit investments; |
| seek to receive current income through regular distribution payments; |
| wish to obtain the potential benefit of long-term capital appreciation; and |
| are able to hold your Common Shares as a long-term investment and do not need liquidity from your investment quickly in the near future. |
We cannot assure you that an investment in our Common Shares will allow you to realize any of these objectives. An investment in our Common Shares is only intended for investors who do not need the ability to sell their shares quickly in the future since we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any of our Common Shares in any particular quarter in our discretion. See Share Repurchase Program.
Q: | Are there any risks involved in buying our Common Shares? |
A: | Investing in our Common Shares involves a high degree of risk. If we are unable to effectively manage the impact of these risks, we may not meet our investment objectives and, therefore, you should purchase our Common Shares only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment. An investment in our Common Shares involves significant risks and is intended only for investors with a long-term investment horizon and who do not require immediate liquidity or guaranteed income. Some of the more significant risks relating to an investment in our Common Shares include those listed below: |
| We have a limited operating history and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objectives. |
| We have not identified specific investments that we will make with the proceeds of this offering. As a result, this may be deemed a blind pool offering and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them. |
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| We invest primarily in privately held companies for which very little public information exists. Such companies are also generally more vulnerable to economic downturns and may experience substantial variation in operating results. |
| The privately held companies and below investment-grade securities in which we will invest will be difficult to value and are illiquid. |
| There may be changes in laws or regulations (including interpretations thereof), including tax laws, governing our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies or the operations of our competitors. |
| You should not expect to be able to sell your Common Shares regardless of how we perform. |
| You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time. |
| We do not intend to list our Common Shares on any securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our Common Shares to develop prior to any listing. |
| Because you may be unable to sell your Common Shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn. |
| Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus, and at the sole discretion of our Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) in each quarter. In addition, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, any such repurchases will be at prices equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable month designated by our Board, except that the Fund deducts 2.00% from such NAV for shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year. Such share repurchase prices may be lower than the price at which you purchase our Common Shares in this offering. |
| An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest. See Suitability Standards and Share Repurchase Program. |
| An investment in our Common Shares is suitable only for investors with the financial ability and willingness to accept the high risks and lack of liquidity inherent in an investment in our Common Shares. |
| We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings or return of capital to stockholders or offering proceeds, and although we generally expect to fund distributions from cash flow from operations, we have not established limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. A return of capital (1) is a return of the original amount invested to stockholders, (2) does not constitute earnings or profits and (3) will have the effect of reducing the basis such that when a stockholder sells its shares the sale may be subject to taxes even if the shares are sold for less than the original purchase price. |
| Distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by the investment adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to the investment adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to our affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled. |
| We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureOur strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify |
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the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions. |
| We qualify as an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors. |
| We invest in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value. See Prospectus SummaryQ: What type of investments do you make? |
Q: | Do you currently own any investments? |
A: | Yes. Proceeds from the Sun Life Investment (as defined in Prospectus Summary Recent Developments) have been invested in accordance with the Funds investment objective. See Plan of Operation and Estimated Use of Proceeds for a discussion of our investment objective and the estimated use of proceeds from this offering. As of , the NAV per share for our Class I shares was $ . |
Q: | What is the role of our Board? |
A: | We operate under the direction of our Board. We have five directors, three of whom have been determined to be independent of us, the investment adviser, Crescent and its affiliates and the intermediary manager (the independent directors). Our independent directors are responsible for reviewing the performance of the investment adviser and approving the compensation paid to the investment adviser and its affiliates. The names and biographical information of our directors are provided under Management of the FundBiographical Information. |
Q: | What is the difference between the Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares being offered? |
A: | We are offering to the public three classes of Common Shares: Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. The differences among the share classes relate to ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees. In addition, although no upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares and a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares. Selling agents will not charge such fees on Class I shares. The total underwriting compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering. See Description of Our Shares and Plan of Distribution for a discussion of the differences between our Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. |
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Assuming a constant net asset value per share of $25.00, we expect that a one-time investment in 400 shares of each class of our Common Shares (representing an aggregate net asset value of $10,000 for each class) would be subject to the following stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees:
Annual Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee |
Total Over Five Years |
|||||||
Class S |
$ | 85.00 | $ | 425.00 | ||||
Class D |
$ | 25.00 | $ | 125.00 | ||||
Class I |
$ | | $ | |
Class S shares are available through brokerage and transaction-based accounts. Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating broker-dealers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating broker- dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of our investment adviser, Crescent, or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. In certain cases, where a holder of Class S shares or Class D shares exits a relationship with a participating broker-dealer for this offering and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker-dealer for this offering, such holders shares may be exchanged for a number of Class I shares with an equivalent NAV. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment adviser regarding your account type and the classes of Common Shares you may be eligible to purchase.
If you are eligible to purchase all three classes of shares, then in most cases you should purchase Class I shares because participating brokers will not charge transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, on Class I shares and Class I shares have no stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive stockholder services.
Our Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares are available for different categories of investors. Class S shares are available to the general public. Class D shares are available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, (2) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients, (3) through investment advisers registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Advisers Act) or applicable state law or (4) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act as a fiduciary for its clients or customers. Class I shares are available for purchase in this offering only (1) by institutional accounts as defined by FINRA Rule 4512(c), (2) through bank-sponsored collective trusts and bank-sponsored common trusts, (3) by retirement plans (including a director or custodian under any deferred compensation or pension or profit sharing plan or payroll deduction individual retirement account (an IRA) established for the benefit of the employees of any company), foundations or endowments, (4) through certain financial intermediaries that are not otherwise registered with or as a broker-dealer and that direct clients to trade with a broker-dealer that offers Class I shares, (5) by our executive officers and
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directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the investment adviser and the investment advisers product specialists or other affiliates of the investment adviser and their immediate family members, our product specialists and their affiliates and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, (6) by investors purchasing shares in a transaction that entitles our intermediary manager to a primary dealer fee, (7) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act as a fiduciary for its clients or customers and (8) by any other categories of purchasers that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. If you are eligible to purchase any of the classes of shares, you should consider, among other things, the amount of your investment, the length of time you intend to hold the shares, the selling commission and fees attributable to each class of shares and whether you qualify for any selling commission discounts if you elect to purchase Class S shares. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your financial advisor regarding your account type and the classes of Common Shares you may be eligible to purchase. See Description of Our Shares and Plan of Distribution for a discussion of the differences between our Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares.
Q: | What is the per share purchase price? |
A: | Shares of each class of our Common Shares will be issued on a monthly basis at a price per share equal to the then-current NAV per share, as described below. |
Q: | How will your NAV per share be calculated? |
A: | Our NAV will be determined based on the value of our assets less our liabilities, including accrued fees and expenses, as of any date of determination. |
Investments for which market quotations are readily available are typically valued at those market quotations. To validate market quotations, our investment adviser utilizes a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including the source and number of the quotations. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on, among other things, the fair valuation recommendations from investment professionals, the oversight of the Funds Audit Committee and independent third-party valuation firms. Independent third-party valuation firms may be engaged by our investment adviser, subject to the oversight of our Board, to help affirm the valuation of certain portfolio investments without a readily available market quotation. See Determination of Net Asset Value.
Q: | Is there any minimum investment required? |
A: | The minimum initial investment in Class S shares and Class D shares is $2,500, and the minimum investment in Class I shares is $1,000,000. The minimum subsequent investment in our Common Shares is $500 per transaction, except that the minimum subsequent investment amount does not apply to purchases made under our distribution reinvestment plan. In addition, we may elect to accept smaller investments in our discretion. |
Q: | What is a best efforts offering? |
A: | This is our initial public offering of our Common Shares on a best efforts basis. A best efforts offering means the intermediary manager and the participating brokers are only required to use their best efforts to sell the shares. When shares are offered to the public on a best efforts basis, no underwriter, broker-dealer or other person has a firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of the shares. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the number of shares that will be sold in this offering. |
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Q: | What is the expected term of this offering? |
A: | We have registered $ in Common Shares. It is our intent, however, to conduct a continuous offering for an extended period of time, by filing for additional offerings of our Common Shares, subject to regulatory approval and continued compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and applicable state laws. |
We will endeavor to take all reasonable actions to avoid interruptions in the continuous offering of our Common Shares. There can be no assurance, however, that we will not need to suspend our continuous offering while the SEC and, where required, state securities regulators, review such filings for additional offerings of our Common Shares until such filings are declared effective, if at all.
Q: | When may I make purchases of shares and at what price? |
A: | Subscriptions to purchase our Common Shares may be made on an ongoing basis, but investors may only purchase our Common Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders effective as of the first day of each month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month), and to be accepted, a subscription request including the full subscription amount must be received in good order at least five business days prior to the first day of the month (unless waived by the intermediary manager). |
Notice of each share transaction will be furnished to stockholders (or their financial representatives) as soon as practicable but not later than seven business days after the Funds NAV is determined and credited to the stockholders account, together with information relevant for personal and tax records. While a stockholder will not know our NAV applicable on the effective date of the share purchase, our NAV applicable to a purchase of shares will be available generally within 20 business days after the effective date of the share purchase; at that time, the number of shares based on that NAV and each stockholders purchase will be determined and shares are credited to the stockholders account as of the effective date of the share purchase.
See How to Subscribe for more details.
Q: | When will the NAV per share be available? |
A: | We will report our NAV per share as of the last day of each month on our website within 20 business days of the last day of each month. Because subscriptions must be submitted at least five business days prior to the first day of each month, you will not know the NAV per share at which you will be subscribing at the time you subscribe. |
For example, if you are subscribing in October, your subscription must be submitted at least five business days prior to November 1. The purchase price for your Common Shares will be the NAV per share determined as of October 31. The NAV per share as of October 31 will generally be available within 20 business days from October 31.
Q: | May I withdraw my subscription request once I have made it? |
A: | Yes, you may withdraw your subscription request if we have not yet accepted it. Subscribers are not committed to purchase shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted and any subscription may be canceled at any time before the time it has been accepted. You may withdraw your purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through your financial intermediary or directly on our toll-free, automated telephone line,(888) 875-0116. |
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Q: | When will my subscription be accepted? |
A: | Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us any earlier than two business days before the first day of each month. |
Q: | Will I receive distributions and how often? |
A: | We currently intend to pay regular monthly distributions commencing with the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. Any distributions we make will be at the discretion of our Board, considering factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Maryland law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time. |
Our Boards discretion as to the payment of distributions will be directed, in substantial part, by its determination to cause us to comply with the RIC (as defined below) requirements. To maintain our treatment as a RIC, we generally are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our common stockholders of at least 90% of our taxable income and tax exempt interest. See Description of Our Shares and Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
The per share amount of distributions on Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares generally differ because of different class-specific stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees that are deducted from the gross distributions for each share class. Specifically, distributions on Class S shares will be lower than Class D shares, and distributions on Class D shares will be lower than Class I shares because we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S shares (compared to Class D shares and Class I shares) and we are required to pay a higher ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to Class D shares (compared to Class I shares). In this way, stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are indirectly paid by holders of Class S shares and Class D shares, in that the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee charged to such class is used by the Fund to compensate third-party brokers that sell Common Shares or provide services to investors who own Common Shares. See Plan of DistributionUnderwriting CompensationStockholder Servicing and/or Distribution FeesClass S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares.
There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including the sale of assets, borrowings or return of capital to stockholders, and although we generally expect to fund distributions from cash flow from operations, we have not established limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Additionally, funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or proceeds of this offering may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering, but, over time, we intend to fund distributions fully from cash flow from operations.
Q: | Will the distributions I receive be taxable as ordinary income? |
A: | Generally, distributions that you receive, including cash distributions that are reinvested pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan, will be taxed as ordinary income to the extent they are paid from our current |
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or accumulated earnings and profits. Dividends received will generally not be eligible to be taxed at the lower U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to individuals for qualified dividends. |
We may designate a portion of distributions as capital gain dividends taxable at capital gain rates to the extent we recognize net capital gains from asset sales. In addition, a portion of your distributions may be considered return of capital to you for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Amounts considered a return of capital to you generally will not be subject to tax, but will instead reduce the tax basis of your investment. This, in effect, defers a portion of your tax until your Common Shares are repurchased, you sell your Common Shares, or we are liquidated, at which time you generally will be taxed at capital gains rates. Because each investors tax position is different, you are urged to consult with your tax advisor. In particular, non-U.S. investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding potential withholding taxes on distributions that they receive. See Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
Q: | May I reinvest my cash distributions in additional shares? |
A: | Yes. We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan whereby stockholders (other than Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington investors and clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan) will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional Common Shares unless they elect to receive their distributions in cash. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont and Washington investors and clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to have their cash distributions reinvested in additional Common Shares. Ohio residents that own Class S shares or Class D shares are not eligible to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan. If stockholders participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that the stockholders own will be automatically invested in additional Common Shares. The purchase price for shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent NAV per share for such shares at the time the distribution is payable. Stockholders will not pay upfront selling commissions when purchasing shares under our distribution reinvestment plan and funds reinvested to purchase shares pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan will not have sales commissions or fees deducted from them; however, all shares, including those issued under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees. Participants may terminate their participation in the distribution reinvestment plan by providing written notice to the Plan Administrator (as defined in Distribution Reinvestment Plan) notifying the Plan Administrator by submitting a letter of instruction terminating the participants account under the distribution reinvestment plan to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., c/o SS&C GIDS, Inc. (attention Transfer Agent), 1055 Broadway Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. Such termination shall be effective immediately if the participants notice is received by the Plan Administrator at least 10 days prior to any record date for a distribution to stockholders; otherwise, such termination shall be effective only with respect to any subsequent distribution. See Description of Our Shares and Distribution Reinvestment Plan. |
Q: | Can I request that my shares be repurchased? |
A: | Yes, subject to limitations. Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus, and at the discretion of our Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) in each quarter. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time if it deems such action to be in our best |
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interests. For example, in accordance with our directors duties to the Fund, our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program during periods of market dislocation where selling assets to fund a repurchase could have a materially negative impact on remaining stockholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter, such as when a repurchase offer would place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the Fund that would outweigh the benefit of the repurchase offer. Following any such suspension, the Board will reinstate the share repurchase program when appropriate and subject to our directors duties to the Fund. We intend to conduct such repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act, with the terms of such tender offer published in a tender offer statement to be sent to all stockholders and filed on Schedule TO. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares. |
Under our share repurchase program, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, we expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable month designated by our Board, except that the Fund deducts 2.00% from such NAV for shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year (the Early Repurchase Deduction). Such share repurchase prices may be lower than the price at which you purchase our Common Shares in this offering. The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining common stockholders.
In the event the number of shares tendered exceeds the repurchase offer amount, shares will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted in the next quarterly tender offer, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase program, as applicable.
Most of our assets will consist of instruments that cannot generally be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize full value upon their disposition. Therefore, we may not always have sufficient liquid resources to make repurchase offers. In order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, we intend to generally maintain under normal circumstances an allocation to syndicated loans and other liquid investments. We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including the sale of assets, borrowings or return of capital to stockholders, and although we generally expect to fund distributions from cash flow from operations, we have not established limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. Should making repurchase offers, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the Fund as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in originated loans or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our Common Shares is in the best interests of the Fund as a whole, then we may choose to offer to repurchase fewer shares than described above, or none at all. See Share Repurchase Program.
Q: | What transfer restrictions are there on our Common Shares? |
A: | Except as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified stock, our Common Shares will have no preemptive, exchange, conversion or redemption rights and will be freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract and to the extent necessary for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company (a RIC) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) or the characterization or treatment of income or loss, except that, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as plan assets, we may require any person proposing to acquire our Common Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is a benefit plan investor or a controlling person, restrict or prohibit transfers of shares |
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of such stock or redeem any outstanding shares of stock for such price and on such other terms and conditions as may be determined by or at the direction of the Board. If the Fund rejects a transfer of Common Shares, such rejection will be affirmatively supported by an opinion of counsel. A charge may be imposed by the Fund to cover its actual, necessary and reasonable administrative and filing expenses incurred in connection with a transfer. There is currently no market for our Common Shares, and we can offer no assurances that a market for our Common Shares will develop in the future. See Description of Our Shares. |
Q: | What is a business development company, or BDC? |
A: | A BDC is a special closed-end investment vehicle that is regulated under the Investment Company Act and used to facilitate capital formation by smaller U.S. companies. BDCs are subject to certain restrictions applicable to investment companies under the Investment Company Act. As a BDC, at least 70% of our assets must be the type of qualifying assets listed in Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act, as described herein, which are generally privately-offered securities issued by U.S. private or thinly-traded companies. We may also invest up to 30% of our portfolio opportunistically in non-qualifying portfolio investments, such as investments in non-U.S. companies. See Investment Objective and StrategiesRegulation as a BDC. |
Q: | What is a regulated investment company, or RIC? |
A: | We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. |
In general, a RIC is a company that:
| is a BDC or registered investment company that combines the capital of many investors to acquire securities; |
| offers the benefits of a securities portfolio under professional management; |
| satisfies various requirements of the Code, including an asset diversification requirement; and |
| is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate income taxes on its net taxable income that it currently distributes to its stockholders, which substantially eliminates the double taxation (i.e., taxation at both the corporate and stockholder levels) that generally results from investments in a C corporation. |
Q: | What is a non-exchange traded, perpetual-life BDC? |
A: | A non-exchange traded BDC is a BDC whose shares are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market. We use the term perpetual-life BDC to describe an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose shares of common stock are intended to be sold by the BDC monthly on a continuous basis at a price generally equal to the BDCs monthly NAV per share. In our perpetual-life structure, we may offer to repurchase our Common Shares on a quarterly basis, but we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any in any particular quarter in our discretion. We believe that our perpetual nature enables us to execute a patient strategy and be able to invest across different market environments. This may reduce the risk of the Fund being a forced seller of assets in market downturns compared to non-perpetual funds. While we may consider a liquidity event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time. |
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Q: | Will I be notified of how my investment is doing? |
A: | Yes. We will provide you with periodic updates on the performance of your investment with us, including: |
| three quarterly financial reports and investor statements; |
| an annual report; |
| in the case of certain U.S. stockholders, an annual Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1099-DIV or IRS Form 1099B, if required, and, in the case of non-U.S. stockholders, an annual IRS Form 1042-S; |
| confirmation statements (after transactions affecting your balance, except reinvestment of distributions in us and certain transactions through minimum account investment or withdrawal programs); and |
| a quarterly statement providing material information regarding your participation in the distribution reinvestment plan and an annual statement providing tax information with respect to income earned on shares under the distribution reinvestment plan for the calendar year. |
Depending on legal requirements, we may post this information on our website, www. .com, when available, or provide this information to you via U.S. mail or other courier, electronic delivery, or some combination of the foregoing. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus. Information about us will also be available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
In addition, our monthly NAV per share will be posted on our website promptly after it has become available. We use our website as a channel of distribution of fund information. The information we post through this channel may be deemed material. Accordingly, investors should monitor this channel, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and webcasts. The contents of our website are not, however, a part of this prospectus or registration statement.
Q: | What fees do you pay to the investment adviser? |
A: | Pursuant to the investment advisory and management agreement between us and the investment adviser (the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement), the investment adviser is responsible for, among other things, originating prospective investments, conducting research and due diligence investigations on potential investments, analyzing investment opportunities, negotiating and structuring our investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. We will pay the investment adviser a fee for its services under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement consisting of two components: a management fee and an incentive fee. |
| The management fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For the first calendar month in which the Fund had operations, May 2023, net assets were measured as the beginning net assets as of the effective date of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. Substantial additional fees and expenses may also be charged by the administrator to the Fund, which is an affiliate of the investment adviser, for our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement (as defined below). Our investment adviser has agreed to waive its management and incentive fees until the initial closing for the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. The longer an investor holds our Common Shares during this period, the longer such investor will receive the benefit of this fee waiver period. |
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| The incentive fee consists of two components as follows: |
| The first part of the incentive fee is based on income, whereby we pay the investment adviser quarterly in arrears 12.5% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income (as defined below) for each calendar quarter subject to a 5.0% annualized hurdle rate, with a catch-up. |
| The second part of the incentive fee is based on realized capital gains, whereby we pay the investment adviser at the end of each calendar year in arrears 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fees, as calculated in accordance with GAAP. |
The incentive fee is not based on a particular share class and will be allocated to each class of Common Shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets represented by such class.
See Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administrative Agreement.
Q: | Who will administer the Fund? |
A: | Pursuant to an administration agreement, referred to herein as the Administration Agreement, with our administrator, CCAP Administration LLC (our administrator) our administrator furnishes us with administrative services. These services include providing us with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and recordkeeping, maintaining financial and other records, preparing reports to stockholders and reports and other materials filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. The Fund reimburses our administrator (or its affiliates) for an allocable portion of the costs, expenses and benefits paid by our administrator or its affiliates to our chief compliance officer, general counsel, secretary, their respective staffs and our operations and finance staffs who provide services to us. The allocable portion of the compensation for these officers and other professionals are included in the administration expenses paid to our administrator. See Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration AgreementAdministration Agreement. |
Q: | What are the offering and servicing costs? |
A: | No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares. However, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares and a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares. Selling agents will not charge such fees on Class I shares. Please consult your selling agent for additional information. |
Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, we and, ultimately, our common stockholders will pay the following stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the intermediary manager: (a) for Class S shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares and (b) for Class D shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. The intermediary manager anticipates that all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker dealers. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We and, ultimately, our common stockholders will also pay or reimburse certain organization and offering
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expenses, including, subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, certain wholesaling expenses. See Plan of Distribution and Estimated Use of Proceeds. The total underwriting compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering.
The investment adviser has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing, subscription processing and filing fees and expenses and other offering expenses, including costs associated with technology integration between the Funds systems and those of our participating broker-dealers, reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of participating broker-dealers supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials and other marketing expenses, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of our escrow agent and transfer agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating broker-dealers and costs, expenses and reimbursements for travel, meals, accommodations, entertainment and other similar expenses related to meetings or events with prospective investors, broker-dealers, registered investment advisers or financial or other advisers, but excluding the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee) pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. If our investment adviser elects to cover such expenses pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement, then we and, ultimately, our common stockholders will be obligated to repay such expenses pursuant to the terms of that agreement. See Plan of Distribution and Plan of OperationExpensesExpense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.
Q: | What are your expected operating expenses? |
A: | We expect to incur operating expenses in the form of our management and incentive fees, stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees, interest expense on our borrowings and other expenses, including the expenses we pay to our administrator. See Fees and Expenses. |
Q: | What are your policies related to conflicts of interests with Crescent and its affiliates? |
A: | The investment adviser, Crescent and their respective affiliates (collectively, the Firm) will be subject to certain conflicts of interest with respect to the services the Firm provides for us and other investment funds, partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations or similar investment vehicles, clients or the assets or investments for the account of any client, or separate account for which, in each case, the investment adviser or one or more of its affiliates acts as general partner, manager, managing member, investment adviser, sponsor or in a similar capacity (collectively, including the Fund, Crescent Clients). These conflicts will arise primarily from the involvement of the Firm in other activities that may conflict with our activities. Such conflicts may arise in allocating and structuring investments, and allocation of time, services, expenses or resources among the investment activities of Crescent Clients and the Firm. You should be aware that individual conflicts will not necessarily be resolved in favor of our interest. |
Our investment adviser has adopted an investment allocation policy designed to ensure that all investment opportunities are, to the extent practicable, allocated among Crescent Clients on a basis that over a period of time is fair and equitable to each Crescent Client relative to other Crescent Clients as well as a co-investment policy designed to ensure fair allocation of co-investment opportunities amongst Crescent Clients.
As a BDC, we are subject to certain regulatory requirements that restrict our ability to engage in certain related-party transactions. We have adopted procedures for the review, approval and monitoring of transactions that involve us and certain of our related persons. For example, we have a code of conduct that generally prohibits our executive officers or directors from using their personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by the Fund whereby the
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executive officer or director would benefit personally to the detriment of the Fund, cause the Fund to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual personal benefit of the covered person rather than for the benefit of the Company; or use material non-public knowledge of portfolio transactions made or contemplated for the Company to trade personally, or cause others to trade personally, in contemplation of the market effect of such transactions. Any waiver to the code of conduct will generally only be permitted to be obtained from the audit committee and will be publicly disclosed as required by applicable law and regulations. In addition, the audit committee is required to review all related-party transactions (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).
See Potential Conflicts of Interest for additional information about conflicts of interest that could impact the Fund.
Q: | Are there any ERISA considerations in connection with an investment in our Common Shares? |
A: | We intend to conduct our affairs so that our assets should not be deemed to constitute plan assets under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA) and the U.S. Department of Labor regulations at 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the Plan Asset Regulations). In this regard, until such time as all classes of our Common Shares are considered publicly-offered securities within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, the Fund intends to limit investment in our Common Shares by benefit plan investors to less than 25% of the total value of each class of our Common Shares, within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations. |
In addition, each prospective investor that is, or is acting on behalf of any (i) employee benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) plan described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code that is subject to Section 4975 of the Code (including, for example, an individual retirement account and a Keogh plan), (iii) plan, account or other arrangement that is subject to the provisions of any other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (collectively, Similar Laws), or (iv) entity whose underlying assets are considered to include the assets of any of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) (each of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) referred to as a Plan), must independently determine that our Common Shares are an appropriate investment for the Plan, taking into account its obligations under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws, and the facts and circumstances of each investing Plan.
Prospective investors should carefully review the matters discussed under Risk FactorsRisks Related to an Investment in Our Common Shares and Restrictions on Share Ownership and should consult with their own advisors as to the consequences of making an investment in the Fund.
Q: | What is the impact of being an emerging growth company? |
A: | We are an emerging growth company, as defined by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to: |
| have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Sarbanes-Oxley Act); |
| submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes pursuant to the say on frequency and say on pay provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the say on golden parachute provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010; or |
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| disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officers compensation to median employee compensation. |
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.
We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.
We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or this offering. We have elected to opt into the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Common Shares are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the investment adviser and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the investment adviser or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of the investment adviser, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements and, as a result, do not expect to be required to seek stockholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.
Q: | When will I get my detailed tax information? |
A: | In the case of certain U.S. stockholders, we expect your IRS Form 1099-DIV tax information, if required, to be mailed by January 31 of each year. |
Q: | Who can help answer my questions? |
A: | If you have more questions about this offering or if you would like additional copies of this prospectus, you should contact your financial adviser or our transfer agent: SS&C GIDS, Inc. |
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Recent Developments
Sun Life Investment
In May 2023, we entered into a subscription agreement (the Subscription Agreement) with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life Assurance), an affiliate of Sun Life, for the commitment to purchase an aggregate of up to $150 million of the Funds unregistered Class I shares (the Sun Life Investment). In June 2023, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada subsequently transferred its undrawn capital commitment to BK Canada Holdings Inc. (BK Canada), an affiliate of Sun Life.
Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, Sun Life Assurance committed to purchase Class I shares at an initial offering price of $25.00 per share, to be adjusted following the initial drawdown of the subscription to a price per share equal to the NAV per share as of the most recently completed month-end prior to the date of such drawdown. Under the Subscription Agreement, we intend to call all capital prior to closing on the sale of any shares pursuant to this prospectus.
Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, as of the date of this prospectus, we have called an aggregate of $ , and in exchange therefore we have issued Class I shares to three stockholders, including the investment from our sole initial stockholder. We have not sold any Class S shares or Class D shares.
We commenced investment operations in May 2023 after we received initial capital from the Sun Life Investment. In connection with the commencement of our investment operations, the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement became effective and the base management fee and any incentive fees, as applicable, payable by us to our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement began to accrue. Our investment adviser has agreed to waive its management and incentive fees until the initial closing for the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. Proceeds from the Sun Life Investment are being invested in accordance with the Funds investment objective.
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The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in Common Shares will bear, directly or indirectly. Other expenses are estimated and may vary. Actual expenses may be greater or less than shown.
Class S Shares |
Class D Shares |
Class I Shares |
||||||||||
Stockholder transaction expenses (fees paid directly from your investment) |
||||||||||||
Maximum sales load(1) |
| % | | % | | % | ||||||
Maximum Early Repurchase Deduction(2) |
2.00 | % | 2.00 | % | 2.00 | % | ||||||
Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to our Common Shares)(3) |
||||||||||||
Base management fees(4) |
1.25 | % | 1.25 | % | 1.25 | % | ||||||
Incentive fees(5) |
| % | | % | | % | ||||||
Stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees(6) |
0.85 | % | 0.25 | % | | % | ||||||
Interest payment on borrowed funds(7) |
4.00 | % | 4.00 | % | 4.00 | % | ||||||
Other expenses(8) |
0.95 | % | 0.95 | % | 0.95 | % | ||||||
Total annual expenses |
7.05 | % | 6.45 | % | 6.20 | % |
(1) | No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares. However, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares and 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares. Selling agents will not charge such fees on Class I shares. Please consult your selling agent for additional information. |
(2) | Under our share repurchase program, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, we expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable month designated by our Board, except that the Fund deducts 2.00% from such NAV for shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year, also referred to as the Early Repurchase Deduction. Such share repurchase prices may be lower than the price at which you purchase our Common Shares in this offering. The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining common stockholders. |
(3) | Weighted average net assets employed as the denominator for expense ratio computation is $337.5 million. This estimate is based on the assumption that we sell $450 million of our Common Shares in the initial 12-month period of the offering (including amounts raised from the Sun Life Investment). Actual net assets will depend on the number of shares we actually sell, realized gains/losses, unrealized appreciation/ depreciation and share repurchase activity, if any. |
(4) | The base management fee paid to our investment adviser is calculated at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. |
(5) | We may have capital gains and investment income that could result in the payment of an incentive fee in the first year of investment operations. The incentive fees, if any, are divided into two parts: |
| The first part of the incentive fee is based on income, whereby we pay our investment adviser quarterly in arrears 12.5% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income (as defined below) for each calendar quarter subject to a 5.0% annualized hurdle rate, with a catch-up. |
| The second part of the incentive fee is based on realized capital gains, whereby we pay our investment adviser at the end of each calendar year in arrears 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from |
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inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fees, as calculated in accordance with GAAP. |
The incentive fee is not based on a particular share class and will be allocated to each class of Common Shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets represented by such class.
As we cannot predict whether we will meet the necessary performance targets, we have assumed no incentive fee for this chart. Once fully invested, we expect the incentive fees we pay to increase to the extent we earn greater income or generate capital gains through our investments in portfolio companies. If we achieved an annualized total return of 5.0% for each quarter made up entirely of net investment income, no incentive fees would be payable to our investment adviser because the hurdle rate was not exceeded. If instead we achieved a total return of 5.0% in a calendar year made up of entirely realized capital gains net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation, an incentive fee equal to 0.625% of our net assets would be payable. See Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement for more information concerning the incentive fees.
(6) | Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, we and, ultimately, our common stockholders will pay the following stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the intermediary manager: (a) for Class S shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares and (b) for Class D shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. Stockholders will not pay transaction related charges when purchasing Common Shares under our distribution reinvestment plan, but all outstanding Class S shares and Class D shares, including those issued under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing servicing fees. The intermediary manager anticipates that all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker dealers. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering. The total underwriting compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering. See Plan of Distribution and Estimated Use of Proceeds. |
(7) | We may borrow funds to make investments, including before we have fully invested the proceeds of this continuous offering. To the extent that we determine it is appropriate to borrow funds to make investments, the costs associated with such borrowing will be indirectly borne by common stockholders. The figure in the table assumes that we borrow for investment purposes an amount equal to 50% of our weighted average net assets in the initial 12-month period of the offering after the initial closing for the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus, and that the average annual cost of borrowings, including the amortization of cost associated with obtaining borrowings and unused commitment fees, on the amount borrowed is 8.0%. Our ability to incur leverage during the 12 months following the commencement of this offering depends, in large part, on the amount of money we are able to raise through the sale of shares registered in this offering and the availability of financing in the market. See Prospectus SummaryRecent Developments. |
(8) | Other expenses includes our overhead expenses, including payments under our Administration Agreement based on our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by CCAP Administration LLC in |
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performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, and income taxes. The amount presented in the table estimates the amounts we expect to pay during the initial 12-month period of the offering following the date of this offering. See Prospectus SummaryRecent Developments. |
We have entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement with our investment adviser. Our investment adviser may elect to pay certain of our expenses, including, but not limited to, organization and offering expenses, administration expenses, management fees and incentive fees, on our behalf (each such payment, an Expense Payment), provided that no portion of an Expense Payment will be used to pay any interest expense or stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees of the Fund. Any Expense Payment that our investment adviser has committed to pay must be paid by our investment adviser to us or on behalf of us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than forty-five days after such election was made in writing by our investment adviser, and/or offset against amounts due from us to our investment adviser or its affiliates. If our investment adviser elects to pay certain of our expenses, our investment adviser will be entitled to reimbursement of such expenses from us if Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Funds stockholders. Such reimbursements are conditioned on (i) an expense ratio (excluding any management or incentive fee) that, after giving effect to the recoupment, is lower than the expense ratio (excluding any management or incentive fee) at the time of the fee waiver or expense reimbursement and (ii) a distribution level (exclusive of return of capital, if any), equal to, or greater than, the rate at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. See Plan of OperationExpensesExpense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement for additional information regarding the Expense Support Agreement. Because our investment advisers obligation to pay certain of our expenses is voluntary, the table above does not reflect the impact of any expense support from our investment adviser.
Example: We have provided an example of the projected dollar amount of total expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical $1,000 investment in each class of our Common Shares. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed that:
(1) | our annual operating expenses and offering expenses remain at the levels set forth in the table above, except to reduce annual expenses upon completion of organization and offering expenses; |
(2) | the annual return before fees and expenses is 5.0%; |
(3) | the net return after payment of fees and expenses is distributed to common stockholders and reinvested at NAV; and |
(4) | your financial intermediary does not directly charge you transaction or other fees. |
Class | S shares |
Return Assumption |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||||||
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5.0% annual return from net investment income(1): |
$ | 74 | $ | 217 | $ | 353 | $ | 665 | ||||||||
Total expenses assuming a 5.0% annual return solely from net realized capital gains(2): |
$ | 80 | $ | 233 | $ | 378 | $ | 701 |
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Class | D shares |
Return Assumption |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||||||
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5.0% annual return from net investment income(1): |
$ | 68 | $ | 199 | $ | 327 | $ | 625 | ||||||||
Total expenses assuming a 5.0% annual return solely from net realized capital gains(2): |
$ | 74 | $ | 217 | $ | 352 | $ | 665 |
Class | I shares |
Return Assumption |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||||||
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5.0% annual return from net investment income(1): |
$ | 65 | $ | 192 | $ | 316 | $ | 608 | ||||||||
Total expenses assuming a 5.0% annual return solely from net realized capital gains(2): |
$ | 71 | $ | 209 | $ | 342 | $ | 648 |
(1) | Assumes that we will not realize any capital gains computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation. |
(2) | Assumes no unrealized capital depreciation and a 5% annual return resulting entirely from net realized capital gains and therefore subject to the incentive fee based on capital gains. Because our investment strategy involves investments that generate primarily current income, we believe that a 5% annual return resulting entirely from net realized capital gains is unlikely. |
The foregoing table is to assist you in understanding the various costs and expenses that an investor in our Common Shares will bear directly or indirectly. While the examples assume, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%. If we were to achieve sufficient returns on our investments, including through the realization of capital gains, to trigger incentive fees of a material amount, our expenses, and returns to our investors, would be higher. In addition, while the example assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value, if our Board authorizes and we declare a cash dividend, participants in our distribution reinvestment plan who have elected to receive shares will receive a number of Common Shares determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to a participant by the NAV per share on the valuation date for the dividend. See Distribution Reinvestment Plan below for additional information regarding our distribution reinvestment plan.
This example and the expenses in the table above should not be considered a representation of the actual expenses (including the cost of debt, if any, and other expenses) that we may incur in the future and such actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown.
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Investing in our Common Shares involves a number of significant risks. The following information is a discussion of all known material risk factors associated with an investment in our Common Shares specifically, as well as those factors generally associated with an investment in a company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or traders markets similar to ours. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, you should carefully consider the following information before making an investment in our Common Shares. The risks below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such cases, the NAV of our Common Shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure
We have a limited operating history.
We are a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision. We are subject to the business risks and uncertainties associated with recently formed businesses, including the risk that we will not achieve our investment objectives and the value of a stockholders investment could decline substantially or become worthless. Further, our investment adviser has not previously offered a non-traded business development company. While we believe that the past professional experiences of our investment advisers investment team, including investment and financial experience of our investment advisers senior management, will increase the likelihood that our investment adviser will be able to manage us successfully, there can be no assurance that this will be the case.
Our Board may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.
Our Board has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the Investment Company Act or state law, as described below, to modify or waive certain of our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. Pursuant to Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act, we may not change our investment strategy with respect to 80% of our total assets without prior notice to stockholders. If we, in the future, operate as a diversified management investment company for a period of three or more years, we will not resume operation as a non-diversified management investment company without prior stockholder approval. Additionally, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. Under Maryland law, we also cannot be dissolved without prior stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the market price of our Common Shares. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions to our common stockholders.
Global capital markets could enter a period of severe disruption and instability. These conditions have historically affected and could again materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital markets in the United States and around the world and our business.
From time to time, the global capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability resulting in increasing spreads between the yields realized on riskier debt securities and those realized on risk-free securities and a lack of liquidity in parts of the debt capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial services sector relating to subprime mortgages and the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated market. Deteriorating market conditions could result in increasing volatility and illiquidity in the global credit, debt and equity markets generally. The duration and ultimate effect of such market conditions cannot be forecasted. Deteriorating market conditions and uncertainty regarding economic markets generally could result in declines in the market values of potential investments or declines in the market values of investments after they are made or acquired by us and affect the potential for liquidity events involving such investments or portfolio companies.
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Such declines may be exacerbated by other events, such as the failure of significant financial institutions or hedge funds, dislocations in other investment markets or other extrinsic events. Applicable accounting standards require us to determine the fair value of our investments as the amount that would be received in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, as part of the valuation process, we consider a number of measures, including comparison to publicly traded securities. As a result, volatility in the public capital markets can adversely affect our investment valuations.
During any such periods of market disruption and instability, we and other companies in the financial services sector may have limited access, if any, to alternative markets for debt and equity capital. Equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions that will apply to us as a BDC, we will generally not be able to issue additional Common Shares at a price less than NAV without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our common stockholders and independent directors. In addition, our ability to incur indebtedness (including by issuing preferred stock) is limited by applicable regulations such that our asset coverage, as defined in the Investment Company Act, as amended, must equal at least 150% immediately after each time we incur indebtedness. The debt capital that will be available, if any, may be at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions in the future. Any inability to raise capital could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A prolonged period of market illiquidity may cause us to reduce the volume of loans and debt securities we originate and/or fund and adversely affect the value of our portfolio investments, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Global economic, political and market conditions caused by the current public health crisis have (and in the future, could further) adversely affected our business, results of operations and financial condition and those of our portfolio companies.
A novel strain of coronavirus initially appeared in China in late 2019 and rapidly spread to other countries, including the United States. In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, governments around the world, including the United States, placed restrictions on travel, issued stay at home orders and ordered the temporary closure of certain businesses, such as factories and retail stores. Such restrictions and closures impacted supply chains, consumer demand and/or the operations of many businesses. As jurisdictions around the United States and the world continue to experience surges in cases of COVID-19 and governments consider pausing the lifting of or re-imposing restrictions, there is considerable uncertainty surrounding the full economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the long-term effects on the U.S. and global financial markets.
Any disruptions in the capital markets, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, may increase the spread between the yields realized on risk-free and higher risk securities and can result in illiquidity in parts of the capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial sector and re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated market. These and any other unfavorable economic conditions could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. In addition, our success depends in substantial part on the management, skill and acumen of our investment adviser, whose operations may be adversely impacted, including through quarantine measures and travel restrictions imposed on its investment professionals or service providers, or any related health issues of such investment professionals or service providers.
In addition, the restrictions and closures and related market conditions, if re-imposed in the future, could result in certain of our portfolio companies halting or significantly curtailing operations and negative impacts to the supply chains of certain of our portfolio companies. The financial results of middle-market companies, like those in which we invest, may experience deterioration, which could ultimately lead to difficulty in meeting debt service requirements and an increase in defaults, and further deterioration will further depress the outlook for those companies. Further, adverse economic conditions decreased and may in the future decrease the value of
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collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Such conditions have required and may in the future require us to modify the payment terms of our investments, including changes in PIK interest provisions and/or cash interest rates. The performance of certain of our portfolio companies has been, and in the future may be, negatively impacted by these economic or other conditions, which can result in our receipt of reduced interest income from our portfolio companies and/or realized and unrealized losses related to our investments, and, in turn, may adversely affect distributable income and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, as governments ease COVID-19 related restrictions, certain of our portfolio companies may experience increased health and safety expenses, payroll costs and other operating expenses.
As the potential long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic remains difficult to predict, the extent to which the pandemic could negatively affect our and our portfolio companies operating results or the duration or reoccurrence of any potential business or supply-chain disruption is uncertain. Any potential impact to our results of operations will depend to a large extent on future developments regarding the duration and severity of the pandemic and the actions taken by governments (including stimulus measures or the lack thereof) and their citizens to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, all of which are beyond our control.
A failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC may significantly reduce our operating flexibility.
If we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company that is required to register under the Investment Company Act, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions and significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition, any such failure could cause an event of default under our outstanding indebtedness, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act; therefore we are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.
We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, which means that we are not limited by the Investment Company Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the markets assessment of the issuer and the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment. Additionally, while we are not targeting any specific industries, our investments may be concentrated in relatively few industries. As a result, a downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could also significantly impact the aggregate returns we realize. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond the asset diversification requirements applicable to RICs, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies.
We are dependent upon key personnel of Crescent and our investment adviser.
We do not have any internal management capacity or employees. Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This will depend, in turn, on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of Crescents senior professionals. We expect that these senior professionals will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments in accordance with the terms of our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. We can offer no assurance, however, that Crescents senior professionals will continue to provide investment advice to us. If these individuals do not maintain their employment or other relationships with Crescent and do not develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities available to us, we may not be able to grow our
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investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Crescents investment professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities. Therefore, we can offer no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us. The departure or misconduct of any of these individuals, or of a significant number of the investment professionals of Crescent, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our investment adviser is an affiliate of Crescent and will depend upon access to the investment professionals and Crescents other resources to fulfill its obligations to us under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. Our investment adviser will also depend upon such investment professionals to obtain access to deal flow generated by Crescent. In addition, we cannot assure you that an affiliate of Crescent will remain our investment adviser or that we will continue to have access to Crescents investment professionals or its information and deal flow.
Crescents and our investment advisers investment professionals, which are currently composed of the same personnel, have substantial responsibilities in connection with the management of other Crescent clients. Crescents personnel may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which may increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow our rate of investment.
Our investment advisers investment committee, which provides oversight over our investment activities, is provided to us by our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. The loss of any member of our investment advisers investment committee or of Crescents other senior professionals would limit our ability to achieve our investment objectives and operate as we anticipate. This could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Further, we depend upon Crescent to maintain its relationships with private equity sponsors, placement agents, investment banks, management groups and other financial institutions, and we expect to rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If Crescent fails to maintain such relationships, or to develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Crescents senior professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and we can offer no assurance that these relationships will generate investment opportunities in the future. There can be no assurance that Crescent will replicate its historical ability to generate investment opportunities (See Prospectus SummaryWhat competitive strengths does the investment adviser offer?), and we caution you that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by other Crescent-managed funds.
We may not replicate the historical performance achieved by Crescent.
Our primary focus in making investments may differ from those of existing investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by members of our investment advisers investment committee or by Crescent. Past performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future results. There can be no guarantee that we will replicate the historical performance of Crescent or the historical performance of investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by members of our investment advisers investment committee or by Crescent or its employees, and we caution investors that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by them in prior periods. We cannot assure you that we will be profitable in the future or that our investment adviser will be able to continue to implement our investment objectives with the same degree of success that it has had in the past. Additionally, all or a portion of the prior results may have been achieved in particular market conditions which may never be repeated. Moreover, current or future market volatility and regulatory uncertainty may have an adverse impact on our future performance.
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We depend on Crescent to manage our business effectively.
Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This will depend, in turn, on Crescents ability to identify, invest in and monitor portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria. The achievement of our investment objectives on a cost-effective basis will depend upon Crescents execution of our investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us and, to a lesser extent, our access to financing on acceptable terms. Crescents investment professionals will have substantial responsibilities in connection with the management of other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. Crescents personnel may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These activities may distract them from servicing new investment opportunities for us or slow our rate of investment. Any failure to manage our business and our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our ability to grow depends on our ability to raise capital.
We will need to periodically access the capital markets to raise cash to fund new investments in excess of our repayments, and we may also need to access the capital markets to refinance any future debt obligations to the extent such maturing obligations are not repaid with availability under our revolving credit facilities or cash flows from operations. We intend to be treated as a RIC and operate in a manner so as to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax treatment applicable to RICs. Among other things, in order to maintain our RIC status, we must distribute to our common stockholders on a timely basis generally an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, and, as a result, such distributions will not be available to fund investment originations or repay maturing debt. We must borrow from financial institutions and issue additional securities to fund our growth. Unfavorable economic or capital market conditions may increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or could result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. An inability to successfully access the capital markets may limit our ability to refinance our debt obligations as they come due and/or to fully execute our business strategy and could limit our ability to grow or cause us to have to shrink the size of our business, which could decrease our earnings, if any.
In addition, we may borrow amounts or issue debt securities or preferred stock, which we refer to collectively as senior securities, such that our asset coverage, as calculated pursuant to the Investment Company Act, equals at least 150% immediately after such borrowing (i.e., we are able to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar we have in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by us). Such requirement, in certain circumstances, may restrict our ability to borrow or issue debt securities or preferred stock. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our investment advisers and our Boards assessments of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing or issuance of senior securities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain lines of credit or issue senior securities at all or on terms acceptable to us.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we may, raise additional capital.
We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as senior securities, up to the maximum amount permitted by the Investment Company Act. Under the provisions of the Investment Company Act, we are permitted as a BDC to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the Investment Company Act, as amended, equals at least 150% of our gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous to us in order to repay a portion of its indebtedness. If we issue senior securities, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss.
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Furthermore, equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions, we are not generally able to issue and sell our Common Shares at a price below NAV per share. We may, however, sell our Common Shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our Common Shares, at a price below the then-current NAV per share of our Common Share if our Board determines that such sale is in our best interests, and if our common stockholders, including holders of a majority of our Common Shares that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our Board, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). We do not currently have authorization from our common stockholders to issue our Common Shares at a price below the then-current NAV per share.
If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a BDC or be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.
To maintain our status as a BDC, we are not permitted to acquire any assets other than qualifying assets specified in the Investment Company Act unless, at the time the acquisition is made, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions). Subject to certain exceptions for follow-on investments and investments in distressed companies, an investment in an issuer that has outstanding securities listed on a national securities exchange may be treated as qualifying assets only if such issuer has a common equity market capitalization that is less than $250 million at the time of such investment.
We may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could violate the Investment Company Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the Investment Company Act could prevent us, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position) or could require us to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the Investment Company Act. If we need to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. We may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if we do find a buyer, we may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss. Any such outcomes would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.
Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as follow-on investments, in seeking to:
| increase or maintain in whole or in part our position as a creditor or equity ownership percentage in a portfolio company; |
| exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or |
| preserve or enhance the value of our investment. |
We have discretion to make follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. Failure on our part to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation.
Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase its level of risk, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements of the Investment Company Act or the desire to maintain our qualification as a RIC.
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Additionally, certain loans that we may make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio companys obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio companys remaining assets, if any.
We may also make unsecured loans to portfolio companies, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on such portfolio companies collateral, if any, will secure the portfolio companys obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy our unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all secured loan obligations. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then our unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors claims against the portfolio companys remaining assets, if any. Additionally, we invest in unitranche loans (loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), which may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in the unitranche loan. In certain instances, we may find another lender to provide the first out portion of such loan and retain the last out portion of such loan, in which case the first out portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to repayment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the last out portion of the loan that we would continue to hold.
The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of such senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens:
| the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; |
| the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; |
| the approval of amendments to collateral documents; |
| releases of liens on the collateral; and |
| waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. |
We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if its rights are adversely affected.
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Our strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions.
The use of leverage magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. The use of leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique and increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. However, we have borrowed from, and may in the future issue debt securities to, banks, insurance companies and other lenders. Lenders of these funds have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of the holders of our Common Shares, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instruments we may enter into with lenders. In addition, under the terms of our credit facilities and any borrowing facility or other debt instrument we may enter into, we are likely to be required to use the net proceeds of any investments that we sell to repay a portion of the amount borrowed under such facility or instrument before applying such net proceeds to any other uses. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged, thereby magnifying losses or eliminating our stake in a leveraged investment. Similarly, any decrease in our revenue or income will cause our net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline would also negatively affect our ability to make dividend payments on our Common Shares or preferred stock. Our ability to service any debt will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. In addition, holders of our Common Shares will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the base management fee payable to our investment adviser.
There can be no assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our credit facilities or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to repay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before it matures. There can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets or seeking additional equity. There can be no assurance that any such actions, if necessary, could be effected on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or on terms that would not be disadvantageous to stockholders or on terms that would not require us to breach the terms and conditions of our future debt agreements.
As a BDC, we are generally required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. If this ratio declines below 150%, we will not be able to incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is otherwise disadvantageous for us to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to make distributions. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our investment advisers assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. We cannot assure stockholders that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to it.
Our business could be adversely affected in the event we default under our future credit or other borrowing facility.
We may enter into one or more credit facilities. The closing of any credit facilities is contingent on a number of conditions including, without limitation, the negotiation and execution of definitive documents relating to such credit facility. If we obtain any additional credit facilities, we intend to use borrowings under such credit facilities to make additional investments and for other general corporate purposes. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to close such additional credit facilities or obtain other financing.
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In the event we default under one of our credit facilities or any other future borrowing facility, our business could be adversely affected as we may be forced to sell a portion of our investments quickly and prematurely at what may be disadvantageous prices to us in order to meet our outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the relevant credit facility or such future borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under any future borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, ability to pay dividends, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If we were unable to obtain a waiver of a default from the lenders or holders of that indebtedness, as applicable, those lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under that indebtedness, which might result in cross-acceleration of other indebtedness. An acceleration could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Lastly, as a result of any such default, we may be unable to obtain additional leverage, which could, in turn, affect our return on capital.
Because our sole initial stockholder has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150%, we are subject to a 150% asset coverage.
Under the Investment Company Act, a BDC is allowed to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur from an asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150% if certain requirements are met. The reduced asset coverage requirement permits a BDC to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar it has in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by it. Because Crescent, as our sole initial stockholder, has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150%, the ratio applicable to our senior securities is 150%.
Leverage magnifies the potential for loss on investments in our indebtedness and on invested equity capital. As we may use leverage to partially finance our investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in our securities. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our Common Shares to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged our business. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would have without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions or pay dividends on our Common Shares, make scheduled debt payments or other payments related to our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureOur strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions.
We are and may be subject to restrictions under our credit facilities and any future credit or other borrowing facility that could adversely impact our business.
Our credit facilities, and any future borrowing facility, may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders may have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. We expect that any future security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders, and we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in the custodians electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. If we were to default under the terms of any future borrowing facility, the agent for the
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applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of the assets pledged under the facility, which could include any or all of our assets securing such debt. Such remedial action would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, the security interests as well as negative covenants under any other future borrowing facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under our credit facilities or any other borrowing facility were to decrease, we would be required to secure additional assets in an amount equal to any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to pay dividends.
In addition, under our credit facilities, or any other future borrowing facility, we may be limited as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained.
There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under our credit facilities or any other borrowing facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. This could reduce our revenues and, by delaying any cash payment allowed to us under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility until the lenders have been paid in full, reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business and maintain our qualification as a RIC.
In addition to regulatory requirements that restrict our ability to raise capital, any future debt facilities may contain various covenants that, if not complied with, could accelerate repayment under such debt facilities, thereby materially and adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
Future agreements governing any debt facilities may require us to comply with certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants may include, among other things:
| restrictions on the level of indebtedness that we are permitted to incur in relation to the value of our assets; |
| restrictions on our ability to incur liens; and |
| maintenance of a minimum level of stockholders equity. |
Our compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. For example, depending on the condition of the public debt and equity markets and pricing levels, unrealized depreciation in our portfolio may increase in the future. Any such increase could result in our inability to comply with an obligation to restrict the level of indebtedness that we are able to incur in relation to the value of our assets or to maintain a minimum level of stockholders equity.
Accordingly, there are no assurances that we will be able to comply with the covenants in any debt facilities we enter into. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default under these debt facilities, that, if we were unable to obtain a waiver from the lenders or holders of such indebtedness, as applicable, such lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under such indebtedness and thereby have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may form one or more CLOs, which may subject us to certain structured financing risks.
To finance investments, we may securitize certain of our secured loans or other investments, including through the formation of one or more collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers. It is possible that an interest in any such CLO held by us may be considered a non-qualifying portfolio investment for purposes of the Investment Company Act.
If we create a CLO, we will depend in part on distributions from the CLOs assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to stockholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLOs debt, which could impact our ability to receive distributions from the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement (defined below) for maintaining RIC status, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we may not maintain our qualification as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on an investment in the shares.
In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to stockholders. To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests in the CLO.
The manager for a CLO that we create may be the Fund, our investment adviser or an affiliate, and such manager may be entitled to receive compensation for structuring and/or management services. To the extent our investment adviser or an affiliate other than the Fund serves as manager and the Fund is obligated to compensate our investment adviser or the affiliate for such services, we, our investment adviser or the affiliate will implement offsetting arrangements to assure that we, and indirectly, our common stockholders, pay no additional management fees to our investment adviser or the affiliate in connection therewith. To the extent we serve as manager, we will waive any right to receive fees for such services from the Fund (and indirectly its stockholders) or any affiliate.
We operate in an increasingly competitive market for investment opportunities, which could make it difficult for us to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make and plan to make. We compete with other BDCs, public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some of our competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the Investment Company Act imposes on us as a BDC or the source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC qualification. The competitive pressures we face may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
With respect to the investments we make, we will not seek to compete based primarily on the interest rates we will offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be lower
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than the rates we offer. In the secondary market for acquiring existing loans, we expect to compete generally on the basis of pricing terms. With respect to all investments, we may lose some investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors pricing, terms and structure. However, if we match our competitors pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income, lower yields and increased risk of credit loss. We may also compete for investment opportunities with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent. Although Crescent will allocate opportunities in accordance with its policies and procedures, allocations to such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles will reduce the amount and frequency of opportunities available to us and may not be in our best interests. Moreover, the performance of investments will not be known at the time of allocation. See Our investment adviser, the investment committee of our investment adviser, Crescent and their affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest.
Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
We are prohibited under the Investment Company Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, the SEC. We consider our investment adviser and its affiliates, including Crescent, to be our affiliates for such purposes. In addition, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the Investment Company Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate without the prior approval of our independent directors. We consider our investment adviser and its affiliates, including Crescent, to be our affiliates for such purposes. The Investment Company Act also prohibits certain joint transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company, without prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that persons affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. If we are prohibited by applicable law from investing alongside Crescents investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles with respect to an investment opportunity, we may not be able to participate in such investment opportunity.
We may, however, invest alongside Crescents investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations or exemptive orders and Crescents allocation policy. For example, we may invest alongside such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that Crescent, acting on our behalf and on behalf of such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles, negotiates no term other than price.
In situations where co-investment with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between our interests and those of Crescents clients, subject to the limitations described in the preceding paragraph, Crescent will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates. These restrictions will limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.
Crescent has been granted exemptive relief from the SEC, upon which we and our investment adviser may rely, which permits greater flexibility to negotiate the terms of co-investments if our Board determines that it would be advantageous for us to co-invest with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. We believe that co-investment by us and investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent may afford us additional investment opportunities and an ability to achieve a more varied portfolio. Accordingly, the exemptive order permits us to invest with
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investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent in the same portfolio companies under circumstances in which such investments would otherwise not be permitted by the Investment Company Act. The exemptive relief permitting co-investment transactions generally applies only if our independent directors and directors who have no financial interest in such transaction review and approve in advance each co-investment transaction. The exemptive relief provides that, if the size of a co-investment opportunity is insufficient to meet our and the other Crescent funds desired level of participation in full, allocations will generally be made pro rata based on capital available for investment, as determined, in our case, by our Board as well as the terms of our governing documents and those of such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. It is our policy to base our determinations on such factors as: the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, if any, our targeted leverage level, our targeted asset mix and diversification requirements and other investment policies and restrictions set by our Board or imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. We expect that these determinations will be made similarly for investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent. However, we can offer no assurance that investment opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time.
Our ability to sell or otherwise exit investments also invested in by other Crescent investment vehicles is restricted.
We may be considered affiliates with respect to certain of our portfolio companies because our affiliates, which may include certain investment funds, accounts or investment vehicles managed by Crescent, also hold interests in these portfolio companies and as such these interests may be considered a joint enterprise under the Investment Company Act. To the extent that our interests in these portfolio companies may need to be restructured in the future or to the extent that we choose to exit certain of these transactions, our ability to do so will be limited. Crescent has obtained exemptive relief from the SEC in relation to certain joint transactions, upon which we and our investment adviser may relay; however, there is no assurance that the terms such exemptive relief that would permit us to negotiate future restructurings or other transactions that may be considered a joint enterprise.
Our investment adviser, the investment committee of our investment adviser, Crescent and their affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest.
As a result of our arrangements with Crescent, our investment adviser and our investment advisers investment committee, there may be times when our investment adviser or such persons have interests that differ from those of our common stockholders, giving rise to a conflict of interest.
The members of our investment advisers investment committee serve, or may serve, as officers, directors, members, or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds, accounts, or investment vehicles managed by Crescent and/or its affiliates. Similarly, Crescent and its affiliates may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives.
In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of, or which may be adverse to the interests of, us or our common stockholders. For example, an affiliate of Crescent presently serves as the investment adviser to CCAP, a publicly listed business development company. Some of our executive officers may serve is similar or other capacities for CCAP. In addition, Crescent has, and will continue to have management responsibilities for other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. There is a potential that we will compete with CCAP and such funds, and other entities managed by Crescent and its affiliates, for capital and investment opportunities. As a result, members of our investment advisers investment committee who are affiliated with Crescent will face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among us, CCAP and other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent and its affiliates and may make certain investments that are appropriate for us but for which we receive a relatively small allocation or no allocation at all. Crescent intends to allocate investment opportunities among us, CCAP, eligible investment funds, accounts
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and investment vehicles in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with its allocation policy. However, we can offer no assurance that such opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time, and we may not be given the opportunity to participate in all investments made by investment funds managed by Crescent or its affiliates, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us.
Further, to the extent permitted by applicable law, we and our affiliates may own investments at different levels of a portfolio companys capital structure or otherwise own different classes of a portfolio companys securities, which may give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest. Conflicts may also arise because decisions regarding our portfolio may benefit our affiliates. Our affiliates may pursue or enforce rights with respect to one of its portfolio companies, and those activities may have an adverse effect on us.
Crescents principals and employees, our investment adviser or their affiliates may, from time to time, possess material non-public information, limiting our investment discretion.
Crescents executive officers and directors, principals and other employees, including members of our investment advisers investment committee, may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, portfolio companies in which we invest, the securities of which are purchased or sold on our behalf and may come into possession of material non-public information with respect to issuers in which we may be considering making an investment. In the event that material non-public information is obtained with respect to such companies, or we become subject to trading restrictions under the internal trading policies of those companies, Crescents policies or as a result of applicable law or regulations, we could be prohibited for a period of time or indefinitely from purchasing or selling the securities of such companies, or we may be precluded from providing such information or other ideas to other funds affiliated with Crescent that might benefit from such information, and this prohibition may have an adverse effect on us.
Conflicts may arise related to other arrangements with Crescent and our investment adviser and other affiliates.
We have entered into a license agreement with Crescent under which Crescent has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name Crescent Capital. In addition, the Administration Agreement with our administrator, an affiliate of Crescent, requires we pay to our administrator our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, such as our allocable portion of the cost of our chief compliance officer, general counsel, secretary, their respective staffs, and our operations and finance staffs who provide services to us. These agreements create conflicts of interest that the independent members of our Board will monitor. For example, under the terms of the license agreement, we will be unable to preclude Crescent from licensing or transferring the ownership of the Crescent Capital name to third parties, some of whom may compete against us. Consequently, it will be unable to prevent any damage to goodwill that may occur as a result of the activities of Crescent or others. Furthermore, in the event the license agreement is terminated, we will be required to change our name and cease using Crescent Capital as part of our name. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the marketplace, damage any goodwill it may have generated and otherwise harm our business.
Our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement was negotiated with our investment adviser and the Administration Agreement was negotiated with our administrator, which are both our related parties.
The Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, and the Administration Agreement were negotiated between related parties. Consequently, their terms, including fees payable to our investment adviser, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated exclusively with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we may desire not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, its rights and remedies under these agreements because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with our investment adviser, our administrator and their respective affiliates. Any such decision, however, could breach our directors duties to us.
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We and our investment adviser are subject to regulations and SEC oversight. If we or our investment adviser fail to comply with applicable requirements, it may adversely impact our results relative to companies that are not subject to such regulations.
As a BDC, we are subject to a portion of the Investment Company Act. In addition, we have elected to be treated, and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify, as a RIC in accordance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. The Investment Company Act and the Code impose various restrictions on the management of a BDC, including related to portfolio construction, asset selection, and tax. These restrictions may reduce the chances that we will achieve the same results as other vehicles managed by Crescent and/or our investment adviser.
However, if we do not maintain our status as a BDC, we would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end investment company under the Investment Company Act. As a registered closed-end investment company, we would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the Investment Company Act which would significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition to these and other requirements applicable to us, our investment adviser is subject to regulatory oversight by the SEC. To the extent the SEC raises concerns or has negative findings concerning the manner in which we or our investment adviser operates, it could adversely affect our business.
We will be subject to corporate level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.
We have elected to be treated as a RIC under the Code and intend to operate in a manner so as to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax treatment applicable to RICs. As a RIC, we generally will not pay U.S. federal corporate-level income taxes on our income and net capital gains that we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to our common stockholders as dividends on a timely basis. We will be subject to U.S. federal corporate-level income tax on any undistributed income and/or gains. To maintain our status as a RIC, we must meet certain source of income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. We may also be subject to certain U.S. federal excise taxes, as well as state, local and foreign taxes.
To qualify as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we timely distribute an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (as defined by the Code, which generally includes net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any) to our common stockholders on an annual basis (the Annual Distribution Requirement). We have the ability to pay a large portion of our distributions in shares of our stock, and as long as a portion of such distribution is paid in cash and other requirements are met, such distributions will be taxable as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This may result in our U.S. stockholders having to pay tax on such dividends, even if no cash is received, and may result in our non-U.S. stockholders being subject to withholding tax in respect of amounts distributed in our stock. We will be subject, to the extent we use debt financing, to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the Investment Company Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to qualify as a RIC. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax.
To qualify as a RIC, in addition to the Annual Distribution Requirement, we must also meet certain annual source of income requirements at the end of each taxable year (the 90% Income Test) and asset diversification requirements at the end of each calendar quarter (the Diversification Tests). Failure to meet these tests may result in our having to (a) dispose of certain investments quickly or (b) raise additional capital in order to prevent the loss of our qualifications as a RIC. Because most of our investments will be in private or thinly traded public companies and are generally illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for
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distributions to our common stockholders and the amount of funds available for new investments. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our common stockholders.
Our business may be adversely affected if it fails to maintain its qualification as a RIC.
To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the Annual Distribution Requirement, 90% Income Test and Diversification Tests. The Annual Distribution Requirement will be satisfied if we distribute dividends to our common stockholders in respect of each taxable year of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of its investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid. In this regard, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the spillback dividend provisions of Subchapter M of the Code. We will be subject to tax, at regular corporate rates, on any retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for each calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in preceding years (to the extent that U.S. federal income tax was not imposed on such amounts) less certain over-distributions in the prior year (collectively, the Excise Tax). Because we use debt financing, we are subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the Investment Company Act and are subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, or chose or be required to retain a portion of our taxable income or gains, we could (i) be required to pay the Excise Tax and (ii) fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax on our taxable income (including gains).
The 90% Income Test will be satisfied if we earn at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from distributions, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities. The Diversification Tests will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. To satisfy the Diversification Tests, at least 50% of the value of our assets at the close of each quarter of each taxable year must consist of cash, cash equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of its assets can be invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain qualified publicly traded partnerships. Failure to meet these requirements may result in us having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.
We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We also may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments that could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes). If we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of our distributions.
Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.
Private funds that are excluded from the definition of investment company either pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act are restricted from acquiring directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of our total outstanding voting stock (measured at the time of the acquisition). Investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act and BDCs, such as us, are also currently subject to this restriction as well as other limitations under the Investment Company Act that would restrict the
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amount that they are able to invest in our securities. As a result, certain investors will be limited in their ability to make significant investments in us at a time that they might desire to do so. The SEC has adopted Rule 12d1-4 under the Investment Company Act. Subject to certain conditions, Rule 12d1-4 provides an exemption to permit registered investment companies and BDCs to invest in the securities of other registered investment companies and BDCs in excess of the limits currently prescribed by the Investment Company Act.
We may be subject to withholding of U. S. Federal income tax on distributions for non-U.S. stockholders.
Distributions by a RIC generally are treated as dividends for U.S. tax purposes and will be subject to U.S. income or withholding tax unless the stockholder receiving the dividend qualifies for an exemption from U.S. tax, or the distribution is subject to one of the special look-through rules described below. Distributions paid out of net capital gains can qualify for a reduced rate of taxation in the hands of an individual U.S. stockholder, and an exemption from U.S. tax in the hands of a non-U.S. stockholder.
Properly reported dividend distributions by RICs paid out of certain interest income (such distributions, interest-related dividends) are generally exempt from U.S. withholding tax for non-U.S. stockholders. Under such exemption, a non-U.S. stockholder generally may receive interest-related dividends free of U.S. withholding tax if the stockholder would not have been subject to U.S. withholding tax if it had received the underlying interest income directly. No assurance can be given as to whether any of our distributions will be eligible for this exemption from U.S. withholding tax or, if eligible, will be designated as such by us. In particular, the exemption does apply to distributions paid in respect of a RICs non-U.S. source interest income, its dividend income or its foreign currency gains. In the case our Common Shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold U.S. federal income tax even if we designate the payment as a dividend eligible for the exemption. Also, because our Common Shares will be subject to significant transfer restrictions, and an investment in our Common Shares will generally be illiquid, non-U.S. stockholders whose distributions on our Common Shares are subject to U.S. withholding tax may not be able to transfer our Common Shares easily or quickly or at all.
We may retain income and capital gains in excess of what is permissible for excise tax purposes and such amounts will be subject to 4% U.S. federal excise tax, reducing the amount available for distribution to stockholders.
We may retain some income and capital gains in the future, including for purposes of providing additional liquidity, which amounts would be subject to the 4% Excise Tax. In that event, we will be liable for the tax on the amount by which it does not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.
We may need to raise additional capital.
We intend to access the capital markets periodically to issue debt or equity securities or borrow from financial institutions in order to obtain additional capital to fund new investments and grow our portfolio of investments. Unfavorable economic conditions could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit our ability to grow. In addition, we will be required to distribute in respect of each taxable year at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, for such taxable year to our common stockholders to maintain our qualification as a RIC. Amounts so distributed will not be available to fund new investments or repay maturing debt. An inability on our part to access the capital markets successfully could limit our ability to grow our business and execute our business strategy fully and could decrease our earnings, if any, which would have an adverse effect on the value of our securities.
Further, we may pursue growth through acquisitions or strategic investments in new businesses. Completion and timing of any such acquisitions or strategic investments may be subject to a number of contingencies and risks. There can be no assurance that the integration of an acquired business will be successful or that an acquired business will prove to be profitable or sustainable.
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We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing such income.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we generally are required to include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as the accretion of OID. This may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan and in other circumstances, or through contracted payment-in-kind (PIK) interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan principal balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities or increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK arrangements, will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash, including, for example, amounts attributable to hedging and foreign currency transactions.
Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash in respect of such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to maintain our qualification as a RIC. In such a case, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain such cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and thus be subject to corporate-level income tax. Such a failure could have a material adverse effect on us and on any investment in us.
Our investments in OID and PIK interest income may expose us to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash.
Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments. To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in an accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:
| OID instruments and PIK securities may have unreliable valuations because the accretion of OID as interest income and the continuing accruals of PIK securities require judgments about their collectability and the collectability of deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral; |
| OID income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions; |
| OID instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower; |
| for accounting purposes, cash distributions to stockholders that include a component of accreted OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of accreted OID income may come from the cash invested by the stockholders, the Investment Company Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact; |
| generally, we must recognize income for income tax purposes no later than when it recognizes such income for accounting purposes; |
| the higher interest rates on PIK securities reflects the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and PIK securities generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans; |
| the presence of accreted OID income and PIK interest income create the risk of non-refundable cash payments to our investment adviser in the form of incentive fees on income based on non-cash accreted OID income and PIK interest income accruals that may never be realized; |
| even if accounting conditions are met, borrowers on such securities could still default when our actual collection is expected to occur at the maturity of the obligation; |
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| OID and PIK create the risk that incentive fees will be paid to our investment adviser based on non-cash accruals that ultimately may not be realized, which our investment adviser will be under no obligation to reimburse us or these fees; and |
| PIK interest has the effect of generating investment income and increasing the incentive fees payable at a compounding rate. In addition, the deferral of PIK interest also reduces the loan-to-value ratio at a compounding rate. |
We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments and investment opportunities and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our investment objectives and our net investment income. Because we borrow money and may issue debt securities or preferred stock to make investments, our net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay interest or dividends on such debt securities or preferred stock and the rate at which we invest these funds. If market rates decrease we may earn less interest income from investments made during such lower rate environment. From time to time, we may also enter into certain hedging transactions, such as futures, options, currency options, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to mitigate our exposure to changes in interest rates. In addition, we may increase our floating rate investments to position the portfolio for rate increases. However, we cannot assure you that such transactions will be successful in mitigating our exposure to interest rate risk. There can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.
Trading prices tend to fluctuate more for fixed-rate securities that have longer maturities. Although we have no policy governing the maturities of our investments, under current market conditions we expect that we will invest in a portfolio of debt generally having maturities of up to 10 years. Trading prices for debt that pays a fixed rate of return tend to fall as interest rates rise. This means that we are subject to greater risk (other things being equal) than a fund invested solely in shorter-term securities. A decline in the prices of the debt we own could adversely affect the NAV of our Common Shares. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our Common Shares less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate. Further, portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, and leveraged companies are often more sensitive to economic factors such as a significant rise in interest rates, as a leveraged companys income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used. If a portfolio company is unable to generate sufficient cash flow to meet principal and interest payments to lenders, it may be forced to take actions to satisfy such obligations under its indebtedness or be forced into liquidation, dissolution or insolvency. These alternative measures may include reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, seeking additional capital, or restructuring or refinancing indebtedness. If such strategies are not successful and do not permit the portfolio company to meet its scheduled debt service obligations, such actions could significantly reduce or even eliminate the value of the Funds investment(s) in such portfolio company.
We are subject to risks associated with the current interest rate environment, and to the extent we use debt to finance our investments, changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income. Further, changes in LIBOR or its discontinuation may adversely affect the value of LIBOR-indexed securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit in our portfolio.
An increase in interest rates may make it more difficult for our portfolio companies to service their obligations under the debt investments that we hold. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults.
In July 2017, the head of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority announced the desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. However, in March 2021, the FCA announced that most U.S. dollar
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LIBOR would continue to be published through June 30, 2023 effectively extending the LIBOR transition period to June 30, 2023. However, the FCA has indicated it will not compel panel banks to continue to contribute to LIBOR after the end of 2021 and the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have encouraged banks to cease entering into new contracts that use U.S. dollar LIBOR as a reference rate no later than December 31, 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, supports replacing U.S.-dollar LIBOR with SOFR, a new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities.
On March 15, 2022, the federal Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act (the LIBOR Act) was signed into law. The federal legislation provides a statutory fallback mechanism on a nation-wide basis to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR with a benchmark rate, selected by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and based on SOFR, for certain contracts that reference U.S. dollar LIBOR and contain no or insufficient fallback provisions. On December 16, 2022, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board adopted a final rule implementing certain provisions of the LIBOR Act (Regulation ZZ). Regulation ZZ specifies that on the LIBOR replacement date, which is the first London banking day after June 30, 2023, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board-selected benchmark replacement, based on SOFR and including any tenor spread adjustment as provided by Regulation ZZ, will replace references to overnight, 1, 3, 6, and 12-month LIBOR in certain contracts that do not mature before the LIBOR replacement date and that do not contain adequate fallback language. The LIBOR Act Regulation ZZ could apply to certain of our investments that reference LIBOR to the extent that they do not have fallback provisions or adequate fallback provisions.
Although there have been a few issuances utilizing SOFR or the Sterling Over Night Index Average, an alternative reference rate that is based on transactions, it is unknown whether these alternative reference rates will attain market acceptance as replacements for LIBOR. Any transition away from LIBOR to alternative reference rates is complex and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including as a result of any changes in the pricing of our investments, changes to the documentation for certain of our investments and the pace of such changes, disputes and other actions regarding the interpretation of current and prospective loan documentation or modifications to processes and systems.
There can be no assurance that all of the LIBOR-indexed securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit in which we will invest will include, or be amended to include, an alternative rate-setting methodology to be used in the event that LIBOR ceases to exist. In addition, any further changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR, which could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR- linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations.
To the extent we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates would not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income in the event we use debt to finance our investments. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income.
In addition, a rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates may result in an increase of the amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, which could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the hurdle amount (as described herein under the heading Incentive Fee) and, as a result, increase the incentive fees payable to our investment adviser.
In anticipation of the cessation of LIBOR, we may need to renegotiate credit facilities and any credit agreements extending beyond 2022 with our prospective portfolio companies that utilize LIBOR as a factor in
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determining the interest rate or rely on certain fallback provisions that could cause interest rates to shift to a base rate plus a margin. Any such renegotiations may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including as a result of changes in interest rates payable to us by our portfolio companies or payable by us under our credit facilities.
Most of our portfolio investments will not be publicly traded and, as a result, the fair value of these investments may not be readily determinable.
A large percentage of our portfolio investments will not be publicly traded. The fair value of investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable. We value these investments at fair value as determined by our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, based on, among other things, the input of our management committee and the oversight of our audit committee and independent valuation firms that may be engaged by our investment adviser, subject to the oversight of our Board, to help affirm the valuation of certain portfolio investments without a readily available market quotation. In addition, we expect that our independent registered public accounting firm will obtain an understanding of, and perform select procedures relating to, our investment valuation process within the context of performing the integrated audit.
The types of factors that may be considered in valuing our investments include the enterprise value of the portfolio company (the entire value of the portfolio company to a market participant, including the sum of the values of debt and equity securities used to capitalize the enterprise at a point in time), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio companys ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio companys securities to similar publicly traded securities, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets generally that may affect the price at which similar investments would trade in their principal markets and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these investments existed and may differ materially from the values that we may ultimately realize. Our net asset value per share could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments are higher than the values that we realize upon disposition of such investments.
The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
All of our assets may be invested in illiquid loans and securities, and a substantial portion of our investments in leveraged companies will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than more broadly traded public securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of its portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which it has previously recorded its investments. Some of our debt investments may contain interest rate reset provisions that may make it more difficult for the borrowers to make periodic interest payments to us. In addition, some of our debt investments may not pay down principal until the end of their lifetimes, which could result in a substantial loss to us if the portfolio companies are unable to refinance or repay their debts at maturity.
Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if a significant investment fails to perform as expected.
Our investment portfolio includes investments that may be significant individually or in the aggregate. If a significant investment in one or more companies fails to perform as expected, such a failure could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results, and the magnitude of such effect could be more significant than if we had further diversified our portfolio.
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We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility.
Our business (including that of our portfolio companies) faces increasing public scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities, which are increasingly considered to contribute to the long-term sustainability of a companys performance. A variety of organizations measure the performance of companies on ESG topics, and the results of these assessments are widely publicized. In addition, investment in funds that specialize in companies that perform well in such assessments are increasingly popular, and major institutional investors have publicly emphasized the importance of such ESG measures to their investment decisions. Crescent also recognizes the importance of considering ESG factors in the investment-decision making process in accordance with its ESG policy.
We risk damage to our brand and reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental stewardship, support for local communities, corporate governance and transparency and considering ESG factors in our investment processes. Adverse incidents with respect to ESG activities could impact the value of our brand, our relationship with future portfolio companies, the cost of our operations and relationships with investors, all of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Additionally, new regulatory initiatives related to ESG that are applicable to us and our portfolio companies could adversely affect our business. In May 2018, the European Commission adopted an action plan on financing sustainable growth. The action plan is, among other things, designed to define and reorient investment toward sustainability. The action plan contemplates: establishing European Union (EU) labels for green financial products; increasing disclosure requirements in the financial services sector around ESG and strengthening the transparency of companies on their ESG policies and introducing a green supporting factor in the EU prudential rules for banks and insurance companies to incorporate climate risks into banks and insurance companies risk management policies. There is a risk that a significant reorientation in the market following the implementation of these and further measures could be adverse to our portfolio companies if they are perceived to be less valuable as a consequence of, e.g., their carbon footprint or greenwashing (i.e., the holding out of a product as having green or sustainable characteristics where this is not, in fact, the case). We and our portfolio companies are subject to the risk that similar measures might be introduced in other jurisdictions in the future. In addition, the SEC has proposed rules that would require additional disclosures about ESG investment practices by investment advisers and certain funds, including BDCs. The SEC has also proposed rules that, among other matters, would establish a framework for reporting of climate-related risks. At this time, there is uncertainty regarding the scope of these proposed rules and when they would become effective (if at all). Compliance with these proposed rules may be onerous and expensive. Further, compliance with any new laws, regulations or disclosure obligations increases our regulatory burden and could make compliance more difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we or our portfolio companies conduct our businesses and adversely affect our profitability.
Compliance with any new laws or regulations increases our regulatory burden and could make compliance more difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we or our portfolio companies conduct our businesses and adversely affect our profitability.
New or modified laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.
We and our portfolio companies may be subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time, including as the result of interpretive guidance or other directives from the U.S. President and others in the executive branch, and new laws, regulations and interpretations may also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could lose any licenses that we then hold for the conduct of its business and may be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.
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Additionally, changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations, including those associated with RICs, may cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail our self of new or different opportunities or result in the imposition of corporate-level taxes on us. Such changes could result in material differences to the strategies and plans set forth therein and may shift our investment focus from the areas of Crescents expertise to other types of investments in which Crescent may have little or no expertise or experience. Any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of an investors investment. If we invest in commodity interests in the future, our investment adviser may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional regulation by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If we or our investment adviser were to operate subject to CFTC regulation, we may incur additional expenses and would be subject to additional regulation.
On January 20, 2021, Mr. Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated as President of the United States. As a candidate, President Biden called for significant policy changes and the reversal of several of the prior presidential administrations policies, including significant changes to U.S. fiscal, tax, trade, healthcare, immigration, foreign, and government regulatory policy. To the extent the U.S. Congress or the current presidential administration implements changes to U.S. policy, those changes may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment, immigration, corporate taxes, healthcare, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation, interest rates, fiscal or monetary policy and other areas in ways that adversely impact us or our portfolio companies.
Further, there has been increasing commentary amongst regulators and intergovernmental institutions, including the Financial Stability Board and International Monetary Fund, on the topic of so called shadow banking (a term generally taken to refer to credit intermediation involving entities and activities outside the regulated banking system). We are an entity outside the regulated banking system and certain of our activities may be argued to fall within this definition and, in consequence, may be subject to regulatory developments. As a result, we and our investment adviser could be subject to increased levels of oversight and regulation. This could increase costs and limit operations. In an extreme eventuality, it is possible that such regulations could render our continued operation unviable and lead to our premature termination or restructuring.
The United Kingdom referendum decision to leave the European Union may create significant risks and uncertainty for global markets and our investments.
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) officially withdrew from the EU, commonly referred to as Brexit. On May 1, 2021, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and EU (UK/EU Trade Agreement) took effect and now governs the economic and legal framework for trade between the UK and the EU. As the UK/EU Trade Agreement is a new legal framework, the implementation of the UK/EU Trade Agreement may result in uncertainty in its application and periods of volatility in both the UK and wider European markets, as economic relations between the UK and EU are now on more restricted terms than existed prior to Brexit. The UKs exit from the EU is expected to result in additional trade costs and disruptions in this trading relationship. Furthermore, there is the possibility that either party may impose tariffs on trade in the future in the event that regulatory standards between the EU and the UK diverge. The long-term effects of Brexit are expected to depend on, among other things, any agreements the UK has made, or makes to retain access to EU markets. The terms of the future relationship may cause continued uncertainty in the global financial markets, and adversely affect our ability, and the ability of our portfolio companies, to execute our respective strategies and to receive attractive returns.
Additionally, legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us.
The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department. We cannot predict with certainty how any changes in the tax laws might affect us, our common stockholders, or our portfolio companies. New legislation
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and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our common stockholders of such qualification or could have other adverse consequences. Stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our securities.
Changes to United States tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on our portfolio companies and, in turn, harm us.
There has been ongoing discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs. There continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to such trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the U.S. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact us.
Our investment adviser has limited liability and is entitled to indemnification under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement.
Under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, our investment adviser has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement. Our investment adviser will not be responsible for any action of our Board in following or declining to follow our investment advisers advice or recommendations. Under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, our investment adviser, its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons and members and any other person or entity affiliated with our investment adviser, including, without limitation, our administrator, and any person controlling or controlled by our investment adviser will not be liable to us, any of our subsidiaries, our directors, our common stockholders or any subsidiarys stockholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that our investment adviser owes to us under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. In addition, as part of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, we have agreed to indemnify our investment adviser and each of its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons and members and any other person or entity affiliated with our investment adviser, including, without limitation, our administrator, and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by such party in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of us or our security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of our investment advisers duties or obligations under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of us, except in respect of any liability to us or our security holders to which such party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of our investment advisers duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of our investment advisers duties and obligations under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. These protections may lead our investment adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than our investment adviser would when acting for its own account.
We may be obligated to pay our investment adviser certain fees even if we incur a loss.
Our investment adviser is entitled to incentive fees for each fiscal quarter in an amount equal to a percentage of the excess of our pre-incentive fee net investment income for that quarter (before deducting any incentive fees and certain other items) above a threshold return for that quarter. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income for
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incentive fee purposes excludes realized and unrealized capital losses or depreciation and income taxes related to realized gains that we may incur in the fiscal quarter, even if such capital losses or depreciation and income taxes related to realized gains result in a net loss on our statement of operations for that quarter. Thus, we may be required to pay our investment adviser incentive fees for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or the net asset value of our Common Shares or we incur a net loss for that quarter.
If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide interest, it is possible that accrued and unpaid interest previously used in the calculation of incentive fees will become uncollectible. Our investment adviser is not under any obligation to reimburse us for any part of incentive fees it received that was based on accrued income that we never receive.
There is a risk that investors in our Common Shares may not receive dividends or that our dividends may not grow over time and that investors in our debt securities may not receive all of the interest income to which they are entitled.
We make distributions on a monthly basis to our common stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. In addition, distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by our investment adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to our investment adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to our investment adviser or our affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. If we declare a dividend and if more stockholders opt to receive cash distributions rather than participate in its reinvestment plan, we may be forced to sell some of our investments in order to make cash dividend payments.
In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. Certain of our credit facilities may also limit our ability to declare dividends if we default under certain provisions. Further, if we invest a greater amount of assets in equity securities that do not pay current dividends, it could reduce the amount available for distribution.
The above-referenced restrictions on distributions may also inhibit our ability to make required interest payments to holders of our debt, which may cause a default under the terms of its debt agreements. Such a default could materially increase our cost of raising capital, as well as cause us to incur penalties under the terms of its debt agreements.
The amount of any distributions we may make is uncertain. Our distributions may exceed our earnings, particularly during the period before we have substantially invested the net proceeds from our public offering. Therefore, portions of the distributions that we make may represent a return of capital to you that will lower your tax basis in your Common Shares and thereby increase the amount of capital gain (or decrease the amount of capital loss) realized upon a subsequent sale or redemption of such shares and reduce the amount of funds we have for investment in targeted assets.
We may fund our cash distributions to stockholders from any sources of funds available to us, including offering proceeds, borrowings, net investment income from operations, capital gains proceeds from the sale of assets, non-capital gains proceeds from the sale of assets, dividends or other distributions paid to us on account of preferred and common equity investments in portfolio companies and expense reimbursement waivers from the investment adviser or the administrator, if any. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this registration statement. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC may limit our ability to pay
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distributions. All distributions are and will be paid at the sole discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will continue to pay distributions to our common stockholders in the future. In the event that we encounter delays in locating suitable investment opportunities, we may pay all or a substantial portion of our distributions from the proceeds of our public offering or from borrowings in anticipation of future cash flow, which may constitute a return of your capital. A return of capital is a return of your investment, rather than a return of earnings or gains derived from our investment activities.
Our distributions to stockholders may be funded from expense reimbursements that are subject to repayment pursuant to our Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.
Substantial portions of our distributions may be funded through the reimbursement of certain expenses by our investment adviser and its affiliates. Any such distributions funded through expense reimbursements will not be based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or our investment adviser and its affiliates continue to make such reimbursements. Our future repayments of amounts reimbursed by our investment adviser or its affiliates will reduce the distributions that stockholders would otherwise receive in the future. The initial advancement of expenses or waiver of fees by our investment adviser and its affiliates pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement may prevent or reduce a decline in NAV in the short term, and our reimbursement of these amounts may reduce NAV in the future. Further, there can be no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary to be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all. Our investment adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to waive advisory fees or otherwise reimburse expenses in future periods.
We have not established any limit on the amount of funds we may use from available sources, such as borrowings, if any, or proceeds from this offering, to fund distributions (which may reduce the amount of capital we ultimately invest in assets).
Stockholders should understand that any distributions made from sources other than cash flow from operations or relying on expense reimbursement waivers, if any, from our investment adviser or our administrator are not based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or our investment adviser or our administrator continues to makes such expense reimbursements, if any. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. Stockholders should also understand that our future repayments to our investment adviser will reduce the distributions that they would otherwise receive. There can be no assurance that we will achieve such performance in order to sustain these distributions, or be able to pay distributions at all. Our investment adviser and our administrator have no obligation to waive fees or receipt of expense reimbursements, if any.
Our investment adviser and administrator each have the ability to resign on 120 days and 60 days notice, respectively, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
Our investment adviser has the right under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement to resign as our investment adviser at any time upon not less than 120 days written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. Similarly, our administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If our investment adviser or administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator, as applicable, or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 120 days or 60 days, respectively, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our
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operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions to our common stockholders are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our investment adviser and administrator, as applicable. Even if we are able to retain a comparable service provider or individuals performing such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration and lack of familiarity with our investment objectives may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, if our investment adviser resigns or is terminated, we would lose the benefits of our relationship with Crescent, including the use of its communication and information systems, market expertise, sector and macroeconomic views and due diligence capabilities, as well as any investment opportunities referred to us by Crescent, and we would be required to change our name, which may have a material adverse impact on our operations.
Although we expect to adopt a share repurchase program, we have discretion to not repurchase your Common Shares, to suspend the program, and to cease repurchases.
We currently expect that the Board will adopt a share repurchase program beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time in its discretion. You may not be able to sell your Common Shares at all in the event our Board amends, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program, absent a liquidity event, and we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time. We will notify you of such developments in our quarterly reports or other filings. If less than the full amount of Common Shares requested to be repurchased in any given repurchase offer is repurchased, funds will be allocated pro rata based on the total number of Common Shares being repurchased without regard to class. The share repurchase program has many limitations and should not be relied upon as a method to sell shares promptly or at a desired price.
The timing of our repurchase offers pursuant to our share repurchase program may be at a time that is disadvantageous to our common stockholders.
In the event a stockholder chooses to participate in our share repurchase program, the stockholder will be required to provide us with notice of intent to participate prior to knowing what the NAV per share of the class of shares being repurchased will be on the repurchase date. Although a stockholder will have the ability to withdraw a repurchase request prior to the repurchase date, to the extent a stockholder seeks to sell shares to us as part of our periodic share repurchase program, the stockholder will be required to do so without knowledge of what the repurchase price of our Common Shares will be on the repurchase date.
As a public company, we are subject to regulations not applicable to private companies, such as provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Efforts to comply with such regulations will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with such regulations may adversely affect us.
As a public company, we are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Our management is required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. As a relatively new company, developing and maintaining an effective system of internal controls may require significant expenditures, which may negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to make distributions. This process also will result in a diversion of our managements time and attention. We cannot be certain of when our evaluation, testing and remediation actions
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will be completed or the impact of the same on our operations. In addition, we may be unable to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal controls over financial reporting are or will be effective in a timely manner. In the event that we are unable to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls and maintain or achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.
Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until there is a public market for our Common Shares, which is not expected to occur.
We are an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors.
We will be and we will remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1 billion, or (ii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Common Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the date of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three- year period. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Shares less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Shares and our share price may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We will take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate us since our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates and may result in less investor confidence.
We may not be able to obtain all required state licenses.
We may be required to obtain various state licenses in order to, among other things, originate commercial loans. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. There is no assurance that we will obtain all of the licenses that we need on a timely basis. Furthermore, we will be subject to various information and other requirements in order to obtain and maintain these licenses, and there is no assurance that we will satisfy those requirements. Our failure to obtain or maintain licenses might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.
Compliance with the SECs Regulation Best Interest may negatively impact our ability to raise capital in this offering, which would harm our ability to achieve our investment objectives.
Broker-dealers must comply with Regulation Best Interest, which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and establishes a best interest obligation for broker-dealers and their associated persons when making recommendations of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. The obligations of Regulation Best Interest are in addition to, and may be more restrictive than, the suitability requirements listed above. When making such a recommendation to a retail customer, a broker-dealer must, among other things, act in the best interest of the retail customer at the time
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a recommendation is made, without placing its interests ahead of its retail customers interests. A broker-dealer may satisfy the best interest standard imposed by Regulation Best Interest by meeting disclosure, care, conflict of interest and compliance obligations. In addition, broker-dealers are required to provide retail investors a brief relationship summary, or Form CRS, that summarizes for the retail investor key information about the broker-dealer. Form CRS is different from this prospectus, which contains detailed information regarding this offering and the Fund. Investors should refer to the prospectus for detailed information about this offering before deciding to purchase Common Shares.
Under Regulation Best Interest, high cost, high risk and complex products may require greater scrutiny by broker-dealers and their salespersons before they recommend such products. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our Common Shares, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. Currently, there is no administrative or case law interpreting Regulation Best Interest and the full scope of its applicability on brokers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time.
The impact of Regulation Best Interest on brokers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time, but it may negatively impact whether brokers and their associated persons recommend this offering to retail customers. Such brokers and their associated persons may determine that Regulation Best Interest requires such brokers and their associated persons to not recommend the Fund to their customers because doing so may not be in the customers best interest, which would negatively impact our ability to raise capital in this offering. If Regulation Best Interest reduces our ability to raise capital in this offering, it would harm our ability to create a diversified portfolio of investments and achieve our investment objectives and would result in our fixed operating costs representing a larger percentage of our gross income.
Risks Relating to Our Investments
Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio investments, reducing NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation.
As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined by our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, as described above in Risks Relating to our Business and StructureMost of our portfolio investments will not be publicly traded and, as a result, the fair value of these investments may not be readily determinable.
When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity). As a result, volatility in the capital markets can also adversely affect our investment valuations. We record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets may result in significant net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio may reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies, and defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.
Many of the portfolio companies in which we expect to make investments are likely to be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay their loans during such periods. Therefore, the
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number of our non-performing assets is likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during such periods. Macroeconomic factors such as real GDP growth, consumer confidence, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, inflation, employment levels, oil prices, interest rates, tax rates, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and other macroeconomic trends can adversely affect customer demand for the products and services that our portfolio companies offer and may adversely impact their businesses or financial results. In addition, although we invest primarily in companies located in the United States, our portfolio companies may rely on parts or supplies manufactured outside the United States. As a result, any event causing a disruption of imports, including natural disasters, public health crises, or the imposition of import or trade restrictions in the form of tariffs or quotas could increase the cost and reduce the supply of products available to our portfolio companies, which may negatively impact their businesses or financial results.
Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and debt securities and the value of our equity investments. If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines during the term of the loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay the loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value may hinder a portfolio companys ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. Thus, economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit its access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. We consider a number of factors in making our investment decisions, including, but not limited to, the financial condition and prospects of a portfolio company and its ability to repay our loan. Unfavorable economic conditions could negatively affect the valuations of our portfolio companies and, as a result, make it more difficult for such portfolio companies to repay or refinance our loan. Therefore, these events could prevent us from increasing our investments and harm our operating results. A portfolio companys failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due, termination of the portfolio companys loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize its ability to meet its obligations under the loans and debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to claims of other creditors, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt.
In addition, the failure of certain financial institutions, namely banks, may increase the possibility of a sustained deterioration of financial market liquidity, or illiquidity at clearing, cash management and/or custodial financial institutions. The failure of a bank (or banks) with which we and/or our portfolio companies have a commercial relationship could adversely affect, among other things, our and/or our portfolio companies ability to pursue key strategic initiatives, including by affecting our or our portfolio companys ability to access deposits or borrow from financial institutions on favorable terms. Additionally, if a portfolio company or its sponsor has a commercial relationship with a bank that has failed or is otherwise distressed, the portfolio company may experience issues receiving financial support from a sponsor to support its operations or consummate transactions, to the detriment of their business, financial condition and/or results of operations. In addition, such bank failure(s) could affect, in certain circumstances, the ability of both affiliated and unaffiliated co-lenders, including syndicate banks or other fund vehicles, to undertake and/or execute co-investment transactions with the Fund, which in turn may result in fewer co-investment opportunities being made available to the Fund or impact the Funds ability to provide additional follow-on support to portfolio companies. The ability of the Fund and portfolio companies to spread banking relationships among multiple institutions may be limited by certain contractual arrangements, including liens placed on our respective assets as a result of a bank agreeing to provide financing.
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Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interests rates may make it more difficult for portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans.
Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the portfolio companies to pay down the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that our portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We will be subject to the risk that the debt investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity.
We expect that our investments will generally allow for repayment at any time subject to certain penalties. When such prepayment occurs, we intend to generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in accordance with our investment strategy. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid, and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elects to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our ability to pay, or the amount of, dividends on our Common Shares, which could result in a decline in the market price of our shares.
Inflation has adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies.
Certain of our portfolio companies may be in industries that have been, or are expected to be, impacted by inflation. Recent inflationary pressures have increased the costs of labor, energy and raw materials and have adversely affected consumer spending, economic growth and our portfolio companies operations. If such portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in their costs of operations along to their customers, it could adversely affect their operating results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on our loans, particularly if interest rates rise in response to inflation. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could result in future realized or unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations. Additionally, the U.S. Federal Reserve has raised, and has indicated its intent to continue raising, certain benchmark interest rates in an effort to combat inflation. See We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
We typically invest in middle-market companies, which involves higher risk than investments in large companies.
Our investment strategy focuses on investments in private middle-market companies. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with EBITDA of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies. Investment in private and middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we will rely on the ability of Crescents investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision and may lose money on our investments. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that it may have obtained in connection with our investment.
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In addition, such companies typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns. Additionally, middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on one or more of the portfolio companies we invest in and, in turn, on us. Middle-market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, our executive officers, directors and our investment adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in portfolio companies. What constitutes a middle-market company is not standardized in our industry, and our definition may differ from those of our competitors and other market participants. Additionally, the primary metric we use to identify middle-market companies, EBITDA, is based in part on qualitative judgement. Thus, our calculation of a companys EBITDA may differ from those of other parties.
In addition, investment in middle-market companies involves a number of other significant risks, including:
| they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns; |
| they generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position; |
| changes in laws and regulations, as well as their interpretations, may adversely affect their business, financial structure or prospects; and |
| they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity. |
We may be the target of litigation.
Our investment activities subject it to litigation relating to the bankruptcy process and the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where we exercise control or significant influence over a portfolio companys direction. Any litigation could result in substantial costs and divert managements attention and resources from our business and cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our investments may be risky and we could lose all or part of our investment.
The debt that we invest in is typically not initially rated by any rating agency, but we believe that if such investments were rated, they would be below investment grade (rated lower than Baa3 by Moodys Investors Service, lower than BBB- by Fitch Ratings or lower than BBB- by Standard & Poors Ratings Services). Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. Therefore, our investments may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. While the debt we invest in is often secured, such security does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the terms of the loan, or that the value of any collateral will be sufficient to allow us to recover all or a portion of the outstanding amount of the loan should we be forced to enforce our remedies.
Some of the loans in which we may invest directly or indirectly through investments in CDOs, CLOs or other types of structured entities may be covenant-lite loans, which means the loans contain fewer covenants
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than other loans (in some cases, none) and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. An investment by us in a covenant-lite loan may potentially hinder the ability to reprice credit risk associated with the issuer and reduce the ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. We may also experience delays in enforcing our rights under covenant-lite loans. Furthermore, we will generally not have direct rights against the underlying borrowers or entities that sponsor CLOs, which means we will not be able to directly enforce any rights and remedies in the event of a default of a loan held by a CLO vehicle. As a result of these risks, our exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on our net income and net asset value.
We also may invest in assets other than first and second lien and subordinated debt investments, including high-yield securities, U.S. government securities, credit derivatives and other structured securities and certain direct equity investments. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns.
We may invest in high yield debt, or below investment grade securities, which has greater credit and liquidity risk than more highly rated debt obligations.
We may also invest in debt securities which will not be rated by any rating agency and, if they were rated, would be rated as below investment grade quality. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.
Investments in equity securities, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk.
We may purchase common and other equity securities. Although common stock has historically generated higher average total returns than fixed income securities over the long-term, common stock also has experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless and our ability to recover our investment will depend on the underlying portfolio companys success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including:
| any equity investment we make in a portfolio company could be subject to further dilution as a result of the issuance of additional equity interests and to serious risks as a junior security that will be subordinate to all indebtedness (including trade creditors) or senior securities in the event that the issuer is unable to meet its obligations or becomes subject to a bankruptcy process; |
| to the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, we may not recover our investment; and |
| in some cases, equity securities in which we invest will not pay current dividends, and our ability to realize a return on our investment, as well as to recover our investment, will be dependent on the success of the portfolio company. Even if the portfolio company is successful, our ability to realize the value of our investment may be dependent on the occurrence of a liquidity event, such as a public offering or the sale of the portfolio company. It is likely to take a significant amount of time before a liquidity event occurs or we can otherwise sell our investment. In addition, the equity securities we receive or invest in may be subject to restrictions on resale during periods in which it could be advantageous to sell them. |
There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including:
| preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If we own a preferred security that |
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is deferring its distributions, we may be required to report income for tax purposes before we receive such distributions; |
| preferred securities are subordinated to debt in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt; |
| preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and |
| generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions. |
Additionally, when we invest in first lien senior secured loans (including unitranche loans, which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), second lien senior secured loans or subordinated debt, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities as well. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.
We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the equity securities of investment funds that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions to the Investment Company Act and in advisers to similar investment funds and, to the extent we so invest, will bear our ratable share of any such companys expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay the management fee and incentive fees to our investment adviser with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of such companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our common stockholders will bear his or her share of the management fee and incentive fees due to our investment adviser as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any such investment funds or advisers.
We may be subject to risks associated with syndicated loans.
From time to time, the Funds investments may consist of syndicated loans that were not originated by us or our investment adviser. Under the documentation for such loans, a financial institution or other entity typically is designated as the administrative agent and/or collateral agent. This agent is granted a lien on any collateral on behalf of the other lenders and distributed payments on the indebtedness as they are received. The agent is the party responsible for administering and enforcing the loan and generally may take actions only in accordance with the instructions of a majority or two-thirds in commitments and/or principal amount of the associated indebtedness. Accordingly, we may be precluded from directing such actions unless we or our investment adviser is the designated administrative agent or collateral agent or we act together with other holders of the indebtedness. If we are unable to direct such actions, we cannot assure you that the actions taken will be in our best interests.
There is a risk that a loan agent may become bankrupt or insolvent. Such an event would delay, and possibly impair, any enforcement actions undertaken by holders of the associated indebtedness, including attempts to realize upon the collateral securing the associated indebtedness and/or direct the agent to take actions against the related obligor or the collateral securing the associated indebtedness and actions to realize on proceeds of payments made by obligors that are in the possession or control of any other financial institution. In addition, we may be unable to remove the agent in circumstances in which removal would be in our best interests. Moreover, agented loans typically allow for the agent to resign with certain advance notice.
The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities.
We currently expect that substantially all of our investments will involve loans and private securities. In connection with the disposition of an investment in loans and private securities, we may be required to make
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representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities that ultimately result in funding obligations that we must satisfy through its return of distributions previously made to us.
Our subordinated investments may be subject to greater risk than investments that are not similarly subordinated.
We may make subordinated investments that rank below other obligations of the borrower in right of payment. Subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the borrower or in general economic conditions. If we make a subordinated investment in a portfolio company, the portfolio company may be highly leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations.
There may be circumstances in which our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.
If one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, even though we may have structured our interest as senior debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt holding as an equity investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. In addition, lenders can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them where they become too involved in the borrowers business or exercise control over the borrower. For example, we could become subject to a lenders liability claim, if, among other things, we actually render significant managerial assistance.
We may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies.
Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which we invest may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that it may have obtained in connection with our investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position.
Leveraged companies may experience bankruptcy or similar financial distress. The bankruptcy process has a number of significant inherent risks. Many events in a bankruptcy proceeding are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing by a portfolio company may adversely and permanently affect the portfolio company. If the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the value of the portfolio company may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. The duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is also difficult to predict, and a creditors return on investment can be adversely affected by delays until the plan of reorganization or liquidation ultimately becomes effective.
The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtors estate prior to any return to creditors. Because the standards for classification of claims under bankruptcy law are vague, our influence with respect to the class of securities or other obligations that we own may be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in the same class or by different classification and treatment. In the early stages of the bankruptcy process, it is often difficult to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent claims that might be made. In addition, certain claims that have priority by law (for example, claims for taxes) may be substantial.
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Our portfolio companies may incur debt or issue equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.
Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt, or issue other equity securities, that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments. By their terms, such instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of dividends, interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of our investments. These debt investments would usually prohibit the portfolio companies from paying interest on or repaying our investments in the event and during the continuance of a default under such debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of securities ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company typically are entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying such holders, the portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of securities ranking equally with our investments, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other security holders in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.
The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans we make to our portfolio companies may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements (including agreements governing first out and last out structures) that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that senior obligations are outstanding, we may forfeit certain rights with respect to the collateral to the holders of the senior obligations. These rights may include the right to commence enforcement proceedings against the collateral, the right to control the conduct of such enforcement proceedings, the right to approve amendments to collateral documents, the right to release liens on the collateral and the right to waive past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if as a result our rights as junior lenders are adversely affected.
When we are a debt or minority equity investor in a portfolio company, we are often not in a position to exert influence on the entity, and other equity holders and management of the company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment in such portfolio company.
When we make debt or minority equity investments, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree and the other equity holders and management of such company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment.
Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.
Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to us as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these companies flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, a leveraged companys income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.
Our management and incentive fee structure may create incentives for our investment adviser that are not fully aligned with our common stockholders interests and may induce our investment adviser to make speculative investments.
We have entered into the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement with our investment adviser, pursuant to which, we will pay management and incentive fees to our investment adviser. We intend to use leverage to make investments. Our investment adviser may have an incentive to use leverage to make additional investments as additional leverage would magnify positive returns, if any, on our portfolio, and the incentive fee
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would become payable to our investment adviser (i.e., exceed the hurdle amount) at a lower average return on our portfolio. Thus, if we incur additional leverage, our investment adviser may receive additional incentive fees without any corresponding increase (and potentially with a decrease) in the performance of our portfolio.
Additionally, under the incentive fee structure, our investment adviser may benefit when capital gains are recognized and, because our investment adviser will determine when to sell a holding, our investment adviser will control the timing of the recognition of such capital gains. As a result of these arrangements, there may be times when the management team of our investment adviser has interests that differ from those of our common stockholders, giving rise to a conflict. Furthermore, there is a risk our investment adviser will make more speculative investments in an effort to receive this payment. PIK interest and OID would increase our pre-incentive fee net investment income by increasing the size of the loan balance of underlying loans and increasing our assets under management and would make it easier for our investment adviser to surpass the hurdle amount and increase the amount of incentive fees payable to our investment adviser.
The part of the incentive fee payable to our investment adviser relating to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest income that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. This fee structure may give rise to a conflict of interest for our investment adviser to the extent that it encourages our investment adviser to favor debt financings that provide for deferred interest, rather than current cash payments of interest. Our investment adviser may have an incentive to invest in deferred interest securities in circumstances where it would not have done so but for the opportunity to continue to earn the incentive fee even when the issuers of the deferred interest securities would not be able to make actual cash payments to us on such securities. This risk could be increased because, under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, our investment adviser is not obligated to reimburse us for incentive fees it receives even if we subsequently incur losses or never receives in cash the deferred income that was previously accrued.
Our Board is charged with protecting our interests by monitoring how our investment adviser addresses these and other conflicts of interest associated with its services and compensation. While our Board is not expected to review or approve each investment decision or incurrence of leverage, our independent directors will periodically review our investment advisers services and fees as well as its portfolio management decisions and portfolio performance. In connection with these reviews, our independent directors will consider whether our investment advisers fees and expenses (including those related to leverage) remain appropriate.
We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds, and, to the extent it so invests, bear its ratable share of any such investment companys expenses, including management and performance fees. We also remain obligated to pay management and incentive fees to our investment adviser with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of other investment companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our common stockholders bears his or her share of the management and incentive fees of our investment adviser as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which we invest.
Conflicts of interest may be created by the valuation process for certain portfolio holdings.
We make many of our portfolio investments in the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded and for which no market-based price quotation is available. As a result, our investment adviser, as the Board of Directors valuation designee, will determine the fair value of these loans and securities as described above in Risks Relating to our Business and StructureMost of our portfolio investments will not be publicly traded and, as a result, the fair value of these investments may not be readily determinable. Each of the interested members of our Board has an indirect pecuniary interest in our investment adviser. The participation of our investment advisers investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in our investment adviser by certain members of our Board, could result in a conflict of interest as our investment advisers management fee is based, in part, on the value of our net assets, and our incentive fees will be based, in part, on realized gains and realized and unrealized losses.
