As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 9, 2022

 

Securities Act File No. 333-236574

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22432

 

 

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM N-2

 

 

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ☒

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

Pre-Effective Amendment No. ☐

Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 ☒

and

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ☒

Amendment No. 31 ☒

 

 

 

OXFORD LANE CAPITAL CORP. 

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in charter)

 

8 Sound Shore Drive, Suite 255

Greenwich, CT 06830

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including Area Code: (203) 983-5275

 

Jonathan H. Cohen

Chief Executive Officer

Oxford Lane Capital Corp.

8 Sound Shore Drive, Suite 255

Greenwich, CT 06830

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

 

COPIES TO:

 

Harry S. Pangas, Esq.

Philip T. Hinkle, Esq.

Dechert LLP

1900 K Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

Tel: (202) 261-3300

Fax: (202) 261-3333

 

 

 

Approximate date of proposed public offering: From time to time 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 plans.
     
  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: 333-236574.

 

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).

 

 

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 811-22432) of Oxford Lane Capital Corp. (the “Registration Statement”) is being filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), solely for the purpose of filing exhibits to the Registration Statement. Accordingly, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 consists only of a facing page, this explanatory note and Part C of the Registration Statement on Form N-2 setting forth the exhibits to the Registration Statement. This Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 does not modify any other part of the Registration Statement. Pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 shall become effective immediately upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The contents of the Registration Statement are hereby incorporated by reference.

 

 

 

 

PART C — OTHER INFORMATION

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

 

2. Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number
  Description
a.1   Articles of Amendment and Restatement(1)
a.2   Amendment to the Articles of Amendment Increasing Authorized Shares, dated January 31, 2020(6)
a.3   Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of the Term Preferred Shares, including Appendix A thereto relating to the Term Preferred Shares, 6.00% Series 2029, Appendix B thereto relating to the Term Preferred Shares, 6.25% Series 2027, Appendix C thereto relating to the Term Preferred Shares, 6.75% Series 2024, and Appendix D thereto relating to Term Preferred Shares, 7.125% Series 2029(15)
b.   Third Amended and Restated Bylaws*
d.1   Form of Common Stock Certificate(1)
d.2   Form of Indenture(2)
d.3   Specimen 6.75% Series 2024 Term Preferred Stock Certificate(5)
d.4   Specimen 6.25% Series 2027 Term Preferred Stock Certificate(6)
d.5   Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1(8)
d.6   First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 16, 2021, relating to the 6.75% Notes due 2031, by and between Oxford Lane Capital Corp. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee(11)
d.7   Form of 6.75% Notes due 2031 (Included as Exhibit A of Exhibit d.6 hereto).
d.8   Specimen 6.00% Series 2029 Term Preferred Stock Certificate(13)
d.9   Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 13, 2022, relating to the 5.00% Notes due 2027, by and between Oxford Lane Capital Corp. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee(14)
d.10   Form of 5.00% Notes due 2027 (Included as Exhibit A of Exhibit d.9 hereto).
d.11   Specimen 7.125% Series 2029 Term Preferred Stock Certificate(15)
e.   Second Amended and Restated Distribution Reinvestment Plan(3)
g.   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement by and between Registrant and Oxford Lane Management, LLC(1)
h.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement(2)
h.2   Equity Distribution Agreement, dated June 4, 2020, by and among Oxford Lane Capital Corp., Oxford Lane Management, LLC, Oxford Funds, LLC, and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.(9)
h.3   Underwriting Agreement, dated March 9, 2021, between the Company and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as representative of the underwriters named in Schedule I thereto(10)
h.4   Underwriting Agreement, dated August 9, 2021, between the Company and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as representative of the underwriters named in Schedule I thereto(13)
h.5   Underwriting Agreement, dated January 5, 2022, between the Company and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as representative of the underwriters named in Schedule I thereto(14)
h.6   Underwriting Agreement, dated June 8, 2022, between the Company and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as representative of the underwriters named in Schedule I thereto(15)
h.7   Amended and Restated Equity Distribution Agreement, dated September 9, 2022, by and among Oxford Lane Capital Corp., Oxford Lane Management, LLC, Oxford Funds, LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and B. Riley Securities, Inc.*
j.   Form of Custodian Agreement by and between Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association(4)
k.1   Form of Administration Agreement by and between Registrant and BDC Partners, LLC(1)
l.1   Opinion and Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP(7)
l.2   Opinion and Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP(9)
l.3   Opinion and Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP(11)
l.4   Opinion and Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP(13)
l.5   Opinion and Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP(14)
1.6   Opinion and Consent of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP(15)
n.1   Consent of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm(16)
r.   Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy(7)

 

 

 

 

99.1   Form of Prospectus Supplement for Common Stock Offerings(2)
99.2   Form of Prospectus Supplement for Preferred Stock Offerings(2)
99.3   Form of Prospectus Supplement for Rights Offerings(2)
99.4   Form of Prospectus Supplement for Debt Offerings(2)

 

* Filed herewith.