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Our investments in foreign companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in foreign companies. Investing in foreign companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the U.S., higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility.
Although we expect most of our investments will be U.S. dollar denominated, our investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to one or more other currencies. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us.
We may be subject to risks under hedging transactions and may become subject to risk if it invests in non-U.S. securities.
The Investment Company Act generally requires that 70% of our investments be in issuers each of whom is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or any other possession of the United States. However, our portfolio may include debt securities of non-U.S. companies, including emerging market issuers, to the limited extent such transactions and investments would not cause us to violate the Investment Company Act. We expect that these investments would focus on the same secured debt, unsecured debt and related equity security investments that we make in U.S. middle-market companies and, accordingly, would be complementary to our overall strategy and enhance the diversity of our holdings. Investing in loans and securities of emerging market issuers involves many risks including economic, social, political, financial, tax and security conditions in the emerging market, potential inflationary economic environments, regulation by foreign governments, different accounting standards and political uncertainties. Economic, social, political, financial, tax and security conditions also could negatively affect the value of emerging market companies. These factors could include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations or judgments or foreclosing on collateral, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility.
Engaging in either hedging transactions or investing in foreign loans and securities would entail additional risks to our common stockholders. We could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if we were to invest in foreign loans and securities, we could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize our foreign currency exposure. In each such case, we generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that we would not be able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.
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While we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates could result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged could vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we might not seek to establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation could prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it might not be possible for us to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those loans and securities would likely fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.
We may not realize anticipated gains on the equity interests in which we invest.
When we invest in loans and debt securities, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities of portfolio companies as well. We may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent we hold equity investments, we will attempt to dispose of them and realize gains upon such disposition. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, may decline in value. As a result, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.
Risks Relating to an Investment in Our Common Shares
If we are unable to raise substantial funds, then we will be more limited in the number and type of investments we may make, our expenses may be higher relative to our total assets, and the value of your investment in us may be reduced in the event our assets under-perform.
Amounts that we raise may not be sufficient for us to purchase a broad portfolio of investments. To the extent that less than the maximum number of Common Shares is subscribed for, the opportunity for us to purchase a broad portfolio of investments may be decreased and the returns achieved on those investments may be reduced as a result of allocating all of our expenses among a smaller capital base. If we are unable to raise substantial funds, we may not achieve certain economies of scale and our expenses may represent a larger proportion of our total assets.
We may have difficulty sourcing investment opportunities.
We cannot assure investors that we will be able to locate a sufficient number of suitable investment opportunities to allow us to deploy all investments successfully. In addition, privately negotiated investments in loans and illiquid securities of private middle market companies require substantial due diligence and structuring, and we cannot assure investors that we will achieve our anticipated investment pace. As a result, investors will be unable to evaluate any future portfolio company investments prior to purchasing our Common Shares. Additionally, our investment adviser will select our investments subsequent to this offering, and our common stockholders will have no input with respect to such investment decisions. These factors increase the uncertainty, and thus the risk, of investing in our Common Shares. To the extent we are unable to deploy all investments, our investment income and, in turn, our results of operations, will likely be materially adversely affected.
The due diligence process that our investment adviser undertakes in connection with our investments may not reveal all the facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment.
Our investment advisers due diligence may not reveal all of a companys liabilities and may not reveal other weaknesses in its business. There can be no assurance that our due diligence process will uncover all relevant facts that would be material to an investment decision. Before making an investment in, or a loan to, a company, our investment adviser will assess the strength and skills of the companys management team and
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other factors that it believes are material to the performance of the investment. In making the assessment and otherwise conducting customary due diligence, our investment adviser will rely on the resources available to it and, in some cases, an investigation by third parties. This process is particularly important and highly subjective with respect to newly organized entities because there may be little or no information publicly available about the entities. We may make investments in, or loans to, companies, including middle market companies, which are not subject to public company reporting requirements, including requirements regarding preparation of financial statements, and will, therefore, depend upon the compliance by investment companies with their contractual reporting obligations and the ability of our investment advisers investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we and our investment adviser are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision and may lose money on our investments. As a result, the evaluation of potential investments and the ability to perform due diligence on and effective monitoring of investments may be impeded, and we may not realize the returns that it expects on any particular investment. In the event of fraud by any company in which we invest or with respect to which we make a loan, we may suffer a partial or total loss of the amounts invested in that company.
An investment in our Common Shares will have limited liquidity.
Our shares constitute illiquid investments for which there is not, and will likely not be, a secondary market at any time prior to a public offering and listing of our Common Shares on a national securities exchange. There can be no guarantee that we will conduct a public offering and list our Common Shares on a national securities exchange. Investment in the Fund is suitable only for sophisticated investors and requires the financial ability and willingness to accept the high risks and lack of liquidity inherent in an investment in the Fund. Except in limited circumstances for legal or regulatory purposes, stockholders are not entitled to have their shares repurchased. Stockholders must be prepared to bear the economic risk of an investment in our Common Shares for an extended period of time. While we may consider a liquidity event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time.
Certain investors will be subject to Exchange Act filing requirements.
Because our Common Shares will be registered under the Exchange Act, ownership information for any person who beneficially owns 5% or more of our Common Shares will have to be disclosed in a Schedule 13G or other filings with the SEC. Beneficial ownership for these purposes is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and includes having voting or investment power over the securities. In some circumstances, our common stockholders who choose to reinvest their dividends may see their percentage stake in the Fund increased to more than 5%, thus triggering this filing requirement. Each stockholder is responsible for determining its filing obligations and preparing the filings. In addition, our common stockholders who hold more than 10% of a class of our Common Shares may be subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, which recaptures for the benefit of the Fund profits from the purchase and sale of registered stock (and securities convertible or exchangeable into such registered stock) within a six-month period.
Special considerations for certain benefit plan investors.
We intend to conduct our affairs so that our assets should not be deemed to constitute plan assets under ERISA and the Plan Asset Regulations. In this regard, until such time as all classes of our Common Shares are considered publicly-offered securities within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, we intend to limit investment in each class of our Common Shares by benefit plan investors to less than 25% of the total value of each class of our Common Shares (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations).
If, notwithstanding our intent, the assets of the Fund were deemed to be plan assets of any common stockholder that is a benefit plan investor under the Plan Asset Regulations, this would result, among other
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things, in (i) the application of the prudence and other fiduciary responsibility standards of ERISA to investments made by the Fund, and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Fund might seek to engage could constitute prohibited transactions under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. If a prohibited transaction occurs for which no exemption is available, our investment adviser and/or any other fiduciary that has engaged in the prohibited transaction could be required to (i) restore to the benefit plan investor any profit realized on the transaction and (ii) reimburse the Covered Plan (as defined below) for any losses suffered by the benefit plan investor as a result of the investment. In addition, each party in interest or disqualified person (within the meaning of Section 3(14) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) involved could be subject to an excise tax equal to 15% of the amount involved in the prohibited transaction for each year the transaction continues and, unless the transaction is corrected within statutorily required periods, to an additional tax of 100%. The fiduciary of a benefit plan investor who decides to invest in the Fund could, under certain circumstances, be liable for prohibited transactions or other violations as a result of its investment in the Fund or as co-fiduciary for actions taken by or on behalf of the Fund or our investment adviser. With respect to a benefit plan investor that is an IRA that invests in the Fund, the occurrence of a prohibited transaction involving the individual who established the IRA, or his or her beneficiaries, would cause the IRA to lose its tax-exempt status.
Until such time as all the classes of our Common Shares constitute publicly traded securities within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, we have the power to (a) exclude any common stockholder or potential common stockholder from purchasing our Common Shares; (b) prohibit any redemption of our Common Shares; and (c) redeem some or all Common Shares held by any holder if, and to the extent that, our Board determines that there is a substantial likelihood that such holders purchase or ownership of Common Shares or the redemption of such holders Common Shares would result in our assets to be characterized as plan assets, for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, and all Common Shares of the Fund shall be subject to such terms and conditions.
Prospective investors should carefully review the matters discussed under Restrictions on Share Ownership and should consult with their own advisors as to the consequences of making an investment in the Fund.
No stockholder approval is required for certain mergers.
Our Board may undertake to approve mergers between us and certain other funds or vehicles. Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act and Maryland law, such mergers will not require stockholder approval so you will not be given an opportunity to vote on these matters unless such mergers are reasonably anticipated to result in a material dilution of the NAV per share of the Fund or are otherwise required to be approved under Maryland law. These mergers may involve funds managed by affiliates of our investment adviser. Subject to stockholder approval, the Board may also seek to convert the form and/or jurisdiction of organization, including to take advantage of laws that are more favorable to maintaining board control in the face of dissident stockholders.
Investing in our Common Shares may involve an above average degree of risk.
The investments we make in accordance with our investment objectives may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and volatility or loss of principal, including the risk that the investor may lose their entire investment. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive and, therefore, an investment in our securities may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.
The NAV of our Common Shares, and liquidity, if any, of the market for our Common Shares may fluctuate significantly.
The capital and credit markets have experienced periods of extreme volatility and disruption over the past several years (including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic). The NAV for our Common Shares may be
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significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:
| price and volume fluctuations in the capital and credit markets from time to time; |
| changes in law, regulatory policies or tax guidelines, or interpretations thereof, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs; |
| changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments; |
| loss of our RIC or BDC status; |
| loss of a major funding source; |
| our ability to manage our capital resources effectively; |
| changes in our earnings or variations in our operating results; |
| changes in the value of our portfolio of investments; |
| any shortfall in investment income or net investment income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts; |
| departure of Crescents key personnel; |
| uncertainty surrounding the strength of the U.S. economy; |
| uncertainty between the U.S. and other countries with respect to trade policies, treaties, and tariffs; |
| global unrest; |
| the length and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak; and |
| general economic trends and other external factors. |
Our common stockholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan.
All distributions declared in cash payable to stockholders that are participants in our distribution reinvestment plan are automatically reinvested in our Common Shares. As a result, our common stockholders that opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan will experience dilution in their ownership percentage of our Common Shares over time. See Distribution Reinvestment Plan.
Stockholders may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash they receive.
Under our distribution reinvestment plan, if a stockholder owns our Common Shares, the stockholder will have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional Common Shares unless such stockholder, or his, her or its nominee on such stockholders behalf, specifically opts out of the distribution reinvestment plan by delivering a written notice to the Plan Administrator, that is received by the Plan Administrator at least 10 days prior to the record date of the next distribution. If a stockholder does not opt out of the distribution reinvestment plan, that stockholder will be deemed to have received, and for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in our Common Shares to the extent the amount reinvested was not a tax-free return of capital to the stockholder. As a result, a stockholder may have to use funds from other sources to pay U.S. federal income tax liability on the value of the Common Shares received. Even if a stockholder chooses to opt out of the distribution reinvestment plan, we will have the ability to declare a large portion of a dividend in our Common Shares instead of in cash in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement (as defined herein under the heading Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsElection to Be Taxed as a RIC). As long as a portion of this dividend is paid in cash and certain other requirements are met, the entire distribution will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a stockholder
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generally will be subject to tax on 100% of the fair market value of the dividend on the date the dividend is received by the stockholder in the same manner as a cash dividend, even though most of the dividend was paid in our Common Shares.
Our future credit ratings may not reflect all risks of an investment in our debt securities.
Our credit ratings are an assessment by third parties of our ability to pay our obligations. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of our debt securities. Our future credit ratings, however, may not reflect the potential impact of risks related to market conditions generally or other factors discussed above on the market value of or trading market for the publicly issued debt securities.
General Risk Factors
Global economic, political and market conditions, including uncertainty about the financial stability of the United States, could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Downgrades by rating agencies to the U.S. governments credit rating or concerns about its credit and deficit levels in general, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our debt portfolio and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. In addition, a decreased U.S. government credit rating could create broader financial turmoil and uncertainty, which may weigh heavily on our financial performance and the value of our Common Shares.
Deterioration in the economic conditions in the Eurozone and globally, including instability in financial markets, may pose a risk to our business. In recent years, financial markets have been affected at times by a number of global macroeconomic and political events, including the following: large sovereign debts and fiscal deficits of several countries in Europe and in emerging markets jurisdictions, levels of non-performing loans on the balance sheets of European banks, the potential effect of any European country leaving the Eurozone, the potential effect of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, and market volatility and loss of investor confidence driven by political events. Market and economic disruptions have affected, and may in the future affect, consumer confidence levels and spending, personal bankruptcy rates, levels of incurrence and default on consumer debt and home prices, among other factors. We cannot assure you that market disruptions in Europe, including the increased cost of funding for certain governments and financial institutions, will not impact the global economy, and we cannot assure you that assistance packages will be available, or if available, be sufficient to stabilize countries and markets in Europe or elsewhere affected by a financial crisis. To the extent uncertainty regarding any economic recovery in Europe negatively impacts consumer confidence and consumer credit factors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be significantly and adversely affected.
The current global financial market situation, as well as various social and political circumstances in the U.S. and around the world, including wars and other forms of conflict, terrorist acts, security operations and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, adverse effects of climate crisis and global health epidemics (including the COVID-19), may contribute to increased market volatility and economic uncertainties or deterioration in the U.S. and worldwide. Additionally, the U.S. governments credit and deficit concerns, the European sovereign debt crisis, and the potential trade war with China, could cause interest rates to be volatile, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms.
Adverse developments in the credit markets may impair our ability to enter into new debt financing arrangements.
During the economic downturn in the United States that began in mid-2007, many commercial banks and other financial institutions stopped lending or significantly curtailed their lending activity. In addition, in an effort to stem losses and reduce their exposure to segments of the economy deemed to be high risk, some
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financial institutions limited refinancing and loan modification transactions and reviewed the terms of existing facilities to identify bases for accelerating the maturity of existing lending facilities. If these conditions recur, it may be difficult for us to enter into a new credit or other borrowing facility, obtain other financing to finance the growth of our investments, or refinance any outstanding indebtedness on acceptable economic terms, or at all.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine may have a material adverse impact on us and our portfolio companies.
On February 24, 2022, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, announced a military invasion of Ukraine. In response, countries worldwide, including the United States, have imposed sanctions against Russia on certain businesses and individuals, including, but not limited to, those in the banking, import and export sectors. This invasion has led, is currently leading, and for an unknown period of time will continue to lead to disruptions in local, regional, national, and global markets and economies affected thereby. These disruptions caused by the invasion have included, and may continue to include, political, social, and economic disruptions and uncertainties and material increases in certain commodity prices that may affect our business operations or the business operations of our portfolio companies.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results.
We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rate payable on the loans and debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such loans and securities, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. In light of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.
We are dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.
Our business is dependent on our and third parties communications and information systems. Further, in the ordinary course of our business we or our investment adviser may engage certain third party service providers to provide us with services necessary for our business. Any failure or interruption of those systems or services, including as a result of the termination or suspension of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our business activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control and adversely affect our business. There could be:
| sudden electrical or telecommunications outages; |
| natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes; |
| disease pandemics; |
| events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts; and |
| cyber-attacks. |
These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results and negatively affect the NAV of our Common Shares and our ability to pay dividends to our common stockholders.
We are highly dependent on information systems, and systems failures or cyber-attacks could significantly disrupt its business.
Our business is highly dependent on Crescents communications and information systems, to which we have access through our administrator. In addition, certain of these systems are provided to Crescent by third-party
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service providers. Any failure or interruption of such systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any such third-party service provider, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. This, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.
Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of its confidential information and/or damage to its business relationships.
A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen information, misappropriation of assets, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our business relationships. This could result in significant losses, reputational damage, litigation, regulatory fines or penalties, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify its protective measures and to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures arising from operational and security risks. We face risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those provided to it by third-party service providers. We, our investment adviser and its affiliates have implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber-incident, may be ineffective and do not guarantee that a cyber-incident will not occur or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.
Third parties with which we do business (including those that provide services to us) may also be sources or targets of cybersecurity or other technological risks. We outsource certain functions and these relationships allow for the storage and processing of our information and assets, as well as certain investor, counterparty, employee and borrower information.
While we engage in actions to reduce our exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure or destruction of data, or other cybersecurity incidents, with increased costs and other consequences, including those described above. Privacy and information security laws and regulation changes, and compliance with those changes, may also result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes.
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We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to (1) make investments in accordance with our investment strategy and policies, (2) reduce borrowings and repay indebtedness incurred under various financing agreements we may enter into and (3) fund repurchases under our share repurchase program. Generally, our policy will be to pay distributions and operating expenses from cash flow from operations, however, we are not restricted from funding these items from proceeds from this offering or other sources and may choose to do so, particularly in the earlier part of this offering.
We will seek to invest the net proceeds received in this offering as promptly as practicable after receipt thereof, and in any event generally within 90 days of each subscription closing. However, depending on market conditions and other factors, including the availability of investments that meet our investment objectives, we may be unable to invest such proceeds within the time period we anticipate. Pending such investments, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality short-term investments. These securities may earn yields substantially lower than the income that we anticipate receiving once we are fully invested in accordance with our investment objectives. As a result, we may not be able to achieve our investment objectives and/or pay any distributions during this period or, if we are able to do so, such distributions may be substantially lower than the distributions that we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested. If we do not realize yields in excess of our expenses, we may incur operating losses and the net asset value of our Common Shares may decline. See RegulationTemporary Investments for additional information about temporary investments we may make while waiting to make longer-term investments in pursuit of our investment objectives.
We estimate that we will incur approximately $ million of initial organization and offering expenses (excluding the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee) in connection with this offering, or approximately % of the gross proceeds, assuming maximum gross proceeds of $ . Our investment adviser has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by our investment adviser and its affiliates.
The following tables set forth our estimate of how we intend to use the gross proceeds from this offering. Information is provided assuming that the Fund sells the maximum number of shares registered in this offering, or shares. The amount of net proceeds may be more or less than the amount depicted in the table below depending on the public offering price of our Common Shares and the actual number of shares we sell in this offering. The table below assumes that shares are sold at the current offering price of $ per share. Such amount is subject to increase or decrease based upon our NAV per share.
The following tables present information about the net proceeds raised in this offering for each class, assuming the maximum primary offering amount of $ . The tables assume that 1/3 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of Class S shares, 1/3 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of Class D shares and 1/3 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of Class I shares. The number of shares of each class sold and the relative proportions in which the classes of shares are sold are uncertain and may differ significantly from what is shown in the tables below. Because amounts in the following tables are estimates, they may not accurately reflect the actual receipt or use of the gross proceeds from this offering. Amounts expressed as a percentage of net proceeds or gross proceeds may be higher or lower due to rounding.
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The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class S shares.
Maximum Offering of $ in Class S Shares |
||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) |
$ | 100 | % | |||||
Upfront Sales Load(2) |
| % | ||||||
Initial Organization and Offering Expenses(3) |
$ | % | ||||||
Net Proceeds Available for Investment |
$ | % |
The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class D shares.
Maximum Offering of $ in Class D Shares |
||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) |
$ | 100 | % | |||||
Upfront Sales Load(2) |
| % | ||||||
Initial Organization and Offering Expenses(3) |
$ | % | ||||||
Net Proceeds Available for Investment |
$ | % |
The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class I shares.
Maximum Offering of $ in Class I Shares |
||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) |
$ | 100 | % | |||||
Upfront Sales Load(2) |
| % | ||||||
Initial Organization and Offering Expenses(3) |
$ | % | ||||||
Net Proceeds Available for Investment |
$ | % |
(1) | We intend to conduct a continuous offering of an unlimited number of Common Shares over an unlimited time period by filing a new registration statement prior to the end of the three-year period described in Rule 415 under the Securities Act; however, in certain states this offering is subject to annual extensions. |
(2) | No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares. However, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares and a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares. Selling agents will not charge such fees on Class I shares. Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, we will pay the following stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the intermediary manager: (a) for Class S shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares and (b) for Class D shares, a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. The intermediary manager anticipates that all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker dealers. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to |
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occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering. |
(3) | The organization and offering expense numbers shown above represent our estimates of initial expenses to be incurred by us in connection with this offering and include estimated wholesaling expenses reimbursable by us. See Plan of Distribution for examples of the types of organization and offering expenses we may incur. |
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The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see Risk Factors and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
We are an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company that has elected to be treated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. Formed as a Maryland corporation on November 10, 2022, we are externally managed by our investment adviser, which is responsible for sourcing potential investments, conducting due diligence on prospective investments, analyzing investment opportunities, structuring investments and monitoring our portfolio on an ongoing basis. Our investment adviser is registered as investment adviser with the SEC. We also intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code.
We are externally managed by our investment adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, an affiliate of Crescent, pursuant to our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement (as defined below). Our administrator, CCAP Administration LLC, an affiliate of Crescent, provides certain administrative and other services necessary for us to operate. CCAP Administration LLC has served as the administrator of CCAP, a publicly-traded BDC affiliated with the Fund, since 2015.
Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments. We invest primarily in directly originated assets, including first lien senior secured loans (including unitranche loans, which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), second lien senior secured loans, subordinated secured and unsecured loans, subordinated debt, which in some cases includes an equity component and preferred component and other types of credit instruments, made to or issued by U.S. middle-market companies. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with EBITDA of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies. The first and second lien senior secured loans generally have terms of five to eight years. In connection with our first and second lien senior secured loans, we generally receive security interests in certain assets of our portfolio companies that could serve as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. First and second lien senior secured loans generally have floating interest rates, which may have interest rate floors, and also may provide for some amortization of principal and excess cash flow payments, with the remaining principal balance due at maturity. To a lesser extent, we may make investments in syndicated loans and other liquid credit investment opportunities, including in publicly traded debt instruments, for cash management purposes, while also presenting an opportunity for attractive investment returns. The credit instruments we may invest in include distressed securities, securitized products, notes, bills, debentures, bank loans, convertible and preferred securities, government and municipal obligations. The Fund may also invest in foreign instruments and illiquid and restricted securities. Under normal circumstances, we will invest at least 80% of our total assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in private credit investments (loans, bonds and other credit instruments that are issued in private offerings or issued by private companies, and related equity securities (including equity securities added to debt instruments to make them more desirable, such as warrants or preferred equity securities, as well as investments in equity securities of issuers of loans, bonds or other credit instruments owned by us)). While most of our investments will be in private U.S. companies, we also expect to invest from time to time in non-U.S. companies (we generally have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in qualifying assets, including private U.S. companies). We believe that our liquid credit investments will help maintain liquidity to satisfy any share repurchases we choose to make in our sole discretion and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into directly originated loans while also seeking attractive investment returns. We expect these investments to enhance our risk/return profile and serve as a source of liquidity for the
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Fund. Subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, we may invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or securities of companies whose debt is owned by other Crescent funds. From time to time, we may co-invest with other Crescent funds. See RegulationCo-Investment Exemptive Order.
First lien investments are senior loans that have the benefit of a first-priority security interest on all existing and future assets of the issuer. The security interest ranks above the security interest of any second-lien lenders in those assets.
Unitranche investments are loans that may extend deeper in a companys capital structure than traditional first lien debt and may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority among different lenders in the unitranche loan. In certain instances, we may find another lender to provide the first out portion of such loan and retain the last out portion of such loan, in which case, the first out portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the last out portion that we would continue to hold. In exchange for the greater risk of loss, the last out portion earns a higher interest rate.
Second lien investments are loans with a second priority lien on all existing and future assets of the portfolio company. The security interest ranks below the security interests of any first lien and unitranche lenders in those assets.
Unsecured debt investments are loans that generally rank senior to a borrowers equity securities and junior in right of payment to such borrowers other senior indebtedness.
To seek to enhance our returns, we intend to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of our investment adviser, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to a 2:1 debt to equity ratio. We intend to use leverage in the form of borrowings, including loans from certain financial institutions and the issuance of debt securities. We may also use leverage in the form of the issuance of preferred stock, but do not currently intend to do so. In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. Any such leverage, if incurred, would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureOur strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increases the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions. To finance investments, we may securitize certain of our secured loans or other investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureWe may form one or more CLOs, which may subject us to certain structured financing risks.
See Investment Objective and Strategies for more information about our investment strategies. Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See Risk Factors.
Revenues
We plan to generate revenue in the form of interest income on debt investments, capital gains, and dividend income from our equity investments in our portfolio companies. Our senior and subordinated debt investments are expected to bear interest at a fixed or floating rate. Interest on debt securities is generally payable quarterly or semiannually.
Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis and includes the amortization of purchase discounts and premiums. Discounts and premiums to par value are accreted or amortized into interest income over the
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contractual life of the respective security using the effective yield method. The amortized cost of investments represents the original cost adjusted for the accretion and amortization of discounts and premiums, if any. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income.
Dividend income from common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. Dividend income from preferred equity securities is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Each distribution received from an equity investment is evaluated to determine if the distribution should be recorded as dividend income or a return of capital to the stockholder.
Generally, we will not record distributions from equity investments as dividend income unless there is sufficient current or accumulated earnings prior to the distribution. Distributions that are classified as a return of capital to stockholders are recorded as a reduction in the cost basis of the investment.
Certain investments have contractual PIK interest or dividends. PIK represents accrued interest or accumulated dividends that are added to the loan principal or cost basis of the investment on the respective interest or dividend payment dates rather than being paid in cash and generally becomes due at maturity or upon being called by the issuer. PIK is recorded as interest income, as applicable. If at any point we believe PIK is not expected to be realized, the investment generating PIK will be placed on non-accrual status. Accrued PIK interest or dividends are generally reversed through interest or dividend income, respectively, when an investment is placed on non-accrual status.
Expenses
The Funds primary operating expenses include the payment of management fees and incentive fees to our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, as amended, our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement with our administrator and other operating costs described below. The management and incentive fees compensate our investment adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, closing and monitoring our investments. We bear all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including:
(a) | organization and offering expenses of the Fund associated with this offering, as provided for in Conduct Rule 2310(a)(12) of FINRA; |
(b) | calculating the Funds net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firms or pricing services); |
(c) | fees and expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by our investment adviser or payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, monitoring the Funds investments (including the cost of consultants hired to develop technology systems designed to monitor the Funds investments) and, if necessary, enforcing the Funds rights; |
(d) | costs and expenses related to the formation and maintenance of entities or special purpose vehicles to hold assets for tax, financing or other purposes; |
(e) | expenses related to consummated and unconsummated portfolio investments including, without limitation any reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments, including expenses relating to unconsummated investments that may have been attributable to co-investors had such investments been consummated; |
(f) | debt servicing (including interest, fees and expenses related to the Funds indebtedness) and other costs arising out of borrowings, leverage, guarantees or other financing arrangements, including, but not limited to, the arrangements thereof; |
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(g) | offerings of the Funds Common Shares and the Funds other securities; |
(h) | costs of effecting sales and repurchases of the Funds Common Shares and other securities, if any; |
(i) | the Base Management Fee and any Incentive Fee (each as defined in the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement); |
(j) | dividends and other distributions on the Funds Common Shares; |
(k) | administration fees and/or expenses payable to our administrator under the Administration Agreement; |
(l) | fees payable, if any, under any distribution manager, intermediary manager or selected intermediary agreements; |
(m) | fees payable under the Funds distribution and stockholder servicing plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act (the Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan) |
(n) | fees and expenses incurred in connection with the services of representatives, depositories, paying agents, transfer agents, escrow agents, dividend agents, trustees, rating agencies and custodians; |
(o) | the allocated costs incurred by our administrator in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it; |
(p) | other expenses incurred by our investment adviser, our administrator, any sub-administrator or the Fund in connection with administering its business, including payments made to third-party providers of goods or services and payments to our administrator that will be based upon the Funds allocable portion of overhead; |
(q) | amounts payable to third parties, including representatives, depositories, paying agents, agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating, making and disposing of investments (excluding payments to third-party vendors for financial information services and costs associated with meeting potential sponsors); |
(r) | fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts associated with the offer and sale of the Funds securities (including attendance at investment conferences and similar events); |
(s) | brokerage fees and commissions; |
(t) | federal, state and local registration fees, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive (as defined in the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement) or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; |
(u) | all costs of registration and qualifying the Funds securities pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC or any other regulatory authority, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; |
(v) | federal, state and local taxes; |
(w) | independent director fees and expenses; |
(x) | costs associated with the Funds reporting and compliance obligations under the Investment Company Act, applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction (including any reporting required in connection with Annex IV of the AIFM Directive); |
(y) | costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by governmental bodies (including the SEC) and any agency administering the securities laws of a state, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; |
(z) | costs associated with individual or group stockholders, including the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to the Funds stockholders, including printing costs and the costs of investor relations personnel responsible for the foregoing and related matters; |
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(aa) | costs of holding Board meetings and stockholder meetings, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; |
(bb) | the Funds fidelity bond; |
(cc) | outside legal expenses; |
(dd) | accounting expenses (including costs and fees of the Funds independent accounting firm and fees, disbursements and expenses related to the audit of the Fund and the preparation of the Funds tax information); |
(ee) | directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; |
(ff) | costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute, and indemnification and other non-recurring or extraordinary expenses; |
(gg) | direct costs and expenses of administration and operation, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, cellular phone and data service, copying, secretarial and other staff, audit and legal costs; |
(hh) | dues, fees and charges of any trade association of which the Fund is a member; |
(ii) | costs of hedging, including the use of derivatives by the Fund; |
(jj) | costs associated with investor relations efforts; |
(kk) | proxy voting expenses; |
(ll) | costs of information technology and related costs, including costs related to software, hardware and other technological systems (including specialty and custom software); |
(mm) | fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Funds assets; |
(nn) | costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records; and |
(oo) | all other expenses reasonably incurred by the Fund, our administrator or any sub-administrator in connection with administering the Funds business |
With respect to (a) above, our investment adviser has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses. For more information on our reimbursement of such expenses, see Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by our investment adviser and its affiliates.
From time to time, our investment adviser, our administrator, or their respective affiliates, may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse our investment adviser, our administrator, or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. Each of our investment adviser or our administrator will waive its right to be reimbursed in the event that such reimbursements would cause any distributions to the Funds common stockholders to constitute a return of capital to stockholders. All of these expenses will ultimately be borne by the Funds common stockholders.
Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement
We have entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (the Expense Support Agreement) with our investment adviser. Our investment adviser may elect to pay Expense Payments on our behalf, provided that no portion of an Expense Payment will be used to pay any interest expense or stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees of the Fund. Any Expense Payment that our investment adviser has committed to pay must be paid by our investment adviser to us or on behalf of us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than forty-five days after such election was made in writing by our investment adviser, and/or offset against amounts due from us to our investment adviser or its affiliates.
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Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Funds stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as Excess Operating Funds), we shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to our investment adviser until such time as all Expense Payments made by our investment adviser to or on behalf of the Fund within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund shall be referred to herein as a Reimbursement Payment. Reimbursement Payments are conditioned on (i) an expense ratio (excluding any management or incentive fee) that, after giving effect to the recoupment, is lower than the expense ratio (excluding any management or incentive fee) at the time of the fee waiver or expense reimbursement and (ii) a distribution level (exclusive of return of capital to stockholders, if any) equal to, or greater than, the rate at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. Available Operating Funds means the sum of (i) our net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) our net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to us on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).
The Funds obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent our investment adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month. Reimbursement Payments for a given Expense Payment must be made within three years prior to the last business day of the applicable calendar month. The expense support is measured on a per share class basis.
Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources
The primary uses of our cash and cash equivalents are for (1) investments in portfolio companies and other investments; (2) the cost of operations (including paying our investment adviser); (3) debt service, repayment, and other financing costs; and (4) cash distributions to the holders of our Common Shares. We expect to generate additional liquidity from (1) future offerings of securities, (2) future borrowings and (3) cash flows from operations, including investment sales and repayments as well as income earned on investments.
We intend to sell our Common Shares on a continuous basis at a per share price equal to the then-current NAV per share.
Sun Life Investment
In May 2023, we entered into the Subscription Agreement with Sun Life Assurance, an affiliate of Sun Life, for the Sun Life Investment. In June 2023, Sun Life Assurance subsequently transferred its undrawn capital commitment to BK Canada, an affiliate of Sun Life.
Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, Sun Life Assurance committed to purchase Class I shares at an initial offering price of $25.00 per share, to be adjusted following the initial drawdown of the subscription to a price per share equal to the NAV per share as of the most recently completed month-end prior to the date of such drawdown. Under the Subscription Agreement, we intend to call all capital prior to closing on the sale of any shares pursuant to this prospectus.
Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, as of the date of this prospectus, we have called an aggregate of $ , and in exchange therefore we have issued Class I shares to three stockholders, including the investment from our sole initial stockholder. We have not sold any Class S shares or Class D shares.
We commenced investment operations in May 2023 after we received initial capital from the Sun Life Investment. In connection with the commencement of our investment operations, the Investment Advisory and
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Management Agreement became effective and the base management fee and any incentive fees, as applicable, payable by us to our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement began to accrue. Our investment adviser has agreed to waive its management and incentive fees until the initial closing for the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. Proceeds from the Sun Life Investment are being invested in accordance with the Funds investment objective.
Net Worth of Sponsors
The NASAA, in its Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy adopted on March 29, 1992 and as amended on May 7, 2007 and from time to time (the Omnibus Guidelines), requires that our affiliates and investment adviser, or our Sponsor as defined under the Omnibus Guidelines, have an aggregate financial net worth, exclusive of home, automobiles and home furnishings, of the greater of either $100,000, or 5.0% of the first $20 million of both the gross amount of securities currently being offered in this offering and the gross amount of any originally issued direct participation program securities sold by our affiliates and sponsors within the past 12 months, plus 1.0% of all amounts in excess of the first $20 million. Based on these requirements, our investment adviser and its affiliates, while not liable directly or indirectly for any indebtedness we may incur, have an aggregate financial net worth in excess of those amounts required by the Omnibus Guidelines.
Critical Accounting Policies
This discussion of our expected operating plans is based upon our expected financial statements, which will be prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements will require our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we will describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our future financial statements.
Investment Transactions
Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains or losses are measured by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment using the specific identification method without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized, and include investments charged off during the period, net of recoveries. Unrealized gains or losses primarily reflect the change in investment values, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gains or losses when gains or losses are realized.
Investments for which market quotations are readily available are typically valued at those market quotations. To validate market quotations, our investment adviser utilizes a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including the source and number of the quotations. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on, among other things, the fair valuation recommendations from investment professionals, the oversight of the Funds Audit Committee and independent third-party valuation firms. In addition, the Funds independent registered public accounting firm obtains an understanding of, and performs select procedures relating to, the Funds investment valuation process within the context of performing the integrated audit.
As part of the valuation process for investments that do not have readily available market prices, the investment adviser may take into account the following types of factors, if relevant, in determining the fair value of the Funds investments: the enterprise value of a portfolio company (the entire value of the portfolio company to a market participant, including the sum of the values of debt and equity securities used to capitalize the enterprise at a point in time), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio companys ability to
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make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio companys securities to any similar publicly traded securities, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets, which may affect the price at which similar investments would trade in their principal markets and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent sale occurs, the investment adviser considers the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate its valuation.
Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Funds investments may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, the fair value of the Funds investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values that the Fund may ultimately realize. Further, such investments are generally subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or otherwise are less liquid than publicly traded securities. If the Fund was required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, the Fund could realize significantly less than the value at which the Fund has recorded it. In addition, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the unrealized gains or losses reflected in the valuations then assigned. All investments in securities are recorded at their fair value.
Interest Income Recognition
Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis and includes the accretion of discounts, amortization of premiums and PIK interest. Discounts from and premiums to par value on investments purchased are accreted/amortized into interest income over the life of the respective security using the effective yield method. To the extent loans contain PIK provisions, PIK interest, computed at the contractual rate specified in each applicable agreement, is accrued and recorded as interest income and added to the principal balance of the loan. PIK interest income added to the principal balance is generally collected upon repayment of the outstanding principal. To maintain the Funds status as a RIC, this non-cash source of income must be paid out to stockholders in the form of dividends for the year the income was earned, even though the Fund has not yet collected the cash. The amortized cost of investments represents the original cost adjusted for any accretion of discounts, amortization of premiums and PIK interest.
Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when principal or interest payments are past due 30 days or more or when there is reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected in full. Accrued and unpaid interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon managements judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid current and, in managements judgment, are likely to remain current. Management may determine to not place a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.
Dividend Income Recognition
Dividend income from common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. Dividend income from preferred equity securities is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Each distribution received from an equity investment is evaluated to determine if the distribution should be recorded as dividend income or a return of capital to stockholders.
Generally, the Fund will not record distributions from equity investments as dividend income unless there is sufficient current or accumulated earnings prior to the distribution. Distributions that are classified as a return of capital to stockholders are recorded as a reduction in the cost basis of the investment.
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Other Income
Other income may include income such as consent, waiver, amendment, agency, underwriting and arranger fees associated with the Funds investment activities. Such fees are recognized as income when earned or the services are rendered.
Distributions
To the extent that the Fund has taxable income available, the Fund currently intends to make monthly distributions to its stockholders. Distributions to stockholders are recorded on the record date. All distributions will be paid at the sole discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our tax treatment as a RIC, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time.
Income Taxes
The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code and operate in a manner so as to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must (among other requirements) meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and timely distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code, for each year. The Fund intends to make the requisite distributions to its stockholders, which will generally relieve the Fund from U.S. federal corporate-level income taxes.
Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, the Fund may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year dividend distributions from such current year taxable income into the next tax year and pay a 4% excise tax on such income, as required. To the extent that the Fund determines that its estimated current year taxable income will be in excess of estimated dividend distributions for the current year from such income, the Fund accrues excise tax, if any, on estimated excess taxable income as such taxable income is earned.
The Fund may hold certain portfolio company investments through consolidated taxable subsidiaries. Such subsidiaries may be subject to U.S. federal and state corporate-level income taxes. These consolidated subsidiaries recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the estimated future tax effects attributable to temporary differences between the tax basis of certain assets and liabilities and the reported amounts included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet using the applicable statutory tax rates in effect for the year in which any such temporary differences are expected to reverse.
Contractual Obligations
The Fund has entered into the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement with our investment adviser to provide the Fund with investment advisory services and an administration agreement (the Administration Agreement) with our administrator to provide the Fund with administrative services. Payments for investment advisory services under our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and reimbursements under our Administration Agreement are described in Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement.
The Fund intends to establish one or more credit facilities or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates at to-be-determined spreads over a specified reference rate, such as SOFR. The Fund cannot assure stockholders that the Fund will be able to enter into a credit facility on favorable terms or at all. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require the Fund to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations.
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The Fund expects to enter into commitments, including unfunded commitments, to fund various revolving and delayed draw senior secured and subordinated loans, including commitments to fund which are at (or substantially at) the Funds discretion. The Funds commitment to fund delayed draw loans will generally be triggered upon the satisfaction of certain pre-negotiated terms and conditions. Generally, the most significant and uncertain term requires the borrower to satisfy a specific use of proceeds covenant. The use of proceeds covenant typically requires the borrower to use the additional loans for the specific purpose of a permitted acquisition or permitted investment, for example. In addition to the use of proceeds covenant, the borrower is generally required to satisfy additional negotiated covenants (including specified leverage levels). To the extent we enter into unfunded commitment agreements, we expect to have a reasonable belief, at the time of entering into any such agreement, that we will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet our obligations with respect to all of our unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as they become due. To the extent we cannot meet this requirement, we will be required to treat unfunded commitments as derivatives transactions (and, in turn, leverage), which may limit our ability to use derivatives and increase our leverage.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
In the ordinary course of its business, the Fund is expected to enter into contracts or agreements that contain indemnifications or warranties. Future events could occur which may give rise to liabilities arising from these provisions against us. We believe that the likelihood of such an event is remote; however, the maximum potential exposure is unknown.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We will be subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates and the valuations of our investment portfolio. Uncertainty with respect to the economic effects of rising interest rates in response to inflation, the war in Russia and Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant volatility in the financial markets, and the effects of this volatility has materially impacted and could continue to materially impact our market risks, including those listed below. For additional information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impact on our business and our operating results, see Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureGlobal economic, political and market conditions caused by the current public health crisis have (and in the future, could further) adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition and those of our portfolio companies.
Investment Valuation Risk
We plan to invest in illiquid debt and equity securities of private companies. These investments will generally not have a readily available market price, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, in accordance with our valuation policy. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. If we were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, we may realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material. See Determination of Net Asset Value for more detail.
Interest Rate Risk
Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. We plan to fund a portion of our investments with borrowings and our net investment income will be affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.
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We will regularly measure our exposure to interest rate risk. We will assess interest rate risk and manage our interest rate exposure on an ongoing basis by comparing our interest rate-sensitive assets to our interest rate-sensitive liabilities. Based on that review, we will determine whether or not any hedging transactions are necessary to mitigate exposure to changes in interest rates.
See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureWe are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES
We were formed on November 10, 2022, as a Maryland corporation. We were organized to invest primarily in directly originated assets, including debt securities and related equity investments, made to or issued by U.S. middle-market companies. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with EBITDA of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies. To a lesser extent, we may make investments in syndicated loans and other liquid credit opportunities, including in publicly traded debt instruments, for cash management purposes, while also presenting an opportunity for attractive investment returns.
We have filed an election to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. We also intend to elect to be treated as soon as reasonably practical, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a BDC and a RIC, we will be required to comply with certain regulatory requirements.
Our investment objectives are to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments. We seek to meet our investment objectives by:
| utilizing the experience and expertise of the management team of the investment adviser, along with the broader resources of Crescent, in sourcing, evaluating and structuring transactions, |
| employing an investment approach focused on long-term credit performance and principal protection, generally investing in loans with loan-to-value metrics and interest coverage ratios that the investment adviser believes provide substantial credit protection, and also seeking favorable financial protections, including, where the investment adviser believes necessary, more restrictive covenants; |
| focusing primarily on loans and securities of middle-market private U.S. borrowers who seek access to financing and who historically relied heavily on bank lending or capital markets. We believe this opportunity set generates favorable pricing and more rigorous structural protections relative to that offered by investments in the broadly syndicated markets. From time to time, we may also invest in loans and debt securities issued by corporate borrowers outside of the middle-market private borrower space to the extent we believe such investments enhance the overall risk/return profile for our common stockholders and help us meet our investment objectives; and |
| maintaining rigorous portfolio monitoring in an attempt to mitigate negative credit events within our portfolio. |
Our investment philosophy emphasizes capital preservation through credit selection and risk mitigation. We expect our targeted portfolio to provide downside protection through conservative capital structures with meaningful cash flow and interest coverage, priority in the capital structure and information requirements.
Under normal circumstances, we will invest at least 80% of our total assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in private credit investments (loans, bonds and other credit instruments that are issued in private offerings or issued by private companies, and related equity securities (including equity securities added to debt instruments to make them more desirable, such as warrants or preferred equity securities, as well as investments in equity securities of issuers of loans, bonds or other credit instruments owned by us)).
Most of our investments will be in private U.S. companies (we generally have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in qualifying assets, including privately-offered loans, equity and debt securities issued by private U.S. companies or certain public companies), but, we also expect to invest to some extent in non-U.S. companies, but we do not expect to invest in emerging markets. We believe that our liquid credit investments will help maintain liquidity to satisfy any share repurchases we choose to make in our sole discretion and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into directly originated loans while also seeking attractive investment returns. We expect these investments to enhance our risk/return profile and serve as a source of liquidity for the Fund.
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We invest primarily in directly originated assets, including first lien senior secured and unitranche loans, second lien senior secured loans, subordinated secured and unsecured loans, subordinated debt, which in some cases includes an equity component and preferred component and other types of credit instruments, made to or issued by U.S. middle-market companies. The first and second lien senior secured loans generally have terms of five to eight years. In connection with our first and second lien senior secured loans, we generally receive security interests in certain assets of our portfolio companies that could serve as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. First and second lien senior secured loans generally have floating interest rates, which may have interest rate floors, and also may provide for some amortization of principal and excess cash flow payments, with the remaining principal balance due at maturity. To a lesser extent, we may make investments in syndicated loans and other liquid credit investment opportunities, including in publicly traded debt instruments, for cash management purposes, while also presenting an opportunity for attractive investment returns. For purposes of our investment strategy, credit instruments may include distressed securities, securitized products, notes, bills, debentures, bank loans, convertible and preferred securities, government and municipal obligations. The Fund may also invest in foreign instruments and illiquid and restricted securities. Our portfolio of credit instruments may also include equity interests such as common stock, preferred stock, warrants or options, which generally would be obtained as part of providing a broader financing solution.
Most of the debt investments we invest in are unrated or rated below investment grade, which is often an indication of size, credit worthiness and speculative nature relative to the capacity of the borrower to pay interest and principal. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. Generally, if our unrated investments were rated, they would be rated below investment grade. Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be difficult to value and are illiquid.
We may, but are not required to, enter into interest rate, foreign exchange or other derivative agreements to hedge interest rate, currency, credit or other risks, but we do not generally intend to enter into any such derivative agreements for speculative purposes. Any derivative agreements entered into for speculative purposes are not expected to be material to the Funds business or results of operations. These hedging activities, which will be in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, may include the use of futures, options, currency options, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors. We will bear the costs incurred in connection with entering into, administering and settling any such derivative contracts. There can be no assurance any hedging strategy we employ will be successful.
We intend to borrow funds to make additional investments. We will use this practice, which is known as leverage, to attempt to increase returns to our common stockholders, but it involves significant risks. A BDC generally will be permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to its common stock if its asset coverage, as defined in the Investment Company Act, would at least be equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. Additionally, certain provisions of the Investment Company Act allow a BDC to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur by reducing the asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150% if certain requirements are met. The reduced asset coverage requirement permits a BDC to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar it has in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by it. We may also use leverage in the form of the issuance of preferred shares, but do not currently intend to. Crescent, as our sole initial stockholder, has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150%. The amount of leverage that we employ at any particular time will depend on our investment advisers and our Boards assessments of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureOur strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increases the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions and RegulationIndebtedness and Senior Securities.
We currently intend to pay regular monthly distributions commencing with the first full calendar month after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. However, any
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distributions we make will be at the sole discretion of our Board, which will consider factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Maryland law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time.
Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See Risk Factors.
Our Investment Adviser and Our Administrator
The Funds investment activities are managed by Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, an affiliate of Crescent and an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act). Our investment adviser is responsible for originating prospective investments, conducting research and due diligence investigations on potential investments, analyzing investment opportunities, negotiating and structuring our investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. Our administrator, CCAP Administration LLC, an affiliate of Crescent, provides certain administrative and other services necessary for us to operate. Our administrator, CCAP Administration LLC, has served as the administrator of CCAP, a publicly-traded BDC affiliated with the Fund, since 2015.
Crescent is a global credit investment manager with over $40 billion of assets under management. Crescent Capital Corporation, a predecessor to the business of Crescent, was formed in 1991 by Mark Attanasio and Jean-Marc Chapus as an asset management firm specializing in below-investment grade debt securities. With its headquarters in Los Angeles, Crescent has over 200 employees based in five offices in the U.S. and Europe. Messrs. Attanasio and Chapus head Crescents management committee, which oversees all of Crescents operations. On January 5, 2021, Sun Life Financial Inc. (together with its subsidiaries and joint ventures, Sun Life) acquired a majority interest in Crescent (the Sun Life Transaction). There were no changes to our investment objectives, strategies and process or to the Crescent team responsible for the investment operations as a result of the Sun Life Transaction.
Our objective is to bring Crescents leading credit investment platform to the non-exchange traded BDC industry.
Market Opportunity
We believe that current and future market conditions will present attractive opportunities for us to invest in liquid and illiquid credit. We believe the below investment grade fixed income universe is inherently less efficient and less well serviced than other parts of the capital markets, ratings are less predictive of risk, the number of participants is limited, and the companies issuing debt require a more deliberate and focused investment underwriting. Private credit as an asset class has grown considerably since the global financial crisis of 2008. We expect this growth to continue and, along with the factors outlined below, to provide a robust backdrop to what Crescent believes will be a significant number of attractive investment opportunities aligned to our investment strategy.
Attractive Opportunities in Senior Secured Loans. We believe that opportunities in senior secured loans are significant because of the strong defensive characteristics of this asset class. While there is inherent risk in investing in any securities, senior secured loans benefit from their priority position, typically sitting as the most senior obligation in an issuers or borrowers capital structure. Senior secured loans generally consist of floating rate cash interest payments that Crescent believes can be an attractive return attribute in a rising interest rate environment. In addition to a current income component, senior secured loans typically include original issue discount, closing payments, commitment fees, SOFR (or other benchmark interest rate) floors, call protection, and/or prepayment penalties and related fees that are additive components of total return. The seniority and security of a senior secured loan, coupled with the privately negotiated nature of direct lending, are helpful mitigants in reducing downside risk. Further, these investments are secured by the issuers or borrowers assets, and often have restrictive covenants for the purpose of additional principal protection and ensuring repayment
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before junior creditors. These attributes have contributed to the comparatively strong record of recovery after a default, as senior secured loans have historically demonstrated a higher recovery rate than unsecured parts of an issuers capital structure.
Large and Growing Target Market. According to the NCMM, there were nearly 200,000 middle market companies in the United States with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion as of December 31, 2022. This market, which employs approximately 48 million people and represents one-third of private sector GDP in the United States, has generated a significant number of investment opportunities for investment vehicles advised by Crescent and its affiliates over the past three decades, and we believe that this market segment will continue to produce significant investment opportunities for us.
Consistent, Strong Leveraged Buyout Volumes Driving Demand. Leveraged buyout transaction volume in the United States has experienced significant growth over the past decade:
Source: LCD, a part of PitchBook.
We believe that the private equity markets will remain active, in part due to the significant amount of uninvested capital available to private equity funds. According to Preqin, as of December 31, 2022, private equity funds globally had approximately $939 billion of capital available for new investments. This large pool of private equity capital will be used for future investments, which will require debt financing. The potential for a significant amount of private equity investment activity comes at a time when Crescent believes that the supply of private debt fund capital, while growing, is relatively limited. The amount of private debt fund capital
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available globally as of December 31, 2022 was approximately $265 billion, representing just under 30% of the available private equity capital, as illustrated in the chart below.
Source: Preqin.
Increasing activity in the leveraged buyout market suggests greater demand for various forms of private, direct debt solutions. We believe that the current levels of private equity activity present attractive investment opportunities for middle-market lenders with dedicated pools of committed capital to deploy, and Crescents ability to compete for these opportunities on the basis of size, certainty of execution and deep relationships with hundreds of private equity sponsors, affords us advantages.
Sponsor-Backed Middle Market Companies Attracted to Private Credit Solutions. Private equity firms continue to allocate an increasing share of their financings to direct lenders over the syndicated debt markets. As private credit has grown in size, the ability to commit to and hold larger debt tranches has led to market share gains. One driver of the market share gains is due to the fact that private credit typically provides for greater certainty of execution, particularly in periods of market volatility, relative to the syndicated credit markets, with one or more
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private credit lenders committing to an entire tranche and / or capital structure, significantly reducing the market risk typically associated with a broadly syndicated deal.
Source: S&P Capital IQ, LCD, Refinitiv.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that we have the following competitive advantages over other capital providers:
| The Crescent Platform. Since 1991, Crescent has been focused on and is a leading investor and credit manager in the below-investment grade credit markets. Crescents experience and performance across its investment strategies has earned the Firm recognition and a reputation as a leading, reliable and creative provider of below-investment grade secured and unsecured debt capital solutions. We believe that the breadth of Crescents over $40 billion platform is a distinct strength when sourcing proprietary investment opportunities, providing access to an extensive network of relationships and insights into industry trends and the state of the capital markets. The Funds affiliation with Crescent provides a distinct competitive advantage across the credit spectrum through Crescents market presence, scale, origination capabilities and experience investing in private credit. Crescents private credit strategies have collectively invested over $35 billion across more than 550 transactions since inception, with a primary focus on partnering with private equity firms on new opportunities. Over its history, Crescents Private Credit Team has: |
| Reviewed over 16,000 transactions |
| Originated opportunities from over 1,200 unique private equity firms, and |
| Closed one or more debt financings with over 250 unique private equity firms |
Crescent also leverages market information, company knowledge and industry insight to enhance its ability to select liquid and illiquid credit assets for the Fund. Crescents professionals maintain extensive financial sponsor and intermediary relationships, which provide valuable insight and access to transactions and information.
| Scale and Tenure in the Credit Markets. As a large institution exclusively focused on below investment grade credit, Crescent has closed one or more deals with over 250 private equity firms. We believe Crescent is known as a reliable counterparty with valuable and focused expertise, which |
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provides Crescent with access to investment opportunities not broadly available to other market participants. Crescent is also one of the largest U.S. direct lenders and liquid credit managers, which makes it a desirable and flexible capital provider, especially in competitive markets. We believe Crescents scale and experience enables it to identify attractive investment opportunities throughout economic cycles and across a companys capital structure so we can make investments consistent with our stated investment objectives. Given its focus on capital preservation, Crescent has been entrusted with third party capital to invest across the below investment grade corporate credit landscape for over three decades and across numerous market cycles: |
| Seasoned and Integrated Investment Team. We believe the depth of the experience of Crescents senior management team, together with the wider resources of Crescents team of investment professionals, which is dedicated to identifying, originating, investing in and managing a portfolio of credit investments, is one of Crescents key strengths when sourcing and analyzing investment opportunities. Within Crescent, there are 110 dedicated investment professionals, including the 80+ person Private Credit Team. Senior investment professionals on the Private Credit Team average over 20 years of relevant industry experience and over 10 years at Crescent. |
| Established, Research-Focused Investment Process. With over three decades of experience of investing in below investment grade credit, Crescent has developed an extensive investment review process, seeking to achieve attractive risk adjusted returns while minimizing losses. Crescents investment approach seeks to combine a rigorous analysis of macroeconomic and market factors with a deep understanding of individual companies and their respective industries, management and prospects. We believe Crescents disciplined investment approach is distinguished by the following: |
| Credit-Focused Due Diligence. Crescents investment process and the depth and experience of its investment team allow it to conduct thorough due diligence necessary to identify and appropriately evaluate risks and opportunities. Crescents disciplined approach is focused on |
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identifying sustainable businesses with leading and defensible market positions, strong, and properly incentivized management teams, solid liquidity and free cash flow generation, and appropriate capital structures. Evaluation of investment opportunities begins with fundamental credit-focused company and industry research and, in Crescents private fund strategies, culminates in a formal review by the respective investment committees. |
| Ability to Structure Investments Creatively. Crescent has extensive experience investing across the capital structure of portfolio companies. The resulting investments include secured and unsecured debt, including senior notes, subordinated debt and related equity securities. Furthermore, we believe that Crescent can structure attractively priced debt investments which allow for the incorporation of other return-enhancing mechanisms such as commitment fees, original issue discounts, early redemption premiums, PIK interest or some form of equity securities. |
| Active Portfolio Monitoring. Crescent actively monitors the credit profile of portfolio investments, with the aim of proactively identifying sector and operational issues and carefully managing risks. Crescent regularly receives monthly and/or quarterly financial and operating reporting metrics from its portfolio companies as well as typically engages in direct dialogue with the management team and private equity sponsor. |
| Long-Term Investment Horizon. Our long-term investment horizon gives us great flexibility, which we believe allows us to maximize returns on our investments. Unlike most private equity and venture capital funds, as well as many private debt funds, we will not be required to return capital to our common stockholders once we exit a portfolio investment. We believe that freedom from such capital return requirements, which allows us to invest using a long-term lens, provides us with an attractive opportunity to increase total returns on invested capital. |
| Track Record of Strong Capital Preservation. Capital preservation is a core component of Crescents investment philosophy. In addition to its focus on sustainable businesses, Crescent employs a highly selective and rigorous diligence and investment evaluation process focused on identification of potential risks. Crescent believes tight credit structuring is a fundamental part of the risk and recovery calculus, as the illiquidity in private credit means that secondary market liquidity is not a reliable risk mitigant. This philosophy has translated into what we believe to be one of the strongest track records in the private credit space. Since inception, Crescents Credit Solutions (1992) (formerly known as Mezzanine), CCAP (2015), Direct Lending (2005) and European Specialty Lending strategies (2014) (collectively, Crescent Private Credit) have experienced historical net loss ratios of less than 20 basis points, 12 basis points, 5 basis points and 0 basis points, respectively. |
| Breadth of Middle Market Coverage. Crescent Private Credit strategies collectively cover lower-, middle- and upper-middle market companies. The Funds primary focus is to invest in companies with EBITDA of $35 million to $120 million; however, the Fund may invest in larger or smaller companies. We believe Crescent has the flexibility to opportunistically make investments across a wide spectrum of debt opportunities given its dedicated strategies focused on the middle-market. We believe this target market has been underserved by banks, which have withdrawn from the middle- and upper-middle markets, as well as many direct lending institutions, who do not have the scale or resources needed to service the requirements of these borrowers. |
The Board
Overall responsibility for the Funds oversight rests with the Board. We have entered into our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement with our investment adviser, pursuant to which our investment adviser will manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing our investment adviser and other service providers in our operations in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the Funds charter and bylaws and applicable provisions of state and other laws. Our investment adviser keeps the Board well informed as to our investment advisers activities on our behalf and our investment operations and provide the Board information with additional information as the Board may, from time to time, request. The Board is currently composed of five members, three of whom are directors who are not interested persons of the Fund or our investment adviser as defined in the Investment Company Act.
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Investment Selection
Crescents investment philosophy was developed over 30 years ago and has remained consistent and relevant throughout a number of economic cycles. We are managed using a similar investment philosophy used by the investment professionals of Crescent in respect of its other investment funds.
This investment philosophy involves, among other things:
| an assessment of the overall macroeconomic environment and financial markets and how such assessment may impact industry and asset selection; |
| company-specific research and analysis; and |
| with respect to each individual company, an emphasis on capital preservation, low volatility and minimization of downside risk. |
The foundation of Crescents investment philosophy is intensive credit investment analysis, a portfolio management discipline based on both market technicals and fundamental value-oriented research, and a diversification strategy. Crescent also recognizes the importance of considering ESG factors in the investment-decision making process in accordance with its ESG policy. We follow a rigorous investment process based on:
| a comprehensive analysis of issuer creditworthiness, including a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the issuers business; |
| an evaluation of a companys market position, brand awareness, operational excellence, barriers to entry, such as high start-up costs or other obstacles that prevent new competitors from easily entering the portfolio companys industry or area of business, and management team; and |
| an in-depth examination of capital structure, financial results and projections. |
We seek to identify those companies exhibiting superior fundamental risk-reward profiles and strong defensible business franchises while focusing on the relative value of the investment across the industry as well as for the specific company.
Investment Process Overview
Sourcing Investment Opportunities
Crescents investment strategy is to focus on generating the widest universe of deal flow and to apply a consistent and rigorous approach to investment due diligence in order to select what it considers to be the most appealing opportunities. The investment adviser will seek to generate investment opportunities primarily through direct origination channels, as well as through syndicated and club deals.
For illiquid credit, Crescent employs a multi-channel approach to direct origination, which includes relationships with financial sponsors, management teams, lawyers, accountants, intermediaries and mergers and acquisitions advisors. Crescent typically reviews over 1,500 distinct U.S. direct lending transaction opportunities annually, with a closing ratio of less than 3% of transactions reviewed.
For liquid credit, Crescent screens for attractive opportunities in the primary and secondary investment universe of nearly 1,200 bank loan and over 900 high yield issuers. Due to the scale and relationships of Crescent, it sees substantially all new issues in the bank loan and high yield bond markets. As such, the investment team members have familiarity with the universe of issuers which facilitates both primary and secondary idea generation.
Investment Decision Process
Through its affiliation with Crescent, the investment adviser has access to origination capabilities and research resources, experienced investment professionals, internal information systems and a credit analysis framework and investment process. Over the years, Crescent has designed its investment process to seek
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investments which it believes have the most attractive risk/reward characteristics. The process involves multiple levels of review and is coordinated in an effort to identify risks in potential investments. Our investment adviser applies Crescents expertise to screen our investment opportunities as described below. Depending on the type of investment and the borrower, our investment adviser may apply all or some of these levels of review, in its discretion. Based upon a favorable outcome of the diligence process described below, our investment advisers investment committee will make a final decision on such investment and such investment will only be funded after approval by the investment advisers investment committee.
Private Credit Originations: New private credit investment opportunities are initially reviewed by a Crescent senior investment professional to determine whether additional consideration is warranted. Factors influencing this decision include fundamental business considerations, including borrower industry, borrower financial leverage and cash flows and quality of management as well as private equity sponsor involvement (if any). In the event of an initial positive review, potential investments are further reviewed with senior and junior investment professionals. If the team agrees on the fundamental attractiveness of the investment, the review phase proceeds with preliminary due diligence and financial analyses. At this point, Crescent utilizes its credit analysis methodology to outline credit and operating statistics and identify key business characteristics and risks through available diligence materials in addition to dialogue with company management and the proposed private equity sponsor (if any). Following this analysis, Crescent considers an initial structure and pricing proposal for the investment and preliminarily informs the broader investment team of such proposal.
After satisfactory preliminary analysis and review, further due diligence continues, including completion of credit analysis, on-site due diligence (if deemed necessary), visits and meetings with management, and could include consultation with third-party experts. The credit analysis is a detailed, bottom-up analysis on the proposed portfolio company that generally includes an assessment of its industry, market, competition, products, services, management and the equity sponsor or owner. Detailed financial analysis is also performed at this stage with a focus on historical financial results. Projected financial information developed by the proposed portfolio company is analyzed and sensitized based upon the portfolio companys historical results and assessment of the portfolio companys future prospects. The sensitivity analysis highlights the variability of revenues and earnings, worst case debt service coverage and available sources of liquidity. As part of the overall evaluation, comparisons are made to similar companies to help assess a portfolio companys asset and enterprise value coverage of debt, interest servicing capacity and competitive strength within its industry and market. Additionally during this stage, Crescent typically works with the management of the proposed portfolio company and its other capital providers to develop the structure of an investment, including negotiating among these parties on how the investment is expected to perform relative to the other forms of capital in its capital structure.
Syndicated Investments: For syndicated investments, Crescent seeks to pursue an investment process based upon evaluation of the credit fundamentals of issuers. The foundation of this process is the bottom-up credit research process that Crescent employs across multiple strategies. In selecting investments, Crescents investment professionals perform comprehensive analysis of credit worthiness, including an assessment of the business, an evaluation of management, an analysis of business strategy and industry trends, an examination of financial results and projections and a review of the securitys proposed terms. Credit research is a critical component of the investment process. In selecting investments, Crescents respective portfolio management teams analyze opportunities with an emphasis on principal preservation (i.e., an issuers ability to service its debt and maintain cash flow).
Investment Funding
Upon completion of the investment decision process described above, the investment team working on an investment delivers a memorandum to the investment advisers investment committee. Once an investment has been approved by the investment committee, the investment adviser moves through a series of steps with the respective investment team towards negotiation of final documentation.
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Investments
Directly Originated
For our directly originated investments, we primarily invest in portfolio companies in the form of first lien senior secured loans (including unitranche loans which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), second lien senior secured loans, subordinated debt and preferred and common equity. The first and second lien senior secured loans generally have terms of five to eight years. In connection with our first and second lien senior secured loans, we generally receive security interests in certain assets of our portfolio companies that could serve as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. First and second lien senior secured loans generally have floating interest rates, which may have interest rate floors, and also may provide for some amortization of principal and excess cash flow payments, with the remaining principal balance due at maturity.
We structure our subordinated debt investments primarily as unsecured subordinated loans or bonds that provide for relatively higher fixed interest rates. The subordinated debt investments generally have terms of up to 10 years. These loans or bonds typically have interest-only payments, with amortization of principal, if any, deferred to the later years of the subordinated debt investment. In some cases, we may enter into loans or bonds that, by their terms, convert into equity or additional debt or defer payments of interest (or at least cash interest) for the first few years after our investment. Also, in some cases our subordinated debt will be secured by a subordinated lien on some or all of the assets of the borrower.
In some cases, our debt and preferred equity investments may provide for a portion of the interest or dividends payable to be PIK. To the extent interest or dividends are PIK, they will be payable through the increase of the principal amount of the loan or preferred equity by the amount of interest or dividend due on the then-outstanding aggregate principal amount of such loan or preferred equity and is generally collected upon repayment of the outstanding principal or redemption of the equity, as applicable.
In the case of our first and second lien senior secured loans, subordinated debt and preferred and common equity investments, we tailor the terms of the investment to the facts and circumstances of the transaction and the prospective portfolio company, negotiating a structure that aims to protect our rights and manage our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan and improve its profitability. For example, in addition to generally seeking a senior position in the capital structure of our portfolio companies, we seek, where appropriate, to limit the downside potential of our investments by:
| targeting a total return on our investments (including from both interest and potential equity appreciation) that compensates us for credit risk; |
| incorporating call protection and interest rate floors for floating rate loans, into the investment structure; and |
| negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible, consistent with preservation of our capital. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and board rights, including either observation or participation rights. |
Our subordinated debt investments may include equity features, such as warrants or options to buy a minority interest in the portfolio company. Warrants we receive with our debt investments may require only a nominal cost to exercise, and thus, as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from this equity interest. We may structure the warrants to provide provisions protecting our rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as puts, or rights to sell such securities back to the portfolio company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we also obtain registration rights in connection with these equity interests, which may include demand and piggyback registration rights.
We believe that our focus on generating proprietary deal flow and lead investing gives us greater control over the capital structures and investment terms described above and enables us to actively manage our
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investments. Moreover, by leading the investment process, we are often able to secure controlling positions in loan tranches, thereby providing additional control in investment outcomes.
Syndicated Corporate Loans
Senior secured corporate loans (Syndicated Loans) generally benefit from liens on collateral, are rated below-investment grade and typically pay interest at rates that are determined periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate, primarily SOFR, plus a spread. Syndicated Loans are typically made to U.S. and, to a lesser extent, non-U.S. corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and other business entities (together with issuers of Corporate Bonds (as defined below)) and other debt securities, (Borrowers) which operate in various industries and geographical regions. Borrowers may obtain Syndicated Loans, among other reasons, to refinance existing debt, engage in acquisitions, pay dividends, recapitalize, complete leveraged buyouts and for general corporate purposes. Syndicated Loans rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as leveraged loans. There is a risk that the issuers of Syndicated Loans may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument. We may invest in Syndicated Loans through assignments of or, to a lesser extent, participations in Syndicated Loans. We may also utilize various types of derivative instruments for the purpose of gaining additional exposure to Syndicated Loans.
Corporate Bonds
An issuer of high-yield corporate bonds (Corporate Bonds) typically pays the investor a fixed rate of interest and must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity. The investment return of Corporate Bonds reflects interest on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a Corporate Bond generally may be expected to rise and fall inversely with interest rates. The value of intermediate- and longer-term Corporate Bonds normally fluctuates more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of shorter-term Corporate Bonds. The market value of a Corporate Bond also may be affected by investors perceptions of the creditworthiness of the issuer, the issuers performance and perceptions of the issuer in the marketplace. There is a risk that the issuers of Corporate Bonds may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument. We may also utilize various types of derivative instruments, including swaps, for the purpose of gaining additional exposure to Corporate Bonds. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds.
Structured Credit
We may also invest in asset-backed opportunities across broad sectors such as consumer and commercial specialty finance and corporate credit. We will target investment opportunities that may include (i) debt and equity investments in U.S.-dollar-denominated CLOs that are primarily backed by corporate leveraged loans issued to primarily U.S. obligors, as well as Euro-denominated CLOs that are backed primarily by corporate leveraged loans issued to primarily European obligors; (ii) financings secured by pools of consumer loans, commercial loans or real estate assets; and (iii) the outright purchase of pools of consumer loans, commercial loans or real estate assets. The investments in the equity of structured credit products (including CLOs) refers to the junior-most or residual debt tranche of such structured credit products (i.e., the tranche whose rights to payment are not senior to any other tranche, which does not typically receive a credit rating and is typically not secured (and is also typically referred to as subordinated notes, income notes, preferred shares or preferred securities, or, more generally, as equity)). The CLO equity tranches (or other similar junior tranches) and privately issued asset-backed securities in which we invest may be highly leveraged, which magnifies the risk of loss on such investments.
Stressed Investments
We may invest in Syndicated Loans and Corporate Bonds and other obligations of companies, referred to herein as Stressed Issuers, that may be in some level of financial or business distress, including companies
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involved in, or that have recently completed, bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. These investments may include (i) corporate debt instruments relating to stressed and distressed industries or issuers; (ii) rescue-capital opportunities; (iii) public and private stock issued in connection with restructurings and reorganizations or otherwise (post-reorganization securities); and (iv) other opportunistic investments resulting from periods of market dislocation. There is a risk that Stressed Issuers may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument.
Acquisition Opportunities
We believe that there may be opportunity for further consolidation in our industry. From time to time, we may evaluate potential strategic opportunities, including acquisitions of asset portfolios, other private and public finance companies, business development companies and asset managers and selected secondary market assets among others.
On-Going Relationships with and Monitoring of Portfolio Companies
The investment adviser monitors our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. The investment adviser monitors the financial trends of each portfolio company to determine if it is meeting its business plans and to assess the appropriate course of action for each company. The investment adviser has a number of methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which may include the following:
| assessment of success of the portfolio company in adhering to its business plan and compliance with covenants; |
| review of monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies; |
| contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments; |
| comparisons to other companies in the industry; and |
| attendance and participation in board meetings. |
As part of the monitoring process, our investment adviser regularly assesses the risk profile of each of our investments and, on a quarterly basis, grades each investment on a risk scale of 1 to 5. Risk assessment is not standardized in our industry and our risk assessment may not be comparable to ones used by our competitors. Our assessment is based on the following categories:
1. | Involves the least amount of risk relative to cost or amortized cost. Investment performance is above expectations since origination or acquisition. Trends and risk factors are generally favorable, which may include financial performance or a potential exit. |
2. | Involves a level of risk that is similar to the risk at the time of origination or acquisition. The investment is generally performing as expected, and the risks around our ability to ultimately recoup the cost of the investment are neutral to favorable relative to the time of origination or acquisition. New investments are generally assigned a rating of 2 at origination or acquisition. |
3. | Indicates an investment performing below expectations where the risks around our ability to ultimately recoup the cost of the investment have increased since origination or acquisition. For debt investments, borrowers are more likely than not in compliance with debt covenants and loan payments are generally not past due. An investment rating of 3 requires closer monitoring. |
4. | Indicates an investment performing materially below expectations where the risks around our ability to ultimately recoup the cost of the investment have increased materially since origination or acquisition. For debt investments, borrowers may be out of compliance with debt covenants and loan payments may be past due (but generally not more than 180 days past due). Non-accrual status is strongly considered for debt investments rated 4. |
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5. | Indicates an investment performing substantially below expectations where the risks around our ability to ultimately recoup the cost of the investment have substantially increased since origination or acquisition. We do not expect to recover our initial cost basis from investments rated 5. Debt investments with an investment rating of 5 are generally in payment and/or covenant default and are on non-accrual status. |
Managerial Assistance
As a BDC, we must offer, and must provide upon request, significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve, among other things, monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. CCAP Administration LLC or Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC may provide all or a portion of this assistance, the costs of which will be reimbursed by us. We may receive fees for these services.
Exit
In addition to payments of principal and interest, we expect the primary methods for the strategy to realize returns on its investments include refinancings, sales of portfolio companies, and in some cases initial public offerings and secondary offerings. While many debt securities in which we will invest have stated maturities up to ten years, virtually all are redeemed or sold prior to maturity. These securities may have call protection that requires an issuer to pay a premium if it redeems in the early years of an investment. However, there is no assurance that our investments will achieve realization events as a result of refinancings, sales of portfolio companies or public offerings and these realization events will become more unlikely when conditions in the loan and capital markets have deteriorated.
Crescents team of investment professionals regularly review investments and related market conditions in order to determine if an opportunity exists to realize returns on a particular investment. We believe the ability to utilize the entire resources of Crescent, including the public market traders and research analysts, allows our investment adviser to gain access to current market information where the opportunity may exist to sell positions into the market at attractive prices.
Allocation of Investment Opportunities
General
Crescent, including our investment adviser, provides or may provide investment management services to other BDCs, registered investment companies, investment funds, client accounts and proprietary accounts that Crescent may establish.
Crescent and our investment adviser have adopted an investment allocation policy designed to ensure that all investment opportunities are, to the extent practicable and in accordance with the Advisers Act, allocated among its clients on a basis that over a period of time is fair and equitable to each client relative to other clients as well as a co-investment policy designed to ensure fair allocation of co-investment opportunities amongst its clients. Subject to the Advisers Act and as further set forth in this prospectus, certain other clients may receive certain priority or other allocation rights with respect to certain investments, subject to various conditions set forth in such other clients respective governing agreements and the requirements of our Co-Investment Exemptive Order.
In addition, as a BDC regulated under the Investment Company Act, the Fund is subject to certain limitations relating to co-investments and joint transactions with affiliates, which likely in certain circumstances limit the Funds ability to make investments or enter into other transactions alongside other clients.
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Co-Investment Relief
Our investment adviser has received the Co-Investment Exemptive Order from the SEC that permits us and other BDCs and registered closed-end management investment companies managed by Crescent to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment funds. Co-investments made under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order are subject to compliance with certain conditions and other requirements, which could limit our ability to participate in a co-investment transaction. We may also otherwise co-invest with funds managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and our allocation procedures. There can be no guarantee that the Co-Investment Exemptive Order will be further extended.
Competition
Our primary competitors include public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies, other BDCs and private equity funds, each of which we compete with for financing opportunities. Some of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider more investments and establish more relationships than we do. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the Investment Company Act imposes on us as a BDC. For more information concerning the competitive risks we face, see Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureWe operate in an increasingly competitive market for investment opportunities, which could make it difficult for us to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
We believe that the relationships of the members of our investment advisers investment committee and of the investment professionals of Crescent enable us to learn about, and compete effectively for, financing opportunities with attractive middle-market companies in the industries in which we seek to invest. We believe that Crescents professionals deep and long-standing direct sponsor relationships and the resulting proprietary transaction opportunities that these relationships often present, provide valuable insight and access to transactions and information. We use the industry information of Crescents investment professionals to which we have access to assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies.
Non-Exchange Traded, Perpetual-Life BDC
The Fund is a non-exchange traded BDC, meaning its shares are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market and a perpetual-life BDC, meaning it is an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose common shares are intended to be sold by the BDC monthly on a continuous basis at a price generally equal to the BDCs monthly NAV per share. In our perpetual-life structure, we may offer investors an opportunity to have us repurchase their shares on a quarterly basis, but we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any in any particular quarter at our discretion. We believe that our perpetual nature enables us to execute a patient and opportunistic strategy and be able to invest across different market environments. This may reduce the risk of the Fund being a forced seller of assets in market downturns compared to non-perpetual funds. While we may consider a liquidity event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time.
Emerging Growth Company
We are an emerging growth company, as defined by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
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In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.
We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.
We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or this offering. As stated above, we have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Common Shares are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by our investment adviser and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse our investment adviser or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of our investment adviser, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements and, as a result, do not expect to be required to seek stockholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.
Staffing
We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees or affiliates of our investment adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, and our administrator, CCAP Administration LLC, each of which is an affiliate of Crescent, pursuant to the terms of our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and our Administration Agreement, respectively, each as described below. Each of our executive officers is an employee or affiliate of our investment adviser or our administrator. We reimburse both our investment adviser and our administrator for a certain portion of expenses incurred in connection with such staffing, as described in more detail below. Because we have no employees, we do not have a formal employee relations policy.
Regulation as a BDC
We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act and intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code. As with other companies regulated by the Investment Company Act, a BDC must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. The Investment Company Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to certain transactions between BDCs and certain affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal underwriters and certain affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters. Among other things, we generally cannot co-invest in any portfolio company in which a fund managed by Crescent (or any of its downstream affiliates other than us and our downstream affiliates) is also co-investing. Our investment adviser has received the Co-Investment Exemptive Order from the SEC that permits us and other BDCs and registered closed-end management investment companies managed by Crescent to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment funds. Co-investments made under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order are subject to compliance with certain conditions and other requirements, which could limit our ability to participate in a co-investment transaction. We may also otherwise co-invest with funds managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and our allocation procedures. We may also otherwise co-invest with funds managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations
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and our allocation procedures. There can be no guarantee that the Co-Investment Exemptive Order will be further extended.
The Investment Company Act contains certain restrictions on certain types of investments we may make. Specifically, we may only invest up to 30% of our portfolio in entities that are not considered eligible portfolio companies (as defined in the Investment Company Act), including companies located outside of the United States, entities that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions under the Investment Company Act, and publicly traded entities whose public equity market capitalization exceeds the levels provided for under the Investment Company Act.
The Investment Company Act also requires that a majority of our directors be persons other than interested persons, as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act, referred to herein as independent directors. In addition, the Investment Company Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless that change is approved by holders of at least a majority of our outstanding voting securities. Under the Investment Company Act, the vote of holders of at least a majority of outstanding voting securities means the vote of the holders of the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of the outstanding Common Shares present at a meeting or represented by proxy if holders of more than 50% of the Common Shares are present or represented by proxy or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares.
We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. Our intention is to not write (sell) or buy put or call options to manage risks associated with the publicly traded securities of our portfolio companies. We may enter into hedging transactions to manage the risks associated with interest rate and currency fluctuations. We may purchase or otherwise receive warrants or options to purchase the common stock of our portfolio companies in connection with acquisition financings or other investments. In connection with such an acquisition, we may acquire rights to require the issuers of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase them under certain circumstances.
We also do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the Investment Company Act. Under these limits, we generally cannot acquire more than 3% of the voting stock of any investment company (as defined in the Investment Company Act), invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company or invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of investment companies in the aggregate unless certain conditions are met. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our common stockholders to additional expenses.
Certain provisions of the Investment Company Act allow a BDC to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur by reducing the asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150% if certain requirements are met. We may borrow amounts or issue debt securities or preferred stock, which we refer to collectively as senior securities, such that our asset coverage, as calculated pursuant to the Investment Company Act, equals at least 150% immediately after such borrowing (i.e., we are able to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar we have in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by us). Our sole initial stockholder has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio applicable to senior securities from 200% to 150%.
Code of Ethics. We and Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to each code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the codes requirements. Our code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. For information on how to obtain a copy of the code of ethics, see Available Information below.
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Affiliated Transactions. We may be prohibited under the Investment Company Act from conducting certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. Crescent has received the Co-Investment Exemptive Order from the SEC that permits us, among other things, to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of our investment adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by our investment adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. In addition, certain Crescent funds may have investment objectives that compete or overlap with, and may from time to time invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by, us. Consequently, we, on the one hand, and these other entities, on the other hand, may from time to time pursue the same or similar capital and investment opportunities. Crescent and our investment adviser endeavor to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, and in any event consistent with any fiduciary duties owed to us. Nevertheless, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by investment funds managed by investment managers affiliated with Crescent (including our investment adviser). In addition, there may be conflicts in the allocation of investments among us and the funds managed by investment managers affiliated with Crescent (including our investment adviser) or one or more of our controlled affiliates or among the funds they manage, including investments made pursuant to the Co-Investment Exemptive Order. Further, in the future, such other Crescent-managed funds may hold positions in portfolio companies in which we have also invested. Such investments may raise potential conflicts of interest between us and such other Crescent-managed funds, particularly if we and such other Crescent-managed funds invest in different classes or types of securities or investments of the same underlying portfolio company. In that regard, actions may be taken by such other Crescent-managed funds that are adverse to our interests, including, but not limited to, during a restructuring, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceeding or similar matter occurring at the underlying portfolio company.
Other. We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the Investment Company Act, and be subject to the periodic reporting and related requirements of the Exchange Act.
We are also required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our common stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such persons office.
We are also required to designate a chief compliance officer and to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and to review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation.
We are not permitted to change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the Investment Company Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of such companys shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company.
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Board of Directors
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. The responsibilities of the Board include, among other things, the oversight of our investment activities, oversight of our financing arrangements and corporate governance activities. Our Board consists of five members, three of whom are not interested persons of the Fund or of our investment adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act and are independent, as determined by our Board. Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act defines an interested person to include, among other things, any person who has, or within the last two years had, a material business or professional relationship with the Fund or its affiliates. On an annual basis, each member of the Funds Board is required to complete a questionnaire designed to provide information to assist the Board in determining whether the director is independent under the Exchange Act, the Investment Company Act and the Funds corporate governance guidelines. Based on these independence standards and the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee, after reviewing all relevant transactions and relationships between each director, or any of his or her family members, and the Fund, our investment adviser, or of any of their respective affiliates, the Board determines whether a director qualifies as an Independent Director. We refer to these individuals as our independent directors. Our Board elects our executive officers, who serve at the discretion of the Board.
Directors
Information regarding the Board is as follows:
Name, Address and Age(1) |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolio Companies in Fund Complex Overseen by Director(2) |
Other Directorships Held by Director |
|||||||||
Independent Directors |
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Kathleen S. Briscoe, born 1960 | Director and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee | Class I Director since 2023 (term expires in 2024) | Partner and Chief Capital Officer of Dermody Properties, Chief Information Officer, Real Estate of Cordia Capital | 2 | CCAP. | |||||||||
Susan Yun Lee, born 1980 | Director and Chair of the Audit Committee | Class II Director since 2023 (term expires in 2025) |
Chief Investment Officer of Clif Family Foundation, Partner of Bormio Capital, Member of the Investment Committee of The Library Foundation, Chief Investment Officer of Sentinel Management, LLC | 1 | CCAP. |
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Name, Address and Age(1) |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolio Companies in Fund Complex Overseen by Director(2) |
Other Directorships Held by Director | |||||
Martha Solis-Turner, born 1963 | Director | Class III Director since 2023 (term expires in 2026) | Class Officer Dartmouth, Class of 1982, Community Leadership Board Member, Mile High Early Learning Centers | 1 | None. | |||||
Interested Directors |
||||||||||
Jason A. Breaux, born 1973 | Director and Chair of the Board | Class I Director since 2023 (term expires in 2024); Chair of the Board since 2023 (indefinite term) | Chief Executive Officer of CCAP, President of CCAP, Chairman of Crescent Cap Advisors, LLCs investment committee and Managing Director of Crescent within private credit | 2 | CCAP. | |||||
Christopher G. Wright, born 1972 |
Director | Class II Director since 2023 (term expires in 2025) | Managing Director and Head of Private Markets of Crescents Management Committee | 1 | None. |
(1) | The address for each of the individuals listed above is c/o Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, California 90025. |
(2) | Fund Complex, is defined to include investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act and BDCs that (i) hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services or (ii) have a common investment adviser or affiliated investment advisers. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund Complex consists of the Fund and CCAP. |
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Executive Officers Who are Not Directors
Information regarding our executive officers who are not directors is as follows:
Name, Address and Age(1) |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years | |||
Eric Hall, born 1982 |
Chief Executive Officer |
Since 2023 (indefinite term) |
Managing Director of Crescent within private credit. Prior to joining Crescent, Mr. Hall was a Financial Analyst in Lehman Brothers Investment Banking Division. | |||
Raymond Barrios, born 1978 |
President | Since 2023 (indefinite term) |
Managing Director of CCAP and Crescent, focusing on private credit. Mr. Barrios is currently a senior investment professional for Crescent Cap Advisors. | |||
Kirill Bouek, born 1984 |
Chief Financial Officer |
Since 2023 (indefinite term) |
Controller of CCAP. Prior to joining Crescent, Mr. Bouek worked at THL Credit, where he was the Controller for its private debt business, which included a publicly traded business development company and several private fund structures. | |||
Erik Barrios, born 1978 |
Chief Compliance Officer |
Since 2023 (indefinite term) |
Chief Compliance Officer of CCAP, Senior Vice President, Legal Counsel and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of Crescent. Prior to joining Crescent in 2022, Mr. Barrios was Vice President, Legal & Compliance at The Carlyle Group. | |||
George P. Hawley, born 1968 |
Secretary | Since 2023 (indefinite term) |
Secretary of CCAP, General Counsel of Crescent and General Counsel and Secretary of Crescent Acquisition Corporation. |
(1) | The address for each of the individuals listed above is c/o Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, California 90025. |
Biographical Information
The following is information concerning the business experience of our Board and executive officers. Our directors have been divided into two groupsinterested directors and independent directors. Interested directors are interested persons as defined in the Investment Company Act.
Independent Directors
Kathleen S. Briscoe is a Director of the Fund and currently serves as the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Fund. Ms. Briscoe is a Partner and the Chief Capital Officer of Dermody Properties. Previously, Ms. Briscoe served as the Chief Investment Officer, Real Estate at Cordia Capital. Ms. Briscoe is a member of the board of Resmark Properties. She also serves as a director on the board of CCAP and Board of RegentsFriends of Dartmouth Rowing. She received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a B.A. in Policy Studies and Sociology from Dartmouth College. We believe that Ms. Briscoes diversity of experiences, in particular her experience with real estate and compliance, as well as her experience serving as a director on other Crescent boards, makes her well qualified to serve on our board.
Susan Yun Lee is a Director and currently serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Fund. Ms. Lee also currently serves as Chief Investment Officer of Clif Family Foundation and is a Partner at Bormio Capital.
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Ms. Lee is a member of the Investment Committee of The Library Foundation. Previously, Ms. Lee served as the Chief Investment Officer of Sentinel Management, LLC and as the Managing Director of Investments at Family Office Investment Services. She received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University. We believe Ms. Lees extensive experience as an investment officer and expertise as an audit committee financial expert, as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act, make her well qualified to serve on our board.
Martha Solis-Turner is a Director of the Fund. Ms. Solis-Turner is a Class Officer of Dartmouth, Class of 1982. She also serves as a Community Leadership Board Member of Mile High Early Learning Centers. Previously, Ms. Solis-Turner was a Board member, Audit and Compliance Committee member and Nominating Committee member of Dreyfus Founders Funds and the Director of Wholesale Markets Wireless Sales at U S West/Qwest. She received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a B.A. in Government with an emphasis on International Economics from Dartmouth College. We believe Ms. Solis-Turner is well qualified to serve on the Board due to her extensive experience in marketing, sales and compliance and experience serving as a board member for various companies.
Interested Directors
Jason A. Breaux is a Director of the Fund and currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the Fund. Mr. Breaux serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of CCAP. Mr. Breaux as also serves as the Chairman of Crescent Cap Advisors, LLCs investment committee. In addition, Mr. Breaux is a Managing Director of Crescent within private credit and is a member of Crescents Management Committee. Prior to joining Crescent in 2000, he worked at Robertson Stephens where he served in the mergers and acquisitions group. Prior to that, he worked in the Corporate Finance Division of Salomon Brothers specializing in capital raising assignments. Mr. Breaux received an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and a B.A. from Georgetown University. We believe Mr. Breaux is well qualified to serve on the Board due to his extensive private credit, corporate law and corporate finance experience, as well as his experience within Crescent in investments and private credit.
Christopher G. Wright is a Director of the Fund. Mr. Wright serves as a Managing Director and Head of Private Markets of Crescents Management Committee. Prior to joining Crescent in 2001, he worked at GE Industrial Systems in various finance roles. Mr. Wright received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a B.A. from Michigan State University. We believe Mr. Wright is well qualified to serve on the Board due to his extensive finance experience, as well as his experience within Crescent with private markets.
Executive Officers and Certain Other Officers Who are not Directors
Eric Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of the Fund and co-chair of Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLCs investment committee. Mr. Hall serves as a Managing Director of Crescent within private credit. Prior to joining Crescent in 2007, he worked as a Financial Analyst in Lehman Brothers Investment Banking Division. Mr. Hall received a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Raymond Barrios is the President of the Fund and co-chair of Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLCs investment committee. Mr. Barrios serves as a Managing Director of CCAP and Crescent, focusing on private credit. In addition, Mr. Barrios is a senior investment professional for Crescent Cap Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Crescent in 2008, Mr. Barrios worked in the Leveraged Finance Group of Jefferies & Company, Inc. Mr. Barrios received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Kirill Bouek is the Chief Financial Officer of the Fund. Mr. Bouek serves as the Controller of CCAP. Prior to joining CCAP, Mr. Bouek worked at THL Credit, where he was the Controller for its private debt business, which included a publicly traded business development company and several private fund structures. Prior to
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joining THL Credit, Mr. Bouek worked at American Securities and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he began his career in 2008. Mr. Bouek is a CPA/CFA and holds a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate, as well as an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Denver.
Erik Barrios is the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund. Mr. Barrios serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of CCAP and as a Senior Vice President, Legal Counsel and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of Crescent. Previously, Mr. Barrios was the Vice President, Legal & Compliance at The Carlyle Group, where he served as the Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary for the business development companies within the firms Global Credit platform and as the Chief Compliance Officer of Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund. Prior to joining The Carlyle Group, Mr. Barrios held roles at Avenue Capital Group, Cohen & Steers and J. & W. Seligman & Co., focusing on legal and regulatory matters for registered investment companies. Mr. Barrios received a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a B.S. from Georgetown University.
George P. Hawley is the Secretary of the Fund. In addition, Mr. Hawley serves as the Secretary of CCAP and as the General Counsel of Crescent. Previously, Mr. Hawley served as the General Counsel and Secretary of Crescent Acquisition Corporation. Prior to joining Crescent in 2012, Mr. Hawley was a Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at TCW where he supported Crescent on its funds and accounts. From 2000 to 2008, Mr. Hawley was an associate at Paul Hastings LLP specializing in asset management, securities, finance and restructuring, and general corporate law. Prior to joining Paul Hastings LLP, Mr. Hawley began his legal career at Baker, Keener & Nahra LLP where he practiced litigation. Mr. Hawley received a J.D. from Loyola Law School and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.
Communications with Directors
Stockholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board by mail. To communicate with the Board, any individual directors or any group or committee of directors, correspondence should be addressed to the Board or any such individual directors or group or committee of directors by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent c/o Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, California 90025, Attention: Secretary.
Committees of the Board
Our Board currently has two committees: an audit committee and a nominating and governance committee. We do not have a compensation committee because our executive officers do not receive any direct compensation from us.
Audit Committee. The audit committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the audit committee. The primary function of the audit committee is to serve as an independent and objective party to assist the Board in selecting, engaging and discharging our independent accountants, reviewing the plans, scope and results of the audit engagement with our independent accountants, approving professional services provided by our independent accountants (including compensation therefor), reviewing the independence of our independent accountants and reviewing the adequacy of our internal controls over financial reporting. The audit committee is presently composed of three persons, including Susan Yun Lee, Kathleen Briscoe and Martha Solis-Turner, all of whom are considered independent for purposes of the Investment Company Act. Susan Yun Lee serves as the chair of the Audit Committee. Our Board has determined that Susan Yun Lee qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Each of the members of the audit committee meet the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and, in addition, is not an interested person of the Fund or of our investment adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act.
A copy of the charter of the audit committee is available in print to any common stockholder who requests it and it is also available on the Funds website at www. .com. Information contained on our website is not
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incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.
Nominating and Governance Committee. The nominating and governance committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the nominating and governance committee, including making nominations for the appointment or election of directors. The nominating and governance committee consists of three persons, including Kathleen S. Briscoe, Susan Yun Lee and Martha Solis-Turner, all of whom are considered independent for purposes of the Investment Company Act. Kathleen S. Briscoe serves as the chair of the nominating and governance committee.
The nominating and governance committee will consider nominees to the Board recommended by a stockholder, if such stockholder complies with the advance notice provisions of our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a stockholder who wishes to nominate an individual for election as a director at a meeting of stockholders must deliver written notice to our corporate secretary. This notice must contain, as to each nominee, all of the information relating to such individual as would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement meeting the requirements of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, and certain other information set forth in the bylaws. In order to be eligible to be a nominee for election as a director by a stockholder, such potential nominee must execute a written questionnaire providing the requested information about the background and qualifications of such individual and a written representation and agreement that such person (i) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Fund in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Fund, (ii) is and will be in compliance with all of our publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and share ownership and trading policies and guidelines, (iii) will serve as director of the Fund if elected and will notify the Fund simultaneously with the stockholder the nominees actual or potential unwillingness or inability to so serve, and (iv) does not need any permission or consent from any third party, including any employer or any other board or governing body on which such nominee serves, to serve as director of the Fund, if elected, that has not been obtained.
A copy of the charter of the nominating and governance committee is available in print to any common stockholder who requests it, and it is also available on the Funds website at www. .com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.
Compensation of Directors
Our directors who do not also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or our investment adviser are entitled to receive annual cash retainer fees, fees for participating in the in-person board and committee meetings and annual fees for serving as a committee chairperson, determined based on our net assets as of the end of each fiscal quarter. These directors are Kathleen S. Briscoe, Susan Yun Lee and Martha Solis Turner. Amounts payable under the arrangement are determined and paid quarterly in arrears as follows:
Annual Committee Chair Cash Retainer |
||||||||||||||||||||
Annual Cash |
Board Meeting Fee |
Audit | Nominating and Governance |
Committee Meeting Fee |
Special Meeting Fee |
|||||||||||||||
$50,000 (NAV up to $1 billion) |
$ | 2,500 | $ | 7,500 | None | $ | 1,000 | $ | 500 | |||||||||||
$75,000 (NAV $1 billion to $2 billion) |
$ | 2,500 | $ | 7,500 | None | $ | 1,000 | $ | 500 | |||||||||||
$100,000 (NAV greater than $2 billion) |
$ | 2,500 | $ | 7,500 | |
None |
|
$ | 1,000 | $ | 500 |
We also reimburse each of the directors for all reasonable and authorized business expenses in accordance with our policies as in effect from time to time, including reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board meeting and each committee meeting not held concurrently with a board meeting.
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We will not pay compensation to our directors who also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or our investment adviser.
Staffing
We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees or affiliates of our investment adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, and our administrator, CCAP Administration LLC, pursuant to the terms of our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and our Administration Agreement, respectively. Each of our executive officers is an employee or affiliate of our investment adviser or our administrator. We reimburse both our investment adviser and our administrator for a certain portion of expenses incurred in connection with such staffing. Because we have no employees, we do not have a formal employee relations policy.
Compensation of Executive Officers
None of our officers will receive direct compensation from us. A portion of the compensation of certain of our officers (including any chief compliance officer, chief accounting officer, general counsel and secretary) will be paid by our administrator, subject to reimbursement by us of an allocable portion of such compensation for services rendered by them to us. To the extent that our administrator outsources any of its functions, we will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis without profit to our administrator.
Board Leadership Structure
The Board monitors and performs an oversight role with respect to the business and affairs of the Fund, including with respect to investment practices and performance, compliance with regulatory requirements and the services, conflicts of interest, expenses and performance of service providers to the Fund. Among other things, the Board approves the appointment of the investment adviser, administrator and officers, reviews and monitors the services and activities performed by the investment adviser, administrator and officers and approves the engagement, and reviews the performance of, the Funds independent registered public accounting firm.
Under our bylaws, the Board may designate one of the directors as a chairperson to preside over the meetings of the Board and meetings of the stockholders and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Board. The Board has appointed Jason A. Breaux to serve in the role of chairperson of the Board. The chairpersons role is to preside at all meetings of the Board and to act as a liaison with our investment adviser, counsel and other directors generally between meetings. The chairperson serves as a key point person for dealings between management and the directors. The chairperson also may perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time. The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over the matters under its purview and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees of directors and the full board in a manner that enhances effective oversight.
The Board believes that its leadership structure is the optimal structure at this time. The Board, which will review its leadership structure periodically as part of its annual self-assessment process, further believes that its structure is presently appropriate to enable it to exercise its oversight.
Board Role in Risk Oversight
The Board performs its risk oversight function and fulfills its risk oversight responsibilities primarily (1) through its two standing committees, which report to the entire Board and are comprised solely of independent directors, (2) by working with the Funds Chief Compliance Officer to monitor risk in accordance with the Funds compliance policies and procedures, and (3) by reviewing risk management processes throughout the year and requesting periodic reports from the Funds investment adviser regarding risk management, including reports on cybersecurity.
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As described above in more detail under Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee, the audit committee and the nominating and governance committee assist the Board in performing its risk oversight function and fulfilling its risk oversight responsibilities. The audit committees risk oversight responsibilities include overseeing the Funds accounting and financial reporting processes, assisting the Board in fulfilling the Boards oversight responsibilities relating to the Funds systems of internal controls over financial reporting, audits of the Funds financial statements and disclosure controls and procedures, assisting the Board in determining the fair value of securities that are not publicly traded or for which current market values are not readily available, and discussing with management the Funds major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, including the Funds risk assessment and risk management policies. The nominating and governance committees risk oversight responsibilities include developing, reviewing and updating certain policies regarding the nomination of directors, identifying, evaluating and nominating directors to fill vacancies on the Board or to stand for election by the Funds stockholders, reviewing the Funds policies relating to corporate governance, and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and its committees.
The Board also performs its risk oversight function and fulfills its risk oversight responsibilities by working with the Funds Chief Compliance Officer to monitor risk in accordance with the Funds policies and procedures. The Chief Compliance Officer prepares a written report annually discussing the adequacy and effectiveness of the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund and certain of its service providers. The Chief Compliance Officers report, which is reviewed by and discussed with the Board, addresses at a minimum (1) the operation of the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund and certain of its service providers since the last report; (2) any material changes to such policies and procedures since the last report; (3) any recommendations for material changes to such policies and procedures as a result of the Chief Compliance Officers annual review; and (4) any compliance matter that has occurred since the date of the last report about which the Board would reasonably need to know to oversee the Funds compliance activities and risks. In addition, the Chief Compliance Officer reports to the Board on a quarterly basis with respect to material compliance matters and meets separately in executive session with the independent directors periodically, but in no event less than once each year.
The Fund believes that the Boards role in risk oversight is effective and appropriate given the extensive regulation to which it is already subject as a BDC. Specifically, as a BDC the Fund must comply with certain regulatory requirements and restrictions that control the levels of risk in its business and operations. For example, the Funds ability to incur indebtedness is limited such that its asset coverage must equal at least 150% immediately after each time it incurs indebtedness, the Fund generally has to invest at least 70% of its total assets in qualifying assets and, subject to certain exceptions, the Fund is subject to restrictions on its ability to engage in transactions with Crescent and its affiliates. In addition, the Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code. As a RIC the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source of income and asset diversification requirements.
The Fund believes that the extent of the Boards (and its committees) role in risk oversight complements the Boards leadership structure because it allows the Funds independent directors, through the two fully independent Board committees, a lead independent director, executive sessions with each of the Funds Chief Compliance Officer, the Funds independent registered public accounting firm and independent valuation providers, and otherwise, to exercise oversight of risk without any conflict that might discourage critical review.
The Fund believes that board roles in risk oversight must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and that the Boards existing role in risk oversight is appropriate. However, the Board re-examines the manner in which it administers its risk oversight function on an ongoing basis to ensure that it continues to meet the Funds needs.
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Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC will serve as our investment adviser. Our investment adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of our Board, our investment adviser will manage the day-to-day operations of, and provide investment advisory and management services to, us.
Investment Personnel
Our senior staff of investment personnel currently consists of the members of the Investment Committee, who we consider to be the Funds portfolio managers. The Investment Committee is currently comprised of Raymond Barrios, Jason A. Breaux, Kimberly Grant, Eric Hall and Christopher G. Wright. Our investment adviser may retain additional investment personnel in the future based upon its needs.
Name |
Position |
Length of Service with |
Principal Occupation(s) | |||
Raymond Barrios |
President of the Fund, Managing Director of Crescent | Since 2008 | Managing Director of CCAP and Crescent, focusing on private credit. Mr. Barrios is currently a senior investment professional for Crescent Cap Advisors. | |||
Jason A. Breaux |
Director and Chair of the Board of the Fund, Managing Director of Crescent | Since 2000 | Chief Executive Officer of CCAP, President of CCAP, Chairman of Crescent Cap Advisors, LLCs investment committee and Managing Director of Crescent within private credit. | |||
Kimberly Grant |
Managing Director of Crescent | Since 2005 | Serves on Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLCs investment committees. | |||
Eric Hall |
Chief Executive Officer of the Fund, Managing Director of Crescent | Since 2007 | Managing Director of Crescent within private credit. | |||
Christopher G. Wright |
Director of the Fund, Managing Director and Head of Private Markets of Crescents Management Committee | Since 2001 | Managing Director and Head of Private Markets of Crescents Management Committee. |
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The table below shows the dollar range of our Common Shares owned by the portfolio managers as of March 31, 2023:
Name of Portfolio Manager |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.(1) | |
Raymond Barrios | None | |
Jason A. Breaux | None | |
Kimberly Grant | None | |
Eric Hall | None | |
Christopher G. Wright | None |
(1) | Dollar ranges are as follows: none, $1$10,000, $10,001$50,000, $50,001$100,000, $100,001$500,000, $500,001$1,000,000 or over $1,000,000. |
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Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers
The portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund also manage other registered investment companies and BDCs, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts, as indicated below. The following table identifies, as of December 31, 2022: (i) the number of other registered investment companies and BDCs, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager; (ii) the total assets of such companies, vehicles and accounts; and (iii) the number and total assets of such companies, vehicles and accounts that are subject to an advisory fee based on performance.
Type of Account |
Number of Accounts |
Assets of Accounts (in millions) |
Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance Fee |
Assets Subject to a Performance Fee (in millions) |
||||||||||||
Raymond Barrios |
||||||||||||||||
Registered investment companies/ Business development companies |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other pooled investment vehicles |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other accounts |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Jason A. Breaux |
||||||||||||||||
Registered investment companies / Business development companies |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other pooled investment vehicles |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other accounts |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Kimberly Grant |
||||||||||||||||
Registered investment companies / Business development companies |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other pooled investment vehicles |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other accounts |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Eric Hall |
||||||||||||||||
Registered investment companies / Business development companies |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other pooled investment vehicles |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other accounts |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Christopher G. Wright |
||||||||||||||||
Registered investment companies / Business development companies |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other pooled investment vehicles |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Other accounts |
$ | $ |
Our Investment Adviser
Investment Committee
The Investment Committee will meet regularly to consider our investments, direct our strategic initiatives and supervise the actions taken by our investment adviser on our behalf, including by making determinations concerning the credit quality of any unrated securities in which the Fund may invest. In addition, the Investment Committee reviews and determines whether to make prospective investments identified by our investment adviser and monitors the performance of our investment portfolio. The day-to-day management of investments approved by the Investment Committee will be overseen by investment personnel.
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Members of the Investment Committee Who Are Not Our Directors or Executive Officers
Below is biographical information relating to the members of the Investment Committee, other than Jason A. Breaux, Raymond Barrios, Eric Hall and Christopher G. Wright. For biographical information relating to Jason A. Breaux, Raymond Barrios, Eric Hall and Christopher G. Wright, please see Management of the FundBiographical Information.
Kimberly Grant serves as a Managing Director of Crescent focusing on junior debt. Prior to joining Crescent in 2005, Ms. Grant served as an Associate of Rustic Canyon Ventures. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Grant was a member of the West Coast Generalist Group of Credit Suisse First Boston. Ms. Grant is a current or former member or observer of the Board of numerous private companies. Ms. Grant received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and her B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.
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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC is located at 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, California 90025. Our investment adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of our Board and in accordance with the Investment Company Act, our investment adviser manages our day-to-day operations and provides investment advisory services to us.
Management Services
Crescent Cap NT Advisors LLC provides investment advisory services to us and our portfolio companies pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, our investment adviser is responsible for (i) managing the investment and reinvestment of our assets in accordance with (A) the investment objective, policies and restrictions set forth herein, (B) the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act and all other applicable federal and state law and (iii) our charter and bylaws, as such may be amended from time to time, (ii) determining the composition of our investment portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes, (iii) identifying, evaluating and negotiating the structure of our investments (including performing diligence on prospective portfolio companies), (iv) executing, closing, servicing and monitoring our investments, (v) determining the securities and other assets we will purchase, retain and sell, (vi) provide us with such other investment advisory, research and related services as we may, from time to time reasonably require for the investment of our funds and disposition of such investments and (vii) submit to officials or agencies administering the securities laws of a state such reports and statements required to be distributed pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, this prospectus and applicable federal and state law.
Compensation of Our Investment Adviser
Our investment advisers services under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement are not exclusive, and our investment adviser is free to furnish similar or other services to others so long as its services to the Fund are not impaired. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, our investment adviser is entitled to receive a base management fee and may also receive incentive fees, as discussed below. The cost of both the management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by the stockholders.
Base Management Fee
The management fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For purposes of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, net assets means our total net assets, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the first calendar month in which the Fund had operations, May 2023, net assets were measured as the beginning net assets as of the effective date of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. Substantial additional fees and expenses may also be charged by the administrator to the Fund, which is an affiliate of the investment adviser, for our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement. Our investment adviser has agreed to waive its management and incentive fees until the initial closing for the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. The longer an investor holds our Common Shares during this period, the longer such investor will receive the benefit of this fee waiver period.
Incentive Fee
The incentive fee consists of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the incentive fee is based on a percentage of our income and a portion is based on a percentage of our capital gains, each as described below.
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Incentive Fee Based on Income
The portion based on our income is based on pre-incentive fee net investment income, as defined in the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, for the quarter. Pre-incentive fee net investment income means, as the context requires, either the dollar value of, or percentage rate of return on the value of our net assets in accordance with GAAP at the end of the immediately preceding quarter from, interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus our operating expenses accrued for the quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement entered into between us and our administrator, and any interest expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee and any stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees).
Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns include, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as market or original issue discount, debt investments with PIK interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. The impact of expense support payments and recoupments are also excluded from pre-incentive fee net investment income.
Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediately preceding quarter, is compared to a hurdle rate of return of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized).
We pay our investment adviser an incentive fee quarterly in arrears with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows:
| No incentive fee based on pre-incentive fee net investment income in any calendar quarter in which our pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter ( 5.0% annualized); |
| 100% of the dollar amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). We refer to this portion of our pre-incentive fee net investment income (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.43%) as the catch-up. The catch-up is meant to provide our investment adviser with approximately 12.5% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income as if a hurdle rate did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 1.43% in any calendar quarter; and |
| 12.5% of the dollar amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This reflects that once the hurdle rate is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 12.5% of all pre-incentive fee net investment income thereafter are allocated to our investment adviser. |
The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income based fee:
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(expressed as a percentage of the value of net assets)
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Allocated to Quarterly Incentive Fee
You should be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to our investment adviser with respect to pre-incentive fee net investment income. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that we may pay an incentive fee in a calendar quarter in which we incur an overall loss taking into account capital account losses. For example, if we receive pre-incentive fee net investment income in excess of the quarterly hurdle rate, we will pay the applicable incentive fee even if we have incurred a loss in that calendar quarter due to realized and unrealized capital losses.
Incentive Fee Based on Capital Gains
The second component of the incentive fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears. The amount payable equals:
| 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fees, as calculated in accordance with GAAP. |
Each year, the fee paid for the capital gains incentive fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fee for all prior periods. We will accrue, but will not pay, a capital gains incentive fee with respect to unrealized appreciation because a capital gains incentive fee would be owed to our investment adviser if we were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. In no event will the capital gains incentive fee payable pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.
The fees that are payable under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter.
Examples of Fee Quarterly Incentive Fee Calculation
Example 1: Income Related Portion of Incentive Fee(*):
Alternative 1:
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 1.25%
Hurdle(1) = 1.25%
Base management fee(2) = 0.3125%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(investment income(base management fee + other expenses)) = 0.7375%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not exceed the hurdle amount; therefore, there is no incentive fee.