 

(1) Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-167803) filed on November 30, 2010.
(2) Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-183228) filed on October 5, 2012.
(3) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.77Q1 to the Registrant’s annual report on Form NSAR-B filed on May 29, 2015.
(4) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-195652) filed on September 3, 2014.
(5) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-205405 and 811-22432) filed on June 7, 2017.
(6) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-225462 and 811-22432) filed on February 7, 2020.
(7) Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 814-22432) filed on February 21, 2020.
(8) Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 814-22432) filed on May 22, 2020.
(9) Incorporated by referenced to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 814-22432) filed on June 4, 2020.
(10) Previously filed on March 11, 2021 with the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.
(11) Previously filed on March 16, 2021 with Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.
(12) Previously filed on May 12, 2021 with Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.
(13) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 814-22432) filed on August 17, 2021.
(14) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 814-22432) filed on January 13, 2022.
(15) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 814-22432) filed on June 16, 2022.
(16) Previously filed with the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form N-CSR for March 31, 2022 filed on May 17, 2022.

 

 

 

 

ITEM 26. MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS

 

The information contained under the heading “Plan of Distribution” in the prospectus contained herein is incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 27. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

 

SEC registration fee  $194,700 
FINRA filing fee   225,500 
NASDAQ Global Select Market   15,000 
Printing and postage   360,000 
Legal fees and expenses   600,000 
Accounting fees and expenses   150,000 
Miscellaneous   30,000 
Total  $1,575,200 

 

Note: Except the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee, all listed amounts are estimates.

 

ITEM 28. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL

 

The information contained under the headings “Management,” “Certain Relationships and Transactions” and “Control Persons and Principal Stockholders” in the prospectus contained herein is incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 29. NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

The following table sets forth the number of record holders of the Registrant’s common stock at May 21, 2020.

 

Title of Class  Number of
Record Holders
 
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share   108 

 

ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION

 

Directors and Officers

 

Reference is made to Section 2-418 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, Article VII of the Registrant’s charter and Article XI of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws.

 

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 judgment as being material to the cause of action. The Registrant’s charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the “1940 Act.”

 

The Registrant’s charter authorizes the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as the Registrant’s director or officer and at the Registrant’s request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse their reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The Registrant’s bylaws obligate the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as the Registrant’s director or officer and at the Registrant’s request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The charter and bylaws also permit the Registrant to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities described above and any of the Registrant’s employees or agents or any employees or agents of the Registrant’s predecessor. In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Registrant will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

 

Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Registrant’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful 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 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 (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) 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 in advance of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) 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 (b) 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.

 

 

 

 

Adviser and Administrator

 

The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, Oxford Lane Management, LLC, or the “investment adviser,” and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from the Registrant for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of the investment adviser’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Registrant.

 

The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, Oxford Funds, LLC and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from the Registrant for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of Oxford Funds, LLC’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Registrant.

 

The law also provides for comparable indemnification for corporate officers and agents. Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the “Securities Act,” may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, 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 of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such 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 a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which the investment adviser, and each managing director, director or executive officer of the investment adviser, 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 sections entitled “Management — Board of Directors and Executive Officers,” “Investment Advisory Agreement” and “Portfolio Management — Investment Personnel.” Additional information regarding the investment adviser and its officers and directors is set forth in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC File No. 801-71654), under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, 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 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:

 

  (1) the Registrant, Oxford Lane Capital Corp., 8 Sound Shore Drive, Suite 255, Greenwich, CT 06830;

 

  (2) the Transfer Agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., 250 Royall Street, Canton, MA 02021;

 

  (3) the Custodian, U.S. Bank National Association, One Federal Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02110; and

 

  (4) the Investment Adviser, Oxford Lane Management, LLC, 8 Sound Shore Drive, Suite 255, Greenwich, CT 06830.

 

 

 

 

ITEM 33. MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 34. UNDERTAKINGS

 

  (1) The Registrant undertakes to suspend the offering of the shares of common stock covered hereby until it amends its prospectus contained herein if (a) subsequent to the effective date of this Registration Statement, its net asset value per share of common stock declines more than 10.0% from its net asset value per share of common stock as of the effective date of this Registration Statement, or (b) its net asset value per share of common stock increases to an amount greater than its net proceeds as stated in the prospectus contained herein.

 

Provided, however, that this paragraph does not apply if this registration statement is filed pursuant to General instruction A.2. of this Form N-2 to register an offering in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act.

 

  (2) Not applicable.

 

  (3) The Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (a) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement:

 

  (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

  (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising 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; Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 497 or Rule 424(b), or other applicable SEC rule under the Securities Act, if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective 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.

 

Provided, however, that paragraphs 4(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 497 or Rule 424(b), or other applicable SEC rule under the Securities Act, that is part of the registration statement.

 

  (b) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, 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 the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

 

  (c) 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;

 

 

 

 

  (d) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser,

 

  (i) if the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B;

 

  (A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 497 or Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

  (B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 497 or Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (x), or (xi) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided however, that no statement made in 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 purchase with a time of contract of sale prior to the effective date, 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 effective date; or

 

  (ii) if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 497(b), (c), (d) or (e) or Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 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.

 

  (e) That for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 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 497 or Rule 424 under the Securities Act of 1933;

 

  (ii) any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

 

  (iii) the portion of any other free writing prospectus or advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act of 1933 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.

 

 

 

 

  (4) Not applicable.

 

  (5) The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference into the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

 

  (6) 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 foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC 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 of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such 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 a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

  (7) The Registrant undertakes 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 Statement of Additional Information.

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Township of Greenwich, in the State of Connecticut, on the 9th day of September, 2022.

 

  OXFORD LANE CAPITAL CORP.
   
  By: /s/ Jonathan H. Cohen
    Jonathan H. Cohen
    Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant, and in the capacities indicated, on the 9th day of September, 2022.

 

Signature   Title
     
/s/ Jonathan H. Cohen    
Jonathan H. Cohen   Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
     
*    
Mark J. Ashenfelter   Chairman of the Board and Director
     
*    
John Reardon   Director
     
*    
Saul B. Rosenthal   President and Director
     
*    
David S. Shin   Director
     
*    
Bruce L. Rubin   Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

* Signed by Jonathan H. Cohen pursuant to a power of attorney signed by each individual and filed with this Registration Statement on February 21, 2020.

 

 

 

 

No true POS EX 0001495222 0001495222 2022-09-09 2022-09-09 0001495222 dei:BusinessContactMember 2022-09-09 2022-09-09

Exhibit b

 

OXFORD LANE CAPITAL CORP.

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

BYLAWS

 

January 27, 2022

 

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 by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting.

 

Section 2.      ANNUAL MEETING.  The annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held on a date and at the time set by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.      SPECIAL MEETINGS.

 

(a)  General.  The Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the stockholders.  Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of the holders of shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class).

 

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(b)  Stockholder Requested Special Meetings.  (1) Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the "Record Date Request Notice") by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the "Request Record Date").  The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such stockholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").  Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date.  The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors.  If the Board of Directors, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary. 

 

(2)  In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting, one or more written requests for a special meeting signed by stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority (the "Special Meeting Percentage") of the holders of shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) (such request, the "Special Meeting Request") shall be delivered to the secretary.  In addition, the Special Meeting Request (a) shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), (b) shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Corporation’s books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed) and the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by each such stockholder, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned by such stockholder beneficially but not of record, (d) shall be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) shall be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date.  Any requesting stockholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation or the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.

 

(3)  The secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of meeting (including the Corporation’s proxy materials).  The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the mailing of any notice of the meeting.

 

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(4)  Except as provided in the next sentence, any special meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors, whoever has called the meeting.  In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of stockholders (a "Stockholder Requested Meeting"), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any Stockholder Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the "Meeting Record Date"); and provided further that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the "Delivery Date"), a date and time for a Stockholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation.  In fixing a date for any special meeting, the Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors may consider such factors as he, she or it deems relevant within the good faith exercise of business judgment, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting.  In the case of any Stockholder Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date.  The Board of Directors may revoke the notice for any Stockholder Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting stockholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b).

 

(5)  If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the secretary and the result is that stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting to the secretary, the secretary shall: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been mailed, refrain from mailing the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been mailed and if the secretary first sends to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the secretary’s intention to revoke the notice of the meeting, revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting.  Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.

 

(6)  The Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the president may appoint independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Corporation for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary.  For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported request shall be deemed to have been delivered to the secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Corporation that the valid requests received by the secretary represent, as of the Request Record Date, not less than the Special Meeting Percentage.  Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Corporation or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).

 

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(7)  For purposes of these Bylaws, "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

Section 4.      NOTICE OF MEETINGS.  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, written or printed notice 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, either by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business 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 stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. A single notice shall be effective as to all stockholders who share an address, except to the extent that a stockholder at such address objects to 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 such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting.

 

Section 5.      ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT.  Every meeting of stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment, by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the Chairman of the Board, by one of the following officers present at the meeting:  the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, the chief executive officer, the president, any vice president, the secretary, the treasurer or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman 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 secretary’s absence, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman 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 assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting.  The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting.  The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman 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 at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies or other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; (e) determining when the polls should be opened and closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security.  Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

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Section 6.      QUORUM.  The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to cast a majority of 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 such matter that, under applicable statutes or regulatory requirements, requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by each such class on such a matter shall constitute a quorum.  This section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure.