Alternative 2:
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 1.90%
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Hurdle(1) = 1.25%
Base management fee(2) = 0.3125%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(investment income(base management fee + other expenses)) = 1.3875%
Incentive fee |
= 12.5% x Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, subject to catch-up(4)
| |
= 1.3875%1.25%
| ||
= 0.1375%
| ||
= 100% x 0.1375%
| ||
= 0.1375%
|
Alternative 3:
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 3.00%
Hurdle(1) = 1.25%
Base management fee(2) = 0.3125%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(investment income(base management fee + other expenses)) = 2.4875%
* | The hypothetical amount of pre-incentive fee net investment income shown is based on a percentage of total net assets. |
(1) | Represents 5.0% annualized hurdle rate. |
(2) | Represents 1.25% annualized base management fee. |
(3) | Hypothetical other expenses. Excludes offering expenses. |
(4) | The catch-up provision is intended to provide the investment adviser with an incentive fee of 12.5% on all of the Funds Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income as if a hurdle rate did not apply when the Funds pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds 1.43% in any calendar quarter. |
Example 2: Capital Gains Portion of Incentive Fee:
Alternative 1
Assumptions
Year 1 = no net realized capital gains or losses
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Year 2 = 6% realized capital gains and 1% realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation, capital gain incentive fee = 12.5% x (realized capital gains for year computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation at year end)
Year 1 incentive fee |
= 12.5% x (0)
| |
= 0
| ||
= no incentive fee
| ||
Year 2 incentive fee |
= 12.5% x (6%1%)
| |
= 12.5% x 5%
| ||
= 0.625%
|
GAAP Incentive Fee on Cumulative Unrealized Capital Appreciation
The Fund accrues, but does not pay, a portion of the incentive fee based on capital gains with respect to net unrealized appreciation. Under GAAP, the Fund is required to accrue an incentive fee based on capital gains that includes net realized capital gains and losses and net unrealized capital appreciation and depreciation on investments held at the end of each period. In calculating the accrual for the incentive fee based on capital gains, the Fund considers the cumulative aggregate unrealized capital appreciation in the calculation, since an incentive fee based on capital gains would be payable if such unrealized capital appreciation were realized, even though such unrealized capital appreciation is not permitted to be considered in calculating the fee payable under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. This accrual is calculated using the aggregate cumulative realized capital gains and losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. If such amount is positive at the end of a period, then the Fund records a capital gains incentive fee equal to 12.5% of such amount, minus the aggregate amount of actual incentive fees based on capital gains paid in all prior periods. If such amount is negative, then there is no accrual for such period. There can be no assurance that such unrealized capital appreciation will be realized in the future.
Organization of our Investment Adviser
Our investment adviser is Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, that is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Crescent Capital Group LP (Crescent) is the parent company of our investment adviser. Crescent is a global credit investment manager with total assets under management of over $40 billion. Crescent focuses on below investment grade credit through strategies that invest in marketable and privately originated debt securities including senior bank loans, high yield bonds, as well as private senior, unitranche and junior debt securities. The principal executive offices of Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC is located at 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, California 90025.
Administration Agreement
Our Board also approved the Administration Agreement with our administrator, at a board meeting held on January 3, 2023. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the administrator furnishes the Fund with administrative services. These services include providing us with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services, maintaining financial and other records, preparing reports to stockholders and reports and other materials filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Our administrator also will provide on our behalf significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which the Fund is required to provide such assistance. Certain of these services are reimbursable to our administrator under the terms of the Administration Agreement. In addition, our administrator is permitted to delegate its duties under the Administration Agreement to affiliates or third parties. To the extent our administrator outsources any of its functions, the Fund pays the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis, without profit to our administrator. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty on 60 days written notice to the other party.
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No person who is an officer, director or employee of our administrator or its affiliates and who serves as a director receives any compensation for his or her services as a director. However, the Fund reimburses our administrator (or its affiliates) for an allocable portion of the costs, expenses, compensation and benefits paid by our administrator or its affiliates to our chief compliance officer, general counsel, secretary, their respective staffs and our operations and finance staffs who provide services to us. The allocable portion of the compensation for these officers and other professionals are included in the administration expenses paid to our administrator. Directors who are not affiliated with our administrator or its affiliates receive compensation for their services and reimbursement of expenses incurred to attend meetings.
Certain Terms of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement
The Administration Agreement has been approved by our Board, including a majority of our Independent Directors. Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Administration Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from its effective date and will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if approved annually by (i) the vote of our Board, and (ii) the vote of a majority of our Independent Directors. The Administration Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of assignment. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon not less than 60 days written notice to the other party.
The Investment Advisory and Management Agreement has been approved by our Board, including a majority of our Independent Directors. Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from its effective date, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) the vote of our Board, or the vote of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and (b) the vote of a majority of our Independent Directors. The Investment Advisory and Management Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon 60 days written notice, by the vote of stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by the vote of the Funds directors or by our investment adviser on 120 days written notice. The Administration Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of assignment.
Our investment adviser and our administrator have not assumed any responsibility to the Fund other than to render the services called for under each of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively. Our investment adviser and administrator will not be responsible for any action of the Board in following or declining to follow either our investment advisers or our administrators advice or recommendations. Under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, our investment adviser and our administrator, respectively, and each of their officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with our investment adviser or our administrator, and any person controlling or controlled by our investment adviser or our administrator will not be liable to the Fund, any subsidiary of the Fund, the directors, stockholders or any subsidiarys stockholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that our investment adviser and our administrator owe to the Fund under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively. In addition, as part of each of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, the Fund has agreed to indemnify our investment adviser and our administrator, respectively, and each of their officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with our investment adviser, from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with the Funds business and operations or any action taken or omitted on the Funds behalf pursuant to authority granted by each of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, except where attributable to gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of such persons duties under each of the Investment Advisory and
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Management Agreement and Administration Agreement. These protections may lead each of our investment adviser and our administrator to act in a riskier manner when acting on the Funds behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
U.S. federal and state securities laws may impose liability under certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith. Nothing in the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement or Administration Agreement will constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights that the Fund may have under any applicable law.
Payment of Our Expenses Under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreements
The Funds primary operating expenses include the payment of management fees and incentive fees to our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, as amended, our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement with our administrator and other operating costs described below. The management and incentive fees compensate our investment adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, closing and monitoring our investments. We bear all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including:
(a) | organization and offering expenses of the Fund associated with this offering, as provided for in Conduct Rule 2310(a)(12) of FINRA; |
(b) | calculating the Funds net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firms or pricing services); |
(c) | fees and expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by our investment adviser or payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, monitoring the Funds investments (including the cost of consultants hired to develop technology systems designed to monitor the Funds investments) and, if necessary, enforcing the Funds rights; |
(d) | costs and expenses related to the formation and maintenance of entities or special purpose vehicles to hold assets for tax, financing or other purposes; |
(e) | expenses related to consummated and unconsummated portfolio investments including, without limitation any reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments, including expenses relating to unconsummated investments that may have been attributable to co-investors had such investments been consummated; |
(f) | debt servicing (including interest, fees and expenses related to the Funds indebtedness) and other costs arising out of borrowings, leverage, guarantees or other financing arrangements, including, but not limited to, the arrangements thereof; |
(g) | offerings of the Funds Common Shares and the Funds other securities; |
(h) | costs of effecting sales and repurchases of the Funds Common Shares and other securities, if any; |
(i) | the Base Management Fee and any Incentive Fee (each as defined in the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement); |
(j) | dividends and other distributions on the Funds Common Shares; |
(k) | administration fees and/or expenses payable to our administrator under the Administration Agreement; |
(l) | fees payable, if any, under any distribution manager, intermediary manager or selected intermediary agreements; |
(m) | fees payable under the Funds Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan; |
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(n) | fees and expenses incurred in connection with the services of representatives, depositories, paying agents, transfer agents, escrow agents, dividend agents, trustees, rating agencies and custodians; |
(o) | the allocated costs incurred by our administrator in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it; |
(p) | other expenses incurred by our investment adviser, our administrator, any sub-administrator or the Fund in connection with administering its business, including payments made to third-party providers of goods or services and payments to our administrator that will be based upon the Funds allocable portion of overhead; |
(q) | amounts payable to third parties, including representatives, depositories, paying agents, agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating, making and disposing of investments (excluding payments to third-party vendors for financial information services and costs associated with meeting potential sponsors); |
(r) | fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts associated with the offer and sale of the Funds securities (including attendance at investment conferences and similar events); |
(s) | brokerage fees and commissions; |
(t) | federal, state and local registration fees, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; |
(u) | all costs of registration and qualifying the Funds securities pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC or any other regulatory authority, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; |
(v) | federal, state and local taxes; |
(w) | independent director fees and expenses; |
(x) | costs associated with the Funds reporting and compliance obligations under the Investment Company Act, applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction (including any reporting required in connection with Annex IV of the AIFM Directive); |
(y) | costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by governmental bodies (including the SEC) and any agency administering the securities laws of a state, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; |
(z) | costs associated with individual or group stockholders, including the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to the Funds stockholders, including printing costs and the costs of investor relations personnel responsible for the foregoing and related matters; |
(aa) | costs of holding Board meetings and stockholder meetings, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; |
(bb) | the Funds fidelity bond; |
(cc) | outside legal expenses; |
(dd) | accounting expenses (including costs and fees of the Funds independent accounting firm and fees, disbursements and expenses related to the audit of the Fund and the preparation of the Funds tax information); |
(ee) | directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; |
(ff) | costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute, and indemnification and other non-recurring or extraordinary expenses; |
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(gg) | direct costs and expenses of administration and operation, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, cellular phone and data service, copying, secretarial and other staff, audit and legal costs; |
(hh) | dues, fees and charges of any trade association of which the Fund is a member; |
(ii) | costs of hedging, including the use of derivatives by the Fund; |
(jj) | costs associated with investor relations efforts; |
(kk) | proxy voting expenses; |
(ll) | costs of information technology and related costs, including costs related to software, hardware and other technological systems (including specialty and custom software); |
(mm) | fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Funds assets; |
(nn) | costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records; and |
(oo) | all other expenses reasonably incurred by the Fund, our administrator or any sub-administrator in connection with administering the Funds business. |
From time to time, our investment adviser, our administrator, or their respective affiliates, may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse our investment adviser, our administrator, or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. Each of our investment adviser or our administrator will waive its right to be reimbursed in the event that such reimbursements would cause any distributions to the Funds common stockholders to constitute a return of capital to stockholders. All of these expenses will ultimately be borne by the Funds common stockholders.
Board Approval of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement
Our Board, including our independent directors, approved the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement at a meeting held on January 3, 2023. In reaching a decision to approve the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, the Board reviewed a significant amount of information and considered, among other things:
| the nature, quality and extent of the advisory and other services to be provided to the Fund by our investment adviser; |
| the proposed investment advisory fee rates to be paid by the Fund to our investment adviser; |
| the fee structures of comparable externally managed business development companies that engage in similar investing activities; |
| our projected operating expenses and expense ratio compared to business development companies with similar investment objectives; and |
| information about the services to be performed and the personnel who would be performing such services under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement; and the organizational capability and financial condition of our investment adviser and its affiliates. |
Based on the information reviewed and the discussion thereof, the Board, including a majority of the non-interested directors, concluded that the investment advisory fee rates are reasonable in relation to the services to be provided and approved the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement as being in the best interests of our common stockholders.
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Prohibited Activities
Our activities are subject to compliance with the Investment Company Act. In addition, our charter prohibits the following activities among us, our investment adviser and its affiliates:
| We may not purchase or lease assets in which our investment adviser or any of its affiliates has an interest unless (i) we fully disclose the terms of the transaction to our common stockholders, the terms are reasonable to us and the price does not exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value, as determined by an independent expert or (ii) such purchase or lease of assets is consistent with the Investment Company Act or an exemptive order under the Investment Company Act issued to us by the SEC; |
| We may not invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with affiliates and non-affiliates unless certain conditions are met; |
| Our investment adviser and its affiliates may not acquire assets from us unless (i) approved by our common stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter or (ii) such acquisition is consistent with the Investment Company Act or an exemptive order under the Investment Company Act issued to us by the SEC; |
| We may not lease assets to our investment adviser or its affiliates unless the transaction occurs at our formation, we disclose the terms of the transaction to our common stockholders and such terms are fair and reasonable to us; |
| We may not make any loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise to investment adviser or its affiliates except for the advancement of funds as permitted by our charter or unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC; |
| We may not acquire assets from our affiliates in exchange for our Common Shares; |
| We may not pay a commission or fee, either directly or indirectly to our investment adviser or its affiliates in connection with the reinvestment of cash flows from operations and available reserves or of the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of our assets, except as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the Investment Company Act; |
| Our investment adviser may not charge duplicate fees to us; and |
| Our investment adviser may not provide financing to us with a term in excess of 12 months. |
In addition, in the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, our investment adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state securities laws governing its operations and investments.
License Agreement
We have entered into a license agreement with Crescent, pursuant to which we have been granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name Crescent Capital. Under this agreement, we will have a right to use the Crescent name for so long as Crescent Cap NT Advisers, LLC remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the Crescent Capital name.
Compliance with the Omnibus Guidelines Published by NASAA
Rebates, Kickbacks and Reciprocal Arrangements
Our charter prohibits our investment adviser from: (i) receiving or accepting any rebate, give-ups or similar arrangement that is prohibited under applicable federal or state securities laws, (ii) participating in any reciprocal business arrangement that would circumvent provisions of applicable federal or state securities laws governing
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conflicts of interest or investment restrictions or (iii) entering into any agreement, arrangement or understanding that would circumvent the restrictions against dealing with affiliates or promoters under applicable federal or state securities laws. In addition, our investment adviser may not directly or indirectly pay or award any fees or commissions or other compensation to any person or entity engaged to sell our shares or give investment advice to a potential stockholder; provided, however, that our investment adviser may pay a registered broker or other properly licensed agent sales commissions or other standard compensation (including cash compensation and non-cash compensation (as such terms are defined under FINRA Rule 2310)) for selling or distributing our Common Shares, including out of the investment advisers own assets, including those amounts paid to the investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement.
Commingling
The investment adviser may not permit our funds to be commingled with the funds of any other entity.
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POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The following represents the known inherent or potential conflicts of interest that should be considered by prospective investors before subscribing for the Common Shares. We have entered into the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement with our investment adviser, a subsidiary of Crescent, an entity in which certain directors and officers of the Fund and members of the investment committee of the investment adviser may have indirect ownership and pecuniary interests. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, we pay Crescent Cap NT Advisers, LLC a management fee and an incentive fee. See Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration AgreementCompensation of Our Investment Adviser for a description of how the fees payable to our investment adviser will be determined. Pursuant to our Administration Agreement, we reimburse CCAP Administration LLC, at cost, for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses (including travel expenses) incurred by CCAP Administration LLC in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. See Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration AgreementAdministration Agreement for a description of how the expenses reimbursable to our administrator will be determined. The Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement is intended to ensure that no portion of our distributions to stockholders will represent a return of capital to stockholders for tax purposes. See Plan of OperationExpensesExpense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement for additional information regarding the Expense Support Agreement.
Conflicts may arise in allocating and structuring investments, time, services, expenses or resources among the investment activities of Crescent funds and accounts, Crescent and other Crescent-affiliated entities. Certain of our executive officers and directors, and members of the investment committee of our investment adviser, serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of other entities and affiliates of our investment adviser and investment funds and accounts managed by our investment adviser or its affiliates, including Crescent. These officers and directors, along with our investment adviser, and other key personnel, will devote such portion of their time to our affairs as is required for the performance of their duties, but they are not required to devote all of their time to us. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in our or our common stockholders best interests or may require them to devote time to services for other entities, which could interfere with the time available to provide services to us. Members of our investment advisers investment committee may have significant responsibilities for other Crescent funds and accounts. Similarly, although the professional staff of our investment adviser will devote as much time to the management of us as appropriate to enable our investment adviser to perform its duties in accordance with the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, the investment professionals of our investment adviser may have conflicts in allocating their time and services among us, on the one hand, and investment vehicles managed by our investment adviser or one or more of its affiliates, on the other hand. These activities could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest insofar as the time and effort of the professional staff of our investment adviser and its officers and employees will not be devoted exclusively to our business but will instead be allocated between our business and the management of these other investment vehicles.
Our investment adviser has adopted an investment allocation policy designed to ensure that all investment opportunities are, to the extent practicable, allocated among its clients on a basis that over a period of time is fair and equitable to each client relative to other clients as well as a co-investment policy designed to ensure fair allocation of co-investment opportunities amongst its clients. Certain Crescent vehicles may have investment objectives that compete or overlap with, and may from time to time invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by the Fund, and our executive officers, certain of our directors and members of the investment committee of the investment adviser also serve as officers or principals of other investment managers affiliated with Crescent that currently, and may in the future, manage such Crescent vehicles that have investment objectives similar to our investment objectives. Consequently, we, on the one hand, and these other entities, on the other hand, may from time to time pursue the same or similar capital and investment opportunities. Crescent and our investment adviser endeavor to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, and in any event consistent with any fiduciary duties owed to the Fund. Nevertheless, it is possible that we may not be
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given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by investment vehicles managed by investment managers affiliated with Crescent (including our investment adviser). In addition, there may be conflicts in the allocation of investments among us and the vehicles managed by investment managers affiliated with Crescent (including our investment adviser), including investments made pursuant to the Co-Investment Exemptive Order. Further, such other Crescent-managed vehicles may hold positions in portfolio companies in which the Fund has also invested. Such investments may raise potential conflicts of interest between the Fund and such other Crescent-managed vehicles, particularly if the Fund and such other Crescent-managed vehicles invest in different classes or types of securities or investments of the same underlying portfolio company. In that regard, actions may be taken by such other Crescent-managed vehicles that are adverse to the Funds interests, including, but not limited to, during a restructuring, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceeding or similar matter occurring at the underlying portfolio company. See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureOur investment adviser, the investment committee of our investment adviser, Crescent and their affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest.
Co-Investment Opportunities
As a BDC, we are subject to certain regulatory restrictions in negotiating certain investments with entities with which we may be restricted from doing so under the Investment Company Act, such as our investment adviser and its affiliates.
Our investment adviser has, and its affiliates have, received the Co-Investment Exemptive Order from the SEC that permits us and other BDCs and registered closed-end management investment companies managed by Crescent to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment vehicles. Co-investments made under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order are subject to compliance with certain conditions and other requirements, which could limit our ability to participate in a co-investment transaction. We may also otherwise co-invest with vehicles managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and our allocation procedures. There can be no guarantee that the exemptive relief will be further extended.
License Agreement
We have entered into a license agreement with Crescent, pursuant to which we have been granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name Crescent Capital. Under this agreement, we will have a right to use the Crescent name for so long as Crescent Cap NT Advisers, LLC remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the Crescent Capital name.
Material Non-Public Information
Members of our investment advisers investment committee and other employees of our investment adviser and its affiliates may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, companies in which we may invest or in which we are pursuing an investment opportunity. Through these and other relationships with a company, these individuals may obtain material non-public information that might restrict our ability to buy or sell the securities of such company under the policies of the company or applicable law, including, for example, the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws.
Code of Conduct
As a BDC, we are subject to certain regulatory requirements that restrict our ability to engage in certain related-party transactions. We have adopted procedures for the review, approval and monitoring of transactions that involve us and certain of our related persons. For example, we have a code of conduct that generally prohibits our executive officers or directors from engaging in any transaction where there is a conflict between such individuals personal interest and the interests of the Fund. Any waiver to the code of conduct will generally
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only be permitted to be obtained from the Chief Compliance Officer, the chairperson of the Board or the chairperson of the audit committee and will be publicly disclosed as required by applicable law and regulations. In addition, the audit committee is required to review and approve all related-party transactions (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).
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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth, as of , 2023, information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our Common Shares by:
| each person known to us to be expected to beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding Common Shares; |
| each of our directors and each executive officers; and |
| all of our directors and executive officers as a group. |
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. There are no Common Shares subject to options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the offering. Percentage of beneficial ownership is based on of our Common Shares outstanding as of , 2023.
Unless stated otherwise, the address for each individual or entity listed in the table is c/o Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, California 90025.
Shares Beneficially Owned | ||||||||
Name and Address |
Number | Percentage | ||||||
Interested Directors |
||||||||
Jason A. Breaux |
| | % | |||||
Christopher G. Wright |
| | % | |||||
Independent Directors |
||||||||
Kathleen S. Briscoe |
| | % | |||||
Susan Yun Lee |
| | % | |||||
Martha Solis-Turner |
| | % | |||||
Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors |
||||||||
Eric Hall |
| | % | |||||
Raymond Barrios |
| | % | |||||
Kirill Bouek |
| | % | |||||
Erik Barrios |
| | % | |||||
George P. Hawley |
| | % | |||||
Other |
||||||||
All Officers and Directors as a Group (10 persons) |
| | % | |||||
5% Holders |
||||||||
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada(1) |
% | |||||||
BK Canada Holdings Inc.(1) |
% |
(1) | The address for Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and BK Canada Holdings Inc. is 1 York Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5J 0B6. |
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The following table sets forth the dollar range of our equity securities as of , 2023.
Name and Address |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.(1)(2) |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund Complex(1) |
||||||
Interested Directors |
||||||||
Jason A. Breaux |
None | |||||||
Christopher G. Wright |
None | |||||||
Independent Directors |
||||||||
Kathleen S. Briscoe |
None | |||||||
Susan Yun Lee |
None | |||||||
Martha Solis-Turner |
None |
(1) | Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Exchange Act. |
(2) | The dollar range of equity securities expected to be beneficially owned are: none, $1$10,000, $10,001$50,000, $50,001$100,000 or over $100,000. |
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We currently intend to pay regular monthly distributions commencing with the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus. However, any distributions we make will be at the sole discretion of our Board, which will consider factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Maryland law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time.
Our Boards discretion as to the payment of distributions will be directed, in substantial part, by its determination to cause us to comply with the RIC requirements. To maintain our treatment as a RIC, we generally are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our common stockholders of at least 90% of our taxable income and tax exempt interest. See Description of Our Shares and Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
The per share amount of distributions on Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares generally differ because of different class-specific stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees that are deducted from the gross distributions for each share class. Specifically, distributions on Class S shares will be lower than Class D shares, and distributions on Class D shares will be lower than Class I shares because we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S shares (compared to Class D shares and Class I shares) and we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to Class D shares (compared to Class I shares).
There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Additionally, funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or proceeds of this offering may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your Common Shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering, but over time, we intend to fund distributions fully from cash flow from operations.
From time to time, we may also pay special interim distributions in the form of cash or Common Shares at the sole discretion of our Board.
We have not established limits on the amount of funds we may use from any available sources to make distributions. There can be no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary to sustain our distributions or that we will be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all. Our investment adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to waive advisory fees or otherwise reimburse expenses in future periods. See Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement.
Consistent with the Code, stockholders will be notified of the source of our distributions. Our distributions may exceed our earnings and profits, especially during the period before we have substantially invested the proceeds from this offering. As a result, a portion of the distributions we make may represent a return of capital to stockholders for tax purposes. The tax basis of shares must be reduced by the amount of any return of capital distributions, which will result in an increase in the amount of any taxable gain (or a reduction in any deductible loss) on the sale of shares.
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For a period of time following commencement of this offering, which time period may be significant, we expect substantial portions of our distributions may be funded indirectly through the reimbursement of certain expenses by our investment adviser and its affiliates, that are subject to conditional reimbursement by us within three years. Any such distributions funded through expense reimbursements are not based on our investment performance and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or our investment adviser or its affiliates continues to advance such expenses or waive such fees. Our future reimbursement of amounts advanced or waived by our investment adviser and its affiliates will reduce the distributions that you would otherwise receive in the future. In addition, the initial advancement of expenses or waiver of fees by our investment adviser and its affiliates pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement may prevent or reduce a decline in NAV in the short term, and our reimbursement of these amounts may reduce NAV in the future. Other than as set forth in this prospectus, our investment adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to advance expenses or waive advisory fees.
We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. To obtain and maintain our RIC status under the Code, we must timely distribute an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (as defined by the Code, which generally includes net ordinary income and net short term capital gains) to our common stockholders in respect of each taxable year, as well as satisfy other applicable requirements under the Code. In addition, we generally will be required to pay a nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax equal to 4% on certain undistributed taxable income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of our net ordinary income, taking into account certain deferrals and elections, recognized during a calendar year and (ii) 98.2% of our capital gain net income, as defined by the Code and adjusted for certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized during the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year and (iii) the sum of any net ordinary income and capital gains net income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years and on which we paid no federal income tax. For these excise tax purposes, we will be deemed to have distributed any net ordinary taxable income or capital gain net income on which we have paid U.S. federal income tax. The taxable income on which we pay excise tax is generally distributed to our common stockholders in the next tax year. Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we may choose to carry forward such taxable income for distribution in the following year and pay any applicable excise tax. We cannot assure you that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any dividends. We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan pursuant to which you may elect to have the full amount of your cash distributions reinvested in additional Common Shares. See Distribution Reinvestment Plan.
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The following description is based on relevant portions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the MGCL) and on our charter and bylaws. This summary is not necessarily complete, and we refer you to the MGCL and our charter and bylaws for a more detailed description of the provisions summarized below.
General
Under the terms of our charter, our authorized capital stock consists solely of 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of which 100,000,000 are classified as Class S shares, 100,000,000 are classified as Class D shares and 100,000,000 are classified as Class I shares. As of , 2023, there were Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares outstanding.
As permitted by the MGCL, our charter provides that a majority of the entire Board, without any action by our stockholders, may amend the charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. The charter also provides that the Board may classify or reclassify any unissued Common Shares into one or more classes or series of common stock or preferred stock by setting or changing the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications, or terms and conditions of redemption of the shares. There is currently no market for our common stock, and we can offer no assurances that a market for our shares will develop in the future. We do not intend for the shares offered under this prospectus to be listed on any national securities exchange. There are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase our stock. No stock has been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans. Under the MGCL, our stockholders generally are not personally liable for our debts or obligations.
None of our shares of stock are subject to further calls or to assessments, sinking fund provisions, obligations of the company or potential liabilities associated with ownership of the security (not including investment risks).
Outstanding Securities
Title of Class |
Amount Authorized |
Amount Held by Fund for its Account |
Amount Outstanding as of , 2023 |
|||||||||
Common Stock |
| |||||||||||
Class S |
| |||||||||||
Class D |
| |||||||||||
Class I |
|
Common Shares
Under the terms of our charter, all of our Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares have equal rights as to voting and, when they are issued, are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Dividends and other distributions may be paid to the holders of our Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares (which will be done pro rata among the stockholders of shares of a specific class) at the same time and in different per share amounts on such Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, if, as and when authorized by our Board and declared by us out of funds legally available therefor. Each class of common stock shall represent an investment in the same pool of assets and shall have the same preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as each other class of common stock except for such differences as are clearly and expressly set forth in our charter.
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Except as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified stock, our Common Shares have no preemptive, exchange, conversion or redemption rights and are freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract and to the extent necessary for the Fund to qualify as a RIC under the Code or the characterization or treatment of income or loss, except that, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as plan assets, we may require any person proposing to acquire our Common Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is a benefit plan investor or a controlling person, restrict or prohibit transfers of shares of such stock or redeem any outstanding shares of stock for such price and on such other terms and conditions as may be determined by or at the direction of the Board. If the Fund rejects a transfer of Common Shares, such rejection will be affirmatively supported by an opinion of counsel. A charge may be imposed by the Fund to cover its actual, necessary and reasonable administrative and filing expenses incurred in connection with a transfer.
If you hold Common Shares for the purpose of assigning all or a portion of such Common Shares, the Omnibus Guidelines require us to provide in the assignment agreement governing the transfer to an assignee that your management shall have fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of all funds and assets of the assignees, whether or not in your managements possession or control, and that your management shall not employ, or permit another to employ, such funds or assets in any manner except for the exclusive benefit of the assignees. In addition, the assignment agreement shall not permit the assignees to contract away the fiduciary duty owed to the assignees by your management under the common law of agency.
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of each class of our common stock would be entitled to be paid, out of all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is outstanding at such time, a liquidation payment equal to the net asset value per share of such class; provided, however, that if the available assets of the Fund are insufficient to pay in full the above described liquidation payment, then such assets, or the proceeds thereof, shall be distributed among the holders of shares of each class of common stock ratably in the same proportion as the respective amounts that would be payable on such shares of each class of common stock if all amounts payable thereon were paid in full.
Subject to the rights of holders of any other class or series of stock and except as otherwise provided in our charter, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares will vote together as a single class, and each share is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors. The holders of each class of Common Shares will have exclusive voting rights on any amendment of our charter (including the terms of such class of Common Shares) that would alter only the contract rights of such class of Common Shares and no holders of any other class or series of stock will be entitled to vote thereon. Except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified stock, and subject to the express terms of any class or series of preferred stock, the holders of our Common Shares possess exclusive voting power. Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of Common Shares possess exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of our directors, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares can elect all of our directors.
Class S Shares
No upfront selling commissions are paid for sales of any Class S shares; however, if you purchase Class S shares from certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares.
We pay the intermediary manager selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares, including any Class S shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid monthly in arrears. The intermediary manager reallows (pays) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and
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servicing brokers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such brokers, and will waive stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.
Class D Shares
No upfront selling commissions are paid for sales of any Class D shares, however, if you purchase Class D shares from certain selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares.
We pay the intermediary manager selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to our outstanding Class D shares equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class D shares, including any Class D shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid monthly in arrears. The intermediary manager reallows (pays) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such brokers, and will waive stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.
Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus.
Class I Shares
No upfront selling commissions or stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid for sales of any Class I shares.
Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of our investment adviser or Crescent or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. In certain cases, where a holder of Class S shares or Class D shares exits a relationship with a participating broker for this offering and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker for this offering, such holders shares may be exchanged for a number of Class I shares with an equivalent NAV.
Other Terms of Common Shares
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including selling commissions, the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds
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from our primary offering. In addition, at the end of the month in which the intermediary manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to Common Shares held in a common stockholders account that would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such Common Shares (or a lower limit as determined by the intermediary manager or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such common stockholders account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such common stockholders account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S shares or Class D shares. In addition, immediately before any liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each Class S share and Class D share will automatically convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent NAV as such share.
Preferred Stock
This offering does not include an offering of preferred stock. However, under the terms of our charter, our Board may authorize us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more classes or series without stockholder approval, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act. The Board has the power to fix the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of each class or series of preferred stock. We do not currently anticipate issuing preferred stock in the near future. In the event we issue preferred stock, we will make any required disclosure to stockholders. We will not offer preferred stock to our investment adviser or our affiliates except on the same terms as offered to all other stockholders.
Preferred stock could be issued with terms that would adversely affect the stockholders. Preferred stock could also be used as an anti-takeover device through the issuance of shares of a class or series of preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control. Every issuance of preferred stock will be required to comply with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. The Investment Company Act requires, among other things, that: (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to common stock and before any purchase of common stock is made, such preferred stock together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our total assets after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred stock, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class voting separately to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if distributions on such preferred stock are in arrears by two full years or more. Certain matters under the Investment Company Act require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of preferred stock (as determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act) voting together as a separate class. For example, the vote of such holders of preferred stock would be required to approve a proposal involving a plan of reorganization adversely affecting such securities.
The issuance of any preferred stock must be approved by a majority of our independent directors not otherwise interested in the transaction, who will have access, at our expense, to our legal counsel or to independent legal counsel.
Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final adjudication as being material to the cause of action.
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Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or are threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification, and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporations receipt of (x) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (y) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
Our charter contains a provision which eliminates directors and officers liability to us and our common stockholders for money damages, subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, the limitations under Maryland law described above and certain additional limitations set forth in our charter as described below.
Our charter requires us, subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, the limitations under Maryland law described above and certain additional limitations set forth in our charter as described below, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any present or former director or officer, (b) any individual who, while a director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, trustee, member, manager or partner and (c) our investment adviser and any of its affiliates acting as our agent, in each case who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his, her or its service in that capacity. Our charter also permits us, with the approval of the Board, to indemnify and advance expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Fund in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any of our employees or agents.
However, our charter provides that our directors, our investment adviser and its or our affiliates may be indemnified for losses or liability suffered by them or held harmless for losses or liability suffered by us only if all of the following conditions are met:
| the indemnitee determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct which caused the loss or liability was in our best interests; |
| the indemnitee was acting on our behalf or performing services for us; |
| in the case of affiliated directors, our investment adviser or its or our affiliates, the liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct; and |
| in the case of our independent directors, the liability or loss was not the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct. |
In addition, any indemnification or any agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets and not from our common stockholders.
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Our charter also provides that we may not provide indemnification to a director, our investment adviser or any of our investment advisers or our affiliates for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by such party unless one or more of the following conditions are met:
| there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the party seeking indemnification; |
| such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to such party; or |
| a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against such party and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which our securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws. |
Finally, our charter provides that we may pay or reimburse reasonable legal expenses and other costs incurred by our directors, our investment adviser and its or our affiliates in advance of final disposition of a proceeding only if all of the following are satisfied:
| the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on our behalf; |
| the indemnitee provides us with written affirmation of such indemnitees good faith belief that such indemnitee has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification; |
| the legal proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a stockholder or, if by a stockholder acting in his, her or its capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement; and |
| the indemnitee provides us with a written agreement to repay the amount paid or reimbursed, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined that such indemnitee did not comply with the requisite standard of conduct and is not entitled to indemnification. |
In accordance with the Investment Company Act, we will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such persons willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
In addition to the indemnification provided for in our charter, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and certain of our current officers and with the current members of our investment advisers investment committee and we intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our future directors, the future members of our investment committee and certain of our future officers. The indemnification agreements attempt to provide these directors, officers and other persons the maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law, our charter and the Investment Company Act. The agreements provide, among other things, for the advancement of expenses and indemnification for liabilities that such person may incur by reason of his or her status as a present or former director or officer or member of our investment advisers investment committee in any action or proceeding arising out of the performance of such persons services as a present or former director or officer or member of our investment advisers investment committee.
Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and the Charter and Bylaws
The MGCL and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquiror to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with the Board. We believe that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.
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Sales and Leases to the Fund
Our charter provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, except as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act, we may not purchase or lease assets in which our investment adviser or any of its affiliates has an interest unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction is fully disclosed to the stockholders in a prospectus or in a periodic report; and (b) the assets are sold or leased upon terms that are reasonable to us and at a price not to exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value as determined by an independent expert. However, our investment adviser may purchase assets in its own name (and assume loans in connection therewith) and temporarily hold title, for the purposes of facilitating the acquisition of the assets, the borrowing of money, obtaining financing for us, or the completion of construction of the assets, so long as all of the following conditions are met: (i) the assets are purchased by us at a price no greater than the cost of the assets to our investment adviser; (ii) all income generated by, and the expenses associated with, the assets so acquired will be treated as belonging to us; and (iii) there are no other benefits arising out of such transaction to our investment adviser apart from compensation otherwise permitted by the Omnibus Guidelines, as adopted by the NASAA.
Sales and Leases to our Investment Adviser, Directors or Affiliates
Our charter provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, we may not sell assets to our investment adviser or any of its affiliates unless such sale is approved by the holders of a majority of our voting securities. Our charter also provides that we may not lease assets to our investment adviser or any affiliate thereof unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction is fully disclosed to the stockholders in a prospectus or in a periodic report; and (b) the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to us.
Loans
Our charter provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, except for the advancement of indemnification funds, no loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise may be made by us to our investment adviser or any of its affiliates.
Commissions on Financing, Refinancing or Reinvestment
Our charter provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, we generally may not pay, directly or indirectly, a commission or fee to our investment adviser or any of its affiliates in connection with the reinvestment of cash available for distribution, available reserves, or the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of assets.
Lending Practices
Our charter provides that, with respect to financing made available to us by our investment adviser, our investment adviser may not receive interest in excess of the lesser of our investment advisers cost of funds or the amounts that would be charged by unrelated lending institutions on comparable loans for the same purpose. Our investment adviser may not impose a prepayment charge or penalty in connection with such financing and our investment adviser may not receive points or other financing charges. In addition, our investment adviser is prohibited from providing financing to us with a term in excess of 12 months.
Classified Board of Directors
The Board is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms, with the term of office of only one of the three classes expiring each year. A classified board may render a change in control of us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. We believe, however, that the longer time required to elect a majority of a classified board of directors helps to ensure the continuity and stability of our management and policies.
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Election of Directors
Our bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect each director.
Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal
Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only by the Board in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire Board may at any time establish, increase or decrease the number of directors. However, the number of directors may never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL or, unless our bylaws are amended, more than fifteen. Our charter sets forth our election to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL regarding the filling of vacancies on the Board. Accordingly, except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any and all vacancies on the Board may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the class in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies, subject to any applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act.
Our charter provides that a director may be removed only for cause, as defined in our charter, and then only by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors.
We have a total of five members of our Board, three of whom are independent directors. Our charter provides that a majority of our Board shall be independent directors, except for a period of up to 60 days, or such longer period permitted by law or the SEC or its staff, after the death, removal or resignation of an independent director pending the election of such independent directors successor. Each director will hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. Upon the commencement of the first offering pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, our Board will be divided into three classes of directors with the members of each class to hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualify.
Action by Stockholders
Under the MGCL, unless the charter of a corporation provides for written or electronically transmitted consent by stockholders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take action at a stockholders meeting at which all stockholders entitled to vote on the action were present and voted, stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders or by unanimous written or electronically transmitted consent instead of a meeting. Our charter and bylaws provide that stockholder action may be taken without a meeting if (a) a unanimous consent setting forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each stockholder entitled to vote on the matter and filed with the minutes of the proceedings or (b) the action is advised, and submitted to the stockholders for approval, by the Board and a consent in writing or by electronic transmission of stockholders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of stockholders at which all stockholders entitled to vote on the matter are present and voted is delivered to us in accordance with the MGCL. These provisions, combined with the requirements of our charter and bylaws regarding the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders discussed below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual meeting.
Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to the Board and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only (a) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (b) by or at the direction of the Board or (c) by a stockholder who is a
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stockholder of record at the record date set by the Board for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, at the time of giving the advance notice required by our bylaws and at the time of the meeting (and any adjournment or postponement thereof), is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and has complied with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws. With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board at a special meeting may be made only (a) by or at the direction of the Board or (b) provided that the special meeting has been called in accordance with our bylaws for the purpose of electing directors, by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record at the record date set by the Board for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, at the time of giving the advance notice required by our bylaws and at the time of the meeting (and any adjournment or postponement thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of our bylaws.
The purpose of requiring stockholders to give advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford the Board a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by the Board, to inform stockholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although the bylaws do not give the Board any power to disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our common stockholders.
Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our charter and bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by the Board, our independent directors and certain of our officers. Additionally, our charter and bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders must be called by our secretary to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than 10% of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting.
Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of the Charter and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, convert, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless declared advisable by its board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval by the stockholders of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter generally provides for approval of charter amendments and extraordinary transactions by the stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter also provides that any proposal for our conversion, whether by merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company requires the approval of the stockholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter, with Common Shares and each class or series of preferred stock that is entitled to vote on the matter voting as a separate class. However, if such conversion is approved by at least two-thirds of our continuing directors (as defined below) (in addition to approval by the Board), such proposal may be approved by stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. The continuing directors are defined in our charter as our current directors as well as those directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of the continuing directors then on the Board.
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Our bylaws provide that the Board will have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws and to make new bylaws.
No Appraisal Rights
Except with respect to appraisal rights arising in connection with the Control Share Acquisition Act discussed below, as permitted by the MGCL, our charter provides that stockholders will not be entitled to exercise appraisal rights unless the Board determines that such rights will apply, with respect to all or any classes or series of stock, to one or more transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which stockholders would otherwise be entitled to exercise appraisal rights.
Control Share Acquisitions
The Control Share Acquisition Act provides that control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquiror, by officers or by employees who are directors of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock that, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
| one-tenth or more but less than one-third; |
| one-third or more but less than a majority; or |
| a majority or more of all voting power. |
The requisite stockholder approval must be obtained each time an acquiror crosses one of the thresholds of voting power set forth above. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the corporation may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations, including, as provided in our bylaws, compliance with the Investment Company Act, which will prohibit any such redemption other than in limited circumstances. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved or, if no such meeting is held, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The Control Share Acquisition Act does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
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Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Acquisition Act any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares of stock and, as a result, any control shares of will have the same voting rights as all of the other Common Shares. Such provision could be amended or eliminated at any time in the future. However, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Acquisition Act only if the Board determines that it would be in our best interests and determines (after consultation with the SEC staff) that our being subject to the Control Share Acquisition Act does not conflict with the Investment Company Act.
Business Combinations
Under Maryland law, business combinations between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as:
| any person who, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporations outstanding voting stock; or |
| an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding stock of the corporation. |
A person is not an interested stockholder under this statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which such person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.
After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
| 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and |
| two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder. |
These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporations common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. The Board has adopted a resolution that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from the provisions of the Business Combination Act, provided that the business combination is first approved by the Board, including a majority of the independent directors. This resolution, however, may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time. If this resolution is repealed or the Board does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Conflict with the Investment Company Act
Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of the MGCL, including the Control Share Acquisition Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to such act) and the Business Combination Act, or any
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provision of our charter or bylaws conflicts with any provision of the Investment Company Act, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act will control.
Tender Offers
Our charter provides that any tender offer made by any person, including any mini-tender offer, must comply with the provisions of Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act, including the notice and disclosure requirements. Among other things, the offeror must provide us notice of such tender offer at least ten business days before initiating the tender offer. No stockholder may transfer any shares held by such stockholder to any person who initiates a non-compliant tender offer unless such stockholder first offers such shares to us at the tender offer price offered in such non-compliant tender offer. If a person makes a tender offer that does not comply with such provisions, we may seek injunctive relief, including, without limitation, a temporary or permanent restraining order. In addition, the non-complying offeror will be responsible for all of our expenses in connection with that offerors noncompliance.
Exclusive Forum
Our charter provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in Section 1-101(q) of the MGCL (other than any action arising under federal securities laws or state securities laws), including, without limitation, (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors or officers or other employees to or to our stockholders or (c) any action asserting a claim against any of our directors or officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or bylaws, or (ii) any action asserting a claim against any of our directors or officers or other employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in our stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented and waived any objection to this exclusive forum provision of our charter, as the same may be amended from time to time.
Restrictions on Roll-Up Transactions
In connection with any proposed transaction considered a Roll-up Transaction involving us and the issuance of securities of an entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the Roll-up Transaction, an appraisal of all of our assets must be obtained from a competent independent appraiser. If the appraisal will be included in a prospectus used to offer the securities of the roll-up entity, the appraisal must be filed with the SEC and the states. The assets will be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal will be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and must indicate the value of the assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposed Roll-up Transaction. The appraisal will assume an orderly liquidation of assets over a 12-month period. The terms of the engagement of the independent appraiser must clearly state that the engagement is for our benefit and the benefit of our common stockholders. A summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, will be included in a report to stockholders in connection with any proposed Roll-up Transaction.
A Roll-up Transaction is a transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation, directly or indirectly, of us and the issuance of securities of another entity, or a Roll-up Entity, that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of such transaction. The term Roll-up Transaction does not include:
| a transaction involving our securities that have been for at least 12 months listed on a national securities exchange; or |
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| a transaction involving our conversion to a corporate, trust, or association form if, as a consequence of the transaction, there will be no significant adverse change in any of the following: stockholder voting rights; the term of our existence; compensation to our investment adviser; or our investment objectives. |
In connection with a proposed Roll-up Transaction, the person sponsoring the Roll-up Transaction must offer to holders of Common Shares who vote no on the proposal the choice of:
| accepting the securities of a Roll-up Entity offered in the proposed Roll-up Transaction; or |
| one of the following: |
| remaining as holders of Common Shares and preserving their interests therein on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or |
| receiving cash in an amount equal to the stockholders pro rata share of the appraised value of our net assets. |
We are prohibited from participating in any proposed Roll-up Transaction:
| that would result in the holders of Common Shares having democracy rights in a Roll-up Entity that are less than those provided in our charter and bylaws and described elsewhere in this prospectus, including rights with respect to the election and removal of directors, annual reports, annual and special meetings, amendment of our charter, and our dissolution; |
| that includes provisions that would operate to materially impede or frustrate the accumulation of shares of stock by any purchaser of the securities of the Roll-up Entity, except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of the Roll-up Entity, or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of the Roll-up Entity on the basis of the number of shares of stock held by that investor; |
| in which investors rights to access of records of the Roll-up Entity will be less than those provided in the Access to Records section below; or |
| in which any of the costs of the Roll-up Transaction would be borne by us if the Roll-up Transaction is rejected by the holders of Common Shares. |
Access to Records
Any common stockholder is and will be permitted access to all of our records to which they are entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable copying charge. Inspection of our records by the office or agency administering the securities laws of a jurisdiction will be provided upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours. An alphabetical list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of our common stockholders, along with the number of Common Shares held by each of them, is maintained as part of our books and records and will be available for inspection by any common stockholder or the stockholders designated agent at our office. The stockholder list is updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. A copy of the list will be mailed to any common stockholder who requests the list within ten days of the request. A stockholder may request a copy of the stockholder list for any proper and legitimate purpose, including, without limitation, in connection with matters relating to voting rights and the exercise of stockholder rights under federal proxy laws. A stockholder requesting a list will be required to pay reasonable costs of postage and duplication.
If a proper request for the stockholder list is not honored, then the requesting stockholder will be entitled to recover certain costs incurred in compelling the production of the list as well as actual damages suffered by reason of the refusal or failure to produce the list. However, a stockholder will not have the right to, and we may require a requesting stockholder to represent that it will not, secure the stockholder list or other information for the purpose of selling or using the list for a commercial purpose not related to the requesting stockholders interest in our affairs. We may also require that such stockholder sign a confidentiality agreement in connection with the request.
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Reports to Stockholders
Within 60 days after each fiscal quarter, we will distribute our quarterly report on Form 10-Q to all stockholders of record. In addition, we will distribute our annual report on Form 10-K to all stockholders within 120 days after the end of each calendar year, which must contain, among other things, a breakdown of the expenses reimbursed by us to our investment adviser. These reports will also be available on our website at www. .com and on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.
Subject to availability, you may authorize us to provide prospectuses, prospectus supplements, annual reports and other information, or documents, electronically by so indicating on your subscription agreement, or by sending us instructions in writing in a form acceptable to us to receive such documents electronically. Unless you elect in writing to receive documents electronically, all documents will be provided in paper form by mail. You must have internet access to use electronic delivery. While we impose no additional charge for this service, there may be potential costs associated with electronic delivery, such as on-line charges. Documents will be available on our website. You may access and print all documents provided through this service. As documents become available, we will notify you of this by sending you an e-mail message that will include instructions on how to retrieve the document. If our e-mail notification is returned to us as undeliverable, we will contact you to obtain your updated e-mail address. If we are unable to obtain a valid e-mail address for you, we will resume sending a paper copy by regular U.S. mail to your address of record. You may revoke your consent for electronic delivery at any time and we will resume sending you a paper copy of all required documents. However, in order for us to be properly notified, your revocation must be given to us in a reasonable time before electronic delivery has commenced. We will provide you with paper copies at any time upon request. Such request will not constitute revocation of your consent to receive required documents electronically.
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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV per share for each class of our outstanding Common Shares is determined monthly by dividing the value of the total assets attributable to the class minus the liabilities attributable to the class by the total number of Common Shares outstanding of the class at the date as of which the determination is made. In calculating the value of our total assets, we take the following approach.
Investments
Loan originations are recorded on the date of the binding commitment. Investment purchased on a secondary market are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains or losses are measured by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment using the specific identification method without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized, and include investments charged off during the period, net of recoveries. Unrealized gains or losses primarily reflect the change in investment values, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gains or losses when gains or losses are realized.
We value our investments in accordance with Section 2(a)(41) of the Investment Company Act and Rule 2a-5 thereunder (Rule 2a-5), which sets forth requirements for determining fair value in good faith. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, our Board has designated our investment adviser as the valuation designee to perform fair value determinations relating to all of the Funds investments on behalf of the Board. Our Board will oversee our investment advisers performance of its responsibilities, and in support of this oversight, our investment adviser will provide periodic reports to our Board related to the fair valuation process. Our investment adviser will carry out its responsibilities as valuation designee principally through its valuation committee (the Valuation Committee) assisted by a variety of individuals and entities including, but not limited to, independent pricing services, administrative personnel, and other service providers, as appropriate. All fair value determinations will be approved by the Valuation Committee. Our Board may determine to modify its designation of our investment adviser as valuation designee at any time.
Investments for which market quotations are readily available are typically valued at those market quotations. To validate market quotations, our investment adviser utilizes a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including the source and number of the quotations. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on, among other things, the fair valuation recommendations from investment professionals, the oversight of the Funds Audit Committee and corroborative valuations by independent third-party valuation firms. In addition, the Funds independent registered public accounting firm obtains an understanding of, and performs select procedures relating to, the Funds investment valuation process within the context of performing the audit.
As part of the valuation process for investments that do not have readily available market prices, the investment adviser may take into account the following types of factors, if relevant, in determining the fair value of the Funds investments: the enterprise value of a portfolio company (the entire value of the portfolio company to a market participant, including the sum of the values of debt and equity securities used to capitalize the enterprise at a point in time), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio companys ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio companys securities to any similar publicly traded securities, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets, which may affect the price at which similar investments would trade in their principal markets and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent sale occurs, the investment adviser considers the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate its valuation.
Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Funds investments may fluctuate from period to period.
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Additionally, the fair value of the Funds investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values that the Fund may ultimately realize. Further, such investments are generally subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or otherwise are less liquid than publicly traded securities. If the Fund was required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, the Fund could realize significantly less than the value at which the Fund has recorded it. In addition, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the unrealized gains or losses reflected in the valuations currently assigned. All investments in securities are recorded at their fair value.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Fund applies Financial Accounting Standards Board ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (ASC 820), as amended, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP and required disclosures of fair value measurements. ASC 820 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for an investment in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market (which may be a hypothetical market) that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact. In accordance with ASC 820, the Fund considers its principal market to be the market that has the greatest volume and level of activity. ASC 820 specifies a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes and ranks the level of observability of inputs used in the determination of fair value. In accordance with ASC 820, these levels are summarized below:
Level 1Valuations based on quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access.
Level 2Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
Investments for which market quotations are readily available are typically valued at those market quotations. To validate market quotations, our investment adviser utilizes a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including the source and number of the quotations. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, our investment adviser, as the Boards valuation designee, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on, among other things, the fair valuation recommendations from investment professionals, the oversight of the Funds Audit Committee and independent third-party valuation firms.
The SEC has adopted Rule 2a-5. Rule 2a-5 establishes requirements for determining fair value in good faith for purposes of the Investment Company Act. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board has designated our investment adviser as valuation designee to perform certain fair value functions, including performing fair value determinations. As required by Rule 2a-5, our investment adviser, as valuation designee, will provide periodic fair valuation reporting and notifications on behalf of the Fund to the Board to facilitate the Boards oversight duties.
Our investment adviser, as the valuation designee, undertakes a multi-step valuation process under the supervision of the Board, which includes, among other procedures, the following:
| Each investment is initially valued by the investment professionals responsible for monitoring that investment. |
| Our investment adviser has established pricing and Valuations Committees, which are responsible for reviewing and approving the fair valuation recommendations from the investment professionals. |
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| The valuations of certain portfolio investments are independently corroborated by third-party valuation firms based on certain criteria including investment size and risk profile. |
| Final valuation determinations and supporting materials are provided to the Board quarterly as part of the Boards oversight of our investment adviser as the valuation designee. |
Investments in investment companies are valued at fair value. Fair values are generally determined utilizing the NAV supplied by, or on behalf of, management of each investment company, which is net of management and incentive fees or allocations charged by the investment company and is in accordance with the practical expedient, as defined by ASC 820. NAVs received by, or on behalf of, management of each investment company are based on the fair value of the investment companys underlying investments in accordance with policies established by management of each investment company, as described in each of their financial statements and offering memorandum. Investments which are valued using NAV as a practical expedient are excluded from the above hierarchy.
The Fund applies the valuation policy approved by the Board that is consistent with ASC 820. Consistent with the valuation policy, our investment adviser, in its capacity as the Boards valuation designee, evaluates the source of inputs, including any markets in which its investments are trading (or any markets in which securities with similar attributes are trading), in determining fair value. When a security is valued based on prices provided by reputable dealers or pricing services (that is, broker quotes), the Fund subjects those prices to various criteria in making the determination as to whether a particular investment would qualify for classification as a Level 2 or Level 3 investment. For example, the Fund reviews pricing methodologies provided by dealers or pricing services in order to determine if observable market information is being used, versus unobservable inputs. Some additional factors considered include the number of prices obtained as well as an assessment as to their quality. Transfers between levels, if any, are recognized at the beginning of the period in which the transfers occur.
Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Funds investments may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, the fair value of such investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values that may ultimately be realized. Further, such investments are generally less liquid than publicly traded securities and may be subject to contractual and other restrictions on resale. If the Fund were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, it could realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material. In addition, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different from the unrealized gains or losses reflected herein.
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General
We are offering a maximum of $ in Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus on a best efforts basis through Emerson Equity LLC (the intermediary manager), a registered broker-dealer. Because this is a best efforts offering, the intermediary manager must only use its best efforts to sell the shares, which means that no underwriter, broker or other person will be obligated to purchase any shares. The intermediary manager is headquartered at 6860 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 210, Plano, Texas 75024.
The shares are being offered on a best efforts basis, which means generally that the intermediary manager is required to use only its best efforts to sell the shares and it has no firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of the shares. The Fund intends that the Common Shares offered pursuant to this prospectus will not be listed on any national securities exchange, and neither the intermediary manager nor the participating brokers intend to act as market-makers with respect to our Common Shares. Because no public market is expected for the shares, stockholders will likely have limited ability to sell their shares until there is a liquidity event for the Fund.
We have submitted an application to the SEC for an exemptive order to permit us to offer multiple classes of our Common Shares, and the SEC has published a notice in the Federal Register giving interested persons an opportunity to request a hearing on the application. If no hearing request is received by July 31, 2023, the SEC will issue the exemptive order. Until an exemptive order is granted, we will only offer Class I shares and will not issue Class S shares or Class D shares. There can be no assurance the SEC will grant us such relief that is acceptable to us and the SEC.
Subject to the receipt of exemptive relief from the SEC, we intend to offer to the public three classes of Common Shares: Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. We intend to offer to sell any combination of share classes with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. All investors must meet the suitability standards discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled Suitability Standards. The share classes have different ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees.
Class S shares are available through brokerage and transactional-based accounts. Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of our investment adviser or Crescent or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. In certain cases, where a holder of Class S shares or Class D shares exits a relationship with a participating broker for this offering and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker for this offering, such holders shares may be exchanged for a number of Class I shares with an equivalent NAV. We may also offer Class I shares to certain feeder vehicles primarily created to hold our Class I shares, which in turn offer interests in themselves to investors; we expect to conduct such offerings pursuant to exceptions to registration under the Securities Act and not as a part of this offering. Such feeder vehicles may have additional costs and expenses, which would be disclosed in connection with the offering of their interests. We may also offer Class I shares to other investment vehicles. The minimum initial investment for
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Class I shares is $1,000,000, unless waived by the Fund. If you are eligible to purchase all three classes of shares, then in most cases you should purchase Class I shares because participating brokers will not charge brokerage commissions on Class I shares and Class I shares have no stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive stockholder services. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment adviser regarding your account type and the classes of Common Shares you may be eligible to purchase. Neither the intermediary manager nor its affiliates will directly or indirectly compensate any person engaged as an investment adviser or bank trust department by a potential investor as an inducement for such investment adviser or bank trust department to advise favorably for an investment in us.
The number of shares we have registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is the number that we reasonably expect to be offered and sold within two years from the initial effective date of the registration statement. Under applicable SEC rules, we may extend this offering one additional year if all of the shares we have registered are not yet sold within two years. With the filing of a registration statement for a subsequent offering, we may also be able to extend this offering beyond three years until the follow-on registration statement is declared effective. Pursuant to this prospectus, we are offering to the public all of the shares that we have registered. Although we have registered a fixed dollar amount of our Common Shares, we intend effectively to conduct a continuous offering of an unlimited number of Common Shares over an unlimited time period by filing a new registration statement prior to the end of the three-year period described in Rule 415. In such a circumstance, the issuer may also choose to enlarge the continuous offering by including on such new registration statement a further amount of securities, in addition to any unsold securities covered by the earlier registration statement.
This offering must be registered in every state in which we offer or sell shares. Generally, such registrations are for a period of one year. Thus, we may have to stop selling shares in any state in which our registration is not renewed or otherwise extended annually. We reserve the right to terminate this offering at any time and to extend our offering term to the extent permissible under applicable law.
Purchase Price
Shares will be sold at the then-current NAV per share, as described in Determination of Net Asset Value. Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees differ with respect to each class.
Underwriting Compensation
We entered into an Intermediary Manager Agreement with the intermediary manager, pursuant to which the intermediary manager agreed to, among other things, manage our relationships with third-party brokers engaged by the intermediary manager to participate in the distribution of Common Shares, which we refer to as participating brokers, and financial advisors. The intermediary manager also coordinates our marketing and distribution efforts with participating brokers and their registered representatives with respect to communications related to the terms of the offering, our investment strategies, material aspects of our operations and subscription procedures. We will not pay referral or similar fees to any accountants, attorneys or other persons in connection with the distribution of our shares. The intermediary manager may receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses from our investment adviser or its affiliates related to its services under the Intermediary Manager Agreement or for additional services as may be agreed upon by the intermediary manager and our investment adviser or its affiliates.
Upfront Sales Loads
Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares. However, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain
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selling agents, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that selling agents limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares and a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares. Selling agents will not charge such fees on Class I shares.
Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution FeesClass S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares
The following table shows the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees we pay the intermediary manager with respect to the Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares on an annualized basis as a percentage of our NAV for such class. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears, calculated using the NAV of the applicable class as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month.
Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee as a % of NAV |
||||
Class S shares |
0.85 | % | ||
Class D shares |
0.25 | % | ||
Class I shares |
None |
Subject to FINRA and other limitations on underwriting compensation described in Limitations on Underwriting Compensation below, we will pay a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class S shares and a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly.
The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The intermediary manager will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such brokers. Because the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to Class S shares and Class D shares are calculated based on the aggregate NAV for all of the outstanding shares of each such class, it reduces the NAV with respect to all shares of each such class, including shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan.
Eligibility to receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee is conditioned on a broker providing the following ongoing services with respect to the Class S shares or Class D shares: assistance with recordkeeping, answering investor inquiries regarding us, including regarding distribution payments and reinvestments, helping investors understand their investments upon their request, and assistance with share repurchase requests. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are ongoing fees that are not paid at the time of purchase. Because the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid out of the Funds assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of a stockholders investment and may cost the stockholder more than paying other types of sales charges.
Other Compensation
We or our investment adviser may also pay directly, or reimburse the intermediary manager if the intermediary manager pays on our behalf, any organization and offering expenses (other than any upfront selling commissions and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees).
Limitations on Underwriting Compensation
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date
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following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.
This offering is being made in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310. Under the rules of FINRA, all items of underwriting compensation, including any upfront selling commissions, intermediary manager fees, reimbursement fees for bona fide due diligence expenses, training and education expenses, non-transaction based compensation paid to registered persons associated with the intermediary manager in connection with the wholesaling of our offering and all other forms of underwriting compensation, will not exceed 10% of the gross offering proceeds (excluding shares purchased through our distribution reinvestment plan).
Term of the Intermediary Manager Agreement
The Intermediary Manager Agreement shall remain in force until the second anniversary of its effective date and shall thereafter continue in effect from year to year, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board, including the vote of a majority of directors who are not interested persons as defined by the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder, cast in person at a meeting (or as otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulatory relief) called for the purpose of voting on such approval, or by vote of a majority of outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act). The Fund may terminate the Intermediary Agreement at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Funds directors who are not interested persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the Fund, on at least 60 days written notice to the intermediary manager. The intermediary manager may terminate the Intermediary Manager Agreement, without the payment of penalty, on at least 120 days written notice to the Fund. Either party may terminate the Intermediary Manager Agreement immediately upon notice to the other party in the event that such other party shall have failed to comply with any material provision of the Intermediary Management Agreement. The Intermediary Management Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the Investment Company Act). Our obligations under the Intermediary Manager Agreement to pay the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S shares and Class D shares distributed in this offering as described therein shall survive termination of the agreement until such shares are no longer outstanding (including such shares that have been converted into Class I shares, as described above).
Standard of Care and Indemnification
The intermediary manager shall be obligated to act in good faith and to exercise reasonable care and diligence in the performance of its duties under the Intermediary Manager Agreement. To the extent permitted by law and our charter, we will indemnify the participating brokers and the intermediary manager, their officers and directors, and each person, if any, who controls the participating brokers and the intermediary manager (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act) against some civil liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, and liabilities arising from an untrue statement of material fact contained in, or omission to state a material fact in, this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, blue sky applications or approved sales literature.
Supplemental Sales Material
In addition to this prospectus, we will use sales material in connection with the offering of shares, although only when accompanied by or preceded by the delivery of this prospectus. Some or all of the sales material may not be available in certain jurisdictions. This sales material may include information relating to this offering, the past performance of our investment adviser and its affiliates, and articles and publications concerning private credit. In addition, the sales material may contain quotes from various publications without obtaining the consent of the author or the publication for use of the quoted material in the sales material.
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We are offering shares only by means of this prospectus. Although the information contained in the sales material will not conflict with any of the information contained in this prospectus, the sales material does not purport to be complete and should not be considered as a part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or as incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the registration statement, or as forming the basis of the offering of the Common Shares.
Share Distribution Channels and Special Discounts
We expect our intermediary manager to use multiple distribution channels to sell our shares. These channels may charge different brokerage fees for purchases of our shares. Our intermediary manager is expected to engage participating brokers in connection with the sale of the shares of this offering in accordance with participating broker agreements.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Cayman Islands
This is not an offer to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for interests, and applications originating from the Cayman Islands will only be accepted from Cayman Islands exempted companies, trusts registered as exempted in the Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands exempted limited partnerships, or companies incorporated in other jurisdictions and registered as foreign corporations in the Cayman Islands or limited partnerships formed in other jurisdictions and registered as foreign limited partnerships in the Cayman Islands.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada
This prospectus is not a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any security or any interest in a fund and cannot be relied upon for making an investment decision. This prospectus is prepared and circulated for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide investment, legal, accounting or tax advice or recommendations to any recipient and should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell any particular security, or to implement (or not implement) any particular investment strategy. This prospectus does not constitute an offering memorandum of the investment adviser or the Fund under applicable Canadian securities laws and does not attempt to describe all material facts or material information regarding the investment adviser or its business and the Fund. Persons receiving or reviewing this prospectus should not rely upon it as a complete overview of the business of the investment adviser and its Fund and should rely on their own investigation and due diligence. Any private offering of Common Shares will only be made pursuant to a confidential private placement memorandum (PPM) and related Fund documents which will be furnished to qualified investors on a confidential basis at their request. The Fund has not filed a registration statement with any securities commission or similar authority in Canada in respect of the Common Shares and, accordingly, the Common Shares will not be qualified for sale in Canada and may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in Canada, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration statement and registration requirements of Canadian securities laws. The information contained in this prospectus will be superseded by, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the PPM, which will contain additional information about the investment objective of the Fund and the terms and conditions of an investment in the Fund. No securities commission or similar authority in Canada has reviewed or in any way passed upon the merits of an investment in the Fund, and any representation to the contrary is an offense. This prospectus should be considered confidential and no information contained herein either in whole or in part may be reproduced or redistributed without the express written consent of the investment adviser. Any reproduction or redistribution of this prospectus without such consent is unauthorized.
By receipt of this prospectus, the prospective investor is deemed to represent that the prospective investor qualifies as a permitted client as such term is defined in NI 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations of the Canadian Securities Administrators and is an accredited investor as such term is defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions of the Canadian Securities Administrators.
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Rights of Action for Damages and Rescission
Ontario Purchasers
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchasers province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchasers province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
British Columbia, Alberta and Québec Purchasers
Notwithstanding that the Securities Act (British Columbia), the Securities Act (Alberta) and the Securities Act (Québec) do not provide, or require the Fund to provide to purchasers resident in the Province of Alberta purchasing under the exemption contained in section 2.3 (the accredited investor exemption) of NI 45-106 and to purchasers resident in British Columbia and Québec any rights of action in circumstances where this prospectus or an amendment hereto contains a misrepresentation, the Fund hereby grants to such purchasers contractual rights of action that are equivalent to the statutory rights of action of purchasers resident in Ontario.
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You may buy or request that we repurchase Common Shares through your financial advisor, a participating broker or other financial intermediary that has a selling agreement with the intermediary manager. Because an investment in our Common Shares involves many considerations, your financial advisor or other financial intermediary may help you with this decision. Due to the illiquid nature of investments in originated loans, our Common Shares are only suitable as a long-term investment. Because there is no public market for our Common Shares, stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares if we choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares in a particular quarter, or if our Board modifies, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program.
Investors who meet the suitability standards described herein may purchase Common Shares. See Suitability Standards in this prospectus. Investors seeking to purchase Common Shares must proceed as follows:
| Read this entire prospectus and any appendices and supplements accompanying this prospectus. |
| Complete the execution copy of the subscription agreement. A specimen copy of the subscription agreement, including instructions for completing it, is included in this prospectus as Appendix A. Subscription agreements may be executed manually or by electronic signature except where the use of such electronic signature has not been approved by the intermediary manager. Should you execute the subscription agreement electronically, your electronic signature, whether digital or encrypted, included in the subscription agreement is intended to authenticate the subscription agreement and to have the same force and effect as a manual signature. |
| Deliver a check, submit a wire transfer, instruct your broker to make payment from your brokerage account or otherwise deliver funds for the full purchase price of the Common Shares being subscribed for along with the completed subscription agreement to the participating broker. Checks should be made payable, or wire transfers directed, to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. For Class S shares and Class D shares, after you have satisfied the applicable minimum purchase requirement of $2,500, additional purchases must be in increments of $500. For Class I shares, after you have satisfied the applicable minimum purchase requirement of $1,000,000, additional purchases must be in increments of $500, unless such minimums are waived by the Fund. The minimum subsequent investment does not apply to purchases made under our distribution reinvestment plan. |
| By executing the subscription agreement and paying the total purchase price for the Common Shares subscribed for, each investor attests that he or she meets the suitability standards as stated in the subscription agreement and agrees to be bound by all of its terms. Certain participating brokers may require additional documentation. |
A sale of the shares to a subscriber may not be completed until at least five business days after the subscriber receives our final prospectus. Subscriptions to purchase our Common Shares may be made on an ongoing basis, but investors may only purchase our Common Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first day of each month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order, including satisfying any additional requirements imposed by the subscribers broker, and payment of the full purchase price of our Common Shares being subscribed at least five business days prior to the first day of the month (unless waived by the intermediary manager).
For example, if you wish to subscribe for Common Shares in October, your subscription request must be received in good order at least five business days before November 1. Notice of each share transaction will be furnished to stockholders (or their financial representatives) as soon as practicable but not later than seven business days after the Funds NAV as of October 31 is determined and credited to the stockholders account, together with information relevant for personal and tax records. While a stockholder will not know our NAV
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applicable on the effective date of the share purchase, our NAV applicable to a purchase of shares will be available generally within 20 business days after the effective date of the share purchase; at that time, the number of shares based on that NAV and each stockholders purchase will be determined and shares are credited to the stockholders account as of the effective date of the share purchase. In this example, if accepted, your subscription would be effective on the first calendar day of November.
If for any reason we reject the subscription, or if the subscription request is canceled before it is accepted or withdrawn as described below, we will return the subscription agreement and the related funds, without interest or deduction, within ten business days after such rejection, cancellation or withdrawal.
Common Shares purchased by a fiduciary or custodial account will be registered in the name of the fiduciary account and not in the name of the beneficiary. If you place an order to buy shares and your payment is not received and collected, your purchase may be canceled and you could be liable for any losses or fees we have incurred.
You have the option of placing a transfer on death (TOD) designation on your Common Shares purchased in this offering. A TOD designation transfers the ownership of the shares to your designated beneficiary upon your death. This designation may only be made by individuals, not entities, who are the sole or joint owners with right to survivorship of the shares. If you would like to place a TOD designation on your Common Shares, you must check the TOD box on the subscription agreement and you must complete and return a TOD form, which you may obtain from your financial advisor, in order to effect the designation.
Purchase Price
Shares will be sold at the then-current NAV per share, as described in Determination of Net Asset Value. Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees differ with respect to each class.
If you participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that you purchase in our primary offering will be automatically invested in additional shares of the same class. The purchase price for shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such shares at the time the distribution is payable.
We will generally adhere to the following procedures relating to purchases of Common Shares in this continuous offering:
| On each business day, our transfer agent will collect purchase orders. Notwithstanding the submission of an initial purchase order, we can reject purchase orders for any reason, even if a prospective investor meets the minimum suitability requirements outlined in our prospectus. Investors may only purchase our Common Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first day of each month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price of our Common Shares being subscribed at least five business days prior to the first day of the month. If a purchase order is received less than five business days prior to the first day of the month, unless waived by the intermediary manager, the purchase order will be executed in the next months closing at the transaction price applicable to that month. As a result of this process, the price per share at which your order is executed may be different than the price per share for the month in which you submitted your purchase order. |
| Generally, within 20 business days after the first calendar day of each month, we will determine our NAV per share for each share class as of the last calendar day of the immediately preceding month, which will be the purchase price for shares purchased with that effective date. |
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| Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us before two business days before the first calendar day of each month. |
| Subscribers are not committed to purchase shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted and any subscription may be canceled at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. You may withdraw your purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through your financial intermediary or directly on our toll-free, automated telephone line, . |
| You will receive a confirmation statement of each new transaction in your account as soon as practicable but generally not later than seven business days after the stockholder transactions are settled when the applicable NAV per share is determined. The confirmation statement will include information on how to obtain information we have filed with the SEC and made publicly available on our website, www. .com, including supplements to the prospectus. |
Our NAV may vary significantly from one month to the next. Through our website, you will have information about the most recently available NAV per share. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.
In contrast to securities traded on an exchange or over-the-counter, where the price often fluctuates as a result of, among other things, the supply and demand of securities in the trading market, our NAV will be calculated once monthly using our valuation methodology, and the price at which we sell new shares and repurchase outstanding shares will not change depending on the level of demand by investors or the volume of requests for repurchases.
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We do not intend to list our Common Shares on a securities exchange and we do not expect there to be a public market for our Common Shares. As a result, if you purchase our Common Shares, your ability to sell your shares will be limited.
At the discretion of our Board and beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter after we hold the first closing in the offering of Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to offer to repurchase up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) in each quarter. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our common stockholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter, or at all. We will conduct any such repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act, with the terms of such tender offer published in a tender offer statement to be sent to all stockholders and filed with the SEC on Schedule TO. All common stockholders will be given at least 20 full business days to elect to participate in such share repurchases. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.
Under our share repurchase program, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, we expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable month designated by our Board, except that the Fund deducts 2.00% from such NAV for shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year, also referred to as the Early Repurchase Deduction. Such share repurchase prices may be lower than the price at which you purchase our Common Shares in this offering. The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining common stockholders.
You may tender all of the Common Shares that you own. There is no repurchase priority for a stockholder under the circumstances of death or disability of such stockholder.
In the event the number of shares tendered exceeds the repurchase offer amount, shares will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted in the next quarterly tender offer, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase program, as applicable. We will have no obligation to repurchase shares, including if the repurchase would violate the restrictions on distributions under federal law or Maryland law. The limitations and restrictions described above may prevent us from accommodating all repurchase requests made in any quarter. Our share repurchase program has many limitations, including the limitations described above, and should not in any way be viewed as the equivalent of a secondary market.
There is no assurance that our board will exercise its discretion to offer to repurchase shares or that there will be sufficient funds available to accommodate all of our common stockholders requests for repurchase. As a result, we may repurchase less than the full number of shares that you request to have repurchased. If we do not repurchase the full amount of your Common Shares that you have requested to be repurchased, or we determine not to make repurchases of our Common Shares, you will likely not be able to dispose of your Common Shares, even if we under-perform. Any periodic repurchase offers will be subject in part to our available cash and compliance with the RIC qualification and diversification rules and the Investment Company Act. Stockholders will not pay a fee to us in connection with our repurchase of shares under the share repurchase program.
The Fund will repurchase shares from stockholders pursuant to written tenders on terms and conditions that the Board determines to be fair to the Fund and to all stockholders. When the Board determines that the Fund will repurchase shares, notice will be provided to stockholders describing the terms of that particular offer, containing information stockholders should consider in deciding whether to participate in the repurchase opportunity and
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containing information on how to participate. Stockholders deciding whether to tender their shares during the period that a repurchase offer is open may obtain the Funds most recent NAV per share on our website at: www. .com. However, our repurchase offers will generally use the NAV on or around the last calendar day of a month designated by our Board during the applicable quarter, which will not be available until after the expiration of the applicable tender offer, so you will not know the exact price of shares in the tender offer when you make your decision whether to tender your Common Shares. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.
Repurchases of shares from stockholders by the Fund will be paid in full with cash no later than five business days after the expiration of the repurchase deadline. Repurchases will be effective after receipt and acceptance by the Fund of eligible written tenders of shares from stockholders by the applicable repurchase offer deadline.
The majority of our assets will consist of directly originated loans that generally cannot be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize their full value upon disposition. For cash management and other purposes and in order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, we currently anticipate maintaining a smaller allocation to broadly syndicated loans and other more liquid credit investments. We expect that the instruments underlying our liquid credit investments will primarily be the same as the instruments underlying our directly originated loans (including loans, notes, bonds and other corporate debt securities). We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital to stockholders or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. Should making repurchase offers, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the company as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in self-originated loans or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our Common Shares is in the best interests of the Fund and its common stockholders as a whole, then we may choose to offer to repurchase fewer shares than described above, or none at all.
In the event that any common stockholder fails to maintain the minimum balance of $500 of our Common Shares, we may repurchase all of the shares held by that common stockholder at the repurchase price in effect on the date we determine that the common stockholder has failed to meet the minimum balance, less any Early Repurchase Deduction. Minimum account repurchases will apply even in the event that the failure to meet the minimum balance is caused solely by a decline in our NAV. Minimum account repurchases are subject to Early Repurchase Deduction.
Any repurchase of our shares held by our investment adviser will be on the same terms and with the same limitations as those applicable to stockholders under the share repurchase program described herein.
Payment for repurchased shares may require us to liquidate portfolio holdings earlier than our investment adviser would otherwise have caused these holdings to be liquidated, potentially resulting in losses, and may increase our investment-related expenses as a result of higher portfolio turnover rates. Our investment adviser intends to take measures, subject to policies as may be established by our Board, to attempt to avoid or minimize potential losses and expenses resulting from the repurchase of shares.
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DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN
We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash distributions declared by the Board on behalf of our common stockholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash distribution or other distribution, then our common stockholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash distribution or other distribution. Distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each participating stockholders account to three decimal places.
No action is required on the part of a registered stockholder to have his, her or its cash distribution or other distribution reinvested in our shares, except stockholders in certain states. Stockholders can elect to opt out of the Funds distribution reinvestment plan in their subscription agreements (other than Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington investors and clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan). Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington investors and clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to have their cash distributions reinvested in additional Common Shares.
If any common stockholder initially elects not to participate, they may later become a participant by subsequently completing and executing an enrollment form or any distribution authorization form as may be available from the Fund or SS&C GIDS, Inc. (the Plan Administrator). Participation in the distribution reinvestment plan will begin with the next distribution payable after acceptance of a participants subscription, enrollment or authorization. Shares will be issued under the distribution reinvestment plan as of the first calendar day of the month following the record date of the distribution.
If a stockholder seeks to terminate its participation in the distribution reinvestment plan, the stockholder must submit a letter of instruction to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., c/o SS&C GIDS, Inc. (attention Transfer Agent), 1055 Broadway Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. Such termination shall be effective immediately if the participants notice is received by the Plan Administrator at least 10 days prior to any record date for a distribution to stockholders; otherwise, such termination shall be effective only with respect to any subsequent distribution. Any transfer of shares by a participant to a non-participant will terminate participation in the distribution reinvestment plan with respect to the transferred shares. If a participant elects to tender its Common Shares in full and such full tender is accepted by the Fund, such stockholders participation in the Plan will be automatically terminated as of the expiration of the applicable tender offer and any distributions due to such stockholder on or after such date will be paid in cash on the scheduled distribution payment date.
If you elect to opt out of the distribution reinvestment plan, you will receive any distributions we declare in cash. There will be no upfront selling commissions or intermediary manager fees charged to you if you participate in the distribution reinvestment plan. We will pay the Plan Administrator fees under the distribution reinvestment plan. If your shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary, you may change your election by notifying your broker or other financial intermediary of your election.
The reinvestment of distributions does not relieve a participant in the distribution reinvestment plan of any income tax liability that may be payable on the distributions. Please see Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsTaxation of U.S. StockholdersDistributions of Our Common Shares for information regarding the potential income tax liability of participating in the distribution reinvestment plan. Additionally, distributions reinvested in Common Shares increase the Funds net assets on which the base management fee and inventive fee are payable to the investment adviser.
Any purchases of our Common Shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan are dependent on the continued registration of our securities or the availability of an exemption from registration in the recipients home state.
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The purchase price for shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such shares at the time the distribution is payable. Common Shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan will have the same voting rights as the Common Shares offered pursuant to this prospectus. Stockholders will not pay transaction related charges when purchasing Common Shares under our distribution reinvestment plan, but all outstanding Class S shares and Class D shares, including those issued under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing servicing fees.
See our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, which is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement for this offering, for more information.
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We intend to operate as a perpetual-life BDC. We use the term perpetual-life BDC to describe a BDC of indefinite duration that does not intend to complete a liquidity event within any specific time period, if at all, and whose shares of common stock are intended to be sold by the BDC monthly on a continuous basis at prices generally equal to the BDCs monthly net asset value per share for the applicable class of common stock. As a perpetual-life BDC, our Board does not expect to complete a liquidity event within any specific time period, if at all. A liquidity event could include a merger or another transaction approved by our Board in which stockholders will receive cash or shares of a publicly traded company, or a sale of all or substantially all of our assets either on a complete portfolio basis or individually followed by a liquidation and distribution of cash to our common stockholders. A liquidity event also may include a sale, merger or rollover transaction with one or more affiliated investment companies managed by our investment adviser. A liquidity event involving a merger or sale of all or substantially all of our assets would require the approval of our common stockholders in accordance with our charter. We do not intend to list our Common Shares on a national securities exchange.
While we may consider a liquidity event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time. Upon the occurrence of a liquidity event, if any, the ongoing servicing fee will terminate.
Our share repurchase program, if implemented, may provide a limited opportunity for you to have your shares of Common Shares repurchased, subject to certain restrictions and limitations, at a price which may reflect a discount from the purchase price you paid for the shares being repurchased. See Share Repurchase Program for a detailed description of the share repurchase program.
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The following discussion is a general summary of the material prohibitions and descriptions governing BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.
We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act and intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code. As with other companies regulated by the Investment Company Act, a BDC must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. The Investment Company Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to certain transactions between BDCs and certain affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal underwriters and certain affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters. Among other things, we generally cannot co-invest in any portfolio company in which a fund managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates (other than us and our downstream affiliates) is also co-investing. Our investment adviser has received the Co-Investment Exemptive Order from the SEC that permits us and other BDCs and registered closed-end management investment companies managed by Crescent to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment funds. Co-investments made under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order are subject to compliance with certain conditions and other requirements, which could limit our ability to participate in a co-investment transaction. See Co-Investment Exemptive Order for more information.
The Investment Company Act contains certain restrictions on certain types of investments we may make. Specifically, we may only invest up to 30% of our portfolio in entities that are not considered eligible portfolio companies (as defined in the Investment Company Act), including companies located outside of the United States, entities that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions under the Investment Company Act, and publicly traded entities whose public equity market capitalization exceeds the levels provided for under the Investment Company Act.
The Investment Company Act also requires that a majority of our directors be persons other than interested persons, as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act, referred to herein as independent directors. In addition, the Investment Company Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless that change is approved by holders of at least a majority of our outstanding voting securities. Under the Investment Company Act, the vote of holders of at least a majority of outstanding voting securities means the vote of the holders of the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of our outstanding Common Shares present at a meeting or represented by proxy if holders of more than 50% of our Common Shares are present or represented by proxy or (b) more than 50% of our outstanding Common Shares.
Under the Investment Company Act, we are not generally able to issue and sell our Common Shares at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our Common Shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our Common Shares, at a price below the current net asset value per Common Share if we comply with the provisions of Section 63(2) of the Investment Company Act, including the requirements that our Board determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our common stockholders, and our common stockholders approve such sale.
We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. Our intention is to not write (sell) or buy put or call options to manage risks associated with the publicly traded securities of our portfolio companies. We may enter into hedging transactions to manage the risks associated with interest rate and currency fluctuations. We may purchase or otherwise receive warrants or options to purchase the common stock of our portfolio companies in connection with acquisition financings or other investments. In connection with such an acquisition, we may acquire rights to require the issuers of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase them under certain circumstances.
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We also do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the Investment Company Act. Under these limits, we generally cannot acquire more than 3% of the voting stock of any investment company (as defined in the Investment Company Act), invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company or invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of investment companies in the aggregate unless certain conditions are met. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our common stockholders to additional expenses.
We may borrow amounts or issue debt securities or preferred stock, which we refer to collectively as senior securities, such that our asset coverage, as calculated pursuant to the Investment Company Act, equals at least 150% immediately after such borrowing (i.e., we are able to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar we have in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by us). In addition, while certain types of indebtedness and senior securities remain outstanding, we may be required to make provisions to prohibit distributions to our common stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureRegulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we may, raise additional capital.
Qualifying Assets
A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) below. Thus, under the Investment Company Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the companys total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are the following:
(1) | Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions): |
(a) | is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the Investment Company Act as any issuer that: |
(i) | is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States; |
(ii) | is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the Investment Company Act; and |
(iii) | does not have any class of securities listed on a national securities exchange; |
(b) | is a company that meets the requirements of (a)(i) and (ii) above, but is not an eligible portfolio company because it has issued a class of securities on a national securities exchange, if: |
(i) | at the time of the purchase, we own at least 50% of the (x) greatest number of equity securities of such issuer and securities convertible into or exchangeable for such securities; and (y) the greatest amount of debt securities of such issuer, held by us at any point in time during the period when such issuer was an eligible portfolio company; and |
(ii) | we are one of the 20 largest holders of record of such issuers outstanding voting securities; or |
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(c) | is a company that meets the requirements of (a)(i) and (ii) above, but is not an eligible portfolio company because it has issued a class of securities on a national securities exchange, if the aggregate market value of such companys outstanding voting and non-voting common equity is less than $250 million. |
(2) | Securities of any eligible portfolio company that we control. |
(3) | Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities, was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements. |
(4) | Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company. |
(5) | Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities. |
(6) | Cash, cash items, U.S. Government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. |
Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies
BDCs generally must offer to make available to the issuer of portfolio securities significant managerial assistance, by either offering, and providing if accepted, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management operations or business objectives of the portfolio company or by exercising a controlling influence over the management or policies of a portfolio company, except in circumstances where either (i) the BDC does not treat such issuer of securities as an eligible portfolio company, or (ii) the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together and one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance.
Temporary Investments
Pending investment in other types of qualifying assets, as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash items, U.S. Government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets. Typically, we will invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, provided that such agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price that is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our total assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we may not meet the Diversification Tests in order to qualify as a RIC. Thus, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. Our investment adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.
Indebtedness and Senior Securities
We may be permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our Common Shares if our asset coverage, calculated pursuant to the Investment Company Act, is at least equal to 150% immediately after each such issuance (i.e., we are able to borrow up to two dollars for
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every dollar we have in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by us). In addition, while certain types of indebtedness and senior securities remain outstanding, we may be required to make provisions to prohibit distributions to our common stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureRegulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we may, raise additional capital.
Code of Ethics
We and our investment adviser have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to each code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the codes requirements. Our code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. For information on how to obtain a copy of the code of ethics, see Available Information below.
Co-Investment Exemptive Order
We rely on the Co-Investment Exemptive Order that has been granted by the SEC to our investment adviser that permits us and other BDCs and registered closed-end management investment companies managed by Crescent to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment funds. Co-investments made under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order are subject to compliance with certain conditions and other requirements, which could limit our ability to participate in a co-investment transaction. We may also otherwise co-invest with funds managed by Crescent or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and our allocation procedures.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
We delegate our proxy voting responsibility to our investment adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of our investment adviser are set forth below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by our investment adviser and our directors who are not interested persons as defined by the Investment Company Act, and, accordingly, are subject to change.
An investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act has a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of its clients. As part of this duty, our investment adviser recognizes that it must vote portfolio securities in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest and in the best interests of its clients.
These policies and procedures for voting proxies are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.
Our investment adviser votes all proxies based upon the guiding principle of seeking to maximize the ultimate long-term economic value of our stockholders holdings, and ultimately all votes are cast on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the contractual obligations under the relevant advisory agreements or comparable documents, and all other relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote. Our investment adviser reviews on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted to a stockholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by us. Although our investment adviser generally votes against proposals that may have a negative impact on our portfolio securities, our investment adviser may vote for such a proposal if there exists compelling long-term reasons to do so.
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Our investment advisers proxy voting decisions are made by our investment advisers investment committee. To ensure that the vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, our investment adviser will require that: (1) anyone involved in the decision making process disclose to our investment advisers investment committee, and disinterested directors, any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (2) employees involved in the decision making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how the investment adviser intends to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.
Privacy Policies
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help investors understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.
Pursuant to our privacy policy, we will not disclose any non-public personal information concerning any of our stockholders who are individuals unless the disclosure meets certain permitted exceptions under Regulation S-P. We generally will not use or disclose any stockholder information for any purpose other than as required by law.
We may collect non-public information about investors, such as name, address, account number and the types and amounts of investments, and information about transactions with us or our affiliates, such as participation in other investment programs, ownership of certain types of accounts or other account data and activity. We may disclose the information that we collect from our stockholders or former stockholders, as described above, only to our affiliates and service providers and only as allowed by applicable law or regulation. Any party that receives this information will use it only for the services required by us and as allowed by applicable law or regulation, and is not permitted to share or use this information for any other purpose. To protect the non-public personal information of individuals, we permit access only by authorized personnel who need access to that information to provide services to us and our stockholders. In order to guard our stockholders non-public personal information, we maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that are designed to comply with applicable law. Non-public personal information that we collect about our stockholders will generally be stored on secured servers. An individual stockholders right to privacy extends to all forms of contact with us, including telephone, written correspondence and electronic media, such as the Internet.
Pursuant to our privacy policy, we will provide a clear and conspicuous notice to each investor that details our privacy policies and procedures at the time of the investors subscription.
Other
We have designated a chief compliance officer and established a compliance program pursuant to the requirements of the Investment Company Act. We are periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the Investment Company Act.
We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect us against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such persons office.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Corporate Governance Regulations
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. For example:
| pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer must certify the accuracy of the financial statements contained in our periodic reports; |
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| pursuant to Item 307 of Regulation S-K, our periodic reports must disclose our conclusions about the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures; |
| pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act, our management must prepare an annual report regarding its assessment of our internal control over financial reporting and (once we cease to be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act or, if later, for the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC) must obtain an audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting performed by our independent registered public accounting firm; and |
| pursuant to Item 308 of Regulation S-K and Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act, our periodic reports must disclose whether there were significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. |
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a general summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of our Common Shares and our qualification and taxation as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This discussion does not purport to be a complete description of all of the tax considerations relating thereto. In particular, we have not described certain considerations that may be relevant to certain types of stockholders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, including stockholders subject to the alternative minimum tax, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, stockholders that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, dealers in securities, traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for securities holdings, pension plans and trusts, financial institutions, a person that holds our Common Shares as part of a straddle or a hedging or conversion transaction, real estate investment trusts (REITs), RICs, U.S. stockholders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, non-U.S. stockholders (as defined below) engaged in a trade or business in the United States, persons who have ceased to be U.S. citizens or to be taxed as residents of the United States, controlled foreign corporations, and passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). This summary is limited to stockholders that hold our Common Shares as capital assets (within the meaning of the Code), and does not address owners of a stockholder. This discussion is based upon the Code, its legislative history, existing and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations, published rulings and court decisions, each as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change, possibly retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this discussion. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the IRS regarding the offerings pursuant to this prospectus or pursuant to the accompanying prospectus supplement unless expressly stated therein. This summary does not discuss any aspects of U.S. estate or gift tax or foreign, state or local tax. It does not discuss the special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws that could result if we invest in tax-exempt securities or certain other investment assets. It also does not discuss the tax aspects of Common Shares sold in units with the other securities being registered.
A U.S. stockholder is a beneficial owner of our Common Shares that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons (as defined in the Code) have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions, or if the trust has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a domestic trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or |
| an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source. |
A non-U.S. stockholder is a beneficial owner of our Common Shares that is not a U.S. stockholder or an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our Common Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective investor that is a partner in a partnership that will hold our Common Shares are urged to consult its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Common Shares.
An investment in our Common Shares is complex, and certain aspects of the U.S. tax treatment of such investment are not certain. Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in our Common Shares will depend on the facts of his, her or its particular situation. We strongly encourage investors to consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the
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acquisition, ownership and disposition of our Common Shares, as well as the effect of any state, local and foreign tax laws, eligibility for the benefits of any applicable tax treaty, and the effect of any possible changes in the tax laws.
Election to Be Taxed as a RIC
As a BDC, we have elected to be treated and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify annually as a RIC under the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on our net ordinary income or capital gains that we timely distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to our common stockholders as dividends. Instead, dividends we distribute (or are deemed to timely distribute) generally will be taxable to stockholders, and any net operating losses, foreign tax credits and most other tax attributes generally will not pass through to stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal corporate-level income tax on any undistributed income and gains. To continue to qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source of income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, we must distribute to our common stockholders, for each taxable year at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code (the Annual Distribution Requirement). See Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureWe will be subject to corporate level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC and Risk FactorsRisks Relating to Our Business and StructureWe may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing such income.
Taxation as a RIC
If we:
| qualify as a RIC; and |
| satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement; |
then we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our investment company taxable income and net capital gain (generally, realized net long-term capital gain in excess of realized net short-term capital loss) that we timely distribute (or are deemed to timely distribute) to stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any net income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to our common stockholders.
We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in preceding years (to the extent that U.S. federal income tax was not imposed on such amounts) less certain over-distributions in the prior year (collectively, the Excise Tax Requirement). We can be expected to pay such excise tax on a portion of our income.
Moreover, our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests (as defined below). If we dispose of assets to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement, the Diversification Tests, or the Excise Tax Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.
To qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we generally must, among other things:
| qualify to be treated as a BDC at all times during each taxable year; |
| derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale of stock or other securities or foreign |
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currencies, or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies, or (b) net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership or QPTP (collectively, the 90% Income Test); and |
| diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year: |
| at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities that, with respect to any issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer; and |
| no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of (i) one issuer, (ii) two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under the Code, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or (iii) securities of one or more QPTPs (collectively, the Diversification Tests). |
We may invest in partnerships, including QPTPs, which may result in our being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or other tax liabilities. For the purpose of determining whether the Fund satisfies the 90% Income Test and the Diversification Tests described above, the character of our distributive share of items of income, gain, losses, deductions and credits derived through any investments in companies that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (other than certain publicly traded partnerships), or are treated as disregarded as separate from us for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally will be determined as if we realized these tax items directly. Further, for purposes of calculating the value of our investment in the securities of an issuer for purposes of determining the 25% requirement described above, the Funds proper proportion of any investment in the securities of that issuer that are held by a member of our controlled group must be aggregated with our investment in that issuer. A controlled group is one or more chains of corporations connected through stock ownership with us if (a) at least 80% of the total combined voting power of all classes of voting stock of each of the corporations is owned directly by one or more of the other corporations, and (b) we directly own at least 80% or more of the combined voting stock of at least one of the other corporations.
A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its investment company taxable income. If our deductible expenses in a given taxable year exceed our investment company taxable income, we may incur a net operating loss for that taxable year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent taxable years and such net operating losses do not pass through to its stockholders. In addition, deductible expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. A RIC may not use any net capital losses (that is, the excess of realized capital losses over realized capital gains) to offset its investment company taxable income, but may carry forward such net capital losses, and use them to offset future capital gains, indefinitely. Any underwriting fees paid to us are not deductible. Due to these limits on deductibility of expenses and net capital losses, we may for U.S. federal income tax purposes have aggregate taxable income for several taxable years that we are required to distribute and that is taxable to our common stockholders even if such taxable income is greater than the net income we actually earn during those taxable years.
We may be required to recognize taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount, or OID (such as debt investments with payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest or, in certain cases, that have increasing interest rates or that are issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. Because any OID accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the taxable year of accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our common stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash
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amount. In order to enable us to make distributions to stockholders that will be sufficient to enable us to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and the Excise Tax Requirement we may need to liquidate or sell some of our assets at times or at prices that are not advantageous, raise additional equity or debt capital, take out loans, forego new investment opportunities or otherwise take actions that are disadvantageous to our business (or be unable to take actions that are advantageous to our business). Our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our qualification as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we borrow money, we may be prevented by loan covenants from declaring and paying dividends in certain circumstances. Even if we are authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements, under the Investment Company Act, we are generally not permitted to make distributions to our common stockholders while our debt obligations and senior securities are outstanding unless certain asset coverage tests or other financial covenants are met. Limits on our payment of dividends may prevent us from meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement, and may, therefore, jeopardize our qualification for taxation as a RIC, or subject us to the 4% excise tax on undistributed income.
A portfolio company in which we invest may face financial difficulty that requires us to work-out, modify or otherwise restructure our investment in the portfolio company. Any such restructuring could, depending on the specific terms of the restructuring, cause us to recognize taxable income without a corresponding receipt of cash, which could affect our ability to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Requirement, or result in unusable capital losses and future non-cash income. Any such reorganization could also result in our receiving assets that give rise to non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test.
Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (a) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (b) convert long-term capital gain (currently taxed at lower rates for non-corporate taxpayers) into higher taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (c) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (d) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (e) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions, (f) treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as non-qualified dividend income, (g) cause us to recognize income or gain without receipt of a corresponding cash payment, and (h) produce income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. We intend to monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections that are intended to maintain our status as a RIC and mitigate the effects of these provisions; however, no assurance can be given that we will be eligible for any such tax elections or that any elections we make will fully mitigate the effects of these provisions.
Gain or loss realized by us from warrants acquired by us as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. Such gain or loss generally will be long term or short term, depending on how long we held a particular warrant.
Our investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. income, withholding and other taxes. In that case, our yield on those securities would be decreased. Stockholders will generally not be entitled to claim a U.S. foreign tax credit or deduction with respect to non-U.S. taxes paid by us.
If we purchase shares in a PFIC, we may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any excess distribution received on, or gain from the disposition of, such shares, even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by us to our common stockholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on us in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If we invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code (a QEF), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, we will be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the QEF, even if such income is not distributed to us. Alternatively, we may elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year our shares in such PFIC; in this case, we will recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it does not exceed prior increases
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included in income. Our ability to make either election will depend on factors beyond our control, and we are subject to restrictions that may limit the availability or benefit of these elections. Under either election, we may be required to recognize in any year income in excess of our distributions from PFICs and our proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income will nevertheless be subject to the Annual Distribution Requirement and will be taken into account for purposes of determining whether we satisfy the Excise Tax Requirement.
Our functional currency is the U.S. dollar for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time we accrue income, expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time we actually collect such income or pay such expenses or liabilities may be treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency forward contracts, the disposition of debt denominated in a foreign currency and other financial transactions denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, may also be treated as ordinary income or loss.
Some of the income and fees that we may recognize, such as, but not limited to, management fees, certain fees earned with respect to our investments, income recognized in a work-out or restructuring of a portfolio investment, or income recognized from an equity investment in an operating partnership, may not satisfy the 90% Income Test. In order to manage the risk that such income and fees might disqualify us as a RIC for a failure to satisfy the 90% Income Test, we may be required to recognize such income and fees indirectly through one or more entities treated as U.S. corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Although we expect that recognizing such income through such corporations will assist us in satisfying the 90% Income Test, no assurance can be given that this structure will be respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which could result in such income not being counted towards satisfying the 90% Income Test. If the amount of such income were too great and we were otherwise unable to mitigate this effect, it could result in our disqualification as a RIC. If, as we expect, the structure is respected, such corporations will be required to pay U.S. corporate income tax on their earnings, which ultimately will reduce our return on such income and fees.
We are limited in our ability to deduct expenses in excess of our investment company taxable income. If our expenses in a given year exceed our investment company taxable income, we will have a net operating loss for that year. However, we are not permitted to carry forward our net operating losses to subsequent years, so these net operating losses generally will not pass through to our common stockholders. In addition, expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, and may not be used to offset net capital gain. As a RIC, we may not use any net capital losses (that is, realized capital losses in excess of realized capital gains) to offset our investment company taxable income, but may carry forward those losses, and use them to offset future capital gains, indefinitely. Further, our deduction of net business interest expense is generally limited to 30% of our adjusted taxable income plus floor plan financing interest expense.
Failure to Qualify as a RIC
If we fail to satisfy the 90% Income Test for any taxable year or the Diversification Tests for any quarter of the taxable year, we may still continue to be taxed as a RIC for the relevant taxable year if we are eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the diversification requirements where we correct the failure within a specified period. If the applicable relief provisions are not available or cannot be met, all of our income would be subject to corporate-level income tax as described below. We cannot provide assurance that we would qualify for any such relief should we fail the 90% Income Test or the Diversification Tests.
If we were to fail to meet the RIC requirements for more than two consecutive years and then seek to requalify as a RIC, we would be required to pay corporate-level tax on the unrealized appreciation recognized during the succeeding five-year period unless we make a special election to recognize gain to the extent of any unrealized appreciation in our assets at the time of requalification.
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If we are unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, and relief is not available as discussed above, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income at the regular corporate U.S. federal income tax rate (and we also would be subject to any applicable state and local taxes). We would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders and would not be required to make distributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Distributions generally would be taxable to our common stockholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate U.S. stockholders would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the stockholder to the extent of the stockholders adjusted tax basis in our Common Shares, and any remaining distributions would be treated as capital gains. If we fail to qualify as a RIC, we may be subject to regular corporate tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of our assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if we had been liquidated) that we elect to recognize on requalification or when recognized over the next five taxable years.
Although we expect to operate in a manner so as to qualify continuously as a RIC, we or our investment adviser may decide in the future that we should be taxed as a C corporation, even if we would otherwise qualify as a RIC, if we determine that treatment as a C corporation for a particular year would be in our best interest.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that we qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.
Taxation of U.S. Stockholders
The following summary generally describes certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our Common Shares beneficially owned by U.S. stockholders (as defined above). If you are not a U.S. stockholder, this section does not apply to you.
Whether an investment in our Common Shares is appropriate for a U.S. stockholder will depend upon that persons particular circumstances. An investment in our Common Shares by a U.S. stockholder may have adverse tax consequences. U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors about the U.S. tax consequences of investing in our Common Shares.
Distributions on Our Common Shares
Distributions by us generally are taxable to U.S. stockholders as ordinary income or capital gains. To the extent such distributions paid by us to non-corporate stockholders (including individuals) are attributable to dividends from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations and if certain holding period requirements are met, such distributions (qualified dividends) generally are taxable to U.S. stockholders at the preferential rates applicable to long-term capital gains. A portion of our ordinary dividends, but not capital gain dividends, paid to U.S. corporate stockholders may, if certain conditions are met, qualify for the dividends-received deduction to the extent that we have received dividends from certain corporations during the taxable year. However, it is anticipated that distributions paid by us generally will not be attributable to dividends and, therefore, generally will not qualify for the preferential rates applicable to qualified dividends or the dividends-received deduction available to corporations under the Code. A corporate U.S. stockholder may be required to reduce its basis in our Common Shares with respect to certain extraordinary dividends, as defined in Section 1059 of the Code. Corporate U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors in determining the application of these rules in their particular circumstances. Distributions of our investment company taxable income will be taxable as ordinary income to U.S. stockholders to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of our Common Shares.
Distributions of our net capital gain properly reported by us as capital gain dividends will be taxable to a U.S. stockholder as long-term capital gains (which, under current law, are taxed at preferential rates) in the case of individuals, trusts or estates. This is true, regardless of the U.S. stockholders holding period of our Common
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Shares and regardless of whether the dividend is paid in cash or reinvested in additional Common Shares. Distributions in excess of our earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. stockholders adjusted tax basis in such U.S. stockholders Common Shares and, after the adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to such U.S. stockholder. We may make distributions in excess of our earnings and profits. As a result, a U.S. stockholder will need to consider the effect of our distributions on such U.S. stockholders adjusted tax basis in our Common Shares in their individual circumstances.
Although we currently intend to distribute our net capital gain for each taxable year on a timely basis, we may in the future decide to retain some or all of our net capital gain, and may designate the retained amount as a deemed dividend. In that case, among other consequences: we will pay U.S. federal corporate income tax on the retained amount; each U.S. stockholder will be required to include their pro rata share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been actually distributed to them; and the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to their pro rata share of the tax paid thereon by us. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to the U.S. stockholders adjusted tax basis in our Common Shares.
For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of capital gains dividends paid for that year, we may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If we make such an election, a U.S. stockholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by us in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to stockholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by a U.S. stockholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
We have the ability to declare a large portion of a dividend in shares of our Common Shares. As long as a portion of such dividend is paid in cash and certain other requirements are met, the entire distribution will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder will be taxed on 100% of the fair market value of the dividend on the date the dividend is received in the same manner as a cash distribution, even if most of the dividend was paid in shares of our Common Shares. If stockholders purchase our Common Shares shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the shares will include the value of the distribution and such U.S. stockholder will be subject to tax on the distribution even though it economically represents a return of his, her or its investment.
Distributions out of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will not be eligible for the 20% pass through deduction under Section 199A of the Code, although qualified REIT dividends earned by us may qualify for the 20% pass through deduction under Section 199A deduction.
Until and unless we are treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company (within the meaning of Section 67 of the Code) as a result of either (1) our Common Shares collectively being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year, (2) our Common Shares being treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for any taxable year, or (3) our Common Shares are continuously offered pursuant to a public offering (within the meaning of Section 4 of the Securities Act), for purposes of computing the taxable income of U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates, (a) our earnings will be computed without taking into account such U.S. stockholders allocable shares of the management and incentive fees paid to our investment adviser and certain of our other expenses, (b) each such U.S. stockholder will be treated as having received or accrued a dividend from us in the amount of such U.S. stockholders allocable share of these fees and expenses for such taxable year, (c) each such U.S. stockholder will be treated as having paid or incurred such U.S. stockholders allocable share of these fees and expenses for the calendar year and (d) each such U.S. stockholders allocable share of these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions by such U.S. stockholder. For taxable years beginning before 2026, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are not deductible by a U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate. For taxable years beginning in 2026 or later, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are deductible by a U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust
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or estate only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. stockholders miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. stockholders adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under Section 68 of the Code.
Sale or Other Disposition of Our Common Shares
A U.S. stockholder generally will recognize taxable gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of such stockholders Common Shares. The amount of gain or loss will be measured by the difference between a U.S. stockholders adjusted tax basis in our Common Shares sold or otherwise disposed of and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange. Any gain or loss arising from such sale or other disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if a U.S. stockholder has held our Common Shares for more than one year. Otherwise, such gain or loss will be classified as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or disposition of our Common Shares in which a U.S. stockholder has a holding period of six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received, or undistributed capital gain deemed received, with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of shares of our Common Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical stock or securities are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition.
In general, U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates currently are taxed at preferential rates on their net capital gain. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by individuals. Corporate U.S. stockholders currently are subject to U.S. federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum 21% rate also applied to ordinary income. Non-corporate U.S. stockholders (including individuals) with net capital losses for a year (i.e., capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each year; any net capital losses of a non-corporate U.S. stockholder (including an individual) in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent years as provided in the Code. Corporate U.S. stockholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a year, but may carry back such losses for three years or carry forward such losses for five years.
Legislation requires reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include shares of a RIC, to the Internal Revenue Service and to taxpayers. Stockholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We will send to each of our U.S. stockholders, after the end of each calendar year, a notice providing, on a per share and per distribution basis, the amounts includible in such U.S. stockholders taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the U.S. federal tax status of each years distributions generally will be reported to the IRS. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on a U.S. stockholders particular situation.
We may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (backup withholding) from all taxable distributions to a U.S. stockholder (1) who fails to furnish us with a correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that such stockholder is exempt from backup withholding or (2) with respect to whom the IRS notifies us that such stockholder is subject to backup withholding. An individuals taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amount withheld under backup withholding is allowed as a credit against the U.S. stockholders U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such stockholder to a refund, provided that proper information is timely provided to the IRS.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income
Non-corporate U.S. stockholders generally are subject to a 3.8% Medicare surtax on their net investment income, the calculation of which includes interest income and OID, any taxable gain from the disposition of our
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Common Shares and any distributions on our Common Shares (including the amount of any deemed distribution) to the extent such distribution is treated as a dividend or as capital gain (as described above under Taxation of U.S. StockholdersDistributions on Our Common Shares). Non-corporate U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors on the effect of acquiring, holding and disposing of our Common Shares, on the computation of net investment income in their individual circumstances.
Disclosure of Certain Recognized Losses.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a U.S. stockholder recognizes a loss with respect to either our Common Shares of $2 million or more for a non-corporate U.S. stockholder or $10 million or more for a corporate U.S. stockholder in any single taxable year, such stockholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct stockholders of certain portfolio securities in many cases are excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, equity owners of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Significant monetary penalties apply to a failure to comply with this reporting requirement. States may also have a similar reporting requirement. U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders
The following discussion applies only to persons that are non-U.S. stockholders. If you are not a non-U.S. stockholder, this discussion does not apply to you.
Whether an investment in our Common Shares is appropriate for a non-U.S. stockholder will depend upon that stockholders particular circumstances. An investment in our Common Shares by a non-U.S. stockholder may have adverse tax consequences and, accordingly, may not be appropriate for a non-U.S. stockholder. Non-U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of acquiring, holding and disposing of our Common Shares before investing.
Distributions on, and Sale or Other Disposition of, Our Common Shares
Distributions of our investment company taxable income to non-U.S. stockholders will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% (unless lowered or eliminated by an applicable income tax treaty) to the extent payable from our current and accumulated earnings and profits unless an exception applies.