 

If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to (a) 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 at the meeting or (b) conclude the meeting without adjournment to another date.  If a meeting is adjourned and a quorum is present at such adjournment, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

 

The stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and convened, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

 

Section 7.      VOTING.  

 

(a) Voting Standard for Election of Directors. Except as set forth below, election of directors at all meetings of the stockholders at which directors are to be elected shall be by a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a “contested election” of directors, directors shall be elected by the vote of a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. For purposes of this Bylaw, a “contested election” shall mean any election of directors in which the number of candidates for election as directors exceeds the number of directors to be elected, with the determination thereof being made by the Secretary as of the close of the applicable notice of nomination period set forth in Section 11 of this Article II or under applicable law, based on whether one or more notice(s) of nomination were timely filed in accordance with said Section 11; provided, that the determination that an election is a “contested election” shall be determinative only as to the timeliness of a notice of nomination and not otherwise as to its validity. If, prior to the time the Corporation mails its initial proxy statement in connection with such election of directors, one or more notices of nomination are withdrawn such that the number of candidates for election as director no longer exceeds the number of directors to be elected, the election shall not be considered a contested election, but in all other cases, once an election is determined to be a contested election, directors shall be elected by the vote of a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

 

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(b) Vote Required in Other Matters. 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 more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the charter of the Corporation.  Unless otherwise provided in the charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.

 

Section 8.      PROXIES.  A stockholder may cast the votes entitled to be cast by the holder of the shares of stock owned of record by the stockholder in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law.  Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the meeting.  No proxy shall become invalid due to the adjournment or postponement of a meeting of stockholders, or a change in the record date for such meeting, unless so provided in the proxy. 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 or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, a general partner or trustee 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 director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his or her name as such fiduciary, 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.

 

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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 desirable.  On receipt of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the stockholder 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 for the meeting and any successor thereto.  The inspectors, if any, shall (i) determine the number of shares of stock represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy and the validity and effect of proxies, (ii) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (iii) report such tabulation to the chair of the meeting, (iv) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (v) do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders.  Each such report shall be in writing and signed by him or her or by a 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 Corporation’s 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 both 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, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with this Section 11(a).

 

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(2)      For nominations 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 such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the stockholders.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall set forth all information 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 prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that 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 year’s annual meeting (or if an annual meeting has not previously been held), notice by the stockholder to be timely 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., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting 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 stockholder’s notice as described above.  Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (i) as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of such individual, (B) the class, series and number of any shares of stock of the Corporation that are beneficially owned by such individual, (C) the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, (D) whether such stockholder believes any such individual is, or is not, an "interested person" of the Corporation, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the "Investment Company Act") and information regarding such individual 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, (E) such individual’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee, (F) such individual’s certification that he or she currently intends to serve as a director for the full term for which he or she is standing (if so elected) and (G) all other information relating to such individual that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder; (ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of such business, the reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and 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; (iii)  as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person, (A) the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by such stockholder and by such Stockholder Associated Person, if any, (B) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder and by any such Stockholder Associated Person, (C) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares) has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to or manage risk of share price changes for, or to increase the voting power of, such stockholder or any such Stockholder Associated Person with respect to any shares of stock of the Corporation (collectively, "Hedging Activities") and (D) a general description of whether and the extent to which such stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person has engaged in Hedging Activities with respect to shares of stock or other equity interests of any other company; (iv) as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person covered by clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (2) of this Section 11(a), (A) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s stock ledger and current name and address, if different, and of such Stockholder Associated Person; and (B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any provided to investors or potential investors in such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person; and (v) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting the nominee for election or reelection as a director or the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholder’s notice.

 

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(3)      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 for the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s 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., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

(4)      For purposes of this Section 11, "Stockholder Associated Person" of any stockholder shall mean (i) any person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with, such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder and (iii) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with 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 Corporation’s notice of 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 (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 11 and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting 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 such stockholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a director as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice required by paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 11 shall be 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., Eastern 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 stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

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(c)      General.  (1)  If information 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 shall be inaccurate to a material extent, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11.  Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Directors, any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a Director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (A) 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 and (B) a written update of any information previously submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 as of an earlier date.  If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification or written update within such period, the information as to which written verification or a written update 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.  The chairman 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, "public announcement" shall mean disclosure (i) in 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) in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act.

 

(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, nor the right of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act.

 

Section 12.      VOTING BY BALLOT.  Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the presiding officer shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.