Actual or deemed distributions of our net capital gain to a non-U.S. stockholder, and gains recognized by a non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale of our Common Shares, will not be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax and generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless the non-U.S. stockholder is an individual, has been present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year, and certain other conditions are satisfied. Non-U.S. stockholders of our Common Shares are encouraged to consult their own advisors as to the applicability of an income tax treaty in their individual circumstances.
In general, no U.S. source withholding taxes will be imposed on dividends paid by RICs to non- U.S. stockholders to the extent the dividends are properly designated as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends. Under this exemption, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of interest or short-term capital gain that would not have been subject to U.S. withholding tax at the source if they had been received directly by a non-U.S. stockholder, and that satisfy certain other requirements. We expect that a portion of our dividends will qualify as interest-related dividends, although we cannot assure you the exact proportion that will so qualify.
If we distribute our net capital gain in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions (which we may do in the future), a non-U.S. stockholder will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the
183
non-U.S. stockholders allocable share of the tax we pay on the capital gain deemed to have been distributed. In order to obtain the refund, the non-U.S. stockholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number (if one has not been previously obtained) and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. stockholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a U.S. federal income tax return.
We have the ability to declare a large portion of a dividend in shares of our Common Shares. As long as a portion of such dividend is paid in cash and certain other requirements are met, the entire distribution will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, our non-U.S. stockholders will be taxed on 100% of the fair market value of the dividend on the date the dividend is received in the same manner as a cash dividend (including the application of withholding tax rules described above), even if most of the dividend is paid in shares of our Common Shares. In such a circumstance, we may be required to withhold all or substantially all of the cash we would otherwise distribute to a non-U.S. stockholder.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
A non-U.S. stockholder who is otherwise subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends unless the non-U.S. stockholder provides us or the dividend paying agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or an acceptable substitute form) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. stockholder or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding.
Withholding and Information Reporting on Financial Accounts
Pursuant to Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code and the U.S. Treasury regulations thereunder, the relevant withholding agent generally will be required to withhold 30% of any dividends paid on our Common Shares to: (i) a foreign financial institution unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity that is the beneficial owner of the payment unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements or is subject to an applicable intergovernmental agreement. If payment of this withholding tax is made, non-U.S. stockholders that are otherwise eligible for an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding taxes with respect to such dividends will be required to seek a credit or refund from the IRS to obtain the benefit of such exemption or reduction. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. Certain jurisdictions have entered into agreements with the United States that may supplement or modify these rules. Non-U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the particular consequences to them of this legislation and guidance. We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of any amounts withheld.
Non-U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their tax advisers with respect to the U.S. federal income and withholding tax consequences, and state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences, of an investment in our Common Shares.
Other Taxation
Stockholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their distributions from our Common Shares. Stockholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in our Common Shares.
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STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING
THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE
FUND, INCLUDING THE STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. INCOME AND OTHER
TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN SHARES OF OUR COMMON SHARES.
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RESTRICTIONS ON SHARE OWNERSHIP
Each prospective investor that is, or is acting on behalf of, any (i) employee benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) plan described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code, subject to Section 4975 of the Code (including for e.g., IRA and a Keogh plan), (iii) plan, account or other arrangement that is subject to provisions under any Similar Laws, or (iv) entity whose underlying assets are considered to include the assets of any of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), pursuant to ERISA or otherwise (each of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) referred to herein as a Plan), must independently determine that our Common Shares are an appropriate investment, taking into account its obligations under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws.
In contemplating an investment in the Fund, each fiduciary of the Plan who is responsible for making such an investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan, whether such investment is consistent with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code or any Similar Law relating to a fiduciarys duties to the Plan including, without limitation, the prudence, diversification, delegation of control and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code and any other applicable Similar Laws. Furthermore, absent an exemption, the fiduciaries of a Plan should not invest in the Fund with the assets of any Plan if our investment adviser or any of its affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to such assets of the Plan.
In contemplating an investment in the Fund, fiduciaries of Plans subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (a Covered Plan) should also carefully consider the definition of the term plan assets in ERISA and the Plan Asset Regulations. Under ERISA and the Plan Asset Regulations, when a Covered Plan invests in an equity interest of an entity that is neither a publicly-offered security (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations) nor a security issued by an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act, the Covered Plans assets include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the entitys underlying assets, unless it is established that the entity is an operating company or that equity participation in the entity by benefit plan investors (Benefit Plan Investors) is not significant (each within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations). The term Benefit Plan Investor is defined in the Plan Asset Regulations to include (a) any employee benefit plan (as defined in section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to the provisions of Title I of ERISA, (b) any plan described in section 4975(e)(1) of the Code subject to Section 4975 of the Code, and (c) any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of such an employee benefit plans or plans investment in the entity.
Under the Plan Asset Regulations, equity participation in an entity by Benefit Plan Investors is significant on any date if, immediately after the most recent acquisition of any equity interest in the entity, 25% or more of the total value of any class of equity interests is held by Benefit Plan Investors. For purposes of this determination, the value of equity interests held by a person (other than a Benefit Plan Investor) who has discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of the entity or that provides investment advice for a fee (direct or indirect) with respect to such assets (or any affiliate of such a person) is disregarded (each such person, a Controlling Person).
If the assets of the Fund were deemed to be plan assets under the Plan Asset Regulations, this would result, among other things, in (i) the application of the prudence and other fiduciary responsibility standards of ERISA to investments made by the Fund, and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Fund might seek to engage could constitute prohibited transactions under ERISA and the Code. If a prohibited transaction occurs for which no exemption is available, our investment adviser and/or any other fiduciary that has engaged in the prohibited transaction could be required to (i) restore to the Covered Plan any profit realized on the transaction and (ii) reimburse the Covered Plan for any losses suffered by the Covered Plan as a result of the investment. In addition, each party in interest or disqualified person (within the meaning of Section 3(14) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) involved could be subject to an excise tax equal to 15% of the amount involved in the prohibited transaction for each year the transaction continues and, unless the transaction is corrected within statutorily required periods, to an additional tax of 100%. Fiduciaries of a Covered Plan who
186
decide to invest in the Fund could, under certain circumstances, be liable for prohibited transactions or other violations as a result of their investment in the Fund or as co-fiduciaries for actions taken by or on behalf of the Fund or our investment adviser. With respect to an IRA that invests in the Fund, the occurrence of a prohibited transaction involving the individual who established the IRA, or his or her beneficiaries, would cause the IRA to lose its tax-exempt status.
Accordingly, for so long as the shares of the Fund are not considered publicly-offered securities within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, the Fund intends to limit Benefit Plan Investors investments in each class of shares of the Fund to less than 25%, disregarding equity interests held by Controlling Persons, within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations. In this respect, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as plan assets, within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, we may require any person proposing to acquire Common Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is a Benefit Plan Investor or a Controlling Person.
In addition, we have the power to (a) exclude any common stockholder or potential common stockholder from purchasing Common Shares; (b) prohibit any redemption of Common Shares; and (c) redeem some or all Common Shares held by any holder if, and to the extent that, our Board determines that there is a substantial likelihood that such holders purchase or ownership of Common Shares or the redemption of such holders Common Shares would result in (i) our assets to be characterized as plan assets, subject to the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any provisions of any Similar Laws or (ii) the Fund, our investment adviser or any affiliates thereof to be considered a fiduciary of any common stockholder for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any applicable Similar Laws, and all Common Shares of the Fund shall be subject to such terms and conditions.
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CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND DISTRIBUTION PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR
Our securities are held under a custody agreement by The Bank of New York Mellon. The address of the custodian is 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286. SS&C GIDS, Inc. acts as the transfer agent, dividend paying agent and registrar for our Common Shares. The principal business address of SS&C GIDS, Inc. is 1055 Broadway Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105.
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BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Since we generally acquire and dispose of our investments in privately negotiated transactions, we infrequently use brokers in the normal course of business.
Subject to policies established by our Board, our investment adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisers, LLC, is primarily responsible for the execution of the publicly traded securities portion of our portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage commissions. Our investment adviser does not expect to execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but seeks to obtain the best net results for us, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the Firm and the Firms risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities.
While our investment adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive trade execution costs, we will not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal requirements, our investment adviser may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to our investment adviser and us and any other clients. In return for such services, we may pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if our investment adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Ernst & Young LLP, located at 725 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90017, is the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund.
The financial statement of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. at May 4, 2023, appearing in this Prospectus has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing elsewhere herein, and is included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form N-2, together with all amendments and related exhibits, under the Securities Act, with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. The registration statement contains additional information about us and the securities being offered by this prospectus.
We file with or submit to the SEC annual, quarterly and current periodic reports, proxy statements and other information meeting the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. This information is available free of charge by calling us collect at , by sending an e-mail to us at or on our website at www. .com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus and you should not consider such information to be part of this document. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information filed electronically by us with the SEC, which are available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. You also may inspect and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information, as well as the registration statement and related exhibits and schedules, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SECs Public Reference Branch, Office of Consumer Affairs and Information Services, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549.
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CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42) |
F-2 | |||
F-3 | ||||
F-4 |
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholder and the Board of Directors of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statement
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Company) as of May 4, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statement). In our opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at May 4, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
The financial statement is the responsibility of the Companys management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Companys financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statement, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Companys auditor since 2023.
Los Angeles, California
July 18, 2023
F-2
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
As of May 4, 2023
Assets |
||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 25,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Total assets |
$ | 25,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 5) |
||||
Net assets |
||||
Common shares, $0.01 par value per share; unlimited shares authorized, 1,000 shares issued and outstanding |
$ | 10 | ||
Paid-in capital in excess of par value |
24,990 | |||
|
|
|||
Total net assets |
$ | 25,000 | ||
|
|
See accompanying notes
F-3
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
May 4, 2023
Note 1. Organization and Basis of Presentation
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Company) was formed on November 10, 2022 as a Maryland corporation structured as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Company elected to be regulated as a business development company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). The Company is externally managed by its adviser, Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC (the Adviser), an investment adviser that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. In addition, the Company intends to qualify as a regulated investment company (a RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). As a RIC, the Company will not be taxed on its income to the extent that it distributes such income each year and satisfies other applicable income tax requirements.
The Companys investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Company invests primarily in directly originated assets, including debt securities and related equity investments, made to or issued by U.S. middle-market companies. The Company may also make investments in syndicated loans and other liquid credit opportunities, including in publicly traded debt instruments, for cash management purposes and to generate attractive risk adjusted returns.
On May 3, 2023, Crescent Capital Group LP, an affiliate of the Adviser, purchased 1,000 Common Shares for $25,000, or $25.00 per share. As of May 4, 2023, the Company has not commenced its investing activities.
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The Companys financial statement has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and pursuant to Regulation S-X. The Company is treated as an investment company and, therefore, applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 946, Financial Services Investment Companies. Separate statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows have not been presented because the Company has not yet commenced its principal operations.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the financial statement in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that may affect the amounts reported in the financial statement and accompanying notes. The financial statement reflects all adjustments that in the opinion of management are necessary for the fair statement of the Companys financial position. Although management believes that the estimates and assumptions are reasonable, changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining these estimates could cause actual results to differ materially.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand deposits and may include highly liquid investments (e.g., money market funds, U.S. Treasury notes, and similar type instruments) with original maturities of three months or less. The Company deposits its cash and cash equivalents with highly rated banking corporations and, at times, cash deposits may exceed the insured limits under applicable law.
F-4
Organization Expenses
Organization expenses include, among other things, the cost of incorporating the Company and the cost of legal services and other fees pertaining to the Companys organization. Organization expenses will be paid by the Adviser until the commencement of the Companys anticipated public offering of its common shares (the Offering). The Companys obligation to reimburse the Adviser for organizational expenses paid on its behalf is contingent upon the commencement of the Offering. Subsequent to the commencement of the Offering, any organization expenses incurred by the Company, including the reimbursements to the Adviser, will be expensed as incurred. The Companys reimbursement of organization expenses paid on its behalf will be in accordance with the terms of the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (as defined below). As of May 4, 2023, the Adviser accrued or paid organization expenses of $982,406 on behalf of the Company.
Offering Expenses
The Companys offering expenses include, among other things, legal fees, registration fees and other costs pertaining to the preparation of the Companys registration statement (and any amendments or supplements thereto) relating to the Offering and associated marketing materials. Offering expenses will be incurred by the Adviser until the commencement of the Offering. The Companys obligation to reimburse the Adviser for offering expenses paid on its behalf is contingent upon the commencement of the Offering. Subsequent to the commencement of the Offering, any offering expenses incurred by the Company, including reimbursements to the Adviser, will be recorded as deferred offering costs on the statement of assets and liabilities and then subsequently amortized to expense on the Companys statement of operations over 12 months. The Companys reimbursement of offering expenses paid on its behalf will be in accordance with the terms of the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (as defined below). As of May 4, 2023, the Adviser accrued or paid offering expenses of $1,140,000 on behalf of the Company.
Income Taxes
The Company elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The Company also intends to qualify as a RIC under the Code. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it will generally not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income or excise taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. As a result, any tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Company represents obligations of the Companys stockholders and will not be reflected in the financial statement of the Company.
The Company evaluates tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing its financial statement to determine whether the tax positions are more-likely-than-not to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold are reserved and recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. All penalties and interest associated with income taxes are included in income tax expense. Conclusions regarding tax positions are subject to review and may be adjusted at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof. The Company intends to make the requisite distributions to its stockholders, which will generally relieve the Company from corporate-level income taxes.
To qualify for and maintain qualification as a RIC, the Company must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, the Company must distribute to its stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of its investment company taxable income for that year, which is generally its ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of its realized net short-term capital gains over its realized net long-term capital losses.
In addition, based on the excise tax distribution requirements, the Company is subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on undistributed income unless the Company distributes in a timely manner in each taxable
F-5
year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in prior years. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Company that is subject to corporate income tax is considered to have been distributed. To the extent that it determines that estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year dividend distributions from such taxable income, the Company will accrue excise taxes, if any, on estimated undistributed taxable income.
Note 3. Agreements and Related Party Transactions
Administration Agreement
On May 3, 2023, the Company entered into the administration agreement (the Administration Agreement) with CCAP Administration LLC (the Administrator). Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides administrative services to the Company. These services include providing office facilities, equipment, clerical bookkeeping and record keeping services, maintaining financial and other records, preparing reports to stockholders and reports and other materials filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority, and generally overseeing the payment of expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others. The Administrator also will provide on the Companys behalf significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which the Company is required to provide such assistance. Certain of these services are reimbursable to the Administrator under the terms of the Administration Agreement. In addition, the Administrator is permitted to delegate its duties under the Administration Agreement to affiliates or third parties. To the extent the Administrator outsources any of its functions, the Company will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis, without incremental profit to the Administrator. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty on 60 days written notice to the other party. No administrative services have been provided to the Company as of May 4, 2023.
No person who is an officer, director or employee of the Administrator or its affiliates and who serves as a director of the Company receives any compensation from the Company for his or her services as a director. However, the Company reimburses the Administrator (or its affiliates) for an allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Administrator or its affiliates to the Companys accounting professionals, legal counsel, investor relations and compliance professionals who spend time on such related activities (based on the percentage of time those individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to the business and affairs of the Company). The allocable portion of the compensation for these officers and other professionals are included in the administration expenses paid to the Administrator. Directors who are not affiliated with the Administrator or its affiliates receive compensation for their services and reimbursement of expenses incurred to attend meetings.
Investment Advisory Agreement
On May 3, 2023, the Company entered into an investment advisory agreement with the Adviser (the Investment Advisory Agreement). Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Company and its portfolio investments. The Advisers services under the Investment Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and the Adviser is free to furnish similar or other services to others so long as its services to the Company are not impaired. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to receive a base management fee and may also receive incentive fees, as discussed below, when the Company commences operations. As of May 4, 2023, the Company has not yet commenced its planned principal operations and no fees are payable to the Adviser.
Base Management Fee
The base management fee is calculated and payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of the Companys net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For
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purposes of the Investment Advisory Agreement, net assets means the Companys total net assets determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the first calendar month in which the Company has operations, net assets will be measured as the beginning net assets as of the date on which the Company commences operations.
Incentive Fee per Investment Advisory Agreement
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the incentive fee consists of two parts:
The first part, the income incentive fee, is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears and is paid with respect to the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income (as defined below) in each calendar quarter as follows: (a) no incentive fee based on pre-incentive fee net investment income in any calendar quarter in which the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed a hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized) (the Hurdle), (b) 100% of the dollar amount of the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the Hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized) (the Catch-up), and (c) 12.5% of the dollar amount of the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized).
The second part, the capital gains incentive fee, is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year at a rate of 12.5% of the Companys realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from the Companys inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fees. In the event that the Investment Advisory Agreement shall terminate as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a capital gains incentive fee.
Pre-incentive fee net investment income means, as the context requires, either the dollar value of, or percentage rate of return on the value of the Companys net assets in accordance with GAAP at the end of the immediately preceding quarter from, interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that the Company receives from portfolio companies) accrued during each calendar quarter, minus the Companys operating expenses accrued for such quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement and any interest expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee and any distribution or stockholder servicing fees). Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as market discount, original issue discount, debt investments with payment-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that the Company has not yet received in cash. Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Fees payable under the Investment Advisory Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter.
GAAP Incentive Fee on Cumulative Unrealized Capital Appreciation
The Company accrues, but does not pay, a portion of the incentive fee based on capital gains with respect to net unrealized appreciation. Under GAAP, the Company is required to accrue an incentive fee based on capital gains that includes net realized capital gains and losses and net unrealized capital appreciation and depreciation on investments held at the end of each period. In calculating the accrual for the incentive fee based on capital gains, the Company considers the cumulative aggregate unrealized capital appreciation in the calculation, since an incentive fee based on capital gains would be payable if such unrealized capital appreciation were realized, even though such unrealized capital appreciation is not permitted to be considered in calculating the fee payable
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under the Investment Advisory Agreement. This accrual is calculated using the aggregate cumulative realized capital gains and losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. If such amount is positive at the end of a period, then the Company records a capital gains incentive fee equal to 12.5% of such amount, minus the aggregate amount of actual incentive fees based on capital gains paid in all prior periods. If such amount is negative, then there is no accrual for such period. There can be no assurance that such unrealized capital appreciation will be realized in the future.
Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement
The Company has entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement on May 3, 2023 (the Expense Support Agreement) with the Adviser. The Adviser may elect to pay certain expenses of the Company on the Companys behalf (each, an Expense Payment), provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees of the Company. Any Expense Payment that the Adviser has committed to pay must be paid by the Adviser to or on behalf of the Company in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than forty-five days after such commitment was made in writing by the Adviser, and/or offset against amounts due from the Company to the Adviser or its affiliates.
Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Companys stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as Excess Operating Funds), the Company shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Adviser until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Adviser to the Company within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payment required to be made by the Company is referred to herein as a Reimbursement Payment. Available Operating Funds means the sum of (i) the Companys net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) the Companys net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to the Company on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).
The Companys obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Company on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month. Reimbursement Payments for a given Expense Payment must be made within three years prior to the last business day of the applicable calendar month.
The Expense Support Agreement provides that no Reimbursement Payment will be made for any calendar month if: (1) the annualized rate (based on a 365-day year) of regular cash distributions per share of common stock declared by the Board exclusive of returns of capital, distribution rate reductions due to distribution and stockholder fees, and any declared special dividends or distributions (the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share) declared by the Company at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates, or (2) the Operating Expense Ratio (as defined below) at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates. The Operating Expense Ratio is calculated by dividing Operating Expenses (as defined below), less organizational and offering expenses, base management and incentive fees owed to the Adviser, and interest expense, by the Companys net assets. Operating Expenses means all of the operating costs and expenses incurred, as determined in accordance with GAAP.
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Note 4. Share Repurchase Program
Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which the Company commences the Offering, and at the sole discretion of the Board, the Company intends to commence a share repurchase program in which the Company intends to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of its common shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. The Board may amend, suspend, or terminate the share repurchase program at any time if it deems such action to be in the best interest of the Company and its common stockholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. The Company intends to conduct such repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the 1940 Act. All shares purchased pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.
Under the share repurchase plan, to the extent the Company offers to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, it is expected to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable month designated by the Companys Board, except that the Company deducts 2.00% from such NAV for shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year (an Early Repurchase Deduction). The one-year holding period will be deemed satisfied if the shares to be repurchased would have been outstanding for one year or longer as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Company for the benefit of remaining stockholders.
Note 5. Commitments and Contingencies
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that provide a variety of general indemnifications. Any exposure to the Company under these arrangements could involve future claims that may be made against the Company. Currently, no such claims exist or are expected to arise and, accordingly, the Company has not accrued any liability in connection with such indemnifications.
The Adviser has agreed to bear certain expenses through the date on which the Company commences the Offering. The Company will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser for such advanced expenses upon commencing the Offering and the Adviser requesting reimbursement of these expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement. The total organization expenses incurred as of May 4, 2023 was $982,406, all of which had been borne by the Adviser. The total offering expenses incurred as of May 4, 2023 was $1,140,000, all of which had been borne by the Adviser.
Note 6. Subsequent Events
The Company has evaluated subsequent events through July 18, 2023, the date this financial statement became available for issuance.
On May 4, 2023, an affiliate of the Company made a $150 million capital commitment to the Company of which $75 million has been called through July 18, 2023.
On July 17, 2023, the Company entered into an intermediary manager agreement with Emerson Equity LLC, who will serve as the managing dealer for the Offering.
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SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
Subscription Agreement for Shares of
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
1. | Your Investment |
(a) | Investment Information |
Investment Amount $
☐ | Initial Purchase |
☐ | Subsequent Purchase ($500 minimum subscription amount) |
(b) | Investment Method |
☐ By mail: |
Please make checks payable to SS&C GIDS, Inc., AS AGENT FOR CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. and attach to this agreement* | |
☐ By wire: |
Please wire funds according to the instructions below.
Name: SS&C GIDS, Inc., AS AGENT FOR CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
Bank Name: UMB Bank N.A.
ABA: 1010-0069-5
DDA: 9872657373 | |
☐ Broker-dealer / Financial advisor will make payment on your behalf
*Cash, cashiers checks/official bank checks, temporary checks, foreign checks, money orders, third party checks, or travelers checks are not accepted. |
(c) | Share Class Selection |
☐ Share Class S | ☐ Share Class D ** | ☐ Share Class I ** |
(The minimum investment is $2,500) |
(The minimum investment is $2,500) | (The minimum investment is $1,000,000 (unless waived)) |
**Available for certain fee-based wrap accounts and other eligible investors as disclosed in the prospectus, as amended and supplemented.
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2. | Ownership Type (Select only one) |
☐ Non-Profit Organization |
Custodian Stamp Here | |||||
☐ Limited Liability Corporation
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☐ Corporation / Partnership / Other (Corporate Resolution or Partnership Agreement Required)
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(d) | Entity Name - Retirement Plan / Trust / Corporation / Partnership / Other |
Trustee(s) and/or authorized signatory(s) information MUST be provided in Sections 3A and 3B
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Entity Name | Tax ID Number | Date of Formation | Exemptions | |||
(See Form W-9 instructions at www.irs.gov) |
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Entity Address (Legal Address. Required) |
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Entity Type (Select one. Required)
☐ Retirement Plan ☐ Trust ☐ S-Corp | ☐ C-Corp ☐ LLC ☐ Partnership | Exempt payee code (if any) | ||
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☐ Other
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Jurisdiction (if Non-U.S.)
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(Attach a completed applicable Form W-8) | ||||
Exemption from FATCA reporting code (if any)
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3. | Investor Information |
(a) | Investor Name (Investor / Trustee / Executor / Authorized Signatory Information) |
Residential street address MUST be provided. See Section 4 if mailing address is different than residential street address.
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First Name |
(MI) Last Name |
Gender |
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Social Security Number / Tax ID |
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
Daytime Phone Number |
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Residential Street Address |
City |
State Zip Code | ||
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Email Address |
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If you are a non-U.S. citizen, please specify your country or citizenship (required) |
Country of Citizenship |
☐ Resident Alien | ☐ Non-Resident Alien (Attach a completed From W-8BEN, Rev. J) |
Please specify if you are a Crescent employee/officer/ director/affiliate (required) | ☐ Crescent Employee | ☐ Crescent Officer or Director |
☐ Immediate Family Member of Crescent Officer or Director | ☐ Crescent Affiliate | ☐ Not Applicable |
(b) | Co-Investor Name (Co-Investor / Co-Trustee / Co-Authorized Signatory Information, if applicable) |
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First Name |
(MI) Last Name |
Gender | ||
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Social Security Number / Tax ID |
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
Daytime Phone Number | ||
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Residential Street Address |
City |
State Zip Code | ||
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Email Address
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If you are a non-U.S. citizen, please specify your country of citizenship (required):
☐ Resident Alien | ☐ Non-Resident Alien (Attach a completed From W-8BEN, Rev. July 2017) Country of Citizenship |
Please specify if you are a Crescent employee/officer/ director/affiliate (required) | ☐ Crescent Employee | ☐ Crescent Officer or Director |
☐ Immediate Family Member of Crescent Officer or Director | ☐ Crescent Affiliate | ☐ Not Applicable |
(c) | Transfer on Death Beneficiary Information (Individual or Joint Account with rights of survivorship only. Not available for Louisiana residents. Beneficiary date of birth required. Whole percentages only; must equal 100%.) |
First Name |
(MI) |
Last Name |
SSN |
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
☐ Primary ☐ Secondary% | |||||
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First Name |
(MI) |
Last Name |
SSN |
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
☐ Primary ☐ Secondary% | |||||
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First Name |
(MI) |
Last Name |
SSN |
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
☐ Primary ☐ Secondary% | |||||
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First Name |
(MI) |
Last Name |
SSN |
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
☐ Primary ☐ Secondary% | |||||
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Custodian/Guardian for a minor Beneficiary (required, cannot be same as Investor or Co-Investor):
(d) | ERISA Plan Asset Regulations |
All investors are required to complete Appendix B attached hereto.
4. | Contact Information (If different than provided in Section 3A) |
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Mailing Address |
City |
State |
Zip Code | |||
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Email Address
5. | Select How You Want to Receive Your Distributions (Please Read Entire Section and Select only one) |
You are automatically enrolled in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, unless you are a resident of ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, IDAHO, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, NEBRASKA, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OREGON, VERMONT or WASHINGTON.
Refer to the prospectus for terms of the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. If you participate in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan or make subsequent purchases of shares of the Fund, and you fail to meet the minimum net worth of annual income requirements for making an investment or you can no longer make the representations and warranties set forth in Section 8 you are expected to promptly notify your broker-dealer, financial advisor or investment adviser in writing of the change and to terminate your participation in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.
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ONLY complete the following information if you DO NOT wish to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. For custodial held accounts, if you elect cash distributions the funds must be sent to the custodian.
(a) | ☐ Check mailed to street address in 3A (only available for non-custodial investors). |
(b) | ☐ Check mailed to secondary address in 3B (only available for non-custodial investors). |
(c) | ☐ Direct Deposit by ACH (only available for non-custodial investors). PLEASE ATTACH A PRE-VOIDED CHECK |
(d) | ☐ Check mailed to Third Party Financial Institution (complete section below) |
I authorize Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. or its agent to deposit my distribution into my checking or savings account. This authority will remain in force until I notify Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. in writing to cancel it. In the event that Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. deposits funds erroneously into my account, they are authorized to debit my account for an amount not to exceed the amount of the erroneous deposit.
☐ If you ARE a resident of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont or Washington, you are not automatically enrolled in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Please check here if you wish to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. You will automatically receive cash distributions unless you elect to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.
☐ If you are not a resident of the states listed above, you are automatically enrolled in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Please check here if you DO NOT wish to be enrolled in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan and complete the Cash Distribution information section below.
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Financial Institution Name |
Mailing Address |
City |
State |
Zip Code | ||||
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Your Banks ABA Routing Number |
Your Bank Account Number |
6. | Broker-Dealer / Financial Advisor Information (Required Information All fields must be completed.) |
The Financial Advisor must sign below to complete the order. The Financial Advisor hereby warrants that he/she is duly licensed and may lawfully sell shares in the state designated as the investors legal residence.
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Please note that unless previously agreed to in writing by Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., all sales of securities must be made through a Broker-Dealer, including when an RIA has introduced the sale. In all cases, Section 6 must be completed.
The undersigned confirm(s), which confirmation is made on behalf of the Broker-Dealer with respect to sales of securities made through a Broker-Dealer, that they (i) have reasonable grounds to believe that the information and representations concerning the investor identified herein are true, correct and complete in all respects; (ii) have discussed such investors prospective purchase of shares with such investor; (iii) have advised such investor of all pertinent facts with regard to the lack of liquidity and marketability of the shares; (iv) have delivered or made available a current prospectus and related supplements, if any, to such investor; (v) have reasonable grounds to believe that the investor is purchasing these shares for his or her own account; (vi) have reasonable grounds to believe that the purchase of shares is a suitable investment for such investor, that such investor meets the suitability standards applicable to such investor set forth in the prospectus and related supplements, if any, and that such investor is in a financial position to enable such investor to realize the benefits of such an investment and to suffer any loss that may occur with respect thereto; and (vii) have advised such investor that the shares have not been registered and are not expected to be registered under the laws of any country or jurisdiction outside of the United States except as otherwise described in the prospectus. The undersigned Broker-Dealer, Financial Advisor or Financial Representative listed in Section 6 further represents and certifies that, in connection with this subscription for shares, he/she has complied with and has followed all applicable policies and procedures of his or her firm relating to, and performed functions required by, federal and state securities laws, rules promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to Rule 151-1 (Regulation Best Interest) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. rules and regulations including, but not limited to Know Your Customer, Suitability and PATRIOT Act (Anti Money Laundering, Customer Identification) as required by its relationship with the investor(s) identified on this document.
THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND ALL RIGHTS HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., then Emerson Equity LLC (Emerson) may be deemed to act as your broker of record in connection with any investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. Emerson is not a full-service broker-dealer and may not provide the kinds of financial services that you might expect from another financial intermediary, such as holding securities in an account. If Emerson is your broker-dealer of record, then your Common Shares will be held in your name on the books of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. Emerson will not monitor your investments, and has not and will not make any recommendation regarding your investments. If you want to receive financial advice regarding a prospective investment in the shares, contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary.
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Date | X | Date | |||||||||||||||||
Financial Advisor Signature |
Branch Manager Signature
(If required by Broker-Dealer) |
7. | Electronic Delivery Form (Optional) |
Instead of receiving paper copies of the prospectus, prospectus supplements, annual reports, proxy statements, and other shareholder communications and reports, you may elect to receive electronic delivery of shareholder
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communications from Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. If you would like to consent to electronic delivery, including pursuant to email, please check the box below for this election.
We encourage you to reduce printing and mailing costs and to conserve natural resources by electing to receive electronic delivery of shareholder communications and statement notifications. By consenting below to electronically receive shareholder communications, including your account-specific information, you authorize said offering(s) to either (i) email shareholder communications to you directly or (ii) make them available on our website and notify you by email when and where such documents are available.
You will not receive paper copies of these electronic materials unless specifically requested, the delivery of electronic materials is prohibited or we, in our sole discretion, elect to send paper copies of the materials.
By consenting to electronic access, you will be responsible for certain costs, such as your customary internet service provider charges, and may be required to download software in connection with access to these materials. You understand this electronic delivery program may be changed or discontinued and that the terms of this agreement may be amended at any time. You understand that there are possible risks associated with electronic delivery such as emails not transmitting, links failing to function properly and system failure of online service providers, and that there is no warranty or guarantee given concerning the transmissions of email, the availability of the website, or information on it, other than as required by law.
I consent to electronic delivery |
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Email Address:
If blank, the email provided in Section 4 or Section 3A will be used
8. | Subscriber Signatures |
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. is required by law to obtain, verify and record certain personal information from you or persons on your behalf in order to establish the account. Required information includes name, date of birth, permanent residential address and social security/taxpayer identification number. We may also ask to see other identifying documents. If you do not provide the information, Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. may not be able to open your account. By signing the Subscription Agreement, you agree to provide this information and confirm that this information is true and correct. If we are unable to verify your identity, or that of another person(s) authorized to act on your behalf, or if we believe we have identified potentially criminal activity, we reserve the right to take action as we deem appropriate which may include closing your account.
Please separately initial each of the representations below. Except in the case of fiduciary accounts, you may not grant any person a power of attorney to make the representations on your behalf. In order to induce Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. to accept this subscription, you hereby represent and warrant to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. as follows:
8.a. | Please Note: All Items in this section 8.a. must be read and initialed |
Primary Investor Initials |
Co- Investor Initials | |||
(i) I have received the prospectus (as amended or supplemented) for Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. at least five business days prior to the date hereof. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(ii) I have (A) a minimum net worth (not including home, home furnishings and personal automobiles) of at least $250,000, or (B) a minimum net worth (as previously described) of at least $70,000 and a minimum annual gross income of at least $70,000. |
Initials |
Initials |
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Primary Investor Initials |
Co- Investor Initials | |||
(iii) In addition to the general suitability requirements described above, I meet the higher suitability requirements, if any, imposed by my state of primary residence as set forth in the prospectus under SUITABILITY STANDARDS. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(iv) If I am an entity that was formed for the purpose of purchasing shares, each individual that owns an interest in such entity meets the general suitability requirements described above. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(v) I acknowledge that there is no public market for the shares, shares of this offering are not liquid and appropriate only as a long-term investment. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(vi) I acknowledge that the shares have not been registered and are not expected to be registered under the laws of any country or jurisdiction outside of the United States except as otherwise described in the prospectus. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(vii) I am purchasing the shares for my own account, or if I am purchasing shares on behalf of a trust or other entity of which I am a trustee or authorized agent, I have due authority to execute this subscription agreement and do hereby legally bind the trust or other entity of which I am trustee or authorized agent. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(viii) I acknowledge that Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. may enter into transactions with Crescent affiliates that involve conflicts of interest as described in the prospectus. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(ix) I acknowledge that subscriptions must be submitted at least five business days prior to the first day of each month. My investment will be executed as of the first day of the applicable month at the NAV per share as of the preceding day. I acknowledge that I will not know the NAV per share at which my investment will be executed at the time I subscribe and the NAV per share as of the last day of each month will generally be made available at www. .com within 20 business days of the last day of each month. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
(x) I acknowledge that my subscription request will not be accepted any earlier than two business days before the first calendar day of each month. I acknowledge that I am not committed to purchase shares at the time my subscription order is submitted and I may cancel my subscription at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. I understand that I may withdraw my purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through my financial intermediary or directly on Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.s toll-free, automated telephone line, (888) 875-0116. |
Initials |
Initials |
8.b. If you live in any of the following states, please complete Appendix A to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. Subscription Agreement: Alabama, California, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Vermont
In the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, the minimum standards in Appendix A shall be met by the beneficiary, the fiduciary, account, or, by the donor or grantor, who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary.
If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., then Emerson may be deemed to be acting as your broker-dealer of record in connection with any investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. For important information in this respect, see Section 6 above. I declare that the information supplied in this Subscription Agreement is true and correct and may be relied upon by Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. I acknowledge that the Broker-Dealer /
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Financial Advisor (Broker-Dealer / Financial Advisor of record) indicated in Section 6 of this Subscription Agreement and its designated clearing agent, if any, will have full access to my account information, including the number of shares I own, tax information (including the Form 1099) and redemption information. Investors may change the Broker-Dealer / Financial Advisor of record at any time by contacting Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. Investor Relations at the number indicated below.
SUBSTITUTE IRS FORM W-9 CERTIFICATIONS (required for U.S. investors):
Under penalties of perjury, I certify that:
(1) | The number shown on this Subscription Agreement is my correct taxpayer identification number (or I am waiting for a number to be issued to me); and |
(2) | I am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding; and |
(3) | I am a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person (including a resident alien) (defined in IRS Form W-9); and |
(4) | The FATCA code(s) entered on this form (if any) indicating that I am exempt from FATCA reporting is correct. |
Certification instructions. You must cross out item 2 above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on your tax return.
The Internal Revenue Service does not require your consent to any provision of this document other than the certifications required to avoid backup withholding.
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Signature of Investor
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Signature of Co-Investor or Custodian (If applicable) |
(MUST BE SIGNED BY CUSTODIAN OR TRUSTEE IF PLAN IS ADMINISTERED BY A THIRD PARTY)
9. | Miscellaneous |
If investors participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan or making subsequent purchases of shares of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. experience a material adverse change in their financial condition or can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 8 above, they are asked to promptly notify Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. and the Broker-Dealer in writing. The Broker-Dealer may notify Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. if an investor participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 8 above, and Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. may rely on such notification to terminate such investors participation in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.
No sale of shares may be completed until at least five business days after you receive the final prospectus. To be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price at least five business prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived). You will receive a written confirmation of your purchase.
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All items on the Subscription Agreement must be completed in order for your subscription to be processed. Subscribers are encouraged to read the prospectus in its entirety for a complete explanation of an investment in the shares of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
Return the completed Subscription Agreement to:
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
c/o SS&C GIDS, Inc.
430 W 7th Street, Suite 219079
Kansas City, MO 64105
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. Investor Relations: (888) 875-0116
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Appendix A
For purposes of determining whether you satisfy the standards below, your net worth is calculated excluding the value of your home, home furnishings and automobiles, and, unless otherwise indicated, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable investments.
Investors in the following states have the additional suitability standards as set forth below.
Primary Investor Initials |
Co- Investor Initials | |||
If I am an Alabama resident, in addition to the suitability standards set forth above, an investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. will only be sold to me if I have a liquid net worth of at least 10 times my investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. and its affiliates. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a California resident, in addition to the suitability standards set forth above, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am an Idaho resident, I must have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, the total investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. shall not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am an Iowa resident, I (i) have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000 (net worth should be determined exclusive of home, auto and home furnishings); and (ii) limit my aggregate investment in this offering and in the securities of other non-traded business development companies to 10% of my liquid net worth (liquid net worth should be determined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities). |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Kansas resident, I understand that it is recommended by the Office of the Securities Commissioner that I limit my total investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.s securities and other non-traded business development companies to not more than 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth shall be defined as that portion of total net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Kentucky resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. or its affiliates. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Maine resident, I acknowledge that it is recommended by the Maine Office of Securities that my aggregate investment in this offering and other similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For this purpose, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Massachusetts resident, in addition to the suitability standards set forth above, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. and in other illiquid direct participation programs. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable investments. |
Initials |
Initials |
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Primary Investor Initials |
Co- Investor Initials | |||
If I am a Missouri resident, in addition to the suitability standards set forth above, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Nebraska resident, I must have (i) either (a) an annual gross income of at least $70,000 and a net worth of at least $70,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $250,000; and (ii) I must limit my aggregate investment in this offering and the securities of other business development companies to 10% of such investors net worth. Investors who are accredited investors as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933 are not subject to the foregoing investment concentration limit. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a New Jersey resident, (1) I have either (a) a minimum liquid net worth of at least $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of not less than $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles, minus total liabilities) that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. In addition, my total investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., its affiliates and other non-publicly traded direct investment programs (including real estate investment trusts, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth, and (2), I understand that although Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, the investment adviser to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the investment adviser), will advance all organization and offering expenses of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., and may elect to pay certain of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.s expenses, Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. is obligated to reimburse the investment adviser, and this will reduce the returns available to investors.
Additionally, I acknowledge that if I buy Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge me transaction or other fees, including upfront placement or brokerage commissions, in such amounts as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a New Mexico resident, in addition to the general suitability standards listed above, I may not invest, and I may not accept from an investor more than ten percent (10%) of my liquid net worth in shares of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., its affiliates and in other non-traded business development companies. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth which consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a North Dakota resident, I have a net worth of at least ten times my investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am an Ohio resident, it is unsuitable to invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in the issuer, affiliates of the issuer, and in any other non-traded business development company. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles minus, total liabilities) comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am an Oregon resident, in addition to the suitability standards set forth above, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth. Liquid net worth is defined as net worth excluding the value of the investors home, home furnishings and automobile. |
Initials |
Initials |
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Primary Investor Initials |
Co- Investor Initials | |||
If I am a Pennsylvania resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Puerto Rico resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., its affiliates and other non-traded business development companies. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles minus total liabilities) consisting of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Tennessee resident, I must have a liquid net worth of at least ten times my investment in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. |
Initials |
Initials | ||
If I am a Vermont resident and I am an accredited investor in Vermont, as defined in 17 C.F.R. § 230.501, I may invest freely in this offering. In addition to the suitability standards described above, if I am a non-accredited Vermont investor, I may not purchase an amount in this offering that exceeds 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth is defined as an investors total assets (not including home, home furnishings or automobiles) minus total liabilities. |
Initials |
Initials |
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Appendix B: Additional Questionnaire
Instructions: All purchasers please complete this Appendix A in its entirety.
1. Are you a benefit plan investor within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations1 or will you use the assets of a benefit plan investor2 to invest in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.?
☐ Yes ☐ No
2. If Question (1) above is yes please indicate what percentage of the purchasers assets invested in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. are considered to be the assets of benefit plan investors within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations:
%
3. If you are investing the assets of an insurance company general account, please indicate what percentage of the insurance company general accounts assets invested in Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. are the assets of benefit plan investors within the meaning of Section 401(c)(1)(A) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder?
%
4. Please indicate if you are a Controlling Person defined as: (i) a person (including an entity), other than a benefit plan investor who has discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a person who provides investment advice for a fee (direct or indirect) with respect to such assets, or any affiliate of such a person. An affiliate of a person includes any person, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person. For purposes of this definition, control, with respect to a person other than an individual, means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of such person.
☐ Yes ☐ No
1 | Plan Asset Regulations means the regulations issued by the United States Department of Labor at Section 2510.3-101 of Part 2510 of Chapter XXV, Title 29 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as the same may be amended from time to time. |
2 | The term benefit plan investor includes: (i) an employee benefit plan as defined in section 3(3) of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), that is subject to Title I of ERISA (such as employee welfare benefit plans (generally, plans that provide for health, medical or other welfare benefits) and employee pension benefit plans (generally, plans that provide for retirement or pension income)); (ii) plans described in section 4975(e)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), that is subject to section 4975 of the Code (e.g., an individual retirement account, an individual retirement annuity, a Keogh plan, a pension plan, an Archer MSA described in section 220(d) of the Code, a Coverdell education savings account described in section 530 of the Code and a health savings account described in section 223(d) of the Code) and (iii) an entity that is, or whose assets would be deemed to constitute the assets of, one or more employee benefit plans or plans (e.g., a master trust or a plan assets fund) under ERISA or the Plan Asset Regulations. |
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
Maximum Offering of $ in Common Shares
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus and supplemental literature authorized by Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. and referred to in this prospectus, and, if given or made, such information and representations must not be relied upon. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor is it seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of these securities. You should not assume that the delivery of this prospectus or that any sale made pursuant to this prospectus implies that the information contained in this prospectus will remain fully accurate and correct as of any time subsequent to the date of this prospectus.
, 2023
PART C
Other Information
Item 25. | Financial Statements And Exhibits |
(1) | Financial Statements |
The following financial statements of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. are included in Part A of this Registration Statement.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
Page | ||||
F-2 | ||||
F-3 | ||||
F-4 |
(2) | Exhibits |
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* | Filed herewith. |
** | Previously filed. |
+ | To be filed by amendment. |
Item 26. | Marketing Arrangements |
The information contained under the heading Plan of Distribution in this Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 27. | Other Expenses Of Issuance And Distribution |
SEC registration fee |
$ | |||
FINRA filing fee |
$ | |||
Legal |
$ | |||
Printing |
$ | |||
Accounting |
$ | |||
Blue Sky Expenses |
$ | |||
Advertising and sales literature |
$ | |||
Due Diligence |
$ | |||
Miscellaneous fees and expenses |
$ | |||
|
|
|||
Total |
$ | |||
|
|
Item 28. | Persons Controlled By Or Under Common Control |
Immediately prior to this offering, Crescent Capital Group LP, Sun Life Assurance and BK Canada, each an affiliate of our investment adviser, will own %, % and %, respectively, of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Registrant. See Control Persons and Principal Stockholders in the Prospectus contained herein.
Item 29. | Number Of Holders Of Securities |
The following table sets forth the number of record holders of the Registrants common stock at , 2023.
Title of Class |
Number of Record Holders | |
Class I common stock, $0.01 par value per share |
3 |
Item 30. | Indemnification |
The information contained under the heading Description of Our SharesLimitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses, Investment Advisory and Management Agreement and Administration Agreement and Plan of DistributionIndemnification in this Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described above, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in the successful defense of an action suit or proceeding) is asserted by a director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to
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a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is again public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant has obtained liability insurance for the benefit of its directors and officers (other than with respect to claims resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office) on a claims-made basis.
Item 31. | Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser |
A description of any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, and each managing director, director or executive officer of Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, is or has been, during the past two fiscal years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in Part A of this Registration Statement in the section entitled Management of the Fund. Additional information regarding Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC and its officers and managing member is set forth in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC File No. 801-01599), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 32. | Location of Accounts and Records |
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:
(1) the Registrant; 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90025;
(2) the transfer agent, 1055 Broadway Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105;
(3) the Custodian, 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286;
(4) our investment adviser 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90025; and
(5) our administrator, 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
Item 33. | Management Services |
Not Applicable.
Item 34. | Undertakings |
We hereby undertake:
(1) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement
(i) | to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; |
(ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and |
(iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
(2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
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(3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;
(4) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C (17 CFR 230.430C): Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use;
(5) that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities. The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:
(i) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act; |
(ii) | free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrants; |
(iii) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus or advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.482) relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and |
(iv) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser; |
(6) that, for purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act:
(i) | the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant under Rule 424(b)(1) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and |
(ii) | each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be initial bona fide offering thereof; and |
(7) to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any prospectus or Statement of Additional Information.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), the Registrant has caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Santa Monica, State of California on the 19th day of July, 2023.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |
Name: Eric Hall | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
/s/ Eric Hall |
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | July 19, 2023 | ||
Eric Hall | ||||
/s/ Kirill Bouek |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | July 19, 2023 | ||
Kirill Bouek | ||||
* |
Director | July 19, 2023 | ||
Kathleen Briscoe | ||||
* |
Director | July 19, 2023 | ||
Susan Yun Lee | ||||
* |
Director | July 19, 2023 | ||
Martha Solis-Turner | ||||
* |
Director | July 19, 2023 | ||
Jason Breaux | ||||
* |
Director | July 19, 2023 | ||
Christopher G. Wright |
*By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |
Eric Hall | ||
As Agent or Attorney-in-Fact |
July 19, 2023
The original powers of attorney authorizing Raymond Barrios, Kirill Bouek, Eric Hall and George P. Hawley to execute the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto, for the trustees of the Registrant on whose behalf this Amendment is filed have been executed and filed as an Exhibit hereto.
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Exhibit (a)
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT
FIRST: Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (the Corporation), desires to amend and restate its charter as currently in effect and as hereinafter amended.
SECOND: The following provisions are all the provisions of the charter of the Corporation currently in effect and as hereinafter amended (the Charter):
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of the corporation (which is hereinafter called the Corporation) is:
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSES AND POWERS
The purposes for which the Corporation is formed are to engage in any lawful act or activity (including, without limitation or obligation, conducting and carrying on the business of a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the 1940 Act)) for which corporations may be organized under the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force.
ARTICLE III
PRINCIPAL OFFICE IN STATE AND RESIDENT AGENT
The address of the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 Saint Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The name of the resident agent of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 Saint Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The resident agent is a Maryland corporation.
ARTICLE IV
DEFINITIONS
As used in the Charter, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:
1940 Act. The term 1940 Act shall have the meaning as provided in Article II herein.
Acquisition Expenses. The term Acquisition Expenses shall mean any and all expenses incurred by the Corporation, the Advisor or any of their Affiliates in connection with the initial purchase or acquisition of assets, whether or not acquired, by the Corporation, including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses, travel and communications expenses, costs of appraisals, non-refundable option payments on assets not acquired, accounting fees and expenses and miscellaneous expenses.
Acquisition Fee. The term Acquisition Fee shall mean any and all fees and commissions, exclusive of Acquisition Expenses, paid by any Person to any other Person (including any fees or commissions paid
by or to any Affiliate of the Corporation or the Advisor) in connection with the initial purchase or acquisition of assets by the Corporation. Included in the computation of such fees or commissions shall be any commission, selection fee, supervision fee, financing fee or non-recurring management fee or any fee of a similar nature, however designated.
Advisor or Advisors. The term Advisor or Advisors shall mean the Person or Persons, if any, appointed, employed or contracted with by the Corporation pursuant to Section 7.1 hereof and responsible for directing or performing the day-to-day business affairs of the Corporation, including any Person to whom the Advisor subcontracts all or substantially all of such functions.
Advisory Agreement. The term Advisory Agreement shall mean any investment advisory agreement with an Advisor.
Affiliate or Affiliated. The term Affiliate or Affiliated shall mean, with respect to any Person, (i) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding, with the power to vote, ten percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other Person; (ii) any Person ten percent or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held, with the power to vote, by such other Person; (iii) any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such other Person; (iv) any executive officer, director, trustee or general partner of such other Person; and (v) any legal entity for which such Person acts as an executive officer, director, trustee or general partner.
Assessment. The term Assessment shall mean any additional amounts of capital which may be mandatorily required of, or paid voluntarily by, a Stockholder beyond his or her subscription commitment excluding deferred payments.
Board or Board of Directors. The term Board or Board of Directors shall mean the board of directors of the Corporation, as of any particular time.
Brokerage Commissions. The term Brokerage Commissions shall mean any and all up-front fees and commissions payable to underwriters, intermediary managers or other broker dealers in connection with the sale of Shares, including, without limitation, up-front fees or commissions payable to the Intermediary Manager.
Business Day. The term Business Day shall mean any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
Bylaws. The term Bylaws shall have the meaning as provided in Section 5.1 herein.
Capital Contributions. The term Capital Contributions shall mean the total investment, including the original investment and amounts reinvested pursuant to a Reinvestment Plan, in the Corporation by a Stockholder or by all Stockholders, as the case may be. Unless otherwise specified, Capital Contributions shall be deemed to include principal amounts to be received on account of deferred payments.
Charter. The term Charter shall mean the charter of the Corporation, as may be amended from time to time.
Class I Directors. The term Class I Directors shall have the meaning as provided by Section 5.1(b) herein.
Class II Directors. The term Class II Directors shall have the meaning as provided by Section 5.1(b) herein.
Class III Directors. The term Class III Directors shall have the meaning as provided by Section 5.1(b) herein.
Class D Common Shares. The term Class D Common Shares shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.1 herein.
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Class D NAV Per Share. The term Class D NAV Per Share shall mean the net asset value of the Corporation allocable to the Class D Common Shares (including any reduction for Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees as described in the Prospectus), determined as described in the Corporations most recent Prospectus for an Offering of Class D Common Shares (or, if the Corporation is not then engaged in an Offering of Class D Common Shares and the calculation methodology has been amended by the Board of Directors, then as described in the Corporations periodic filings with the SEC), divided by the number of outstanding Class D Common Shares.
Class I Common Shares. The term Class I Common Shares shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.1 herein.
Class I NAV Per Share. The term Class I NAV Per Share shall mean the net asset value of the Corporation allocable to the Class I Common Shares, determined as described in the Corporations most recent Prospectus for an Offering of Class I Common Shares (or, if the Corporation is not then engaged in an Offering of Class I Common Shares and the calculation methodology has been amended by the Board of Directors, then as described in the Corporations periodic filings with the SEC), divided by the number of outstanding Class I Common Shares.
Class S Common Shares. The term Class S Common Shares shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.1 herein.
Class S NAV Per Share. The term Class S NAV Per Share shall mean the net asset value of the Corporation allocable to the Class S Common Shares (including any reduction for Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees as described in the Prospectus), determined as described in the Corporations most recent Prospectus for an Offering of Class S Common Shares (or, if the Corporation is not then engaged in an Offering of Class S Common Shares and the calculation methodology has been amended by the Board of Directors, then as described in the Corporations periodic filings with the SEC), divided by the number of outstanding Class S Common Shares.
Code. The term Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Commencement of the Initial Public Offering. The term Commencement of the Initial Public Offering shall mean the date that the SEC declares effective the registration statement filed under the Securities Act for the Initial Public Offering.
Common Shares. The term Common Shares shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.1 herein.
Continuing Directors. The term Continuing Directors shall have the meaning as provided in Section 11.2(b) herein.
Controlling Person. The term Controlling Person shall mean a Person, whatever his or her title, who performs functions for the Sponsor similar to those of (a) the chair or other member of a board of directors, (b) executive officers or (c) those holding ten percent or more equity interest in the Sponsor, or a Person having the power to direct or cause the direction of the Sponsor, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
Corporation. The term Corporation shall have the meaning as provided in Article I herein.
Director or Directors. The term Director or Directors shall have the meaning as provided in Section 5.1 herein.
Distributions. The term Distributions shall mean any distributions (as such term is defined in Section 2-301 of the MGCL) by the Corporation to owners of Shares, including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.
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ERISA. The term ERISA shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
Exchange Act. The term Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
Front End Fees. The term Front End Fees shall mean fees and expenses paid by any party for any services rendered to organize the Corporation and to acquire assets for the Corporation, including Organization and Offering Expenses, Acquisition Fees, Acquisition Expenses and any other similar fees, however designated by the Sponsor.
Gross Proceeds. The term Gross Proceeds shall mean the aggregate purchase price of all Shares sold for the account of the Corporation through an Offering, without deduction for Brokerage Commissions.
Indemnitee. The term Indemnitee shall have the meaning as provided in Section 12.2(b) herein.
Independent Director. The term Independent Director shall mean a Director who is not an interested person as that term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
Independent Expert. The term Independent Expert shall mean a Person with no material current or prior business or personal relationship with the Sponsor who is engaged to a substantial extent in the business of rendering opinions regarding the value of assets of the type held by the Corporation, and who is qualified to perform such work.
Initial Public Offering. The term Initial Public Offering shall mean the first Offering pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act.
Intermediary Manager. The term Intermediary Manager shall mean such Person selected by the Board to act as the intermediary manager for an Offering.
Investment in Program Assets. The term Investment in Program Assets shall mean the amount of Capital Contributions actually paid or allocated to the purchase or development of assets acquired by the Corporation (including working capital reserves allocable thereto, except that working capital reserves in excess of three percent shall not be included) and other cash payments such as interest and taxes, but excluding Front End Fees.
Liquidity Event. The term Liquidity Event shall mean (i) a Listing, (ii) a sale or merger in a transaction that provides Stockholders with cash and/or securities of a Publicly Traded Entity or (iii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation for cash or other consideration.
Listing. The term Listing shall mean the listing of any or all of the Common Shares on a national securities exchange. Upon a Listing, such Common Shares shall be deemed Listed.
MGCL. The term MGCL shall mean the Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
Minimum Account Balance. The term Minimum Account Balance shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.10.4 herein.
NASAA Omnibus Guidelines. The term NASAA Omnibus Guidelines shall mean the Omnibus Guidelines published by the North American Securities Administrators Association on May 7, 2007.
Non-Compliant Tender Offer. The term Non-Compliant Tender Offer shall have the meaning as provided in Section 10.7 herein.
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Offering. The term Offering shall mean any offering and sale of Shares for the account of the Corporation, excluding any offering and sale that qualifies for an exemption from registration under either Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 under the Securities Act, or Regulation S.
Organization and Offering Expenses. The term Organization and Offering Expenses shall mean any and all costs and expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Corporation and to be paid from the assets of the Corporation in connection with the formation of the Corporation and the qualification and registration of an Offering, and the marketing and distribution of Shares, including, without limitation, total underwriting and brokerage discounts and commissions (including fees of the underwriters attorneys), expenses for printing, engraving and amending registration statements or supplementing prospectuses, mailing and distributing costs, salaries of employees while engaged in sales activity, telephone and other telecommunications costs, all advertising and marketing expenses, charges of transfer agents, registrars, trustees, escrow holders, depositories and experts and fees, expenses and taxes related to the filing, registration and qualification of the sale of Shares under federal and state laws, including taxes and fees and accountants and attorneys fees. For the avoidance of doubt, payments made by the Corporation for activities that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares will be paid pursuant to a plan of distribution adopted by the Corporation in compliance with Rules 12b-1 and 17d-3 under the 1940 Act, as if those rules applied to closed-end funds electing to be regulated as business development companies.
Person. The term Person shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, estate, trust (including a trust qualified under Sections 401(a) or 501(c)(17) of the Code), a portion of a trust permanently set aside for or to be used exclusively for the purposes described in Section 642(c) of the Code, association, private foundation within the meaning of Section 509(a) of the Code, joint stock company or other entity, or any government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, and also includes a group as that term is used for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.
Plan. The term Plan shall mean any employee benefit plan subject to Part 4 of Title I of ERISA, or any plan to which Section 4975 of the Code applies.
Plan Asset Regulation. The term Plan Asset Regulation shall mean 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA.
Preferred Shares. The term Preferred Shares shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.3 herein.
Prospectus. The term Prospectus shall mean the same as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(10) of the Securities Act, including a preliminary prospectus, an offering circular as described in Rule 256 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act or, in the case of an intrastate offering, any document by whatever name known, utilized for the purpose of offering and selling Shares to the public.
Publicly Offered Securities. The term Publicly Offered Securities shall mean publicly offered securities as defined in 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101(b)(2) or any successor regulation thereto.
Publicly Traded Entity. The term Publicly Traded Entity shall mean any entity having securities listed on a national securities exchange or included for quotation on an interdealer quotation system.
Reinvestment Plan. The term Reinvestment Plan shall mean any plan pursuant to which Shares are issued by the Corporation upon the reinvestment of Distributions paid with respect to Shares.
Repurchase Plan. The term Repurchase Plan shall mean the program or programs established from time to time by the Board of Directors pursuant to which the Corporation voluntarily repurchases Common Shares from the holders thereof.
Roll-Up Entity. The term Roll-Up Entity shall mean a partnership, corporation, trust or similar entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of a proposed Roll-Up Transaction.
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Roll-Up Transaction. The term Roll-Up Transaction shall mean a transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation either directly or indirectly of the Corporation and the issuance of securities of a Roll-Up Entity to the holders of Common Shares. Such term does not include:
(a) a transaction involving securities of the Corporation that have been listed on a national securities exchange for at least twelve months; or
(b) a transaction involving the conversion to corporate, trust or association form of only the Corporation, if, as a consequence of the transaction, there will be no significant adverse change in any of the following:
(i) voting rights of the holders of Common Shares;
(ii) the term of existence of the Corporation;
(iii) Sponsor or Advisor compensation; or
(iv) the Corporations investment objectives.
SDAT. The term SDAT shall have the meaning as provided in Section 6.4 herein.
SEC. The term SEC shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities Act. The term Securities Act shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto. Reference to any provision of the Securities Act shall mean such provision as in effect from time to time, as the same may be amended, and any successor provision thereto, as interpreted by any applicable regulations as in effect from time to time.
Shares. The term Shares shall mean shares of stock of the Corporation of any class or series, including Common Shares or Preferred Shares.
Similar Law. The term Similar Law shall mean any other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to the provisions of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
Sponsor. The term Sponsor shall mean any Person which (i) is directly or indirectly instrumental in organizing, wholly or in part, the Corporation, (ii) will control, manage or participate in the management of the Corporation, and any Affiliate of Such Person, (iii) takes the initiative, directly or indirectly, in founding or organizing the Corporation, either alone or in conjunction with one or more other Persons, (iv) receives a material participation in the Corporation in connection with the founding or organizing of the business of the Corporation, in consideration of services or property, or both services and property, (v) has a substantial number of relationships and contacts with the Corporation, (vi) possesses significant rights to control assets of the Corporation, (vii) receives fees for providing services to the Corporation which are paid on a basis that is not customary in the industry or (viii) provides goods or services to the Corporation on a basis which was not negotiated at arms-length with the Corporation. Sponsor does not include any Person whose only relationship with the Corporation is that of an independent manager of assets and whose only compensation is as such, or wholly independent third parties such as attorneys, accountants and underwriters whose only compensation is for professional services.
Stockholder List. The term Stockholder List shall have the meaning as provided in Section 10.5 herein.
Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee. The term Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee shall mean the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee payable to the Intermediary Manager and reallowable to participating broker dealers with respect to any class of Common Shares for which such fee is payable, as described in the Prospectus.
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Stockholders. The term Stockholders shall mean the holders of record of the Shares as maintained in the books and records of the Corporation or its transfer agent.
Total Corporation-Level Underwriting Compensation. The term Total Corporation-Level Underwriting Compensation shall mean all underwriting compensation paid or incurred with respect to an Offering from all sources, determined pursuant to the rules and guidance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., including Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees and Brokerage Commissions.
ARTICLE V
PROVISIONS FOR DEFINING, LIMITING
AND REGULATING CERTAIN POWERS OF THE
CORPORATION AND OF THE STOCKHOLDERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 5.1 Number, Term and Election of Directors.
(a) The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of Directors of the Corporation (the Directors) shall be five, which number may be increased or decreased only by the Board of Directors pursuant to the Bylaws of the Corporation (the Bylaws) but shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL. The names of the Directors who shall serve until their successors are duly elected and qualify are:
Kathleen S. Briscoe, Class I Director (as defined below)
Susan Yun Lee, Class II Director (as defined below)
Martha Solis-Turner, Class III Director (as defined below)
Jason Breaux, Class I Director (as defined below)
Christopher G. Wright, Class II Director (as defined below)
Any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled in the manner provided in the Bylaws.
(b) Upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering, the Directors (other than any Director elected solely by holders of one or more classes or series of Preferred Shares) shall be classified, with respect to the terms for which they severally hold office, into three classes, as nearly equal in number as practicable as determined by the Board of Directors, one class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the next succeeding annual meeting of Stockholders (the Class I Directors), another class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the second succeeding annual meeting of Stockholders (the Class II Directors) and another class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of Stockholders (the Class III Directors), with the members of each class to hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualify. At each annual meeting of the Stockholders commencing with the annual meeting next following the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering, the successors to the class of Directors whose term expires at such meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of Stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualify.
(c) The Corporation elects, effective at such time as it becomes eligible to make the election provided for under Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL, that, subject to any requirements of the 1940 Act applicable to the Corporation and except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of Preferred Shares, any and all vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors in office, even if the remaining Directors do not constitute a quorum, and any Director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which such vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies.
(d) A majority of the Board of Directors shall be Independent Directors, except for a period of up to 60 days, or such longer period permitted by law or the SEC or its staff, after the death, removal or resignation of an Independent Director pending the election of such Independent Directors successor.
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Section 5.2 Extraordinary Actions. Except as provided in Section 11.2, notwithstanding any provision of law permitting or requiring any action to be taken or approved by the affirmative vote of Stockholders entitled to cast a greater number of votes, any such action shall be effective and valid if declared advisable by the Board of Directors and taken or approved by the affirmative vote of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Section 5.3 Authorization by Board of Stock Issuance. The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance from time to time of Shares of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, or securities or rights convertible into Shares of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such consideration, if any, as the Board of Directors may deem advisable (including, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, as compensation for the Directors or without consideration in the case of a stock split or stock dividend), subject to such restrictions or limitations, if any, as may be set forth in the Charter or the Bylaws. The issuance of Preferred Shares shall also be approved by a majority of Independent Directors not otherwise interested in the transaction, who shall have access at the Corporations expense to the Corporations legal counsel or to independent legal counsel.
Section 5.4 Preemptive Rights and Appraisal Rights. Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of classified or reclassified Shares pursuant to Section 6.4 or as may otherwise be provided by contract approved by the Board of Directors, no holder of Shares shall, as such holder, have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any additional Shares or any other security that the Corporation may issue or sell. Holders of Shares shall not be entitled to exercise any rights of an objecting stockholder provided for under Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL or any successor statute unless the Board of Directors, upon such terms and conditions as may be specified by the Board of Directors, shall determine that such rights apply, with respect to all or any classes or series of Shares, to one or more transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which holders of such Shares would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights.
Section 5.5 Determinations by Board. The determination as to any of the following matters, made by or pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors not inconsistent with the Charter, shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Corporation and every holder of Shares: the amount of the net income of the Corporation for any period and the amount of assets at any time legally available for the payment of dividends, the redemption of Shares or the payment of other Distributions on Shares; the amount of paid-in surplus, net assets, other surplus, annual or other cash flow, funds from operations, net profit, net assets in excess of capital, undivided profits or excess of profits over losses on sales of assets; the amount, purpose, time of creation, increase or decrease, alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges and the propriety thereof (whether or not any obligation or liability for which such reserves or charges shall have been created shall have been set aside, paid or discharged); any interpretation or resolution of any ambiguity with respect to any provision of the Charter (including any of the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other Distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of any class or series of Shares) or the Bylaws; the fair value, or any sale, bid or asked price to be applied in determining the fair value, of any asset owned or held by the Corporation or of any Shares; the number of Shares of any class or series of the Corporation; any matter relating to the acquisition, holding and disposition of any assets by the Corporation; any interpretation of the terms and conditions of one or more agreements with any Person; the compensation of Directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation; any conflict between the MGCL and the provisions set forth in the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines; or any other matter relating to the business and affairs of the Corporation or required or permitted by applicable law, the Charter or Bylaws or otherwise to be determined by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that any determination by the Board of Directors as to any of the preceding matters shall not render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination and no Director shall be liable for making or failing to make such a determination; and provided, further, that to the extent the Board determines that the MGCL conflicts with the provisions set forth in the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines, the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines control to the extent any provisions of the MGCL are not mandatory.
Section 5.6 Removal of Directors. Subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of Preferred Shares to elect or remove one or more Directors, from and after the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering, any Director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time, only for cause, and only by the affirmative vote of Stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of Directors. For the purpose of this paragraph, cause shall mean, with respect to any
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particular Director, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such Director caused demonstrable, material harm to the Corporation through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty.
ARTICLE VI
STOCK
Section 6.1 Authorized Shares. The Corporation has authority to issue 300,000,000 Shares, consisting of 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (Common Shares), 100,000,000 of which are classified as Class D Common Stock (the Class D Common Shares), 100,000,000 of which are classified as Class I Common Stock (the Class I Common Shares) and 100,000,000 of which are classified as Class S Common Stock (the Class S Common Shares). The aggregate par value of all authorized Shares having par value is $3,000,000. All Shares shall be fully paid and nonassessable when issued and the Corporation shall not make any mandatory Assessments against any Stockholder beyond such Stockholders subscription commitment. If Shares of one class or series are classified or reclassified into Shares of another class or series pursuant to this Article VI, the number of authorized Shares of the former class or series shall be automatically decreased and the number of Shares of the latter class or series shall be automatically increased, in each case by the number of Shares so classified or reclassified, so that the aggregate number of Shares of all classes and series that the Corporation has authority to issue shall not be more than the total number of Shares set forth in the first sentence of this paragraph. The Board of Directors, with the approval of a majority of the entire Board and without any action by the Stockholders, may amend the Charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of Shares or the number of Shares of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue. For the avoidance of doubt, any such amendment shall not be deemed to alter or change the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualification, or terms or conditions of redemption of any issued and outstanding Shares.
Section 6.2 Common Shares.
Section 6.2.1 Description. Except as may otherwise be specified in the Charter, each Common Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote per share on all matters upon which Stockholders are entitled to vote pursuant to Section 10.2 hereof. The Board may classify or reclassify any unissued Common Shares from time to time into one or more classes or series of Shares.
Section 6.2.2 [Reserved.]
Section 6.2.3 Rights Upon Liquidation. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or any Distribution of the assets of the Corporation, the aggregate assets of the Corporation available for Distribution to holders of the Common Shares shall be determined in accordance with applicable law. The holder of each Class D Common Share shall be entitled to be paid, out of the assets of the Corporation that are legally available for Distribution to the holders of the Common Shares, a liquidation payment equal to the Class D NAV Per Share; the holder of each Class I Common Share shall be entitled to be paid, out of the assets of the Corporation that are legally available for Distribution to the holders of the Common Shares, a liquidation payment equal to the Class I NAV Per Share; and the holder of each Class S Common Share shall be entitled to be paid, out of the assets of the Corporation that are legally available for Distribution to the holders of the Common Shares, a liquidation payment equal to the Class S NAV Per Share.
Section 6.2.4 Voting Rights. Except as may be provided otherwise in the Charter, the holders of the Common Shares shall have the exclusive right to vote on all matters (as to which a common stockholder shall be entitled to vote pursuant to applicable law) at all meetings of the Stockholders. The holders of Common Shares shall vote together as a single class on all actions to be taken by the Stockholders; provided, however, that the holders of each class of Common Shares shall have exclusive voting rights on any amendment of the Charter (including the terms of such class of Common Shares) that would alter only the contract rights of such class of Common Shares and no holders of any other class or series of Shares shall be entitled to vote thereon.
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Section 6.3 Preferred Shares. The Board, subject to the provisions of Section 5.3, may classify any unissued Shares and reclassify any previously classified but unissued Shares of any class or series from time to time into one or more classes or series of preferred stock (Preferred Shares).
Section 6.4 Classified or Reclassified Shares. Prior to issuance of classified or reclassified Shares of any class or series, the Board by resolution shall: (a) designate that class or series to distinguish it from all other classes and series of Shares; (b) specify the number of Shares to be included in the class or series; (c) set or change, subject to the express terms of any class or series of Shares outstanding at the time, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other Distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series; and (d) cause the Corporation to file articles supplementary with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (SDAT). Any of the terms of any class or series of Shares set or changed pursuant to clause (c) of this Section 6.4 may be made dependent upon facts or events ascertainable outside the Charter (including determinations by the Board or other facts or events within the control of the Corporation) and may vary among holders thereof, provided that the manner in which such facts, events or variations shall operate upon the terms of such class or series of Shares is clearly and expressly set forth in the articles supplementary or other charter document.
Section 6.5 Deferred Payments. The Corporation shall not have authority to make arrangements for deferred payments on account of the purchase price of Shares unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) such arrangements are warranted by the Corporations investment objectives; (b) the period of deferred payments coincides with the anticipated cash needs of the Corporation; (c) the deferred payments shall be evidenced by a promissory note of the Stockholder, which note shall be with recourse, shall not be negotiable, shall be assignable only subject to defenses of the maker and shall not contain a provision authorizing a confession of judgment; and (d) selling commissions and Front End Fees paid upon deferred payments are payable when payment is made on the note. The Corporation shall not sell or assign the deferred obligation notes at a discount. In the event of default in the payment of deferred payments by a Stockholder, the Stockholder may be subjected to a reasonable penalty.
Section 6.6 Distributions.
(a) Any Advisory Agreement shall provide that the Advisor shall cause the Corporation to provide for adequate reserves for normal replacements and contingencies (but the Corporation shall not be required to maintain reserves for payment of fees payable to the Advisor) by retention of a reasonable percentage of proceeds from offerings and revenues.
(b) From time to time and not less than quarterly, the Board of Directors shall cause the Advisor to review the Corporations accounts to determine whether cash distributions are appropriate. The Corporation may, subject to authorization by the Board of Directors, distribute pro rata to Stockholders funds received by the Corporation which the Board of Directors deems unnecessary to retain in the Corporation. The Board of Directors may from time to time authorize the Corporation to declare and pay to Stockholders such dividends or other Distributions, in cash or other assets of the Corporation or in securities of the Corporation, including in Shares of one class payable to holders of Shares of another class, or from any other source as the Board of Directors in its discretion shall determine. The Board of Directors may endeavor to authorize the Corporation to declare and pay such dividends and other Distributions (i) as may be necessary or advisable for the Corporation to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company under the Code and (ii) to the extent that the Board of Directors deems it unnecessary for the Corporation to retain funds received by it; provided, however, Stockholders shall have no right to any dividend or other Distribution unless and until authorized by the Board and declared by the Corporation. The exercise of the powers and rights of the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section 6.6 shall be subject to the provisions of any class or series of Shares at the time outstanding. The receipt by any Person in whose name any Shares are registered on the records of the Corporation or by his or her duly authorized agent shall be a sufficient discharge for all dividends or other Distributions payable or deliverable in respect of such Shares and from all liability to see to the application thereof. Distributions in kind shall not be permitted, except for distributions of readily marketable securities or securities of the Corporation, distributions of beneficial interests in a liquidating trust established for the dissolution of the Corporation and the liquidation of its assets in accordance with the terms of the Charter, or in-kind distributions in which (a) the Board advises each Stockholder of the risks associated with direct ownership of the property, (b) the Board offers each Stockholder the election of receiving such in-kind distributions and (c) in-kind distributions are made only to those Stockholders that accept such offer.
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Section 6.7 Stockholders Consent in Lieu of Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Common Shares entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors may be taken without a meeting by consent, in writing or by electronic transmission, in any manner and by any vote permitted by the MGCL and set forth in the Bylaws.
Section 6.8 Charter and Bylaws. The rights of all Stockholders and the terms of all Shares are subject to the provisions of the Charter and the Bylaws. The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws.
Section 6.9 No Issuance of Share Certificates. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, the Corporation shall not issue stock certificates. A Stockholders investment shall be recorded on the books of the Corporation. To transfer Shares, a Stockholder shall submit an executed form to the Corporation, which form shall be provided by the Corporation upon request. Such transfer will also be recorded on the books of the Corporation. Upon issuance or transfer of Shares, the Corporation will provide the Stockholder with information concerning the rights with regard to such Shares, as required by the Bylaws and the MGCL or other applicable law.
Section 6.10 Suitability of Stockholders. Upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines, the following provisions shall apply:
Section 6.10.1 Investor Suitability Standards. Subject to suitability standards established by individual states and any amendment to the income and net worth standards set forth in the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines, including any amendment or restatement thereto, to become a Stockholder, if such prospective Stockholder is an individual (including an individual beneficiary of a purchasing individual retirement account), or if the prospective Stockholder is a fiduciary (such as a trustee of a trust or corporate pension or profit sharing plan, or other tax-exempt organization, or a custodian under a Uniform Gifts to Minors Act), such individual or fiduciary, as the case may be, must represent to the Corporation, among other requirements as the Corporation may require from time to time, that:
(a) such individual (or, in the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, that the beneficiary, the fiduciary account or the donor or grantor who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the Shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary) has a minimum annual gross income of $70,000 and a net worth (excluding home, furnishings and automobiles) of not less than $70,000; or
(b) such individual (or, in the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, that the beneficiary, the fiduciary account or the donor or grantor who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the Shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary) has a net worth (excluding home, furnishings and automobiles) of not less than $250,000.
Section 6.10.2 Determination of Suitability of Sale. The Corporation and each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Corporation shall make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of Common Shares by a Stockholder is a suitable and appropriate investment for such Stockholder. In making this determination, the Sponsor or each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Corporation shall ascertain that the prospective Stockholder: (a) meets the minimum income and net worth standards established for the Corporation; (b) can reasonably benefit from the Corporation based on the prospective Stockholders overall investment objectives and portfolio structure; (c) is able to bear the economic risk of the investment based on the prospective Stockholders overall financial situation; and (d) has apparent understanding of (i) the fundamental risks of the investment; (ii) the risk that the Stockholder may lose the entire investment; (iii) the lack of liquidity of the Common Shares; (iv) the restrictions on transferability of the Common Shares; and (v) the tax consequences of the investment.
The Corporation or each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Corporation shall make this determination on the basis of information it has obtained from a prospective Stockholder. Relevant information for this purpose will include at least the age, investment objectives, investment experience, income, net worth, financial situation and other investments of the prospective Stockholder, as well as any other pertinent factors.
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The Corporation or each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Corporation shall maintain records of the information used to determine that an investment in Common Shares is suitable and appropriate for a Stockholder. The Sponsor or each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Corporation shall maintain these records for at least six years.
Section 6.10.3 Minimum Investment. Subject to certain individual state requirements, no initial sale of Common Shares in the Initial Public Offering will be permitted of less than such amount as determined by the Board and described in the Corporations most recent Prospectus for the Initial Public Offering.
Section 6.10.4 Minimum Account Repurchases. In the event that any holder of Common Shares fails to maintain in such holders account a minimum balance of such amount of Common Shares as from time to time determined by the Board of Directors and described in the Corporations most recent Prospectus for an Offering of Common Shares (or, if the Corporation is not then engaged in an Offering of Common Shares and such amount has been amended by the Board of Directors, then as described in the Corporations periodic filings with the SEC) (the Minimum Account Balance), the Corporation may repurchase all of the Common Shares held by such holder at the repurchase price in effect under the Repurchase Plan on the date that the Corporation determines that such holder has failed to meet the Minimum Account Balance, less any early repurchase deduction as provided in the Repurchase Plan.
Section 6.11 Admission of Stockholders.
(a) Upon the original sale of Common Shares in the Initial Public Offering, the purchasers shall be admitted as Stockholders not less than the last day of the calendar month following the date their respective subscription agreements were accepted by the Corporation. Subsequent subscriptions shall be accepted or rejected by the Corporation within 30 days of receipt; if rejected, all subscription funds shall be returned to the subscriber within ten Business Days.
(b) The Corporation shall amend its records at least once each calendar quarter to effect the assignment, transfer, or resale of Common Shares. For assignments, the Corporation shall recognize the assignment not later than the last day of the calendar month following receipt of notice of such assignment and any required documentation.
Section 6.12 Repurchase of Shares. The Board of Directors may establish, from time to time, a Repurchase Plan; provided, however, that any repurchase of Shares pursuant to any such Repurchase Plan does not impair the capital or operations of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VII
ADVISOR
Section 7.1 Appointment of Advisor. The Board is responsible for setting the general policies of the Corporation and for the general supervision of its business conducted by officers, agents, employees, advisors or independent contractors of the Corporation. However, the Board is not required personally to conduct the business of the Corporation, and it may (but need not) appoint, employ or contract with any Person (including a Person Affiliated with any Director) as an Advisor and may grant or delegate such authority to the Advisor as the Board may, in its sole discretion, deem necessary or desirable.
Section 7.2 Supervision of Advisor. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Board may exercise broad discretion in allowing the Advisor to administer and regulate the operations of the Corporation, to act as agent for the Corporation, to execute documents on behalf of the Corporation and to make executive decisions that conform to general policies and principles established by the Board. The Board shall oversee the Advisor to assure that the administrative procedures, operations and programs of the Corporation are reasonable and appropriate and that (a) the expenses incurred are reasonable in light of the operations of the Corporation, (b) all Front End Fees are reasonable and do not exceed 18% of the Gross Proceeds of any Offering, regardless of the source of payment, and (c) the percentage of Gross Proceeds of any Offering committed to Investment in Program Assets shall be at least
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82%. All items of compensation to underwriters or dealers, including, but not limited to, selling commissions, expenses, rights of first refusal, consulting fees, finders fees and all other items of compensation of any kind or description paid by the Corporation, directly or indirectly, shall be taken into consideration in computing the amount of allowable Front End Fees. The Board of Directors also will be responsible for determining that compensation to be paid to the Advisor is reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of services performed and the investment performance of the Corporation and that the provisions of any Advisory Agreement are being carried out. The Board of Directors may consider all factors that it deems relevant in making these determinations.
Section 7.3 Contents of Advisory Agreement. Any Advisory Agreement shall contain the following provisions:
(a) The Advisor has a fiduciary responsibility and duty to the Corporation and the Stockholders for the safekeeping and use of all the funds and assets of the Corporation, whether or not in the Advisors immediate possession or control. The Advisor shall not employ, or permit another to employ, such funds or assets except for the exclusive benefit of the Corporation (unless provided otherwise in such agreement, neither the power of direction of the Advisor nor the exercise thereof by any Person shall cause such Person to have duties, including fiduciary duties, or liabilities relating thereto to the Corporation or any Stockholder). The Advisor may not contract away the fiduciary obligation owed to the Corporation and the Stockholders under common law.
(b) The chief executive officer and chief investment officer of the Advisor shall have at least three years relevant experience demonstrating the knowledge and experience to acquire and manage the type of assets being acquired by the Corporation and shall have not less than four years relevant experience in the kind of service being rendered or otherwise must demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience to perform the services proposed.
(c) The Advisor shall not have an exclusive right to sell or exclusive employment to sell assets for the Corporation.
(d) No rebates or give-ups may be received by the Advisor nor may the Advisor participate in any reciprocal business arrangement which would circumvent the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines.
(e) No payments, awards, commissions or other compensation may be made to any Person engaged to sell Shares or give investment advice to a potential Stockholder; however, this prohibition shall not prohibit the payment to a registered broker-dealer under the Exchange Act or other properly-licensed Person of normal and customary selling commissions for selling Shares.
(f) The Advisor shall not be permitted to commingle the funds of the Corporation with the funds of any other Person; however, this prohibition shall not prohibit the Advisor from establishing a master fiduciary account pursuant to which separate sub-trust accounts are established for the benefit of Affiliates of the Corporation, provided that the funds of the Corporation are protected from the claims of such other Affiliates and creditors of such other Affiliates. This prohibition shall not apply to investments meeting the requirements of Article VIII hereof.
(g) From time to time and not less than quarterly, the Advisor shall review the Corporations accounts to determine whether cash distributions are appropriate. The Corporation shall distribute pro rata to Stockholders any cash deemed appropriate for such distribution by the Advisor. In no event shall funds be advanced or borrowed solely for the purpose of such cash distributions. Any cash distributions to the Advisor shall be made only in conjunction with distributions to stockholders and as a result of any Shares held by the Advisor. All such cash distributions shall be made only out of funds legally available therefor pursuant to the MGCL.
Section 7.4 Successor Advisor. The Board of Directors shall determine whether any successor Advisor possesses sufficient qualifications to perform the advisory function for the Corporation and whether the compensation provided for in its contract with the Corporation is reasonable.
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Section 7.5 Termination. Any Advisory Agreement shall provide that it is terminable, without cause or penalty, by (a) a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation or the vote of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Directors, on 60 days written notice or (b) the Advisor on 120 days written notice. In the event of termination, the Advisor will cooperate with the Corporation and the Board in making an orderly transition of the advisory function. In addition, if the Corporation elects to continue its operations following termination of the Advisory Agreement by the Advisor, the Advisor shall pay all expenses incurred as a result of its withdrawal. Upon termination of the Advisory Agreement, the Corporation shall pay the Advisor all amounts then accrued but unpaid to the Advisor. The method of payment must be fair and protect the solvency and liquidity of the Corporation.
Section 7.6 Organization and Offering Expenses Limitation. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Corporation shall reimburse the Advisor and its Affiliates for Organization and Offering Expenses incurred by the Advisor or its Affiliates; provided, however, that the total amount of all Organization and Offering Expenses shall be reasonable and shall be included in Front End Fees for purposes of the limit on such Front End Fees set forth in Section 7.2.
Section 7.7 Acquisition Fees. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Corporation may pay the Advisor and its Affiliates fees for the review and evaluation of potential investments; provided, however, that the Board shall conclude that the total of all Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses are reasonable.
Section 7.8 Reimbursement of Advisor. The Corporation may reimburse the Advisor, at the end of each fiscal quarter, for all expenses of the Corporation incurred by the Advisor as well as the actual cost of goods and services used for or by the Corporation and obtained from entities not Affiliated with the Corporation. The Advisor may be reimbursed for the administrative services necessary for the prudent operation of the Corporation performed by it on behalf of the Corporation; provided, however, the reimbursement shall be an amount equal to the lower of the Advisors actual cost or the amount the Corporation would be required to pay third parties for the provision of comparable administrative services in the same geographic location; and provided, further, that such costs are reasonably allocated to the Corporation on the basis of assets, revenues, time records or other method conforming with generally accepted accounting principles. No reimbursement shall be permitted for services for which the Advisor is entitled to compensation by way of a separate fee. Excluded from the allowable reimbursement shall be (a) rent, depreciation, utilities, capital equipment or other administrative items of the Advisor and (b) salaries, fringe benefits, travel expenses and other administrative items incurred or allocated to any Controlling Person of the Advisor.
ARTICLE VIII
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
Section 8.1 Investment Objectives. The Corporations primary investment objectives are to maximize the total return to Stockholders in the form of current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments.
Section 8.2 Investments in Other Programs.
(a) The Corporation may invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with non-Affiliates that own and operate specific assets, only if the Corporation, alone or together with any publicly registered Affiliate of the Corporation meeting the requirements of subsection (b) below, acquires a controlling interest in such a general partnership or joint venture, but in no event shall the Advisor be entitled to duplicate fees; provided, however that the foregoing is not intended to prevent the Corporation from carrying out its business of investing and reinvesting its assets in securities of other issuers. For purposes of this Section, controlling interest means an equity interest possessing the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the general partnership or joint venture, including the authority to: (i) review all contracts entered into by the general partnership or joint venture that will have a material effect on its business or assets; (ii) cause a sale or refinancing of the assets or its interest therein subject, in certain cases where required by the partnership or joint venture agreement, to limits as to time, minimum amounts and/or a right of first refusal by the joint venture partner or consent of the joint venture partner; (iii) approve budgets and major capital expenditures, subject to a stated minimum amount; (iv) veto any sale or refinancing of the
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assets, or alternatively, to receive a specified preference on sale or refinancing proceeds; and (v) exercise a right of first refusal on any desired sale or refinancing by the joint venture partner of its interest in the assets, except for transfer to an Affiliate of the joint venture partner.
(b) The Corporation may invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with other publicly registered Affiliates of the Corporation only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the Affiliate and the Corporation have substantially identical investment objectives; (ii) there are no duplicate fees to the Advisor; (iii) the compensation payable by the general partnership or joint venture to the Advisors by each of the Corporation and its Affiliate that invests in such partnership or joint venture is substantially identical; (iv) each of the Corporation and the Affiliate has a right of first refusal to buy if the other party wishes to sell assets held in the partnership or joint venture; (v) the investment of each of the Corporation and its Affiliate is on substantially the same terms and conditions; and (vi) any Prospectus in use or proposed to be used when such an investment has been made or is contemplated discloses the potential risk of impasse on partnership or joint venture decisions since neither the Corporation nor its Affiliate controls the partnership or joint venture, and the potential risk that while the Corporation or its Affiliate may have the right to buy the assets from the partnership or joint venture, it may not have the resources to do so.
(c) The Corporation may invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with Affiliates other than publicly registered Affiliates of the Corporation only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the investment is necessary to relieve the Advisor from any commitment to purchase the assets entered into in compliance with Section 9.1 prior to the closing of the offering period of the Corporation; (ii) there are no duplicate fees to the Advisor; (iii) the investment of each entity is on substantially the same terms and conditions; (iv) the Corporation has a right of first refusal to buy if the Advisor wishes to sell assets held in the partnership or joint venture; and (v) any Prospectus in use or proposed to be used when such an investment has been made or is contemplated discloses the potential risk of impasse on partnership or joint venture decisions.
(d) The Corporation may be structured to conduct operations through separate single-purpose entities managed by the Advisor (multi-tier arrangements); provided that the terms of any such arrangements do not result in the circumvention of any of the requirements or prohibitions contained herein or under applicable federal or state securities laws. Any agreements regarding such arrangements shall accompany any Prospectus, if such agreement is then available, and the terms of such agreement shall contain provisions assuring that all of the following restrictions apply: (i) there will be no duplication or increase in Organization and Offering Expenses, fees payable to the Advisor, program expenses or other fees and costs; (ii) there will be no substantive alteration in the fiduciary and contractual relationship between the Advisor, the Corporation and the Stockholders; and (iii) there will be no diminishment in the voting rights of the Stockholders.
(e) Other than as specifically permitted in subsections (b), (c) and (d) above, and except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act, the Corporation shall not invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with Affiliates.
(f) Except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act, the Corporation shall be permitted to invest in general partnership interests of limited partnerships only if: (i) the Corporation, alone or together with any publicly registered Affiliate of the Corporation meeting the requirements of subsection (b) above, acquires a controlling interest as defined in subsection (a) above; (ii) the Advisor is not entitled to any duplicate fees; (iii) no additional compensation beyond that permitted under applicable law is paid to the Advisor; and (iv) the agreement of limited partnership or other applicable agreement complies with this Section 8.1.
Section 8.2 Other Goods or Services.
(a) In addition to the services to be provided under any Advisory Agreement, the Corporation may accept goods or other services provided by the Advisor in connection with the operation of assets subject to the restrictions contained in the 1940 Act, provided that: (i) the Advisor, as a fiduciary, determines such self-dealing arrangement is in the best interest of the Corporation; (ii) the terms pursuant to which all such goods or services are provided to the Corporation by the Advisor shall be embodied in a written contract, the material terms of
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which must be fully disclosed to the Stockholders; (iii) the contract may be modified only with approval of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter; and (iv) the contract shall contain a clause allowing termination without penalty on 60 days notice. Without limitation to the foregoing, arrangements to provide such goods or other services must meet all of the following criteria: (x) the Advisor must be independently engaged in the business of providing such goods or services to Persons other than Affiliates and at least 33% of the Advisors associated gross revenues must come from Persons other than Affiliates; (y) the compensation, price or fee charged for providing such goods or services must be comparable and competitive with the compensation, price or fee charged in the same geographic location by Persons other than the Advisor and its Affiliates who provide comparable goods or services which could reasonably be made available to the Corporation; and (z) except in extraordinary circumstances, the compensation and other material terms of the arrangement must be fully disclosed to the Stockholders. Extraordinary circumstances are limited to instances when immediate action is required and the goods or services are not immediately available from Persons other than the Advisor and its Affiliates.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing clause (a), if the Advisor is not engaged in the business to the extent required by such clause, the Advisor may provide to the Corporation other goods and services if all of the following additional conditions are met: (i) the Advisor can demonstrate the capacity and capability to provide such goods or services on a competitive basis; (ii) the goods or services are provided at the lesser of cost or the competitive rate charged in the same geographic location by Persons other than the Advisor and its Affiliates who are in the business of providing comparable goods or services; (iii) the cost is limited to the reasonable necessary and actual expenses incurred by the Advisor on behalf of the Corporation in providing such goods or services, exclusive of expenses of the type which may not be reimbursed under applicable federal or state securities laws; and (iv) expenses are allocated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are made subject to any special audit required by applicable federal and state securities laws.
ARTICLE IX
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Section 9.1 Sales and Leases to the Corporation. Except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act, the Corporation shall not purchase or lease assets in which the Advisor or any Affiliate thereof has an interest unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction is fully disclosed to the Stockholders either in a Prospectus or in a periodic report filed with the SEC or otherwise and (b) the assets are sold or leased upon terms that are reasonable to the Corporation and at a price not to exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value as determined by an Independent Expert. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 9.1, the Advisor may purchase assets in its own name (and assume loans in connection therewith) and temporarily hold title thereto, for the purposes of facilitating the acquisition of the assets, the borrowing of money, obtaining financing for the Corporation, or the completion of construction of the assets, provided that all of the following conditions are met: (a) the assets are purchased by the Corporation at a price no greater than the cost of the assets to the Advisor; (b) all income generated by, and the expenses associated with, the assets so acquired shall be treated as belonging to the Corporation; and (c) there are no other benefits arising out of such transaction to the Advisor apart from compensation otherwise permitted by the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines.
Section 9.2 Sales and Leases to the Advisor or Affiliates. Except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act, the Corporation shall not sell assets to the Advisor or any Affiliate thereof unless such sale is duly approved by the Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. The Corporation shall not lease assets to the Advisor or any Affiliate thereof unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction occurs at the formation of the Corporation and is fully disclosed to the Stockholders in a Prospectus or in a periodic report filed with the SEC and (b) the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to the Corporation.
Section 9.3 Loans. Except for the advancement of funds pursuant to Article XI, no loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise shall be made by the Corporation to the Advisor or any Affiliate thereof.
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Section 9.4 Commissions on Financing, Refinancing or Reinvestment. Except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act, the Corporation shall not pay, directly or indirectly, a commission or fee to the Advisor or any Affiliate thereof (except as otherwise specified in this Article IX) in connection with the reinvestment of cash flow from operations and available reserves or of the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of assets.
Section 9.5 Rebates, Kickbacks and Reciprocal Arrangements. No rebates or give-ups may be received by the Advisor nor may the Advisor participate in any reciprocal business arrangements that would circumvent provisions of applicable federal or state securities laws or the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines governing conflicts of interest or investment restrictions, or enter into any agreement, arrangement or understanding that would circumvent the restrictions against dealing with affiliates or promoters under applicable federal or state securities laws or the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines. The Corporation shall cause the Advisor to agree that it shall not directly or indirectly pay or award any fees or commissions or other compensation to any Person engaged to sell Shares or give investment advice to a potential Stockholder; provided, however, that this Section 9.5 shall not prohibit the payment to a registered broker-dealer or other properly licensed agent of sales commissions for selling or distributing Shares.
Section 9.6 Commingling. The funds of the Corporation shall not be commingled with the funds of any other Person. Nothing in this Section 9.6 shall prohibit the Advisor from establishing a master fiduciary account pursuant to which separate sub-trust accounts are established for the benefit of affiliated programs, provided that the Corporations funds are protected from the claims of other programs and creditors of such programs.
Section 9.7 Lending Practices. On financing made available to the Corporation by the Advisor, the Advisor may not receive interest in excess of the lesser of the Advisors cost of funds or the amounts that would be charged by unrelated lending institutions on comparable loans for the same purpose. The Advisor shall not impose a prepayment charge or penalty in connection with such financing and the Advisor shall not receive points or other financing charges. The Advisor shall be prohibited from providing permanent financing for the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 9.7, permanent financing shall mean any financing with a term in excess of twelve months.
Section 9.8 Other Transactions. Except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or exemptive relief granted by the SEC pursuant thereto, or by a determination of the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act, the Corporation shall not engage in any other transaction with the Advisor or an Affiliate thereof unless: (a) such transaction complies with the NASAA Omnibus Guidelines and all applicable law and (b) a majority of the Directors (including a majority of the Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in such transaction approve such transaction as fair and reasonable to the Corporation and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Corporation than those available from non-Affiliated third parties.
Section 9.9 Exchanges. The Corporation may not acquire assets from Affiliates in exchange for Shares.
ARTICLE X
STOCKHOLDERS
Section 10.1 Meetings. There shall be an annual meeting of the Stockholders, to be held on such date and at such time and place as shall be determined by or in the manner prescribed in the Bylaws, at which the Directors shall be elected and any other proper business may be conducted. Special meetings of Stockholders may be called in the manner provided in the Bylaws, including by the chief executive officer, the president or the chair of the board or by the Board of Directors or the Independent Directors, and shall be called by the secretary of the Corporation to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of Stockholders upon the written request of Stockholders entitled to cast not less than ten percent of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting. Notice of any special meeting of Stockholders shall be given as provided in the Bylaws. If the meeting is called by the secretary upon the written request of Stockholders as described in this Section 10.1, notice of the special meeting shall be sent to all Stockholders within ten days of the receipt of the written request and the special meeting shall be held at the time and place specified in the Stockholder request not less than 15 days nor more than 60 days
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after the delivery of the notice; provided, however, that if no time or place is so specified in the Stockholder request, at such time and place convenient to the Stockholders.
Section 10.2 Voting Rights of Stockholders. Subject to the provisions of any class or series of Shares then outstanding and the mandatory provisions of any applicable laws or regulations, including the MGCL and the 1940 Act, or other provisions of the Charter, the Stockholders may, without the necessity for concurrence by the Advisor: (a) elect or remove Directors, as provided in Sections 5.1 and 5.6 hereof; (b) approve or disapprove an amendment of the Charter, as provided in Article XI hereof; (c) approve or disapprove the dissolution of the Corporation; (d) direct that the Corporation remove the Advisor and elect a new Advisor pursuant to the procedures described in Section 7.4; and (e) approve or disapprove the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, when such sale is to be made other than in the ordinary course of the Corporations business. Without the approval of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, or such other approval as may be required under the mandatory provisions of any applicable laws or regulations, including the MGCL, or other provisions of the Charter, the Board may not: (A) amend the Charter except for amendments that do not adversely affect the rights of Stockholders; (B) appoint a new Advisor (other than a sub-adviser pursuant to the terms of an Advisory Agreement and applicable law); (C) sell all or substantially all of the Corporations assets other than in the ordinary course of the Corporations business or as otherwise permitted by law; (D) cause the merger or similar reorganization of the Corporation except as permitted by law; and (E) voluntarily withdraw as the Advisor unless such withdrawal would not affect the tax status of the Corporation and would not materially adversely affect the Stockholders.
Section 10.3 Voting Limitations on Shares Held by the Advisor and Affiliates. With respect to Shares owned by the Advisor, the Advisor may not vote or consent on matters submitted to the Stockholders regarding the removal of the Advisor or any transaction between the Corporation and the Advisor or any of its Affiliates. In determining the requisite percentage in interest of Shares entitled to vote on a matter, and necessary to approve a matter, on which the Advisor may not vote or consent, any Shares owned by it shall not be included.
Section 10.4 Right of Inspection. Any holder of Common Shares shall be permitted access to the records of the Corporation to which it is entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable charge. A stockholder that is otherwise eligible under applicable law to inspect the Corporations books of account, the Corporations stock ledger or other specified documents of the Corporation shall have no right to make such inspection if the Board of Directors determines that such Stockholder has an improper purpose for requesting such inspection.
Section 10.5 Access to Stockholder List. An alphabetical list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the holders of Common Shares, along with the number of Common Shares held by each of them (the Stockholder List), shall be maintained as part of the books and records of the Corporation and shall be available for inspection by any holder of Common Shares or such holders designated agent at the home office of the Corporation upon the request of such holder. The Stockholder List shall be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. A copy of the Stockholder List shall be mailed to any holder of Common Shares so requesting within ten days of receipt by the Corporation of the request. The copy of the Stockholder List shall be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in a readily readable type size (in no event smaller than ten-point type). The Corporation may impose a reasonable charge for expenses incurred in reproduction pursuant to such request. A holder of Common Shares may request a copy of the Stockholder List in connection with matters relating to Stockholders voting rights and the exercise of Stockholder rights under federal proxy laws.
If the Advisor or the Board neglects or refuses to exhibit, produce or mail a copy of the Stockholder List as requested, the Advisor and/or the Board, as the case may be, shall be liable to any holder of Common Shares requesting the Stockholder List for the costs, including reasonable attorneys fees, incurred by such holder for compelling the production of the Stockholder List, and for actual damages suffered by any holder of Common Shares by reason of such refusal or neglect. It shall be a defense that the actual purpose and reason for the requests for inspection or for a copy of the Stockholder List is to secure such Stockholder List or other information for the purpose of selling such Stockholder List or copies thereof, or of using the same for a commercial purpose other than in the interest of the applicant as a Stockholder relative to the affairs of the Corporation. The Corporation may require the holder of Common Shares requesting the Stockholder List to represent that the Stockholder List is not requested for a
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commercial purpose unrelated to such holders interest in the Corporation. The remedies provided hereunder to holders of Common Shares requesting copies of the Stockholder List are in addition to and shall not in any way limit other remedies available to Stockholders under federal law or the laws of any state.
Section 10.6 Reports.
(a) The Board, including the Independent Directors, shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the Corporation shall cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered by any reasonable means, including an electronic medium, to each Stockholder as of a record date after the end of the fiscal year and each holder of other publicly held securities of the Corporation within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which it relates an annual report for each fiscal year ending after the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering that shall include: (i) financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles which are audited and reported on by independent certified public accountants; (ii) a report of the activities of the Corporation during the period covered by the report; (iii) where forecasts have been provided to the Stockholders, a table comparing the forecasts previously provided with the actual results during the period covered by the report; and (iv) a report setting forth distributions to Stockholders for the period covered thereby and separately identifying distributions from: (A) cash flow from operations during the period; (B) cash flow from operations during a prior period which have been held as reserves; (C) proceeds from disposition of assets; and (D) reserves from the Gross Proceeds. Such annual report must also contain a breakdown of the costs reimbursed to the Advisor. The Board, including the Independent Directors, shall take reasonable steps to ensure that: (v) within the scope of the annual audit of the Corporations financial statements, the independent certified public accountants preparing such annual report will issue a special report on the allocation of such costs to the Corporation in accordance with the Advisory Agreement; (w) the special report shall be in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants United States Auditing Standards relating to special reports; (x) the additional costs of such special report will be itemized and may be reimbursed to the Advisor by the Corporation in accordance with this Section 10.6 only to the extent that such reimbursement, when added to the cost for administrative services rendered, does not exceed the competitive rate for such services as determined above; (y) the special report shall at minimum provide a review of the time records of individual employees, the costs of whose services were reimbursed and the specific nature of the work performed by each such employee; and (v) the prospectus, prospectus supplement or periodic report as filed with the SEC shall disclose in tabular form an itemized estimate of such proposed expenses for the next fiscal year together with a breakdown by year of such expenses reimbursed in each of the last five public programs formed by the Advisor.
(b) The Board, including the Independent Directors, shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the Corporation shall cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered to each Stockholder (i) within 60 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of the Corporation, a report containing the same financial information contained in the Corporations Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Corporation under the Exchange Act and (ii) within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Corporation, a report containing the same financial information contained in the Corporations Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Corporation under the Exchange Act.
(c) The Board, including the Independent Directors, shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the Corporation shall cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered within 75 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Corporation to each Person who was at any time during such fiscal year a Stockholder all information necessary for the preparation of such Persons federal income tax return.
(d) If Shares have been purchased on a deferred payment basis, on which there remains an unpaid balance during any period covered by any report required by subsections (a) and (b) above, then such report shall contain a detailed statement of the status of all deferred payments, actions taken by the Corporation in response to any defaults and a discussion and analysis of the impact on capital requirements of the Corporation.
Section 10.7 Tender Offers. If any Person makes a tender offer, including, without limitation, a mini-tender offer, such Person must comply with all of the provisions set forth in Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, disclosure and notice requirements, that would be applicable if the tender offer was for more than five percent of the outstanding Shares; provided, however, that, unless otherwise required by the Exchange Act, such documents are not required to be filed with the SEC. In addition, any such Person must provide notice to the Corporation at least ten Business Days prior to initiating any such tender offer. No Stockholder may transfer any Shares held by such Stockholder to any Person who initiates a tender offer without complying with the
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provisions set forth above (a Non-Compliant Tender Offer) unless such Stockholder shall have first offered such Shares to the Corporation at the tender offer price offered in such Non-Compliant Tender Offer. In addition, any Person who makes a Non-Compliant Tender Offer shall be responsible for all expenses incurred by the Corporation in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of this Section 10.7, including, without limitation, expenses incurred in connection with the review of all documents related to such tender offer. In addition to the remedies provided herein, the Corporation may seek injunctive relief, including, without limitation, a temporary or permanent restraining order, in connection with any Non-Compliant Tender Offer. This Section 10.7 shall be of no force or effect with respect to any Shares that are then Listed.
ARTICLE XI
AMENDMENTS; CONVERSION TO OPEN-END COMPANY
Section 11.1 Amendments. The Corporation reserves the right from time to time, upon the requisite approval by the Board of Directors and/or the Stockholders, to make any amendment to the Charter, now or hereafter authorized by law, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Charter, of any Shares. All rights and powers conferred by the Charter on Stockholders, Directors and officers are granted subject to this reservation. Except for those amendments permitted to be made without Stockholder approval under Maryland law or by specific provision in the Charter, and provided further that the Board has declared the amendment advisable and directed that it be submitted for consideration by the Stockholders as required by the MGCL, any amendment to the Charter shall be valid only if approved by the affirmative vote of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Section 11.2 Approval of Conversion to Open-End Company.
(a) Required Vote. The affirmative vote of Stockholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, with Common Shares voting as a class and each class or series of Preferred Shares that is entitled to vote on the matter voting as a separate class, shall be necessary for any proposal to convert the Corporation, whether by merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company (as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act); provided, however, that, if the Continuing Directors (as defined herein), by a vote of at least two-thirds of such Continuing Directors, in addition to approval by the Board of Directors, approve such conversion, the affirmative vote of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast shall be required to approve such matter.
(b) Continuing Directors. Continuing Directors shall mean the directors identified in Article V, Section 5.1 and the directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors then on the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XII
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
Section 12.1 Limitation of Stockholder Liability. No Stockholder shall be liable for any debt, claim, demand, judgment or obligation of any kind of, against or with respect to the Corporation by reason of his being a Stockholder, nor shall any Stockholder be subject to any personal liability whatsoever, in tort, contract or otherwise, to any Person in connection with the Corporations assets or the affairs of the Corporation by reason of being a Stockholder.
Section 12.2 Limitation of Director and Officer Liability.
(a) Subject to any limitations set forth under Maryland law or the 1940 Act or in paragraph (b) below, no Director or officer of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its Stockholders for money damages.
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(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in paragraph (a) above, the Corporation shall not provide that a Director, the Advisor or any Affiliate of the Corporation or the Advisor (the Indemnitee) be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by the Corporation, unless all of the following conditions are met:
(i) The Indemnitee has determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in the best interests of the Corporation.
(ii) The Indemnitee was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Corporation.
(iii) Such liability or loss was not the result of (A) negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnitee is a Director (other than an Independent Director), the Advisor or an Affiliate of the Corporation or the Advisor or (B) gross negligence or willful misconduct, in the case that the Indemnitee is an Independent Director.
(iv) Such agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of the Corporations net assets and not from the holders of Common Shares.
Section 12.3 Indemnification.
(a) Subject to any limitations set forth under Maryland law or the 1940 Act or in paragraph (b) or (c) or, with respect to the advancement of expenses, Section 12.4 below, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any individual who is a present or former Director or officer of the Corporation and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity, (ii) any individual who, while a Director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager or trustee of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, real estate investment trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (iii) the Advisor of any of its Affiliates acting as an agent of the Corporation who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of its service in that capacity. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided to a Director or officer hereby shall vest immediately upon election of such Director or officer. The Corporation may, with the approval of the Board of Directors, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a Person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (i) or (ii) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation. The Board may take such action as is necessary to carry out this Section 12.3(a). The Corporation may not incur the cost of that portion of liability insurance which insures the Advisor for any liability as to which the Advisor is prohibited from being indemnified.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in paragraph (a) above, the Corporation shall not provide for indemnification of an Indemnitee for any liability or loss suffered by such Indemnitee, unless all of the following conditions are met:
(i) The Indemnitee has determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in the best interests of the Corporation.
(ii) The Indemnitee was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Corporation.
(iii) Such liability or loss was not the result of (A) negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnitee is a Director (other than an Independent Director), the Advisor or an Affiliate of the Corporation or the Advisor or (B) gross negligence or willful misconduct, in the case that the Indemnitee is an Independent Director.
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(iv) Such indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of the Corporations net assets and not from the holders of Common Shares.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in paragraph (a) above, the Corporation shall not provide indemnification to an Indemnitee for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by such party unless one or more of the following conditions are met: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the Indemnitee; (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the Indemnitee; or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the Indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which securities of the Corporation were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.
Section 12.4 Advancement of Expenses. The Corporation may pay or reimburse reasonable legal expenses and other costs incurred by an Indemnitee in advance of final disposition of a proceeding only if all of the following are satisfied: (a) the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on behalf of the Corporation, (b) the Indemnitee provides the Corporation with written affirmation of the Indemnitees good faith belief that the Indemnitee has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation as authorized by Section 12.3 hereof, (c) the legal proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a Stockholder or, if by a Stockholder of the Corporation acting in his or her capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement, and (d) the Indemnitee provides the Corporation with a written agreement to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Corporation, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined that the Indemnitee did not comply with the requisite standard of conduct and is not entitled to indemnification.