 

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Section 13.      CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT.  Pursuant to Sections 3-702(b) and (c)(4) of the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”), the Board of Directors has adopted a resolution that the Corporation shall be subject to Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the MGCL (the “Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act”), which shall apply to the voting rights of holders of shares of stock of the Corporation acquired in a control share acquisition to the extent provided in such provisions of the MGCL. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, (1) no holder of shares of stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to exercise the rights of an objecting stockholder under Section 3-708 of the MGCL; (2) the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act shall not apply to the voting rights of the holders of any shares of preferred stock of the Corporation (but only with respect to such shares); (3) the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act shall not apply to the voting rights of any person acquiring shares of stock of the Corporation in a control share acquisition (as defined in the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act) if, prior to the acquisition, the person obtains approval of the Board of Directors exempting the acquisition from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act specifically, generally, or generally by types, which exemption may include the person and the person’s affiliates or associates or other persons; and (4) to the extent that any provisions of the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act are determined to be inconsistent with the 1940 Act, then any such provisions shall not apply.

 

ARTICLE III

 

DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.      GENERAL POWERS.  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.      NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.  At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, 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 one, nor more than nine, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors.

 

Section 3.      ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS.  An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary.  In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting 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.  Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held from time to time at such places and times as provided by the Board of Directors by resolution, without notice other than such resolution.

 

Section 4.      SPECIAL MEETINGS.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or by a majority of the directors then in office.  The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them.  The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board of Directors without notice other than such resolution.

 

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Section 5.      NOTICE.  Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, 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 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 shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors are 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 of the Corporation or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority of such group.

 

The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and convened may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave less than 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 statute or the charter.  If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave less than 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 statute or the charter.

 

Section 8.      ORGANIZATION.  At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or, in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, shall act as Chairman.  In the absence of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board, 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 Chairman.  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, a person appointed by the Chairman, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

 

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Section 9.      TELEPHONE MEETINGS.  Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar 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 10.      WRITTEN CONSENT BY DIRECTORS.  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 to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors; provided however, this Section 10 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 11.      VACANCIES.  If for any reason any or all 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, if any.  Pursuant to the Corporation's election in Article IV of the charter, subject to applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act, except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, (a) 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 (b) any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the class in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

 

Section 12.      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 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 performed or engaged 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 13.      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 14.      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.

 

Section 15.      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 person’s 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.

 

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Section 16.  RATIFICATION.  The Board of Directors or the stockholders may ratify and make binding on the Corporation any action or inaction by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board of Directors or the stockholders could have originally authorized the matter.  Moreover, any action or inaction questioned in any stockholders' derivative proceeding or any other proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, or the application of improper principles or practices of accounting, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction.

 

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, (i) 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; (ii) 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 or radio, and (iii) the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.      NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.  The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Valuation Committee and other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.      POWERS.  The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law.

 

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 may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, 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.  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.  Each committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings.

 

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Section 4.      TELEPHONE MEETINGS.  Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time.  Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

Section 5.      WRITTEN CONSENT BY COMMITTEES.  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 to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission 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 fill any vacancy, to designate one or more alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.  Subject to the power of the Board of Directors, the members of the committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies on the 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 investment officer, a chief compliance officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers.  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 desirable.  The Board of Directors may designate a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board, who shall not, solely by reason of such designation, be officers of the Corporation but shall have such powers and duties as determined by the Board of Directors from time to time.  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, assistant treasurers or other officers.  Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until death, 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.

 

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Section 2.      REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION.  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 giving written notice of his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the president or the secretary.  Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the notice of 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.  In the absence of such designation, the president shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation.  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.

 

Section 6.      CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief investment officer.  The chief investment officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section 7.      CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer.  The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section 8.     CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER.  The Chief Compliance Officer, subject to the direction of and reporting to the Board of Directors, shall be responsible for the oversight of the Corporation’s 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 directors who are not “interested persons” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Corporation.  The Chief Compliance Officer shall perform such executive, supervisory and management functions and duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time.

 

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Section 9.      PRESIDENT.  In the absence of a designation of a chief executive officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief executive officer.  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 10.      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 president or by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

 

Section 11.      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 post office 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 by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 12.      TREASURER.  The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and 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.  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 13.      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 president or the Board of Directors.

 

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ARTICLE VI

 

CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

 

Section 1.      CONTRACTS.  The Board of Directors 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 authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors 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 from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

STOCK

 

Section 1.      CERTIFICATES; REQUIRED INFORMATION.  The Corporation may issue some or all of the shares of any or all of the Corporation's classes or series of stock without certificates if authorized by the Board of Directors.  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 the 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 differences in the rights and obligations of stockholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates.  If a class or series of stock is authorized by the Board of Directors to be issued without certificates, no stockholder shall be entitled to a certificate or certificates representing any shares of such class or series of stock held by such stockholder unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors and then only upon written request by such stockholder to the secretary of the Corporation.

 

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Section 2.      TRANSFERS.  All transfers of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, 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.  The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Directors that such shares shall no longer be represented by certificates.  Upon the transfer of uncertificated shares, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to 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 provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of stock will be subject in all respects to the charter of the Corporation 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 of stock 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 has determined 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 a 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 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 determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment or postponement thereof, except when the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date fixed for the original meeting, in which case a new record date shall be determined as set forth herein.

 

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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 share 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 issue fractional stock or provide for the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation.  Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.

 

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, subject to the provisions of law and the charter of the Corporation.  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 dividends or other distributions, 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 absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, 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.  The 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.

 

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ARTICLE XI

 

INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES

 

To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the Investment Company Act, in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) 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 or (b) 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 or trustee of such corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, 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.  The Corporation may, with the approval of its Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee thereof, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation.  The indemnification and payment of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, regulation, insurance, agreement or otherwise.

 

Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or charter of the Corporation inconsistent with this Article, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

 

No provision of this Article XI shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any director or officer of the Corporation against liability to the Corporation or its stockholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

 

ARTICLE XII

 

WAIVER OF NOTICE

 

Whenever any notice is required to be given pursuant to the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing, signed 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, 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 is not lawfully called or convened.

 

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ARTICLE XIII

 

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, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act shall control.

 

ARTICLE XIV

 

EXCLUSIVE FORUM

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of a different forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland (the "Circuit Court"), or, if the Circuit Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (b) any action asserting an internal corporate claim (as defined in the MGCL) or (c) any other 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. Any stockholder (or beneficial owner of stock) who is a party to any action or proceeding governed by this Article shall be deemed to have consented to the jurisdiction of the foregoing courts solely for the purpose of adjudicating any action or proceeding governed by this Article. With respect to an action or proceeding in the Circuit Court governed by this Article, the Corporation and the stockholders (or beneficial owners of stock) shall be deemed to have consented to the assignment of the action or proceeding to the Business and Technology Case Management Program for the State of Maryland (or any successor program governing complex corporate proceedings).

 

ARTICLE XV

 

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

 

The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power, at any time, to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.

 

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Exhibit h.7

 

 

OXFORD LANE CAPITAL CORP.

 

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

Dated September 9, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

    Page
     
SECTION 1. Description of Securities 1
     
SECTION 2. Placements 2
     
SECTION 3. Sale of Placement Securities by the Agents 3
     
SECTION 4. Suspension of Sales 4
     
SECTION 5. Representations and Warranties 4
     
SECTION 6. Representations and Warranties of the Adviser and Oxford Funds 11
     
SECTION 7. Sale and Delivery to the Agent; Settlement 13
     
SECTION 8. Covenants of the Company and the Adviser 15
     
SECTION 9. Payment of Expenses 21
     
SECTION 10. Conditions of the Agents’ Obligations 22
     
SECTION 11. Indemnification and Contribution 23
     
SECTION 12. Information Furnished by the Agent 26
     
SECTION 13. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery 26
     
SECTION 14. Termination of Agreement 26
     
SECTION 15. Notices 28
     
SECTION 16. Successors 28
     
SECTION 17. Governing Law; Construction 28
     
SECTION 18. Submission to Jurisdiction 28
     
SECTION 19. Counterparts 28
     
SECTION 20. Merger 28
     
SECTION 21. Definitions 29
     
SECTION 22. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship 29

 

Exhibits

 

Exhibit A - Authorized Individuals for Placement Notices and Acceptances
   
Exhibit B - Compensation
   
Exhibit C - Form of Opinion of Dechert LLP
   
Exhibit D - Officers’ Certificate

 

 

 

 

OXFORD LANE CAPITAL CORP.

(a Maryland corporation)

 

Shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

September 9, 2022

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

640 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor

New York, NY10019

 

B. Riley Securities, Inc.

299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor

New York, NY 10171

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Oxford Lane Capital Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), Oxford Lane Management, LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Connecticut (the “Adviser”), and Oxford Funds, LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (“Oxford Funds”), each confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (“Ladenburg”) and B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley” and, together with Ladenburg, the “Agents”), as set forth herein. This Agreement amends and restates the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of June 4, 2020, among the Company, the Adviser, Oxford Funds and Ladenburg.

SECTION 1.    Description of Securities.

 

Each of the Company and the Adviser agree that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company may issue and sell through the Agents, acting as agents and/or principals, shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Shares”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $750,000,000 (the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 regarding the aggregate offering price of the Common Shares issued and sold under this Agreement (such Common Shares being referred to herein as the “Shares”) shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and the Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of the Shares through the Agents will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to issue the Shares.