Section 12.5 Express Exculpatory Clauses in Instruments. Neither the Stockholders nor the Directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation shall be liable under any written instrument creating an obligation of the Corporation by reason of their being Stockholders, Directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation, and all Persons shall look solely to the Corporations assets for the payment of any claim under or for the performance of that instrument. The omission of the foregoing exculpatory language from any instrument shall not affect the validity or enforceability of such instrument and shall not render any Stockholder, Director, officer, employee or agent liable thereunder to any third party, nor shall the Directors or any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation be liable to anyone as a result of such omission.
Section 12.6 1940 Act Limitation on Indemnification. As required under the 1940 Act, no provision of this Article XII shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any Director, any officer of the Corporation, the Advisor or any Affiliate of the Corporation or the Advisor against liability to the Corporation or the Stockholders to which he, she or it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misconduct, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his, her or its office.
Section 12.7 Amendment or Repeal. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Charter or Bylaws inconsistent with this Article XII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding sections of this Article XII with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal, or adoption.
Section 12.8 Non-Exclusivity. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided or authorized by this Article XII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights, by indemnification or otherwise, to which a Director or an officer of the Corporation may be entitled under the Bylaws, a resolution of the Stockholders or the Board, an agreement, or otherwise.
ARTICLE XIII
ERISA TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
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Notwithstanding any other provision herein, until such time as all classes of Common Shares constitute Publicly Offered Securities, if and to the extent that the Board of Directors shall determine that there is a substantial likelihood that the purchase or ownership of Common Shares or the redemption of Common Shares would result in (a) the underlying assets of the Corporation being treated as assets of any Plan pursuant to the Plan Asset Regulation or any provision of any Similar Law or (b) the Corporation, the Advisor or any Affiliate of the Corporation or the Advisor being considered a fiduciary of any holder of Common Shares for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any applicable Similar Law, the Corporation shall have the power to (i) exclude any holder of Common Shares or potential holder of Common Shares from purchasing Common Shares, (ii) prohibit any redemption of Common Shares or (iii) redeem any or all Common Shares held by any holder of Common Shares for such price and on such other terms and conditions as may be determined by or at the direction of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XIV
ROLL-UP TRANSACTIONS
In connection with any proposed Roll-Up Transaction, an appraisal of all of the Corporations assets shall be obtained from a competent Independent Expert. If the appraisal will be included in a Prospectus used to offer the securities of a Roll-Up Entity, the appraisal shall be filed with the SEC and the states as an exhibit to the registration statement for the offering and the Corporation shall be subject to liability for violation of Section 11 of the Securities Act and comparable provisions under state laws for material misrepresentations or material omissions in the appraisal. The Corporations assets shall be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal shall be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and shall indicate the value of the assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposed Roll-Up Transaction. The appraisal shall assume an orderly liquidation of the assets over a twelve-month period. The terms of the engagement of the Independent Expert shall clearly state that the engagement is for the benefit of the Corporation and the holders of Common Shares. A summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, shall be included in a report to Stockholders in connection with a proposed Roll-Up Transaction. In connection with a proposed Roll-Up Transaction, the Person sponsoring the Roll-Up Transaction shall offer to holders of Common Shares who vote against the proposed Roll-Up Transaction the choice of:
(a) accepting the securities of a Roll-Up Entity offered in the proposed Roll-Up Transaction; or
(b) one of the following:
(i) remaining as Stockholders and preserving their interests therein on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or
(ii) receiving cash in an amount equal to the Stockholders pro rata share of the appraised value of the Corporations net assets.
The Corporation is prohibited from participating in any proposed Roll-Up Transaction:
(a) that would result in the holders of Common Shares having democracy rights in a Roll-Up Entity that are less than the rights provided for in Sections 10.1 and 10.2 hereof;
(b) that includes provisions which would operate as a material impediment to, or frustration of, the accumulation of Shares by any purchaser of the securities of the Roll-Up Entity (except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of the Roll-Up Entity), or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of the Roll-Up Entity on the basis of the number of Shares held by that investor;
(c) in which an investors rights to access of records of the Roll-Up Entity will be less than those described in Sections 10.4 and 10.5 hereof; or
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(d) in which any of the costs of the Roll-Up Transaction would be borne by the Corporation if the Roll-Up Transaction is rejected by the holders of Common Shares.
ARTICLE XV
EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LITIGATION
Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in Section 1-101(p) of the MGCL, other than any action arising under federal securities laws, including, without limitation, (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the Stockholders of the Corporation or (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL, the Charter or the Bylaws, or (b) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. None of the foregoing actions, claims or proceedings may be brought in any court sitting outside the State of Maryland unless the Corporation consents in writing to such court.
THIRD: The amendment and restatement of the Charter as hereinabove set forth have been duly advised by the Board of Directors and approved by the stockholders of the Corporation as required by law.
FOURTH: The current address of the principal office of the Corporation is as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the Charter.
FIFTH: The name and address of the Corporations current resident agent are as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the Charter.
SIXTH: The number of directors of the Corporation and the names of those currently in office are as set forth in Article V of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the Charter.
SEVENTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation had authority to issue immediately prior to the foregoing amendment and restatement of the Charter of the Corporation was 200,000, consisting of 200,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, all of which are classified as Class I Common Stock. The aggregate par value of all shares of stock having par value was $2,000.
EIGHTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation has authority to issue pursuant to the foregoing amendment and restatement of the Charter of the Corporation is 300,000,000, consisting of 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 100,000,000 of which are classified as Class D Common Stock, 100,000,000 of which are classified as Class I Common Stock and 100,000,000 of which are classified as Class S Common Stock. The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $3,000,000.
NINTH: The undersigned acknowledges these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be the corporate act of the Corporation and as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned acknowledges that to the best of the undersigneds knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Executive Officer and attested to by its Secretary on this 3rd day of May, 2023.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall |
(SEAL) | ||
Name: | Eric Hall | |||
Title | Chief Executive Officer |
ATTEST
/s/ George P. Hawley | ||
Name: | George P. Hawley | |
Title: | Secretary |
Signature Page Articles of Amendment and Restatement
Exhibit (b)
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Directors may designate.
Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Corporation may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
Section 1. PLACE. All meetings of Stockholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these Bylaws and stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of Stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the Board of Directors, beginning in the year 2023, provided that the date of such meeting shall be at least 30 days after delivery of the Corporations annual report to Stockholders.
Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS. The president, the chief executive officer, the chair of the board, a majority of the Board of Directors or a majority of the Independent Directors (as defined in the charter of the Corporation (the Charter)) may call a special meeting of the Stockholders. Any such special meeting of Stockholders shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the president, the chief executive officer, the chair of the board, the Board of Directors or the Independent Directors, whoever has called the meeting. A special meeting of Stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of Stockholders upon the written request of Stockholders entitled to cast not less than ten percent of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting. The written request must state the purpose of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at such meeting. Within ten days after receipt of such written request, either in person or by mail, the secretary of the Corporation shall provide all Stockholders with written notice, either in person or by mail, of such meeting and the purpose of such meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, such meeting shall be held not less than 15 days nor more than 60 days after the secretarys delivery of such notice. Subject to the foregoing sentence, such meeting shall be held at the time and place specified in the Stockholder request; provided, however, that if none is so specified, such meeting shall be held at a time and place convenient to the Stockholders.
Section 4. NOTICE. Except as provided otherwise in Section 3 of this Article II, not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of Stockholders, the secretary shall give to each Stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each Stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, by mail, by presenting it to such Stockholder personally, by leaving it at the Stockholders residence or usual place of business, by electronic transmission or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the Stockholder at the Stockholders address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the Stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the Stockholder at which the Stockholder receives electronic transmissions. The Corporation may give a single notice to all Stockholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any Stockholder at
such address, unless such Stockholder objects in writing to receiving such single notice or revokes in writing a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more Stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.
Subject to Section 11(a) of this Article II, any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of Stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of Stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice. The Corporation may postpone or cancel a meeting of Stockholders by making a public announcement (as defined in Section 11(c)(3) of this Article II) of such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting. Notice of the date, time and place to which the meeting is postponed shall be given not less than ten days prior to such date and otherwise in the manner set forth in this Section 4.
Section 5. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT. Every meeting of Stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chair of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by the chair of the board or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the chair of the board, by one of the following individuals present at the meeting in the following order: the lead independent director, if there is one, the chief executive officer, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and, within each rank, in their order of seniority, the secretary, the treasurer, the chief operating officer, if any, the chief financial officer or, in the absence of such individuals, a chair chosen by the Stockholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by Stockholders present in person or by proxy. The secretary or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the secretary, an assistant secretary or an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of the Stockholders, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting shall record the minutes of the meeting. Even if present at the meeting, the individual holding the office named herein may delegate to another individual the power to act as chair or secretary of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of Stockholders shall be determined by the chair of the meeting. The chair of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chair and without any action by the Stockholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance or participation at the meeting to Stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chair of the meeting may determine; (c) recognizing speakers at the meeting and determining when and for how long speakers and any individual speaker may address the meeting; (d) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed and when announcement of the results should be made; (e) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (f) removing any Stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chair of the meeting; (g) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, to a later date and time and at a place either (i) announced at the meeting or (ii) provided at a future time through means announced at the meeting; and (h) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chair of the meeting, meetings of Stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with any rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 6. QUORUM. The presence in person or by proxy of Stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Stockholders, except with respect to any matter that, under applicable law, requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by each such class on such matter shall constitute a quorum. This section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the Charter for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter. At any meeting, whether or not a quorum is established, the chair of the meeting shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement (i) at the meeting or (ii) at a future time, through means announced at the meeting. If a quorum is not established at any meeting of the Stockholders, the chair of the meeting shall have the power to conclude the meeting without adjournment to another date. If a meeting is adjourned, at such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally convened.
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The Stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough Stockholders to leave fewer than would be required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of Stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a director. Each share entitles the holder thereof to vote for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the holder is entitled to vote. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of Stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless a different vote is required by applicable law, including, without limitation, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the Investment Company Act), or by the Charter. Unless otherwise provided by applicable statute or by the Charter, each outstanding share of stock, regardless of class, entitles the holder thereof to cast one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of Stockholders. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman of the meeting shall order that voting be by ballot or otherwise.
Section 8. PROXIES. A holder of record of shares of stock of the Corporation may cast votes in person or by proxy executed by the Stockholder or by the Stockholders duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by applicable law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the record of the proceedings of the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.
Section 9. VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president general partner, trustee, managing member or member thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock. Any trustee or fiduciary, in such capacity, may vote stock registered in such trustees or fiduciarys name, either in person or by proxy.
Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.
The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a Stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the Stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the Stockholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of Stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or appropriate. On receipt by the secretary of the Corporation of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the holder of record of the specified stock in place of the Stockholder who makes the certification.
Section 10. INSPECTORS. The Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors, or one or more entities that designate individuals as inspectors, for the meeting (or any postponement or adjournment thereof) and any successor to the inspector. In case any person who may be appointed as an inspector fails to appear or act, the vacancy may be filled by appointment made by the Board of Directors in advance of the meeting or at the meeting (or any postponement or adjournment thereof) by the chair of the meeting. Except as otherwise provided by the chair of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall (a) determine the number of shares of stock represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy, and the validity and effect of proxies, (b) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (c) report such tabulation to the chair of the meeting, (d) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (e) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each such report shall be in writing and signed by the inspector or by a
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majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
Section 11. ADVANCE NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR AND OTHER STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS.
(a) Annual Meetings of Stockholders.
(1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the Stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of Stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any Stockholder of the Corporation who was a Stockholder of record at the record date set by the Board of Directors for the purpose of determining Stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, at the time of giving of notice by the Stockholder as provided for in this Section 11(a) and at the time of the annual meeting (and any postponement or adjournment thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied with this Section 11(a).
(2) For any nomination or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a Stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 11, the Stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation and any such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the Stockholders. To be timely, a Stockholders notice shall set forth all information and certifications required under this Section 11 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 11(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding years annual meeting; provided, however, that in connection with the Corporations first annual meeting or in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding years annual meeting, in order for notice by the Stockholder to be timely, such notice must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a Stockholders notice as described above.
(3) Such Stockholders notice shall set forth:
(i) as to each individual whom the Stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director (each, a Proposed Nominee):
(A) all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and the rules thereunder (including the Proposed Nominees written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); and
(B) whether such Stockholder believes the Proposed Nominee is, or is not, an interested person of the Corporation, as defined in the Investment Company Act, and information regarding the Proposed Nominee that is sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to make such determination;
(ii) as to any other business that the Stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting:
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(A) a description of such business (including the text of any proposal), the Stockholders reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such Stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the Stockholder or the Stockholder Associated Person therefrom; and
(B) any other information relating to such business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder;
(iii) as to the Stockholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Stockholder Associated Person:
(A) the class, series and number of all shares of stock or other securities of the Corporation or any affiliate thereof (collectively, the Company Securities), if any, which are owned (beneficially or of record) by such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person and the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, and any short interest (including any opportunity to profit or share in any benefit from any decrease in the price of such stock or other security) in any Company Securities of any such person;
(B) the nominee holder for, and number of, any Company Securities owned beneficially but not of record by such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person;
(C) whether and the extent to which such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), is subject to or during the last twelve months has engaged in any hedging, derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is to (I) manage risk or benefit of changes in the price of (x) Company Securities or (y) any security of any other closed-end investment company, including any closed-end investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act (a Peer Group Company), for such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person or (II) increase or decrease the voting power of such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person in the Corporation or any affiliate thereof (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company) disproportionately to such persons economic interest in the Company Securities (or, as applicable, any security in any Peer Group Company); and
(D) any substantial interest, direct or indirect (including, without limitation, any existing or prospective commercial, business or contractual relationship with the Corporation), by security holdings or otherwise, of such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, in the Corporation or any affiliate thereof, other than an interest arising from the ownership of Company Securities where such Stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person receives no extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of the same class or series;
(iv) as to the Stockholder giving the notice, any Stockholder Associated Person with an interest or ownership referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (3) of this Section 11(a) and any Proposed Nominee:
(A) the name and address of such Stockholder, as they appear on the Corporations stock ledger, and the current name and address, if different, of each such Stockholder Associated Person and any Proposed Nominee; and
(B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such Stockholder and each such Stockholder Associated Person who is not an individual and a copy of the prospectus,
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offering memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such Stockholder and each such Stockholder Associated Person;
(v) the name and address of any person who contacted or was contacted by the Stockholder giving the notice or any Stockholder Associated Person about the Proposed Nominee or other business proposal; and
(vi) to the extent known by the Stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other person supporting the Proposed Nominee or the proposal of other business.
(4) Such Stockholders notice shall, with respect to any Proposed Nominee, be accompanied by a written undertaking executed by the Proposed Nominee (i) that such Proposed Nominee (a) is not, and will not become, a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation, (b) will serve as a director of the Corporation if elected and will notify the Corporation simultaneously with any notification to the Stockholder of the Proposed Nominees actual or potential unwillingness or inability to serve as a director, (c) does not need any permission or consent from any third party, including any employer or any other board or governing body on which such Proposed Nominee serves, to serve as a director of the Corporation, if elected, that has not been obtained and (d) is, and will be, in compliance with all of the Corporations publicly disclosed guidelines; and (ii) attaching a completed Proposed Nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Corporation, upon request by the Stockholder providing the notice, and shall include all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, or would be required pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange on which any securities of the Corporation are listed or over-the-counter market on which any securities of the Corporation are traded).
(5) Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Section 11 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased, and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 11(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding years annual meeting, a Stockholders notice required by this Section 11(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.
(6) For purposes of this Section 11, Stockholder Associated Person of any Stockholder shall mean (i) any person acting in concert with such Stockholder or another Stockholder Associated Person or who is otherwise a participant (as defined in Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) in the solicitation, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such Stockholder (other than a Stockholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person or is an officer, director, partner, member, employee or agent of such Stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person.
(b) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of Stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting and, except as contemplated by and in accordance with the next two sentences of this Section 11(b), no Stockholder may nominate an individual for election to the Board of Directors or make a proposal of other business to be considered at a special meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of Stockholders at which directors are to be elected only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) provided that the special meeting has been called in accordance with Section 3 of this Article II for the purpose of electing directors, by any Stockholder of the Corporation who is a Stockholder of record at the record date set by the Board of Directors for the purpose of determining Stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting, at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 11 and at the time of the special meeting (and any
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postponement or adjournment thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 11. In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of Stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the Board of Directors, any Stockholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a director as specified in the Corporations notice of meeting, if the Stockholders notice, containing the information and certifications required by paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this Section 11, is delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a Stockholders notice as described above.
(c) General.
(1) If any information or certification submitted pursuant to this Section 11 by any Stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of Stockholders, including any certification from a Proposed Nominee, shall be inaccurate in any material respect, such information or certification may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11. Any such Stockholder shall notify the Corporation of any inaccuracy or change (within two business days of becoming aware of such inaccuracy or change) in any such information or certification. Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Directors, any Stockholder or Proposed Nominee shall provide, within five business days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (i) written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the Stockholder pursuant to this Section 11, (ii) a written update of any information (including, if requested by the Corporation, written confirmation by such Stockholder that it continues to intend to bring such nomination or other business proposal before the meeting) submitted by the Stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 as of an earlier date and (iii) an updated certification by each Proposed Nominee that such individual will serve as a director of the Corporation if elected. If a Stockholder or Proposed Nominee fails to provide such written verification, update or certification within such period, the information as to which such written verification, update or certification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11.
(2) Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 11 shall be eligible for election by Stockholders as directors, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of Stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 11. A Stockholder proposing a Proposed Nominee shall have no right to (i) nominate a number of Proposed Nominees that exceeds the number of directors to be elected at the meeting or (ii) substitute or replace any Proposed Nominee unless such substitute or replacement is nominated in accordance with this Section 11 (including the timely provision of all information and certifications with respect to such substitute or replacement Proposed Nominee in accordance with the deadlines set forth in this Section 11). If the Corporation provides notice to a Stockholder that the number of Proposed Nominees proposed by such Stockholder exceeds the number of directors to be elected at a meeting, the Stockholder must provide written notice to the Corporation within five business days stating the names of the Proposed Nominees that have been withdrawn so that the number of Proposed Nominees proposed by such Stockholder no longer exceeds the number of directors to be elected at a meeting. If any individual who is nominated in accordance with this Section 11 becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the Board of Directors, then the nomination with respect to such individual shall no longer be valid and no votes may validly be cast for such individual. The chair of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 11.
(3) For purposes of this Section 11, the date of the proxy statement shall have the same meaning as the date of the companys proxy statement released to shareholders as used in Rule 14a-8(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as interpreted by the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Public announcement shall mean disclosure in (i) a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other widely circulated news or wire service or (ii) a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act.
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(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11, a Stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 11. Nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to affect any right of a Stockholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, or the right of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, any proxy statement filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Nothing in this Section 11 shall require disclosure of revocable proxies received by the Stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person pursuant to a solicitation of proxies after the filing of an effective Schedule 14A by such Stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act.
(5) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, except as otherwise determined by the chair of the meeting, if the Stockholder giving notice as provided for in this Section 11 does not appear in person or by proxy at such annual or special meeting to present each nominee for election as a director or the proposed business, as applicable, such matter shall not be considered at the meeting, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such matter may have been received by the Corporation.
Section 12. TELEPHONE AND REMOTE COMMUNICATION MEETINGS. The Board of Directors or chair of the meeting may permit one or more Stockholders to participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment in any manner permitted by Maryland law. In addition, the Board of Directors may determine that a meeting not be held at any place, but instead may be held solely by means of remote communication in any matter permitted by Maryland law. Participation in a meeting by these means constitutes presence in person at the meeting.
Section 13. CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, or any successor statute (the MGCL), shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.
Section 14. STOCKHOLDERS CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of Stockholders may be taken without a meeting (a) if a unanimous consent setting forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each Stockholder entitled to vote on the matter and filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Stockholders or (b) if the action is advised, and submitted to the Stockholders for approval, by the Board of Directors and a consent in writing or by electronic transmission of Stockholders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of Stockholders at which all Stockholders entitled to vote on the matter are present and voted is delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the MGCL. The Corporation shall give notice of any action taken by less than unanimous consent to each Stockholder not later than ten days after the effective time of such action.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
Section 1. GENERAL POWERS. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. NUMBER, TENURE AND RESIGNATION. A majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL, nor more than 15, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors. Any director of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the chair of the board or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.
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Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place of regular meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.
Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the chair of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or a majority of the directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix the time and place of any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place of special meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.
Section 5. NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail or other electronic means, facsimile transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or other electronic means or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the director or his or her agent is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.
Section 6. QUORUM. A majority of the directors then in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors is present at such meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to applicable law, the Charter or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a specified group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority or such other percentage of such group.
The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough directors to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. The action of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Charter or these Bylaws. If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum, but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Charter or these Bylaws.
Section 8. ORGANIZATION. At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the chair of the board or, in the absence of the chair, the lead independent director, if any, shall act as chair of the meeting. In the absence of both the chair of the board and the lead independent director, the chief executive officer or, in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or, in the absence of the president, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present shall act as chair of the meeting. The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Corporation or, in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the chair of the meeting shall act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 9. CHAIR OF THE BOARD; LEAD INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR. The Board of Directors may designate from among its members a chair of the board, who shall not, solely by reason of these Bylaws,
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be an officer of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate the chair of the board as an executive or non-executive chair. The chair of the board shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors. The chair of the board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by these Bylaws or the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate from among its members who are not interested persons of the Corporation, as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act, a lead independent director who shall not, solely by reason of these Bylaws, be an officer of the Corporation. The lead independent director shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by these Bylaws or the Board of Directors.
Section 10. TELEPHONE AND VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETINGS. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time; provided, however, this Section 9 does not apply to any action of the directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 11. CONSENT BY DIRECTORS WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each director and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors; provided however, this Section 11 does not apply to any action of the directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting.
Section 12. VACANCIES. If for any reason any or all of the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder. Until such time as the Corporation becomes subject to Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL and subject to applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act, any vacancy on the Board of Directors for any cause other than an increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, even if such majority is less than a quorum; any vacancy in the number of directors created by an increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors; and any individual so elected as director shall serve until the next annual meeting of Stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. At such time as the Corporation becomes subject to Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL and except as may be required by applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act or provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies.
Section 13. COMPENSATION. Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting (including telephonic meetings) and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Corporation and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they perform or engage in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 14. RELIANCE. Each director and officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Corporation whom the director or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the director or officer reasonably believes to be within the persons professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a director, by a committee of the Board of Directors on which the director does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the director reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.
Section 15. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS. A director, officer, employee or agent shall have no responsibility to devote his or her full time to the
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affairs of the Corporation. Any director, officer, employee or agent, in his or her personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to, in addition to or in competition with those of or relating to the Corporation.
Section 16. RATIFICATION. The Board of Directors or the Stockholders may ratify any act, omission, failure to act or determination made not to act (an Act) by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board of Directors or the Stockholders could have originally authorized the Act and, if so ratified, such Act shall have the same force and effect as if originally duly authorized, and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its Stockholders. Any Act questioned in any proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or Stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Directors or by the Stockholders, and such ratification shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned Act.
Section 17. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS. Notwithstanding any other provision in the Charter or these Bylaws, this Section 17 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Directors under Article III of these Bylaws cannot readily be obtained (an Emergency). During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, (a) a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof may be called by any director or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (b) notice of any meeting of the Board of Directors during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many directors and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television, electronic media or radio; and (c) the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Directors.
Section 18. LOSS OF DEPOSITS. No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.
Section 19. SURETY BONDS. Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his or her duties.
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member.
Section 2. POWERS. The Board of Directors may delegate to any committee appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, any committee may delegate some or all of its power and authority to one or more subcommittees, composed of one or more directors, as the committee deems appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion.
Section 3. MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Directors or, in the absence of such designation, the applicable committee may designate a chair of any committee, and such chair or, in the absence of a chair, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide. Each committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings.
Section 4. TELEPHONE AND VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETINGS. Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other
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communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time; provided, however, this Section 4 does not apply to any action of the committee members pursuant to the Investment Company Act that requires the vote of the committee members to be cast in person at a meeting. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 5. CONSENT BY COMMITTEES WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
Section 6. VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to appoint the chair of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate an alternate member to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Corporation shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, a chief compliance officer, one or more assistant secretaries, one or more assistant treasurers and a controller. In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or appropriate. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers or other officers. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.
Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7 of this Article V, any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the chair of the board, the lead independent director, the chief executive officer, the president or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.
Section 3. VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.
Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief executive officer. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.
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Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.
Section 7. CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief compliance officer to the extent required by and consistent with the requirements of, the Investment Company Act. The chief compliance officer, subject to the direction of and reporting to the Board of Directors, shall be responsible for the oversight of the Corporations compliance with the federal securities laws. The designation, compensation and removal of the chief compliance officer must be approved by the Board of Directors, including a majority of the Independent Directors. The chief compliance officer shall, no less than annually, (a) provide a written report to the Board of Directors, the content of which shall comply with Rule 38a-1 of the Investment Company Act, and (b) meet separately with the Independent Directors; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief compliance officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 8. PRESIDENT. In the absence of a chief executive officer, the president shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 9. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president, senior vice president, or vice president for particular areas of responsibility.
Section 10. SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the Stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the address of each Stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such Stockholder; (e) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors.
Section 11. TREASURER. The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation, shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors and in general shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.
The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.
Section 12. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors.
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Section 13. CONTROLLER. The Board of Directors may designate a controller. The controller shall establish and maintain the accounting records of the Corporation in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis, maintain proper internal control of the assets of the Corporation and perform such other duties as the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer, the president or any vice president of the Corporation may prescribe.
ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. CONTRACTS. The Board of Directors or any manager of the Corporation approved by the Board of Directors and acting within the scope of its authority pursuant to a management agreement with the Corporation may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation when duly authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors or a manager or adviser acting within the scope of its authority pursuant to a management or advisory agreement and executed by an authorized person.
Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. DEPOSITS. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer or any other officer designated by the Board of Directors may determine.
ARTICLE VII
STOCK
Section 1. CERTIFICATES. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation, Stockholders of the Corporation are not entitled to certificates representing the shares of stock held by them. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the MGCL and shall be signed by the officers of the Corporation in any manner permitted by the MGCL. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock without certificates, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates. There shall be no difference in the rights and obligations of Stockholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates.
Section 2. TRANSFERS. All transfers of shares of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation in such manner as the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer. The Corporation or, if authorized by the Corporation, the transfer agent of the Corporation shall cancel the old certificate and record the transaction on its books. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Directors or an officer of the Corporation that such shares shall no longer be represented by certificates. Upon the transfer of any uncertificated shares, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.
The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of stock will be subject in all respects to the Charter and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.
Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. Any officer of the Corporation may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such Stockholder and the Board of Directors or an officer of the Corporation has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Corporation, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Corporation an indemnity or bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation.
Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining Stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of Stockholders or determining Stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of Stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such record date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of Stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of Stockholders of record is to be held or taken.
When a record date for the determination of Stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of Stockholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if postponed or adjourned, except if the meeting is postponed or adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting shall be determined as set forth herein.
Section 5. STOCK LEDGER. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate stock ledger containing the name and address of each Stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such Stockholder.
Section 6. FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Directors may authorize the Corporation to issue fractional shares of stock or authorize the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as it may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of units consisting of different securities of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR
The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.
ARTICLE IX
DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter.
Section 2. CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividend or other distribution, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its sole discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies,
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for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.
ARTICLE X
SEAL
Section 1. SEAL. The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. Any such seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words Incorporated Maryland. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.
Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word (SEAL) adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.
ARTICLE XI
WAIVER OF NOTICE
Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Charter or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice of such meeting, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE XII
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT
If and to the extent that any provision of the MGCL, including, without limitation, Subtitle 6 and, if then applicable, Subtitle 7, of Title 3 of the MGCL, or any provision of the Charter or these Bylaws conflicts with any provision of the Investment Company Act applicable to the Corporation, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act shall control.
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.
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Exhibit (e)
DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN OF
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (the Corporation), has adopted the following plan (the Plan), to be administered by SS&C GIDS, Inc. (the Plan Administrator), with respect to cash distributions declared by the Corporations Board of Directors (the Board of Directors) on shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock), which shares of Common Stock are classified as Class S common stock (Class S Common Stock), Class D common stock (Class D Common Stock) and Class I common stock (Class I Common Stock). A stockholder who participates in the Plan (each a Participant), will be subject to the terms below.
1. Unless a stockholder specifically opts out of participating in the Plan (or, in the case of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington investors and clients of participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in the Plan, opts to participate in the Plan), all cash distributions hereafter declared by the Board of Directors, net of any applicable withholding tax, shall be automatically reinvested in the same class of Common Stock with respect to which the distribution was received, on behalf of each stockholder, and no action shall be required on such Participants part to receive a distribution in Common Stock.
2. Such distributions shall be payable on such date or dates as may be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors to stockholders of record at the close of business on the record date established by the Board of Directors for the distribution involved. The Corporation generally expects for the record date to be the last calendar day of each calendar quarter and the payment date to be the end of the first month of the subsequent quarter, subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors.
3. With respect to each distribution pursuant to this Plan, the number of Class S Common Stock, Class D Common Stock or Class I Common Stock, as applicable, to be issued to a Participant will be determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to such stockholder by the Corporations most recent available net asset value per share for such shares as of the distribution payment date. There will be no sales load charged on shares issued to a Participant under the Plan.
4. The Plan Administrator shall establish an account for shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the Plan for each Participant. The Plan Administrator shall hold each Participants shares, together with the shares of other Participants, in non-certificated form. The Plan Administrator shall not issue share certificates to any Participant.
5. The Plan Administrator shall confirm to each Participant each acquisition made pursuant to the Plan as soon as practicable but not later than 30 business days after the payable date. Each Participant may from time to time have an undivided fractional interest (computed to three decimal places) in a share of Common Stock, and distributions on fractional shares shall be credited to each Participants account. In the event of termination of a Participants account under the Plan, the Plan Administrator shall adjust for any such undivided fractional interest in cash at the net asset value of the shares of Common Stock at the time of termination determined in accordance with Paragraph 3 hereof.
6. If the Corporation makes available to its stockholders rights to purchase additional shares or other securities, the shares held by the Plan Administrator for each Participant under the Plan shall be added to any other shares held by the Participant in calculating the number of rights to be issued to the Participant. Transaction processing may be either curtailed or suspended until the completion of any stock dividend, stock split or corporate action.
7. Each Participant is requested to promptly notify the Corporation in writing if the Participant experiences a material change in his or her financial condition, including the failure to meet the income, net worth and investment concentration standards imposed by such Participants state of residence and set forth in the Corporations most recent prospectus. For the avoidance of doubt, this request in no way shifts to the Participant the responsibility of the Corporation or any other person selling shares on behalf of the Corporation to the Participant to make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of Common Stock is a suitable and appropriate investment based on information provided by such Participant.
8. The Plan Administrators service fee, if any, and expenses for administering the Plan shall be paid for by the Corporation. Expect as explicitly provided herein, there will be no brokerage charges or other charges to Participants.
9. Each Participant may elect to receive an entire distribution in cash by notifying the Plan Administrator in writing so that such notice is received by the Plan Administrator no later than the record date for such distribution to stockholders.
10. Each Participant may terminate the Participants account under the Plan by so notifying the Plan Administrator by submitting a letter of instruction terminating the Participants account under the Plan to Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., c/o SS&C GIDS, Inc. (attention Transfer Agent), 1055 Broadway Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. Such termination shall be effective immediately if the Participants notice is received by the Plan Administrator at least 10 days prior to any record date for a distribution to stockholders; otherwise, such termination shall be effective only with respect to any subsequent distribution. The Plan may be terminated or amended by the Corporation upon notice in writing mailed to each Participant at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any dividend by the Corporation. Upon any termination, the Plan Administrator shall cause the shares of Common Stock held for the Participant under the Plan to be delivered to the Participant.
11. These terms and conditions may be amended or supplemented by the Corporation at any time but, except when necessary or appropriate to comply with applicable law or the rules or policies of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory authority, only by mailing to each Participant appropriate written notice at least 30 days prior to the effective date thereof. The amendment or supplement shall be deemed to be accepted by each Participant unless, prior to the effective date thereof, the Plan Administrator receives written notice of the termination of the Participants account under the Plan. Any such amendment may include an appointment by the Plan Administrator in its place and stead of a successor agent under these terms and conditions, with full power and authority to perform all or any of the acts to be performed by the Plan Administrator under these terms and conditions. Upon any such appointment of any agent for the purpose of receiving distributions, the Corporation shall be authorized to pay to such successor agent, for each Participants account, all distributions payable on shares of the Corporation held in the Participants name or under the Plan for retention or application by such successor agent as provided in these terms and conditions.
12. The Plan Administrator shall at all times act in good faith and use its best efforts within reasonable limits to ensure its full and timely performance of all services to be performed by it with respect to purchases and sales of the Corporations Common Stock under this Plan and to comply with applicable law, but assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for loss or damage due to errors unless such error is caused by the Plan Administrators negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct or that of its employees or agents.
13. These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
Exhibit (g)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
AND
CRESCENT CAP NT ADVISORS, LLC
This Investment Advisory and Management Agreement (this Agreement), dated as of May 3, 2023, is made by and between CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP., a Maryland corporation (the Company), and CRESCENT CAP NT ADVISORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Advisor).
WHEREAS, the Company operates as a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company;
WHEREAS, the Company has filed an election to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act);
WHEREAS, the Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Advisers Act);
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the Advisor to furnish investment advisory services to the Company on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Advisor wishes to be retained to provide such services.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Duties of the Advisor.
(a) The Company hereby appoints the Advisor to act as the investment adviser to the Company and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Company, subject to the supervision of the board of directors of the Company (the Board of Directors), for the period and upon the terms herein set forth, in accordance with (i) the investment objective, policies and restrictions that are determined by the Board of Directors from time to time and disclosed to the Advisor, which objectives, policies and restrictions, as of the Effective Date, shall be those set forth in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), (ii) the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act and all other applicable federal and state law and (iii) the Companys articles of incorporation, as it may be amended from time to time (the Charter) and bylaws, as the same may be amended from time to time. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Advisor shall, during the term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, (i) determine the composition of the portfolio of the Company, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes; (ii) identify, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments made by the Company (including performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies); (iii) execute, close, service and monitor the Companys investments; (iv) determine the securities and other assets that the Company will purchase, retain or sell; (v) provide the Company with such other investment advisory, research and related services as the Company may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of its funds and the disposition of
such investments; and (vi) upon request by an official or agency administering the securities laws of a state (a State Administrator), submit to such State Administrator the reports and statements required to be distributed to the Companys stockholders pursuant to this Agreement, any registration statement filed with the SEC and applicable federal and state law.
(b) The Advisor has a fiduciary responsibility and duty to the Company for the safekeeping and use of all the funds and assets of the Company, whether or not in the Advisors immediate possession or control. The Advisor shall not employ, or permit another to employ, such funds or assets except for the exclusive benefit of the Company. The Advisor shall not contract away any fiduciary obligation owed by the Advisor to the Companys stockholders under common law.
(c) To facilitate the Advisors performance of these undertakings, but subject to the restrictions contained herein, the Company hereby delegates to the Advisor, and the Advisor hereby accepts, the power and authority on behalf of the Company to effectuate its investment decisions for the Company, including the execution and delivery of all documents relating to the Companys investments and the placing of orders for other purchase or sale transactions on behalf of the Company. If the Company determines to incur debt financing or to refinance existing debt financing, the Advisor shall arrange for such financing on the Companys behalf, subject to the oversight and approval of the Board of Directors. If it is necessary or advisable for the Advisor to make investments on behalf of the Company, or establish financing or similar arrangements, through a subsidiary or special purpose vehicle, the Advisor shall have authority to create or arrange for the creation of such subsidiary or special purpose vehicle and to make such investments or establish such arrangements through such subsidiary or special purpose vehicle in accordance with the Investment Company Act.
(d) The Advisor hereby accepts such appointment and agrees during the term hereof to render the services described herein for the compensation provided herein.
(e) Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, and any applicable guidance, interpretation or relief of the SEC or its staff, the Advisor is hereby authorized, but not required, to enter into one or more sub-advisory agreements with other investment advisers (each, a Sub-Advisor) pursuant to which the Advisor may obtain the services of the Sub-Advisor(s) to assist the Advisor in fulfilling its responsibilities hereunder. Specifically, the Advisor may retain a Sub-Advisor to recommend specific securities or other investments based upon the Companys investment objective and policies, and work, along with the Advisor, in sourcing, structuring, negotiating, arranging or effecting the acquisition or disposition of such investments and monitoring investments on behalf of the Company, subject in all cases to the oversight of the Advisor and the Company. The Advisor, and not the Company, shall be responsible for any compensation payable to any Sub-Advisor. Any sub-advisory agreement entered into by the Advisor shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, any applicable guidance, interpretation or relief of the SEC or its staff, and other applicable federal and state law. Nothing in this subsection (e) will obligate the Advisor to pay any expenses that are the expenses of the Company under Section 2 hereof.
(f) The Advisor, and any Sub-Advisor, shall for all purposes herein provided each be deemed to be an independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or authorized herein, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Company.
(g) The Advisor shall keep and preserve, in the manner and for the period required under the Investment Company Act, any books and records relevant to the provision of its investment advisory services to the Company, shall specifically maintain all books and records with respect to the Companys portfolio transactions and shall render to the Board of Directors such periodic and special
2
reports as the Board of Directors may reasonably request. The Advisor agrees that all records that it maintains for the Company are the property of the Company and shall surrender promptly to the Company any such records upon the Companys request, provided that the Advisor may retain a copy of such records.
2. Companys Responsibilities and Expenses Payable by the Company.
(a) All investment professionals of the Advisor and their respective staffs, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services hereunder, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, shall be provided and paid for by the Advisor and not by the Company. In addition to the reimbursements set forth above, the Company will bear all costs and expenses that are incurred in its operations and transactions, including, without limitation, those relating to: (i) organization and offering expenses of the Company associated with this offering, as provided for in Conduct Rule 2310(a)(12) of the Financial Industrial Regulatory Authority; (ii) calculating the Companys net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firms or pricing services); (iii) fees and expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by the Advisor or payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, monitoring the Companys investments (including the cost of consultants hired to develop technology systems designed to monitor the Companys investments) and, if necessary, enforcing the Companys rights; (iv) costs and expenses related to the formation and maintenance of entities or special purpose vehicles to hold assets for tax, financing or other purposes; (v) expenses related to consummated and unconsummated portfolio investments, including, without limitation any reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments, including expenses relating to unconsummated investments that may have been attributable to co-investors had such investments been consummated; (vi) debt servicing (including interest, fees and expenses related to the Companys indebtedness) and other costs arising out of borrowings, leverage, guarantees or other financing arrangements, including, but not limited to, the arrangements thereof; (vii) offerings of the Companys common stock (Common Stock) and the Companys other securities; (viii) costs of effecting sales and repurchases of the Companys Common Stock and other securities, if any; (ix) the Base Management Fee and any Incentive Fee (each as defined below); (x) dividends and other distributions on the Companys Common Stock; (xi) administration fees and/or expenses payable to CCAP Administration LLC or any successor thereto (the Administrator) under the Administration Agreement dated as of May 3, 2023 or any successor agreement (the Administration Agreement); (xii) fees payable, if any, under any distribution manager, intermediary manager or selected intermediary agreements; (xiii) fees payable under the Companys Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act (the Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan); (xiv) fees and expenses incurred in connection with the services of representatives, depositories, paying agents, transfer agents, escrow agents, dividend agents, trustees, rating agencies and custodians; (xv) the allocated costs incurred by the Administrator in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it; (xvi) other expenses incurred by the Advisor, the Administrator, any Sub-Administrator (as defined in the Administration Agreement) or the Company in connection with administering its business, including payments made to third-party providers of goods or services and payments to the Administrator that will be based upon the Companys allocable portion of overhead; (xvii) amounts payable to third parties, including representatives, depositories, paying agents, agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating, making and disposing of investments (excluding payments to third-party vendors for financial information services and costs associated with meeting potential sponsors); (xviii) fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts associated with the offer and sale of the Companys securities (including attendance at investment conferences and similar events); (xix) brokerage fees and commissions; (xx) federal, state and local registration fees; including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; (xxi) all costs of registration and qualifying the Companys securities pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC or any other regulatory
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authority, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; (xxii) federal, state and local taxes; (xxiii) independent director fees and expenses; (xxiv) costs associated with the Companys reporting and compliance obligations under the Investment Company Act, applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2022, as amended (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), and the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction (including any reporting required in connection with Annex IV of the AIFM Directive); (xxv) costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by governmental bodies (including the SEC) and any agency administering the securities laws of a state, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; (xxvi) costs associated with individual or group stockholders, including the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to the Companys stockholders, including printing costs and the costs of investor relations personnel responsible for the foregoing and related matters; (xxvii) costs of holding Board of Directors meetings and stockholder meetings, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; (xxviii) the Companys fidelity bond; (xxix) outside legal expenses; (xxx) accounting expenses (including costs and fees of the Companys independent accounting firm and fees, disbursements and expenses related to the audit of the Company and the preparation of the Companys tax information); (xxxi) directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; (xxxii) costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute, and indemnification and other non-recurring or extraordinary expenses; (xxxiii) direct costs and expenses of administration and operation, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, cellular phone and data service, copying, secretarial and other staff, audit and legal costs; (xxxiv) dues, fees and charges of any trade association of which the Company is a member; (xxxv) costs of hedging, including the use of derivatives by the Company; (xxxvi) costs associated with investor relations efforts; (xxxvii) proxy voting expenses; (xxxviii) costs of information technology and related costs, including costs related to software, hardware and other technological systems (including specialty and custom software); (xxxix) fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Companys assets; (xl) costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records; and (xli) all other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company, the Administrator or any Sub-Administrator in connection with administering the Companys business, such as the allocable portion of overhead under the Administration Agreement, including rent (if office space is provided by the Administrator) and the Companys allocable portion of the costs, expenses, compensation and benefits of the Companys chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general counsel, secretary and their respective staffs (but not including, for the avoidance of doubt, costs and expenses attributable to the Advisors investment professionals acting in such capacity to provide investment advisory and management services hereunder) operations staff who provide services to the Company, and any internal audit staff, to the extent internal audit performs a role in the Companys internal control assessment required under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; provided, however, that any payments made by the Company for activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Common Stock will be paid pursuant to the Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan.
(b) The Company shall reimburse the Advisor for all expenses of the Company incurred by the Advisor as well as the actual cost of goods and services used for or by the Company and obtained from entities not affiliated with the Advisor; provided, however, that the Advisor agrees to waive its right to reimbursement to the extent that it would cause any distributions to the Companys stockholders to constitute a return of capital. The Advisor or its affiliates may be reimbursed for the administrative services performed by it or such affiliates on behalf of the Company pursuant to any separate administration or co-administration agreement with the Advisor, the Administrator or their affiliates; provided, however, no reimbursement shall be permitted for services for which the Advisor is entitled to compensation by way of a separate fee or other payment arrangement. From time to time, the Advisor, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services, and the Company will reimburse the Advisor, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on the Companys behalf. From time
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to time, the Advisor or the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by the Companys stockholders.
3. Compensation of the Advisor. In addition to bearing the costs and expenses of its operations and transactions as described in Section 2 hereof, the Company agrees to pay, and the Advisor agrees to accept, as compensation for the investment advisory and management services provided by the Advisor hereunder, a fee consisting of two components: a base management fee (the Base Management Fee) and an incentive fee (the Incentive Fee), each as hereinafter set forth. The Company shall make any payments due hereunder to the Advisor or to the Advisors designee as the Advisor may otherwise direct. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Advisor may elect, or adopt a deferred compensation plan pursuant to which it may elect to defer all or a portion of its fees hereunder for a specified period of time.
(a) Base Management Fee. The Base Management Fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of the Companys net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For purposes of this Agreement, net assets means the Companys total net assets determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). For the first calendar month in which the Company has operations, net assets will be measured as the beginning net assets as of the date on which the Company commences operations.
(b) Incentive Fee. The Incentive Fee will consist of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the Incentive Fee is based on a percentage of the Companys income and a portion is based on a percentage of the Companys capital gains, each as described below.
(i) Incentive Fee on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income. The portion of the Incentive Fee based on the Companys income is based on pre-incentive fee net investment income. Pre-incentive fee net investment income means, as the context requires, either the dollar value of, or percentage rate of return on the value of the Companys net assets in accordance with GAAP at the end of the immediately preceding quarter from, interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that the Company receives from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus the Companys operating expenses accrued for the quarter (including the Base Management Fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee and any distribution or stockholder servicing fees).
Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns include, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as market or original issue discount, debt investments with payment-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that the Company has not yet received in cash. Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. The impact of expense support payments and recoupments are also excluded from pre-incentive fee net investment income returns.
Pre-incentive fee net investment income returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Companys net assets at the end of the immediately preceding quarter, is compared to a hurdle rate of return of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized).
The Company will pay the Advisor an Incentive Fee quarterly in arrears with respect to the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows:
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| No Incentive Fee based on pre-incentive fee net investment income in any calendar quarter in which the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized). |
| 100% of the dollar amount of the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This portion of the pre-incentive fee net investment income (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.43 %) is referred to as the catch-up; and |
| 12.5% of the dollar amount of the Companys pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). |
The fees that are payable under this Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter.
(ii) Incentive Fee Based on Capital Gains. The second component of the Incentive Fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears.
The amount payable equals:
| 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fees, as calculated in accordance with GAAP. |
For purposes of computing the capital gains incentive fee:
1. | the calculation methodology will look through derivative financial instruments or swaps as if the Company owned the reference assets directly. Therefore, realized gains and realized losses on the disposition of any reference assets, as well as unrealized depreciation on reference assets retained in the derivative financial instrument or swap, will be included on a cumulative basis in the calculation of the capital gains incentive fee; |
2. | the cumulative aggregate realized capital gains are calculated as the sum of the differences, if positive, between (a) the net sales price of each investment in the Companys portfolio when sold and (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment; |
3. | the cumulative aggregate realized capital losses are calculated as the sum of the amounts by which (a) the net sales price of each investment in the Companys portfolio when sold is less than (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment; and |
4. | the aggregate unrealized capital depreciation is calculated as the sum of the differences, if negative, between (a) the valuation of each investment in the Companys portfolio as of the applicable capital gains incentive fee calculation date and (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is required by GAAP to record an investment at its fair value as of the time of acquisition instead of at the actual amount paid for such investment (including, for example, as a result of the application of the acquisition method of accounting), then solely for the
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purposes of calculating the capital gains incentive fee, the accreted or amortized cost basis of an investment shall be an amount (the Contractual Cost Basis) equal to (1) (x) the actual amount paid by the Company for such investment plus (y) any amounts recorded in the Companys financial statements as required by GAAP that are attributable to the accretion of such investment plus (z) any other adjustments made to the cost basis included in the Companys financial statements, including payment-in-kind interest or additional amounts funded (net of repayments) minus (2) any amounts recorded in the Companys financial statements as required by GAAP that are attributable to the amortization of such investment. For the avoidance of doubt, the Contractual Cost Basis as determined pursuant to the foregoing sentence may be higher or lower than the fair value of such investment (as determined in accordance with GAAP) at the time of acquisition. In connection with the foregoing, in the event investments are purchased in a single transaction or series of related transactions for an aggregate purchase price without the Company allocating such purchase price to specific investments, the Company may assign a Contractual Cost Basis to a specific investment equal to such investments Pro Rata Share of such aggregate purchase price paid. Pro Rata Share means the resulting percentage determined using the amount at which a specific investment acquired in a single transaction or series of related transactions is recorded in the Companys financial statements at the time of acquisition according to GAAP divided by the total amount at which all investments acquired in the same transaction or series of related transactions are recorded in the Companys financial statements at the time of acquisition according to GAAP.
(c) In the event that this Agreement is terminated, to calculate the Base Management Fee and Incentive Fee through the termination date, the Company will engage at its own expense a firm acceptable to the Company and the Advisor to determine the maximum reasonable fair value as of the termination date of the Companys consolidated assets (assuming each asset is readily marketable among institutional investors without minority discount and with an appropriate control premium for any control positions and ascribing an appropriate net present value to unamortized organizational and offering costs and going concern value).
Each year, the fee paid for the capital gains incentive fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fee for all prior periods. In no event will the capital gains incentive fee payable pursuant to this Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof. If this Agreement shall terminate as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a capital gains incentive fee.
4. Excess Brokerage Commissions.
(a) The Advisor is hereby authorized, to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law, to cause the Company to pay a member of a national securities exchange, broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess of the amount of commission another member of such exchange, broker or dealer would have charged for effecting such transaction if the Advisor determines, in good faith and taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firms risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities, that the amount of such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or its overall responsibilities with respect to the Companys portfolio, and constitutes the best net result for the Company.
(b) All Front End Fees (as defined in the Companys Charter) shall be reasonable and shall not exceed 18% of the gross proceeds of any offering, regardless of the source of payment and the percentage of gross proceeds of any offering committed to investment shall be at least 82%. All items of compensation to underwriters or dealers, including, but not limited to, selling commissions, expenses, rights
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of first refusal, consulting fees, finders fees and all other items of compensation of any kind or description paid by the Company, directly or indirectly, shall be taken into consideration in computing the amount of allowable Front End Fees.
5. Representations and Warranties.
(a) The Adviser represents and warrants that it is duly registered and authorized as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. The Adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws governing its operations and investments.
(b) The Adviser shall prepare or shall cause to be prepared and distributed to stockholders during each year by any reasonable means, including an electronic medium, the following reports of the Company (either included in a periodic report filed with the SEC or distributed in a separate report) (i) within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter, a copy of the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Company under the Exchange Act and (ii) within 120 days after the end of the Companys fiscal year, a copy of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K that shall include the information set forth in Section 10.6 Reports of the Charter.
(c) From time to time and not less than quarterly, the Company shall cause the Adviser to review the Companys accounts to determine whether cash distributions are appropriate. The Company may, subject to authorization by the Board of Directors, distribute pro rata to the Companys stockholders funds that the Board of Directors deems unnecessary to retain in the Company. The Board of Directors may from time to time authorize the Company to declare and pay to the Companys stockholders such dividends or other distributions, in cash or other assets of the Company or in securities of the Company, including in shares of one class or series payable to the holders of the shares of another class or series, or from any other source as the Board of Directors in its discretion shall determine. Any such cash distributions to the Adviser shall be made only in conjunction with distributions to stockholders and only out of funds properly allocated to the Advisers account. All such cash distributions shall be made only out of funds legally available therefor pursuant to the Charter and applicable state law, as amended from time to time.
(d) The Adviser shall, in its sole discretion, temporarily place proceeds from offerings by the Company of its equity securities into short-term, highly liquid investments which, in its reasonable judgment, afford appropriate safety of principal during such time as it is determining the composition and allocation of the portfolio of the Company and the nature, timing and implementation of any changes thereto; provided, however, that the Adviser shall be under no fiduciary obligation to select any such short-term, highly liquid investment based solely on any yield or return of such investment. The Adviser shall cause any proceeds of the offering of Company securities not committed for investment within the later of two years from the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement or one year from termination of the offering, unless a longer period is permitted by the applicable State Administrator, to be paid as a distribution to the stockholders of the Company as a return of capital without deduction of a sales load.
6. Proxy Voting. The Advisor shall be responsible for voting any proxies solicited by an issuer of securities held by the Company in the best interest of the Company and in accordance with the Advisors proxy voting policies and procedures, as any such proxy voting policies and procedures may be amended from time to time. The Company has been provided with a copy of the Advisors proxy voting policies and procedures and has been informed as to how it can obtain further information from the Advisor regarding proxy voting activities undertaken on behalf of the Company.
7. Limitations on the Employment of the Advisor. The services of the Advisor to the Company are not, and shall not be, exclusive. The Advisor may engage in any other business or render
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similar or different services to others including, without limitation, the direct or indirect sponsorship or management of other investment based accounts or commingled pools of capital, however structured, having investment objectives similar to those of the Company; provided that its services to the Company hereunder are not impaired thereby. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager, partner, officer or employee of the Advisor to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith (including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, one or more of the portfolio companies of the Company, subject at all times to applicable law). So long as this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment hereof remains in effect, the Advisor shall be the only investment adviser for the Company, subject to the Advisors right to enter into sub-advisory agreements. The Advisor assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the services called for hereunder. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company are or may become interested in the Advisor and its affiliates, as directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members, managers or otherwise, and that the Advisor and directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members and managers of the Advisor and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.
Subject to any restrictions prescribed by law, by the provisions of the Code of Ethics of the Company and the Advisor and by the Advisors Allocation Policy, the Advisor and its members, officers, employees and agents shall be free from time to time to acquire, possess, manage and dispose of securities or other investment assets for their own accounts, for the accounts of their family members, for the account of any entity in which they have a beneficial interest or for the accounts of others for whom they may provide investment advisory, brokerage or other services (collectively, Managed Accounts), in transactions that may or may not correspond with transactions effected or positions held by the Company or to give advice and take action with respect to Managed Accounts that differs from advice given to, or action taken on behalf of, the Company; provided that the Advisor allocates investment opportunities to the Company, over a period of time on a fair and equitable basis compared to investment opportunities extended to other Managed Accounts. The Advisor is not, and shall not be, obligated to initiate the purchase or sale for the Company of any security that the Advisor and its members, officers, employees or agents may purchase or sell for its or their own accounts or for the account of any other client if, in the opinion of the Advisor, such transaction or investment appears unsuitable or undesirable for the Company. Moreover, it is understood that when the Advisor determines that it would be appropriate for the Company and one or more Managed Accounts to participate in the same investment opportunity, the Advisor shall seek to execute orders for the Company and for such Managed Account(s) on a basis that the Advisor considers to be fair and equitable over time. In such situations, the Advisor may (but is not required to) place orders for the Company and each Managed Account simultaneously or on an aggregated basis. If all such orders are not filled at the same price, the Advisor may cause the Company and each Managed Account to pay or receive the average of the prices at which the orders were filled for the Company and all relevant Managed Accounts on each applicable day. If all such orders cannot be fully executed under prevailing market conditions, the Advisor may allocate the investment opportunities among participating accounts in a manner that the Advisor considers equitable, taking into account, among other things, the size of each account, the size of the order placed for each account and any other factors that the Advisor deems relevant.
8. Responsibility of Dual Directors, Officers and/or Employees. If any person who is a member, manager, partner, officer or employee of the Advisor or the Administrator is or becomes a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and acts as such in any business of the Company, then such member, manager, partner, officer and/or employee of the Advisor or the Administrator shall be deemed to be acting in such capacity solely for the Company and not as a member, manager, partner, officer and/or employee of the Advisor or the Administrator or under the control or direction of the Advisor or the Administrator, even if paid by the Advisor or the Administrator.
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9. Limitation of Liability of the Advisor; Indemnification.
(a) The Advisor and its members (and their respective officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Advisor or its affiliates, including without limitation the Administrator) shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Advisor in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company, except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty (as the same is finally determined by judicial proceedings) with respect to the receipt of compensation for services, and the Company shall indemnify, defend and protect the Advisor and its members (and their respective officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Advisor, including without limitation the Administrator, each of whom shall be deemed a third-party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the Indemnified Parties) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Company or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Advisors duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company. An Indemnified Party may consult with counsel and accountants in respect of the Companys affairs and shall be fully protected and justified in any action or inaction that is taken in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel and accountants; provided that such counsel or accountants were selected with reasonable care and such protection is permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 9 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Company or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Advisors duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Advisors duties and obligations under this Agreement (as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
(b) Notwithstanding Section 9(a) to the contrary, the Company shall not provide for indemnification of an Indemnified Party pursuant to this Agreement for any liability or loss suffered by an Indemnified Party in violation of Section 12.3 Indemnification and Section 12.4 Advancement of Expenses of the Charter.
10. Effectiveness; Duration and Termination of Agreement.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date and remain in effect for two years, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) the vote of the Board of Directors, or by the vote of stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company and (b) the vote of a majority of the Companys Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of any such party, in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon 60 days written notice, by the vote of stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, or by the vote of the Companys Directors or by the Advisor on 120 days written notice. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined for purposes of Section 15(a)(4) of the Investment Company Act). Except with the consent of the Advisor, upon termination of this Agreement, the Company shall immediately delete the term Crescent from its corporate name and not incorporate Crescent as part
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of any subsequent name. The provisions of Section 9 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Advisor shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement. Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Advisor shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 2 and Section 3 of this Agreement through the date of termination or expiration and Section 9 shall continue in full force and effect and apply to the Advisor and its representatives as and to the extent applicable.
(b) After the termination of this Agreement, the Adviser shall not be entitled to compensation for further services provided hereunder, except that it shall be entitled to receive from the Company within 30 days after the effective date of such termination all unpaid reimbursements and all earned but unpaid fees payable to the Adviser prior to termination of this Agreement, including any deferred fees. The Adviser shall promptly upon termination:
(i) Deliver to the Board of Directors a full accounting, including a statement showing all payments collected by it and a statement of all money held by it, covering the period following the date of the last accounting furnished to the Board of Directors;
(ii) Deliver to the Board of Directors all assets and documents of the Company then in custody of the Adviser; and
(iii) Cooperate with the Company to provide an orderly management transition.
(c) Without the approval of holders of a majority of the Common Stock entitled to vote on the matter, or such other approval as may be required under the mandatory provisions of any applicable laws or regulations, or other provisions of the Charter, the Adviser shall not: (i) modify this Agreement except for amendments that do not adversely affect the rights of the stockholders; (ii) appoint a new Adviser (other than a Sub-Adviser pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and applicable law); (iii) sell all or substantially all of the Companys assets other than in the ordinary course of the Companys business or as otherwise permitted by law; or (iv) except as otherwise permitted herein, voluntarily withdraw as the Adviser unless such withdrawal would not affect the tax status of the Company and would not materially adversely affect the stockholders of the Company.
(d) The Company may terminate the Advisers interest in the Companys revenues, expenses, income, losses, distributions and capital by payment of an amount equal to the then present fair market value of the terminated Advisers interest, determined by agreement of the terminated Adviser and the Company. If the Company and the Adviser cannot agree upon such amount, the parties will submit to binding arbitration which cost will be borne equally by the Adviser and the Company. The method of payment to the terminated Adviser must be fair and must protect the solvency and liquidity of the Company.
11. Conflicts of Interest and Prohibited Activities.
(a) The Adviser is not hereby granted or entitled to an exclusive right to sell or exclusive employment to sell assets for the Company.
(b) The Adviser agrees to the provisions set forth in Section 9.5. Rebates, Kickbacks and Reciprocal Arrangements of the Charter.
(c) The Adviser agrees to the provisions set forth in Section 9.6. Commingling of the Charter.
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12. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is made for the benefit of and shall be enforceable by, each of the parties hereto and nothing in this Agreement shall confer any rights upon, nor shall this Agreement be construed to create any rights in, any person that is not a party (except as herein otherwise specifically provided) to this Agreement.
13. Notices. Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office, or alternatively shall be given by email to the chief legal officer or chief compliance officer of the respective party.
14. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended or modified by mutual written consent, but the consent of the Company must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
15. Entire Agreement; Governing Law. This Agreement and the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement between the parties hereto (the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement), dated as of May 3, 2023, contain the entire agreement of the parties and supersede all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
* * * *
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on the date above written.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |||
Name: | Eric Hall | |||
Title | Chief Executive Officer |
CRESCENT CAP NT ADVISORS, LLC | ||||
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |||
Name: | George P. Hawley | |||
Title | General Counsel |
[Signature page for Investment Advisory and Management Agreement]
Exhibit (h)(1)
INTERMEDIARY MANAGER AGREEMENT
July 17, 2023
Emerson Equity LLC
6860 N Dallas Pkwy, Suite 200
Plano, TX 75024
This Intermediary Manager Agreement (this Agreement) is entered into by and between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (the Fund), and Emerson Equity LLC (the Intermediary Manager).
The Fund has filed one or more registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) (each, a Registration Statement). In this Agreement, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the Registration Statement means, at any given time, the most current effective form of the registration statement related to the common shares of the Fund, $0.01 par value per share (Common Shares), as may be amended from time to time.
Each Registration Statement shall register an ongoing offering (each, an Offering) of the Funds Common Shares, which may consist of such classes of Common Shares as may be set forth in the Registration Statement from time to time (the Shares). In this Agreement, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the Offering means each Offering covered by a Registration Statement and Shares means the Shares being offered in the Offering.
The Offering is and shall be comprised of a maximum amount set forth in the Prospectus (as defined in Section 1.a. below) that will be issued and sold to the public at the public offering prices per Share, determined as set forth in the Prospectus pursuant to a primary offering (the Primary Shares). The Fund will also issue Shares pursuant to its distribution reinvestment plan (the DRIP Shares). In connection with the Offering, the minimum purchase by any one person shall be as set forth in the Prospectus (except as otherwise indicated in any letter or memorandum from the Fund to the Intermediary Manager).
In this Agreement, unless explicitly stated otherwise, any references to the Registration Statement, the Offering, the Shares or the Prospectus with respect to each other shall mean only those that are all related to the same Registration Statement.
The Fund intends to initially offer to the public three classes of Shares and may offer additional classes of Shares at it may determine appropriate from time to time. The differences between the classes of Shares and the eligibility requirements for each class are described in detail in the Prospectus. The Shares are to be offered and sold to the public as described under the caption Plan of Distribution in the Prospectus. Except as otherwise agreed by the Fund and the Intermediary Manager, Shares sold through the Intermediary Manager are to be sold through the Intermediary Manager and the brokers (each, a Broker and collectively, the Brokers) with whom the Intermediary Manager has entered into or will enter into a selected intermediary agreement related to the distribution of Shares substantially in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A or such other form as the officers of the Fund may deem appropriate (each, a Selected Intermediary Agreement) at a purchase price equal to the Funds then-current net asset value (NAV) per Share applicable to the class of Shares being purchased, plus any
applicable sales load. For stockholders who participate in the Funds distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of Shares that each stockholder owns will be automatically invested in additional Shares of the same class. The DRIP Shares are to be issued and sold to stockholders of the Fund at a purchase price equal to the most recent available NAV per Share for such Shares at the time the distribution is payable.
Terms not defined herein shall have the same meaning as in the Prospectus. Now, therefore, the Fund hereby agrees with the Intermediary Manager as follows:
1. Representations and Warranties of the Fund: The Fund represents and warrants to the Intermediary Manager and each Broker participating in an Offering, with respect to such Offering, as applicable, that:
a. A Registration Statement with respect to the Shares has been prepared by the Fund in accordance with applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and the applicable rules and regulations (the Rules and Regulations) of the SEC promulgated thereunder. Copies of such Registration Statement and each amendment thereto have been or will be delivered to the Intermediary Manager. The prospectus contained therein, as finally amended and revised at the effective date of the Registration Statement (including at the effective date of any post-effective amendment thereto), is hereinafter referred to as the Prospectus, except that if the prospectus or prospectus supplement filed by the Fund pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act shall differ from the Prospectus on file at the Effective Date, the term Prospectus shall also include such prospectus or prospectus supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424. Effective Date means the applicable date upon which the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto is or was first declared effective by the SEC. Filing Date means the applicable date upon which the initial Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto is filed with the SEC.
b. The Fund is duly and validly organized and formed as a corporation under the laws of the state of Maryland, with the power and authority to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus.
c. As of the Effective Date or Filing Date, as applicable, the Registration Statement and Prospectus complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations. The Registration Statement, as of the applicable Effective Date, does not and will not contain any untrue statements of material facts or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Prospectus as of the applicable Filing Date, does not and will not contain any untrue statements of material facts or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, provided, however, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.c. will not extend to such statements contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or Prospectus as are primarily within the knowledge of the Intermediary Manager or any of
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the Brokers and are based upon information furnished by the Intermediary Manager in writing to the Fund specifically for inclusion therein.
d. The Fund intends to use the funds received from the sale of the Shares as set forth in the Prospectus.
e. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of any governmental authority is required in connection with the execution or delivery by the Fund of this Agreement or the issuance and sale by the Fund of the Shares, except such as may be required under the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) or applicable state securities laws.
f. Unless otherwise described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending or to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened against the Fund at law or in equity or before or by any federal or state commission, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign, which will have a material adverse effect on the business or property of the Fund.
g. The execution and delivery of this Agreement, the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and compliance with the terms of this Agreement by the Fund will not conflict with or constitute a default under any charter, by-law, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, rule, regulation, writ, injunction or decree of any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Fund, except to the extent that the enforceability of the indemnity and/or contribution provisions contained in Section 4 of this Agreement may be limited under applicable securities laws.
h. The Fund has full legal right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform the transactions contemplated hereby, except to the extent that the enforceability of the indemnity and/or contribution provisions contained in Section 4 of this Agreement may be limited under applicable securities laws.
i. At the time of the issuance of the Shares, the Shares will have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold as contemplated by the Prospectus and the Funds charter, as amended and supplemented, and upon payment therefor as provided by the Prospectus and this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus.
j. The Fund has filed all material federal, state and foreign income tax returns, which have been required to be filed, on or before the due date (taking into account all extensions of time to file) and has paid or provided for the payment of all taxes indicated by said returns and all assessments received by the Fund to the extent that such taxes or assessments have become due, except where the Fund is contesting such assessments in good faith.
k. The financial statements of the Fund included in the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Fund as of the date indicated
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and the results of its operations for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis.
l. Upon the commencement of the Offering, the Fund will be a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company (BDC) under the 1940 Act, and has not withdrawn such election, and the SEC has not ordered that such election be withdrawn nor to the Funds knowledge have proceedings to effectuate such withdrawal been initiated or threatened by the SEC.
m. Any and all printed sales literature or other materials which have been approved in advance in writing by the Fund and appropriate regulatory agencies, as applicable, for use in the Offering (Authorized Sales Materials) prepared by the Fund and any of its affiliates specifically for use with potential investors in connection with the Offering, when used in conjunction with the Prospectus, did not at the time provided for use, and, as to later provided materials, will not at the time provided for use, include any untrue statement of a material fact nor did they at the time provided for use, or, as to later provided materials, will they, omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when read in conjunction with the Prospectus, not misleading.
n. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no person is serving or acting as investment adviser of the Fund, except in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.
o. The issuance and sale of the Shares have been duly authorized by the Fund, and, when issued and duly delivered against payment therefor as contemplated by this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
2. Covenants of the Fund. The Fund covenants and agrees with the Intermediary Manager that:
a. It will, at no expense to the Intermediary Manager, furnish the Intermediary Manager with such number of printed copies of the Registration Statement, including all amendments and exhibits thereto, as the Intermediary Manager may reasonably request. It will similarly furnish to the Intermediary Manager and others designated by the Intermediary Manager as many copies of the following documents as the Intermediary Manager may reasonably request: (a) the Prospectus in preliminary and final form and every form of supplemental or amended Prospectus; (b) this Agreement; and (c) any other Authorized Sales Materials (provided that the use of said Authorized Sales Materials has been first approved for use by all appropriate regulatory agencies, if applicable).
b. It will furnish such proper information and execute and file such documents as may be necessary for the Fund to qualify the Shares for offer and sale
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under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Intermediary Manager may reasonably designate and will file and make in each year such statements and reports as may be required. The Fund will furnish to the Intermediary Manager upon request a copy of such papers filed by the Fund in connection with any such qualification.
c. It will: (a) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective; (b) furnish copies of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus to the Intermediary Manager; (c) file every amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that may be required by the SEC; and (d) if at any time the SEC shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will promptly notify the Intermediary Manager and, to the extent the Fund determines such action is in the best interests of the Fund, use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the lifting of such order.
d. If at any time when a Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act any event occurs as a result of which, in the opinion of either the Fund or the Intermediary Manager, the Prospectus would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in view of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the Fund will promptly notify the Intermediary Manager thereof (unless the information shall have been received from the Intermediary Manager) and will effect the preparation of an amended or supplemental Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission. The Fund will then promptly prepare such amended or supplemental Prospectus or Prospectuses as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
3. Obligations and Compensation of Intermediary Manager.
a. The Fund hereby appoints the Intermediary Manager as its agent and principal Intermediary Manager for the purpose of selling for cash to the public up to the maximum amount set forth in the Prospectus through Brokers, all of whom shall be members of FINRA. The Intermediary Manager hereby accepts such agency and Intermediary Managership and agrees to use its best efforts to sell the Shares on said terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus with respect to each Offering and any additional terms or conditions specified in this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time. The Intermediary Manager represents to the Fund that it is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) and is a member in good standing of FINRA and that it and its employees and representatives have all required licenses and registrations to act under this Agreement. With respect to the Intermediary Managers participation in the distribution of the Shares in the Offering, the Intermediary Manager agrees to comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and all other state or federal laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Offering and the sale of Shares, all applicable state securities or blue sky laws and regulations, and the rules of FINRA applicable to the Offering, from time to time in effect, including, without limitation,
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FINRA Rules 2040, 2111, 2310, 5110 and 5141. The Intermediary Manager agrees to prepare, with the Funds cooperation, the required filings under FINRA Rule 2310, and file the same with FINRA (the 2310 Filing).
b. Promptly after the initial Effective Date of the Registration Statement, the Intermediary Manager and the Brokers shall commence the offering of the Shares in the Offering for cash to the public in jurisdictions in which the Shares are registered or qualified for sale or in which such offering is otherwise permitted. The Intermediary Manager and the Brokers will immediately suspend or terminate offering of the Shares upon request of the Fund at any time and will resume offering the Shares upon subsequent request of the Fund.
c. As provided in the Plan of Distribution section of the Prospectus, which may be amended and restated from time to time, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 3.d. below, the Fund will pay to the Intermediary Manager a Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee as set forth in the Prospectus with respect to certain classes of Shares (Distribution Shares); provided that the Fund may retain all or any portion of such amounts to satisfy payment obligations in respect of stockholder servicing or distribution arrangements with other parties, including with Brokers or Servicing Brokers, pursuant to Section 3.h. below in which the Fund or a service provider of the Fund may direct such payments to such parties on as paying agent for the Intermediary Manager. The Fund will pay the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee to the Intermediary Manager monthly in arrears.
d. The Intermediary Manager shall prepare reports for the Funds Directors regarding its activities under this Agreement as from time to time shall be reasonably requested by the Directors, including reports required by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act regarding the use of Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee payments received by the Intermediary Manager.
e. The Intermediary Manager shall not be entitled to compensation for services provided under this Agreement. The Intermediary Manager may receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses from the Funds investment adviser or its affiliates related to its services hereunder or for additional services as may be agreed upon by the Intermediary Manager and the Funds investment adviser or its affiliates.
f. The Intermediary Manager may reallow all or a portion of the front-end sales charge and/or Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee to any Brokers who sold Distribution Shares to the extent the Selected Intermediary Agreement with such Broker provides for such a reallowance and such Broker is in compliance with the terms of such Selected Intermediary Agreement related to such reallowance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the terms of the Prospectus, at such time as the Broker who sold the Shares is no longer the intermediary of record with respect to such Shares or the Broker no longer satisfies any or all of the conditions in its Selected Intermediary Agreement for the receipt of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees with respect to such Shares, then Brokers entitlement to the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees related to such Shares, as applicable, shall cease in, and Broker shall
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not receive the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee for, that month or any portion thereof (i.e., Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees are payable with respect to an entire month without any proration). Intermediary transfers will be made effective as of the start of the first business day of a month.
Thereafter, such Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee may be reallowed to the then-current intermediary of record of such Shares, as applicable, if any such intermediary of record has been designated (the Servicing Broker), to the extent such Servicing Broker has entered into a Selected Intermediary Agreement or similar agreement with the Intermediary Manager (Servicing Agreement), such Selected Intermediary Agreement or Servicing Agreement with the Servicing Broker provides for such reallowance and the Servicing Broker is in compliance with the terms of such agreement related to such reallowance. In this regard, all determinations will be made by the Intermediary Manager in good faith in its sole discretion. The Intermediary Manager may also reallow some or all of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee to other intermediaries who provide services with respect to the Shares (who shall be considered additional Servicing Brokers) pursuant to a Servicing Agreement with the Intermediary Manager to the extent such Servicing Agreement provides for such reallowance and such additional Servicing Broker is in compliance with the terms of such agreement related to such reallowance, in accordance with the terms of such Servicing Agreement.
g. Unless otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, at the end of the month in which the Intermediary Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees paid with respect to any single Share held in a stockholders account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such Share (or a lower limit as determined by the Intermediary Manager or the applicable Broker), the Intermediary Manager shall cease receiving the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee on either (i) each such Share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Shares in such stockholders account, in the Funds discretion. At the end of such month, the applicable Distribution Shares in such stockholders account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV. In addition, the Intermediary Manager will cease receiving the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee on Class S shares and Class D shares in connection with an Offering (i.e., pursuant to the Registration Statement for such Offering) upon the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) the merger or consolidation of the Fund with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Funds assets, or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of such Offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with such Offering, including selling commissions, the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to ten percent (10%) of the gross proceeds from Primary Shares sold in such Offering, as determined in good faith by the Intermediary Manager in its sole discretion. For purposes of this Agreement, the portion of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee accruing with respect to Distribution Shares of the Funds Shares issued (publicly or privately) by the Fund during the term of
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a particular Offering, and not issued pursuant to a prior Offering, shall be underwriting compensation with respect to such particular Offering and not with respect to any other Offering.
h. The terms of any reallowance of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee shall be set forth in the Selected Intermediary Agreement or Servicing Agreement entered into with the Brokers or Servicing Brokers, as applicable. The Fund will not be liable or responsible to any Broker or Servicing Broker for any reallowance of Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee to such Broker or Servicing Broker, it being the sole and exclusive responsibility of the Intermediary Manager for payment of Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee to Brokers and Servicing Brokers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the discretion of the Fund, the Fund or a service provider of the Fund may act as agent of the Intermediary Manager by making direct payment of Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees to Brokers on behalf of the Intermediary Manager without incurring any liability. Further, the Fund is not responsible for any transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, charged by Brokers.
i. In addition to the other items of underwriting compensation set forth in this Section 3, the Fund (to the extent permitted by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act) and/or Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC (the Adviser) or its affiliates (collectively, Crescent) shall reimburse the Intermediary Manager for all items of underwriting compensation referenced in the Prospectus, to the extent the Prospectus indicates that they will be paid by the Fund or Crescent, as applicable, and to the extent permitted pursuant to prevailing rules and regulations of FINRA. The Fund shall reimburse the Intermediary Manager for filing fees paid in connection with the 2310 Filing.
j. In addition to reimbursement as provided under Section 3.h, and subject to prevailing rules and regulations of FINRA, the Fund (to the extent permitted by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act) and/or Crescent shall also pay directly or reimburse the Intermediary Manager for reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses incurred by any Broker. The Intermediary Manager shall obtain from any Broker and provide to the Fund a detailed and itemized invoice for any such due diligence expenses. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, no payments or reimbursements made by the Fund and/or Crescent with respect to a particular Offering hereunder shall cause total organization and offering expenses, defined under Omnibus Guidelines (as defined in Section 4.b. below) and FINRA rules, to exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of gross proceeds from such Offering.
k. The Intermediary Manager represents that it will comply fully with all applicable currency reporting, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption and anti-terrorist laws and regulations, and any other applicable laws, rules, regulations and interpretations of any other applicable regulatory or self-regulatory body.
l.
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(i) The Intermediary Manager has in place internal controls, policies, and procedures (AML Program) that are reasonably designed to detect, identify, and report illegal activity, including money laundering and further represents that it has implemented, complies with and will comply with anti-money laundering policies and procedures that satisfy and will continue to satisfy the requirements of applicable anti-money laundering and know your customer laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the U.S. International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act, as each may be amended from time to time.
(ii) The Intermediary Managers AML Program, at a minimum; (1) designates a compliance office to administer and oversee the AML Program; (2) provides ongoing employee training; (3) includes an independent audit function to test the effectiveness of the Program; (4) establishes internal policies, procedures, and controls that are tailored to its particular business; (5) includes risk based procedures for conducting ongoing customer due diligence (CDD), which should include, but not be limited to, procedures to: (x) identify and verify the identity of customers, (y) understand the nature and purpose of customer relationships to be able to develop a risk profile and (z) conduct ongoing monitoring to identify and report suspicious transactions as well as maintain and update customer information, including beneficial ownership information for legal entity customers; (6) provides for the filing of all necessary anti-money laundering reports including, but not limited to, suspicious activity reports and (7) provides for screening Clients against the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) list and any other government list that is or becomes required under the USA Patriot Act of 2001 (the USA Patriot Act). The Intermediary Manager acknowledges and agrees that it is responsible for monitoring and complying with anti-money laundering and CDD requirements applicable to all stockholders.
m. The Intermediary Manager represents and warrants to the Fund and each person and firm that signs the Registration Statement that the information under the caption Plan of Distribution in the Prospectus and all other information furnished to the Fund by the Intermediary Manager in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
n. The Intermediary Manager and all Brokers will offer and sell the Shares at the public offering prices per share, as determined in accordance with the Prospectus.
o. The Intermediary Manager has conducted a review of its supervisory controls system and has made available to the Fund the most current summary report of such review and any updates thereto. Every time the Intermediary Manager conducts a review of its supervisory control system, it will make available to the Fund for inspection
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a summary report of such review and any updates thereto. The Intermediary Manager agrees to update the Chief Compliance Officers of the Adviser and the Fund via written communication on a quarterly basis regarding any compliance issues that have occurred since the prior quarter. The Intermediary Manager shall immediately notify the Fund of any material violations of its supervisory control system, any changes in how it conducts its business that would materially change the results of its most recent review of its supervisory controls system and any other changes to the Intermediary Managers business that would affect the business of the Fund or the Funds Adviser.
p. The Intermediary Manager agrees, and will ensure through the Selected Intermediary Agreement, the Brokers agree, upon receipt of any and all checks, drafts, and money orders or other instruments of payment received from prospective purchasers of shares, to transmit same together with a copy of the executed Subscription Agreement or copy of the signature page of such agreement, stating among other things, the name of the purchaser, current address, and the amount of the investment to the Escrow Agent or Transfer Agent by (a) the end of the next business day following receipt where internal supervisory review is conducted at the same location at which subscription documents and checks are received, or (b) the end of the second business day following receipt where internal supervisory review is conducted at a different location than that which subscription documents and checks are received.
q. The Intermediary Manager shall maintain membership with the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and any other similar successor organization to sponsor a participant number for the Fund in order to enable the Shares to be traded through the Alternative Investment Product (AIP) services of the Depositary Trust & Clearing Corporation. The Intermediary Manager will not be responsible for any operational matters associated with the settlement of Fund transactions through AIP.
4. Standard of Care and Indemnification.
a. The Intermediary Manager shall be obligated to act in good faith and to exercise reasonable care and diligence in the performance of its duties under this Agreement.
b. To the extent permitted by the Funds charter, Section 17(h) and Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act, the provisions of Article II.G of the North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy adopted on March 29, 1992 and as amended on May 7, 2007 and from time to time (the Omnibus Guidelines), and subject to the limitations below, the Fund will indemnify and hold harmless the Brokers and the Intermediary Manager, their officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls such Broker or Intermediary Manager within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (the Indemnified Persons) from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (Losses), joint or several, to which such Indemnified Persons may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (a) any untrue statement of a material fact contained (i) in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or
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(ii) in any blue sky application or other document executed by the Fund or on its behalf specifically for the purpose of qualifying any or all of the Shares for sale under the securities laws of any jurisdiction or based upon written information furnished by the Fund under the securities laws thereof (any such application, document or information being hereinafter called a Blue Sky Application) or (iii) in any Authorized Sales Materials, or (b) the omission to state in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or in any Blue Sky Application or Authorized Sales Materials a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Fund will reimburse the Intermediary Manager and each Indemnified Person of the Intermediary Manager for any reasonable legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Intermediary Manager or such Indemnified Person in connection with investigating or defending such Loss.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.b., the Fund may not indemnify or hold harmless the Intermediary Manager, any Broker or any of their affiliates in any manner that would be inconsistent with the provisions to Article II.G of the Omnibus Guidelines. In particular, but without limitation, the Fund may not indemnify or hold harmless the Intermediary Manager, any Broker or any of their affiliates for liabilities arising from or out of a violation of state or federal securities laws, unless one or more of the following conditions are met:
(i) There has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations;
(ii) Such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction; or
(iii) A court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which the securities were offered as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.
Further notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.b., the Fund will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such Loss or expense arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished (x) to the Fund by the Intermediary Manager or (y) to the Fund or the Intermediary Manager by or on behalf of any Broker specifically for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any post-effective amendment or supplement, any Blue Sky Application or any Authorized Sales Materials, and, further, the Fund will not be liable for the portion of any Loss in any such case if it is determined that such Broker or the Intermediary Manager was at fault in connection with such portion of the Loss, expense or action.
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c. The Intermediary Manager will indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, its officers and directors (including any person named in the Registration Statement, with his consent, as about to become a director), each other person who has signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (the Fund Indemnified Persons), from and against any Losses to which any of the Fund Indemnified Persons may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (a) any untrue statement of a material fact contained (i) in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or (ii) in any Blue Sky Application or (iii) in any Authorized Sales Materials; or (b) the omission to state in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or in any Blue Sky Application or Authorized Sales Materials a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, provided that clauses (a) and (b) apply, to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the Intermediary Manager specifically for use with reference to the Intermediary Manager in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or in preparation of any Blue Sky Application or Authorized Sales Materials; or (c) any use of sales literature not authorized or approved by the Fund or any use of broker-dealer use only materials with members of the public by the Intermediary Manager in the offer and sale of the Shares or any use of sales literature in a particular jurisdiction if such material bears a legend denoting that it is not to be used in connection with the sale of Shares to members of the public in such jurisdiction; or (d) any untrue statement made by the Intermediary Manager or its representatives or agents or omission to state a fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares; or (e) any material violation of this Agreement; or (f) any failure to comply with applicable laws governing privacy issues, money laundering abatement and anti-terrorist financing efforts, including applicable rules of the SEC, FINRA and the USA Patriot Act; or (g) any other failure to comply with applicable rules of FINRA or federal or state securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; provided further that the Intermediary Managers obligation to indemnify the Fund shall be limited to the extent of any fees earned and retained by the Intermediary Manager (excluding any fees re-allowed to Brokers) pursuant to this Agreement. The Intermediary Manager will reimburse the aforesaid parties for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending such Loss, expense or action. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Intermediary Manager may otherwise have.
d. Each Broker severally will indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, the Intermediary Manager, each of their officers, trustees and directors (including any person named in the Registration Statement, with his consent, as about to become a director), each other person who has signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the Intermediary Manager within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (the Broker Indemnified Persons) from and against any Losses to
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which a Broker Indemnified Person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (a) any untrue statement of a material fact contained (i) in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or (ii) in any Blue Sky Application or (iii) in any Authorized Sales Materials; or (b) the omission to state in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any post-effective amendment or supplement to either or in any Blue Sky Application or Authorized Sales Materials a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, provided that clauses (a) and (b) apply, to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund or the Intermediary Manager by or on behalf of the Broker specifically for use with reference to the Broker in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any post-effective amendment or supplement either or in preparation of any Blue Sky Application or Authorized Sales Materials; or (c) any use of sales literature not authorized or approved by the Fund or any use of broker-dealer use only materials with members of the public by the Broker in the offer and sale of the Shares or any use of sales literature in a particular jurisdiction if such material bears a legend denoting that it is not to be used in connection with the sale of Shares to members of the public in such jurisdiction; or (d) any untrue statement made by the Broker or its representatives or agents or omission to state a fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares; or (e) any material violation of this Agreement or the Selected Intermediary Agreement entered into between the Intermediary Manager and the Broker; or (f) any failure or alleged failure to comply with all applicable laws, including, without limitation, laws governing privacy issues, money laundering abatement and anti-terrorist financing efforts, including applicable rules of the SEC, FINRA and the USA Patriot Act; or (g) any other failure or alleged failure to comply with applicable rules of FINRA or federal or state securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Each such Broker will reimburse each Broker Indemnified Person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Loss, expense or action. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that such Broker may otherwise have.
e. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 4 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 4, notify in writing the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof. The failure of an indemnified party to so notify the indemnifying party will relieve the indemnifying party from any liability under this Section 4 as to the particular item for which indemnification is then being sought, but not from any other liability that it may have to any indemnified party. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled, to the extent it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to participate in the defense thereof, with separate counsel. Such participation shall not relieve such indemnifying party of the obligation to reimburse the indemnified party for reasonable legal and other expenses (subject to Section 4.f.) incurred by such
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indemnified party in defending itself, except for such expenses incurred after the indemnifying party has deposited funds sufficient to effect the settlement, with prejudice, of the claim in respect of which indemnity is sought. Any such indemnifying party shall not be liable to any such indemnified party on account of any settlement of any claim or action effected without the consent of such indemnifying party. Any indemnified party shall not be bound to perform or refrain from performing any act pursuant to the terms of any settlement of any claim or action effected without the consent of such indemnified party.
f. The indemnifying party shall pay all legal fees and expenses of the indemnified party in the defense of such claims or actions; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be obliged to pay legal expenses and fees to more than one law firm in connection with the defense of similar claims arising out of the same alleged acts or omissions giving rise to such claims notwithstanding that such actions or claims are alleged or brought by one or more parties against more than one indemnified party. If such claims or actions are alleged or brought against more than one indemnified party, then the indemnifying party shall only be obliged to reimburse the expenses and fees of the one law firm that has been selected by a majority of the indemnified parties against which such action is finally brought; and in the event a majority of such indemnified parties are unable to agree on which law firm for which expenses or fees will be reimbursable by the indemnifying party, then payment shall be made to the first law firm of record representing an indemnified party against the action or claim. Such law firm shall be paid only to the extent of services performed by such law firm and no reimbursement shall be payable to such law firm on account of legal services performed by another law firm.
g. The indemnity agreements contained in this Section 4 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (a) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Broker, or any person controlling any Broker or by or on behalf of the Fund, the Intermediary Manager or any officer, trustee or director thereof, or by or on behalf of any person controlling the Fund or the Intermediary Manager, (b) delivery of any Shares and payment therefor, and (c) any termination of this Agreement. A successor of any Broker or of any of the parties to this Agreement, as the case may be, shall be entitled to the benefits, and subject to the obligations of, the indemnity agreements contained in this Section 4.
5. Survival of Provisions.
a. The respective agreements, representations and warranties of the Fund and the Intermediary Manager set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (a) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Intermediary Manager or any Broker or any person controlling the Intermediary Manager or any Broker or by or on behalf of the Fund or any person controlling the Fund, and (b) the acceptance of any payment for the Shares.
b. The respective agreements of the Fund and the Intermediary Manager set forth in Sections 3.c. through 3.h. and Sections 4 through 14 of this Agreement shall
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remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any termination of this Agreement.
6. Applicable Law. This Agreements validity, interpretation and construction shall be governed by, the laws of the State of New York; provided however, that causes of action for violations of federal or state securities laws shall not be governed by this Section. Venue for any action brought hereunder shall lie exclusively in New York, New York.
7. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts. Each counterpart, when executed and delivered, shall be an original contract, but all counterparts, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same Agreement.
8. Successors and Amendment.
a. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Intermediary Manager and the Fund and their respective successors. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person any right, remedy or claim, except as otherwise specifically provided herein. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit and be binding upon Brokers to the extent set forth in Sections 1 and 4 hereof and the provisions of the applicable Selected Intermediary Agreement.
b. This Agreement may only be amended by the written agreement of the Intermediary Manager and the Fund.
9. Term and Termination.
a. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and shall remain in force until the second anniversary of its effective date and shall thereafter continue in effect from year to year, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board of Directors of the Fund, including the vote of a majority of the directors who are not interested persons, as defined by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, of the Fund, cast in person at a meeting (or as otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulatory relief) called for the purpose of voting on such approval, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act).
b. The Fund may terminate this Agreement at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Funds directors who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, on at least 60 days written notice to the Intermediary Manager. The Intermediary Manager may terminate this Agreement at any time, without the payment of penalty, on at least 120 days written notice to the Fund. Either party may terminate this Agreement immediately upon notice to the other party in the event that such other party shall have failed to comply with any material provision hereof. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
c. Upon expiration or termination of this Agreement, the Intermediary Manager shall promptly deliver to the Fund all records and documents in its possession
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that relate to the Offering other than as required by law to be retained by the Intermediary Manager. The Intermediary Manager shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Fund to accomplish an orderly transfer of management of the Offering to a party designated by the Fund.
10. Confirmation. The Fund hereby agrees and assumes the duty to confirm on its behalf and on behalf of Brokers who sell the Shares all orders for purchase of Shares accepted by the Fund. Such confirmations will comply with the rules of the SEC and FINRA, and will comply with applicable laws of such other jurisdictions to the extent the Fund is advised of such laws in writing by the Intermediary Manager.
11. Prospectus and Authorized Sales Materials. The Intermediary Manager agrees that it is not authorized or permitted to give and will not give, any information or make any representation concerning the Shares except as set forth in the Prospectus and any Authorized Sales Materials. The Intermediary Manager further agrees (a) not to deliver any Authorized Sales Materials to any investor or prospective investor, to any intermediary that has not entered into a Selected Intermediary Agreement or Servicing Agreement, or to any representatives or other associated persons of such an intermediary, unless it is accompanied or preceded by the Prospectus as amended and supplemented, (b) not to show or give to any investor or prospective investor or reproduce any material or writing that is supplied to it by the Fund and marked broker only, dealer only or otherwise bearing a legend denoting that it is not to be used in connection with the sale of Shares to members of the public and (c) not to show or give to any investor or prospective investor in a particular jurisdiction (and will similarly require Brokers pursuant to the Selected Intermediary Agreement) any material or writing that is supplied to it by the Fund if such material bears a legend denoting that it is not to be used in connection with the sale of Shares to members of the public in such jurisdiction. Intermediary Manager, in its agreements with Brokers, will include requirements and obligations of the Brokers similar to those imposed upon the Intermediary Manager pursuant to this section.
12. Suitability of Investors. The Intermediary Manager, in its agreements with Brokers, will require that the Brokers offer Shares only to persons who meet the financial qualifications set forth in the Prospectus or in any suitability letter or memorandum sent to it by the Fund and will only make offers to persons in the jurisdictions in which it is advised in writing that the Shares are qualified for sale or that such qualification is not required. In offering Shares, the Intermediary Manager, in its agreements with Brokers, will require that the Broker comply with the provisions of all applicable rules and regulations relating to suitability of investors, including, without limitation, the provisions of Exchange Act Rule 15l-1 (Regulation Best Interest) and Article III of the Omnibus Guidelines and applicable laws of the jurisdiction of which such investor is a resident. The Intermediary Manager, in its agreements with Brokers, will require that the Brokers shall sell Shares only to those persons who are eligible to purchase such shares as described in the Prospectus and only through those Brokers who are authorized to sell such shares. The Intermediary Manager, in its agreements with the Brokers, shall require the Brokers to maintain, for at least six years, a record of the information obtained to determine that an investor meets the financial qualification and suitability standards imposed on the offer and sale of the Shares.
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13. Submission of Orders. The Intermediary Manager will require in its agreements with each Broker that each Broker comply with the submission of orders procedures set forth in the form of Selected Intermediary Agreement attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement. To the extent the Intermediary Manager is involved in the distribution process other than through a Broker, the Intermediary Manager will comply with such submission of orders procedures, and will require each person desiring to purchase Shares in the Offering to complete and execute a subscription agreement in the form filed as an appendix to the Prospectus (a Subscription Agreement) in the form provided by the Fund to the Intermediary Manager for use in connection with the Offering and to deliver to the Intermediary Manager or as otherwise directed by the Intermediary Manager such completed and executed Subscription Agreement together with a check or wire transfer (instrument of payment) in the amount of such persons purchase, which must be at least the minimum purchase amount set forth in the Prospectus. Subscription Agreements and instruments of payment will be transmitted by the Intermediary Manager to the escrow agent described in the Prospectus and Subscription Agreement for any Offering in which there is a minimum offering contingency described in the Prospectus (Minimum Offering) that has not yet been satisfied or, after any such Minimum Offering is satisfied or if no such Minimum Offering is applicable to an Offering, to the Fund, as soon as practicable, but in any event by the end of the second business day following receipt by the Intermediary Manager. If the Intermediary Manager receives a Subscription Agreement or instrument of payment not conforming to the instructions set forth in the form of Selected Intermediary Agreement, the Intermediary Manager shall return such Subscription Agreement and instrument of payment directly to such subscriber not later than the end of the next business day following its receipt. Instruments of payment of rejected subscribers will be promptly returned to such subscribers.
14. Notice. Notices and other writings contemplated by this Agreement shall be delivered via (i) hand, (ii) first class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, (iii) a nationally recognized overnight courier or (iv) electronic mail. All such notices shall be addressed, as follows:
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth our understanding, please indicate your acceptance thereof in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement between us as of the date first above written.
Very truly yours, | ||
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |
Name: Eric Hall | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written: | ||
EMERSON EQUITY LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Robert Jones | |
Name: Robert Jones | ||
Title: Executive Vice President |
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EXHIBIT A
SELECTED INTERMEDIARY AGREEMENT
Exhibit (h)(2)
EXHIBIT A
SELECTED INTERMEDIARY AGREEMENT
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Emerson Equity LLC, as the intermediary manager (Intermediary Manager) for Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Fund), a Maryland corporation, invites you (the Broker) to participate in the continuous distribution of shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Fund (Common Shares) subject to the following terms:
I. Intermediary Manager Agreement
The Intermediary Manager has entered into an Intermediary Manager Agreement (the Intermediary Manager Agreement) with the Fund dated July 17, 2023, attached hereto as Exhibit A. Except as otherwise specifically stated herein, all terms used in this Agreement have the meanings provided in the Intermediary Manager Agreement.
As described in the Intermediary Manager Agreement, the Fund has filed one or more registration statements with the SEC (each, a Registration Statement) to register an ongoing offering (each, an Offering) of Common Shares, which may consist of various classes of shares of common stock (the Shares).
In this Agreement, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the Registration Statement means, at any given time, the current effective registration statement, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time. In this Agreement, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the Offering means, at any given time, an offering covered by a Registration Statement and Shares means the Shares being offered in an Offering. In this Agreement, unless explicitly stated otherwise, any references to the Registration Statement, the Offering, the Shares or the Prospectus with respect to each other shall mean only those that are all related to the same Registration Statement.
By your acceptance of this Agreement, you will become one of the Brokers referred to in the Intermediary Manager Agreement between the Fund and the Intermediary Manager and will be entitled and subject to the indemnification provisions contained in the Intermediary Manager Agreement, including the provisions of Section 4 of the Intermediary Manager Agreement wherein the Brokers severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, the Intermediary Manager and each officer and director thereof, and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the Intermediary Manager within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). Broker acknowledges that the Intermediary Managers liability for the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee is limited solely to the proceeds of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee receivable from the Fund, and Broker hereby waives any and all rights to receive any reallowance of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee due until such time as the Intermediary Manager is in receipt of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee from the Fund.
The Broker hereby agrees to use its best efforts to sell the Shares for cash on the terms and conditions stated in the Prospectus. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed or construed
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to make the Broker an employee, agent, representative or partner of the Intermediary Manager or of the Fund, and the Broker is not authorized to act for the Intermediary Manager or the Fund or to make any representations on their behalf except as set forth in the Prospectus and in the Authorized Sales Materials.
II. Submission of Orders
Each person desiring to purchase Shares in the Offering will be required to complete and execute a Subscription Agreement and to deliver to the Broker such completed and executed Subscription Agreement together with a check or wire transfer (instrument of payment) in the amount of such persons purchase, which must be at least the minimum purchase amount set forth in the Prospectus. Those persons who purchase Shares will be instructed by the Broker to make their instruments of payment payable to or for the benefit of the escrow agent designated by the Fund during the escrow period and Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. following the escrow period. Purchase orders which include (i) instruments of payment received by the Fund at least five (5) business days prior to the first calendar day of the month and (ii) a completed and executed Subscription Agreement in good order received by the Fund at least five (5) business days prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived by the Intermediary Manager) will be executed as of the first calendar day of the month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month). Any tender offer requests must be made in accordance with the applicable procedures described in the Funds Registration Statement, the Funds Share Repurchase Program described in the Registration Statement (the Repurchase Plan), and applicable law, rules and regulations. The parties acknowledge and agree that a tender offer is not received in good order unless the tender offer and all required documentation is complete and received by the Funds transfer agent by the applicable tender offer deadline described in the Funds tender offer documents or otherwise specified by the Fund in writing.
Broker agrees, upon receipt of any and all checks, drafts, money orders or other instruments of payment from prospective purchasers of Shares, to transmit same, together with a copy of the executed Subscription Agreement or copy of the signature page of such agreement, which conforms to the foregoing instructions and stating among other things, the name of the purchaser, current address, and the amount of the investment, in accordance with the following procedures, unless otherwise agreed with the Intermediary Manager:
(i) | Where, pursuant to the Brokers internal supervisory procedures, internal supervisory review is conducted at the same location at which Subscription Agreements and instruments of payment are received from subscribers, Subscription Agreements and instruments of payment will be transmitted by the end of the next business day following receipt by the Broker for deposit to the Fund or its agent as set forth in the Subscription Agreement or as otherwise directed by the Fund. |
(ii) | Where, pursuant to the Brokers internal supervisory procedures, final internal supervisory review is conducted at a different location, Subscription Agreements and instruments of payment will be transmitted by the end of the next business day following receipt by the Broker to the office of the Broker conducting such |
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final internal supervisory review (the Final Review Office). The Final Review Office will in turn, by the end of the next business day following receipt by the Final Review Office, transmit such Subscription Agreements and instruments of payment for deposit to the Fund or its agent as set forth in the Subscription Agreement or as otherwise directed by the Fund. |
If the Broker receives a Subscription Agreement or instrument of payment not conforming to the foregoing instructions, the Broker shall return such Subscription Agreement and instrument of payment directly to such subscriber not later than the end of the next business day following its receipt.
III. Pricing
Except as otherwise provided in the Prospectus, which may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the Primary Shares shall generally be offered to the public at a purchase price payable in cash equal to the Funds then-current net asset value (NAV) per share applicable to the class of Shares being purchased, plus any applicable sales load (as calculated in accordance with the procedures described in the Prospectus). Broker may also charge transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in connection with the sale of Shares as described in Schedule I attached hereto. For stockholders who participate in the Funds distribution reinvestment plan (DRIP), the cash distributions attributable to the class of Shares that each stockholder owns will be automatically re-invested in additional Shares of the same class. The DRIP Shares will be issued and sold to stockholders of the Fund at a purchase price equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such Shares at the time the distribution is payable. Minimum purchase amounts for each class of Shares shall be as set forth in the Prospectus. The Shares are nonassessable.
IV. Brokers Compensation
Except as may be provided in the Plan of Distribution section of the Prospectus, which may be amended or supplemented from time to time, as compensation for completed sales and ongoing stockholder services rendered by Broker hereunder, Broker is entitled, on the terms and subject to the conditions herein, to the compensation set forth on Schedule I hereto.
V. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of Broker
In addition to the representations and warranties found elsewhere in this Agreement, Broker represents, warrants and agrees that:
(i) | It is duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the state, commonwealth or other jurisdiction in which Broker is organized. |
(ii) | It is empowered under applicable laws and by Brokers organizational documents to enter into this Agreement and perform all activities and services of the Broker provided for herein and that there are no impediments, prior or existing, or regulatory, self-regulatory, administrative, civil or criminal matters affecting Brokers ability to perform under this Agreement. |
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(iii) | The execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement; the incurrence of the obligations set forth herein; and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, including the issuance and sale of the Shares, will not constitute a breach of, or default under, any agreement or instrument by which Broker is bound, or to which any of its assets are subject, or any order, rule, or regulation applicable to it of any court, governmental body, or administrative agency having jurisdiction over it. |
(iv) | All requisite actions have been taken to authorize Broker to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
(v) | It shall notify Intermediary Manager, promptly in writing, of any written claim or complaint or any enforcement action or other proceeding with respect to Shares offered hereunder against Broker or its principals, affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents, or any person who controls Broker, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act. |
(vi) | Except for those jurisdictions listed on Schedule III hereto, Broker will not offer, sell or distribute Shares, or otherwise make any such Shares available, in any jurisdiction outside of the United States or United States territories unless the Broker receives prior written consent from Intermediary Manager. |
(vii) | Broker acknowledges that the Intermediary Manager will enter into similar agreements with other broker-dealers, which does not require the consent of Broker. |
(viii) | Broker represents that it is a broker-dealer registered with FINRA and (effective August 20, 2017) subject to FINRA Rule 2030 (Rule 2030). Broker represents that it has policies and procedures to ensure compliance with Rule 2030 and is currently in compliance with Rule 2030. Moreover, Broker represents that neither it nor any of its Covered Associates (i.e., any (i) general partner, managing member or executive officer of Broker, as well as any person with a similar status or function, (ii) any associated person of Broker who engages in distribution or solicitation activities with a government entity, (iii) any associated person of Broker who supervises, directly or indirectly, the government entity distribution or solicitation activities of a person in (ii) above, and (iv) any political action committee controlled by Broker or one of its Covered Associates) has made, directly or indirectly, any contributions that prohibit Broker from engaging in solicitation activities for compensation under Rule 2030 (a Triggering Contribution). Broker hereby agrees that neither it nor its Covered Associates will make a Triggering Contribution or violate Rule 2030 while engaged hereunder. If Broker breaches this provision and becomes aware of a Triggering Contribution or a violation of Rule 2030, it shall promptly provide written notice to the Intermediary Manager of the nature of the ban or violation. |
(ix) | Broker represents that Broker is acting solely as an agent for its customers with respect to their purchase or sale of Shares and is not acting for Brokers own |
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account. Any transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, charged by Broker in connection with its sale of Shares will be charged in a manner consistent with the Prospectus and applicable law and FINRA rules. |
VI. Right to Reject Orders or Cancel Sales
All orders, whether initial or additional, are subject to acceptance by and shall only become effective upon confirmation by the Fund, which reserves the right to reject any order for any reason or no reason including, without limitation, orders not accompanied by an executed Subscription Agreement in good order or without the required instrument of payment in full payment for the Shares. Issuance and delivery of the Shares will be made only after actual receipt of payment therefor. If any check is not paid upon presentment, or if the Fund is not in actual receipt of clearinghouse funds or cash, certified or cashiers check or the equivalent in payment for the Shares, the Fund reserves the right to cancel the sale without notice.
VII. Prospectus and Authorized Sales Materials; Compliance with Laws
Broker is not authorized or permitted to give and will not give, any information or make any representation concerning the Shares except as set forth in the Prospectus and any Authorized Sales Materials. The Intermediary Manager will supply Broker with a link to the Funds publicly accessible website where the Broker may obtain the Prospectus, any supplements thereto and any amended Prospectus, as well as any Authorized Sales Materials, for delivery to investors. Broker agrees that it shall have delivered (i) to each investor to whom an offer to sell the Shares is made, as of the time of such offer, a copy of the Prospectus and all supplements thereto and any amended Prospectus that have then been made available to the Broker by the Intermediary Manager and (ii) to each investor that subscribes for an order to purchase Shares, as of the time the Fund accepts such investors order to purchase the Shares within the timeframes described in the Prospectus, a copy of the Prospectus and all supplements thereto and any amended Prospectus that have then been made available to the Broker by the Intermediary Manager. The Broker agrees that it will not send or give any supplement to the Prospectus or any Authorized Sales Materials to an investor unless it has previously sent or given a Prospectus and all previous supplements thereto and any amended Prospectus to that investor or has simultaneously sent or given a Prospectus and all previous supplements thereto and any amended Prospectus with such supplement to the Prospectus or Authorized Sales Materials. The Broker agrees that it will not show or give to any investor or prospective investor or reproduce any material or writing which is supplied to it by the Intermediary Manager and marked broker only, dealer only or otherwise bearing a legend denoting that it is not to be used in connection with the sale of Shares to members of the public. The Broker agrees that it will not show or give to any investor or prospective investor in a particular jurisdiction any material or writing that is supplied to it by the Intermediary Manager if such material bears a legend denoting that it is not to be used in connection with the sale of Shares to members of the public in such jurisdiction. Broker agrees that it will not use in connection with the offer or sale of Shares any material or writing which relates to another company supplied to it by the Fund or the Intermediary Manager bearing a legend which states that such material may not be used in connection with the offer or sale of any securities other than the company to which it relates. The Broker further agrees that it will not use in connection with the offer or sale of Shares any materials or writings which have
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not been previously approved by the Intermediary Manager or the Fund in writing. The Broker agrees, if the Intermediary Manager so requests, to furnish a copy of any final Prospectuses required for compliance with the provisions of Rule 15c2-8 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Regardless of the termination of this Agreement, the Broker will deliver a Prospectus in transactions in the Shares for a period of ninety (90) days from the effective date of the Registration Statement or such longer period as may be required by the Exchange Act.
On becoming a Broker, and in offering and selling Shares, the Broker agrees to comply with all the applicable requirements imposed upon it under (a) the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated under both such acts, (b) all applicable state securities laws and regulations as from time to time in effect, (c) any other state, federal, foreign and other laws and regulations applicable to the Offering, the sale of Shares or the activities of the Broker pursuant to this Agreement, including without limitation the privacy standards and requirements of state and federal laws, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, as amended (GLBA), and the laws governing money laundering abatement and anti-terrorist financing efforts, including the applicable rules of the SEC and FINRA, the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended, the USA Patriot Act, and regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Control at the Department of the Treasury, and (d) this Agreement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented. Notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement or the payment of any amount to the Broker, the Broker agrees to pay the Brokers proportionate share of any claim, demand or liability asserted against the Broker and the other Brokers on the basis that such Brokers or any of them constitute an association, unincorporated business or other separate entity, including in each case such Brokers proportionate share of any expenses incurred in defending against any such claim, demand or liability.
Broker and the Intermediary Manager further agree to the following terms:
(i) | Broker agrees that it (1) will maintain written policies and procedures covering the delivery of electronic offering documents and the use of electronic signatures, (2) will comply with all applicable SEC rules and guidelines pertaining to electronic delivery of the Prospectus and Authorized Sales Materials and electronic signature of the Subscription Agreement, (3) will comply with all of the applicable requirements set forth in the NASAA Statement of Policy Regarding Use of Electronic Offering Documents and Electronic Signatures (the Statement of Policy), (4) will comply with such requirements in every U.S. jurisdiction irrespective of whether the jurisdiction has adopted the Statement of Policy, (5) acknowledges that it is acting as an agent of the Fund only with respect to the delivery of the Prospectus and Authorized Sales Materials electronically, the administration of the subscription process and the obtainment of electronic signatures and only to the extent its actions are in compliance with the Statement of Policy and the Intermediary Agreement and (6) will also comply, as applicable, with The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act and the Uniform Electronic Transaction Act and any other applicable law. |
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(ii) | In consideration of the foregoing, the Intermediary Manager hereby agrees that it will not reject a subscription on account of an electronic signature if such signature was obtained in the manner set forth in this Section VII. |
VIII. License and Association Membership
The Brokers acceptance of this Agreement constitutes a representation to the Fund and the Intermediary Manager that the Broker is a properly registered or licensed broker-dealer, duly authorized to sell Shares under federal and state securities laws and regulations, and foreign laws (including the laws of the jurisdictions listed on Schedule III), if applicable, and in all states or jurisdictions where it offers or sells Shares, and that it is a member in good standing of FINRA. This Agreement shall automatically terminate if the Broker ceases to be a member in good standing of FINRA. The Broker agrees to notify the Intermediary Manager immediately if the Broker ceases to be a member in good standing of FINRA. The Broker also hereby agrees to abide by the Rules of FINRA, including FINRA Rules 2040, 2111, 2121, 2310, 5110 and 5141.