 

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The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with the Commission a registration statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-236574 and 811-22432), including a base prospectus, relating to the Common Shares, including the Shares to be issued from time to time by the Company, which commencing on or after August 1, 2020 will incorporate by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act. The Company has prepared a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement. The Company will furnish to the Agents, for use by the Agents, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, as amended when it became effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497 or Rule 424 under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B or Rule 430C of the Securities Act, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The base prospectus, including all documents incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by reference to the extent such information has not been superseded or modified in accordance with Rule 412 under the Securities Act (as qualified by Rule 430B(g) of the Securities Act), included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to (i) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any amendment or supplement thereto that has been filed with the Commission pursuant to the Interactive Data Electronic Application system when used by the Commission (collectively, “EDGAR”) and (ii) the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”).

 

SECTION 2.    Placements.

 

Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell the Shares hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify an Agent designated by the Company in its sole discretion (the “Designated Agent”) orally or by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) containing the parameters in accordance with which it desires the Shares to be sold, which shall at a minimum include the number of Shares to be issued and sold (the “Placement Securities”), the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Shares that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made (which minimum price shall not be less than the Company’s most recently determined net asset value per share) (a “Placement Notice”). The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Exhibit A and shall be addressed to one or more of the individuals from the Designated Agent set forth on Exhibit A, as such Exhibit A may be amended from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have sole discretion to designate either Ladenburg or B. Riley as a Designated Agent and nothing in this Agreement should be interpreted to require the Company to designate one or both of the Agents as a Designated Agent or to deliver a Placement Notice to one or both Agents.

 

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If the Designated Agent wishes to accept such proposed terms of the Placement Notice (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussion with the Company, wishes to accept amended terms, such Designated Agent will, prior to 4:30 p.m. (New York City Time) on the business day following the business day on which such Placement Notice is delivered to such Designated Agent, issue to the Company a notice by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) addressed to all of the individuals from the Company and such Designated Agent set forth on Exhibit A) setting forth the terms that such Designated Agent is willing to accept. Where the terms of the Placement Notice are amended as provided for in the immediately preceding sentence, such terms will not be binding on the Company or the Designated Agent until the Company delivers to the Designated Agent an acceptance orally or by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) of all of the terms of such Placement Notice, as amended (the “Acceptance”), which email shall be addressed to (or oral confirmation directed to) one or more of the individuals from each of the Company and such Designated Agent set forth on Exhibit A. The Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) shall be effective upon receipt by the Company of the Designated Agent’s acceptance of the terms of the Placement Notice or upon receipt by the Designated Agent of the Company’s Acceptance, as the case may be, unless and until (i) the entire amount of the Placement Securities has been sold, (ii) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in the second sentence of this paragraph, the Company terminates the Placement Notice, (iii) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice with parameters superseding those on the earlier dated Placement Notice, (iv) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 14 or (v) either party shall have suspended the sale of the Placement Securities in accordance with Section 4 below. The amount of any commission, discount or other compensation to be paid by the Company to the Designated Agent in connection with the sale of the Placement Securities shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Exhibit B. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor the Agents will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Securities unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to the Designated Agent and either (i) the Designated Agent accepts the terms of such Placement Notice or (ii) where the terms of such Placement Notice are amended, the Company accepts such amended terms by means of an Acceptance pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) will control.

 

SECTION 3.    Sale of Placement Securities by the Agents.

Subject to the provisions of Section 7(a), the Designated Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the Placement Securities up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable). The Designated Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Securities hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Securities sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to the Designated Agent pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by the Designated Agent (as set forth in Section 7(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), the Agents may sell Placement Securities by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made directly on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, on any other existing trading market for the Common Shares or to or through a market maker. Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), the Agents may also sell Placement Securities by any other method permitted by law, including but not limited to in privately negotiated transactions. For the purposes hereof, “Trading Day” means any day on which Common Shares are purchased and sold on the principal market on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted.

 

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SECTION 4.    Suspension of Sales.

The Company or the Designated Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit A , if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit A), suspend any sale of Placement Securities; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Securities sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Exhibit A hereto, as such Exhibit may be amended from time to time.

 

SECTION 5.    Representations and Warranties.

The Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to the Agents as of the date hereof and as of each Representation Date (as defined below) on which a certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 8(p) of this Agreement, as of each Applicable Time and as of each Settlement Date (as defined below), and agrees with the Agents, as follows:

 

(i)         The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act; and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. At the respective times the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and as of the date hereof, the Registration Statement (as amended or supplemented) complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus (as amended or supplemented), as of its date, and as of the respective dates of any amendments or supplements thereto, and as of the date hereof, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Any documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this Section 5(i) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and conformity with information concerning the Agents furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agents to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

 

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(ii) The Company’s registration statement on Form 8-A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) is effective.