IX. Limitation of Offer; Suitability
The Broker will offer Shares (both at the time of an initial subscription and at the time of any additional subscription, including initial enrollments and increased participations in the DRIP) only to persons who meet the financial qualifications and suitability standards set forth in the Prospectus or in any suitability letter or memorandum sent to it by the Fund or the Intermediary Manager and will only make offers to persons in the jurisdictions in which it is advised in writing by the Intermediary Manager that the Shares are qualified for sale or that such qualification is not required and in which the Broker has all required licenses and registrations to offer Shares in such jurisdictions (including the jurisdictions listed on Schedule III). In offering Shares, the Broker will comply with the provisions of the Rules set forth in the FINRA Manual, Exchange Act Rule 15l-1 (Regulation Best Interest), as well as all other applicable rules and regulations relating to suitability of investors, including without limitation, the provisions of Article III.C and Article III.E of the Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy of the North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. (the NASAA Guidelines) adopted on March 29, 1992 and as amended on May 7, 2007. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to relieve the Broker of its suitability obligations under Regulation Best Interest, FINRA Rule 2111 or FINRA Rule 2310.
The Broker further represents, warrants and covenants that neither Broker, nor any person associated with the Broker, shall offer or sell Shares in any jurisdiction except to investors who satisfy the investor suitability standards and minimum investment requirements under the most restrictive of the following: (a) applicable provisions described in the Prospectus, including minimum income and net worth standards; (b) applicable laws of the jurisdiction of which such investor is a resident; (c) applicable provisions of Regulation Best Interest; or (d) applicable FINRA rules. The Broker agrees to ensure that, in recommending the purchase, sale or exchange of Shares to an investor, the Broker, or a person associated with the Broker, shall have reasonable grounds to believe, on the basis of information obtained from the investor (and thereafter maintained in the manner and for the period required by the SEC, any state securities commission, FINRA or the Fund) concerning his or her age, investment objectives, other investments, financial situation and needs and any other information known to the Broker, or
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person associated with the Broker, that (i) the investor can reasonably benefit from an investment in the Shares based on the investors overall investment objectives and portfolio structure, (ii) the investor is able to bear the economic risk of the investment based on the investors overall financial situation and (iii) the investor has an apparent understanding of (A) the fundamental risks of the investment, (B) the risk that the investor may lose his or her entire investment in the Shares, (C) the lack of liquidity of the Shares, (D) the restrictions on transferability of the Shares, (E) the background and qualifications of Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC (the Advisor) or the persons responsible for directing and managing the Fund and (F) the tax consequences of an investment in the Shares. In the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, the suitability standards must be met by the person who directly or indirectly supplied the funds for the purchase of the Shares or by the beneficiary of such fiduciary account. The Broker further represents, warrants and covenants that the Broker, or a person associated with the Broker, will make every reasonable effort to determine the suitability and appropriateness of an investment in Shares of each proposed investor by reviewing documents and records disclosing the basis upon which the determination as to suitability was reached as to each purchaser of Shares pursuant to a subscription solicited by the Broker, whether such documents and records relate to accounts which have been closed, accounts which are currently maintained or accounts hereafter established.
The Broker will sell Class S Shares, Class D Shares and Class I Shares only to the extent approved by the Intermediary Manager as set forth on Schedule I to this Agreement, and to the extent approved to sell Class D Shares and Class I Shares pursuant to this Agreement, sell such Shares only to those persons who are eligible to purchase Class D Shares and Class I Shares as described in the Prospectus. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to impose upon the Fund or the Intermediary Manager the responsibility of assuring that prospective investors meet the suitability standards in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Prospectus. Broker shall not purchase any Shares for a discretionary account without obtaining the prior written approval of Brokers customer and such customers completed and executed Subscription Agreement. The Broker agrees to comply with the record-keeping requirements imposed by (a) federal and state securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, (b) the applicable rules of FINRA, and (c) the NASAA Guidelines, including the requirement to maintain records (the Suitability Records) of the information used to determine that an investment in Shares is suitable and appropriate for each subscriber for a period of six (6) years from the date of the sale of the Shares. The Broker further agrees to make the Suitability Records available to the Intermediary Manager and the Fund upon request and to make them available to representatives of the SEC and FINRA and applicable state securities administrators upon the Brokers receipt of a subpoena or other appropriate document request from such agency.
[Any relevant jurisdictional selling restrictions to be added as applicable.]
The Broker further represents that it understands that the Shares have not been registered and are not expected to be registered under the laws of any country or jurisdiction outside of the United States except as otherwise described in the Prospectus.
X. Disclosure Review; Confidentiality of Information
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The Broker agrees that it shall have reasonable grounds to believe, based on the information made available to it through the Prospectus or other materials, that all material facts are adequately and accurately disclosed in the Prospectus and provide a basis for evaluating the Shares. In making this determination, the Broker shall evaluate, at a minimum, items of compensation, physical properties, tax aspects, financial stability and experience of the sponsor, conflicts of interest and risk factors, and appraisals and other pertinent reports. If the Broker relies upon the results of any inquiry conducted by another member or members of FINRA, the Broker shall have reasonable grounds to believe that such inquiry was conducted with due care, that the member or members conducting or directing the inquiry consented to the disclosure of the results of the inquiry and that the person who participated in or conducted the inquiry is not the Intermediary Manager or a sponsor or an affiliate of the sponsor of the Fund.
It is anticipated that (i) the Broker and Brokers officers, directors, managers, employees, owners, members, partners, home office diligence personnel or other agents of the Broker that are conducting a due diligence inquiry on behalf of the Broker and (ii) persons or committees, as the case may be, responsible for determining whether the Broker will participate in the Offering ((i) and (ii) are collectively, the Diligence Representatives) either have previously or will in the future have access to certain Confidential Information (defined below) pertaining to the Fund, the Intermediary Manager, the Advisor, or their respective affiliates. For purposes hereof, Confidential Information shall mean and include: (i) trade secrets concerning the business and affairs of the Fund, the Intermediary Manager, the Advisor, or their respective affiliates; (ii) confidential data, know-how, current and planned research and development, current and planned methods and processes, marketing lists or strategies, slide presentations, business plans, however documented, belonging to the Fund, the Intermediary Manager, the Advisor, or their respective affiliates; (iii) information concerning the business and affairs of the Fund, the Intermediary Manager, the Advisor, or their respective affiliates (including, without limitation, historical financial statements, financial projections and budgets, investment-related information, models, budgets, plans, and market studies, however documented; (iv) any information marked or designated ConfidentialFor Due Diligence Purposes Only; and (v) any notes, analysis, compilations, studies, summaries and other material containing or based, in whole or in part, on any information included in the foregoing. The Broker agrees to keep, and to cause its Diligence Representatives to keep, all such Confidential Information strictly confidential and to not use, distribute or copy the same except in connection with the Brokers due diligence inquiry. The Broker agrees to not disclose, and to cause its Diligence Representatives not to disclose, such Confidential Information to the public, or to the Brokers sales staff, financial advisors, or any person involved in selling efforts related to the Offering or to any other third party and agrees not to use the Confidential Information in any manner in the offer and sale of the Shares. The Broker further agrees to use all reasonable precautions necessary to preserve the confidentiality of such Confidential Information, including, but not limited to (a) limiting access to such information to persons who have a need to know such information only for the purpose of the Brokers due diligence inquiry and (b) informing each recipient of such Confidential Information of the Brokers confidentiality obligation. The Broker acknowledges that Broker or its Diligence Representatives may previously have received Confidential Information in connection with preliminary due diligence on the Fund, and agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall apply to any such previously received Confidential Information. The Broker acknowledges that Broker or its Diligence Representatives may in the future receive Confidential Information either in individual or collective meetings or telephone calls with the Fund, and agrees that the foregoing
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restrictions shall apply to any Confidential Information received in the future through any source or medium. The Broker acknowledges the restrictions and limitations of Regulation F-D promulgated by the SEC and agrees that the foregoing restrictions are necessary and appropriate in order for the Fund to comply therewith.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information may be disclosed (a) if approved in writing for disclosure by the Fund or the Intermediary Manager, (b) pursuant to a subpoena or as required by law, or (c) as required by regulation, rule, order or request of any governing or self-regulatory organization (including the SEC or FINRA), provided that the Broker shall notify the Intermediary Manager in advance if practicable under the circumstances of any attempt to obtain Confidential Information pursuant to provisions (b) and (c).
XI. Brokers Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Rules and Regulations
The Broker hereby represents that it has complied and will comply with Section 326 of the USA Patriot Act and the implementing rules and regulations promulgated thereunder in connection with broker/Brokers anti-money laundering obligations. The Broker hereby represents that it has adopted and implemented, and will maintain a written anti-money laundering compliance program (AML Program) including, without limitation, anti-money laundering policies and procedures relating to customer due diligence in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including federal and state securities laws, applicable rules of FINRA, and the USA Patriot Act and the implementing rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. In accordance with these applicable laws and regulations and its AML Program, Broker agrees to verify the identity of its new customers; to maintain customer records; and to check the names of new customers against government watch lists, including the Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. Additionally, Broker will monitor account activity to identify patterns of unusual size or volume, geographic factors and any other red flags described in the USA Patriot Act as potential signals of money laundering or terrorist financing. Broker will submit to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network any required suspicious activity reports about such activity and further will disclose such activity to applicable federal and state law enforcement when required by law. Upon request by the Intermediary Manager at any time, the Broker hereby agrees to furnish (a) a copy of its AML Program to the Intermediary Manager for review, and (b) a copy of the findings and any remedial actions taken in connection with the Brokers most recent independent testing of its AML Program. The Broker agrees to notify the Intermediary Manager immediately if the Broker is subject to a FINRA disclosure event or fine from FINRA related to its AML Program.
XII. Privacy
The Broker agrees as follows:
The Broker agrees to abide by and comply in all respects with (a) the privacy standards and requirements of the GLBA and applicable regulations promulgated thereunder, (b) the privacy standards and requirements of any other applicable federal or state law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, as amended (FCRA), and (c) its own internal privacy policies and procedures, each as may be amended from time to time.
10
The parties hereto acknowledge that from time to time, Broker may share with the Fund and the Fund may share with Broker nonpublic personal information (as defined under the GLBA) of customers of Broker. This nonpublic personal information may include, but is not limited to a customers name, address, telephone number, social security number, account information and personal financial information. Broker shall only be granted access to such nonpublic personal information of each of its customers that pertains to the period or periods during which Broker served as the broker of record for such customers account. Broker, the Intermediary Manager and the Fund shall not disclose nonpublic personal information of any customers who have opted out of such disclosures, except (a) to service providers (when necessary and as permitted under the GLBA), (b) to carry out the purposes for which one party discloses such nonpublic personal information to another party under this Agreement (when necessary and as permitted under the GLBA), or (c) as otherwise required by applicable law. Any nonpublic personal information that one party receives from another party shall be subject to the limitations on usage described in this Section XII. Except as expressly permitted under the FCRA, Broker agrees that it shall not disclose any information that would be considered a consumer report under the FCRA.
Broker shall be responsible for determining which customers have opted out of the disclosure of nonpublic personal information by periodically reviewing and, if necessary, retrieving a list of such customers (the List) to identify customers that have exercised their opt-out rights. In the event Broker, the Intermediary Manager or the Fund expects to use or disclose nonpublic personal information of any customer for purposes other than as set forth in this Section XII, it must first consult the List to determine whether the affected customer has exercised his or her opt-out rights. The use or disclosure of any nonpublic personal information of any customer that is identified on the List as having opted out of such disclosures, except as set forth in this Section XII, shall be prohibited.
Broker shall implement commercially reasonable measures in compliance with industry best practices designed: (a) to assure the security and confidentiality of nonpublic personal information of all customers; (b) to protect such information against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such information; (c) to protect against unauthorized access to, or use of, such information that could result in material harm to any customer; (d) to protect against unauthorized disclosure of such information to unaffiliated third parties; and (e) to otherwise ensure its compliance with all applicable privacy standards and requirements of federal or state law (including, but not limited to, the GLBA), and any other applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Broker further agrees to cause all its agents, representatives, affiliates, subcontractors, or any other party to whom Broker provides access to or discloses nonpublic personal information of customers to implement appropriate measures designed to meet the objectives set forth in this Section XII.
XIII. Brokers Undertaking to Not Facilitate a Secondary Market in the Shares
The Broker acknowledges that there is no public trading market for the Shares and that there are limits on the ownership, transferability and repurchase of the Shares, which significantly limit the liquidity of an investment in the Shares. The Broker also acknowledges that the Repurchase Plan provides only a limited opportunity for investors to have their Shares purchased by the Fund and that the Funds board of directors may, in its sole discretion, amend,
11
suspend, or terminate the Repurchase Plan at any time in accordance with the terms of the Repurchase Plan. The Broker hereby agrees that so long as the Fund is offering Shares under a Registration Statement filed with the SEC and the Fund has not listed the Shares on a national securities exchange, the Broker will not engage in any action or transaction that would facilitate or otherwise create the appearance of a secondary market in the Shares without the prior written approval of the Intermediary Manager.
XIV. Arbitration
Any dispute, controversy or claim arising between the parties relating to this Agreement (whether such dispute arises under any federal, state or local statute or regulation, or at common law), shall be resolved by final and binding arbitration administered in accordance with the then current commercial arbitration rules of FINRA in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (including the governing law provisions of this Agreement and pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §§ 1 16). The parties will request that the arbitrator or arbitration panel (Arbitrator) issue written findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Arbitrator shall not be empowered to make any award or render any judgment for punitive damages, and the Arbitrator shall be required to follow applicable law in construing this Agreement, making awards, and rendering judgments. The decision of the arbitration panel shall be final and binding, and judgment upon any arbitration award may be entered by any court having jurisdiction. All arbitration hearings will be held at the New York City FINRA District Office or at another mutually agreed upon site. The parties may agree on a single arbitrator, or, if the parties cannot so agree, each party will have the right to choose one arbitrator, and the selected arbitrators will choose a third arbitrator. Each arbitrator must have experience and education that qualify him or her to competently address the specific issues to be designated for arbitration. Notwithstanding the preceding, no party will be prevented from immediately seeking provisional remedies in courts of competent jurisdiction, including but not limited to, temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, but such remedies will not be sought as a means to avoid or stay arbitration.
XV. Term and Termination
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and shall remain in force until the first anniversary of its effective date and shall thereafter continue in effect from year to year, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the board of directors of the Fund, including the vote of a majority of the directors who are not interested persons, as defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) and the rules thereunder, of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Funds Distribution and Servicing Plan (the Plan) or any agreements entered into in connection with the Plan (including this Agreement), cast in person at a meeting (or as otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulatory relief) called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
The Broker will suspend or terminate its offer and sale of Shares upon the request of the Fund or the Intermediary Manager at any time and will resume its offer and sale of Shares hereunder upon subsequent request of the Fund or the Intermediary Manager. Any party may terminate this Agreement by written notice. Such termination shall be effective forty-eight
12
(48) hours after the mailing of such notice. This Agreement is the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, if any, between the parties hereto.
This Agreement may be amended at any time by the Intermediary Manager, with the prior written consent of the Fund, by written notice to the Broker, and any such amendment shall be deemed accepted by the Broker upon placement of an order for sale of Shares by such Brokers customer after the Broker has received such notice.
This Agreement also may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Funds directors who are not interested persons, as defined in the 1940 Act, of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Funds distribution plan or this Agreement or by vote a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, on not more than 60 days written notice to the Intermediary Manager or the Advisor. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.
The respective agreements and obligations of the Intermediary Manager and Broker set forth in Sections IV, VI, VII, and XIII through XIX of this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement.
XVI. Use of Fund and Crescent Names
Except as expressly provided herein, nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute a waiver by the Intermediary Manager, the Advisor and/or their respective affiliates of any consent that would otherwise be required under this Agreement or applicable law prior to the use of Broker of the name or identifying marks of the Fund, the Intermediary Manager, or Crescent (or any combination or derivation thereof, including any name adopted in the future). The respective parties reserve the right to withdraw their consent to the use of the Funds name at any time and to request to review any materials generated by the Broker that use the Funds or Crescents name or mark. Any such consent is expressly subject to the continuation of this Agreement and shall terminate with the termination of this Agreement as provided herein.
XVII. Notice
Notices and other writings contemplated by this Agreement shall be delivered via (i) hand, (ii) first class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, (iii) a nationally recognized overnight courier, or (iv) electronic mail. All such notices shall be addressed, as follows:
If to the Intermediary Manager: | Emerson Equity LLC Attention: [ ] 6860 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 210 Plan, TX 75024 Attn: [ ] Email: [ ] | |
If to the Advisor: | Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC 11100 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 2000 |
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Los Angeles, CA 90025 Attn: [ ] Email: [ ] | ||
If to the Fund: |
Crescent Private Income Credit Corp. 11100 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 2000 Los Angeles, CA 90025 Attn: [ ] Email: [ ] | |
If to Broker: |
To the address specified by the Broker herein. |
XVIII. Attorneys Fees and Applicable Law
In any action to enforce the provisions of this Agreement or to secure damages for its breach, the prevailing party shall recover its costs and reasonable attorneys fees. This Agreement shall be construed under the laws of the State of New York and shall take effect when signed by the Broker and countersigned by the Intermediary Manager. Venue for any action (including arbitration) shall lie exclusively in New York, New York.
XIX. No Partnership
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed or interpreted to constitute the Broker as an employee, agent or representative of, or in association with or in partnership with, the Intermediary Manager, the Fund or the other Brokers; instead, this Agreement shall only constitute the Broker as a Broker authorized by the Intermediary Manager to sell the Shares according to the terms set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented and in this Agreement.
XX. Changes; Amendments
Except as specifically provided in this Section XX, this Agreement may be changed or amended only by written instrument signed by all parties.
In the event of a change in law, regulation or other regulatory guidance which affects this Agreement, Broker authorizes the Intermediary Manager to amend this Agreement in order to comply with the requirements of any such law, regulation or other regulatory guidance. Broker agrees that such amendment shall automatically become effective upon the execution of the first transaction Broker or its customer executes with the Fund thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of the amendment (or sooner, if required to comply with applicable law and that the amendment shall not require the signature of Broker in order to be effective).
XXI. Entire Agreement
This Agreement (including any Schedules and Exhibits hereto) are the entire agreement of the parties and supersede all prior agreements, if any, relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.
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XXII. Successors and Assigns
No party shall assign this Agreement or any right, interest or benefit under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Intermediary Manager, the Advisor and Broker and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
XXIII. Severability.
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the other provisions hereof, and this Agreement shall be construed in all respects as if such invalid or unenforceable provision was omitted.
XXIV. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts. Each counterpart, when executed and delivered, shall be an original contract, but all counterparts, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same agreement, including all exhibits. Each party may execute this Agreement by applying an electronic signature using DocuSign or any similar electronic signature program and acknowledges, agrees and confirms that the use of such an electronic signature program (a) shall result in a reliable and valid delivery of such partys signature to this Agreement; and (b) shall constitute reasonable steps on the part of the other party to this Agreement to verify the reliability of such signature.
THE INTERMEDIARY MANAGER: |
EMERSON EQUITY LLC |
Date: |
15
We have read the foregoing Agreement and we hereby accept and agree to the terms and conditions therein set forth. We hereby represent that the list below of jurisdictions in which we are registered or licensed as a broker or Broker and are fully authorized to sell securities is true and correct, and we agree to advise you of any change in such list during the term of this Agreement.
1. IDENTITY OF BROKER: | ||||
Fund Name: | ||||
Type of entity: | ||||
(Corporation, Partnership or Proprietorship) | ||||
Organized in the State of: | ||||
Licensed as broker-dealer in all States: | Yes ☐ | No ☐ | ||
If no, list all States licensed as broker-dealer: | ||||
Tax ID #: | ||||
2. Person to receive notices delivered pursuant to the Selected Intermediary Agreement. | ||||
Name: | ||||
Fund: | ||||
Address: | ||||
City, State and Zip: | ||||
Telephone: | ||||
Fax: | ||||
Email: |
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AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY THE BROKER: |
(Brokers Firm Name) |
By: |
Signature |
Name: |
Title: |
Date: |
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SCHEDULE I
ADDENDUM
TO
SELECTED INTERMEDIARY AGREEMENT WITH
EMERSON EQUITY LLC
Name of Broker:
The following reflects the transaction or other fee arrangements and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees as agreed upon between Emerson Equity LLC (the Intermediary Manager) and Broker, effective as of the effective date of the Selected Intermediary Agreement (the Agreement) between the Intermediary Manager and Broker in connection with the offering of Shares of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Fund). Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Agreement.
Brokerage Transaction Fee
Broker may charge a transaction or other fee, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, on sales of Shares, as set forth in Share Class Election below, to the extent the Prospectus discloses that such brokerage commissions or fees may be charged for the relevant class of Shares. Broker represents that Broker is acting solely as an agent for its customers with respect to their purchase or sale of Shares and is not acting for Brokers own account. Any transaction or other fee, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, charged by Broker in connection with its sale of Shares will be charged in a manner consistent with the Prospectus and applicable law and FINRA rules. Purchases and sales of such Shares may only be executed as purchases or repurchases between the customer and the Fund. Broker shall not execute trades of Shares between customers.
Terms and Conditions of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees.
The payment of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee to Broker is subject to terms and conditions set forth herein and the Prospectus as may be amended or supplemented from time to time. If Broker elects to sell Class S Shares and/or Class D Shares, eligibility to receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to the Class S Shares and/or Class D Shares, as applicable, sold by the Broker is conditioned upon the Broker acting as broker of record with respect to such Shares and complying with the requirements set forth below, including providing stockholder and account maintenance services with respect to such Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, such services are non-distribution services, other than those primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares.
(i) the existence of an effective Selected Intermediary Agreement or ongoing Servicing Agreement between the Intermediary Manager and the Broker, and
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(ii) the provision of the following services with respect to the Class S Shares and/or Class D Shares, as applicable, by the Broker:
1. | assistance with recordkeeping, including maintaining records for and on behalf of Brokers customers reflecting transactions and balances of Shares owned, |
2. | answering investor inquiries regarding the Fund, including distribution payments and reinvestments, |
3. | helping investors understand their investments upon their request, and |
4. | facilitating tender offer requests. |
The Broker hereby represents by its acceptance of each payment of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee that it complies with each of the above requirements and is providing the above-described services.
Subject to the conditions described herein, the Intermediary Manager will reallow to Broker the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee in an amount described below, on Class S Shares or Class D Shares, as applicable, sold by Broker. To the extent payable, the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee will be payable monthly in arrears as provided in the Prospectus. All determinations regarding the total amount and rate of reallowance of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee, the Brokers compliance with the listed conditions, and/or the portion retained by the Intermediary Manager will be made by the Intermediary Manager in its sole discretion.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the terms of the Prospectus, at such time as the Broker is no longer the intermediary of record with respect to such Class S or Class D Shares or the Broker no longer satisfies any or all of the conditions set forth above, then Brokers entitlement to the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee related to such Class S and/or Class D Shares, as applicable, shall cease in, and Broker shall not receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee for, that month or any portion thereof (i.e., stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are payable with respect to an entire month without any proration). Intermediary transfers will be made effective as of the start of the first business day of a month.
Thereafter, such stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee may be reallowed to the then-current intermediaries of record of the Class S and/or Class D Shares, as applicable, if any such intermediary of record has been designated (the Servicing Broker), to the extent such Servicing Broker has entered into a Selected Intermediary Agreement or similar agreement with the Intermediary Manager (Servicing Agreement) and such Selected Intermediary Agreement or Servicing Agreement with the Servicing Broker provides for such reallowance. In this regard, all determinations will be made by the Intermediary Manager in good faith in its sole discretion. The Broker is not entitled to any stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to Class I Shares. The Intermediary Manager may also reallow some or all of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee to other intermediaries who provide services with respect to the Shares (who shall be considered additional Servicing Brokers) pursuant to a Servicing Agreement with the Intermediary Manager to the extent such Servicing Agreement provides for
19
such reallowance and such additional Servicing Broker is in compliance with the terms of such agreement related to such reallowance, in accordance with the terms of such Servicing Agreement.
Unless otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, at the end of the month in which the Intermediary Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a stockholders account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Intermediary Manager or Broker), the Intermediary Manager shall cease receiving the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S Shares and Class D Shares in such stockholders account, in the Funds discretion. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S Shares or Class D Shares in such stockholders account will convert into a number of Class I Shares (including any fractional Shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D Shares.
In addition, the Fund and the Intermediary Manager will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on Class S Shares and Class D Shares in connection with an Offering upon the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I Shares, (ii) the merger or consolidation of the Fund with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Funds assets, or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of such Offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with such Offering, including selling commissions, intermediary manager fees, the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to ten percent (10%) of the gross proceeds from Primary Shares sold in such Offering. For purposes of this Schedule I, the portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee accruing with respect to Class S and Class D Shares of the Funds common Shares issued (publicly or privately) by the Fund during the term of a particular Offering, and not issued pursuant to a prior Offering, shall be underwriting compensation with respect to such particular Offering and not with respect to any other Offering.
General
Stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees due to the Broker pursuant to this Agreement will be paid to the Broker within 30 days after receipt by the Intermediary Manager. The Broker, in its sole discretion, may authorize Intermediary Manager to deposit stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees or other payments due to it pursuant to this Agreement directly to its bank account. If the Broker so elects, the Broker shall provide such deposit authorization and instructions in Schedule II to this Agreement.
The parties hereby agree that the foregoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee are not in excess of the usual and customary distributors or sellers commission received in the sale of securities similar to the Primary Shares, that the Brokers interest in the Offering is limited to such stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee from the Intermediary Manager and the Brokers indemnity referred to in Section 4 of the Intermediary Manager Agreement, and that
20
the Fund is not liable or responsible for the direct payment of such stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee to the Broker.
Except as otherwise described under Brokerage Transaction Fee above, the Broker waives any and all rights to receive compensation, including the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee, until it is paid to and received by the Intermediary Manager. Broker acknowledges and agrees that, if the Fund pays stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the Intermediary Manager, the Fund is relieved of any obligation for stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to Broker. The Fund may rely on and use the preceding acknowledgement as a defense against any claim by Broker for stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees the Fund pays to Intermediary Manager but that Intermediary Manager fails to remit to Broker. The Broker affirms that the Intermediary Managers liability for the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee is limited solely to the proceeds of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee receivable from the Fund and Broker hereby waives any and all rights to receive any reallowance of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee due until such time as the Intermediary Manager is in receipt of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee from the Fund. Notwithstanding the above, Broker affirms that, to the extent that Broker retains transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, as described above under Brokerage Transaction Fee, neither the Fund nor the Intermediary Manager shall have liability for such brokerage commission or other transaction based fee payable to the Broker, and the Broker is solely responsible for retaining the brokerage commissions or other similar transaction based fees due to the Broker from the subscription funds received by the Broker from its customers for the purchase of Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Broker will not be entitled to receive any transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, or stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee which would cause the aggregate amount of transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, transaction based fees, intermediary manager fees, stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees and other forms of underwriting compensation (as defined in accordance with applicable FINRA rules) paid from any source in connection with this Offering to exceed ten percent (10%) of the gross proceeds raised from the sale of Shares in the Offering.
Broker shall furnish Intermediary Manager and the Fund with such information as shall reasonably be requested by the Fund with respect to the fees paid to Broker pursuant to this Schedule A, and Broker shall notify Intermediary Manager if Broker is not eligible to receive transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees at the time of purchase.
Due Diligence
In addition, as set forth in the Prospectus, the Intermediary Manager will pay or reimburse the Broker for reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses incurred by the Broker in connection with the Offering. Such due diligence expenses may include customary travel, lodging, meals and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Broker and its personnel when visiting the Funds offices verify information relating to the Fund. The Broker
21
shall provide a detailed and itemized invoice for any such due diligence expenses and shall obtain the prior written approval from the Intermediary Manager for such expenses, and no such expenses shall be reimbursed absent a detailed and itemized invoice being sent to [ ]. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such payment will be made if such payment would cause the aggregate of such reimbursements to Broker and other brokers, together with all other organization and offering expenses, defined under Omnibus Guidelines and FINRA rules, to exceed ten percent (10%) and fifteen percent (15%) of the Funds gross proceeds from the Offering. All such reimbursements will be made in accordance with, and subject to the restrictions and limitations imposed under the Prospectus, FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations.
Share Class Election
CHECK EACH APPLICABLE BOX BELOW IF THE BROKER ELECTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LISTED SHARE CLASS
☐ Class S Shares | ☐ Class D Shares | ☐ Class I Shares |
The following reflects the transaction or other fee, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, arrangement and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee as agreed upon between the Intermediary Manager and the Broker for the applicable Share Class.
(Initials) | No upfront selling commission but intermediaries may charge transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, up to 3.5% of the NAV per Class S share sold in the Offering | By initialing here, the Broker hereby agrees to the terms of the Agreement and this Schedule I with respect to the Class S Shares. |
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(Initials) | Stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee of 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of outstanding Class S Shares as of the beginning of the first calendar day of each month | By initialing here, the Broker agrees to the terms of eligibility for the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee set forth in this Schedule I with respect to Class S Shares. Should the Broker choose to opt out of this provision, it will not be eligible to receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to Class S Shares and initialing is not necessary. The Broker represents by its acceptance of each payment of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee that it complies with each of the above requirements. | ||
(Initials) | No upfront selling commission but intermediaries may charge transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, up to 1.5% of the NAV per Class D share sold in the Offering | By initialing here, the Broker hereby agrees to the terms of the Agreement and this Schedule I with respect to the Class D Shares. | ||
(Initials) | Stockholder servicing fee of 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of outstanding Class D Shares as of the beginning of the first calendar day of each month | By initialing here, the Broker agrees to the terms of eligibility for the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee set forth in this Schedule I with respect to Class D Shares. Should the Broker choose to opt out of this provision, it will not be eligible to receive the stockholder servicing fee with respect to Class D Shares and initialing is not necessary. The Broker represents by its acceptance of each payment of the stockholder servicing fee that it complies with each of the above requirements. |
23
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Addendum to be executed as of the date first written above.
INTERMEDIARY MANAGER |
EMERSON EQUITY LLC |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
BROKER |
(Print Name of Broker) |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
24
SCHEDULE II
TO
SELECTED INTERMEDIARY AGREEMENT WITH
EMERSON EQUITY LLC
NAME OF ISSUER: CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
NAME OF BROKER:
SCHEDULE TO AGREEMENT DATED:
Broker hereby authorizes the Intermediary Manager or its agent to deposit stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other payments due to it pursuant to the Selected Intermediary Agreement to its bank account specified below. This authority will remain in force until Broker notifies the Intermediary Manager in writing to cancel it. In the event that the Intermediary Manager deposits funds erroneously into Brokers account, the Intermediary Manager is authorized to debit the account with no prior notice to Broker for an amount not to exceed the amount of the erroneous deposit.
Bank Name:
Bank Address:
Bank Routing Number:
Account Number:
BROKER
(Print Name of Broker) |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
25
SCHEDULE III
TO
SELECTED INTERMEDIARY AGREEMENT WITH
EMERSON EQUITY LLC
[Jurisdictions]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Addendum to be executed as of the date first written above.
INTERMEDIARY MANAGER |
EMERSON EQUITY LLC |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
BROKER |
(Print Name of Broker) |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
26
Exhibit (h)(3)
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
DISTRIBUTION AND STOCKHOLDER SERVICING PLAN
July 17, 2023
WHEREAS, Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Fund) is a closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act);
WHEREAS, the Fund is seeking an exemptive order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) that, if granted, would permit the Fund to offer multiple classes of shares of common stock (Shares) with, among other things, asset-based distribution and/or service fees (the Order);
WHEREAS, reliance on the Order, if granted, requires the Fund to comply with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act as if it were an open-end management investment company;
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to adopt a distribution and stockholder servicing plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act with respect to the classes set forth on Appendix A hereto, as such Appendix may be amended from time to time (each, a Class); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has employed Emerson Equity LLC (the Intermediary Manager) as distributor of the Shares of each Class of the Fund;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Fund, with respect to each Class, hereby voluntarily adopts this Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan (the Plan) in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act on the following terms and conditions:
1. Distribution Fee and Stockholder Servicing Fee
The Fund will pay the Intermediary Manager, in its capacity as principal underwriter of the Funds Shares, with respect to and at the expense of each Class listed on Appendix A, a fee (the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee) for (i) distribution and sales support services (i.e., activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares of the applicable Class of the Fund) and/or (ii) stockholder services (i.e., personal services and/or services related to the maintenance of stockholder accounts), such fee to be paid at the rate per annum of the aggregate net asset value (NAV) as of the beginning of the first calendar day of each applicable month of the Class specified with respect to such Class under the column Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee on Appendix A.
The Intermediary Manager is authorized to use the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee to compensate or reimburse brokers, dealers, other financial institutions or other industry professionals (collectively, Selling Agents) for distribution and sales support services or stockholder services provided by such Selling Agent and related expenses incurred by such Selling Agents. Eligibility to receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee is conditioned on the Selling Agent providing the following ongoing services with respect to the applicable Class of Shares: assistance with recordkeeping, answering stockholder inquiries regarding the Fund, including regarding distribution payments and reinvestments, helping stockholder understand their investments upon their request, and assistance with tender offer requests. Payments of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee may be made without regard to expenses actually incurred.
Payments of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee on behalf of a particular Class must be in consideration of services rendered for or on behalf of such Class. However, joint distribution or sales support financing with respect to the Shares of the Class (which financing may also involve other investment portfolios or companies that are affiliated persons of such a person, or affiliated persons of the Intermediary Manager) are permitted in accordance with applicable law.
2. Calculation and Payment of Fees
The amount of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee payable with respect to each Class listed on Appendix A will be calculated at the rate per annum of the aggregate NAV of such Class as of the beginning of the first calendar day of each applicable month, payable monthly in arrears, at the applicable annual rates indicated on Appendix A. The Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee will be calculated and paid separately for each Class.
3. Approval of the Plan
The Plan and any related agreements will become effective, as to any Class (including any Class not currently listed on Appendix A), upon its approval by (a) a majority of the Funds Board of Directors, including a majority of the Directors who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (Qualified Directors), pursuant to a vote cast in person or as otherwise permitted by the SEC or its staff at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the approval of the Plan and such related agreements, and (b) if the Plan is adopted for a Class after any public offering of Shares of such Class or the sale of Shares of such Class to persons who are not affiliated persons of the Fund, affiliated persons of such persons, promoters of the Fund, or affiliated persons of such promoters, a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Class.
4. Continuance of the Plan
The Plan will continue in effect with respect to a Class for one year from the date of execution or adoption, and from year to year thereafter indefinitely so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Funds Board of Directors in the manner described in Section 3(a) above.
5. Implementation
All agreements with any person relating to implementation of this Plan with respect to any Class shall be in writing, and any agreement related to this Plan with respect to any Class shall provide: (a) that such agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Qualified Directors or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Class, on not more than 60 days written notice to any other party to the agreement; and (b) that such agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
For the purposes of this Agreement, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Class means the vote, at the annual or a special meeting of the security holders of such Class duly called, (a) of 67% or more of the voting securities present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such Class are present or represented by proxy; or (b) of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such Class, whichever is the less. For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms interested person and assignment have their respective meanings defined in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to the rules and regulations promulgated under the 1940 Act and any applicable guidance or interpretation of the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff; and the term approve at least annually will be construed in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated under the 1940 Act and any applicable guidance or interpretation of the SEC or its staff.
6. Termination
This Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to the Shares of any Class by vote of a majority of the Qualified Directors, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Class.
7. Amendments
The Plan may not be amended with respect to any Class so as to increase materially the amount of the Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fee described in Section 1 above with respect to such Class unless such amendment is approved in the manner described in Section 3 above, and all material amendments to this Plan shall be approved in the manner provided for approval of this Plan in Section 3(a) above.
8. Selection of Certain Directors
While the Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the Funds Directors who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund will be at the discretion of the Directors then in office who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund.
9. Written Reports
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While the Plan is in effect, the Funds Board of Directors will receive, and the Directors will review, at least quarterly, written reports complying with the requirements of Rule 12b-1, which set out the amounts expended under the Plan and the purposes for which those expenditures were made.
10. Preservation of Materials
The Fund will preserve copies of the Plan, any agreement relating to the Plan and any report made pursuant to Section 9 above, for a period of not less than six years (the first two years in an easily accessible place) from the date of (i) expiration of the Plan or agreement or (ii) such report.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund has executed this Plan as of the date first above written.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||
By: |
/s/ Eric Hall | |
Name: Eric Hall | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Agreed and assented to:
EMERSON EQUITY LLC | ||
By: |
/s/ Robert Jones | |
Name: Robert Jones | ||
Title: Executive Vice President |
[Signature Page to Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan]
Exhibit (j)(1)
EXECUTION VERSION
CUSTODY AGREEMENT
By and Between
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
And
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
BNY MELLON AND CUSTOMER CONFIDENTIAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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10.3 Investment of Cash |
15 | |||||
11. | REGULATORY MATTERS |
15 | ||||
11.1 USA PATRIOT Act |
15 | |||||
11.2 Sanctions; Anti-Money Laundering |
15 | |||||
12. | COMPENSATION |
17 | ||||
12.1 Fees and Expenses |
17 | |||||
12.2 Other Compensation |
17 | |||||
13. | REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS |
17 | ||||
13.1 BNY Mellon |
17 | |||||
13.2 Customer |
17 | |||||
14. | LIABILITY |
18 | ||||
14.1 Standard of Care |
18 | |||||
14.2 Limitation of Liability |
18 | |||||
14.3 Force Majeure |
20 | |||||
14.4 Indemnification |
20 | |||||
15. | CONFIDENTIALITY |
20 | ||||
15.1 Confidentiality Obligations |
20 | |||||
15.2 Exceptions |
21 | |||||
16. | TERM AND TERMINATION |
21 | ||||
16.1 Term |
21 | |||||
16.2 Termination |
21 | |||||
16.3 Effect of Termination |
21 | |||||
16.4 Survival |
22 | |||||
17. | GENERAL |
22 | ||||
17.1 Non-Custody Assets |
22 | |||||
17.2 Assignment |
22 | |||||
17.3 Amendment |
23 | |||||
17.4 Governing Law/Forum |
23 | |||||
17.5 Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery |
23 | |||||
17.6 Sovereign Immunity |
23 | |||||
17.7 Non-Fiduciary Status |
23 | |||||
17.8 Notices |
23 | |||||
17.9 Entire Agreement |
24 | |||||
17.10 No Third Party Beneficiaries |
24 | |||||
17.11 Counterparts |
24 | |||||
17.12 Interpretation |
24 | |||||
17.13 No Waiver |
24 | |||||
17.14 Headings |
24 | |||||
17.15 Severability |
25 |
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CUSTODY AGREEMENT
This Custody Agreement is made and entered into as of January 31, 2023 (the Effective Date), by and between THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, a bank organized under the laws of the state of New York (BNY Mellon) and CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. (Customer). BNY Mellon and Customer are collectively referred to as the Parties and individually as a Party.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Customer wishes to appoint BNY Mellon as the custodian of certain of its assets, and BNY Mellon is willing to provide such services on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, and intending to be legally bound, the Parties agree as follows.
1. | DEFINITIONS |
Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words have the meanings set forth below:
1940 Act means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
Account or Accounts has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.
Act has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1(a).
Affiliate means, with respect to any entity, any other entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or under common control with such entity.
Affiliate Securities has the meaning set forth in Section 8.4.
Agreement means, collectively, this Custody Agreement, any Exhibits hereto and any other documents incorporated herein by reference.
Anti-Money Laundering Laws means all anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws, rules, regulations, executive orders and requirements administered by any governmental authority of the United States (including the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act, the Money Laundering Control Act, and regulations of the U.S. Treasury Department which implement such acts) or any other applicable domestic or foreign authority with jurisdiction over Customer.
Assets has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a).
Authorized Person has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
BNY Mellon has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
Cash means the money and currency of any jurisdiction which BNY Mellon accepts for deposit in an Account.
Confidential Information means, with respect to a Party, the terms of this Agreement and all non-public business and financial information of such Party (including, with respect to Customer, information regarding the Accounts and including, with respect to BNY Mellon, information regarding its practices and procedures related to the services provided hereunder) disclosed to the other Party in connection with this Agreement. For clarity, any and all information regarding Customers portfolio holdings and transactions is considered Confidential Information.
Customer has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
Data Terms Website means http://www.bnymellon.com/products/assetservicing/vendoragreement.pdf or any successor website the address of which is provided by BNY Mellon to Customer.
Depository means the Depository Trust Company, Euroclear, Clearstream Banking S.A., the Canadian Depository System, CLS Bank and any other securities depository, book-entry system or clearing agency authorized to act as a system for the central handling of securities pursuant to the laws of the applicable jurisdiction, and any successors to, and/or nominees of, any of the foregoing.
Effective Date has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
Electronic Access Services means such services made available by BNY Mellon or a BNY Mellon Affiliate to Customer to electronically access information relating to the Accounts and/or transmit Instructions.
Electronic Signature means an image, representation or symbol inserted into an electronic copy of this Agreement by electronic, digital or other technological methods.
Foreign Depository means an Eligible Securities Depository (as defined in Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act) identified by BNY Mellon to Customer from time to time.
Instructions means, with respect to this Agreement, instructions issued to BNY Mellon by way of (a) one of the following methods (each as and to the extent specified by BNY Mellon as available for use in connection with the services hereunder): (i) the Electronic Access Services; (ii) third-party electronic communication services containing, where applicable, appropriate authorization codes, passwords or authentication keys, or otherwise appearing on their face to have been transmitted by an Authorized Person or (iii) third-party institutional trade matching utilities used to effect transactions in accordance with such utilitys customary procedures or (b) such other method as may be agreed upon by the Parties and that appear on their face to have been transmitted by an Authorized Person.
Market Data means pricing, valuations or other commercially sourced data applicable to any Security or other assets. Market Data also includes security identifiers, valuations, bond ratings and classification data.
Market Data Providers means vendors and analytics providers and any other Person providing Market Data to BNY Mellon.
Non-Custody Assets has the meaning set forth in Section 17.1.
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Oral Instructions means, with respect to this Agreement, spoken instructions issued to BNY Mellon and reasonably believed by BNY Mellon to be from an Authorized Person.
Party or Parties has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.
Person or Persons means any entity or individual.
Sanctions means all economic sanctions laws, rules, regulations, executive orders and requirements administered by any governmental authority of the United States (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury) or any other applicable domestic or foreign authority with jurisdiction over Customer.
Securities means all (a) debt and equity securities and (b) instruments representing any rights or interests therein, including rights to receive, subscribe to or purchase the foregoing; in each case as agreed upon from time to time by BNY Mellon and Customer and which are from time to time delivered to or received by BNY Mellon and/or any Subcustodian for deposit in an Account.
Standard of Care has the meaning set forth in Section 14.1.
Subcustodian means a bank or other financial institution (other than a Depository) that is selected and used by BNY Mellon or a BNY Mellon Affiliate (acting as subcustodian) in connection with the settlement of transactions and/or custody of Assets hereunder, and any successors to, and/or nominees of, any of the foregoing.
Tax Information means all accurate, relevant and necessary information with respect to the Accounts or with respect to Customers identification or classification for purposes of Tax Obligations, in each case as may be required by applicable tax laws or by a tax authority inquiry, or as may be requested by BNY Mellon in connection with the matters in Section 7.
Tax Obligations means taxes, withholding, certification and reporting requirements, claims for exemptions or refund, interest, penalties, additions to tax and other related expenses.
Third Party Data has the meaning set forth in Section 9.3(a).
2. | APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN; ACCOUNTS |
2.1 | Appointment of Custodian |
(a) | Customer hereby appoints BNY Mellon as custodian of all Securities and Cash to be held under, and in accordance with the terms of, this Agreement (collectively, Assets), and BNY Mellon hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to keep safely all Assets delivered to and actually received by BNY Mellon in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. The Parties acknowledge and agree that BNY Mellons duties pursuant to such appointment will be limited solely to those duties expressly undertaken pursuant to this Agreement. BNY Mellon will, directly or indirectly through Subcustodians or Depositories, endeavor, to the extent reasonably feasible, to hold Securities in the country or other jurisdiction in which the principal trading market for such Securities is located, where such Securities |
3
are to be presented for cancellation and/or payment and/or registration, or where such Securities are acquired. Operational terms, procedures and processes supporting the services described herein are set out in a separate service level description, a current version of which will be available upon request at any time. |
(b) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, BNY Mellon has no obligation: |
(i) | With respect to any Assets until they are actually received in an Account; |
(ii) | To inquire into, make recommendations, supervise or determine the suitability of any transactions affecting any Account or to question any Instructions; |
(iii) | To monitor the Securities in the Accounts to determine whether Customer complies with limitations on ownership or any restrictions on investors provided for by local law, regulations or market practice, or provisions in the issuers articles of incorporation or by-laws; |
(iv) | To determine the adequacy of title to, or the validity or genuineness of, any Assets received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement; or |
(v) | With respect to any matters related to: the establishment, maintenance operation or termination of Customer; or the offer, sale or distribution of the shares of, or interests in, Customer. |
(c) | Cash held hereunder may be subject to additional deposit terms and conditions issued by BNY Mellon or the applicable Subcustodian from time to time, including rates of interest and deposit account access. |
(d) | If Customer engages in securities lending activities, such activities will be subject to certain additional and/or modified terms to be set forth in a separate written agreement between Customer and BNY Mellon or a BNY Mellon Affiliate. |
2.2 | Establishment of Customer Accounts |
BNY Mellon will establish and maintain one or more accounts in which BNY Mellon will hold Assets as provided herein (each, an Account, and collectively, the Accounts).
3. | AUTHORIZED PERSONS AND INSTRUCTIONS; ELECTRONIC ACCESS |
3.1 | Authorized Persons |
Promptly following the Effective Date, Customer and/or its designee (including any of Customers investment advisers) will furnish BNY Mellon with one or more written lists or other documentation acceptable to BNY Mellon specifying the names and titles of, or otherwise identifying, all Persons authorized to act on behalf of Customer with respect to this Agreement (each, an Authorized Person). Customer will be responsible for keeping such lists and/or other documentation current, and will update such lists and/or other documentation, as necessary from time to time, pursuant to Instructions.
4
3.2 | Instructions |
(a) | Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, BNY Mellon will have no obligation to take any action hereunder unless and until it receives Instructions issued in accordance with this Agreement. |
(b) | Customer will be responsible for ensuring that (i) only Authorized Persons issue Instructions to BNY Mellon and (ii) all Authorized Persons safeguard and treat with extreme care any user and authorization codes, passwords and authentication keys used in connection with the issuance of Instructions. |
(c) | Where Customer may or is required to issue Instructions, such Instructions will be issued by an Authorized Person. |
(d) | BNY Mellon will be entitled to deal with any Authorized Person until notified otherwise pursuant to Instructions, and will be entitled to act and rely upon any Instruction received by BNY Mellon. |
(e) | All Instructions must include all information necessary, and must be delivered using such methods and in such format as BNY Mellon may require and be received within BNY Mellons established cut-off times and otherwise in sufficient time, to enable BNY Mellon to act upon such Instructions. |
(f) | BNY Mellon may in its sole discretion decline to act upon any Instructions that do not comply with requirements set forth in Section 3.2(e) or that conflict with applicable law or regulations or BNY Mellons operating policies and practices, in which event BNY Mellon will promptly notify Customer unless prevented from doing so by applicable law. |
(g) | Customer acknowledges that while it is not part of BNY Mellons normal practices and procedures to accept Oral Instructions, BNY Mellon may in certain limited circumstances accept Oral Instructions. In such event, such Oral Instructions will be deemed to be Instructions for purposes of this Agreement. An Authorized Person issuing such an Oral Instruction will promptly confirm such Oral Instruction to BNY Mellon in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Customer agrees that the fact that such written confirmation is not received by BNY Mellon, or that such written confirmation contradicts the Oral Instruction, will in no way affect (i) BNY Mellons reliance on such Oral Instruction or (ii) the validity or enforceability of transactions authorized by such Oral Instruction and effected by BNY Mellon. |
(h) | Customer acknowledges and agrees that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to BNY Mellon and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method selected by the sender. Customer agrees that the security procedures, if any, to be followed by Customer and BNY Mellon with respect to the transmission and authentication of Instructions provide to Customer a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances. |
5
3.3 | BNY Mellon Actions Without Instructions |
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, Customer hereby authorizes BNY Mellon, without Instructions, to take any administrative or ministerial actions with respect to an Account that it deems reasonably necessary or appropriate to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including the following:
(a) | Receive income and other payments due to the Accounts; provided, however, that BNY Mellon will have no duty to pursue collection of any amount due to an Account, including for Securities in default, if such amount is not paid when due; |
(b) | Carry out any exchanges of Securities or other corporate actions not requiring discretionary decisions; |
(c) | Facilitate access by Customer or its designee to ballots or online systems to assist it in the voting of proxies received by BNY Mellon in its capacity as custodian for eligible positions of Securities held in the Accounts (excluding bankruptcy matters), all of which will be exercised by Customer or its designee and not by BNY Mellon; |
(d) | Forward to Customer or its designee information (or summaries of information) that BNY Mellon receives in its capacity as custodian from Depositories or Subcustodians concerning Securities in the Accounts (excluding bankruptcy matters); |
(e) | Forward to Customer or its designee an initial notice of bankruptcy cases relating to Securities held in the Accounts and a notice of any required action related to such bankruptcy cases as may be received by BNY Mellon in its capacity as custodian. BNY Mellon will take no further action nor provide further notification related to the bankruptcy case; |
(f) | Unless otherwise elected by Customer, and in accordance with BNY Mellons standard terms and conditions, provide class action filing services for settled claims related to Securities with industry recognized identifiers; |
(g) | Endorse for collection checks, drafts or other negotiable instruments received for the Accounts; |
(h) | Execute and deliver, solely in its capacity as custodian, certificates, documents or instruments incidental to BNY Mellons performance under this Agreement; and |
(i) | Upon presentment of a check pursuant to a check redemption process agreed between Customer and BNY Mellon, unless otherwise instructed pursuant to Instructions, charge the amount of the check against the cash held under this Agreement. If BNY Mellon receives timely Instructions that a check is not to be honored, BNY Mellon will return the check unpaid. |
3.4 | Funds Transfers |
With respect to each Instruction for a Cash transfer, when the Instruction is to credit or pay a party by both a name and a unique numeric or alpha-numeric identifier (e.g., IBAN or ABA or account number), BNY Mellon and any other bank participating in the Cash
6
transfer will be entitled to rely solely on such numeric or alpha-numeric identifier, even if it identifies a party different from the party named. Such reliance on an identifier will apply to beneficiaries named in the Instruction, as well as any financial institution that is designated in the Instruction to act as an intermediary in such Cash transfer. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Parties will be bound by the rules of any transfer system used to effect a Cash transfer under this Agreement.
3.5 | Electronic Access |
If Customer elects to use the Electronic Access Services in connection with this Agreement, the use thereof will be subject to any terms and conditions contained in a separate written agreement between the Parties or their Affiliates. However, if an Authorized Person elects, with BNY Mellons prior consent, to transmit Instructions through a third-party electronic communications service, BNY Mellon will not be responsible or liable for the reliability or availability of any such service.
4. | SUBCUSTODIANS, DEPOSITORIES AND AGENTS |
4.1 | Use of Subcustodians and Depositories |
(a) | BNY Mellon will be entitled to utilize Subcustodians and Depositories in connection with its performance hereunder; provided that BNY Mellon will not utilize a Subcustodian that is an Eligible Foreign Custodian (as defined in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act) to hold Foreign Assets (as defined in such Rule 17f-5) until after BNY Mellon is informed, pursuant to such means as determined by BNY Mellon, that Customers board of directors or similar governing body or Customers Foreign Custody Manager (as defined in such Rule 17f-5) has determined that utilization of such Subcustodian satisfies the applicable requirements of such Rule 17f-5. |
(b) | BNY Mellon will only utilize Subcustodians that have entered into an agreement with BNY Mellon or a BNY Mellon Affiliate, and Assets held through a Subcustodian will be held subject to the terms and conditions of such Subcustodians respective agreement. |
(c) | Assets deposited in a Depository will be held subject to the rules, procedures, terms and conditions of such Depository. Subcustodians may hold Assets in Depositories in which such Subcustodians participate. |
(d) | In connection with each Depository utilized by BNY Mellon that is a securities depository (as defined in Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act), BNY Mellon (a) will exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards in discharging its duties as a securities intermediary to obtain and thereafter maintain Securities or financial assets deposited or held in such Depository and (b) will provide, promptly upon request by Customer, such reports as are available concerning the internal accounting controls and financial strength of BNY Mellon. |
(e) | With respect to each Foreign Depository, BNY Mellon will exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence (a) to provide Customer with an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Foreign Depository and (b) to monitor such custody risks on a continuing basis and promptly notify |
7
Customer of any material change in such risks. Customer acknowledges and agrees that such analysis and monitoring will be made on the basis of, and limited by, information gathered from certain Subcustodians or through publicly available information otherwise obtained by BNY Mellon, and will not include any evaluation of the matters referenced in Section 14.2(b)(i). |
(f) | Unless otherwise required by local law or practice or a particular Subcustodian agreement, Assets deposited with Subcustodians or Depositories may be held in a commingled account in the name of, as applicable, BNY Mellon, a BNY Mellon Affiliate or the applicable Subcustodian, for its clients. |
4.2 | Liability for Subcustodians |
(a) | BNY Mellon will exercise the Standard of Care in selecting, retaining and monitoring Subcustodians. |
(b) | With respect to Assets held by a Subcustodian, BNY Mellon will be liable to Customer for the activities of such Subcustodian under this Agreement to the extent that BNY Mellon would have been liable to Customer under this Agreement if BNY Mellon had performed such activities itself in the relevant market in which such Subcustodian is located; provided, however, that with respect to Securities held by a Subcustodian that is not a BNY Mellon Affiliate: |
(i) | BNY Mellons liability will be limited solely to the extent resulting directly from BNY Mellons failure to exercise the Standard of Care in selecting, retaining, and monitoring such Subcustodian; and |
(ii) | To the extent that BNY Mellon is not liable pursuant to Section 4.2(b)(i), BNY Mellons sole responsibility to Customer will be to: (A) take reasonable and appropriate action to recover from such Subcustodian, and (B) forward to Customer any amounts so recovered (exclusive of costs and expenses incurred by BNY Mellon in connection therewith). |
4.3 | Liability for Depositories |
BNY Mellon will have no responsibility or liability for the activities of any Depository arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any cost or burden imposed on the transfer or holding of Assets held with such Depository; provided, however, that BNY Mellon is responsible for its own acts and omissions as set forth in this Agreement.
4.4 | Use of Agents |
BNY Mellon may appoint agents, including BNY Mellon Affiliates, on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate to perform its obligations hereunder. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, no such appointment will discharge BNY Mellon from its obligations hereunder.
5. | CORPORATE ACTIONS |
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5.1 | Notification |
BNY Mellon will notify Customer or its designee of rights or discretionary corporate actions as promptly as practicable under the circumstances, provided that BNY Mellon has actually received, in its capacity as custodian, notice of such right or discretionary corporate action from the relevant issuer, or from a Subcustodian, Depository or third party vendor. Without actual receipt of such notice by BNY Mellon, BNY Mellon will have no responsibility or liability for failing to so notify Customer.
5.2 | Exercise of Rights |
Whenever there are voluntary rights that may be exercised or alternate courses of action that may be taken with respect to Securities in an Account, Customer or its designee will be responsible for making any decisions relating thereto and for instructing BNY Mellon to act. In order for BNY Mellon to act, Customer must issue Instructions using, or directly referencing, the BNY Mellon-issued corporate actions instruction form, and include all the required information fields therein. Such Instructions must be addressed as BNY Mellon may request, by the deadline specified by BNY Mellon in its sole discretion from time to time, together with any amount which is required to be paid in carrying out any such action. In the event BNY Mellon does not receive such Instructions together with any required amount prior to its specified deadlines, BNY Mellon will not be liable for failure to take any action relating to, or to exercise any rights conferred by, such Securities.
5.3 | Partial Redemptions, Payments, Etc. |
BNY Mellon will advise Customer or its designee upon its notification, in its capacity as custodian, of a partial redemption, partial payment or other action with respect to a Security affecting fewer than all such Securities held within an Account. If BNY Mellon or any Subcustodian or Depository holds any Securities affected by one of the events described, BNY Mellon or such Subcustodian or Depository may select the Securities to participate in such partial redemption, partial payment or other action in any non-discriminatory manner that it customarily uses to make such selection.
6. | SETTLEMENT |
6.1 | Settlement Instructions |
Promptly after the execution of each Securities transaction, Customer will issue to BNY Mellon Instructions to settle such transaction. Unless otherwise agreed by BNY Mellon and subject to Section 8.1, Assets will be credited to Customers Account only when actually received by BNY Mellon.
6.2 | Settlement Funds |
For the purpose of settling a Securities transaction, Customer will provide BNY Mellon with sufficient immediately available funds or Securities, as applicable, by such time and date as is required to enable BNY Mellon to settle such transaction in the country of settlement and in the currency to be used to settle such transaction.
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6.3 | Settlement Practices |
Securities transactions will be settled using practices customary in the jurisdiction or market where the transaction occurs. Customer understands that when BNY Mellon is instructed to deliver Securities against payment, delivery of such Securities and receipt of payment related to such Securities may not be completed simultaneously and can also be made without payment. Customer assumes full responsibility for all risks involved in connection with BNY Mellons delivery of Securities or Cash in accordance with such practices.
7. | TAX MATTERS |
7.1 | Tax Obligations |
(a) | To the extent that BNY Mellon has received the Tax Information within the time stipulated, BNY Mellon will perform the following services with respect to Tax Obligations: |
(i) | Unless prohibited by law or regulation, at the reasonable request of Customer, BNY Mellon will provide to Customer such information received by BNY Mellon in its capacity as custodian that could, in Customers reasonable belief, assist Customer or its designee in the submission of any reports or returns with respect to Tax Obligations. An Authorized Person will inform BNY Mellon in writing as to which party or parties will receive information from BNY Mellon; |
(ii) | BNY Mellon will, upon receipt of sufficient Tax Information from Customer (as reasonably determined by BNY Mellon), file claims for exemptions or refunds with respect to withheld taxes in those markets where it provides such services and subject to BNY Mellons service level description (in each case as made available to Customer from time to time). Where Customer (for whatever reason) fails or neglects to provide BNY Mellon with or to review and confirm the Tax Information within the time stipulated by BNY Mellon, then such failure or neglect may result in the disapplication of withholding tax relief or the obligation on Customer to immediately return amounts already refunded by a tax authority. Customer may, however, elect to appoint its own tax agent to file claims for exemptions or refunds in any or all markets, with advance notice to BNY Mellon of such appointment and subject to such terms as separately agreed in writing between Customer and BNY Mellon; and |
(iii) | BNY Mellon or the applicable Subcustodian will withhold appropriate amounts, as required by applicable tax laws, with respect to amounts received and is authorized to debit the relevant Account in the amount of a Tax Obligation and to pay such amount to the appropriate taxing authority. |
Customers receipt of the foregoing services is dependent upon its subscription to BNY Mellons information reporting system, and Customer will be responsible for enrolling its designated Authorized Persons in such system. Customer acknowledges that BNY Mellon may, at any time, amend the scope of its tax
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service offering and notice of such changes will be made available to BNY Mellons customers through its information reporting system. Such changes may require additional documentation, attestations or declarations to be entered into by Customer in order to continue receiving the relevant tax service in a particular market.
(b) | Customer acknowledges that BNY Mellon is a service provider and not an economic beneficiary of any transaction. |
(c) | Customer will be responsible for understanding its Tax Obligations, and will be solely responsible and liable for all Tax Obligations with respect to any Assets held on behalf of Customer and any transaction related thereto. |
(d) | Customer will provide BNY Mellon with Tax Information to enable BNY Mellon to comply with BNY Mellons obligations under any applicable tax laws or with any tax authority enquiry. |
(e) | Customer acknowledges and agrees that none of BNY Mellon nor any BNY Mellon Affiliate is a tax adviser and none of BNY Mellon nor any BNY Mellon Affiliate will, under any circumstances, provide tax advice to Customer. Customer will obtain its own independent tax advice for any tax-related matters or Tax Obligations. |
7.2 | Payments |
Where BNY Mellon receives Instructions to make distributions or transfers out of an Account in order to pay Customers third party service providers, Customer acknowledges that in making such payments BNY Mellon is acting in an administrative capacity, and not as the payor, for tax information reporting and withholding purposes.
8. | CREDITS AND ADVANCES |
8.1 | Contractual Settlement and Income |
BNY Mellon may, in its sole discretion, as a matter of bookkeeping convenience, credit Customers Account with the proceeds resulting from the purchase, sale, redemption or other delivery or receipt of Securities, or interest, dividends or other distributions payable on Securities prior to its actual receipt thereof. All such credits will be conditional until BNY Mellons actual receipt of such proceeds and may be reversed by BNY Mellon to the extent that such proceeds are not received. Actual receipt of proceeds with respect to a transaction will not be deemed to have occurred, and the transaction will not be considered final, until BNY Mellon has received sufficient immediately available funds or Securities specifically applicable to such transaction that, under applicable local law, rule or practice, are irreversible.
8.2 | Advances |
If BNY Mellon receives an Instruction that, if processed, would result in an overdraft in an Account, BNY Mellon may, in its sole discretion, advance funds in any currency hereunder; however, BNY Mellon will have no obligation to advance its own funds.
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8.3 | Payment |
If: (a) BNY Mellon has advanced funds to an Account; (b) an overdraft has occurred in an Account (including overdrafts incurred in connection with the settlement of securities transactions, funds transfers or foreign exchange transactions); or (c) Customer is for any other reason indebted to BNY Mellon, Customer agrees to pay BNY Mellon (on demand or upon becoming aware thereof) the amount of such advance, overdraft or indebtedness, plus accrued interest at a rate then charged by BNY Mellon to its institutional custody clients in the relevant currency.
8.4 | Securing Payment |
In order to secure payment of Customers obligations (whether or not matured) to BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate, relating to or arising under this Agreement or any other agreement with BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate, and in addition to any preference, lien or other rights and security interest to which BNY Mellon or such BNY Mellon Affiliate may be entitled under applicable law or any other agreement, Customer hereby pledges and grants to BNY Mellon and such BNY Mellon Affiliate, and agrees BNY Mellon and such BNY Mellon Affiliate will have to the maximum extent permitted by law, a continuing first lien and security interest in: (a) all of Customers right, title and interest in and to all Accounts in Customers name and the Assets now or hereafter held in such Accounts (including proceeds thereof) and (b) any other property at any time held by BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate for Customer; provided that Customer does not hereby grant a security interest in any Securities issued by an affiliate (as defined in Section 23A of the U.S. Federal Reserve Act and related implementing regulations (Regulation W, 12 C.F.R. part 223) (such securities, Affiliate Securities) with the exception of Affiliate Securities that (i) constitute eligible affiliated mutual fund securities as defined in Section 223.24(c) of Regulation W (12 C.F.R. 223.24(c)) and (ii) meet the requirements in Section 223.24(c) of Regulation W (12 C.F.R. 223.24(c)). Customer represents, warrants and covenants that it owns the Assets in the Accounts, and such other property at any time held by BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate for Customer, free and clear of all liens, claims and security interests (except for those granted in accordance with this Agreement or as otherwise acknowledged in writing by BNY Mellon), and that the first lien and security interest granted herein will be subject to no setoffs, counterclaims or other liens prior to or on a parity with it in favor of any third party (other than specific liens granted preferred status by statute). Customer will take any additional steps required to assure BNY Mellon of such priority security interest, including notifying third parties or obtaining their consent. BNY Mellon will be entitled to collect from the Accounts sufficient Cash for reimbursement, and if such Cash is insufficient, to sell Securities to the extent necessary to obtain reimbursement. In this regard, BNY Mellon will be entitled to all the rights and remedies of a pledgee, secured creditor and/or securities intermediary under applicable laws, rules and regulations as then in effect as if Customer is in default.
8.5 | Setoff |
BNY Mellon has the right to debit any Cash for any amount payable by Customer in connection with any and all obligations (whether or not matured) of Customer to BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate, relating to or arising under this Agreement or any other agreement with BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate. In addition to the rights of BNY Mellon or such BNY Mellon Affiliate under applicable law or any other agreement, at any
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time when Customer has not honored any of its obligations to BNY Mellon or such BNY Mellon Affiliate, BNY Mellon will have the right without notice to Customer to retain or set-off against such obligations of Customer any cash BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate may directly or indirectly hold for Customer, and any obligations (whether or not matured) that BNY Mellon or any BNY Mellon Affiliate may have to Customer in any currency. Any such cash of, or obligation to, Customer may be transferred to BNY Mellon and any BNY Mellon Affiliate in order to effect the above rights.
8.6 | Currency Conversion |
BNY Mellon is hereby authorized to effect any necessary currency conversions in order to exercise its rights under this Section 8 at BNY Mellons own rate of exchange then prevailing.
9. | STATEMENTS; BOOKS AND RECORDS; THIRD PARTY DATA |
9.1 | Statements |
BNY Mellon will make available to Customer, through the Electronic Access Services, a monthly statement (or report for such other time period as to which the Parties may agree upon from time to time) reflecting all transfers to or from the Accounts during such month and all holdings in the Accounts as of the last business day of such month (or as of such other date(s) as to which the Parties may agree upon from time to time). Customer will promptly review each such statement and, within ninety (90) days of when such statement is made available by BNY Mellon, notify BNY Mellon of any exception or objection thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Customer may notify BNY Mellon of any such exceptions or objections at any time; provided, however, that BNY Mellon will not be responsible or liable for any losses that could have been mitigated had such notice been provided during such ninety (90) day period.
9.2 | Books and Records |
The books and records directly pertaining to the Accounts which are in the possession of BNY Mellon will be the property of Customer. Such books and records will be prepared and maintained as required by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. BNY Mellon will identify on its books and records the Assets belonging to Customer, whether held directly or indirectly through Subcustodians or Depositories. Securities held in the Accounts will be held in registered form in the name of BNY Mellon or one of its nominees and will be segregated on BNY Mellons books and records from BNY Mellons own property. Customer and its authorized representatives will have the right, at Customers own expense and with reasonable prior written notice to BNY Mellon, to have reasonable access to those books and records directly pertaining to the Accounts. Any such access will occur during BNY Mellons normal business hours and will be subject to BNY Mellons applicable security policies and procedures. Upon Customers reasonable request, copies of those books and records directly pertaining to the Accounts will be provided by BNY Mellon to Customer or its authorized representative.
9.3 | Third Party Data |
(a) | Customer acknowledges that BNY Mellon will be receiving, utilizing and relying on Market Data and other data provided by Customer and/or by third parties in |
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connection with its performance of the services hereunder (collectively, Third Party Data). BNY Mellon is entitled to rely without inquiry on all Third Party Data provided to BNY Mellon hereunder (and all Instructions related to Third Party Data), and BNY Mellon makes no assurances or warranties in relation to the accuracy or completeness of Third Party Data and will not be responsible or liable for any losses or damages incurred as a result of any Third Party Data that is inaccurate or incomplete. BNY Mellon may follow Instructions with respect to Third Party Data, even if such Instructions direct BNY Mellon to override its usual procedures and data sources or if BNY Mellon, in performing services for itself or others (including services similar to those performed for Customer), receives different Third Party Data for the same or similar Securities. |
(b) | Although statements and reports provided by BNY Mellon hereunder with respect to the Accounts may contain values of, and pricing information in relation to, Securities held pursuant to this Agreement, BNY Mellon does not undertake any duty or responsibility under this Agreement to report such values or pricing information. |
(c) | Certain Market Data may be the intellectual property of Market Data Providers, which impose additional terms and conditions upon Customers use of such Market Data. Such additional terms and conditions can be found on the Data Terms Website. Customer agrees to those terms and conditions as they are posted on the Data Terms Website from time to time. |
10. | DISCLOSURES |
10.1 | Required Disclosure |
(a) | With respect to Securities that are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or that are issued by an issuer registered under the 1940 Act, the Shareholder Communications Act of 1985 (the Act) requires BNY Mellon to disclose to issuers of such Securities, upon their request, the name, address and securities position of BNY Mellons clients who are beneficial owners (as defined in the Act) of the issuers Securities, unless the beneficial owner objects to such disclosure. The Act defines a beneficial owner as any person who has or shares the power to vote a security (pursuant to an agreement or otherwise) or who directs the voting of a security. Customer has designated on the signature page hereof whether (i) as beneficial owner, it objects to the disclosure of its name, address and securities position to any U.S. issuer that requests such information pursuant to the Act for the specific purpose of direct communications between such issuer and Customer or (ii) it requires BNY Mellon to contact Customers investment adviser with respect to relevant Securities to make the decision as to whether it objects to the disclosure of the beneficial owners name, address and securities position to any U.S. issuer that requests such information pursuant to the Act. |
(b) | With respect to certain Securities issued outside the United States, BNY Mellon may disclose information to issuers of Securities as required by the organizational documents of the relevant issuer or in accordance with local market practice. |
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(c) | In connection with any disclosure contemplated by this Section 10, Customer agrees to supply BNY Mellon with any required information. |
10.2 | Foreign Exchange Transactions |
In connection with this Agreement, Customer may enter into foreign exchange transactions (including foreign exchange hedging transactions) with BNY Mellon or a BNY Mellon Affiliate acting as a principal through customary channels. Customer may issue standing Instructions with respect to any such foreign exchange transactions, subject to any terms, rules or limitations that apply to any foreign exchange facility made available to Customer. With respect to any such foreign exchange transactions, BNY Mellon or such BNY Mellon Affiliate is acting as a principal counterparty on its own behalf which may retain any profits from such foreign exchange transactions, and is not acting as a fiduciary or agent for, or on behalf of, Customer, its investment adviser or any Account. For the avoidance of doubt, Customer may enter into foreign exchange transactions through other customary channels.
10.3 | Investment of Cash |
In connection with this Agreement, Customer may issue standing Instructions to invest Cash in one or more sweep investment vehicles. Such investment vehicles may be offered by a BNY Mellon Affiliate or by a client of BNY Mellon, and BNY Mellon may receive compensation therefrom. By making investment vehicles available, BNY Mellon and its Affiliates will not be deemed to have recommended, endorsed or guaranteed any such investment vehicle in any way or otherwise to have acted as a fiduciary or agent for, or on behalf of, Customer, its investment adviser or any Account. BNY Mellon will have no liability for any loss incurred on any such investments. Customer understands that Cash may be uninvested if it is received or reconciled to an Account after the applicable deadline to be swept into Customers selected investment vehicle.
11. | REGULATORY MATTERS |
11.1 | USA PATRIOT Act |
Section 326 of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (including its implementing regulations) requires BNY Mellon to implement a customer identification program pursuant to which BNY Mellon must obtain certain information from Customer in order to verify Customers identity prior to establishing an Account. Accordingly, prior to establishing an Account, Customer will be required to provide BNY Mellon with certain information, including Customers name, physical address, tax identification number and other pertinent identifying information, to enable BNY Mellon to verify Customers identity. Customer acknowledges that BNY Mellon cannot establish an Account unless and until BNY Mellon has successfully performed such verification.
11.2 | Sanctions; Anti-Money Laundering |
(a) | Throughout the term of this Agreement, Customer: (i) will have in place and will implement policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of Sanctions, including measures to accomplish effective and timely scanning of all relevant data with respect to its clients (to the extent the Assets are client assets) and with |
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respect to incoming or outgoing assets or transactions relating to this Agreement; (ii) will take reasonable steps to ensure that neither Customer nor any of its Affiliates, directors, officers, employees or clients (to the extent the Assets are client assets) is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is: (A) the target of Sanctions or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is, or whose government is, the target of Sanctions and (iii) will not, directly or indirectly, use the Accounts in any manner that would result in a violation by Customer or BNY Mellon of Sanctions. |
(b) | Customer acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with the services provided by BNY Mellon under this Agreement, each of Customers investors is not a customer or joint customer with BNY Mellon. |
(c) | Customer (and not BNY Mellon) has the responsibility to, and will, fulfill any compliance requirement or obligation with respect to each of its investors under all Anti-Money Laundering Laws. Without limiting any obligation imposed on Customer by Anti-Money Laundering Laws, throughout the term of this Agreement, Customer will maintain acompliance program with respect to its investors that includes a know-your-customer program reasonably designed to identify and verify: (1) the identity of each investor; (2) the source of wealth or income of each investor; (3) the nature and purpose of the investors business; and (4) the expected transactional activity of each investor. Customer will have a policy for identifying and reporting any suspicious transactions and/or activities with respect to each investor to the appropriate law enforcement and regulatory authorities and to BNY Mellon where related to the services provided by BNY Mellon hereunder. |
(d) | Customer will promptly provide to BNY Mellon such information as BNY Mellon reasonably requests in connection with the matters referenced in this Section 11.2, including information regarding: (i) the Accounts; (ii) the Assets and the source thereof; (iii) the identity of any individual or entity having or claiming an interest therein, including any investor; and (iv) Customers Sanctions compliance program, anti-money laundering compliance program and/or know-your-customer program and any related records and/or transaction information, including with respect to any investor, regardless of whether such request is made under USA PATRIOT Act Section 314(b) (where applicable). Customer will cooperate with BNY Mellon and provide assistance reasonably requested by BNY Mellon in connection with any anti-money laundering, terrorist financing or Sanctions related inquiries. Prior to delivering to BNY Mellon the assets of any investor, Customer will obtain from each such investor, and will continue to maintain in effect throughout the term of this Agreement, any consents or waivers that may be required under applicable law in order to comply with the foregoing obligations. |
(e) | BNY Mellon may decline to act or provide services in respect of any Account, and take such other actions as it, in its reasonable discretion, deems necessary or advisable, in connection with the matters referenced in this Section 11.2. If BNY Mellon declines to act or provide services as provided in the preceding sentence, except as otherwise prohibited by applicable law or official request, BNY Mellon will inform Customer as soon as reasonably practicable. |
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(f) | While Customer remains responsible for the matters set forth in this Section 11.2, it is noted that certain duties relating to such matters may be delegated by Customer to its transfer agent service provider. |
12. | COMPENSATION |
12.1 | Fees and Expenses |
In consideration of BNY Mellons services provided hereunder, Customer will (a) pay to BNY Mellon the fees set forth in the agreed upon fee schedule (as such fee schedule may be amended by BNY Mellon from time to time upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to Customer) and (b) reimburse BNY Mellon for any out-of-pocket and incidental expenses incurred by BNY Mellon in connection therewith. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, such amounts will be payable to BNY Mellon within thirty (30) days of Customers receipt of the relevant invoice. Without limiting BNY Mellons other rights set forth in this Agreement, BNY Mellon may charge interest on overdue amounts at a rate then charged by BNY Mellon to its institutional custody clients in the relevant currency.
12.2 | Other Compensation |
(a) | Customer acknowledges that, as part of BNY Mellons compensation, BNY Mellon will earn interest on Cash balances held by BNY Mellon (including disbursement balances, balances arising from purchase and sale transactions and when Cash otherwise remains uninvested) as provided in BNY Mellons compensation disclosures. |
(b) | Where an error or omission has occurred under this Agreement that results in an unintended gain, provided that Customer is put in the same or equivalent position as it would have been in had such error or omission not occurred, any such gain will be solely for the account of BNY Mellon without any duty to report such gain to Customer. |
13. | REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS |
13.1 | BNY Mellon |
BNY Mellon represents and warrants that: (a) it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization; (b) it has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (c) in connection with its provision of its services under this Agreement it will use reasonable efforts to comply with any law which by its terms specifically requires BNY Mellons compliance with such law; and (d) the individual executing this Agreement on its behalf has the requisite authority to bind BNY Mellon to this Agreement including by Electronic Signature, and any such Electronic Signature represents an intent to enter into this Agreement and an agreement with its terms.
13.2 | Customer |
(a) | Customer represents and warrants that: (i) it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization; (ii) it has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to carry out the transactions contemplated |
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by this Agreement; and (iii) the individual executing this Agreement on its behalf has the requisite authority to bind Customer to this Agreement including by Electronic Signature, and any such Electronic Signature represents an intent to enter into this Agreement and an agreement with its terms. |
(b) | Customer represents, warrants and covenants that (i) it or the relevant investment adviser has determined or will determine that the custody arrangements of each Depository maintaining Foreign Assets (as defined in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act) provide reasonable safeguards against the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with such Depository within the meaning of Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act and (ii) it shall manage its borrowings, including without limitation any advance or overdraft (including any daylight overdraft) so that the aggregate of its total borrowings does not exceed the amount it is permitted to borrow under the 1940 Act. |
(c) | Customer represents and warrants that all actions taken, or to be taken, by or on behalf of Customer in connection with establishing, maintaining, operating or terminating Customer (including, any offer, sale or distribution of the shares of, or interest in, Customer) will be done in compliance with all applicable U.S. state and federal securities laws and regulations and all other applicable laws and regulations of all applicable jurisdictions. |
14. | LIABILITY |
14.1 | Standard of Care |
In performing its duties under this Agreement, BNY Mellon will exercise the standard of care and diligence that a professional custodian would observe in these affairs taking into account the prevailing rules, practices, procedures and circumstances in the relevant market (Standard of Care).
14.2 | Limitation of Liability |
(a) | BNY Mellons liability arising out of or relating to this Agreement will be limited solely to those direct damages that are caused by BNY Mellons actual fraud, negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith or reckless disregard in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or by BNY Mellons failure to perform its obligations under this Agreement in accordance with the Standard of Care. In no event will BNY Mellon be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, exemplary, punitive or special losses or damages, or for any loss of revenues, profits or business opportunity, arising out of or relating to this Agreement (whether or not foreseeable and even if BNY Mellon has been advised of the possibility of such losses or damages). |
(b) | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, in no event will BNY Mellon be liable for any losses or damages arising out of any of the following: |
(i) | Customers or an Authorized Persons decision to invest in or hold Assets in any particular country, including any losses or damages arising out of or relating to: (A) the financial infrastructure of a country; (B) a countrys |
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prevailing custody and settlement practices; (C) nationalization, expropriation or other governmental actions; (D) a countrys regulation of the banking or securities industry; (E) currency and exchange controls, restrictions, devaluations, redenominations, fluctuations or asset freezes; (F) laws, rules, regulations or orders that at any time prohibit or impose burdens or costs on the transfer of Assets to, by or for the account of Customer or (G) market conditions which affect the orderly execution of securities transactions or affect the value of securities; |
(ii) | BNY Mellons reliance on Instructions; |
(iii) | BNY Mellons receipt or acceptance of fraudulent, forged or invalid Securities (or Securities which are otherwise not freely transferable or deliverable without encumbrance in any relevant market); |
(iv) | For any matter with respect to which BNY Mellon is required to act only upon the receipt of Instructions, (A) BNY Mellons failure to act in the absence of such Instructions or (B) Instructions that are late or incomplete or do not otherwise satisfy the requirements of Section 3.2(e); |
(v) | BNY Mellon receiving or transmitting any data to or from Customer or any Authorized Person via any non-secure method of transmission or communication selected by Customer; |
(vi) | Customers or an Authorized Persons decision to invest in Securities or to hold Cash in any currency; |
(vii) | The insolvency of any Person, including a Subcustodian that is not a BNY Mellon Affiliate, Depository, broker, bank or a counterparty to the settlement of a transaction or to a foreign exchange transaction, except to the extent arising directly from BNY Mellons failure to exercise the Standard of Care in selecting, retaining and monitoring a Subcustodian that is not a BNY Mellon Affiliate; |
(viii) | Any inability of BNY Mellon, a Subcustodian or any of their respective agents to file claims for exemptions or refunds or otherwise obtain relief from Tax Obligations due to (A) Customers failure to provide, or delay in providing, Tax Information to BNY Mellon; (B) any failure of Customer to comply with applicable tax laws; or (C) any failure or refusal of any taxing authority to provide such relief; or |
(ix) | The use of any third party appointed or selected by Customer, or by BNY Mellon at the express request of Customer. |
(c) | If BNY Mellon is in doubt as to any action it should or should not take, either pursuant to, or in the absence of, Instructions, BNY Mellon may obtain the advice of either reputable counsel of its own choosing or counsel to Customer, and BNY Mellon will not be liable for acting in accordance with such advice. |
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14.3 | Force Majeure |
Neither BNY Mellon nor Customer will be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement to the extent caused, directly or indirectly, by natural disasters, fire, acts of God, strikes or other labor disputes, work stoppages, acts of war or terrorism, general civil unrest, actual or threatened epidemics, disease, act of any government, governmental authority or police or military authority, declared or threatened state of emergency, legal constraint, the interruption, loss or malfunction of utilities or transportation, communications or computer systems, or any other similar events beyond its reasonable control. Each Party will promptly notify the other upon the occurrence of such event and will use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize its effect.
14.4 | Indemnification |
Customer will indemnify and hold harmless BNY Mellon from and against all losses, costs, expenses, damages and liabilities (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) incurred by BNY Mellon arising out of or relating to BNY Mellons performance under this Agreement, except to the extent resulting from BNY Mellons actual fraud, negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith or reckless disregard in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or from BNY Mellons failure to perform its obligations under this Agreement in accordance with the Standard of Care. The Parties agree that the foregoing will include reasonable counsel fees and expenses incurred by BNY Mellon in its successful defense of claims that are asserted by Customer against BNY Mellon arising out of or relating to BNY Mellons performance under this Agreement.
15. | CONFIDENTIALITY |
15.1 | Confidentiality Obligations |
Each Party agrees to use the Confidential Information of the other Party solely to accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and, except in connection with such purposes or as otherwise permitted herein, not to disclose such information to any other Person without the prior written consent of the other Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, BNY Mellon may: (a) use Customers Confidential Information in connection with certain functions performed on a centralized basis by BNY Mellon, its Affiliates and joint ventures and their service providers (including audit, accounting, risk, legal, compliance, sales, administration, product communication, relationship management, compilation and analysis of customer-related data and storage); (b) disclose such information to its Affiliates and joint ventures and to its and their service providers who are subject to confidentiality obligations and (c) store the names and business contact information of Customers employees and representatives relating to this Agreement on the systems or in the records of its Affiliates and joint ventures and its and their service providers. In addition, BNY Mellon may aggregate information regarding Customer and the Accounts on an anonymized basis with other similar client data for BNY Mellons and its Affiliates reporting, research, product development and distribution, and marketing purposes.
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15.2 | Exceptions |
The Parties respective obligations under Section 15.1 will not apply to any such information: (a) that is, as of the time of its disclosure or thereafter becomes, part of the public domain through a source other than the receiving Party; (b) that was known to the receiving Party as of the time of its disclosure and was not otherwise subject to confidentiality obligations; (c) that is independently developed by the receiving Party without reference to such information; (d) that is subsequently learned from a third party not known to be under a confidentiality obligation to the disclosing Party; or (e) that is required to be disclosed pursuant to applicable law, rule, regulation, requirement of any law enforcement agency, court order or other legal process or at the request of a regulatory authority.
16. | TERM AND TERMINATION |
16.1 | Term |
(a) | The term of this Agreement will commence on the Effective Date and will continue in effect until terminated in accordance with the provisions herein. |
(b) | This Agreement will be terminated automatically in the event Customer is liquidated, effective upon such liquidation, provided that Customer has notified BNY Mellon in writing of such liquidation at least thirty (30) days in advance of such liquidation. |
16.2 | Termination |
Each Party may terminate this Agreement by giving to the other Party a notice in writing specifying the date of such termination, which will be not less than ninety (90) days after the date of such notice.
16.3 | Effect of Termination |
(a) | Upon termination hereof, Customer will pay to BNY Mellon such compensation as may be due to BNY Mellon, and will reimburse BNY Mellon for other amounts payable or reimbursable to BNY Mellon hereunder, through the date of termination. As soon as practical following the service of a termination notice (and in any case not less than 30 days before the termination of this Agreement), Customer will give BNY Mellon the details of the successor custodian or other person or persons to whom the Assets are to be transferred. BNY Mellon promptly will follow such reasonable Instructions as Customer issues concerning the transfer of custody of records, Assets and other items; provided that (a) BNY Mellon will have no responsibility or liability for shipping and insurance costs associated therewith and (b) full payment has been made to BNY Mellon of its compensation, costs, expenses and other amounts to which it is entitled hereunder. |
(b) | Notwithstanding any provision of this Section 16.3 to the contrary, in the event that this Agreement is terminated in its entirety, the Parties agree to continue operating under the terms of this Agreement as if this Agreement remained in full force and effect for 180 days following termination or (if shorter) for such shorter period of time as the Parties mutually agree is reasonably necessary for BNY Mellon to |
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transfer the custody records, Assets and other items to a successor custodian pursuant to Instructions (the Transition Period); provided, that during any such Transition Period, the terms of this Agreement (including terms relating to compensation of BNY Mellon) will remain in full force and effect. If any Assets remain in any Account after the Transition Period, BNY Mellon may deliver to Customer such Assets. |
16.4 | Survival |
Any and all provisions of this Agreement which by their nature or effect are required or intended to be observed, kept or performed after the expiration or termination of this Agreement will survive the expiration or any termination of this Agreement and remain binding upon and for the Parties benefit, including Section 13 (Representations, Warranties and Covenants); Section 14 (Liability); Section 15 (Confidentiality); Section 16.3 (Effect of Termination); Section 16.4 (Survival) and Section 17.4 (Governing Law/Forum).
17. | GENERAL |
17.1 | Non-Custody Assets |
At Customers request pursuant to Instructions, subject to BNY Mellons approval and as an accommodation to Customer, BNY Mellon will provide consolidated recordkeeping services reflecting on statements provided to Customer securities and other assets not held by, or under the control of, BNY Mellon (Non-Custody Assets). Non-Custody Assets will be designated on BNY Mellons books as assets not held in custody or by other similar designation and will not constitute Assets for purposes of this Agreement. Customer acknowledges and agrees that, notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in this Agreement, (a) Customer will have no security entitlement against BNY Mellon with respect to Non-Custody Assets; (b) BNY Mellon will rely, without independent verification, on information provided by Customer or its designee regarding Non-Custody Assets (including positions and market valuations); and (c) BNY Mellon will have no responsibility with respect to Non-Custody Assets or the accuracy of any information maintained on BNY Mellons books concerning Non-Custody Assets.
17.2 | Assignment |
Neither Party may, without the other Partys prior written consent, assign any of its rights or delegate any of its duties under this Agreement (whether by change of control, operation of law or otherwise); provided, however that BNY Mellon may, without the prior written consent of Customer, assign this Agreement or any of its rights, or delegate any of its duties hereunder: (a) to any BNY Mellon Affiliate; (b) to any successor to the business of BNY Mellon to which this Agreement relates, in which event BNY Mellon agrees to provide notice of such successor to Customer or (c) as otherwise permitted in this Agreement; provided further that any entity to which this Agreement is assigned by BNY Mellon without the prior written consent of Customer pursuant to a foregoing item (a), (b) or (c) will satisfy the requirements for serving as a custodian for a registered investment company. Any purported assignment or delegation by a Party in violation of this provision will be voidable at the option of the other Party. This Agreement will be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the Parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
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17.3 | Amendment |
This Agreement may be amended or modified only in a written agreement signed by an authorized representative of each Party. For purposes of the foregoing, email exchanges between the Parties will not be deemed to constitute a written agreement.
17.4 | Governing Law/Forum |
(a) | The substantive laws of the state of New York (without regard to its conflicts of law provisions) will govern all matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement, including the establishment and maintenance of the Accounts and for purposes of the Uniform Commercial Code and all issues specified in Article 2(1) of the Hague Securities Convention. |
(b) | Each Party irrevocably agrees that all legal actions or proceedings brought by it against the other Party arising out of or relating to this Agreement will be brought solely and exclusively before the state or federal courts situated in New York City, New York. Each Party irrevocably submits to personal jurisdiction in such courts and waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have based on improper venue or forum non conveniens. The Parties hereby unconditionally waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right to a jury trial with respect to any such actions or proceedings. |
17.5 | Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery |
BNY Mellon will implement business continuity and disaster recovery plans designed to minimize interruptions of service and ensure recovery of systems and applications used to provide the services under this Agreement. Such plans will cover the facilities, systems, applications and employees that are critical to the provision of the services hereunder, and will be tested at least annually to validate whether the recovery strategies, requirements and protocols are viable and sustainable.
17.6 | Sovereign Immunity |
To the extent that in any jurisdiction Customer may now or hereafter be entitled to claim, for itself or its assets, immunity from suit, execution, attachment (before or after judgment) or other legal process, Customer irrevocably agrees not to claim, and it hereby waives, such immunity.
17.7 | Non-Fiduciary Status |
Customer hereby acknowledges and agrees that BNY Mellon is not a fiduciary by virtue of accepting and carrying out its obligations under this Agreement and has not accepted any fiduciary duties, responsibilities or liabilities with respect to its services hereunder, including with respect to the management, investment advisory or sub-advisory functions of Customer.
17.8 | Notices |
Other than routine communications in the ordinary course of providing or receiving services hereunder (including Instructions), notices given hereunder will be: (a) addressed
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to BNY Mellon or Customer at the address set forth on the signature page (or such other address as either Party may designate in writing to the other Party) and (b) delivered either (i) by hand delivery, by certified mail, or by overnight delivery service, in each case with receipt acknowledged and postage or charges prepaid or (ii) by email (as a signed attachment). All notices given in accordance with this Section will be effective upon receipt.
17.9 | Entire Agreement |
This Agreement and any related fee agreement constitute the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the matters dealt with herein, and merges, integrates and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous discussions, agreements and understandings between the Parties, whether oral or written, with respect to such matters.
17.10 | No Third Party Beneficiaries |
This Agreement is entered into solely between, and may be enforced only by, the Parties. Each Party intends that this Agreement will not, and no provision of this Agreement will be interpreted to, benefit, or create any right or cause of action in or on behalf of, any party or entity other than the Parties.
17.11 | Counterparts |
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, either manually or by Electronic Signature, each of which will be deemed an original, and said counterparts when taken together will constitute one and the same instrument and may be sufficiently evidenced by one set of counterparts. Executed counterparts may be delivered by facsimile or email.
17.12 | Interpretation |
The terms and conditions of this Agreement are the result of negotiations between the Parties. The Parties intend that this Agreement will not be construed in favor of or against a Party by reason of the extent to which such Party or its professional advisors participated in the preparation or drafting of this Agreement.
17.13 | No Waiver |
No failure or delay by a Party to exercise any right, remedy or power it has under this Agreement will impair or be construed as a waiver of such right, remedy or power. A waiver by a Party of any provision or any breach of any provision will not be construed to be a waiver by such Party of such provision in any other instance or any succeeding breach of such provision or a breach of any other provision.
17.14 | Headings |
All section and subsection headings in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and will not be considered in the interpretation of the scope or intent of any provision of this Agreement.
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17.15 | Severability |
The invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement will not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision, and if any provision is held to be unenforceable as a matter of law, the other provisions will remain in full force and effect. In such case, the Parties will negotiate in good faith to replace each illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision with a valid, legal and enforceable provision that fulfills as closely as possible the original intent of the Parties.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first set forth above.
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. | |||||||
By: | /s/ Rachel Tignanelli |
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |||||
Name: | Rachel Tignanelli | Name: | George P. Hawley | |||||
Title: | Principal | Title: | Secretary |
Address for Notice: | Address for Notice: | |||
The Bank of New York Mellon | Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. 11100 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 2000 Los Angeles, CA 90025 | |||
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Attention: |
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Attention: George P. Hawley |
Pursuant to Section 10.1(a):
[ ] as beneficial owner, Customer OBJECTS to disclosure
[ ] as beneficial owner, Customer DOES NOT OBJECT to disclosure
[ ] BNY Mellon will CONTACT CUSTOMERS INVESTMENT ADVISER with respect to relevant Securities to make the decision whether it objects to disclosure
IF NO BOX IS CHECKED, BNY MELLON WILL RELEASE SUCH INFORMATION UNTIL IT RECEIVES A CONTRARY INSTRUCTION FROM CUSTOMER. |
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Exhibit (j)(2)
EXECUTION VERSION
DOCUMENT CUSTODY SERVICES ADDENDUM
TO CUSTODY AGREEMENT
This Document Custody Services Addendum to Custody Agreement (Addendum), made and entered into as of January 31, 2023, contains additional provisions which apply whenever Customer delivers to BNY Mellon any investment documentation relating to uncertificated securities which are registered in a name other than that of BNY Mellon or one of its nominees or concerns the issuer of any such securities (including information relating to investments in any such securities). The provisions of this Addendum shall be considered part of the Custody Agreement between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (Customer) and The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) dated January 31, 2023 (the Agreement) and shall be enforceable in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms hereof and the Agreement, this Addendum shall control with respect to the subject matter of this Addendum.
1. Definitions. For purposes of the Agreement and this Addendum, the following definitions shall apply:
Documentation shall mean, for each Private Investment (as defined below) for which Customer physically delivers an Investment File to BNY Mellon, all documents and instruments that may include the related Private Investments (but excluding any physical certificates evidencing ownership of a Security), including any subscription agreements, loan documents (including each loan agreement, promissory note, participation certificate, collateral security agreement, guarantee or supporting obligation), partnership certificates, membership agreements or such other agreements or documents as may be mutually agreed between the parties from time to time.
Hedge Fund Investments shall mean investments by Customer in hedge funds, mutual funds and other investment or collective investment vehicles.
Investment File shall mean an unsealed hard copy file, the contents of which, in the aggregate, do not exceed one hundred (100) pages, which Customer represents contains Documentation (as defined above), physically delivered to and actually received and accepted by BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository, as applicable.
Private Investments means, collectively, (i) private equity investments, including investments in partnership and limited liability companies (excluding Hedge Fund Investments), acquired by Customer and physically delivered to BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository, as applicable, by Customer from time to time during the term of, and pursuant to the terms of, the Agreement; (ii) all dividends in kind (e.g., non-cash dividends) from the investments described in clause (i); and (iii) loans or loan commitments originated by or otherwise obtained by Customer and delivered to BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository, as applicable, by Customer from time to time during the term of, and pursuant to the terms of, the Agreement.
2. Customer Representations, Warranties and Covenants. In addition to the representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Agreement, Customer hereby represents, warrants and covenants, which shall be continuing and shall be deemed to be reaffirmed upon each Instruction or Oral Instruction given by Customer, that:
(a) Its delivery of Investment Files to BNY Mellon hereunder and the Documentation therein complies with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, both state and federal, including all applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations;
(b) It will not otherwise use the services provided by BNY Mellon under this Addendum in any manner that is, or will result in, a violation of any such law, rule or regulation, and it will not include in any printed material nor make any other statement or representation regarding BNY Mellons services under this Addendum except as specifically provided herein; and
(c) It will not include in Investment Files anything other than Documentation.
3. Private Investments. Notwithstanding anything in the Agreement to the contrary, the following shall apply with respect to Private Investments:
(a) Customer will arrange for the physical and not, for the avoidance of doubt, electronic, delivery of an Investment File to BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository, as applicable, accompanied by an Instruction which clearly identifies the contents of such Investment File; provided that BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository may, in its reasonable discretion, reject any Investment File and/or any Documentation contained therein which BNY Mellon or such Subcustodian or Depository has determined to be ineligible for deposit or which otherwise cannot be held for safekeeping by BNY Mellon or such Subcustodian or Depository. BNY Mellon shall endeavor to provide reasonable notice to Customer of a rejection of any Investment File or related Documentation; provided that BNY Mellon makes no representation as to its ability to provide such notice and shall not incur any liability arising out of its failure to provide such notice. If an Investment File is accepted, BNY Mellon will generate an asset identifying number to track the Investment File and custody such Investment File in its vaults or the vaults of a Subcustodian or Depository. Under no circumstances will BNY Mellon be required to issue a trust receipt (or similar instrument) with respect to any Investment File or its contents. No director, officer, employee or agent of Customer shall have physical access to the Investment Files or be authorized or permitted to withdraw any Documentation nor shall BNY Mellon deliver any Documentation to any such person, unless such access or withdrawal or delivery has been duly authorized pursuant to Instructions.
(b) It is understood and agreed that BNY Mellon will accept any file purporting to be an Investment File as is and without any independent examination thereof. BNY Mellon shall be under no obligation to determine the sufficiency of any Investment File, to review, verify, validate or otherwise inspect the contents of an Investment File or to provide any certification with respect thereto. Subject to Section 3(a) above, acceptance of Investment Files by BNY Mellon is based solely on Customers description and representations regarding the contents thereof and any other documentation that BNY Mellon requests to obtain reasonable comfort that such Investment File is what Customer purports such Investment File to be, it being understood that none of BNY Mellon, Subcustodian nor Depository, as applicable, shall have any duty to Customer to so verify. BNY Mellon shall be entitled to fully rely, without independent verification, on Customers representations regarding the Investment Files. BNY Mellons custody of an Investment File shall in no way be construed as custody of Private Investments (or any other underlying assets which the Investment File is said to constitute or represent) nor as a security entitlement to such Private Investments under any applicable law or requirements (including the Uniform Commercial Code). For the avoidance of doubt, BNY Mellon shall have no duty or obligation whatsoever to determine, or liability for the failure to determine, (i) the contents of an Investment File; (ii) that any Investment File is or is not what Customer purports it to be or (iii) the value of any asset represented by the Investment File. BNY Mellon makes no representations or warranties, nor does it give any other assurances, regarding any Investment File or the contents thereof. Any account statements will only reflect an inventory of the physical Investment Files that BNY Mellon holds hereunder without any representation as to the contents thereof. BNY Mellon shall be under no obligation hereunder for providing any account statements directly to any clients or investors of Customer or to any third parties. With respect to the subject matter of this Addendum, BNY Mellon will only provide those services set forth in this Addendum and BNY Mellon shall be under no obligation to accept delivery of any Investment File unless it is delivered in accordance with BNY Mellons requirements.
(c) Customer shall be solely responsible for the servicing of all Private Investments. As between the parties, Customer shall be solely responsible to cause all payments by or on behalf of issuers of a Private Investment to be remitted to BNY Mellon for credit to an Account.
(d) Customer shall be solely responsible for maintaining all records of account activity relating to each Private Investment, including without limitation, any modification, all amortization schedules, records of transfer, pay-off, assignment, participation, sale, modification, termination or other changes in any such Private Investment. Upon modification or other change in any Private Investment, Customer shall promptly deliver or cause to be delivered to BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository, as applicable, all relevant Documentation.
(d) Customer shall be solely responsible for the settlement of each purchase or sale of Private Investments. Customer shall deliver to BNY Mellon Instructions specifying all Investment Files to be received or released in connection with such purchase or sale and any other relevant information concerning the custody of the Investment Files relating to the affected Private Investments. Customer assumes full responsibility for all credit risks associated with any such sale or purchase or any loss, damage or destruction of any Documentation or Investment Files in transit.
4. Customer Responsibilities. Unless otherwise agreed by BNY Mellon in writing to the contrary, Customer shall:
(a) Cause the issuer of the applicable Private Investment to deposit with BNY Mellon (by means of a check or draft payable to BNY Mellon or its nominee or by wire transfer) all income and other payments or distributions on or with respect to such Private Investment and advise BNY Mellon in an Instruction of the amount to be received and, if such amount relates to a particular Investment File, the identity of such Investment File;
(b) Direct BNY Mellon in a detailed Instruction to present for payment on the date and at the address specified therein the Private Investment specified therein whether at maturity or for repurchase or redemption, and to hold under the Agreement such amounts paid on or with respect to such particular Private Investments as BNY Mellon may receive;
(c) Obtain and execute any certificates of ownership, affidavits, declarations or other certificates under any tax laws now or hereafter in effect in connection with the collection of bond and note coupons or similar items;
(d) Cause the issuer to deposit with BNY Mellon, Subcustodian or Depository, as applicable, such additional Private Investment or rights as may be issued with respect to any Private Investments and advise BNY Mellon in a detailed Instruction if the Private Investments are to be added or credited to a particular Investment File;
(e) Be solely responsible for the exercise of rights or discretionary actions with respect to Private Investments; and
(f) Exercise all voting rights with respect to Private Investments.
5. Counterparts. This Addendum may be executed in any number of counterparts, either manually or by Electronic Signature, each of which will be deemed an original, and said counterparts when taken together will constitute one and the same instrument and may be sufficiently evidenced by one set of counterparts. Executed counterparts may be delivered by facsimile or email.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Addendum as of the date first set forth above.
The Bank of New York Mellon | Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. | |||||||
By: | /s/ Rachel Tignanelli |
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |||||
Name: | Rachel Tignanelli | Name: | George P. Hawley | |||||
Title: | Principal | Title: | Secretary |
Exhibit (j)(3)
EXECUTION VERSION
FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of January 31, 2023 by and between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Fund) and The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to appoint BNY Mellon as a Foreign Custody Manager on the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement;
WHEREAS, BNY Mellon desires to serve as a Foreign Custody Manager and perform the duties set forth in this Agreement on the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises hereinafter contained in this Agreement, the Fund and BNY Mellon hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:
1. Board shall mean the board of directors of the Fund.
2. Eligible Foreign Custodian shall have the meaning provided in the Rule.
3. Monitoring System shall mean a system established by BNY Mellon to fulfill the Responsibilities specified in clauses (d) and (e) of Section 1 of Article III of this Agreement.
4. Responsibilities shall mean the responsibilities delegated to BNY Mellon under the Rule as a Foreign Custody Manager with respect to each Specified Country and each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by BNY Mellon, as such responsibilities are more fully described in Article III of this Agreement.
5. Rule shall mean Rule 17f-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
6. Specified Country shall mean each country listed on Schedule I attached hereto and each country, other than the United States, constituting the primary market for a security with respect to which the Fund has given settlement instructions to The Bank of New York Mellon as custodian (the Custodian) under its Custody Agreement with the Fund.
ARTICLE II.
BNY MELLON AS A FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER
1. The Fund on behalf of its Board hereby delegates to BNY Mellon with respect to each Specified Country the Responsibilities.
2. BNY Mellon accepts the Boards delegation of Responsibilities with respect to each Specified Country and agrees in performing the Responsibilities as a Foreign Custody Manager to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of the Funds assets would exercise.
3. BNY Mellon shall provide to the Board at such times as the Board deems reasonable and appropriate based on the circumstances of the Funds foreign custody arrangements written reports notifying the Board of the placement of assets of the Fund with a particular Eligible Foreign Custodian within a Specified Country and of any material change in the arrangements (including the contract governing such arrangements) with respect to assets of the Fund with any such Eligible Foreign Custodian.
ARTICLE III.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, BNY Mellon shall with respect to each Specified Country select an Eligible Foreign Custodian. In connection therewith, BNY Mellon shall: (a) determine that assets of the Fund held by such Eligible Foreign Custodian will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the relevant market in which such Eligible Foreign Custodian operates, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation, those contained in paragraph (c)(1) of the Rule; (b) determine that the Funds foreign custody arrangements with each Eligible Foreign Custodian are governed by a written contract with the Custodian which will provide reasonable care for the Funds assets based on the standards specified in paragraph (c)(1) of the Rule; (c) determine that each contract with an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall include the provisions specified in paragraph (c)(2)(i)(A) through (F) of the Rule or, alternatively, in lieu of any or all of such (c)(2)(i)(A) through (F) provisions, such other provisions as BNY Mellon determines will provide, in their entirety, the same or a greater level of care and protection for the assets of the Fund as such specified provisions; (d) monitor pursuant to the Monitoring System the appropriateness of maintaining the assets of the Fund with a particular Eligible Foreign Custodian pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of the Rule and the performance of the contract governing such arrangement; and (e) advise the Fund whenever BNY Mellon determines under the Monitoring System that an arrangement (including any material change in the contract governing such arrangement) described in the preceding clause (d) no longer meets the requirements of the Rule.
2. For purposes of the preceding Section 1 of this Article, BNY Mellons determination of appropriateness shall not include, nor be deemed to include, any evaluation of Country Risks associated with investment in a particular country. For purposes of this Agreement, Country Risks shall mean systemic risks of holding assets in a particular country including but not limited to (a) an Eligible Foreign Custodians use of any depositories that act as or operate a system or a transnational system for the central handling of securities or any equivalent book-entries; (b) such countrys financial infrastructure; (c) such countrys prevailing custody and
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settlement practices; (d) nationalization, expropriation or other governmental actions; (e) regulation of the banking or securities industry; (f) currency controls, restrictions, devaluations or fluctuations; and (g) market conditions which affect the orderly execution of securities transactions or affect the value of securities.
ARTICLE IV.
REPRESENTATIONS
1. The Fund hereby represents that: (a) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Fund enforceable in accordance with its terms, and no statute, regulation, rule, order, judgment or contract binding on the Fund prohibits the Funds execution or performance of this Agreement; (b) this Agreement has been approved and ratified by the Board at a meeting duly called and at which a quorum was at all times present; and (c) the Board or the Funds investment advisor has considered the Country Risks associated with investment in each Specified Country and will have considered such risks prior to any settlement instructions being given to the Custodian with respect to any other country.
2. BNY Mellon hereby represents that: (a) BNY Mellon is duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, with full power to carry on its businesses as now conducted, and to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement; (b) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by BNY Mellon, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of BNY Mellon enforceable in accordance with its terms, and no statute, regulation, rule, order, judgment or contract binding on BNY Mellon prohibits BNY Mellons execution or performance of this Agreement; and (c) BNY Mellon has established the Monitoring System.
ARTICLE V.
CONCERNING BNY MELLON
1. BNY Mellon shall not be liable for any costs, expenses, damages, liabilities or claims, including attorneys and accountants fees, sustained or incurred by, or asserted against, the Fund except to the extent the same arises out of the failure of BNY Mellon to exercise the care, prudence and diligence required by Section 2 of Article II of this Agreement. In no event shall BNY Mellon be liable to the Fund, the Board or any third party for special, indirect or consequential damages, or for lost profits or loss of business, arising in connection with this Agreement.
2. The Fund shall indemnify BNY Mellon and hold BNY Mellon harmless from and against any and all costs, expenses, damages, liabilities or claims, including reasonable attorneys and accountants fees, sustained or incurred by, or asserted against, BNY Mellon by reason of or as a result of any action or inaction, or arising out of BNY Mellons performance under this Agreement, provided that the Fund shall not indemnify BNY Mellon to the extent any such cost, expense, damage, liability or claim arises out of BNY Mellons failure to exercise the reasonable care, prudence and diligence required by Section 2 of Article II of this Agreement.
3. For its services under this Agreement, the Fund agrees to pay to BNY Mellon such compensation and out-of-pocket expenses as shall be mutually agreed.
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4. BNY Mellon shall have only such duties as are expressly set forth in this Agreement. In no event shall BNY Mellon be liable for any Country Risks associated with investments in a particular country.
ARTICLE VI.
MISCELLANEOUS
1. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Fund and BNY Mellon as a foreign custody manager, and no provision in the Custody Agreement between the Fund and the Custodian shall affect the duties and obligations of BNY Mellon under this Agreement, nor shall any provision in this Agreement affect the duties or obligations of the Custodian under the Custody Agreement.
2. Any notice or other instrument in writing, authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to BNY Mellon, shall be sufficiently given if received by it at its offices at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, or at such other place as BNY Mellon may from time to time designate in writing.
3. Any notice or other instrument in writing, authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to the Fund shall be sufficiently given if received by it at its offices at , or at such other place as the Fund may from time to time designate in writing.
4. In case any provision in or obligation under this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected thereby. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner except by a written agreement executed by both parties. This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon the Fund and BNY Mellon, and their respective successors and assigns; provided however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by either party without the written consent of the other.
5. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof. The Fund and BNY Mellon hereby consent to the jurisdiction of a state or federal court situated in New York City, New York in connection with any dispute arising under this Agreement. The Fund hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that such proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Fund and BNY Mellon each hereby irrevocably waives any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
6. The Fund and BNY Mellon agree that in performing under this Agreement, BNY Mellon is acting solely on behalf of the Fund and no contractual or service relationship shall be deemed to be established hereby between BNY Mellon and any other person by reason of this Agreement.
7. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall, together, constitute only one instrument.
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8. This Agreement shall terminate simultaneously with the termination of the Custody Agreement between the Fund and the Custodian, and may otherwise be terminated by either party giving to the other party a notice in writing specifying the date of such termination, which shall be not less than thirty (30) days after the date of such notice.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund and BNY Mellon have caused this Agreement to be executed by their respective officers, thereunto duly authorized, as of the date first above written.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||||
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |||
Title: | Secretary |
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | ||||
By: | /s/ Rachel Tignanelli | |||
Title: | Principal |
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SCHEDULE I
Specified Countries
Exhibit (k)(1)
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT (this Agreement) made as of this 3rd day of May, 2023 (the Effective Date), by and between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (hereinafter referred to as the Company), and CCAP Administration LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Administrator).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Company intends to operate as a non-diversified closed-end management investment company;
WHEREAS, the Company has filed an election to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act); and
WHEREAS, the Administrator is willing to provide administrative services to the Company on the terms and conditions hereafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants hereinafter contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
1. | Duties of the Administrator |
(a) Appointment of Administrator. The Company hereby appoints the Administrator to act as administrator of the Company, and to furnish, or arrange for others to furnish, the administrative services, personnel and facilities described below, subject to review by and the overall control of the Board of Directors of the Company, for the period and on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render, or arrange for the rendering of, such services and to assume the obligations herein set forth subject to the reimbursement of costs and expenses provided for below. The Administrator and such others shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be independent contractors and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized herein, have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way or otherwise be deemed agents of the Company.
(b) Services. The Administrator shall perform (or oversee, or arrange for, the performance of) the administrative services necessary for the operation of the Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator shall provide the Company with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities and such other services as the Administrator, subject to review by the Board of Directors of the Company, shall from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also, on behalf of the Company, conduct relations with custodians, representatives, depositories, transfer agents, escrow agents, dividend disbursing agents, other stockholder servicing agents, accountants, attorneys, underwriters, brokers and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and such other persons in any such other capacity deemed to be
necessary or desirable. The Administrator shall make reports to the Board of Directors of the Company of the Administrators performance of obligations hereunder and furnish advice and recommendations with respect to such other aspects of the business and affairs of the Company as it shall determine to be desirable; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to require the Administrator to, and the Administrator shall not, provide any advice or recommendation relating to the securities and other assets that the Company should purchase, retain or sell or any other investment advisory services to the Company. The Administrator shall be responsible for the financial and other records that the Company is required to maintain and shall prepare reports to stockholders, and reports and other materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) or any other regulatory authority. The Administrator will provide on the Companys behalf significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which the Company is required to provide such assistance. In addition, the Administrator will assist the Company in determining and publishing the Companys net asset value, oversee the preparation and filing of the Companys tax returns, and the printing and dissemination of reports to stockholders of the Company, and generally oversee the payment of the Companys expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Company by others. The Administrator is hereby authorized, but not required, to enter into one or more sub-administration agreements with other administrators (each, a Sub-Administrator) pursuant to which the Administrator may obtain the services of the Sub-Administrator(s) to assist the Administrator in fulfilling its responsibilities hereunder.
2. | Records |
The Administrator agrees to maintain and keep all books, accounts and other records of the Company that relate to activities performed by the Administrator hereunder and, if required by the Investment Company Act, will maintain and keep such books, accounts and records in accordance with that Act. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the Investment Company Act, the Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for the Company shall at all times remain the property of the Company, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of this Agreement or otherwise on written request. The Administrator further agrees that all records which it maintains for the Company pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the Investment Company Act will be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the Investment Company Act unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records shall be surrendered in usable machine-readable form. The Administrator shall have the right to retain copies of such records subject to observance of its confidentiality obligations under this Agreement.
3. | Confidentiality |
The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially all information provided by each party to the other regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto, including nonpublic personal information (pursuant to Regulation S-P of the SEC), shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party, without the prior consent of such providing party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes
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publicly available other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by any regulatory authority, any authority or legal counsel of the parties hereto, by judicial or administrative process or otherwise by applicable law or regulation.
4. | Compensation; Allocation of Costs and Expenses |
In full consideration of the provision of the services of the Administrator, the Company shall reimburse the Administrator for the costs and expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations and providing personnel and facilities hereunder. The Administrator shall waive its right to be reimbursed in the event that any such reimbursements would cause any distributions to the Companys stockholders to constitute a return of capital. If requested to perform significant managerial assistance to portfolio companies of the Company, the Administrator will be paid an additional amount based on the services provided, which shall not exceed the amount the Company receives from the portfolio companies for providing this assistance.
In addition to the reimbursements set forth above, the Company will bear all costs and expenses that are incurred in its operations and transactions and not specifically assumed by the Companys investment adviser (the Advisor), pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2023, by and between the Company and the Advisor or any successor agreement (Investment Advisory Agreement). Costs and expenses to be borne by the Company include, but are not limited to, those relating to: (i) organization and offering expenses of the Company associated with this offering, as provided for in Conduct Rule 2310(a)(12) of the Financial Industrial Regulatory Authority; (ii) calculating the Companys net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firms or pricing services); (iii) fees and expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by the Advisor or payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, monitoring the Companys investments (including the cost of consultants hired to develop technology systems designed to monitor the Companys investments) and, if necessary, enforcing the Companys rights; (iv) costs and expenses related to the formation and maintenance of entities or special purpose vehicles to hold assets for tax, financing or other purposes; (v) expenses related to consummated and unconsummated portfolio investments including, without limitation any reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments, including expenses relating to unconsummated investments that may have been attributable to co-investors had such investments been consummated; (vi) debt servicing (including interest, fees and expenses related to the Companys indebtedness) and other costs arising out of borrowings, leverage, guarantees or other financing arrangements, including, but not limited to, the arrangements thereof; (vii) offerings of the Companys common stock (Common Stock) and the Companys other securities; (viii) costs of effecting sales and repurchases of the Companys Common Stock and other securities, if any; (ix) the Base Management Fee and any Incentive Fee (each as defined in the Investment Advisory Agreement); (x) dividends and other distributions on the Companys Common Stock; (xi) fees payable, if any, under any distribution manager, intermediary manager or selected intermediary agreements; (xii) fees payable under the Companys Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act (the Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan) (xiii) fees and expenses incurred in connection with the services of
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representatives, depositories, paying agents, transfer agents, escrow agents, dividend agents, trustees, rating agencies and custodians; (xiv) the allocated costs incurred by the Administrator in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it; (xv) other expenses incurred by the Advisor, the Administrator, any Sub-Administrator or the Company in connection with administering its business, including payments made to third-party providers of goods or services and payments to the Administrator that will be based upon the Companys allocable portion of overhead; (xvi) amounts payable to third parties, including representatives, depositories, paying agents, agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating, making and disposing of investments (excluding payments to third-party vendors for financial information services and costs associated with meeting potential sponsors); (xvii) fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts associated with the offer and sale of the Companys securities (including attendance at investment conferences and similar events); (xviii) brokerage fees and commissions; (xix) federal, state and local registration fees, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; (xx) all costs of registration and qualifying the Companys securities pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC or any other regulatory authority, including those contemplated by the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction; (xxi) federal, state and local taxes; (xxii) independent director fees and expenses; (xxiii) costs associated with the Companys reporting and compliance obligations under the Investment Company Act, applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), and the AIFM Directive or any national private placement regime in any jurisdiction (including any reporting required in connection with Annex IV of the AIFM Directive); (xxiv) costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by governmental bodies (including the SEC) and any agency administering the securities laws of a state, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; (xxv) costs associated with individual or group stockholders, including the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to the Companys stockholders, including printing costs and the costs of investor relations personnel responsible for the foregoing and related matters; (xxvi) costs of holding Board of Directors meetings and stockholder meetings, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing; (xxvii) the Companys fidelity bond; (xxviii) outside legal expenses; (xxix) accounting expenses (including costs and fees of the Companys independent accounting firm and fees, disbursements and expenses related to the audit of the Company and the preparation of the Companys tax information); (xxx) directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; (xxxi) costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute, and indemnification and other non-recurring or extraordinary expenses; (xxxii) direct costs and expenses of administration and operation, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, cellular phone and data service, copying, secretarial and other staff, audit and legal costs; (xxxiii) dues, fees and charges of any trade association of which the Company is a member; (xxxiv) costs of hedging, including the use of derivatives by the Company; (xxxv) costs associated with investor relations efforts; (xxxvi) proxy voting expenses; (xxxvii) costs of information technology and related costs, including costs related to software, hardware and other technological systems (including specialty and custom software); (xxxiii) fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Companys assets; (xix) costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records; and (xl) all other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company, the Administrator or any Sub-Administrator in connection with administering the Companys business, such as the allocable portion of overhead
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under this Agreement, including rent (if office space is provided by the Administrator) and the Companys allocable portion of the costs, expenses, compensation and benefits of its chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general counsel, secretary and their respective staffs (but not including, for the avoidance of doubt, costs and expenses attributable to the Advisors investment professionals acting in such capacity to provide investment advisory and management services pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement), operations staff who provide services to the Company, and any internal audit staff, to the extent internal audit performs a role in the Companys internal control assessment required under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; provided however, that any payments made by the Company for activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Common Stock will be paid pursuant to the Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan. To the extent the Administrator outsources any of its functions, the Company will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis without profit to the Administrator.
5. | Limitation of Liability of the Administrator; Indemnification |
The Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation its members) shall not be liable to the Company or its stockholders for any action by the Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation its members) in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company, and the Company shall indemnify, defend and protect the Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation the Advisor, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the Indemnified Parties) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Company or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Administrators duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Paragraph 5 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Company or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations in the performance of the Administrators duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Administrators duties and obligations under this Agreement (to the extent applicable, as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
6. | Activities of the Administrator |
The services of the Administrator to the Company are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Administrator and each affiliate is free to render services to others. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company are or may become interested in the Administrator and its affiliates, as directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners,
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stockholders or otherwise, and that the Administrator and directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners and stockholders of the Administrator and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.
7. | Duration and Termination of this Agreement |
This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date, and shall remain in effect for two years, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Directors of the Company and (ii) a majority of those members of the Board of Directors of the Company who are not interested persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of a party to this Agreement.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Company, or by the Administrator, upon 60 days written notice to the other party. This Agreement may not be assigned by a party without the prior consent of the other party. Notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Administrator shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 4 through the date of termination or expiration, and Section 5 shall continue in force and effect and apply to the Administrator and its representatives as, and to the extent, applicable.
8. | Amendments to this Agreement |
This Agreement may be amended pursuant to a written instrument by mutual consent of the parties.
9. | Governing Law |
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with laws of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, if any. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, if any, the latter shall control.
10. | Entire Agreement |
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof.
11. | Notices |
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office, or alternatively shall be given by email to the chief legal officer or chief compliance officer of the respective party.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on the date above written.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |||
Name: | Eric Hall | |||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
CCAP ADMINISTRATION LLC | ||||
By: | /s/ Jason Breaux | |||
Name: | Jason Breaux | |||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |||
Name: | George P. Hawley | |||
Title: | General Counsel |
[Signature page for Administration Agreement]
Exhibit (k)(2)
CONFIDENTIAL
Services Agreement
This Services Agreement (the Agreement) is entered into and effective as of April 30, 2023 (the Effective Date) by and among:
1. | SS&C Technologies, Inc., a corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware (SS&C Tech) and SS&C GIDS, Inc., a corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware (SS&C GIDS and collectively with SS&C Tech, SS&C); |
2. | CCAP Administration LLC, a limited liability company organized in the State of Delaware (Administrator); and |
3. | Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a corporation incorporated in the State of Maryland (Company). |
Administrator and Company each may be referred to individually and collectively as Client. SS&C and Client each may be referred to individually as a Party or collectively as Parties.
1. | Definitions; Interpretation |
1.1. | As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings: |
(a) Action means any civil, criminal, regulatory or administrative lawsuit, allegation, demand, claim, counterclaim, action, dispute, sanction, suit, request, inquiry, investigation, arbitration or proceeding, in each case, made, asserted, commenced or threatened by any Person (including any Government Authority), regardless of the legal, equitable or other theory. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Action shall not include any ordinary course regulatory audits or routine regulatory requests for information.
(b) Affiliate means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that is controlled by, controls, or is under common control with such Person and control of a Person means: (i) ownership of, or possession of the right to vote, more than 25% of the outstanding voting equity of that Person or (ii) the right to control the appointment of the board of directors or analogous governing body, management or executive officers of that Person.
(c) Business Day means a day other than a Saturday or Sunday on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for business.
(d) Claim means any Action arising out of the subject matter of, or in any way related to, this Agreement, its formation or the Services.
(e) Client Data means all data of Client, including data related to securities trades and other transaction data, investment returns, issue descriptions, and Market Data provided by Client and all output and derivatives thereof, necessary to enable SS&C to perform the Services, but excluding SS&C Property.
(f) Confidential Information means any information about Client or SS&C, including this Agreement, except for information that (i) is or becomes part of the public domain without breach of this Agreement by the receiving Party, (ii) was rightfully acquired from a third party, or is developed independently, by the receiving Party, or (iii) is generally known by Persons in the technology, securities, or financial services industries.
(g) Data Supplier means a supplier of Market Data.
(h) DPA means the Cayman Islands Data Protection Act (2021 Revision), as it may be revised from time to time (Act), together with any applicable regulations made under the Act.
(i) EU GDPR means the General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016, the effective date of which is 25 May 2018, including any applicable data protection legislation or regulations implementing or supplementing it, and any successor legislation, in those jurisdictions in which relevant services are provided to Client by SS&C from time to time, and including any amendments or re-enactments of the foregoing. The terms data subject, processor, controller, personal data (such types as set out in Schedule C), personal data breach and supervisory authority have the meanings given to them in Article 4 (Definitions) of GDPR and Section 2 of DPA, as applicable personal data.
(j) EU Personal Data means any personal data to the extent that EU GDPR applies to the processing of such personal data or the extent that a data subject is a resident of the EU or the European Economic Area.
(k) GDPR means the EU GDPR and the UK GDPR, as applicable.
(l) Governing Documents means the constitutional documents of an entity all as amended from time to time.
(m) Government Authority means any relevant administrative, judicial, executive, legislative or other governmental or intergovernmental entity, department, agency, commission, board, bureau or court, and any other regulatory or self-regulatory organizations, in any country or jurisdiction.
(n) Law means statutes, rules, regulations, interpretations and orders of any Government Authority.
(o) Losses means any and all compensatory, direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary, enhanced or other damages, settlement payments, attorneys fees, costs, damages, charges, expenses, interest, applicable taxes or other losses of any kind.
(p) Market Data means third party market and reference data, including pricing, valuation, security master, corporate action and related data.
(q) Person means any natural person or corporate or unincorporated entity or organization and that persons personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.
(r) Services means the services listed in Schedule A, as may be amended from time to time, or under such other service Schedules, which may be added to this Agreement by the Parties from time to time.
(s) SS&C Associates means SS&C and each of its Affiliates, members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners, employees, agents, successors or assigns.
(t) SS&C Property means all hardware, software, source code, data, report designs, spreadsheet formulas, information gathering or reporting techniques, know-how, technology and all other property commonly referred to as intellectual property used by SS&C in connection with its performance of the Services. SS&C Property shall not include Client Data and Confidential Information about Company or Administrator, provided that Market Data shall remain SS&C Property subject to Section 3.4
(u) Standard Contractual Clauses means the standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to third countries pursuant to the GDPR, as set out in the Annex to European Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/914 of 4 June 2021 (or any subsequent clauses that may amend or supersede such standard contractual clauses (to include the UK Addendum to the extent required under the UK GDPR)). For the purpose of this Agreement, UK Addendum means the UK Addendum to the Standard Contractual Clauses published by the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioners Office and effective 21 March 2022.
(v) Third Party Claim means a Claim (i) brought by any Person other than the indemnifying Party or (ii) brought by a Party on behalf of or that could otherwise be asserted by a third party.
(w) UK GDPR means the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU GDPR as it forms part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by virtue of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as modified by Schedule 1 to the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, and including any amendments or re-enactments of the foregoing, in each case, to the extent applicable to Client and/or SS&C in the receipt of or provision of, Services under this Agreement.
(x) UK Personal Data means any personal data to the extent that UK GDPR applies to the processing of such personal data or the extent that a data subject is a resident of the United Kingdom.
1.2. Other capitalized terms used in this Agreement but not defined in this Section 1 shall have the meanings ascribed thereto.
1.3. Section and Schedule headings shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement includes the schedules and appendices hereto. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and such schedules or appendices, the former shall control.
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1.4. Words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular. The words including, includes, included and include, when used, are deemed to be followed by the words without limitation. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words hereof, herein and hereunder and words of analogous import shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.
1.5. The Parties duties and obligations are governed by and limited to the express terms and conditions of this Agreement, and shall not be modified, supplemented, amended or interpreted in accordance with, any industry custom or practice, or any internal policies or procedures of any Party. The Parties have mutually negotiated the terms hereof and there shall be no presumption of law relating to the interpretation of contracts against the drafter.
2. | Services and Fees |
2.1. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, SS&C will perform the Services set forth in Schedule A for Client with reasonable care, skill, prudence and diligence. SS&C shall be under no duty or obligation to perform any service except as specifically listed in Schedule A or take any action except as specifically listed in Schedule A or this Agreement, and no other duties or obligations, including, valuation related, fiduciary or analogous duties or obligations, shall be implied. Client requests to change the Services, including those necessitated by a change to the Governing Documents of Company, or changes in applicable Law, will only be binding on SS&C when they are reflected in an amendment to Schedule A.
2.2. Client agrees to pay the fees, charges and expenses in accordance with, and in the manner set forth in, the fee letter, dated April 30, 2023 (the Fee Letter), which may be amended from time to time. The Fee Letter is incorporated by reference into this Agreement and subject to the terms of this Agreement.
2.3. In carrying out its duties and obligations pursuant to this Agreement, some or all Services may be delegated by SS&C to one or more of its Affiliates or, with the prior written consent of Client, other Persons (and any required Client consent to such delegation shall not be unreasonably revoked or withheld in respect of any such delegations), provided that such Persons are selected in good faith and with reasonable care and are monitored by SS&C. If SS&C delegates any Services, (i) such delegation shall not relieve SS&C of its duties and obligations hereunder, (ii) in respect of personal data, such delegation shall be subject to a written agreement obliging the delegate as sub-processor to comply with the relevant delegated duties and obligations of SS&C including those set out in Section 9 (Data Protection), and (iii) if required by applicable Law, SS&C will identify such agents and the Services delegated and will update Client when making any material changes in sufficient detail to provide transparency and to enable Client to object to a particular arrangement. SS&C shall be responsible for the acts and omissions of any delegate.
2.4. The Parties will work together in good faith to draft a Service Level Agreement (an SLA) regarding the Services within 90 days of the Effective Date that will provide, among other items, deliverables, timelines and other details. The Services will be measured and monitored using Service Levels as agreed in writing in an SLA. The Service Levels are for operational purposes only and the failure by either Party to comply with or perform one or more of the Service Levels or its corresponding dependencies shall not alone and in isolation constitute a breach of this Agreement.
3. | Company and Administrator Responsibilities |
3.1. The management and control of Company is vested exclusively in Companys governing body (i.e., the board of directors of Company), subject to the terms and provisions of Companys applicable Governing Documents. Company, Administrator or investment advisor are responsible for and will make all decisions, perform all management functions relating to the operation of Company and authorize all transactions. Without limiting the foregoing, Client shall:
(a) Designate properly qualified individuals to the Services and establish and maintain internal controls, including monitoring the ongoing activities of Company.
(b) Evaluate the accuracy, and accept responsibility for the results, of the Services, review and approve all reports, analyses and records resulting from the Services and promptly inform SS&C of any errors it is in a position to identify.
(c) Provide, or cause to be provided, and accept responsibility for, valuations of assets and liabilities in accordance with Companys written valuation policies, as applicable.
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(d) Provide SS&C with timely and accurate information including trading and investor records, valuations and any other items required by SS&C in order to perform the Services and its duties and obligations hereunder.
3.2. The Services, including any services that involve price comparison to vendors and other sources, model or analytical pricing or any other pricing functions, are provided by SS&C as a support function to Client and do not limit or modify Clients responsibility for determining the value of Companys assets and liabilities.
3.3. Company and Administrator are each solely and exclusively responsible for ensuring that it complies with applicable Law and its respective Governing Documents. It is the Clients responsibility to provide all final Governing Documents related to the Company as of the Effective Date. The Client will notify SS&C in writing of any changes to the Company Governing Documents related to cannabis, cannabinoids, or cryptocurrency investments, and/or that may materially impact the Services and/or that affect the Companys investment strategy, liquidity or risk profile in any material respect prior to such changes taking effect. SS&C is not responsible for monitoring Clients compliance with (i) Law, (ii) its respective Governing Documents or (iii) any investment restrictions.
3.4. In the event that Market Data is supplied to or through SS&C Associates in connection with the Services, the Market Data is proprietary to Data Suppliers and is provided on a limited internal-use license basis. Market Data may: (i) only be used by Client in connection with the Services and (ii) not be (A) disseminated by Client to any Person other than the Companys investment advisers, independent public accounting firm, Board and officers, as necessary, strictly for use in their provision of services to Company or (B) used to populate internal systems in lieu of obtaining a data license. Access to and delivery of Market Data is dependent on the Data Suppliers and may be interrupted or discontinued with or without notice; provided that, SS&C will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide Client with prompt notice in the event that such access and delivery is likely to be interrupted. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither SS&C nor any Data Supplier shall be liable to Client or any other Person including the Companys investment advisers, independent public accounting firm, Board and officers for any Losses with respect to Market Data, reliance by SS&C Associates or Client on Market Data or the provision of Market Data in connection with this Agreement.
3.5. Client shall deliver, and use commercially reasonable efforts to procure that its agents, prime brokers, counterparties, brokers, counsel, advisors, auditors, clearing agents, and any other Persons promptly deliver, to SS&C, all Client Data and the then most current version of all Company Governing Documents and any agreement between Administrator and Company. Client shall arrange with each such Person to deliver such information and materials on a timely basis, and SS&C will not be required to enter any agreements with that Person in order for SS&C to provide the Services.
3.6. Subject to Section 6, SS&C Associates shall be entitled to rely on the authenticity, completeness and accuracy of any and all information and communications of whatever nature received by SS&C Associates in connection with the performance of the Services and SS&Cs duties and obligations hereunder without further enquiry or liability; provided that, notwithstanding Section 6, SS&C Associates shall be entitled to rely on information provided by Client and their Affiliates and agents so long as such reliance is in good faith.
3.7. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if SS&C is in doubt as to any action it should or should not take in its provision of Services, SS&C Associates may request directions, advice or instructions from Client, custodian or other service providers. If SS&C is in doubt as to any question of law pertaining to any action it should or should not take, Client will make available to and SS&C Associates may request advice from counsel for any of Client, Companys independent board members, or Clients officers, each at the Clients expense.
4. | Term |
4.1. The initial term of this Agreement will be from the Effective Date through December 31, 2026 (Initial Term). Thereafter, this Agreement will automatically renew for successive terms of 1 year each unless either SS&C or Client provides the other with a written notice of termination at least 90 calendar days prior to the commencement of any successive term (such periods, in the aggregate, the Term).
5. | Termination |
5.1. SS&C or Client also may, by written notice to the other, terminate this Agreement if any of the following events occur:
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(a) The other Party breaches any material term, condition or provision of this Agreement, which breach, if capable of being cured, is not cured within 30 calendar days after the non-breaching Party gives the other Party written notice of such breach.
(b) The other Party (i) liquidates, terminates or suspends its business, (ii) becomes insolvent, admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they mature, makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or becomes subject to direct control of a trustee, receiver or analogous authority, (iii) becomes subject to any bankruptcy, insolvency or analogous proceeding, (iv) where the other Party is Company or Administrator, either becomes subject to a material Action or an Action that SS&C reasonably determines could cause SS&C reputational harm (including any Action against an investment adviser, sub-adviser, or other affiliated service provider of Client), (v) where the other party is SS&C, it becomes subject to a material Action involving fraud, willful misconduct, criminal activities or material violation of applicable Law specifically with respect to SS&Cs actions or inactions in its capacity as a provider of fund administration services including transfer agency services that Client reasonably determines could cause Client reputational harm, or (vi) where the other Party is Client, material changes in Clients Governing Documents or the assumptions set forth in Section 1 of Fee Letter are determined by SS&C, in its reasonable discretion, to materially affect the Services or does not comply with SS&Cs internal policies related to cannabis, cannabinoids, or cryptocurrency investments as explained to Client.
If any such event occurs, the termination will become effective immediately on the date stated in the written notice of termination, which date shall not be greater than 90 calendar days after the event. For purposes of this Section 5.1, Administrator and Company shall each be considered a separate Party.
5.2. Upon at least 90 calendar days prior written notice, Client may terminate if Company liquidates, terminates or suspends its business; provided, that Client will remain responsible for the lesser of (i) the minimum fees payable under this Agreement through the remainder of the then-current Term or (ii) the fees payable in accordance with the terms of this Agreement during such notice period.
5.3. Upon delivery of a termination notice, subject to the receipt by SS&C of all then-due fees, charges and expenses, SS&C shall continue to provide the Services up to the effective date of the termination notice; thereafter, SS&C shall have no obligation to perform any services of any type unless and to the extent set forth in an amendment to Schedule A and/or Fee Letter executed by SS&C. In the event of the termination of this Agreement, SS&C shall provide exit assistance by promptly supplying requested Client Data to Client, or any other Person(s) designated by such Client, in formats already prepared in the course of providing the Services; provided that all fees, charges and expenses have been paid. In the event that Client wishes to retain SS&C to perform additional transition or related post-termination services, including providing data and reports in new formats, Client and SS&C shall agree in writing to the additional services and related fees and expenses in an amendment to Schedule A and/or Fee Letter, as appropriate.
5.4. Termination of this Agreement shall not affect: (i) any liabilities or obligations of any Party arising before such termination (including payment of fees and expenses) or (ii) any damages or other remedies to which a Party may be entitled for breach of this Agreement or otherwise. Sections 2.2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement. To the extent any services that are Services are performed by SS&C for Client after the termination of this Agreement all of the provisions of this Agreement except Schedule A shall survive the termination of this Agreement for so long as those services are performed.
6. | Limitation of Liability and Indemnification |
6.1. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary SS&C Associates shall not be liable to Client for any action or inaction of any SS&C Associate except to the extent of direct Losses finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C Associates in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement. Client shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless SS&C Associates from and against Losses (including legal fees and costs to enforce this provision) that SS&C Associates suffer, incur, or pay as a result of any Third Party Claim or Claim between the Parties, except to the extent it is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that such Losses resulted solely from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C Associates in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement. Any expenses (including legal fees and costs) incurred by SS&C Associates in defending or responding to any Claims (or in enforcing this provision) shall be paid by Client on a quarterly basis prior to the final disposition of such matter upon receipt by Client of an undertaking by SS&C to repay such amount if it shall be
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determined that an SS&C Associate is not entitled to be indemnified. Upon the assertion of a Claim for which Client may be required to indemnify SS&C, SS&C shall notify Client of such assertion, and shall keep Client advised with respect to all material developments concerning such Claim. Client shall have the option to participate with SS&C in the defense of such Claim and SS&C shall reasonably allow such participation. SS&C shall in no case confess, compromise or settle the Claim in any case in which Client may be required to indemnify it except with the prior written consent of Client, which consent shall not be unreasonably delayed, withheld or conditioned. The maximum amount of cumulative liability of SS&C Associates to Client for Losses arising out of the subject matter of, or in any way related to, this Agreement, except to the extent of Losses resulting solely from the willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement, shall not exceed three times the fees paid by that Client to SS&C under this Agreement for the most recent 12 months immediately preceding the date of the event giving rise to the Claim.
6.2. With the exception of Market Data, SS&C shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Client and its respective Affiliates, members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners and employees from and against Losses (including reasonable legal fees and costs to enforce this provision) that Client or its respective Affiliates suffer, incur, or pay as a result of any Claim brought by a third party that the Services infringe, or cause the infringement of, the intellectual property rights of a third party, except to extent such infringement is a result of or arises out of (i) improper use of the Services or any SS&C Property by Client or its respective Affiliates, (ii) modifications to the Services or SS&C Property made by Client or its respective Affiliates not previously authorized in writing by SS&C, (iii) Client or its respective Affiliates not complying with instructions or designs required by SS&C, (iv) use of the Services or SS&C Property by Client or its respective Affiliates in breach of this Agreement, or (v) the combination of the Services or SS&C Property by Client or its respective Affiliates with products or systems other than those provided for use with the Services by, or authorized in writing by, SS&C. SS&C may discharge its indemnity obligation by, at its sole option and expense (a) procuring any right to allow Client to continue to receive the infringing part of the Services, (b) modifying, amending or replacing the infringing part of the Services with other services that deliver substantially the same capabilities, or (c) terminating the infringing part of the Services, provided that SS&C shall in such case refund any fees paid in advance by the Client with respect thereto.
6.3. Except with respect to all amounts payable by an indemnifying Party as a part of its indemnification obligations under this Section 6, in no event shall either Party be liable to the other Party for Losses that are indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary or enhanced or that represent lost profits, opportunity costs or diminution of value.
6.4. Further, and notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, with respect to as of adjustments, SS&C will not assume one hundred percent (100%) responsibility for losses resulting from as ofs due to clerical errors or misinterpretations of securityholder instructions, but SS&C will discuss with Company, SS&Cs accepting liability for an as of on a case-by-case basis and may accept financial responsibility for a particular situation resulting in a financial loss to Company where such loss is material, as hereinafter defined, and, under the particular facts at issue, and subject to the applicable standard of care and liability limits in the Agreement, SS&C in its discretion believes SS&Cs conduct was culpable and SS&Cs conduct is the sole cause of the loss. A loss is material for purposes of this Section when it results in a pricing error on a given day which is (i) greater than a negligible amount per securityholder, (ii) equals or exceeds one ($.01) full cent per share times the number of shares outstanding or (iii) equals or exceeds the product of one-half of one percent (1%) times Companys Net Asset Value per share times the number of shares outstanding (or, in case of (ii) or (iii), such other amounts as may be adopted by applicable accounting or regulatory authorities from time to time). When SS&C concludes that it should contribute to the settlement of a loss, SS&Cs responsibility will commence with that portion of the loss over $0.01 per share calculated on the basis of the total value of all shares owned by the affected portfolio (i.e., on the basis of the value of the shares of the total portfolio, including all classes of that portfolio, not just those of the affected class).
7. | Representations and Warranties |
7.1. Each Party represents and warrants to each other Party that:
(a) It is a legal entity duly created, validly existing and in good standing under the Law of the jurisdiction in which it is created, and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction where the failure to be in good standing would have a material adverse effect on its business or its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
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(b) Save for access to and delivery of Market Data that is dependent on Data Suppliers and may be interrupted or discontinued with or without notice, it has all necessary legal power and authority to own, lease and operate its assets and to carry on its business as presently conducted and as it will be conducted pursuant to this Agreement and will comply in all material respects with all Law to which it may be subject, and to the best of its knowledge and belief, it is not subject to any Action that would prevent it from performing its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
(c) It has all necessary legal power and authority to enter into this Agreement, the execution of which has been duly authorized and will not violate the terms of any other agreement.
(d) The Person signing on its behalf has the authority to contractually bind it to the terms and conditions in this Agreement and that this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of it, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.
7.2. Administrator represents and warrants to SS&C that (i) it has actual authority to provide instructions and directions on behalf of Administrator and Company and that all such instructions and directions are consistent with the Governing Documents and other corporate actions of Client and Company and (iii) it will promptly notify SS&C of (1) any material Action against it and (2) changes (or pending changes) in applicable Law with respect to the Client that are relevant to the Services.
7.3. Company represents and warrants to SS&C that it is a closed-end management investment company and, prior to the provision of Services hereunder, shall have elected to be regulated as a business development company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
7.4. | SS&C represents and warrants to Client that: |
(a) | To its knowledge, none of the software owned or licensed by SS&C and made accessible by SS&C to Client in connection with the Services contains a virus, malware or a similar defect that could reasonably be anticipated to damage, detrimentally interfere with, surreptitiously intercept, adversely affect or expropriate Client Data maintained by SS&C. |
(b) | It has implemented and maintains commercially reasonable business continuity policies and procedures with respect to the Services, will provide Client with a summary of its business continuity policies, will test its business continuity procedures at least annually. |
(c) | It has implemented and maintains policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to protect against unauthorized access to or use of Client Personal Information and Confidential Information maintained by SS&C. |
(d) | SS&C maintains and shall maintain for the duration of the effectiveness of this Agreement and for 1 year following the termination or expiry of this Agreement with insurers of good reputation and financial standing: (i) Commercial General Liability insurance in commercially reasonable amounts, (ii) Workers Compensation and Employers Liability insurance, in each case to the extent required by applicable law, covering all SS&C Associates performing services, and (iii) Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions and Cyber Liability) insurance coverage in commercially reasonable amounts. |
(e) | SS&C GIDS, Inc. (or its Affiliate, Assignee or Successor that provides similar Shareholder Recordkeeping, Transfer Agency and Investor Services as listed under Schedule A, Section E of this Agreement) is registered, and at all times during the term of this Agreement shall be registered, as a transfer agent as required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), including Section 17(A)(c) of the 1934 Act. |
8. | Client Data |
8.1. Client will (i) provide or ensure that other Persons provide all Client Data to SS&C in an electronic format that is acceptable to SS&C (or as otherwise agreed in writing) and (ii) confirm that each has the right to so share such Client Data. As between SS&C and Client, all Client Data shall remain the property of the applicable Client. Client Data shall not be used or disclosed by SS&C other than in connection with providing the Services and as permitted
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under Section 11.2. SS&C shall be permitted to act upon instructions from Client or Management with respect to the disclosure or disposition of Client Data related to Company, but may refuse to act upon such instructions where it doubts, in good faith, the authenticity or authority of such instructions.
8.2. SS&C shall maintain and store material Client Data used in the books and records of Company for at least a rolling period of 7 years starting from the Effective Date, or such longer period as required by applicable Law or its internal policies.
8.3 Client Reviews. Upon at least 30 days written notice from Client to SS&C, Client, through its staff or agents (other than any Person that is a competitor of SS&C), and Government Authorities with jurisdiction over the Client (each a Reviewer) may conduct a reasonable, on-site review of the operational and technology infrastructure controls used by SS&C to provide the Services and meet SS&Cs confidentiality and information security obligations under this Agreement (a Review). Client shall accommodate SS&C requests to reschedule any Review based on the availability of required resources. With respect to any Review, Client shall:
(a) Pay SS&C costs, provided that Client shall not be responsible for SS&Cs own internal costs associated with SS&C personnel supervising such Review or performing such tasks are reasonably necessary to allow Client to perform such Review.
(b) Comply, and ensure that Reviewers comply, with SS&Cs policies and procedures relating to physical, computer and network security, business continuity, safety and security.
(c) Ensure that all Reviewers are bound by written confidentiality obligations substantially similar to, and no less protective than, those set forth in the Agreement (which Client shall provide to SS&C upon request).
(d) Except for mandatory Reviews by Government Authorities, be limited to 1 Review per calendar year.
9. | Data Protection |
9.1. From time to time and in connection with the Services, SS&C may obtain access to and process certain personal data from Client and, if applicable as processor on behalf of Client. Personal data relating to Client and their respective Affiliates, members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners, employees and agents will be processed by and on behalf of SS&C. The Parties acknowledge and agree that, with regard to the processing of such personal data, Client is the controller and SS&C is the processor acting on behalf of Client.
9.2. For the purpose of GDPR and DPA and to the extent GDPR and/or DPA, as applicable, applies to Company as Controllers and SS&C as Processor in the provision of Services under this Agreement, the Parties acknowledge that SS&C acts as the Processor and Company acts as the Controller(s) of such personal data, as is processed under this Agreement for the purpose of performing the Services. The subject matter, duration, nature, purpose, type of personal data, and the categories of data subjects in respect of the processing of the personal data are set out in Schedule C. The Parties shall, acting reasonably, from time to time agree such changes to Schedule C as necessary to meet the requirements of GDPR and/or DPA, as may be applicable.
9.3. In processing the personal data on behalf of Client, SS&C acting as a processor shall:
(a) comply with its applicable obligations as a processor under (i) GDPR, including those requirements set out in Articles 28 (Processor), 29 (Processing under the authority of the controller or processor), Article 30 (Records of processing activities), 31 (Cooperation with the supervisory authority) and 32 (Security of processing) of GDPR, and (ii) DPA, if any, and implement and maintain appropriate technical and organizational measures in relation to the processing of personal data designed to ensure the security of any processing of personal data, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons;
(b) not disclose or use any personal data obtained from or on behalf of Client, except in accordance with the documented lawful instructions of Client, to carry out SS&Cs obligations under, or as otherwise permitted pursuant to the terms of, this Agreement, and to comply with applicable Law including GDPR and DPA;
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(c) notify Client without undue delay after becoming aware of a relevant personal data breach and provide reasonable assistance to Client in its notification of that personal data breach to the relevant supervisory authority and those data subjects affected as set out in Articles 33 (Notification of a personal data breach to the supervisory authority) and 34 (Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject) of GDPR and the equivalent provisions of DPA, in each case taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to SS&C. Upon becoming aware of a personal data breach, Client is responsible for making notifications related to a personal data breach that Client is required to make by applicable Law;
(d) provide reasonable assistance to Client in its obligations to respond to requests from data subjects in relation to the exercise of data subjects rights laid down in GDPR and/or DPA, as applicable, insofar as possible by appropriate technical and organizational measures taking into account the nature of the processing and the information available to SS&C;
(e) provide reasonable assistance to Client in its data protection impact assessment and its prior consultation with the relevant supervisory authority as set out in Articles 35 (Data Protection Impact Assessment) and 36 (Prior Consultation) of GDPR, taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to SS&C. Staff time in excess of 10 hours per services agreement in any year shall be chargeable at SS&Cs standard rates together with any expenses;
(f) only grant access to the personal data to:
(i) | employees or other personnel who require access to the personal data to enable SS&C to perform its obligations under the Agreement; |
(ii) | any persons who require access to the personal data to enable SS&C to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or |
(iii) | as permitted under Section 2.3; |
and, in each case, ensure that such Persons are subject to a duty of confidence in respect of the personal data;
(g) only transfer the personal data to, or access or process the personal data in, any country outside the European Economic Area (in the case of EU Personal Data) and UK (in the case of UK Personal Data) and the Cayman Islands in accordance with the EU GDPR, UK GDPR, and DPA, as applicable, and including, where applicable, as a result of a data transfer agreement containing the relevant Standard Contractual Clauses (deemed equivalent in the Cayman Islands for the purpose of DPA);
(h) at the request of Client and upon reasonable notice and access arrangements agreed in writing with Client: (i) make available to Client all information necessary to demonstrate SS&Cs compliance with the obligations laid down in this Section 9 (Data Protection) and (ii) allow for and contribute to audits, including inspections, conducted by Client or Clients designated auditor and/or any Government Authority in each case taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to SS&C;
(i) on termination of this Agreement or as otherwise instructed by Client, return to Client or erase (on Clients election) the personal data (including all existing copies thereof) to Client, and as instructed by Client, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and provide Client with written confirmation of any such erasure, provided that SS&C shall be entitled to retain the personal data to the extent required by, and in accordance with, applicable Law and subject to the confidentiality obligations set forth in Section 11; and
(j) promptly notify Client and provide reasonable assistance, where it becomes aware of any data subject complaint in relation to the handling of personal data, or any communication by a relevant supervisory authority in relation to the personal data, which is in each case processed pursuant to this Agreement (unless the relevant Party is prohibited from making such notification under any applicable Law or by any Governmental Authority).
9.4. Client shall comply at all times with its applicable obligations as a controller under GDPR and DPA, as applicable, and agrees to ensure that all relevant data subjects for whom SS&C will process personal data on Clients behalf as contemplated by this Agreement are fully informed of such processing, including, where relevant, the processing of such data outside the European Union (in the case of EU Personal Data), the United Kingdom (in the case of UK Personal Data) and the Cayman Islands and if applicable provide consent for GDPR and/or DPA compliance purposes.
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9.5. For the purposes of this clause the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
(a) | CCPA means the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, California Civil Code § 1798.100 to 1798.199, effective January 1, 2020, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, effective January 1, 2023 and their respective implementing regulations. |
(b) | Personal Information means personal information within the meaning of CCPA which is received or collected by SS&C from, or on behalf of, Client in connection with performing its obligations pursuant to this Agreement. |
(c) | Business, Business Purpose, Consumer, Sell, Service Provider, Share and Verifiable Consumer Request have the meanings given in Section 1798.140 of CCPA. |
To the extent CCPA applies to Client as a Business and SS&C as a Service Provider in the receipt and/or provision of Services under this Agreement, the Parties hereby agree the following:
(a) | SS&C as a Service Provider shall not: |
(i) | Sell or Share Personal Information; |
(ii) | retain, use or disclose any Personal Information for any purpose other than: |
1. | the limited and specified Business Purposes of providing the Services or performing its obligations under this Agreement; |
2. | in accordance with Clients lawful instructions; |
3. | outside of the direct business relationship between SS&C and Client; or |
4. | as otherwise permitted pursuant to CCPA, including the purposes described in Section 1798.145, subdivisions (a)(1) to (a)(4) of CCPA. |
(iii) | combine Personal Information with personal information received from or on behalf of another person or collected from SS&Cs own interactions with individuals. |
(b) | SS&C shall comply with its own applicable obligations as Service Provider under CCPA and provide the same level of privacy protection as is required by CCPA. |
(c) | SS&C shall notify Client on a timely basis if at any time SS&C makes a determination that it can no longer meet its obligations under CCPA. |
(d) | The Parties agree that Client may take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure that SS&C uses Personal Information in a manner consistent with Clients obligations under CCPA and, upon written notice to SS&C, stop and remediate the unauthorized use of Personal Information. |
(e) | SS&C shall provide Client with reasonable assistance in Clients obligations to respond to Verifiable Consumers Requests in connection with a request for information or deletion by such Consumer pursuant to CCPA, including Section 1798.105(c) of CCPA, and at Clients written direction, SS&C shall delete, or enable Client to delete such Personal Information, in each case taking into account the nature of the processing and the information available to SS&C, provided that SS&C shall not be required to comply with a Consumers request to delete the Consumers Personal information if it is reasonably necessary for the Business of the Service Provider to maintain the Consumers Personal information in accordance with CCPA, including the purposes described in Section 1798.105. |
(f) | Client agrees that it shall comply at all times with its own applicable obligations as a Business under CCPA. Client agrees to ensure that all relevant Consumers for whom SS&C will process Personal Information on Clients behalf as contemplated by this Agreement are fully informed concerning such processing, including, where relevant, the processing of such Personal Information outside the State of California and if applicable provide consent for CCPA compliance purposes. |
9.6. Without prejudice to SS&Cs obligations under Section 9.3, SS&C will implement and maintain reasonable technical, administrative and physical safeguards to protect Client Data from accidental, unauthorized, or unlawful
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destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, or access, which safeguards shall include: (i) encryption during the transmission or storage of Client Data, (ii) installation and maintenance of firewalls configured to protect Client Data, (iii) use of automatically updating anti-virus software on devices used in providing the Services, (iv) an intrusion and vulnerability management program, (v) tracking and monitoring access to network resources and Client Data, (vi) control access to physical hardware that contains Client Data, (vii) distributed denial of service mitigation services, (viii) a reasonable program for disposal of documents and media containing Client Data, and (ix) procedures for the maintenance of Client Data.
9.7. Without prejudice to SS&Cs obligations under Section 9.3, SS&C will promptly investigate material incidents of unauthorized access to or loss of Client Data maintained by SS&C (Data Breach) and, unless prohibited by applicable Law or if it would materially compromise SS&Cs investigation, notify Client on a timely basis following any Data Breach. Client is responsible for making notifications related to a Data Breach that Client is required to make by applicable Law and SS&C will work with Client in good faith to allow Client to make any notifications required by applicable Law. SS&C will promptly seek, in conjunction with Client, to implement corrective action to respond to Data Breaches and prevent future occurrences, and will report to Client the corrective actions. SS&C will reasonably cooperate with Client in the event of any Government Authority inquiry related to or arising out of a Data Breach.
9.8. At the request of Client, on an annual basis (and subject to a written disclaimer and indemnity, SS&C will provide Client with a copy of its reports prepared under Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No.18., Service Organization Controls 1 (SOC1), as applicable to the Services and SS&Cs data processing environment. Upon Client written request, SS&C shall meet with Client to discuss the reports and respond to Clients inquiries with respect thereto, including providing a summary of SS&Cs remediation plans for any material deficiencies noted in the reports.
9.9. Client acknowledges that SS&C intends to develop and offer analytics-based products and services for its customers. In providing such products and services, SS&C will be using consolidated data across all clients, including data of Client, and make such consolidated data available to clients of the analytics products and services. Client hereby consents to the use by SS&C of Client Confidential Information (including anonymized shareholder information) in the offering of such products and services, and to disclose the results of such analytics services to its customers and other third parties, provided the information will be aggregated, anonymized and may be enriched with external data sources. SS&C will not disclose shareholder names or other personal identifying information, or information specific to or identifying Client or any information in a form or manner, which could reasonably be utilized to readily determine the identity of Client or its shareholders.
9.10. Any provision of this Agreement that expressly or by implication should come into or continue in force on or after termination of the Agreement in order to protect the personal data will remain in full force and effect.
10. | SS&C Property |
10.1. SS&C Property is and shall remain the property of SS&C or, when applicable, its Affiliates or suppliers. Neither Client nor any other Person shall acquire any license or right to use, sell, disclose, or otherwise exploit or benefit in any manner from, any SS&C Property, except as specifically set forth herein. Client shall not (unless required by applicable Law) either before or after the termination of this Agreement, disclose to any Person not authorized by SS&C to receive the same, any information concerning the SS&C Property and shall use reasonable efforts to prevent any such disclosure.
11. | Confidentiality |
11.1. Each Party shall not at any time disclose to any Person any Confidential Information concerning the business, affairs, customers, clients or suppliers of the other Party or its Affiliates, except as permitted by this Section 11.
11.2. Each Party may disclose the other Partys Confidential Information:
(a) In the case of Client, to each of its Affiliates, members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners, employees and agents (Client Representative) who need to know such information for the purpose of carrying out Clients duties under, or receiving the benefits of or enforcing, this Agreement. Client shall ensure compliance by Client Representatives with Section 11.1.
(b) In the case of SS&C, to Client and each SS&C Associate, Client Representative, investor, Client bank or broker, Client counterparty or agent thereof, or payment infrastructure provider who needs to know
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such information for the purpose of carrying out SS&Cs duties under or enforcing this Agreement. SS&C shall ensure compliance by SS&C Associates with Section 11.1 but shall not be responsible for such compliance by any other Person.
(c) As may be required by applicable Law or pursuant to legal process; provided that the disclosing Party (i) where reasonably practicable and to the extent legally permissible, provides the other Party with prompt written notice of the required disclosure so that the other Party may seek a protective order or take other analogous action, (ii) discloses no more of the other Partys Confidential Information than reasonably necessary and (iii) reasonably cooperates with actions of the other Party in seeking to protect its Confidential Information at that Partys expense.
11.3. Neither Party shall use the other Partys Confidential Information for any purpose other than to perform its obligations under this Agreement. Each Party may retain a record of the other Partys Confidential Information for the longer of (i) 7 years or (ii) as required by applicable Law or its internal policies.
11.4. SS&Cs ultimate parent company is subject to U.S. federal and state securities Law and, subject to Section 11.2(c), may make disclosures as it deems necessary to comply with such Law. SS&C shall have no obligation to use Confidential Information of, or data obtained with respect to, any other client of SS&C in connection with the Services.
11.5. Upon the prior written consent of Client, SS&C shall have the right to identify Client in connection with its marketing-related activities and in its marketing materials as a client of SS&C. Upon the prior written consent of SS&C (which shall not be unreasonably delayed, withheld or conditioned), Client shall have the right to identify SS&C and to describe the Services and the material terms of this Agreement in the offering and registration documents of Company. This Agreement shall not prohibit SS&C from using any Client data (including Client Data) in tracking and reporting on SS&Cs clients generally or making public statements about such subjects as its business or industry; provided that Client is not named in such public statements without its prior written consent. If the Services include the distribution by SS&C of notices or statements to investors, SS&C may, upon advance notice to Client, include reasonable notices describing those terms of this Agreement relating to SS&C and its liability and the limitations thereon; if investor notices are not sent by SS&C but rather by Client or some other Person, Client will reasonably cooperate with any request by SS&C to include such notices. Client shall not, in any communications with any Person, whether oral or written, make any representations stating or implying that SS&C is (i) providing valuations with respect to Clients securities, products or services, verifying any valuations, (ii) verifying the existence of any assets in connection with the investments, products or services of Client, or (iii) acting as a fiduciary, investment advisor, tax preparer or advisor, custodian or bailee with respect to Client, Management or any of their respective assets, investors or customers.
12. | Notices |
12.1. Except as otherwise provided herein, all notices required or permitted under this Agreement or required by applicable Law shall be effective only if in writing and delivered: (i) personally, (ii) by registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, (iii) by receipted prepaid courier, (iv) by any confirmed facsimile or (v) by any electronic mail, to the relevant address or number listed below (or to such other address or number as a Party shall hereafter provide by notice to the other Parties). Notices shall be deemed effective when received by the Party to whom notice is required to be given.
If to SS&C (to each of):
SS&C Technologies, Inc.
4 Times Square, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10036
Attention: Chief Operating Officer
General Counsel
E-mail: [Redacted.]
If to Client:
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c/o Crescent Private Credit Income Corp.
11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000
Los Angeles, California 90025
Attention: George P. Hawley
E-mail: [Redacted.]
13. | Miscellaneous |
13.1. Amendment; Modification. This Agreement may not be amended or modified except in writing signed by an authorized representative of each Party. No SS&C Associate has authority to bind SS&C in any way to any oral covenant, promise, representation or warranty concerning this Agreement, the Services or otherwise.
13.2. Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights under this Agreement may be assigned or otherwise transferred by either Party, in whole or in part, whether directly or by operation of Law, without the prior written consent of the non-assigning Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably denied, delayed or conditioned, provided however that SS&C may assign or otherwise transfer this Agreement: (i) to a successor in the event of a change in control of SS&C, (ii) to an Affiliate or (iii) in connection with an assignment or other transfer of a material part of SS&Cs business. Any attempted delegation, transfer or assignment prohibited by this Agreement shall be null and void. If SS&C assigns or otherwise transfers this Agreement to a third-party other than an Affiliate without Client consent, Client may terminate this Agreement by written notice to SS&C within 90 days of receiving notice of such assignment or transfer, subject to SS&Cs right within 30 calendar days of such notice to rescind such assignment or transfer.
13.3. Choice of Law; Choice of Forum. This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with and governed by the Law of the State of New York. The courts of the State of New York and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any Claim. Each Party submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and waives to the fullest extent permitted by Law all rights to a trial by jury.
13.4. Counterparts; Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which when so executed will be deemed to be an original. Such counterparts together will constitute one agreement. Signatures may be exchanged via facsimile or electronic mail and shall be binding to the same extent as if original signatures were exchanged.
13.5. Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including any schedules, attachments, amendments and addenda hereto) contains the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all previous communications, representations, understandings and agreements, either oral or written, between the Parties with respect thereto. This Agreement sets out the entire liability of SS&C Associates related to the Services and the subject matter of this Agreement, and no SS&C Associate shall have any liability to Client or any other Person for, and Client hereby waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law recourse under, tort, misrepresentation or any other legal theory.
13.6. Force Majeure. SS&C will not be responsible for any Losses of property in SS&C Associates possession or for any failure to fulfill its duties or obligations hereunder if such Loss or failure is caused, directly or indirectly, by war, terrorist or analogous action, the act of any Government Authority or other authority, riot, civil commotion, rebellion, storm, accident, fire, lockout, strike, power failure, computer error or failure, delay or breakdown in communications or electronic transmission systems, or other analogous events. SS&C shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize the effects on the Services of any such event.
13.7. Non-Exclusivity. The duties and obligations of SS&C hereunder shall not preclude SS&C from providing services of a comparable or different nature to any other Person. Client understands that SS&C may have relationships with Data Suppliers and providers of technology, data or other services to Client and SS&C may receive economic or other benefits in connection with the Services provided hereunder.
13.8. No Partnership. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be deemed to, constitute a partnership or joint venture of any kind between the Parties.
13.9. No Solicitation. During the term of this Agreement and for a period of 12 months thereafter, Client will not directly or indirectly solicit the services of, or otherwise attempt to employ or engage any employee of SS&C or its Affiliates who has been materially involved in connection with the provisions of the Services without the consent of SS&C; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent Client from soliciting employees through general
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advertising not targeted specifically at any or all SS&C Associates. If Client employs or engages any SS&C Associate who has been materially involved in connection with the provision of the Services, during the term of this Agreement or the period of 12 months thereafter, Client shall pay for any fees and expenses (including recruiters fees) incurred by SS&C or its Affiliates in hiring replacement personnel as well as any other remedies available to SS&C.
13.10. No Warranties. Except as expressly listed herein, SS&C and each Data Supplier make no warranties, whether express, implied, contractual or statutory with respect to the Services or Market Data. SS&C disclaims all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Services. All warranties, conditions and other terms implied by Law are, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, excluded from this Agreement.
13.11. Severance. If any provision (or part thereof) of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not practical, the relevant provision shall be deemed deleted. Any such modification or deletion of a provision shall not affect the validity, legality and enforceability of the rest of this Agreement. If a Party gives notice to another Party of the possibility that any provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the Parties shall negotiate to amend such provision so that, as amended, it is valid, legal and enforceable and achieves the intended commercial result of the original provision.
13.12. Testimony. If SS&C is required by a third party subpoena or otherwise, to produce documents, testify or provide other evidence regarding the Services, this Agreement or the operations of Client in any Action to which Client or Management is a party or otherwise related to Client (other than an Action between SS&C and Client), Client shall reimburse SS&C for all costs and expenses, including the time of its professional staff at SS&Cs standard rates and the cost of legal representation, that SS&C reasonably incurs in connection therewith, except to the extent resulting solely from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C Associates in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement.
13.13. Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is entered into for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Parties and will not be interpreted in such a manner as to give rise to or create any rights or benefits of or for any other Person except as set forth with respect to SS&C Associates and Data Suppliers.
13.14. Waiver. No failure or delay by a Party to exercise any right or remedy provided under this Agreement or by Law shall constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor shall it prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. No exercise (or partial exercise) of such right or remedy shall prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy.
13.15. Certain Third Party Vendors. Nothing herein shall impose any duty upon SS&C in connection with or make SS&C liable for the actions or omissions to act of the following types of unaffiliated third parties: (a) courier and mail services including but not limited to Airborne Services, Federal Express, UPS and the U.S. Mails, (b) telecommunications companies including but not limited to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and other delivery, telecommunications and other such companies not under the Partys reasonable control, and (c) third parties not under the Partys reasonable control or subcontract relationship providing services to the financial industry generally, such as, by way of example and not limitation, the Depository Trust Clearing Corporation (processing and settlement services), Broadridge Financial Services (investor communications), Client custodian banks (custody and Company accounting services) and administrators (blue sky and Company administration services), Data Suppliers, and national database providers such as Choice Point, Acxiom, TransUnion or Lexis/Nexis and any replacements thereof or similar entities, provided, if SS&C selected such company, SS&C shall have exercised due care in selecting the same. Such third party vendors shall not be deemed, and are not, subcontractors for purposes of this Agreement.
* * *
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This Agreement has been entered into by the Parties as of the Effective Date.
SS&C Technologies, Inc. SS&S GIDS, Inc. |
CCAP Administration LLC | |||||||
By: | /s/ Bhagesh Malde |
By: | /s/ Kirill Bouek | |||||
Name: | Bhagesh Malde | Name: | Kirill Bouek | |||||
Title: | Authorized Signatory | Title: | Controller | |||||
Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. | ||||||||
By: | /s/ Kirill Bouek |
|||||||
Name: | Kirill Bouek | |||||||
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
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Schedule A
Services
A. | General |
1. | As used in this Schedule A, the following additional terms have the following meanings: |
(i) | ACH shall mean the Automated Clearing House. |
(ii) | AML means anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. |
(iii) | Bank shall mean a nationally or regionally known banking institution. |
(iv) | Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. |
(v) | DTCC shall mean the Depository Trust Clearing Corporation. |
(vi) | IRA shall mean Individual Retirement Account. |
(vii) | investor means an equity owner in Company, whether a shareholder in a company, a partner in a partnership, a unitholder in a trust or otherwise. A prospective investor means an applicant to become an investor. |
(viii) | OFAC means the Office of Foreign Assets Control, an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury. |
(ix) | Program shall mean NSCC Networking, Fund Serv or other DTCC program. |
(x) | TA2000 System shall mean SS&C GIDS TA2000TM computerized data processing system for shareholder accounting. |
2. | Any references to Law shall be construed to the Law as amended to the date of the effectiveness of the applicable provision referencing the Law. |
3. | Client acknowledges that SS&Cs ability to perform the Services is subject to SS&Cs timely receipt of all Client Data, the then most current version of Company Governing Documents and required implementation documentation and SS&C application user forms, and the receipt of such information in an accurate and complete form, and in electronic file format, acceptable to SS&C. |
4. | Client acknowledges that SS&Cs ability to perform the Services is subject to the following dependencies: |
(i) | Client and other Persons that are not employees or agents of SS&C whose cooperation is reasonably required for SS&C to provide the Services providing cooperation, information and, as applicable, instructions to SS&C promptly, in agreed formats, by agreed media and within agreed timeframes as required to provide the Services. |
(ii) | The communications systems operated by Client and other Persons that are not employees or agents of SS&C remaining fully operational. |
(iii) | The accuracy and completeness of any Client Data or other information provided to SS&C Associates in connection with the Services by any Person. |
(iv) | Client informing SS&C on a timely basis of any modification to, or replacement of, any agreement to which it is a party that is relevant to the provision of the Services. |
(v) | Any warranty, representation, covenant or undertaking expressly made by Client under or in connection with this Agreement being and remaining true, correct and discharged at all relevant times. |
5. | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, SS&C GIDS is responsible for providing the Services listed under Section E Shareholder Recordkeeping, Transfer Agency and Investor Relations and Section F AML, and SS&C Tech is responsible for providing all other Services. |
6. | The following Services will be performed by SS&C and, as applicable, are contingent on the performance by Client of the duties and obligations listed. |
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B. | Accounting and Administration |
1. | Set-up and onboarding: |
(i) | Review Client Governing Documents to obtain information regarding applicable matters required to perform the Services. |
(ii) | Create and populate in SS&Cs systems applicable entities, charts of accounts and investor information. |
(iii) | Develop financial statement templates and management reporting as agreed in writing between SS&C and Client (additional fees apply for custom reporting). |
2. | Maintain the general ledger and source journals for Client. |
3. | Record the following transactions/items: (i) investor contributions and distributions (ii) investment transactions (e.g., purchases, sales and loans), (iii) investment income, (iv) fair value adjustments, (v) interest and dividend income, (vi) organizational and operating expenses, (vii) credit facilities tracking (e.g., interest expenses, balances, accrued interest and rates) and (vii) management and incentive fees. |
4. | Prepare monthly work paper packages as agreed in writing between the Parties. |
5. | Coordinate the quarterly review and the annual audit between Client and Client auditor, including establishing timelines for SS&C deliverables, and answering questions as appropriate. If requested by Client in writing, prepare Clients draft quarterly and annual financial statements and accompanying materials, as agreed in writing. In the event SS&C is requested to prepare financial statements: |
(i) | Client shall (I) provide information to SS&C to complete the financial statement schedules and notes to the financial statements if SS&C is preparing such notes (for matters such as risk management disclosures, details of related party transactions, netting and collateral arrangements), (II) assist and guide SS&C with determining industry, geographic and other descriptions and classification of assets, (III) provide all required disclosure of regulatory status, (IV) provide such other information and assistance as SS&C may reasonably request related to the preparation and audit of the financial statements or related schedules, as appropriate, and (V) approve all information prepared on behalf of Client and provided to the auditor. |
(ii) | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Client has ultimate authority over and responsibility for its financial statements. |
6. | Prepare and review Client bank account reconciliations and required schedules on a daily basis, as agreed in writing. |
7. | On-line access: |
(i) | Provide Client online access to a Web Portal with read-only access to the portfolio accounting modules and any such other online services or applications (including Geneva Web Reporting) as agreed in writing between the Parties. |
8. | Prepare U.S. Federal income tax Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC in respect of payments to Client directors or other Persons as agreed in writing with Client. |
C. | GoWire |
1. | Establish and maintain procedures for wire transfers from Client bank accounts using SS&Cs Web Portal for Client wire authorization, as may be amended from time to time as agreed in writing by the Parties. Client must approve all wires in the system and through a call back to Client from SS&C, or as otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties from time to time. |
2. | Assist in processing payments from Client bank accounts for the purposes of paying Client expenses and, only with respect to entities for which SS&C processes transactions with investors and performs corresponding AML procedures, investor distributions, in all cases based upon instructions from Client. |
3. | Provide Client online access to GoWire to approve payees, payment instructions and retrieve other applicable information. |
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4. | Client is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of and controlling the access to and use of all log in credentials supplied to Client (Client Access Credentials). Client shall notify SS&C immediately in writing in the event that (i) any Client Access Credentials are lost, stolen, or improperly disclosed to a third party or the security of any Client Access Credentials is otherwise compromised; or (ii) the authority of any person controlling any Client Access Credentials is withdrawn or amended, or any such person ceases to act on behalf of Client. |
D. | Bank Loan Processing |
1. | Provide trade processing support for loan transactions including recording trade settlements, reconciliation of settlements and tracking associated loan documentation. |
2. | Provide asset servicing support related to loan positions including liaising with the loan agent on various aspects of loan maintenance and reconciliation. |
3. | Provide payment information to Client for review through SS&Cs wire payment application with respect to loan payments, drawdowns and other loan life cycle events. |
4. | Obtain and maintain static data on loan facilities subject to receipt from the applicable agent bank |
5. | Provide loan information reporting (e.g., trade blotter, market value position report and loan contract position report) to Client. |
6. | Store agent bank notices received with respect to loan positions and make available to Client in a format as agreed in writing with Client. |
7. | Maintain accrued income in the account systems based on loan contract details subject to receipt of the agent bank notices. |
E. | Shareholder Recordkeeping, Transfer Agency and Investor Relations |
1. | SS&C GIDS utilizing the TA2000 System will perform the following services: |
(i) | issue, transfer and redeem book entry shares or cancelling share certificates as applicable; |
(ii) | maintain shareholder accounts on the records of Company on the TA2000 System in accordance with the instructions and information received by SS&C GIDS from Company, Companys distributor, manager or managing dealer, Companys investment adviser, Companys sponsor, Companys custodian, or Companys administrator and any other person whom Company names on Schedule B, as may be amended by time to time by the Company upon written notice to SS&C GIDS (each an Authorized Person), broker-dealers or shareholders; |
(iii) | when and if a Company participates in the DTCC, and to the extent SS&C GIDS supports the functionality of the applicable DTCC program: |
(a) | accept and effectuate the registration and maintenance of accounts through the Program and the purchase, redemption, exchange and transfer of shares in such accounts through systems or applications offered via the Program in accordance with instructions transmitted to and received by SS&C GIDS by transmission from DTCC on behalf of broker-dealers and banks which have been established by, or in accordance with the instructions of, an Authorized Person, on the Dealer File maintained by SS&C GIDS, |
(b) | issue instructions to Companys banks for the settlement of transactions between Company and DTCC (acting on behalf of its broker-dealer and bank participants), |
(c) | provide account and transaction information from Companys records on TA2000 in accordance with the applicable Programs rules, and |
(d) | maintain shareholder accounts on TA2000 through the Programs; |
(iv) | provide transaction journals; |
(v) | prepare shareholder meeting lists for use in connection with any shareholder meetings and certify a copy of such list; |
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(vi) | Withhold, as required by federal law, taxes on securityholder accounts, perform and pay backup withholding as required for all securityholders, and prepare, file and provide, in electronic format, the applicable U.S. Treasury Department information returns or 1099 data file, as applicable, to Companys vendor of choice. |
(vii) | disburse income dividends and capital gains distributions to shareholders and record reinvestment of dividends and distributions in shares of Company; |
(viii) | prepare and provide, in electronic format, to Companys print vendor of choice: |
(a) | confirmation forms for shareholders for all purchases and liquidations of shares of Company and other confirmable transactions in shareholders accounts, |
(b) | copies of shareholder statements, and |
(c) | shareholder reports and prospectuses provided by Company; |
(ix) | provide or make available on-line daily and monthly reports as provided by the TA2000 System and as requested by Client; |
(x) | maintain those records necessary to carry out SS&C GIDSs duties hereunder, including all information reasonably required by Company to account for all transactions on TA2000 in Company shares; |
(xi) | calculate the appropriate sales charge, if applicable and supported by TA2000, with respect to each purchase of Company shares as instructed by an Authorized Person, determining the portion of each sales charge payable to the dealer participating in a sale in accordance with schedules and instructions delivered to SS&C GIDS by Companys managing dealer or distributor or any other Authorized Person from time to time, disbursing dealer commissions collected to such dealers, determining the portion of each sales charge payable to such managing dealer and disbursing such commissions to the managing dealer; |
(xii) | receive correspondence pertaining to any former, existing or new shareholder account, processing such correspondence for proper recordkeeping, and responding promptly to shareholder correspondence; |
(xiii) | arrange the mailing to dealers of confirmations of wire order trades; |
(xiv) | process, generally on the date of receipt, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, or instructions, as applicable, to settle any mail or wire order purchases, redemptions or exchanges received in proper order as set forth in the prospectus and general exchange privilege applicable, and reject any requests not received in proper order (as defined by an Authorized Person or the Procedures as hereinafter defined); |
(xv) | provide to the person designated by an Authorized Person the daily Blue Sky reports generated by the Blue Sky module of TA2000 with respect to purchases of shares of Company on TA2000. For clarification, with respect to obligations, Company is responsible for any registration or filing with a federal or state government body or obtaining approval from such body required for the sale of shares of Company in each jurisdiction in which it is sold. SS&C GIDSs sole obligation is to provide Company access to the Blue Sky module of TA2000 with respect to purchases of shares of Company on TA2000. It is Companys responsibility to validate that the Blue Sky module settings are accurate and complete and to validate the output produced thereby and other applicable reports provided by SS&C GIDS, to ensure accuracy. SS&C GIDS is not responsible in any way for claims that the sale of shares of Company violated any such requirement (unless such violation results from a failure of the SS&C GIDS Blue Sky module to notify Company that such sales do not comply with the parameters set by Company for sales to residents of a given state); |
(xvi) | provide to Company escheatment reports as requested by an Authorized Person with respect to the status of accounts and outstanding checks on TA2000; |
(xvii) | as mutually agreed upon by the Parties as to the service scope and fees, answer telephone inquiries during mutually agreed upon times, each day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. SS&C GIDS shall answer and respond to inquiries from existing shareholders, prospective |
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shareholders of Company and broker-dealers on behalf of such shareholders in accordance with the telephone scripts provided by Company to SS&C GIDS, such inquiries may include requests for information on account set-up and maintenance, general questions regarding the operation of Company, general account information including dates of purchases, redemptions, exchanges and account balances, requests for account access instructions and literature requests; |
(xviii) | support Company repurchase offers, including but not limited to: assistance with shareholder communication plan; coordination of repurchase offer materials; establishment of informational website; receipt, review and reconciliation of letters of transmittal; daily tracking, reconciliation and reporting of shares tendered; and issuing tax forms; |
(xix) | in order to assist Company with Companys anti-money laundering responsibilities under applicable anti-money laundering laws, SS&C GIDS offers certain risk-based shareholder activity monitoring tools and procedures that are reasonably designed to: (i) promote the detection and reporting of potential money laundering activities; and (ii) assist in the verification of persons opening accounts with Company, pursuant to Section F hereto; |
(xx) | as mutually agreed upon by the Parties as to the service scope and fees, provide any additional related services (i.e., pertaining to escheatments, abandoned property, garnishment orders, bankruptcy and divorce proceedings, Internal Revenue Service or state tax authority tax levies and summonses and all matters relating to the foregoing); and |
(xxi) | upon request of Company and mutual agreement between the Parties as to the scope and any applicable fees, SS&C GIDS may provide additional services to Company under the terms of this Schedule and the Agreement. Such services and fees shall be set forth in writing and may be added by an amendment to, or as a statement of work under, this Schedule or the Agreement. |
2. | At the request of an Authorized Person, SS&C GIDS shall use reasonable efforts to provide the services set forth in Section E.1 of this Schedule A in connection with transactions (i) the processing of which transactions require SS&C GIDS to use methods and procedures other than those usually employed by SS&C GIDS to perform shareholder servicing agent services, (ii) involving the provision of information to SS&C GIDS after the commencement of the nightly processing cycle of the TA2000 System or (iii) which require more manual intervention by SS&C GIDS, either in the entry of data or in the modification or amendment of reports generated by the TA2000 System than is usually required by normal transactions. |
3. | SS&C GIDS shall use reasonable efforts to provide the same services with respect to any new, additional functions or features or any changes or improvements to existing functions or features as provided for in Companys instructions, prospectus or application as amended from time to time, for Company, provided SS&C GIDS is advised in advance by Company of any changes therein and the TA2000 System and the mode of operations utilized by SS&C GIDS as then constituted supports such additional functions and features. |
4. | Company acknowledges that SS&C GIDS is currently using, and will continue to use, SS&C Affiliates to assist with software development and support projects for SS&C GIDS and/or for Company. As part of such support, Company acknowledges that such SS&C Affiliates may access Company Confidential Information including, but not limited to, personally identifiable shareholder information (shareholder name, address, social security number, account number, etc.). |
5. | Company shall add all new Companies to the TA2000 System upon at least 60 days prior written notice to SS&C GIDS provided that the requirements of the new Companies are generally consistent with services then being provided by SS&C GIDS under the Agreement. If less than 60 days prior notice is provided by Company, additional rush fees may be applied by SS&C GIDS. Rates or charges for additional Companies shall be as set forth in Fee Letter for the remainder of the contract term except as such Companies use functions, features or characteristics for which SS&C GIDS has imposed an additional charge as part of its standard pricing schedule. In the latter event, rates and charges shall be in accordance with SS&C GIDSs then-standard pricing schedule. |
6. | The parties agree that to the extent that SS&C GIDS provides any services under the Agreement that relate to compliance by Company with the Code (or any other applicable tax law), it is the parties mutual intent that SS&C GIDS will provide only printing, reproducing, and other mechanical assistance to Company and |
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that SS&C GIDS will not make any judgments or exercise any discretion of any kind. Company agrees that it will provide express and comprehensive instructions to SS&C GIDS in connection with all of the services that are to be provided by SS&C GIDS under the Agreement that relate to compliance by Company with the Code (or any other applicable tax law), including providing responses to requests for direction that may be made from time to time by SS&C GIDS of Company in this regard. |
7. | Company instructs and authorizes SS&C GIDS to provide the services as set forth in the Agreement in connection with transactions on behalf of certain IRAs featuring accounts made available by Company. Company acknowledges and agrees that as part of such services, SS&C GIDS will act as service provider to the custodian for such IRAs. |
8. | If applicable, SS&C GIDS will make original issues of shares, or if shares are certificated, stock certificates upon written request of an officer of Company and upon being furnished with a certified copy of a resolution of the Board of Trustees authorizing such original issue, evidence regarding the value of the shares, and necessary funds for the payment of any original issue tax. |
9. | Upon receipt of a Companys written request, SS&C GIDS shall provide transmissions of shareholder activity to the print vendor selected by Company. |
10. | Shares of stock will be transferred in accordance with the instructions of the shareholders and, upon receipt of Companys instructions that shares of stock be redeemed and funds remitted therefor, such redemptions will be accomplished and payments dispatched provided the shareholder instructions are deemed by SS&C GIDS to be duly authorized. SS&C GIDS reserves the right to refuse to transfer, exchange, sell or redeem shares as applicable, until it is satisfied that the request is authorized or instructed by Company. |
11. | Changes and Modifications. |
(i) | SS&C GIDS shall have the right, at any time, to modify any systems, programs, procedures or facilities used in performing its obligations hereunder; provided that Company will be notified as promptly as possible prior to implementation of such modifications and that no such modification or deletion shall materially adversely change or affect the operations and procedures of Company in using the TA2000 System hereunder, the Services or the quality thereof, or the reports to be generated by such system and facilities hereunder, unless Company is given thirty (30) days prior notice to allow Company to change its procedures and SS&C GIDS provides Company with revised operating procedures and controls. |
(i) | All enhancements, improvements, changes, modifications or new features added to the TA2000 System however developed or paid for, including, without limitation, Client Requested Software (collectively, Deliverables), shall be, and shall remain, the confidential and exclusive property of, and proprietary to, SS&C GIDS. The parties recognize that during the Term of this Agreement Company will disclose to SS&C GIDS Confidential Information and SS&C GIDS may partly rely on such Confidential Information to design, structure or develop one or more Deliverables. Provided that, as developed, such Deliverable(s) contain no Confidential Information that identifies Company or any of its investors or which could reasonably be expected to be used to readily determine such identity, (i) Company hereby consents to SS&C GIDSs use of such Confidential Information to design, to structure or to determine the scope of such Deliverable(s) or to incorporate into such Deliverable(s) and that any such Deliverable(s), regardless of who paid for it, shall be, and shall remain, the sole and exclusive property of SS&C GIDS and (ii) Company hereby grants SS&C GIDS a perpetual, nonexclusive license for the sole purpose to incorporate and retain in such Deliverable(s) Confidential Information of Company. All Confidential Information of Company shall be and shall remain the property of Company. |
12. | Company Obligations. |
(i) | Company agrees to use its reasonable efforts to deliver to SS&C GIDS in Kansas City, Missouri, as soon as they are available, all of its shareholder account records. |
(ii) | Company will provide SS&C GIDS written notice of any change in Authorized Personnel as set forth on Schedule B. |
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(iii) | Company will notify SS&C GIDS of material changes to its Articles of Incorporation, Declaration of Trust, Bylaws or similar governing document (e.g. in the case of recapitalization) that impacts the services provided by SS&C GIDS under the Agreement. |
(iv) | If at any time Company receives notice or becomes aware of any stop order or other proceeding in any such state affecting such registration or the sale of Companys shares, or of any stop order or other proceeding under the federal securities laws affecting the sale of Companys shares, Company or Sponsor will give prompt notice thereof to SS&C GIDS. |
(v) | Company shall not enter into one or more omnibus, third-party sub-agency or sub accounting agreements with (i) unaffiliated third-party broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries who have a distribution agreement with the affected Company or (ii) third party administrators of group retirement or annuity plans, unless Company either (1) provides SS&C GIDS with a minimum of 12 months notice before the accounts are deconverted from SS&C GIDS, or (2), if 12 months notice is not possible, Company shall compensate SS&C GIDS by paying a one-time termination fee equal to $0.10 per deconverted account per month for every month short of the 12 months notice in connection with each such deconversion. |
13. | Compliance. |
(i) | SS&C GIDS shall perform the services under this Schedule A in conformance with SS&C GIDSs present procedures as set forth in its Procedures with such changes or deviations therefrom as may be from time to time required or approved by Company, its investment adviser or managing dealer, or its or SS&C GIDSs counsel and the rejection of orders or instructions not in good order in accordance with the applicable prospectus or the Procedures. Notwithstanding the foregoing, SS&C GIDSs obligations shall be solely as are set forth in this Schedule and any of other obligations of Company under applicable law that SS&C GIDS has not agreed to perform on Companys behalf under this Schedule or the Agreement shall remain Companys sole obligation. |
14. | Bank Accounts. |
(i) | SS&C GIDS, acting as agent for Company, is authorized (1) to establish in the name of, and to maintain on behalf of, Company, on the usual terms and conditions prevalent in the industry, including limits or caps (based on fees paid over some period of time or a flat amount, as required by the affected Bank on the maximum liability of such Banks into which SS&C GIDS shall deposit funds SS&C GIDS receives for payment of dividends, distributions, purchases of Company shares, redemptions of Company shares, commissions, corporate re-organizations (including recapitalizations or liquidations) or any other disbursements made by SS&C GIDS on behalf of Company provided for in this Schedule A, (2) to draw checks upon such accounts, to issue orders or instructions to the Bank for the payment out of such accounts as necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes for which such funds were provided to SS&C GIDS, and (3) to establish, to implement and to transact Company business through ACH, draft processing, wire transfer and any other banking relationships, arrangements and agreements with such Bank as are necessary or appropriate to fulfill SS&C GIDSs obligations under the Agreement. SS&C GIDS, acting as agent for Company, is also hereby authorized to execute on behalf and in the name of Company, on the usual terms and conditions prevalent in the industry, including limits or caps (based on fees paid over some period of time or a flat amount, as required by the affected Bank) on the maximum liability of such Banks, agreements with banks for ACH, wire transfer, draft processing services, as well as any other services which are necessary or appropriate for SS&C GIDS to utilize to accomplish the purposes of this Schedule. In each of the foregoing situations Company shall be liable on such agreements with the Bank as if it itself had executed the agreement. |
(i) | SS&C GIDS is authorized and directed to stop payment of checks theretofore issued hereunder, but not presented for payment, when the payees thereof allege either that they have not received the checks or that such checks have been mislaid, lost, stolen, destroyed or through no fault of theirs, are otherwise beyond their control, and cannot be produced by them for presentation and collection, and, to issue and deliver duplicate checks in replacement thereof. |
15. | Records. SS&C GIDS will maintain customary transfer agent records in connection with its agency in accordance with the transfer agent recordkeeping requirements under the 1934 Act, and particularly will |
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maintain those records required to be maintained pursuant to subparagraph (2) (iv) of paragraph (b) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, if any. Notwithstanding anything in the Agreement to the contrary, the records to be maintained and preserved by SS&C GIDS on the TA2000 System under the Agreement shall be maintained and preserved in accordance with the following: |
(i) | Annual purges by August 31: SS&C GIDS and Company shall mutually agree upon a date for the annual purge of the appropriate history transactions from the Transaction History (A88) file for accounts (both regular and tax advantaged accounts) that were open as of January 1 of the current year, such purge to be complete no later than August 31. Purges completed after this date will subject Company to the Aged History Retention fees set forth in the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Fee Letter. |
(ii) | Purge criteria: In order to avoid the Aged History Retention fees, history data for regular or ordinary accounts (that is, non-tax advantaged accounts) must be purged if the confirmation date of the history transaction is prior to January 1 of the current year and history data for tax advantaged accounts (retirement and educational savings accounts) must be purged if the confirmation date of the history transaction is prior to January 1 of the prior year. All purged history information shall be retained on magnetic tape for seven (7) years. |
(iii) | Purged history retention options (entail an additional fee): For the additional fees set forth on the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Fee Letter, or as otherwise mutually agreed, then Company may choose (i) to place purged history information on the Purged Transaction History (A19) table or (ii) to retain history information on the Transaction History (A88) file beyond the timeframes defined above. Retaining information on the A19 table allows for viewing of this data through online facilities and E-Commerce applications. This database does not support those histories being printed on statements and reports and is not available for on request job executions. |
16. | Disposition of Books, Records and Canceled Certificates. SS&C GIDS may send periodically to Company, or to where designated by Company, all books, documents, and all records no longer deemed needed for current purposes, upon the understanding that such books, documents, and records will be maintained by Company under and in accordance with the requirements of applicable federal securities laws. Such materials will not be destroyed by Company without the consent of SS&C GIDS (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld), but will be safely stored for possible future reference. |
F. | AML |
1. | SS&C may assume the authenticity and accuracy of any document or information provided by a prospective investor or investor without verification unless, in the sole discretion of SS&C, the same on its face appears not to be genuine. In the event of delay or failure by a prospective investor or investor to produce any information required by the subscription or similar agreement of Company or requested by SS&C, SS&C may refuse to process the subscription and the subscription monies related thereto or may refuse to allow a redemption until the applicable information has been provided. SS&C shall not process any payment from a prospective investor or make any payment for redemption proceeds to an investor if SS&C determines, or if SS&C receives instructions that Company has (or, if applicable and defined below, Company AML Officers) have determined, that such payment would violate any AML law. |
U.S. Domiciled Companies
2. | Notwithstanding the ability of Company to delegate the maintenance of certain AML procedures to SS&C, Company is ultimately responsible for ensuring its compliance with applicable AML law, including identifying, assessing and understanding relevant AML risks. SS&C will disclose to Company if SS&C files, on its own behalf, a suspicious activity report in relation to Company, investors or prospective investors, unless in the sole discretion of SS&C, such disclosure would be prohibited by applicable Law. Such disclosure shall identify the prospective investor or investor and the transaction which is the subject of the suspicious activity report and include a summary statement as to why the transaction is believed to be suspicious. |
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3. | With respect to Companies that are U.S. domiciled, relying on external services as well as information provided on Company subscription documents, screen the names of each prospective investor and report whether each subscriber is (i) a person identified on the sanctions lists administered and published by OFAC, including the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons or (ii) believed to be a senior non-U.S. political figure or an immediate family member or close associate of such a figure (collectively PEP) or a non-U.S. shell bank. |
G. | Miscellaneous |
1. | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, SS&C: |
(i) | Does not maintain custody of any cash or securities. |
(ii) | Does not have the ability to authorize transactions. |
(iii) | Does not have the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of Client. |
(iv) | Is not responsible for determining the valuation of Clients assets and liabilities. |
(v) | Does not perform any management functions or make any management decisions with regard to the operation of Client. |
(vi) | Is not responsible for affecting any U.S. federal or state regulatory filings which may be required or advisable as a result of the offering of interests in Client. |
(vii) | Is not Clients tax advisor and does not provide any tax advice. |
(viii) | Is not obligated to perform any additional or materially different services due to changes in law or audit guidance. |
2. | It is the responsibility of Client to safeguard all passwords and any other login credentials; for all purposes of this Agreement SS&C shall be entitled to assume that any user of such credentials is an authorized representative of Client. |
3. | If SS&C allows Client, investors or their respective agents and representatives (Users) to (i) receive information and reports from SS&C and/or (ii) issue instructions to SS&C via web portals or other similar electronic mechanisms hosted or maintained by SS&C or its agents (Web Portals): |
(i) | Access to and use of Web Portals by Users shall be subject to the proper use by Users of usernames, passwords and other credentials issued by SS&C (User Credentials) and to the additional terms of use that are noticed to Users on such Web Portals. Client shall be solely responsible for the results of any unauthorized use, misuse or loss of User Credentials by their authorized Users and for compliance by such Users with the terms of use noticed to Users with respect to Web Portals, and shall notify SS&C promptly upon discovering any such unauthorized use, misuse or loss of User Credentials or breach by Client or their authorized Users of such terms of use. Any change in the status or authority of an authorized User communicated by Client shall not be effective until SS&C has confirmed receipt and execution of such change. |
(ii) | SS&C grants to Client a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicenseable right during the term of this Agreement to access Web Portals solely for the purpose of accessing Client Data and, if applicable, issue instructions. Client will ensure that any use of access to any Web Portal is in accordance with SS&Cs terms of use, as noticed to the Users from time to time. This license does not include: (i) any right to access any data other than Client Data; or (ii) any license to any software. |
(iii) | Client will not (A) permit any third party to access or use the Web Portals through any time-sharing service, service bureau, network, consortium, or other means; (B) rent, lease, sell, sublicense, assign, or otherwise transfer its rights under the limited license granted above to any third party, whether by operation of law or otherwise; (C) decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, or attempt to reconstruct or discover any source code or underlying ideas or algorithms associated with the Web Portals by any means; (D) attempt to modify or alter the Web Portal in any manner; or (E) create derivative works based on the Web Portal. Client will not remove (or allow to be removed) any proprietary rights notices or disclaimers from the Web Portal or any reports derived therefrom. |
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(iv) | SS&C reserves all rights in SS&C systems and in the software that are not expressly granted to Client hereunder. |
(v) | SS&C may discontinue or suspend the availability of any Web Portals at any time without prior notice; SS&C will endeavor to notify Client as soon as reasonably practicable of such action. |
4. | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Client has ultimate authority over and responsibility for its tax matters and financial statement tax disclosures. All memoranda, schedules, tax forms and other work product produced by SS&C are the responsibility of Client and are subject to review and approval by Clients auditors, or tax preparers, as applicable and SS&C bears no responsibility for reliance on tax calculations and memoranda prepared by SS&C. |
5. | SS&C shall provide reasonable assistance to responding to due diligence and analogous requests for information from investors and prospective investors (or others representing them); provided, that SS&C may elect to provide these services only upon Client agreement in writing to separate fees in the event responding to such requests becomes, in SS&Cs good faith discretion, excessive. |
6. | Reports and information shall be deemed provided to Client if they are made available to Client online through SS&Cs Web Portal. |
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SCHEDULE B
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL
Pursuant to the terms of the Schedule A and the Agreement between Company and SS&C GIDS, Company authorizes the following Company personnel to provide instructions to SS&C GIDS, and receive inquiries from SS&C GIDS in connection with Schedule A and the Agreement:
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This Schedule may be revised by Company by providing SS&C GIDS with a substitute Schedule B. Any such substitute Schedule B shall become effective twenty-four (24) hours after SS&C GIDSs receipt of the document and shall be incorporated into the Agreement.
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SCHEDULE C
Information relating to the processing of Personal Data
Subject matter of processing | Personal data, as summarized below, transferred by or on behalf of Client or otherwise obtained by SS&C or its Affiliates as processor in connection with the Services. | |
Duration of processing | The term of this Agreement and, if applicable, after the termination of this Agreement, to the extent required by applicable Law, or as agreed between the Parties in writing. | |
Nature and purpose of processing | For the purposes of the Services. | |
Types of Personal Data | Information relating to identified or identifiable natural persons, such as name, gender, date of birth, age, nationality, photographs; home/work landline phone number, personal/work mobile, home/work postal address, personal/work email address; bank account number, source of funds, personal net worth, details of investment activities; passport number, drivers licence number, social security or national insurance number, or other tax identification number. | |
Categories of data subjects | Natural persons connected with Client business, such as investors and individuals associated with investors, including their directors, members, agents or representatives, employees, partners, shareholders, and beneficial owners. |
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Exhibit (k)(3)
EXECUTION COPY
MASTER AGREEMENT
SS&C DIGITAL SOLUTIONS SERVICES
AGREEMENT (this Agreement) made as of June 1, 2023 (the Effective Date) by and between SS&C GIDS, Inc., a Delaware corporation (SS&C) and Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (Customer). SS&C and Customer are together referred to herein as the Parties and individually as the Party.
WHEREAS, SS&C is a provider of transfer agency, shareholder record keeping and related services to the financial services industry; and
WHEREAS, Customer desires to utilize SS&C Digital Solutions Services to provide access to account information and certain on-line transaction request capabilities in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereby agree as follows.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Except as may be modified in a Service Exhibit, the following definitions shall apply to this Agreement. Additional terms may be defined in the Agreement and in the exhibits that describe the Digital Solutions Services to be provided by SS&C for Customer.
| Action means any civil, criminal, regulatory or administrative lawsuit, allegation, demand, claim, counterclaim, action, dispute, sanction, suit, request, inquiry, investigation, arbitration or proceeding, in each case, made, asserted, commenced or threatened by any Person (including any Government Authority). |
| Affiliate shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly Controlling, Controlled by or under common Control with such Person. |
| Agency Agreement shall mean that certain Services Agreement dated April 30, 2023 by and among SS&C Technologies, Inc., SS&C, CCAP Administration LLC and Customer. |
| API Calls shall mean any request or submission to the API Management Platform initiated by User activities, regardless of whether such request or submission is successful or unsuccessful. |
| API Management Platform shall mean a set of SS&C tools for developing, securing, publishing, executing, and monitoring API Calls. Capabilities include API authentication, threat detection, traffic management, transformation, versioning, orchestration, routing, monitoring, and discovery. |
| Authentication Procedures shall mean, if applicable, those procedures for authenticating Users as set forth within a Service Exhibit. |
| Claim means any Action arising out of the subject matter of, or in any way related to, this Agreement, its formation or the Digital Services. |
| Control over a Person shall mean (i) the possession, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the voting power to elect directors, in the case of a Person that is a corporation, or members of a comparable governing body, in the case of a limited liability company, firm, joint-venture, association or other entity, in each case whether through the ownership of voting securities or interests, by contract or otherwise and (ii) with respect to a partnership, a general partner thereof or a Person having management rights comparable to those of a general partner shall be deemed to control such Person. The terms Controlling and Controlled shall have corollary meanings. |
| Digital Solutions Options shall mean the series of edits and instructions provided by Customer to SS&C in writing, through which Customer specifies its instructions for Transactions available through the various Digital Solutions Services, e.g., minimum and maximum purchase, redemption and exchange amounts. |
| SS&C Associates means SS&C and each of its Affiliates, and their respective members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners, employees, agents, successors or assigns. |
| SS&C Property means all hardware, software, source code, data, report designs, spreadsheet formulas, information gathering or reporting techniques, know-how, technology and all other property commonly referred to as intellectual property used by SS&C in connection with its performance of the Services. SS&C Property shall not include the data contained in reports or statements provided to Customer. |
| SS&C Web Site shall mean the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on SS&Cs computer system, linked to the Internet and accessible through the World Wide Web, where the Transaction data fields and related screens provided by SS&C may be viewed by Users who access such site. |
| FAN shall mean the SS&C Financial Access Network, a SS&C computer and software system that provides an interface between the Internet and public data network service providers and the transfer agency systems of Funds for the purposes of communicating Fund data and information and Transaction requests. |
| Government Authority means any relevant administrative, judicial, executive, legislative or other governmental or intergovernmental entity, department, agency, commission, board, bureau or court, and any other regulatory or self-regulatory organizations, in any country or jurisdiction |
| Losses means any and all compensatory, direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary, enhanced or other damages, settlement payments, attorneys fees, costs, damages, charges, expenses, interest, applicable taxes or other losses of any kind. |
| Digital Solutions Services shall mean the services provided by SS&C utilizing FAN, the SS&C Web Site, the Internet, and other software, equipment and systems provided by SS&C and telecommunications carriers and firewall providers, whereby Transactions may be requested in each Fund by Users accessing the SS&C Web Site via the Internet. |
| Fund shall mean Customer. Fund Units shall mean the shares of Fund held by a record owner. |
| Person shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, association, trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof. |
| Service Exhibit shall mean the service exhibits attached hereto which outline the particular Digital Solutions Services to be provided by SS&C to Customer. |
| Third Party Claim means a Claim (i) brought by any Person other than the indemnifying Party or (ii) brought by a Party on behalf of or that could otherwise be asserted by a third party. |
| Transactions shall mean account inquiries, purchases, redemptions, exchanges and other transactions offered through Digital Solutions Services as specified in each Service Exhibit. |
| User(s) shall mean record owners or authorized agents of record owners of shares of a Fund, including brokers, investment advisors and other financial intermediaries or the other Persons authorized to access a particular Digital Solutions Service pursuant to the terms of a Service Exhibit. |
ARTICLE II
USE OF DIGITAL SOLUTIONS SERVICES BY CUSTOMER
Section 2.1 Selection of Digital Solutions Services. SS&C will perform, and Customer has selected, the Digital Solutions Services described on the Service Exhibits attached to this Agreement. New Service Exhibits describing additional Digital Solutions Services may be added to this Agreement from time to time by mutual written agreement of SS&C and Customer, and such additional Digital Solutions Services shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement.
Section 2.2 Selection of additional services of SS&C.
(a) | SS&C and/or its Affiliates may perform additional services for Customer from time to time as may be agreed upon by the parties pursuant to the terms of a mutually acceptable Statement of |
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Work (SOW), if any (the Professional Services). In most cases, the Professional Services will be performed in connection with a specific Service Exhibit under this Agreement. If such Professional Services require SS&C to perform work at Customers location, then Customer shall supply SS&C personnel with suitable workspace, desks, and other normal office equipment, support and supplies, which may be necessary in connection with such Professional Services. |
(b) | The parties may agree upon a change to a SOW (Change Order); provided, however, no such change shall be binding upon either party unless and until such a Change Order has been mutually agreed in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Customer. |
(c) | SS&C shall own all updates, software, software enhancements, documentation, technical notes, tangible and intangible property, and work products required to be delivered and/or produced or created by SS&C or its Affiliates in connection with the Services provided under a SOW (Deliverables). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the parties recognize that from time to time Customer may, under this Agreement, disclose to SS&C certain business or technical requirements and specifications on which SS&C or its Affiliates shall partly rely to design, structure or develop the Deliverable. Provided that, as developed, such Deliverable contains no identifiable Customer Confidential Information, (i) Customer hereby consents to SS&Cs and its Affiliates use of such Customer provided business or technical requirements and specifications to design, to structure or to determine the scope of such Deliverable or to incorporate into such Deliverable and that any such Deliverable, regardless of who paid for it, shall be, and shall remain, the sole and exclusive property of SS&C and its Affiliates and (ii) Customer hereby grants SS&C and its Affiliates a perpetual, nonexclusive license for the sole purpose to incorporate and retain in such Deliverables Customer provided business or technical requirements and specifications. All Customer Confidential Information shall be and shall remain the property of Customer. |
Section 2.3 SS&C Responsibilities. During the Term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, SS&C shall, at its expense (unless otherwise provided for herein) perform the Digital Solutions Services as described in each Service Exhibit with reasonable care, skill, prudence and diligence, including provision of all computers, telecommunications connectivity and equipment reasonably necessary at its facilities to operate and maintain FAN and the SS&C Web Site.
Section 2.4 Customer Responsibilities. During the Term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, Customer shall at its expense (unless otherwise provided for herein) fulfill, or cause to be fulfilled by the Funds or otherwise, Customer obligations, if any, set forth in each Service Exhibit to this Agreement.
Section 2.5 Change in Designated Funds. Upon thirty (30) days prior notice to SS&C, Customer may change the Funds designated to participate in Digital Solutions Services by delivering to SS&C, in writing, a revised list of participating Funds.
Section 2.6 Digital Solutions Options. Customer is responsible for establishing implementation procedures and options available for each Digital Solutions Service, as specified in the applicable Service Exhibit.
Section 2.7 Anonymized Data. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement, SS&C and its third party vendors may collect and use, any such data, text, and files that pass through and/or may be generated by the Customers use of the Digital Solutions Services in anonymized format. For clarity, such anonymized data will not include any of Customers Confidential Information. SS&C or its third party vendors may also review Customers Authorized Users and API Call usage amounts, as applicable, for billing and internal business use.
ARTICLE III
FEES
Section 3.1 Fees for Digital Solutions Services. As consideration for the performance by SS&C of the Digital Solutions Services, Customer will pay SS&C the fees relating to each such service as set forth in each Service Exhibit attached to this Agreement. SS&C will deliver a monthly billing report to Customer including a report of Transactions, by type, processed through Digital Solutions Services.
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Section 3.2 Invoicing; Fee Increases. All fees and charges shall be billed by SS&C monthly and paid within thirty (30) days of receipt of SS&Cs invoice. Amounts billed but not paid within sixty (60) days of the due date and not being disputed by Customer in good faith shall accrue late fee charges equal to the lesser of one and one-half percent (1 1/2%) per month or the maximum rate of interest permitted by law, whichever is less, until paid in full. Commencing January 1, 2024 and on each January 1 thereafter, SS&C may increase all Fees for the Services performed in the calendar year commencing on such date as compared to the prior calendar years fees by the lesser of (i) two percent (2%); or (ii) the one (1) year percentage change of the U.S. Consumer Price Index All Urban Consumers U.S. City Average All items compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) pursuant to the CPI-U most recently published immediately prior to such January 1 date. In the absence of CPI-U being published, the Parties shall agree in writing to use another index that most closely resembles CPI-U. SS&C reserves the right to review and increase its fees upon the prior approval by Customer at the end of the term or at any time, upon the mutual agreement of the Parties, if there is a material change in the scope of Digital Solutions Services. If SS&C proposes a fee amendment, the amendment will become effective as agreed in writing between the Parties. If no agreement is reached within 30 days of the date on which SS&Cs written proposal is received by Client, either Party may terminate this Agreement upon 90 days written notice to the other Party. Such termination is effective at the end of the next calendar quarter ending not less than 90 days following the date of the termination notice; provided that the Parties shall waive termination if they resolve such dispute prior to the expiration of such notice period.
ARTICLE IV
PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
Customer acknowledges and agrees that it obtains no rights in or to any of the software, hardware, processes, templates, screen and file formats, interface formats or protocols, and development tools and instructions, trade secrets, proprietary information or distribution and communication networks of SS&C. Any software, interfaces, interface formats or protocols developed by SS&C shall not be used by Customer for any purposes other than utilizing Digital Solutions Services pursuant to this Agreement or to connect Customer to any transfer agency system or any other Person without SS&Cs prior written approval. Customer also agrees not to take any action which would mask, delete or otherwise alter any SS&C on-screen disclaimers (including electronic forms which Users are required to accept) and copyright, trademark and service mark notifications provided by SS&C from time to time, or any point and click features relating to User acknowledgment and acceptance of such disclaimers and notifications.
ARTICLE V
TERM AND TERMINATION
Section 5.1 Term. Unless terminated earlier as provided in this Article V, this Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Date and shall continue in force and effect through December 31, 2026 or until the expiration or termination of the Agency Agreement, whichever is earlier (the Term).
Section 5.2 Termination. Throughout the Term, either Party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement on written notice to the other Party of the other Partys material breach of this Agreement and such Partys failure to cure such breach within thirty (30) days. Additionally, SS&C shall have the right, upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to Customer, to terminate this Agreement, and all Service Exhibits then in effect, in the event Customer converts the Funds made available through Digital Solutions Services to a recordkeeping platform provided by any Person other than SS&C.
Section 5.3 Effect of Termination. In the event of a termination under the provisions of this Article V, the Parties will have no continuing obligations to one another other than the obligation to return to one another the confidential or proprietary materials of the other in their possession.
ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION; LIABILITY LIMITATIONS
Section 6.1 No Other Warranties. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT, THE DIGITAL SOLUTIONS SERVICES AND ALL SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS DESCRIBED IN THIS AGREEMENT AND ITS EXHIBITS ARE PROVIDED AS-IS, ON AN AS AVAILABLE BASIS, AND SS&C HEREBY SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING SERVICES PROVIDED BY SS&C HEREUNDER, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE.
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Section 6.2 Limitation of Liability; Indemnification.
(a) | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither SS&C nor any SS&C Associate shall be liable to Customer for any action or inaction of any SS&C Associate except to the extent of direct Losses finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C Associates in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement. Customer shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless SS&C and SS&C Associates from and against Losses that SS&C and the SS&C Associates suffer, incur, or pay as a result of any Third Party Claim or Claim among the Parties, except to the extent it is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that such Losses resulted solely from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C Associates in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement. Any expenses (including legal fees and costs) incurred by SS&C in defending or responding to any Claims (or in enforcing this provision) shall be paid by Customer on a quarterly basis prior to the final disposition of such matter upon receipt by Customer of an undertaking by SS&C to repay such amount if it shall be determined that a SS&C Associate is not entitled to be indemnified. Upon the assertion of a Claim for which Customer may be required to indemnify SS&C, SS&C shall notify Customer of such assertion, and shall keep Customer advised with respect to all material developments concerning such Claim. Customer shall have the option to participate with SS&C in the defense of such Claim and SS&C shall reasonably allow such participation. SS&C shall in no case confess, compromise or settle the Claim in any case in which Customer may be required to indemnify it except with the prior written consent of Customer, which consent shall not be unreasonably delayed, withheld or conditioned. The maximum amount of cumulative liability of SS&C to Customer and for Losses arising out of the subject matter of, or in any way related to, this Agreement, except to the extent of Losses resulting solely from the willful misconduct or fraud of SS&C in the performance of SS&Cs duties or obligations under this Agreement, shall not exceed three times the fees paid by Customer to SS&C under the applicable Service Exhibit for the most recent 12 months immediately preceding the date of the event giving rise to the Claim. |
(b) | SS&C shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Customer and its Affiliates, members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners and employees from and against Losses (including reasonable legal fees and costs to enforce this provision) that Customer or its Affiliates suffer, incur, or pay as a result of any Claim brought by a third party that the Digital Solutions Services infringe, or cause the infringement of, the intellectual property rights of a third party, except to extent such infringement is a result of or arises out of (i) improper use of the Digital Solutions Services or any SS&C Property by Customer or its Affiliates, (ii) modifications to the Digital Solutions Services or SS&C Property made by Customer or its Affiliates not previously authorized in writing by SS&C, (iii) Customer or its Affiliates not complying with instructions or designs required by SS&C, (iv) use of the Digital Solutions Services or SS&C Property by Customer or its Affiliates in breach of this Agreement, or (v) the combination of the Digital Solutions Services or SS&C Property by Customer or its Affiliates with products or systems other than those provided for use with the Services by, or authorized in writing by, SS&C. SS&C may discharge its indemnity obligation by, at its sole option and expense (a) procuring any right to allow Customer to continue to receive the infringing part of the Services, (b) modifying, amending or replacing the infringing part of the Services with other services that deliver substantially the same capabilities, or (c) terminating the infringing part of the Services, provided that SS&C shall in such case refund any fees paid in advance by Customer with respect thereto. |
(c) | Except with respect to all amounts payable by an indemnifying Party as a part of its indemnification obligations under this Section 6, in no event shall either Party be liable to the other Party for Losses that are indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary or enhanced or that represent lost profits, opportunity costs or diminution of value |
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ARTICLE VII
CONFIDENTIALITY
Section 7.1 SS&C Confidential Information. Customer acknowledges and agrees that the terms and conditions of this Agreement, FAN (including by way of example and without limitation all processes, algorithms, designs, techniques, code, screen and data formats, interface formats and protocols, and structures contained or included therein) and other information obtained by them concerning the other software, software applications, equipment configurations, and business of SS&C (the SS&C Confidential Information) is confidential and proprietary to SS&C. Customer further agrees to use the SS&C Confidential Information only as permitted by this Agreement, to maintain the confidentiality of the SS&C Confidential Information and not to disclose the SS&C Confidential Information, or any part thereof, to any other person, firm or corporation, provided, however, that if Customer becomes compelled or is ordered to disclose SS&C Confidential Information whether (i) by a court order or governmental agency order which has jurisdiction over the Parties and subject matter, or (ii) in the opinion of its legal counsel, by law, regulation or the rules of a national securities exchange to disclose any SS&C Confidential Information, Customer will, except as may be prohibited by law or legal process, provide SS&C with prompt written notice of such request or order. Customer acknowledges that disclosure of the SS&C Confidential Information may give rise to an irreparable injury to SS&C inadequately compensable in damages. Accordingly, SS&C may seek (without the posting of any bond or other security) injunctive relief against the breach of the foregoing undertaking of confidentiality and nondisclosure, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available. Customer consents to the obtaining of such injunctive relief and in any proceeding upon a motion for such injunctive relief, Customers ability to answer in damages shall not be interposed as a defense to the granting of such injunctive relief.
Section 7.2 Customer Confidential Information. SS&C acknowledges and agrees that the terms and conditions of this Agreement, any information obtained by SS&C concerning the software and software applications (including by way of example and without limitation all data in the Files and algorithms, designs, techniques, code, screen and data formats and structures contained or included therein), equipment configurations, personal information regarding the customers and consumers of Customer and business of Customer (the Customer Confidential Information) is confidential and proprietary to Customer. SS&C hereby agrees to use the Customer Confidential Information only as permitted by this Agreement, to maintain the confidentiality of the Customer Confidential Information and not to disclose the Customer Confidential Information, or any part thereof, to any other person, firm or corporation, provided, however, that if SS&C becomes compelled or is ordered to disclose Customer Confidential Information whether (i) by a court order or governmental agency order which has jurisdiction over the Parties and subject matter, or (ii) in the opinion of its legal counsel, by law, regulation or the rules of a national securities exchange to disclose any Customer Confidential Information, SS&C will, except as may be prohibited by law or legal process, provide Customer with prompt written notice of such request or order.
SS&C acknowledges that disclosure of the Customer Confidential Information may give rise to an irreparable injury to Customer inadequately compensable in damages. Accordingly, Customer may seek (without the posting of any bond or other security) injunctive relief against the breach of the foregoing undertaking of confidentiality and nondisclosure, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available. SS&C consents to the obtaining of such injunctive relief and in any proceeding upon a motion for such injunctive relief, SS&Cs ability to answer in damages shall not be interposed as a defense to the granting of such injunctive relief.
Section 7.3 Consumer Privacy. Customer and SS&C shall each comply with applicable U.S. laws, rules and regulations relating to privacy, confidentiality, security, data security and the handling of personal financial information applicable to it that may be established from time to time, including but not limited to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation S-P (17 CFR Part 248) promulgated thereunder.
Section 7.4 Limitations; Survival. The provisions of this Article VII shall not apply to any information if and to the extent it was (i) independently developed by the receiving Party as evidenced by documentation in such Partys possession, (ii) lawfully received by it free of restrictions from another source having the right to furnish the same, (iii) generally known or available to the public without breach of this Agreement by the receiving Party or (iv) known to the receiving Party free of restriction at the time of such disclosure. The Parties agree that immediately upon termination of this Agreement, without regard to the reason for such termination, the Parties shall forthwith return to one another all written materials and computer software which are the property of the other Party. All of the undertakings and obligations relating to confidentiality and nondisclosure in this Agreement shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement for a period of ten (10) years.
Section 7.5 Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Party may disclose Confidential Information pursuant to a requirement or request of a governmental agency or pursuant to a court or administrative subpoena, order or other such legal process or requirement of law, or in defense of any claims or causes of action asserted against it; provided, however, that it
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shall (i) first notify the other of such request or requirement, or use in defense, unless such notice is prohibited by statute, rule or court order; and (ii) at the other Partys expense, cooperate in the other Partys efforts to file a motion to quash or similar procedural step to frustrate the production or publication of information. Nothing herein shall require either Party to fail to honor a subpoena, court or administrative order or requirement on a timely basis. Each Party shall cooperate with the other in an effort to limit the nature and scope of any legally required disclosure of Confidential Information.
Section 7.6 Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Parties agree that, in the course of performance under this Agreement, SS&C and its employees may gain or enhance its general knowledge, skills, and experience (including ideas, concepts, know-how, and techniques) related to the business of the Customer (collectively referred to as General Knowledge). The use of General Knowledge by the SS&C and its employees will not constitute a breach of this Agreement; provided that such General Knowledge is retained in the unaided memories of the employees of SS&C. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, SS&C and its employees may not disclose, publish, or disseminate any of the following: (i) information or data supplied in confidence by or on behalf of Customer to SS&C, including (1) Customer Confidential Information that is in written or other tangible form and is marked as proprietary or confidential, and (2) Customer Confidential Information that is disclosed in non-tangible form and is identified as proprietary or confidential at the time of the disclosure; (ii) the source of the General Knowledge; or (iii) the business plans of the Customer.
ARTICLE VIII
FORCE MAJEURE
Customer acknowledges that the Internet is not a secure organized or reliable environment, and that the ability of SS&C to deliver Digital Solutions Services is dependent upon the Internet and equipment, software, systems, data and services provided by various telecommunications carriers, equipment manufacturers, firewall providers and encryption system developers and other vendors and third parties which are outside the control of SS&C. SS&C shall not be liable for any delays or failures to perform any of its obligations hereunder to the extent that such delays or failures are due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, strikes, riots, terrorist acts, acts of war, power failures, functions or malfunctions of the Internet, telecommunications services (including wireless), firewalls, encryption systems and security devices, or governmental regulations imposed after the date of this Agreement.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 9.1 Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with and governed by the Law of the State of New York. The courts of the State of New York and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any Claim. Each Party submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and waives to the fullest extent permitted by Law all rights to a trial by jury.
Section 9.2 Subcontractors. Certain functionalities delivered as part of the Digital Solutions Services may require services from subcontractors or third party vendors. SS&C may, without further consent from Customer, engage an onshore or offshore subcontractor, third party vendor, or affiliate of SS&C to perform the Digital Solutions Services. For clarification, SS&C may subcontract any portion of the Digital Solutions Services to Affiliates of SS&C or to consultants, subcontractors and third party vendors, including, by way of example, software developers and/or cloud hosting service providers. SS&C may use subcontractors or third party vendors in connection with providing the Digital Solutions Services under this Agreement and applicable Service Exhibits provided, upon Customers request, SS&C shall provide a list summarizing such third parties that may be used by SS&C and aspects of the Digital Solutions Services that may be provided. The Digital Solutions Services performed by any such subcontractors shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement and the applicable Service Exhibit.
Section 9.3 Captions. Captions used herein are for convenience of reference only, and shall not be used in the construction or interpretation hereof.
Section 9.4 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which together shall be deemed one and the same Agreement.
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Section 9.5 Parties Independent Contractors. The Parties to this Agreement are and shall remain independent contractors, and nothing herein shall be construed to create a partnership or joint venture between them, and none of them shall have the power of authority to bind or obligate the others in any manner not expressly set forth herein.
Section 9.6 Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby unless either of the Parties shall, in its reasonable determination, conclude that it shall be materially prejudiced by such holding of invalidity, illegality or unenforceability, in which case such Party may terminate this Agreement by thirty (30) days written notice to the other.
Section 9.7 No Waiver. No term or provision hereof shall be deemed waived and no breach excused unless such waiver or consent shall be in writing and signed by the Party claimed to have waived or consented. Any consent by any Party to, or waiver of, a breach by the other, whether express or implied, shall not constitute consent to, waiver of, or excuse for any other different or subsequent breach.
Section 9.8 Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights under this Agreement may be assigned or otherwise transferred by the Customer in whole or in part, whether directly or by operation of Law, without the prior written consent of SS&C. SS&C may assign or otherwise transfer this Agreement: (i) to a successor in the event of a change in control of SSC, (ii) to an Affiliate or (iii) in connection with an assignment or other transfer of a material part of SS&Cs business. Any attempted delegation, transfer or assignment prohibited by this Agreement shall be null and void.
Section 9.9 Notices. All notices, requests or communications required hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) upon delivery, if delivered personally against written receipt, (ii) three (3) days after posting by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, (iii) upon confirmed receipt, if delivered by telecopier or (iv) the next day if delivered by a recognized overnight commercial courier, such as Federal Express or DHL, addressed in each instance to the Parties at the addresses set forth below (or at such other addresses as shall be given by either of the Parties to the other in accordance with this Section 9.9). The parties hereto shall also notify the following individuals with respect to matters pertaining to this Agreement:
SS&C GIDS, Inc.
1055 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64105
Attention: Legal Department
Email: [Redacted.]
Customer:
11100 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Attn: George P. Hawley
Email: [Redacted.]
Section 9.10 Entire Agreement. This Agreement and its Exhibits together constitute the complete understanding and agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all prior communications with respect thereto. They may not be modified, amended or in any way altered, except in a writing signed by both Parties. No agent of any Party hereto is authorized to make any representation, promise or warranty inconsistent with the terms hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have set their hands by their authorized representatives as of the year and date first hereinabove indicated.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | SS&C GIDS, INC. | |||||||
By: | /s/ Kirill Bouek |
By: | /s/ Bhagesh Malde | |||||
Name: | Kirill Bouek | Name: | Bhagesh Malde | |||||
Title: | Chief Financial Officer | Title: | Authorized Signatory |
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List of Attachments
ADDENDUM 1 | TERMS AND CONDITIONS MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION SERVICES | |
SCHEDULE NO. 1 | DIGITAL INVESTOR | |
SCHEDULE NO. 2 | VISION | |
SCHEDULE NO. 3 | FANMAIL | |
SCHEDULE NO. 4 | E-PRESENTMENT SERVICES | |
SCHEDULE NO. 5 | COMPOSITION | |
SCHEDULE NO. 6 | CHORUS |
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ADDENDUM 1
Terms and Conditions
Multi-Factor Authentication Services
Multi-Factor Authentication Services. SS&C will provide SS&C Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as one of the services provided to Customer pursuant to the terms of the governing agreement (the Master Agreement) between Customer and SS&C. Any terms not defined in these Terms and Conditions shall have the same meaning as the terms in the Master Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of the Master Agreement and these Terms and Conditions, the provisions of these Terms and Conditions will control such conflict with respect to the services provided hereunder.
1. Customers Services Subscription. SS&C grants Customer a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, nontransferable right to use certain services of ThreatMetrix, Inc. (ThreatMetrix) (the ThreatMetrix Services), and any other materials or intellectual property SS&C provides to Customer in connection with the ThreatMetrix Services (the ThreatMetrix Materials), solely for Customers own internal business purposes, namely: (i) identity verification; (ii) mitigation of financial and business risk; (iii) detection, investigation, assessment, monitoring and prevention of fraud and other crime; and/or (iv) compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorism financing (CTF), anti-bribery and corruption (ABC) and similar laws, after implementation and configuration of Customers website, and subject to the terms and conditions of this agreement. Customer shall not: (i) interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the ThreatMetrix Services or the ThreatMetrix Services Data contained therein; or (ii) attempt to gain unauthorized access to the ThreatMetrix Services or their related systems or networks. ThreatMetrix Services Data shall include the following: any technology embodied or implemented in the ThreatMetrix Services or ThreatMetrix Materials; any computer code provided by ThreatMetrix for Customers website or computer network; any hosting environment made accessible by Customer for purposes of obtaining the ThreatMetrix Services; any suggestions, ideas, enhancement requests, or feedback related to the ThreatMetrix Services; any user device data, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, anonymous device information, machine learning data, user data persistent in the ThreatMetrix network, device reports, or transaction histories; and any corollaries, associations, and ThreatMetrix conclusions pertaining to or arising out of any of the foregoing. Customer will provide ThreatMetrix Services Data to ThreatMetrix as may be necessary for ThreatMetrix to provide to Customer the ThreatMetrix Services. Customer will take such actions as may be legally and technically necessary to allow ThreatMetrix to collect ThreatMetrix Services Data Customer decides to receive in connection with the ThreatMetrix Services.
2. Legal Compliance. Customer will use, and Customer will require that Customers customers use, the ThreatMetrix Services in compliance with applicable law including, without limitation, those laws related to data privacy, international communications, and the transmission of technical or personal data. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Customer will be responsible for any notifications or approvals required from Customers customers or, if applicable, clients of Customers customers, arising out of any use of the ThreatMetrix Services including, without limitation, those relating to any computer code deposited on any device and any information secured from such customers or clients (or their respective devices). Customer also will be responsible for compliance with laws and regulations in all applicable jurisdictions concerning the data of Customers customers or clients of Customers customers.
3. Ownership. As against Customer, ThreatMetrix (and its licensors, where applicable) owns all right, title and interest, including all related intellectual property rights, in and to the ThreatMetrix Services and ThreatMetrix Materials, any software delivered to Customer, any hosting environment made accessible by Customer, any technology embodied or implemented in the ThreatMetrix Services and ThreatMetrix Materials, any computer code provided by ThreatMetrix for Customers particular website and computer network, and any ThreatMetrix Services Data. The ThreatMetrix name, the ThreatMetrix logo, and the product names associated with the ThreatMetrix Services are trademarks of ThreatMetrix or third parties, and no right or license is granted to use them. All rights not expressly granted to SS&C are reserved by ThreatMetrix and its licensors, and Customer shall have no rights which arise by implication or estoppel.
4. Limitations. The ThreatMetrix Services analyze the activities and other attributes of devices used in transactions, and provide information, including device reports generated by the ThreatMetrix Services (Device Reports), based on the data analyzed and the policies Customer defines. The ThreatMetrix Services provide information as to whether a device contains attributes which correlate to a device(s) used in a fraudulent transaction, but do not determine the eligibility of any individual for credit. Customer acknowledges and agrees that ThreatMetrix does not intend that the Device Reports, or any ThreatMetrix
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Materials, be considered consumer reports subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Customer represents that it will not use the Device Reports (or any other data provided by ThreatMetrix) for making credit eligibility decisions or for any other impermissible purpose listed in Section 604 of the FCRA (15 U.S.C. §1681b). In addition, Customer shall not, and shall not permit any representative or third party to: (a) copy all or any portion of any ThreatMetrix Materials; (b) decompile, disassemble or otherwise reverse engineer (except to the extent expressly permitted by applicable law, notwithstanding a contractual obligation to the contrary) the ThreatMetrix Services or ThreatMetrix Materials, or any portion thereof, or determine or attempt to determine any source code, algorithms, methods, or techniques used or embodied in the ThreatMetrix Services or any ThreatMetrix Materials or any portion thereof; (c) modify, translate, or otherwise create any derivative works based upon the ThreatMetrix Services or ThreatMetrix Materials; (d) distribute, disclose, market, rent, lease, assign, sublicense, pledge, or otherwise transfer the ThreatMetrix Services or ThreatMetrix Materials, in whole or in part, to any third party; or (e) remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices, legends, symbols, or labels appearing on the ThreatMetrix Services or in any ThreatMetrix Materials.
5. Indemnification. Customer shall indemnify and hold harmless ThreatMetrix and its licensors, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys and agents from and against any and all claims, costs, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys fees and costs) arising out of or in connection with: (i) any claim alleging that use of any information or data provided by Customer, any of Customers customers, or any individual or entity whose information Customer has indicated should be used in connection with the ThreatMetrix Services, infringes the rights of, or has caused harm to, a third party; (ii) any refusal to process any action requested by a user of a device based on Customers use of any Device Reports provided to Customer by the ThreatMetrix Services or Customers use of the ThreatMetrix Services; or (iii) Customers failure to provide data to ThreatMetrix in the format prescribed by ThreatMetrix.
6. Limitation of Liability. THE THREATMETRIX SERVICES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE DEVICE REPORTS, AND ANY OTHER SERVICES, ARE PROVIDED AS IS. THREATMETRIX HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED (EITHER IN FACT OR BY OPERATION OF LAW), OR STATUTORY, WITH RESPECT TO THE THREATMETRIX SERVICES AND THREATMETRIX MATERIALS INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ALL WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE FROM A COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL THREATMETRIXS AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM OR COMBINATION OF CLAIMS EXCEED ONE HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($100). IN NO EVENT SHALL THREATMETRIX AND/OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY TYPE OR KIND (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF DATA, REVENUE, PROFITS, USE OR OTHER ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE) ARISING OUT OF, OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE SERVICES, THREATMETRIX MATERIALS, OR SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, THREATMETRIX MATERIALS, OR SUPPORT SERVICES, ANY INTERRUPTION, INACCURACY, ERROR OR OMISSION, REGARDLESS OF CAUSE, EVEN IF THREATMETRIX HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
7. Third-Party Rights. This agreement confers rights and remedies upon ThreatMetrix. The parties may not modify or terminate this agreement without the prior written consent of ThreatMetrix.
8. Customer Acknowledgements. Customer acknowledges and agrees that SS&C has engaged ThreatMetrix, Inc. as a third party vendor to provide some or all of the services hereunder and that SS&C disclaims all liability for the performance of the vendors services and will not be liable with respect to any claims for losses, damages, costs or expenses which may result directly or indirectly from such vendors delivery of the services hereunder.
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SCHEDULE NO. 1
SERVICE EXHIBIT
For
DIGITAL INVESTOR PLATFORM SERVICES
1. | Services. Customer has requested, and SS&C will provide Digital Investor Services as one of the Digital Solutions Services pursuant to the terms of the Master Agreement for SS&C Digital Solutions Services (the Agreement) between Customer and SS&C. The Services are further described in the Statement of Work for Digital Investor Platform Development (SOW), attached hereto. Any terms not defined in this Service Exhibit shall have the same meaning as the terms in the Agreement. This Service Exhibit expressly incorporates by reference and is subject to the Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of the Agreement and the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit, the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit will control such conflict with respect to the services provided hereunder |
2. | Destruction on Termination. Upon termination or expiration of this Service Exhibit, SS&C will: |
a. | Return any written, printed, or tangible materials supplied to SS&C by Customer in connection with the development of the enhanced web functionality for Customer that include Customer data. |
b. | Alternatively, with the written consent of Customer, SS&C may securely destroy any of the foregoing embodying Customer data (or the reasonably non-recoverable data erasure of computerized data) and, upon request, certify such destruction in writing by an authorized officer of SS&C supervising the destruction. |
SS&C may retain documents as is necessary to comply with its own document retention policies or as required by applicable law, or by a governmental or regulatory agency or body, in which case all such retained documents shall continue to be subject to the terms of this Service Exhibit.
3. | Definitions. For purposes of this Exhibit, the following additional definitions shall apply (in addition to all other defined terms in the Agreement): |
| Customer Web Site shall mean the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on the computer system of Customer (or an Internet Service Provider (ISP) hired by Customer) connected to the Internet and accessible through the World Wide Web, where User may view information about the Funds and link to Digital Investor. |
| Multi-Factor Authentication shall mean the User out of band (OOB) authentication process, utilized by Digital Investor, as governed by the terms in Addendum 1 attached hereto, whereby SS&C together with a third party service provider implements multi-factor authentication (MFA) security features enabling Users to enter contact information into a User security profile and establish a multi-factor authentication method for access to account data. MFA authentication will enable Users to configure or update MFA security profiles, including preferred method for MFA notifications, whereby a temporary one-time authentication code is sent to the User via SMS text message or email, which the User then enters into the application. |
| Shareholder shall mean the record owner or authorized agent of the owner of shares of a Fund. |
4. | Acceptance Process. In accordance with a mutually agreed upon project milestones and timeline, Customer and SS&C will review and/or test each phase of the services and each deliverable contemplated by this Service Exhibit requiring acceptance within the period set forth within the SOW attached hereto. |
5. | Project Changes. During this Service Exhibit Customer may request changes in Services (hereinafter collectively Changes). Any Changes agreed to by SS&C will be in writing signed by a duly authorized representative of each party, and function as an addendum to and be incorporated as part of the Service Exhibit. Changes may result in an increase or decrease in the fees for a project and/or adjustment of the delivery date as mutually agreed to by the parties and may require adjustments to the SOW or a separate SOW altogether. As part of its approval, SS&C may |
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condition any Change on an increase in the payments to be made for the Services and a new work schedule if SS&C believes in good faith that such Change necessitates a change in the work schedule and SS&C will incur additional costs to implement such Change. |
6. | Deliverables. Customer acknowledges and agrees that it obtains no rights in or to any of the Deliverables other than as provided herein. Customer shall be entitled to use such Deliverables, as outlined in the SOW attached hereto, solely in conjunction with its use of the Services and shall not be used to connect Customer to any transfer agency system or any other person without SS&Cs prior written approval. Customer also agrees not to take any action which would mask, delete or otherwise alter any on-screen disclaimers of SS&C or its Affiliates (including electronic forms which Users are required to accept) and copyright, trademark and service mark notifications provided by SS&C or its Affiliates from time to time, or any point and click features relating to User acknowledgment and acceptance of such disclaimers and notifications. |
7. | SS&C Responsibilities. The Services hereunder shall include: |
Development Responsibilities.
SS&C shall perform the Services to configure and implement certain enhanced web functionality on Customers website. Implementation will include the functions described more fully in the attached SOW.
On-going Support Responsibilities.
SS&C will provide the following support and maintenance services:
i. | Maintaining the enhanced web infrastructure and associated disaster relief environments |
ii. | Updates to the common enhanced web software as needed to maintain compatibility with APIs |
iii. | Updates required by changes that SS&C chooses to make to the core enhanced web platform or hardware infrastructure that were not requested by Customer |
iv. | Access to the SS&C help desk and other online support as required and above the SS&C support layer |
v. | Ongoing research and development of new features, functions, and interfaces |
vi. | Update as needed to maintain functionality with most recent browser updates as defined by the SS&C browser compatibility schedule |
vii. | Updates as required to the Digital Investor main and disaster recovery environments |
viii. | In connection with Multi-Factor Authentication: |
a. | maintain User security profile information; |
b. | receive and route User login requests to an authentication risk engine for evaluation, issuing challenge responses when risk factors are identified in login attempt; |
c. | generate random authentication codes to be sent via Users registered contact methods, and require User to successfully enter valid authentication codes to gain access; |
d. | during instances of time to time downtime for planned maintenance or unavailability of the authentication risk engine, continue authentication by issuing challenges to all Users attempting logins until the maintenance window or unavailability of the authentication risk engine has concluded. |
8. | Customer Responsibilities. In addition to performing all customer responsibilities as set forth in the Agreement and this Service Exhibit, Customer shall be responsible for providing timely feedback, testing and approvals to SS&C in connection with the foregoing Services and shall provide SS&C with such other written instructions as SS&C may request from time to time relating to the performance of SS&Cs obligations hereunder. |
9. | Fees. The fees payable to SS&C by Customer for the Services under this Service Exhibit are set forth on the Fee Schedule attached to this Service Exhibit. |
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SERVICE EXHIBIT - FEE SCHEDULE
DIGITAL INVESTOR PLATFORM AND
ON-GOING SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES
[Redacted.]
15
STATEMENT OF WORK
for
Digital Investor Platform Development
This Statement of Work (SOW) shall be incorporated into and governed by the terms and conditions of the Master Agreement for SS&C Digital Solutions Services, between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (Customer) and SS&C GIDS, Inc. (SS&C) (the Agreement) and the Service Exhibit for Digital Investor Platform Services. Phrases defined in the Agreement or the Service Exhibit for Digital Investor Platform Services and used in this SOW have the same meaning when used here as they do when used in the Agreement or the Service Exhibit for Digital Investor Platform Services. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this SOW and the Agreement or Service Exhibit for Digital Investor, the terms and conditions of this SOW shall govern.
1. | Development Services |
Digital Investor Platform Development Services will be based upon the elements mutually agreed to between Customer and SS&C, as set forth in the Initial Professional Service Schedule Digital Investor Pages, and product specification documents. To assist with the development of the Digital Investor Platform, SS&C will be using standard components, functions, and business rules of Digital Investor Platform as a baseline for requirements and development. In some cases, excluding and/or removing functionality from the Digital Investor Platform standard components may be detrimental to the project from a cost or timeline perspective. As these functions are identified, they will be disclosed to Customer to determine whether the given functions should be included or excluded from scope with any impact to timeline or fee schedule.
Scope of Professional Services
Digital Investor Platform Professional Services are provided by SS&C and consists of implementation, configuration, consulting and other programming-related services (collectively Professional Services), as further described below, in connection with Customers use of the Digital Investor Web Site, FAN, and other SS&C products or systems.
The new Digital Investor screens and workflows will be compatible with existing SS&C FAN API services for access to recordkeeping system data and processes. Professional Services will allow the screens to be built to current design, coding and mobile accessibility standards, and to provide an enhanced end-user experience.
Customers Digital Investor web site will include all of the features and functionality listed in the Initial Professional Services Schedule, including the custom options listed. Wording and content changes on the site will be accommodated as reasonably requested by Customer in accordance with the platform requirements. For non-custom functions listed, Professional Services will develop the site per the production specifications for the Digital Investor Platform, incorporating Customers options, and styling and branding information.
SS&C and Customer may at any time agree to additions, deletions or modifications to Customers web site design via a Change Order.
Customer will be provided with an intake form to provide styling and branding information, such as high resolution logos, preferred fonts, colors, as well as disclaimer text, footer links, and other styling and customization data. Customer agrees to return the completed intake form within five (5) business days unless otherwise arranged.
Custom Options: For Landing Page and Asset Allocation, Professional Services will leverage industry practices and recommended Digital Investor screens and workflows. Estimates in the Fee Schedule attached hereto are based upon these industry practices, screens and workflows. This estimate includes one working design session plus a final review. Customer will give consideration to the Digital Investor recommended workflows and process as a solution for these requirements. Any material changes to the workflows or process will be discussed as part of these working sessions and will be mutually agreed upon by both Customer and Professional Services; Professional Services will assess any possible impact to project timeline and costs. Any changes to these workflows will follow the project change control process.
Professional Services will perform testing of Customers platform to determine its (i) conformity with the standards of certain frequently used browsers; and (ii) mobile devices, in accordance with standard practices. Please note that responsive design is an approach to web design aimed at providing an optimal viewing experience across a very wide range of devices. Some
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functionality may contain data elements or screen structures (tables) that are not optimal for smaller screen sizes. These features will be functional but are optimized to the extent possible given the restrictions of the screen.
Change control for Professional Services will be governed by an industry standard change management process. In general, any revised and/or new workflows will be mutually agreed upon by Customer and Professional Services.
User Acceptance Testing. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) will be completed by Customer. SS&C agrees to provide resource allocations if necessary that are adequate to complete first round and second round (defect remediation testing) of testing per the project schedule.
Bug Tracking: Professional Services employs industry standard web-based bug tracking tools, project management, and workflow management (change control, release management). Customer as well as the UAT team will employ the bug tracking tool to report defects, request changes, and other project-related workflows.
The screens, workflows, and functions to be included in Digital Investor Platform- Initial Professional Services for Customers secure account access site are outlined in the Initial Professional Services Schedule.
2. | Advanced Bank Account Verification |
If requested by Customer and subject to a separate Service Exhibit, SS&C will make available an advanced bank account validation service to replace the paper forms and related medallion guarantees in use currently. The advanced bank account validation service will be provided by a third party vendor in conjunction with the Digital Investor Platform. The bank account validation functionality will allow Users to verify a new bank account by providing a certain account information or credentials from their bank. SS&C will transmit such inquiry to vendor to evaluate Users bank information. The terms of use associated with advanced bank account validation services will be incorporated in a separate service exhibit. In order to receive the advanced bank account verification service, Customer acknowledges and agrees that Customer and Users must agree to comply with the contract terms and conditions required by the vendor. For the avoidance of doubt, SS&C and the vendor are each independent entities and not employees, agents, partners, joint venturers or legal representatives of the other. SS&C disclaims all liability for the performance of the vendors services and will not be liable with respect to any claims for losses, damages, costs or expenses which may result directly or indirectly from vendors delivery of the advanced bank validation services in connection with the Digital Investor Platform.
3. | MFA Authentication |
SS&C will make available a digital User identity and access management service to authenticate Users in connection with additional services. Subject to the terms of Addendum 1, SS&C together with a third party service provider will implement MFA Authentication security features enabling Users to enter contact information into a User security profile and establish a multi-factor authentication method for access to account data, subject to terms required by the third party service provider. Development of MFA Authentication will enable Users to configure or update MFA security profiles, including preferred method for MFA notifications, whereby a temporary one-time authentication code is sent to the User via SMS text message or email, which the User then enters into the application.
4. | Browser Support |
SS&C will perform testing of Customers website to determine its (i) conformity with the standards of certain frequently used browsers; at the start of the project and then annually, if on-going support services are elected by Customer1; and (ii) its functionality on certain mobile devices. Such testing will be performed in accordance with SS&Cs E-Business Solutions Graded Browser Support standards.
5. | Web Analytics |
If selected by Customer, the Web Analytics solution will employ a web-based analytics tracking tool on the platform. Web Analytics solution applies automated technology to generate reports on certain User behavior and interaction within the Digital Investor site at a demographic level. In addition to the rights and restrictions set forth in the Agreement and this SOW, with respect to the Web Analytics functionality of Digital Investor and collection of related data, Customers use of Web
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Analytics services may depend upon compliance with terms and conditions for integrated third party Web Analytics applications. Such third party terms and conditions may require, without limitation: i) incorporation of third party application privacy terms by reference into the privacy policy made available to Users on Customers Digital Investor web site; ii) provision by Customer to its Users of any legally required notice, or collection by Customer of any legally required User consent, for such data collection or use; and iii) Customers presentation of an opportunity to each User to opt out of the collection or use of data in connection with the Web Analytics services; in each case in compliance with applicable laws, to allow SS&C or applicable third party to collect and use such data in connection with providing Web Analytics services to Customer.
The Services included represent SS&Cs standard offering and do not include customization. If Customer requests changes to the Services then the parties agree to enter into a separate SOW and such Services may affect the established project timeline and fees in this SOW.
Fees. The fees payable to SS&C by Customer for the Services under this Statement of Work are set forth on the Statement of Work Fee Schedule attached hereto. Fees will be invoiced based upon mutually agreed project milestones. The estimated fee shall not be exceeded without the prior consent of Customer. SS&C will notify Customer if SS&C believes that the estimated fee will be exceeded, at which time the estimated fee may be adjusted by the mutual agreement of the Parties.
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STATEMENT OF WORK INITIAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SCHEDULE
for
DIGITAL INVESTOR PAGES
The following screens, workflows and functions are included in the Digital Investor Platform initial build:
Digital Investor Implementation
The following represents the recommended features for a Digital Investor implementation. These take into account the existing features offered to existing shareholders while also adding new features to the platform. The pricing listed takes into account scope and tasks necessary to include these features or remove them from the build.
Standard Digital Investor Features
| Responsive Design |
| Improved Error Handling and Messaging |
| Improved Information Display & Workflows |
| Customization of Firm Logo and Color Palette |
Secure Account Access
| Register New User |
| Secure Login |
| Risk-Based Multifactor Authentication |
| Retrieve User ID |
| Reset Password |
Multi-Factor Advanced Authentication
The advanced authentication framework using out of band authentication via SMS or e-mail validation codes is built into Digital Investor. The following activity-based fees will apply and will be charged on a monthly basis:
Challenge attempts are triggered when a user accesses the site from an unknown device or via an out of character behavior pattern. This challenge triggers a SMS or e-mail validation code to be sent to the user in order to validate identity and continue the login process.
Account Inquiry
| Display Portfolio Summary |
| Enhanced Portfolio Display (Hide Zero Balance Accounts, Set Portfolio Sort Order) |
| View Transaction History with Filtering |
| View Statements/Tax Forms/Confirmations- This is only for the display of links to the appropriate PDF documents based on the data received from an output provider. Additional document types such as Inserts may require additional cost. A separate agreement is required for document composition, indexing, and related storage. If an output provider other than SS&C is used, additional integration charges may apply. |
| Consent for eDelivery - View/Add/Update (If an output provider other than SS&C is used, additional integration |
| Account Nicknames & Icons |
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Cost Basis
| View Cost Basis Activity (Unrealized & Realized Gain/Loss) |
| Update Cost Basis Method |
| Apply a single cost basis method to all investments |
| Apply cost basis election to each investment |
Account Maintenance
| Change Username |
| Change Password |
| Multifactor Authentication |
| Contact Information |
| Address of Registration View/Change |
| Telephone Number View/Add/Change |
| Email Address- View/Add/Change |
| Distribution Options - View/Change |
Web Accessibility
The Digital Investor website implementation will include testing utilizing a web accessibility testing tool to measure against WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.0 Level AA.
Messaging Framework
| Informational Message (Pre-Authentication) |
| Index Page Only |
Additional Options
| Courtesy E-mails: |
| Operator Access |
| View Dealer Information |
20
STATEMENT OF WORK
FEE SCHEDULE
[Redacted.]
21
Exhibit (k)(3)
EXECUTION COPY
SCHEDULE NO. 2
SERVICE EXHIBIT
for
VISION SERVICES
1. | Vision Services. Customer has requested, and SS&C will provide Vision Services as one of the Digital Solutions Services pursuant to the terms of the Master Agreement for SS&C Digital Solutions Services (the Agreement) between Customer and SS&C. The Vision Services (the Vision Services) consist of the services provided by SS&C utilizing FAN®, the Vision Web Site, the Distribution Support Services Web Site, the Internet, and other systems provided by SS&C and telecommunications carriers, whereby Users may view account information related to a Customers Financial Products or submit Transaction requests directly to the Financial Products transfer agent via the Internet, as described further in this Service Exhibit. |
2. | Definitions. For purposes of this Exhibit, the following additional definitions shall apply (in addition to all other defined terms in the Agreement): |
| Customer Web Site shall mean the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on the computer system of Customer (or an Internet Service Provider (ISP) hired by Customer) connected to the Internet and accessible through the World Wide Web, where Users may view information about the Financial Products and access the various Transaction screens made available through Vision Services. |
| Distribution Support Services Web Site shall mean the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on the SS&C controlled World Wide Web address (currently, https://www.dstdss.com), linked to the Internet and accessible through the World Wide Web, which Customer may access to view information about Users and approve/deny access requests by Users. |
| Financial Products shall mean mutual funds, or real estate investment trusts or limited partnerships or other similar financial products, and Financial Product Units or Units shall mean the shares or units of a Financial Product held by a record owner. |
| Transactions shall mean new account establishment, account inquiries, purchases, redemptions through Automated Clearing House, fed wire, or check to the address of record for the Financial Product account, exchanges, maintenance and other transactions offered from time to time through Vision Services. |
| Unit Holder shall mean the record owner of Financial Product Units. |
| User(s) shall mean the authorized agents, selling agents and other intermediaries (i.e., broker/dealers, registered investment advisors or registered representatives) acting on behalf of record owners of Units of a Financial Product whom Customer has authorized to use Vision Services. |
| Vision Web Site shall mean the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on the SS&C controlled World Wide Web address (currently https://www.dstvision.com), linked to the Internet and accessible through the World Wide Web, which Users may access to view account information or to request Transactions on behalf of the record owners for whom they are acting. |
| Vision Implementation Procedures shall mean the optional features and functions of Vision Services which are selected by Customer, and the processes needed to activate these functions, for the various components of Vision Services, a copy of which has been provided to Customer. |
3. | SS&C Responsibilities. In connection with its performance of Vision Services, SS&C shall: |
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(a) | receive Transaction requests electronically transmitted by Users to the Vision Web Site via the Internet and route Transaction requests through FAN to Customers transfer agency system; |
(b) | deliver to Customer a Vision Implementation Procedures instruction form; |
(c) | provide all computers, telecommunications connectivity and equipment reasonably necessary at its facilities to operate FAN, the Vision Web Site and the Distribution Support Services Web Site; |
(d) | deliver a monthly billing report to Customer, which shall include a report of Transactions, by type, processed through Vision Services; |
(e) | provide Multifactor Authentication, subject to the terms set forth in Addendum 1 |
(f) | perform all other SS&C obligations as set forth in the Agreement. |
4. | Customer Responsibilities. In connection with its use of Vision Services, Customer shall: |
(a) | provide the Vision Implementation Procedures to SS&C for each Financial Product in writing on forms provided by SS&C and update the Digital Solutions Options in writing as required by Customer from time to time (Vision is offered in a generic format with limited Financial Product customization, as described in the Vision Implementation Procedures); |
(b) | provide SS&C with such other written instructions as it may request from time to time relating to the performance of SS&Cs obligations hereunder; and |
(c) | perform all other Customer obligations as set forth in the Agreement. |
As a condition of a Users access to the Vision Services, Customer acknowledges that each User must comply with all User Enrollment and Authorization Procedures described in the Authentication Procedures Section of this Vision Exhibit.
If Customer chooses to allow Users to use the Vision Services via Customers Web Site, Customer shall also:
(d) | provide all computers, telecommunications equipment and other equipment and software reasonably necessary to develop and maintain the Customer Web Site; and |
(e) | design and develop the Customer Web Site functionality necessary to facilitate and maintain the hypertext links to the Vision Web Site and the various related web pages and otherwise make the Customer Web Site available to Users. |
5. | Customer Controlled Marketing Content. Through the Vision Web Site, SS&C provides Customer the ability to post content (plain text or HTML) including hypertext links to other Web sites, that is displayed and viewable to all Users authorized by Customer. The use of this feature of Vision Services is optional, at the discretion of Customer, and subject to the following terms and conditions: |
(a) | Customer is solely responsible for any and all content and hypertext links displayed in the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site. |
(b) | Customer is solely responsible for compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements which may apply to content and hypertext links in the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site, including, but not limited to copyright, trade secret and intellectual property laws and federal and state securities laws which may apply to the promotion of mutual fund products and securities or other Financial Products, as applicable, electronically and over the Internet. |
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(c) | SS&C reserves the right, but has no duty, to electronically monitor the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site for adherence to the terms of this Agreement and may disclose any and all data and information posted to the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site to the extent necessary to protect the rights or property of SS&C, its affiliates or licensees, or to satisfy any law, regulation or authorized governmental request. |
(d) | SS&C reserves the right, but has no duty, to prohibit conduct, promotional material, hypertext links to certain sites, comments, responses or any communication, data, information or content posted to the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site which it deems, in its sole discretion, to be harmful to SS&C, its customers or any other person or entity. |
(e) | Customer acknowledges that SS&C cannot ensure editing or removal of any inappropriate, questionable or illegal content posted to the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site or to any site on the Internet accessed from a hypertext link at the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site. Accordingly, Customer agrees that SS&C has no liability for any action or inaction with respect to content or hypertext links posted to or deleted from the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site and Customer shall indemnify and hold SS&C harmless from and against any and all costs, damages and expenses (including attorneys fees) arising out of the posting of content or hypertext links at the Customer-Controlled Content Areas of the Vision Web Site. |
6. | Change in Designated Financial Products. Upon ten (10) business days prior notice to SS&C, Customer may change the Financial Products designated to participate in Vision Services by delivering to SS&C, in writing, a revised list of participating Financial Products. |
7. | Indemnity for Actions of Users. Customer acknowledges that the use of Vision by Users to conduct Transactions on behalf of Unit Holders presents risks arising from the actions of such Users. Accordingly, Customer hereby indemnifies and holds SS&C harmless from, and shall defend it against any and all claims, demands, costs, expenses and other liabilities, including reasonable attorneys fees, arising out of financial or other consequences of Transactions conducted by Users, or out of disputes as to the authority of Users to conduct Transactions. |
8. | Fees. The fees payable to SS&C by Customer for Vision Services are set forth on the Fee Schedule attached to this Service Exhibit. |
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VISION
FEE SCHEDULE
[Redacted.]
25
Exhibit (k)(3)
EXECUTION COPY
VISION
Authentication Procedures
1.a. | ID/Password Requirements - Users |
Authentication of a User in Vision is based on the Vision Operator ID and Password.
Required - The Vision Operator ID, assigned by SS&C, shall have access authorization as determined by Customer. This may include the following access levels, at Customers option, the contents of which shall be determined by Customer:
Unrestricted Access - This allows the User to view any account information for all of Customers Financial Products.
Dealer Level Access - This allows the User to view any account information with the authorized dealer number.
Dealer/Branch Level Access - This allows the User to view any account information with the authorized dealer and branch combination.
Dealer/Representative Level Access - This allows the User to view any account information with the authorized dealer and representative combination.
Tax ID Level Access -This allows the User to view any account with the authorized Social Security Number and/or TIN of the Unit Holder.
Trust/TPA Access This allows the User to view any account with the authorized trust company or Third Party Administrator number assigned to the underlying account/contract.
Required - Password is used in conjunction with Vision Operator ID to access the Vision Web Site, which consequently provides access to any Financial Product account information that has been previously authorized by Customer. Vision does not use a personal identification number (PIN).
1.b. | ID/Password Requirements Customer point of contact |
Authentication of a Customer point of contact in the Distribution Support Services Web Site is based on an Operator ID and Password.
Required - The Operator ID, chosen by Customer, shall have access as determined by Customer. Access will be specific to the management company associated with Customer. This may include the following access levels, at Customers option, inquiry only access (Customer point of contact may only view information related to Users) or update access (Customer point of contact may update profiles related to Users, including, but not limited to, changing, adding and deleting User information). SS&C shall store the Operator ID and associated access levels. Any personnel changes or access changes affecting Customer point of contact must be communicated to SS&C promptly.
Required - Password is used in conjunction with Operator ID to access the Distribution Support Services Web Site, which consequently provides access to any User information (profile, firm, address, authorization information, etc.).
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USER ENROLLMENT AND AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES
The following procedures are part of the Authentication Procedures applicable to Vision Services.
1. | Enrollment. |
Each User is required to complete an Electronic Enrollment Form, which is available at a URL designated by SS&C (at the date of this Agreement - www.dstvision.com). Users enrolling for access may complete the enrollment process by providing SS&C with information called for in the Electronic Enrollment Form about their practice and the Financial Products they wish to access.
2. | Customer Authorization. |
Upon receiving a completed Electronic Enrollment Form from a User, SS&C will make available an Authorization Request to Customer (point of contact) through the Distribution Support Services Web Site. The Authorization Request will identify the level of access requested and the security criteria as well as provide a sample client Tax ID/Social Security Number.
Through the Distribution Support Services Web Site, Customer point of contact is solely responsible for authorizing or denying each User request for access to Transactions through Vision Services. When authorizing requests, security criteria must be verified by Customer. This includes verifying:
| Appropriate Level of Authorization. Please note, each authorization will provide access to the level indicated on SS&Cs Authorization Request. Access may be requested at the dealer, dealer/branch, dealer/representative, tax ID, or Trust/TPA level. |
| Accurate Access Security Criteria. Customer must verify that each field authorized in the security criteria accurately represents the dealer/branch/representative or tax ID information which appears on the master of the representatives clients accounts. 100% of the representatives accounts should reflect the authorized criteria. |
Customer assumes all responsibility for verifying the security level of each new User authorization request. SS&C shall not be required to verify that the person who processes the Authorization Request is legally authorized to do so on behalf of Customer and SS&C shall be entitled to rely conclusively upon such approval/denial without further duty to inquire.
3. | Password & ID Notification. |
When Customer approves an authorization request, the Users ID is updated for the authorized security and an e-mail is sent to the User notifying him/her of their access to the Vision Web Site. Users are required to establish their own initial password at a URL designated by SS&C (at the date of this Agreement - www.dstvision.com/assignpswd.html).
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SCHEDULE NO. 3
SERVICE EXHIBIT
for
BASIC FAN MAIL SERVICES
1. | Parties. This Service Exhibit is made by and between SS&C Systems Inc., a Delaware corporation (SS&C), and Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (Customer). This Service Exhibit is an exhibit to the Master Agreement for SS&C Digital Solutions Services by and between SS&C and Customer (the Agreement). Any terms not defined in this Service Exhibit shall have the same meaning as the terms in the Agreement. This Service Exhibit expressly incorporates by reference and is subject to the Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of the Agreement and the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit, the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit will control such conflict with respect to the services provided hereunder. |
2. | Basic FAN Mail Services. Customer has requested, and SS&C will provide, for the Term set forth on the signature page of this Service Exhibit, Basic FAN Mail Services as one of the Digital Services pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. |
3. | Definitions. For purposes of this Exhibit, the following additional definition shall apply (in addition to all other defined terms in the Agreement): |
| Distribution Support Services Web Site shall mean the collection of electronic documents or pages residing on the SS&C controlled World Wide Web address (currently, https://www.dstdss.com), linked to the Internet and accessible by hypertext link through the World Wide Web, which Customer may access to view information about Recipients and approve/deny access requests by Recipients. |
| FAN Mail® shall mean the SS&C-designed, developed and instituted system known as Financial Adviser Network MailTM or FAN Mail, which enables SS&C to make data from SS&Cs TA2000® mutual fund recordkeeping systems and data provided to SS&C, in the format specified by SS&C, from other mutual fund recordkeeping systems or recordkeeping systems maintained by third parties for other Funds, available through the Internet to authorized Recipients. |
| FAN Mail Services shall mean the services provided by SS&C utilizing FAN Mail, the Distribution Support Services Web Site, the Internet, and other systems provided by SS&C and telecommunications carriers, as described in the Service Exhibits which are attached to this Agreement from time to time. |
| Recipient(s) shall mean the Persons described herein to whom data is made available utilizing FAN Mail Services, including specified authorized agents of record owners of Fund Units, including registered financial advisers, financial planners and other financial intermediaries. |
4. | SS&C Responsibilities. In connection with its performance of Basic FAN Mail Services, SS&C shall: |
a. | Receive data (Files) from Customer or extract Files from TA2000 as instructed by Customer, address the Files to Recipients who have been designated by Customer to receive the Files and who have completed the enrollment process for Basic FAN Mail Services described below, and make the Files available to such Recipients. Files will be made available through the Internet via hypertext link to the SS&C Web Site. SS&C shall provide each Recipient utilizing the Internet with a recipient ID (the Recipient ID) and a password (the Password) in accordance with the then current Recipient Enrollment and Authorization Procedures and shall permit access to the file(s) associated with a given Recipient ID and Password whenever the appropriate Recipient ID and Password is received at the SS&C Web Site. Each Recipient is responsible for accessing and retrieving such Recipients Files. |
b. | Make available to Recipients the Files set forth on the File and Usage Fee Schedule attached to this Service Exhibit. SS&C may, from time to time, and upon notice to Customer, add and/or delete Files from the File and Usage Fee Schedule. |
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c. | Perform the following administrative functions: maintain a data base which contains the Recipients name, address, electronic mailing address, forty-five (45) day history of Files made available and list of Recipients by dealer/adviser number; provide billing to Customer; reasonably assist Customer and Recipients to establish FAN Mail links; monitor transmissions and provide ongoing technical support for FAN Mail; and maintain a Website facilitating enrollment for Recipients of Customers Files. |
d. | Establish links between Customer, the SS&C Web Site and the Distribution Support Services Web Site, provide telephone support to Customer and Recipients respecting use of FAN Mail, use reasonable efforts to resolve problems, and establish and maintain the SS&C Web Site so it is available. |
e. | Perform all other SS&C obligations as set forth in the Agreement. |
5. | Customer and Recipient Responsibilities. During the Term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, Customer shall at its expense (unless otherwise provided for herein) fulfill Customer obligations as follows: |
(a) | Customer. Customer must: |
(i) | Comply with all Recipient Enrollment and Authorization Procedures attached as part of this Exhibit; |
(ii) | Transmit Files daily from Financial Product recordkeeping systems maintained by third parties to SS&C in formats specified from time to time by SS&C, if applicable. For Files to be extracted from TA2000, by execution of this Service Exhibit Customer hereby consents, and instructs SS&C to extract Files from TA2000 for Recipients who have been designated by Customer to receive the Files; |
(iii) | Perform all other Customer obligations as set forth in the Agreement. |
(b) | Recipient. As a condition of a Recipients access to Files, Customer acknowledges that each Recipient must: |
(i) Obtain and pay for connectivity to the Internet or delivery protocol;
(ii) Have the proper equipment and software to enable the Recipients to access the SS&C Web Site and download the Files therein and obtain all related maintenance, including support in the event of download problems; and
(iii) Comply with all Recipient Enrollment and Authorization Procedures attached as part of this Exhibit.
Customer agrees that SS&C shall not be required to provide Files to any Recipient who fails to comply with the foregoing.
6. | Fees for Basic FAN Mail Services. As consideration for the performance by SS&C of the Basic FAN Mail Services, Customer shall pay to SS&C the following fees and charges: |
(a) A monthly FAN Mail access and support charge as set forth on the File and Usage Fee Schedule attached hereto.
(b) A usage fee per record made available to Recipients each one hundred sixty (160) bytes of information, or portion thereof, being a record as set forth on the File and Usage Fee Schedule attached hereto.
All other terms and conditions shall be governed by the Agreement into which this Service Exhibit is incorporated.
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RECIPIENT ENROLLMENT AND AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES
for
BASIC FAN MAIL SERVICES
The following Enrollment and Authorization Procedures, which may be modified by SS&C from time to time, are also part of the Security Procedures applicable to the Basic FAN Mail Services:
1. | Enrollment. |
(a) New Recipients. Each Recipient is required to complete an online enrollment found at http://www.dstfanmail.com and electronically submit to SS&C the information called for in the enrollment process. In order to complete the enrollment process, the Recipient must verify Recipients agreement to SS&Cs Terms and Conditions for access to FAN Mail Services by clicking an I Agree button. The Recipient must identify the broker/dealer with which the Recipient is associated. If SS&C does not already have a hard copy blanket Broker/Dealer Authorization Letter completed and on file for the identified broker/dealer, the Recipient must submit a hard copy Broker/Dealer Authorization Letter signed by the broker/dealer. SS&C will not be required to verify that the person who clicks agreement to the Terms and Conditions or that the person who signs the Broker/Dealer Authorization Letter is legally authorized to do so and SS&C shall be entitled to rely conclusively upon such agreement keystroke or signature without further duty to inquire. The Recipient must also provide all information requested concerning the Recipients practice and which financial products the Recipient wishes to access. A Recipient ID and Password are established immediately upon completion of the enrollment process.
(b) Currently Enrolled Recipients. Recipients who are currently enrolled and authorized by Customer to receive Files for Basic FAN Mail Services at the time of execution of this Service Exhibit under any prior FAN Mail Agreement shall not be required to re-enroll and Customer agrees that authorization shall be deemed to be given as to such Recipients until Customer notifies SS&C otherwise.
2. | Customer Authorization. |
Upon SS&Cs receipt of enrollment instructions from the Recipient, SS&C will make available an Authorization Request to Customer (point of contact) through the Distribution Support Services Web Site.
Through the Distribution Support Services Web Site, the Customers point of contact is solely responsible for authorizing or denying each Recipient request for access to the product. When authorizing requests, security criteria must be verified by Customer. This includes verifying that each field authorized in the security criteria accurately represents the dealer/branch/representative, tax ID, or cumulative discount information or any additional data extract criteria requested that appears on the master of the Recipients clients accounts. 100% of the Recipients accounts should reflect the authorized criteria.
Customer assumes all responsibility for verifying and approving the security level of each new Recipient authorization request. SS&C shall not be required to verify that the person who processes the Authorization Request is legally authorized to do so on behalf of Customer and SS&C shall be entitled to rely conclusively upon such approval/denial without further duty to inquire. No Files will be made available until the request is authorized by Customer.
3. | Data Availability Notification. |
When Customer approves an authorization request, the Recipients ID is updated for the authorized security and an e-mail is sent to the Recipient notifying him/her that data is available for retrieval.
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FILE AND USAGE FEE SCHEDULE
TO
BASIC FAN MAIL SERVICES EXHIBIT
[Redacted.]
31
SCHEDULE NO. 4
SERVICE EXHIBIT
for
E-PRESENTMENT SERVICES
This Service Exhibit for e-Presentment Services (Services) is entered into by and between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (Customer) and SS&C GIDS, Inc. (SS&C). This Service Exhibit is an exhibit to the Master Agreement for SS&C Digital Solutions Services by and between SS&C and Customer (the Agreement). This Service Exhibit expressly incorporates by reference and is subject to the Agreement. Any terms not defined in this Service Exhibit shall have the same meaning as the terms in the Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of the Agreement and the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit, the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit will control such conflict with respect to the services provided hereunder.
1. | Definitions |
Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms shall have the meaning set forth in the Agreement.
Application means the Services applications as set forth in this Services Exhibit.
Consent means End-Users expressed consent to access and retrieve document information, including periodic statements, financial information, disclosure, tax, or confirmation documents, or marketing materials, electronically.
Development Documents means any of the following documents: System Requirements Document, Project Development Estimate, Project Requirements Document or any other mutually agreed to document describing the development activities.
Document means the equivalent electronic rendition of a single customer communication to an End-User as identified in this Services Exhibit, including, but not limited to statement, dunning notice, check image, report, trade confirmation, or tax document.
Document Type means the documents set forth in Development Documents for which the Services will be provided.
End-User means (i) Customers authorized representatives and (ii) Customers customers that have provided Consent to access electronic Applications provided by SS&C via the Internet.
Image means the equivalent of impression that would be applied to one side of a single sheet in a simplex print-processing environment.
Services means the services described in this Services Exhibit.
2. | Description of Services |
2.1 | SS&C will provide the following Services (Services): |
a. | Load All Document load, storage and CSR web presentment: SS&C will load Documents into its electronic Application (SS&C Archive). Documents will be stored for thirty-six (36) months or until the Agreement is terminated, whichever is earlier, following the load date of Documents. SS&C shall properly destroy Documents on its system once SS&C is no longer obligated to maintain such Documents, as set forth herein. All loaded Documents will be available online for CSR viewing, regardless of whether or not the End-User has provided Consent for delivery of Documents. |
b. | Consented Load Only Document, load, storage and CSR web presentment: SS&C will load Documents for End-Users who have provided Consent for electronic delivery of Documents into its electronic Application (SS&C Archive). Documents will be stored for thirty-six (36) months or until the Agreement is terminated, whichever is earlier, following the load date of Documents. SS&C shall properly destroy Documents on its systems once SS&C is no longer obligated to |
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maintain such Documents, as set forth herein. All loaded Documents will be available online for CSR viewing. |
c. | Presentment Hosting: SS&C will provide a hosted environment to enable Consumer Presentment, Secure eMail and CSR web presentment. Application hosting includes managing the hardware and software environment, the capacity to support presentment, as well as creation, delivery and management of email notifications. |
2.2 | As requested by Customer and upon payment of additional fees, SS&C will provide the following optional services: |
a. | Statement Presentment via Web Services: Up to thirty-six (36) months of Documents for End-Users, excluding, if applicable, any third party intermediaries such as agents, who have not provided Consent or elected paper suppressions, will be made available via a standard web services request from Customers website. All loaded Documents will be available online for CSR viewing, regardless of whether or not the End-User has provided Consent for delivery of electronic Documents. |
b. | Statement Presentment for End-Users via SS&C hosted services: SS&C will develop Customer branded web pages for electronic presentment of Documents to End-Users, excluding third party intermediaries such as agents, who have provided Consent. SS&C will provide document available email notifications to End-Users indicating that a Document is available online for viewing. This service includes Customer defined requirements for retries of email notifications, as well as spam and bounce management capabilities as defined in the applicable Development Documents. SS&C will make available to Customer, via a report accessible through its ePriority portal, a list of undeliverable email addresses. |
c. | Dealer Viewing via VISION: Up to thirty-six (36) months of electronic Documents for third party intermediaries such as dealers will be available via SS&C Systems VISION application. |
d. | Consent and Suppression: SS&C will provide Customer branded web pages for the collection of End-User Consent for electronic delivery of Documents and suppression of paper based delivery. |
e. | Extended Storage of Documents in SS&C Archive: Customer must notify SS&C in writing 60 days in advance of the end of any 36 month retention period expiration of Customers desire to have Documents stored for additional months. Documents will continue to be retained so long as Customer has not made a request in writing to terminate Extended Storage. SS&C shall properly destroy Documents on its system after the required storage period has ended and SS&C is no longer obligated to maintain such Documents, as set forth herein. |
f. | eMail Notifications: SS&C will create and send an email with content provided by Customer, to Consented End-Users with the email addresses contained in the consent database or as otherwise provided by Customer. eMail delivery occurs after Documents are loaded into the Application and released or made available for viewing. This Service includes Customer defined requirements for eMail retries, spam and bounce management capabilities. SS&C will make available to Customer, via a report accessible through its ePriority portal, a list of undeliverable email addresses. |
g. | Regulatory eMail Notifications: SS&C will create and send an email, with links to respective regulatory documents with content provided by Customer, to Consented End-Users with the email addresses contained in the consent database or as otherwise provided by Customer. eMail delivery occurs after email samples are approved and released for delivery by Customer. This Service includes Customer defined requirements for eMail retries, spam and bounce management capabilities. SS&C will make available to Customer, via a report accessible through its ePriority portal, a list of undeliverable email addresses. |
h. | Document Load from Customers Historical Archive: SS&C will process Customers historical data along with an index file as described in applicable Development Documents. SS&C will load the data into its electronic Application (SS&C Archive). The data will be stored for thirty-six (36) months or |
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until the Agreement is terminated, whichever is earlier following the load date of Documents. SS&C shall properly destroy Documents on its system once SS&C is no longer obligated to maintain such Documents, as set forth herein. All Documents will be available online for CSR viewing, regardless of whether or not the End-User has provided Consent. |
i. | Marketing eMails to Customers customers: SS&C will create and send emails containing content provided by Customer to the email addresses contained in an email request via batch file or web services as provided by Customer. eMail delivery occurs after each email file is released. This Service includes Customer defined requirements for eMail retries, spam and bounce management capabilities. SS&C will make available to Customer, via a report accessible through its ePriority portal, a list of undeliverable email addresses. This Service is intended for emails sent to Customers customers for any business related communication, and is specifically not available for solicitation purposes. |
2.3 | Development Documents |
The Development Documents describe all requirements for customization of the Services, the web site, and other systems and software utilized in connection with performance of the Services. Customer will comply with the terms of the Development Documents that describe any project assistance that may be required for completion of deliverables described in the Development Documents. The Services may also include such additional services and/or customization of the Services as may be mutually agreed upon by the Parties from time to time. Each such additional service and/or customization, together with such additional pricing, fees, expenses, terms, conditions, as mutually agreed by the Parties, shall be detailed in separate Development Documents that will be annexed to and made a part of this Services Exhibit.
2.4 | Composition/ Print Services |
Under this Service Exhibit, SS&C will not provide direct composition or print services. Customer will be required to either: (i) enter into an agreement with SS&C for direct composition or print services via a service exhibit for Composition Services, or (ii) find and enter into an agreement with a separate third party provider for any direct composition and print services it requires. If Customer enters into an agreement with SS&C for direct composition and/or print services, the terms of that service exhibit will govern. If Customer enters into an agreement with a third party provider for direct composition and/or print services Customer must notify SS&C and provide written confirmation for SS&C to send the applicable data files to the third party provider for direct composition and/or print services. Once the third party provider has completed composition of the applicable data files, SS&C will be available to receive the composed images back from the third party provider for Customers presentment needs under this Schedule.
3. | Delivery of Data for Processing, Schedules and Data Requirements |
Customer will transmit via a mutually agreed upon method and on an agreed upon schedule.
Delivery of the Customer Data to the SS&C production facility will be via the format, protocols and formatting instructions set forth in the agreed Development Documents and Customer Data must fulfill the requirements identified in the Development Documents.
SS&C will have no responsibility for delays or errors resulting from Customers failure to provide Customer Data correctly. Customer may, at its option, transmit Customer data before Customer has made a final accuracy check. Therefore, SS&C will hold all production until a written or electronic release has been issued by Customer. Should retransmissions be necessary or a release be issued that is later rescinded, Customer shall pay SS&C the applicable processing Fees, (i.e. Load All, Statement Presentment, and Electronic Distribution and Notification fees), for any work performed prior to rescission at the rates set forth in the Pricing Attachment.
4. | Obligations and Conditions of Services |
4.1 | SS&C assumes no responsibility for the business results achieved from use of the Services or errors or interruptions caused by third parties, including but not limited to (i) failures attributable to user errors or misuse of the Services, (ii) failures to use corrections supplied by SS&C, or (iii) modifications by Customer or any third party. SS&C makes no warranty with respect to the performance of third parties |
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such as web portals, automated clearing houses, financial institutions, and other internet service providers and telecommunication carriers, or as to the reliability, security or performance of the internet. |
4.2 | Customer will promptly notify SS&C of any suspected fraudulent activity of which Customer may become aware during the Term. Customer will only use the Services provided under this Service Exhibit for the purposes contemplated herein. |
4.3 | Customer will notify SS&C in writing immediately if it becomes aware of any claim of loss or liability by a third person related to a Service. |
5. | Fees |
The fees payable to SS&C by Customer for the Services under this Service Exhibit are set forth on the Fee Schedule attached to this Service Exhibit.
35
Exhibit (k)(3)
EXECUTION COPY
SERVICE EXHIBIT FEE SCHEDULE*
[Redacted.]
36
SCHEDULE NO. 5
SERVICE EXHIBIT
for
COMPOSITION SERVICES
This is a Service Exhibit for Composition Services (Services) entered into by and between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (Customer) and SS&C GIDS, Inc. (SS&C) made a part of the Master Services Agreement by and between Customer and SS&C (Agreement). Unless specifically stated otherwise, all terms, covenants and conditions described in the Agreement are incorporated herein by reference as if the same had been described herein in full. In the event of a conflict between the terms set forth in this Services Schedule and the Agreement, the terms of this Service Exhibit shall govern.
1. | Definitions |
Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms shall have the meaning set forth in the Agreement.
Development Documents means any of the following documents: System Requirements Document, Project Development Estimate, Project Requirements Document or any other mutually agreed to document describing the development activities.
Document means the equivalent electronic rendition of a single customer communication as identified herein or in the Development Documents, including, but not limited to statement, dunning notice, check image, report, trade confirmation, or tax document.
Document Type means the types of Documents set forth in Development Documents for which the Services will be provided.
Format means SS&C will structure the input data provided by Customers recordkeeping system so as to present the information organized and arranged according to Customers requirements as detailed in the Development Documents.
Image means the equivalent of impression that would be applied to one side of a single sheet in a simplex print-processing environment.
Services means the services described in this Services Schedule.
2. | Description of Services |
2.1 | SS&C will provide the following Services (Services): |
a. | Data Processing Documents: SS&C will process Customers data, format, and index the data in a design and Format the data to support the electronic presentment and delivery of Documents or delivery of such Documents to a print vendor of Customers choice. The Services will include: (i) composition and electronic creation of all Document Types (as defined in below); (ii) creating, archiving, and maintaining electronic Images of each composed and created Document Type; and (iii) making available Document Types to a print vendor or electronic present vendor of Customers choice. |
b. | Development of Document Type Templates. As part of the Services, SS&C shall create and maintain the format, design and content for each Document Type (each, a Document Type Template) in accordance with Customers requirements. Customer may request SS&C to create new Document Type Templates and/or to modify a Document Type Template (each, a Document Type Template Development/Modification Request). SS&C shall create and/or modify Document Type Templates and Customer shall evaluate and either accept or reject such Document Type Template in accordance with the process set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto. Once created and approved by Customer, all Document Type Templates shall be maintained by SS&C in accordance with this Service Schedule. |
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2.2 | Development Documents |
The Development Documents describe all requirements for customization of the Services, the web site, and other systems and software utilized in connection with performance of the Services. Customer will comply with the terms of the Development Documents that describe any project assistance that may be required for completion of deliverables described in the Development Documents. The Services may also include such additional services and/or customization of the Services as may be mutually agreed upon by the Parties from time to time. Each such additional service and/or customization, together with such additional pricing, fees, expenses, terms and conditions, all as mutually agreed by the Parties, shall be detailed in separate Development Documents that will be annexed to and made a part of this Service Exhibit.
3. | Delivery of Data for Processing, Schedules and Data Requirements |
Customer will transmit via a mutually agreed upon method and on an agreed upon schedule.
Delivery of the Customer Data to the SS&C production facility will be via the format, protocols and formatting instructions set forth in the agreed Development Documents and Customer Data will fulfill the requirements identified in the Development Documents.
SS&C will have no responsibility for delays or errors resulting from Customers failure to provide Customer Data correctly. Customer may, at its option, transmit Customer data before Customer has made a final accuracy check. Therefore, SS&C will hold all production until a written or electronic release has been issued by Customer. Should retransmissions be necessary or a release be issued that is later rescinded, Customer shall pay SS&C the applicable processing Fees, for any work performed prior to rescission at the rates set forth in the Pricing Attachment.
4. | Obligations and Conditions of Services |
4.1 | SS&C assumes no responsibility for the business results achieved from use of the Services or errors or interruptions caused by third parties, including but not limited to (i) failures attributable to user errors or misuse of the Services, (ii) failures to use corrections supplied by SS&C, or (iii) modifications by Customer or any third party. SS&C makes no warranty with respect to the performance of third parties such as web portals, automated clearing houses, financial institutions, and other internet service providers and telecommunication carriers, or as to the reliability, security or performance of the internet. |
4.2 | Customer will promptly notify SS&C of any suspected fraudulent activity of which Customer may become aware during the Term. Customer will only use the payment services for the purposes contemplated herein. |
4.3 | Customer will notify SS&C in writing immediately if it becomes aware of any claim of loss or liability by a third person related to a Service. |
5. | Fees |
SS&C will perform the Services in exchange for the Fees set forth in the Fees Exhibit attached hereto as Exhibit A.
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SERVICE SCHEDULE EXHIBIT A
FEE SCHEDULE*
[Redacted.]
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Annex 1
Document Type Template Creation/Modification Process
1. At any time during the Term, Customer may submit a Document Type Template Development/Modification Request to SS&C. Each Document Type Template Development/Modification Request will be in writing and will set out Customers reasonable requirements related thereto.
2. SS&C will submit to Customer: (i) as soon as reasonably possible after receiving a Document Type Template Development/Modification Request, but in no event more than five (5) Business Days after receipt of complete requirements, a written proposal for performance of the Development Request (Document Type Development Request Proposal), which shall include the following: (1) a description of the tasks to be performed by SS&C; (2) the applicable specifications; (3) the completion date for each task and for each deliverable; (4) the specific resources to be provided by SS&C by project discipline for the performance of the Document Type Development Request; and (5) the applicable fees due to SS&C.
3. If Customer accepts a Document Type Development Request Proposal, SS&C will perform the Document Type Development Request in accordance with the agreed upon terms and requirements set forth in such Document Type Development Request Proposal and the terms and conditions of this Service Schedule (collectively, the Development/Modification Terms).
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SCHEDULE NO. 6
SERVICE EXHIBIT
for
SS&C BLUE PRISM® CHORUS
1. | SS&C Blue Prism Chorus Services. Customer has requested, and SS&C will provide, SS&C Blue Prism Chorus Services as one of the Digital Services pursuant to the terms of the Master Agreement for SS&CS Digital Solutions Services (the Agreement) between Customer and SS&C. Any terms not defined in this Service Exhibit shall have the same meaning as the terms in the Agreement. This Service Exhibit expressly incorporates by reference and is subject to the Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of the Agreement and the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit, the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit will control such conflict with respect to the services provided hereunder |
2. | Definitions. For purposes of this Exhibit, the following additional definitions shall apply (in addition to all other defined terms in the Agreement): |
| Blue Prism Chorus Data Center shall mean the data center(s) utilized by SS&C to provide services. |
| Blue Prism Chorus Server Software shall mean that part of the SS&C Blue Prism Chorus software that resides on an server and the Chorus database operated at the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center and used by SS&C Systems, Inc. (SS&C Systems) to provide services to Customer related to the Financial Products under the Agency Agreement between Customer and SS&C Systems of even date herewith (as such agreement may be amended, restated or replaced, the Services Agreement).] |
| System shall mean collectively the computer software described on Exhibit A attached hereto (the Licensed Software), all related user and system documentation (the Documentation). |
| User means any employee of Customer and any assigned worker identified by an independent entry on the W06 Blue Prism Chorus User Security Table as more specifically set forth on Exhibit A. |
| Version shall mean a set of object code and associated documentation of the Licensed Software that is associated with a specific hardware platform, operating system or other technology, which distinguishes it from other forms of the Licensed Software. |
3. | Software License |
During the Term hereof, SS&C hereby grants to Customer, and Customer accepts from SS&C a non-exclusive, non-transferable license (the License) to remotely access and use the machine executable (object code) copy of the Licensed Software and the Documentation in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit.
Customer acknowledges and agrees that, as between Customer and SS&C, the System (including, but not limited to, the Licensed Software) is the property of SS&C and its licensors and that this Service Exhibit grants Customer no title or rights of ownership in the System or any components thereof, or any right to use, copy, transfer or disclose all or any portions of the System except as expressly provided in this Service Exhibit. All changes, additions, and updates in the Licensed Software or Documentation that may be provided by SS&C or other work product of SS&C provided by SS&C pursuant to this Service Exhibit; shall remain proprietary to SS&C and shall be received by the Customer for its use pursuant to all of the restrictions and other terms and conditions of this Service Exhibit, including, but not limited to, use limitations, the exclusion and limitation of warranties, limitation of liability, and undertakings of confidentiality and non-disclosure.
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4. | Use of the System. |
a. | The Licensed Software, and any part thereof, may be used only by the Customer for the Customer or any of Customers Subsidiaries and Affiliates to remotely access the Blue Prism Chorus Server Software in order to process information and documents arising in the normal course of Customers business related to the Financial Products and for no other purpose. This Service Exhibit does not grant Customer a license to the Blue Prism Chorus Server Software or the Chorus database being operated at the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center and no such software will be delivered to Customer hereunder. For clarification, the Blue Prism Chorus Server Software and Chorus database accessed by Customer with the Licensed Software shall be the same Blue Prism Chorus Server Software and Chorus database currently used by SS&C AMS to provide Customer services pursuant to the Services Agreement and Customer shall not have a license to such software nor a right to have a separate instance of such software or database run by SS&C AMS for the benefit of Customer. The Customer shall not (i) permit any third party to use the Licensed Software, or any part thereof, or access the System or any part thereof or (ii) use the System or the Blue Prism Chorus Server Software or the Chorus database to process the documents or data of any third party except for the Financial Products, and then only in connection with the services provided by SS&C AMS under the Services Agreement. All documents and data processed by the System and output produced by the System shall be the property of and owned by Customer or Customers Affiliates. |
b. | Customer will not directly, or indirectly through any Affiliate, agent or other third party: (a) sell, lease, license or sublicense the Software or the Documentation to any third party; (b) decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer the Software, in whole or in part; (c) write or develop any derivative software or any other software program based upon the Software or any SS&C Confidential Information; (d) use the Software to provide processing services to third parties, or otherwise use the Software on a service bureau basis; (e) provide, disclose, divulge, or make available to, or permit use of the Software by any third party without SS&Cs prior written consent, unless otherwise specified. The above stated restrictions shall also apply to all Third Party Software if provided by SS&C. |
c. | Unless otherwise specified, Customer is responsible for licensing all third party technology and software required to use the Software (Third Party Software). |
d. | Customer may use outside data services and other third party software products in connection with the Software. Customer is responsible for procuring these services and software and for the fees related to their installation and use. Notwithstanding anything in this Service Exhibit to the contrary, neither SS&C nor its Affiliates shall be liable to Customer or any other person for any damages and losses with respect to such services and software, reliance by SS&C or Customer on such services and software, or the provision of such services and software in connection with this Service Exhibit. |
5. | No maintenance and support services shall be provided by SS&C hereunder. Customer shall inform SS&C in writing of any modification in the applicable Licensed Software made by others than SS&C. |
6. | Customer Obligations. |
a. | Customer, with computer equipment and through transmission facilities installed on its premises, shall transmit such information and data that Customer determines is to be input and that is required to use the Server Software to the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center. |
b. | Customer shall transmit or cause to be transmitted to the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center, in the formats and form specified by SS&C, all information, data or other documentation required or desirable in connection with Customers use of the SS&C Chorus BPM Server, the Peripheral Servers, or the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center so that the input shall be complete and accurate when it is received by the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center. Customer shall advise SS&C of any (i) errors or mistakes in the data, information or documentation transmitted to the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center, (ii) errors or mistakes in the records maintained (or intended to be maintained) on the SS&C Chorus BPM Servers, and/or the related image storage systems, (iii) errors or mistakes in the output generated by the Blue Prism Chorus Server Software or (iv) any other issues with respect to Customers use of the SS&C Chorus BPM Server, the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center, any third party software operated by or hosted by the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center and/or the operation of the Blue Prism Chorus |
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Server Software. Using normal audit and control procedures, Customer shall verify (i) that all data, information and documentation transmitted to the Blue Prism Chorus Data Center hereunder is properly input into the System and is accessible by Customer hereunder and (ii) all output received hereunder. Notification of any errors or mistakes or other issues shall be provided promptly under the circumstance (but no later than 24 hours after Customer knows or reasonably should know of such error or mistake or other issue). Customer shall be responsible and liable for any resulting Losses and the cost or expense of regenerating any output if Customer shall have (i) failed to utilize and employ a reasonable control procedure available on the System, (ii) failed to transmit properly any information, data or documentation, (iii) transmitted erroneous or incorrect information, data, or documentation, or (iv) failed or delayed to notify SS&C of any error or mistake in (x) any record, report, data or information sent to SS&C, (y) the records maintained or supposed to be maintained on the SS&C Chorus BPM Server and/or the related image storage systems or (z) the output provided by SS&C. |
7. | Chorus BPM Customer Center. In the event Customer uses the Chorus BPM Customer Center, Customer accepts and agrees to the following: |
a. | At no charge to Customer, and in accordance with SS&C security procedures SS&C will provide Customer with the uniform resource locator for the Chorus BPM Client FORUM and assign Customer an identification number and password to facilitate Customers access to and use of the Chorus BPM Customer Center in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. |
b. | Customer may access and use the Chorus BPM Customer Center in the ordinary course of its business solely as it relates to Customers use of Chorus BPM, to participate in discussions about Chorus BPM and related SS&C products and services with SS&C and other Chorus BPM licensees. Customer may post its questions and comments, and responses to any questions or comments posted by SS&C or any other Chorus BPM licensee in the Chorus BPM Customer Center. |
c. | All information available to Customer via the Chorus BPM Customer Center shall be considered SS&C Confidential Information as used in the Agreement. |
d. | Under no circumstances shall SS&C be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary (eve if SS&C has been advised of, or has foreseen the possibility of such damages) arising from the access, use, or inability to access or use the Chorus BPM Client Center, The Chorus BPM Customer Center is provided as is, where is. No material posted to the Chorus BPM Client Center shall modify or amend the terms of this Agreement. |
e. | All Confidential Information posted by SS&C, Customer or any third party to the Chorus BPM Customer Center by SS&C is and shall remain the property of SS&C. The posting of Confidential Information to the Chorus BPM Customer Center does not place such material in the public domain or constitute any waiver by SS&C of any trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights in such material, or the grant of any express or implied right or license to Customer to, or under, SS&Cs patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or intellectual property. Customer hereby waives any and all copyrights or other proprietary rights to, or restrictions upon the use of any question, comment, response or other data or information posted to the Chorus BPM Customer Center by Customer. |
8. | Fees. The fees payable to SS&C by Customer for the Services under this Service Exhibit are set forth in the Fee Schedule attached to the Agency Agreement. |
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SS&C GIDS, Inc.
SS&C Blue Prism® Chorus
Component |
Quantity |
Version |
Type | |||
Chorus BPM BPM Named User1 | As Needed | 3.x or Chorus BPM10 | Per User Component |
A User is defined as any person identified by an independent entry on the W06 Chorus BPM User Security table with a status of anything other than disabled. Unless otherwise explicitly provided for under the license agreement, no human being may access the System in any manner either directly or indirectly, without having a discrete and independent W06 Chorus BPM User Security table entry. For the avoidance of doubt, Customer may not utilize any software, systems or interfaces to aggregate access to the System in any manner that utilizes a number of W06 Chorus BPM User Security table entries less than the number of human beings accessing the System.
1 | Chorus BPM BPM Named User can be configured for access to all create, view, inquiry, update, lookup, and work select functionality in the System, excluding all document management and imaging functions. |
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Exhibit (k)(4)
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
January 3, 2023
This Multiple Class Plan (this Plan) is adopted pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), by Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (the Fund).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Fund is a closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be regulated as a business development company under the 1940 Act;
WHEREAS, the Fund intends to rely on exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission that, if granted, will permit it to issue multiple classes of shares, and one of the conditions of this relief is that the Fund must comply with the provisions of Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act as if it were an open-end management investment company (the Order);
WHEREAS, Rule 18f-3 requires that a board of directors of an investment company offering multiple classes of shares pursuant to said Rule adopt a plan setting forth the differences among the classes with respect to stockholder services and/or distribution arrangements, expense allocations and any related conversion features or exchange privileges; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Fund (the Board) desires to adopt this Plan in order that the Fund may issue multiple classes (each, a Class) of shares of its common stock (Shares).
NOW THEREFORE, the Fund hereby voluntarily adopts this Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, on the following terms and conditions:
Class Designation; General Description of Classes
The Fund may issue Shares in one or more Classes, as set forth in Exhibit A, as may be amended from time to time. Shares so issued will have the rights and preferences set forth in this Plan, the Funds Charter and Bylaws (each as amended from time to time) and any applicable resolutions adopted by the Board from time to time.
Shares issued in Classes will be issued subject to, and in accordance with, the terms of Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, including, without limitation:
(a) | each Class will have a different arrangement for stockholder services or the distribution of Shares or both, and will pay all of the expenses of that arrangement, as set forth in Exhibit A; |
(b) | each Class may pay a different share of other expenses, not including advisory or custodial fees or other expenses related to the management of the Funds assets, if these expenses are actually incurred in a different amount by that Class, or if the Class receives services of a different kind or to a different degree than other Classes; |
(c) | each Class may pay a different management fee to the extent that any difference in amount paid is the result of the application of the same incentive fee provisions in the advisory contract of the Fund to the different investment performance of each Class; |
(d) | each Class will have exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to stockholders that relates solely to its arrangement; |
(e) | each Class will have separate voting rights on any matter submitted to stockholders in which the interests of one Class differ from the interests of any other Class; and |
(f) | except as otherwise permitted under Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, each Class will have the same rights and obligations as each other Class. |
In addition, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund has adopted a Distribution and Stockholder Servicing Plan (the 12b-1 Plan) pursuant to which Class D and Class S Shares are subject to a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee. Those fees are described in the 12b-1 Plan.
A 2% early repurchase deduction may be charged by the Fund with respect to any repurchase of Shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year (measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective date of repurchase of such Shares). This deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the stockholder. Such deduction will apply uniformly to all Shares regardless of Class.
Conversion Features; Exchange Privileges
At the end of the month in which the Funds intermediary manager (the Intermediary Manager), in conjunction with the transfer agent, determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions charged directly by the intermediary, and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to the Shares held in a stockholders account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such shares (or a lower limit as determined by the Intermediary Manager or the applicable selling agent), the Fund will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares in such stockholders account. Compensation paid with respect to the shares in a stockholders account will be allocated among each share such that the compensation paid with respect to each individual share will not exceed 10% of the offering price of such share. The Fund may modify this requirement in a manner that is consistent with applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the Class S shares or Class D shares in such stockholders account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate net asset value as such Class S or Class D shares.
Consistent with the Order, any future Share of a Class that is subject to asset-based service or distribution fees shall convert to a class with no asset-based service or distribution fees upon such Share reaching the applicable sales charge cap determined in accordance with FINRA Rule 2310. The sales charge cap shall be calculated on a per Share basis, such that underwriting compensation paid with respect to each individual Share will not exceed 10% of the offering price of such Share.
Shares of one Class may be exchange, at the stockholders option, for Shares of another class of the Fund, if and to the extent an applicable intra-Fund exchange privilege is disclosed in the Funds prospectus as from time to time in effect (the Prospectus) and subject to the terms and conditions (including the imposition or waiver of any sales load, repurchase fee or early withdrawal charge) set forth in the Prospectus, provided that the stockholder requesting the intra-Fund exchange meets the eligibility requirements of the Class into which such stockholder seeks to exchange.
Expense Allocations of Each Class
Class-specific expenses of the Fund shall be allocated to the specific Class. Non-class specific expenses shall be allocated in accordance with Rule 18f-3 and any related guidance from the SEC or its staff. All expenses incurred by the Fund will be allocated, as provided for herein, among its Classes based on the respective net assets of the Fund attributable to each such Class, except that the net asset value and expenses of each Class will reflect the expenses associated with the 12b-1 Plan of that class (if any), stockholder services fees attributable to a particular class (including transfer agency fees, if any) and any other incremental expenses of that Class. The value of the Funds net assets attributable to each Class shall be computed in the manner specified in the Prospectus for the computation of the Funds net asset value.
In addition to different expenses associated with the Rule 12b-1 Plan, each Class may pay a different amount of the following expenses:
(a) | administrative and/or accounting or similar fees (each as described in the Prospectus) incurred by a specific Class; |
(b) | legal, printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing to current stockholders of a specific Class materials such as stockholder reports, Prospectuses and proxies; |
(c) | blue sky fees incurred by a specific Class; |
(d) | SEC registration fees incurred by a specific Class; |
(e) | expenses of administrative personnel and services required to support the stockholders of a specific Class; |
(f) | Directors fees incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific Class; |
(g) | auditors fees, litigation expenses, and other legal fees and expenses relating to a specific Class; |
(h) | incremental transfer agent fees and stockholder servicing expenses identified as being attributable to a specific Class; |
(i) | account expenses relating solely to a specific Class; |
(j) | expenses incurred in connection with any stockholder meetings as a result of issues relating to a specific Class; and |
(k) | any such other expenses (not including advisory or custodial fees or other expenses related to the management of the Funds assets) actually incurred in a different amount by a Class or related to a Class receipt of services of a different kind or to a different degree than another Class. |
Expenses of the Fund allocated to a particular Class of the Fund are borne on a pro rata basis by each outstanding Share of that Class.
Waivers and Reimbursements
Fees and expenses may be waived or reimbursed by Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, the Funds investment adviser, or any other service provider to the Fund. Such waiver or reimbursement may be applicable to some or all of the Classes and may be in different amounts for one or more Classes.
Income, Gains and Losses
Income, realized gains and losses and unrealized appreciation and depreciation shall be allocated to each Class on the basis of the net asset value of that Class in relation to the net asset value of the Fund, in each case in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Class Designation
Subject to approval by the Board, the Fund may alter the nomenclature for the designation of one or more Classes.
Additional Information
Nothing in this Plan will be deemed to require the Fund to take any action contrary to its Charter or Bylaws, or any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Board of the responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Fund.
This Plan will be construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Maryland and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. If any provision of this Plan is held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Plan will not be affected thereby.
This Plan is qualified by and subject to the terms of the then-current Prospectus for the applicable Class; provided, however, that none of the terms set forth in any such Prospectus shall be inconsistent with the terms of the Classes contained in this Plan.
Effective Date; Termination and Amendments
The effective date of this Plan (the Effective Date) shall be the date upon which the Fund has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to more than one Class.
This Plan may be terminated or amended at any time with respect to the Fund or a Class thereof by a vote of a majority of the Board, including a majority of the Directors who are not considered interested persons (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) of the Fund.
Exhibit (k)(5)
EXPENSE SUPPORT AND CONDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT
This Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (the Agreement) is made this 3rd day of May, 2023, by and between CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP., a Maryland corporation (the Fund), and CRESCENT CAP NT ADVISORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Adviser).
WHEREAS, the Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act);
WHEREAS, the Fund has retained the Adviser to furnish investment advisory services to the Fund on the terms and conditions set forth in the investment advisory and management agreement, dated May 3, 2023 entered between the Fund and the Adviser, as may be amended or restated (the Investment Advisory Agreement);
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Adviser have determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of the Fund that the Adviser may elect to pay a portion of the Funds expenses from time to time, which the Fund will be obligated to reimburse to the Adviser at a later date if certain conditions are met.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Adviser Expense Payments to the Fund
(a) At such times as the Adviser determines, the Adviser may elect to pay certain expenses of the Fund on the Funds behalf (each such payment, an Expense Payment). In making an Expense Payment, the Adviser will designate, as it deems necessary or advisable, what type of Expense it is paying (including, whether it is paying organizational or offering expenses); provided that no portion of an Expense Payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or servicing fees of the Fund.
(b) The Funds right to receive an Expense Payment shall be an asset of the Fund upon the Adviser electing in writing to pay the Expense Payment pursuant to a notice substantially in the form of Appendix A. Any Expense Payment that the Adviser has committed to pay shall be paid by the Adviser to or on behalf of the Fund in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than forty-five days after such election was made in writing by the Adviser, and/or offset against amounts due from the Fund to the Adviser or its affiliates.
2. Reimbursement of Expense Payments by the Fund
(a) Following any calendar month (such calendar month, the Applicable Calendar Month) in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Funds stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in the Applicable Calendar Month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as Excess Operating Funds), the Fund shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof in accordance with Section 2(b), as applicable, to the Adviser until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Adviser to or on behalf of the Fund within three years prior to the last business day of the Applicable Calendar Month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund pursuant to this Section 2(a) shall be referred to herein as a Reimbursement Payment. For purposes of this Agreement, Available Operating Funds means the sum of (i) the Funds net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) the Funds net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to the Fund on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).
(b) The amount of the Reimbursement Payment for any Applicable Calendar Month shall equal the lesser of (i) the Excess Operating Funds in such month and (ii) the aggregate amount of all Expense Payments made by the
Adviser to or on behalf of the Fund within three years prior to the last business day of such Applicable Calendar Month that have not been previously reimbursed by the Fund to the Adviser; provided that the Adviser may waive its right to receive all or a portion of any Reimbursement Payment in any particular calendar month, in which case such waived amount will remain unreimbursed Expense Payments reimbursable in future months pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, no Reimbursement Payment for any Applicable Calendar Month shall be made if: (1) the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share declared by the Company at the time of such proposed Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates, or (2) the Companys Operating Expense Ratio at the time of such proposed Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates. For purposes of the Agreement, Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share means the annualized rate (based on a 365 day year) of regular cash distributions per share exclusive of returns of capital, distribution rate reductions due to distribution and stockholder fees, and declared special dividends or special distributions, if any. The Operating Expense Ratio is calculated by dividing Operating Expenses, less organizational and offering expenses, base management and incentive fees owed to the Adviser, and interest expense, by the Companys net assets.
(d) The Funds obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the Applicable Calendar Month, except to the extent the Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the Applicable Calendar Month. In connection with any Reimbursement Payment, the Fund may deliver a notice substantially in the form of Appendix A. The Reimbursement Payment for any Applicable Calendar Month shall be paid by the Fund to the Adviser in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds as promptly as possible following such Applicable Calendar Month and in no event later than forty-five days after the end of such Applicable Calendar Month.
(e) All Reimbursement Payments hereunder shall be deemed to relate to the earliest unreimbursed Expense Payments made by the Adviser to or on behalf of the Fund within three years prior to the last business day of the Applicable Calendar Month in which such Reimbursement Payment obligation is accrued.
3. Termination and Survival
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the date of this Agreement.
(b) This Agreement may be terminated, without the payment of any penalty, by the Fund or the Adviser at any time, with or without notice.
(c) This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of (i) the termination by the Fund of the Investment Advisory Agreement; (ii) a determination by the board of directors of the Fund to dissolve or liquidate the Fund; or (iii) a quotation or listing of the Funds securities on a national securities exchange (including through an initial public offering) or a sale of all or substantially all of the Funds assets to, or a merger or other liquidity transaction with, an entity in which the Funds stockholders receive shares of a publicly traded company.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) Section 2 of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement with respect to any Expense Payments that have not been reimbursed by the Fund to the Adviser and (ii) Sections 3 and 4 of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
4. Miscellaneous
(a) The captions of this Agreement are included for convenience only and in no way define or limit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
(b) This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c) Notwithstanding the place where this Agreement may be executed by any of the parties hereto, this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. For so long as the Fund is regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act, this Agreement shall also be construed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. In such case, to the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York or any of the provisions herein conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control. Further, nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to require the Fund to take any action contrary to the Funds Articles of Amendment and Restatement or Bylaws, as each may be amended or restated, or to relieve or deprive the board of directors of the Fund of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Fund.
(d) If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be severable.
(e) The Fund shall not assign this Agreement or any right, interest or benefit under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Adviser.
(f) This Agreement may only be amended in writing by mutual consent of the parties. This Agreement may be executed by the parties on any number of counterparts, delivery of which may occur by facsimile or as an attachment to an electronic communication, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |
Name: | Eric Hall | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
CRESCENT CAP NT ADVISORS, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |
Name: | George P. Hawley | |
Title: | General Counsel |
[Signature Page to Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement]
Appendix A
Form of Notice of Expense Payment or Reimbursement Payment
☐ | Expense Payment |
Expense Payment Effective Date: |
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Expense Payment Amount: |
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Organizational |
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Expense: |
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Offering Expense: |
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Management Fee: |
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Incentive Fee: |
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Other: |
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Total: |
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All Expense Payments are subject to reimbursement pursuant to the terms of the Agreement.
☐ | Reimbursement Payment |
Reimbursement Payment Effective Date:
Reimbursement Payment Amount: |
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Organizational Expense: |
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Offering Expense: |
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Management Fee: |
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Incentive Fee: |
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Other: |
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Total: |
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in the Prospectus dated July 18, 2023, included in this Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement (Form N-2/A, File No. 333-268622) of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Registration Statement).
We also consent to the use of our report dated July 18, 2023, with respect to the financial statement of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. as of May 4, 2023, included in this Registration Statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Los Angeles, California
July 18, 2023
Exhibit (p)
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
INITIAL SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
This Subscription Agreement is entered into this 3rd day of May, 2023 by and between Crescent Private Credit Income Corp., a Maryland corporation (the Fund), and Crescent Capital Group LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the Subscriber).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Fund is a closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act); and
WHEREAS, the Subscriber wishes to subscribe for and purchase, and the Fund wishes to sell to the Subscriber, 1,000 Class I Shares of the Funds shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Shares) for a purchase price of $25.00 per Share; and
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED:
1. The Subscriber subscribes for, and agrees to purchase from, the Fund 1,000 Shares for a purchase price of $25.00 per Share. The Subscriber agrees to make payment for these Shares at such time as demand for payment may be made by an officer of the Fund.
2. The Fund agrees to issue and sell said Shares to Subscriber promptly upon its receipt of the aggregate purchase price of $25,000.00.
3. To induce the Fund to accept its subscription and issue the Shares subscribed for, the Subscriber acknowledges that:
(a) the Shares being subscribed for have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), or registered or qualified under the securities laws of any state;
(b) the Shares will be sold by the Fund in reliance on the exemption from registration set forth in Regulation D under the Securities Act;
(c) the Funds reliance upon such exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is predicated, in part, on the representations and agreements contained in this Subscription Agreement;
(d) the Shares are restricted securities as defined in paragraph (a)(3) of Rule 144 under the Securities Act (Rule 144) and cannot be sold or transferred by the Subscriber unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act or unless an exemption from registration under the Securities Act is available; and
(e) the Fund makes no representation or warranty as to the availability to the Subscriber of any exemption from the registration provisions of the Securities Act pursuant to which the Subscriber may resell the Shares.
4. To further induce the Fund to accept its subscription for the Shares, the Subscriber:
(a) represents and warrants that the Shares are being acquired for investment purposes for its own account and not on behalf of any other person or persons and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, any public distribution thereof;
(b) acknowledges that it is an accredited investor as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act and a qualified client as defined in Rule 205-3 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; and
(c) acknowledges that it has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters (and particularly in the business in which the Fund intends to operate) as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the investment in the Shares.
5. This Subscription Agreement and all of its provisions shall be binding upon the legal representatives, heirs, successors and assigns of the parties hereto. This Subscription Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original.
6. This Agreement is executed on behalf of the Fund by the Funds officers as officers and not individually and the obligations imposed upon the Fund by this Subscription Agreement are not binding upon any of the Funds Directors, officers or stockholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Fund.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Subscription Agreement has been executed by the parties hereto as of the day and date first above written.
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP. | ||
By: | /s/ Eric Hall | |
Name: | Eric Hall | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
CRESCENT CAPITAL GROUP LP | ||
By: | /s/ George P. Hawley | |
Name: | George P. Hawley | |
Title: | General Counsel |
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CODE OF ETHICS FOR CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
CRESCENT CAP NT ADVISORS, LLC
Section I Statement of General Fiduciary Principles
This Code of Ethics (the Code) has been adopted by each of Crescent Private Credit Income Corp. (the Company) and Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC, the Companys investment adviser (the Advisor), in compliance with Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Act). The purpose of the Code is to establish standards and procedures for the detection and prevention of activities by which persons having knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of the Company may abuse their fiduciary duty to the Company, and otherwise to deal with the types of conflict of interest situations to which Rule 17j-1 is addressed.
The Code is based on the principle that the directors and officers of the Company, and the managers, partners, officers and employees of the Advisor, who provide services to the Company, owe a fiduciary duty to the Company to conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner that does not interfere with the Companys transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of their relationship with the Company. All directors, managers, partners, officers and employees of the Company or the Advisor (collectively, the Covered Personnel) are expected to adhere to this general principle as well as to comply with all of the specific provisions of this Code that are applicable to them. Any Covered Personnel who is affiliated with the Advisor or another entity that is a registered investment adviser is, in addition, expected to comply with the provisions of the code of ethics that has been adopted by the Advisor or such other investment adviser. The Advisor has adopted a separate code of ethics pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended and the rules thereunder (the Crescent Code of Ethics). The Advisor will provide a written report, at least annually, to the Companys board of directors describing any issues arising under the Code and/or Crescents Code of Ethics or procedures since the last report to the board, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of and sanctions imposed in response to material violations and certifying that the Company and the Advisor has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations.
Technical compliance with the Code will not automatically insulate any Covered Personnel from scrutiny of transactions that show a pattern of compromise or abuse of the individuals fiduciary duty to the Company. Accordingly, all Covered Personnel must seek to avoid any actual or potential conflicts between their personal interests and the interests of the Company and its stockholders. In sum, all Covered Personnel shall place the interests of the Company before their own personal interests.
All Covered Personnel must read and retain this Code.
Section II Definitions
(A) | Access Person means any director, officer, general partner or Advisory Person (as defined below) of the Company or the Advisor. |
(B) | An Advisory Person of the Company or the Advisor means: (i) any director, officer general partner or employee of the Company or the Advisor, or any company in a Control (as defined below) relationship to the Company or the Advisor, who in connection with his or her regular functions or duties makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of any Covered Security (as defined below) by the Company, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendation with respect to such purchases or sales; and (ii) any natural person in a Control relationship to the Company or the Advisor who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Company with regard to the purchase or sale of any Covered Security by the Company. |
(C) | Beneficial Ownership is interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), in determining whether a person is a beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. |
(D) | Chief Compliance Officer means the Chief Compliance Officer of the Company (who also may serve as the compliance officer of the Advisor and/or one or more affiliates of the Advisor); provided, that the Company may from time to time designate another person to act on behalf of the Chief Compliance Officer during periods when the Chief Compliance Officer is absent or disabled, and during such periods the term Chief Compliance Officer shall mean such other officer. |
(E) | Control shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the Act. |
(F) | Covered Security means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Act, which includes: any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. |
Covered Security does not include: (i) direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and (iii) shares issued by open-end investment companies registered under the Act. References to a
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Covered Security in this Code (e.g., a prohibition or requirement applicable to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security) shall be deemed to refer to and to include any warrant for, option in, or security immediately convertible into that Covered Security, and shall also include any instrument that has an investment return or value that is based, in whole or in part, on that Covered Security (collectively, Derivatives). Therefore, except as otherwise specifically provided by this Code: (i) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative relating to that Covered Security; and (ii) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security relating to that Derivative.
(G) | Independent Director means a director of the Company who is not an interested person of the Company within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Act. |
(H) | Initial Public Offering means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. |
(I) | Investment Personnel of the Company or the Advisor means: (i) any employee of the Company or the Advisor (or of any company in a Control relationship to the Company or the Advisor) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Company; and (ii) any natural person who controls the Company or the Advisor and who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Company regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Company. |
(J) | Limited Offering means an offering that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) or Section 4(a)(5) thereof or pursuant to Rule 504 or Rule 506 thereunder. |
(K) | Security Held or to be Acquired by the Company means: (i) any Covered Security which, within the most recent 15 days: (A) is or has been held by the Company; or (B) is being or has been considered by the Company or the Advisor for purchase by the Company; and (ii) any option to purchase or sell, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for, a Covered Security described in Section II (K)(i). |
(L) | 17j-1 Organization means the Company or the Advisor, as the context requires. |
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Section III Objective and General Prohibitions
Covered Personnel may not engage in any investment transaction under circumstances in which the Covered Personnel benefits from or interferes with the purchase or sale of investments by the Company. In addition, Covered Personnel may not use information concerning the investments or investment intentions of the Company, or their ability to influence such investment intentions, for personal gain or in a manner detrimental to the interests of the Company.
Covered Personnel may not engage in conduct that is deceitful, fraudulent or manipulative, or that involves false or misleading statements, in connection with the purchase or sale of investments by the Company. In this regard, Covered Personnel should recognize that Rule 17j-1 makes it unlawful for any affiliated person of the Company, or any affiliated person of an investment adviser for the Company, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by the person of a Security Held or to be Acquired by the Company to:
(i) | employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Company; |
(ii) | make any untrue statement of a material fact to the Company or omit to state to the Company a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; |
(iii) | engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Company; or |
(iv) | engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Company. |
Covered Personnel should also recognize that a violation of this Code or of Rule 17j-1 may result in the imposition of: (1) sanctions as provided by Section VIII below; or (2) administrative, civil and, in certain cases, criminal fines, sanctions or penalties.
Section IV Prohibited Transactions
(A) | Other than securities purchased or acquired by a fund affiliated with the Company and pursuant to applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) guidance and/or interpretations or an exemptive order under Section 57(i) of the Act permitting certain types of co-investments, an Access Person may not purchase or otherwise acquire direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Covered Security, and may not sell or otherwise dispose of any Covered Security in which he or she has direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, if he or she knows or should know at the time of entering into the transaction that: (1) the Company has purchased or sold the Covered Security within the last 15 calendar days, or is purchasing or selling or intends to purchase or sell the Covered Security in the next 15 calendar days; or (2) the Advisor has within the last 15 calendar days considered purchasing or selling the Covered Security for the Company or within the next 15 calendar days intends to consider purchasing or selling the Covered Security for the Company. |
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(B) | Investment Personnel of the Company or the Advisor must obtain approval from the Company or the Advisor, as the case may be, before directly or indirectly acquiring Beneficial Ownership in any securities in an Initial Public Offering or in a Limited Offering, except when such securities are acquired by a fund affiliated with the Company and pursuant to applicable SEC guidance and/or interpretations or an exemptive order under Section 57(i) of the Act permitting certain types of co- investments. Such approval must be obtained from the Chief Compliance Officer, unless the Chief Compliance Officer is the person seeking such approval, in which case it must be obtained from the General Counsel of the 17j-1 Organization. |
(C) | No Access Person shall recommend any transaction in any Covered Securities by the Company without having disclosed to the Chief Compliance Officer his or her interest, if any, in such Covered Securities or the issuer thereof, including: the Access Persons Beneficial Ownership of any Covered Securities of such issuer, except when such securities transactions are to be made by a fund affiliated with the Company and pursuant to an exemptive order under Section 57(i) of the Act permitting certain types of co-investments; any contemplated transaction by the Access Person in such Covered Securities; any position the Access Person has with such issuer; and any present or proposed business relationship between such issuer and the Access Person (or a party which the Access Person has a significant interest). |
Section V Reports by Access Persons
(A) | Personal Securities Holdings Reports. |
All Access Persons shall within 10 calendar days of the date on which they become Access Persons, and thereafter, within 30 calendar days after the end of each calendar year, disclose the title, number of shares and principal amount of all Covered Securities in which they have a Beneficial Ownership as of the date the person became an Access Person, in the case of such persons initial report, and as of the last day of the year, as to annual reports. Each Personal Securities Holdings Report must also disclose the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person as of the date the person became an Access Person or as of the last day of the year, as the case may be. Each Personal Securities Holdings Report shall state the date it is being submitted.
(B) | Quarterly Securities Transaction Reports. |
Within 10 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, each Access Person shall make a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer of all transactions occurring in the quarter in a Covered Security in which he or she had any Beneficial Ownership.
A Quarterly Securities Transaction Report shall be in such form approved by the Chief Compliance Officer and must contain the following information with respect to each reportable transaction:
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(1) | Date and nature of the transaction (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition); |
(2) | Title, interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security involved and the price of the Covered Security at which the transaction was effected; |
(3) | Name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and |
(4) | The date the report is submitted by the Access Person. |
(C) | Independent Directors. |
Notwithstanding the reporting requirements set forth in this Section V, an Independent Director who would be required to make a report under this Section V solely by reason of being a director of the Company is not required to file a Personal Securities Holding Report upon becoming a director of the Company or an annual Personal Securities Holding Report. Such an Independent Director also need not file a Quarterly Securities Transaction Report unless such director knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a director of the Company, should have known that during the 15- day period immediately preceding or after the date of the transaction in a Covered Security by the director such Covered Security is or was purchased or sold by the Company or the Company or the Advisor considered purchasing or selling such Covered Security.
(D) | Access Persons of the Advisor. |
An Access Person of the Advisor need not make a Personal Securities Holding Report or Quarterly Securities Transaction Report if all of the information in the report would duplicate information required to be recorded pursuant to Rule 204-2(a)(13) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
(E) | Brokerage Accounts and Statements. |
Access Persons, except Independent Directors, shall:
(1) | within 10 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, identify the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person established an account in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person and identify any new account(s) and the date the account(s) were established. This information shall be included on the appropriate Quarterly Securities Transaction Report. |
(2) | instruct the brokers, dealers or banks with whom they maintain such an account to provide duplicate account statements to the Chief Compliance Officer. |
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(3) | on an annual basis, certify that they have complied with the requirements of (1) and (2) above. |
(F) | Form of Reports. |
A Quarterly Securities Transaction Report may consist of broker statements or other statements that provide a list of all personal Covered Securities holdings and transactions in the time period covered by the report and contain the information required in a Quarterly Securities Transaction Report.
(G) | Responsibility to Report. |
Access Persons will be informed of their obligations to report, however, it is the responsibility of each Access Person to take the initiative to comply with the requirements of this Section V. Any effort by the Company, or by the Advisor and its affiliates, to facilitate the reporting process does not change or alter that responsibility. A person need not make a report hereunder with respect to transactions effected for, and Covered Securities held in, any account over which the person has no direct or indirect influence or control.
(H) | Where to File Reports. |
All Quarterly Securities Transaction Reports and Personal Securities Holdings Reports must be filed with the Chief Compliance Officer.
(I) | Disclaimers. |
Any report required by this Section V may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Covered Security to which the report relates.
Section VI Additional Prohibitions
(A) | Confidentiality of the Companys Transactions. |
Until disclosed in a public report to stockholders or to the SEC in the normal course, all information concerning the securities being considered for purchase or sale by the Company shall be kept confidential by all Covered Personnel and disclosed by them only on a need to know basis. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer to report any inadequacy found in this regard to the directors of the Company.
(B) | Outside Business Activities and Directorships. |
Access Persons may not engage in any outside business activities that knowingly give rise to conflicts of interest or jeopardize the integrity or reputation of the Company. Similarly, no such outside business activities may be inconsistent with the interests of the Company. All directorships of public or private companies held by Access Persons shall be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer.
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(C) | Gratuities. |
It is the Companys policy to avoid gifts that create or might create a conflict of interest. The Advisor has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that any gifts received or given do not create conflicts of interest for the Company. These policies and procedures are incorporated by reference from the compliance manual adopted by the Adviser in accordance with Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act.
Section VII Annual Certification
(A) | Access Persons. |
Access Persons who are directors, managers, partners, officers or employees of the Company or the Advisor shall be required to certify annually that they have read this Code and that they understand it and recognize that they are subject to it. Further, such Access Persons shall be required to certify annually that they have complied with the requirements of this Code.
(B) | Board Review. |
No less frequently than annually, the Company and the Advisor must each furnish to the Companys board of directors, and the board must consider, a written report that: (A) describes any issues arising under this Code or procedures since the last report to the board, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to material violations; and (B) certifies that the Company or the Advisor, as applicable, has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code.
Section VIII Sanctions
Any violation of this Code shall be subject to the imposition of such sanctions by the 17j- 1 Organization as may be deemed appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of Rule 17j-1 and this Code. The sanctions to be imposed shall be determined by the board of directors, including a majority of the Independent Directors, provided, however, that with respect to violations by persons who are directors, managers, partners, officers or employees of the Advisor (or of a company that controls the Advisor), the sanctions to be imposed shall be determined by the Advisor (or the controlling person thereof). Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension or termination of employment, a letter of censure and/or restitution of an amount equal to the difference between the price paid or received by the Company and the more advantageous price paid or received by the offending person, recommendation of sanctions to the Advisor for any violations of this Code by its Access Persons, or any other sanction the board of directors of the Company may deem appropriate. Any member of the Companys board of directors to which a violation of this Code relates must recuse himself or herself from any discussion or decision with respect to the handling and/or imposition of sanctions regarding such violation. No Covered Personnel shall retaliate against any person who reported a violation of the Code.
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Section IX Administration and Construction
(A) | The administration of this Code shall be the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer. |
(B) | The duties of the Chief Compliance Officer are as follows: |
(1) | Continuous maintenance of a current list of the names of all Access Persons with an appropriate description of their title or employment, including a notation of any directorships held by Access Persons who are officers or employees of the Advisor or of any company that controls the Advisor, and informing all Access Persons of their reporting obligations hereunder; |
(2) | On an annual basis, providing all Covered Personnel a copy of this Code and informing such persons of their duties and obligations hereunder including any supplemental training that may be required from time to time; |
(3) | Maintaining or supervising the maintenance of all records and reports required by this Code; |
(4) | Reviewing all Personal Securities Holdings Reports and Quarterly Securities Transaction Reports; |
(5) | Preparing listings of all transactions effected by Access Persons who are subject to the requirement to file Quarterly Securities Transaction Reports and reviewing such transactions against a listing of all transactions effected by the Company; |
(6) | Issuance either personally or with the assistance of counsel as may be appropriate, of any interpretation of this Code that may appear consistent with the objectives of Rule 17j-1 and this Code; |
(7) | Conduct such inspections or investigations as shall reasonably be required to detect and report, with recommendations, any apparent violations of this Code to the board of directors of the Company; |
(8) | Submission of a written report to the board of directors of the Company, no less frequently than annually, that describes any issues arising under the Code since the last such report, including but not limited to the information described in Section VII (B); and |
(C) | The Chief Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in an easily accessible place at the principal place of business of the 17j-1 Organization, the following records and must make these records available to the SEC at any time and from time to time for reasonable periodic, special or other examinations: |
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(1) | A copy of all codes of ethics adopted by the Company or the Advisor and its affiliates, as the case may be, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 that have been in effect at any time during the past five (5) years; |
(2) | A record of each violation of such codes of ethics and of any action taken as a result of such violation for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs; |
(3) | A copy of each report made by an Access Person for at least two (2) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made, and for an additional three (3) years in a place that need not be easily accessible; |
(4) | A copy of each report made by the Chief Compliance Officer to the board of directors for two (2) years from the end of the fiscal year of the Company in which such report is made or issued and for an additional three (3) years in a place that need not be easily accessible; |
(5) | A list of all persons who are, or within the past five (5) years have been, required to make reports pursuant to Rule 17j-1 and this Code, or who are or were responsible for reviewing such reports; |
(6) | A copy of each report required by Section VII (B) for at least two (2) years after the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, and for an additional three (3) years in a place that need not be easily accessible; |
(7) | Copies of all written certifications as required by this Code for each person who is, and within the past five (5) years has been, an Access Person who is a director, manager, partner, officer or employee of the Company or the Advisor; |
(8) | A record of the approval by the board of directors, including a majority of the Independent Directors, of this Code and any material changes to this Code, including certifications from the Company and the Advisor that each has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Companys or the Advisors code of ethics; and |
(9) | A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition by Investment Personnel of securities in an Initial Public Offering or Limited Offering for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted. |
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(D) | This Code may not be amended or modified except in a written form that is specifically approved by majority vote of the Independent Directors within six (6) months after the adoption of such amendments or modifications. Prior to approving any material amendments or modifications, the board of directors, including a majority of Independent Directors, must be provided a certification of each of the Company and the Advisor that it has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code (and, in the case of the Advisor, from the Crescent Code of Ethics). The board of directors must base its approval of any material changes to the Code on a determination that the Code contains provisions reasonably designed to prevent Access Persons from engaging in any unlawful actions described in subparagraph (b) of Rule 17j-1. |
This Code initially was adopted and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, including a majority of the Independent Directors, at a meeting on January 3, 2023.
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Exhibit (t)
CRESCENT PRIVATE CREDIT INCOME CORP.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Raymond Barrios, Kirill Bouek, Eric Hall and George P. Hawley, associated with Crescent Cap NT Advisors, LLC or its affiliates, and Monica J. Shilling and Nicole M. Runyan of Kirkland and Ellis LLP, and each of them, with full power to act without the other, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities (until revoked in writing), to:
a) | sign any and all amendments, including pre- and post-effective amendments to the Funds Registration Statement on Form N-2; |
b) | sign Forms 3, 4 and/or 5, and amendments thereto, and any successor forms adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC); |
c) | do and perform any and all acts that may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5, or amendment thereto, and any successor forms adopted by the SEC, and the filing of such form with the SEC and any other authority, including preparing, executing and filing Form ID with the SEC; |
d) | take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing that, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-facts discretion; and |
e) | file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. |
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, this Power of Attorney shall not in any manner revoke in whole or in part any power of attorney that the persons whose signatures appear below previously executed. This Power of Attorney shall not be revoked by any subsequent power of attorney that the persons whose signatures appear below may execute, unless such subsequent power specifically provides that it revokes this Power of Attorney by referring to the date of execution of this document or specifically states that the instrument is intended to revoke all prior powers of attorney.
/s/ Kathleen Briscoe Kathleen Briscoe |
July 19, 2023 | |||
/s/ Susan Lee Susan Lee |
July 19, 2023 | |||
/s/ Martha Solis-Turner Martha Solis-Turner |
July 19, 2023 | |||
/s/ Jason Breaux Jason Breaux |
July 19, 2023 | |||
/s/ Christopher Wright Christopher Wright |
July 19, 2023 |
[Signature Page to Power of Attorney]