 

(iii) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland. The Company has full power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein) and enter into this Agreement, and is in good standing and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of the Company (a “Company Material Adverse Effect”). The Company has no consolidated subsidiaries.

 

(iv) The Company is registered with the Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”), as a closed-end management investment company, and no order of suspension or revocation of such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the best of its knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable terms and conditions of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act. No person is serving or acting as an officer or director of, or investment adviser to, the Company except in compliance with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Advisers Act”). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no director of the Company is an “interested person” (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the Company or an “affiliated person” (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the Agents.

 

(v) Each of this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of September 9, 2010, by and between the Company and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), and the Administration Agreement, dated as of September 9, 2010, by and between the Company and Oxford Funds (the “Administration Agreement” and together with the Investment Advisory Agreement, the “Company Agreements”), has been duly authorized by the Company. Each Company Agreement complies with all applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act. The Company has adopted a Second Amended and Restated Distribution Plan (the “Plan”). Each Company Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and (assuming the due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto) represents a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (a) as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of public policy and subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium, and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (including without limitation the availability of specific performance or injunctive relief and the application of concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing) whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and (b) in the case of the Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to termination under the Investment Company Act or the reasonableness or fairness of compensation payable thereunder.

 

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(vi) None of (1) the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement and each Company Agreement, or (2) the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement conflicts with or will conflict with, result in, or constitute a violation, breach of, default under, (x) the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company, as amended to date (the “Charter”) or the amended and restated bylaws of the Company, as amended to date (the “Bylaws”) (y) any agreement, indenture, note, bond, license, lease or other instrument or obligation binding upon the Company that is material to the Company, or (z) any law, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company, whether foreign or domestic; except, with respect to clauses (y) or (z), any contravention which would have neither (i) a Company Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided that no representation or warranty is made with respect to compliance with the laws of any jurisdiction outside of the United States in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares in such jurisdiction by the Agents.

 

(vii) No consent, approval, authorization, order or permit of, license from, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or authority, self-regulatory organization or court or other tribunal, whether foreign or domestic, is required to be obtained by the Company for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the Company Agreements, except such as have been obtained and as may be required by (i) the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act, or the Exchange Act, (ii) the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”), (iii) by the securities or “blue sky laws” of the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares or (iv) such as which the failure to obtain would have neither (i) a Company Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(viii) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof under the heading “Description of Our Capital Stock” in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein), and this Agreement, the Charter, the Bylaws, the Company Agreements and the Plan conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus.

 

(ix) This Agreement and the other Company Agreements, the Charter and the Bylaws, and the Plan comply with all applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act, and all approvals of such documents required under the Investment Company Act by the Company’s shareholders and Board of Directors have been obtained and are in full force and effect.

 

(x) The Company Agreements are in full force and effect and neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party to any such agreement is in default thereunder, and no event has occurred which with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default by the Company thereunder, and the Company is not currently in breach of, or in default under, any other written agreement or instrument to which it or its property is bound or affected, the default under or breach of which could reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xi) The Common Shares outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. Other than as contemplated in the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or ownership interests in the Company are outstanding.

 

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(xii) The Shares have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Company for issuance and sale pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth in the Prospectus will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; all statements relating to the Shares contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus conform, in all material respects, to the Shares; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive rights.

 

(xiii) The Common Shares have been duly listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and prior to their issuance, the Shares will have been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(xiv) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development reasonably likely to involve a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company from that set forth in the Prospectus, and there have been no transactions entered into by the Company which are material to the Company other than those in the ordinary course of its business or as described in the Prospectus.

 

(xv) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect, or limit the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described.

 

(xvi) The statements in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein) under the headings “Summary - Operating and Regulatory Structure”, “Investment Advisory Agreement”, “Administration Agreement”, “Regulation as a Registered Closed-End Management Investment Company”, “Distribution Reinvestment Plan”, “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”, and “Description of Securities”, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.

 

(xvii) The Company has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, orders (including exemptive orders), licenses, certificates, permits, qualifications and registrations of and from, and has made all declarations and filings with, all governmental authorities, self-regulatory organizations and courts and other tribunals, whether foreign or domestic, to own and use its assets and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Prospectus, except to the extent that the failure to obtain or file the foregoing would not result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xviii) Except as otherwise contemplated in the Prospectus, the financial statements included and incorporated by reference (if any) in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes thereto (collectively, the “Company Financial Statements”), present fairly the financial condition of the Company as of the date indicated and said Company Financial Statements comply as to form with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The supporting schedules to such Company Financial Statements, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report appears in the Prospectus and who have certified the Company Financial Statements and supporting schedules, if any, included and incorporated by reference (if any) in the Registration Statement, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Investment Company Act, the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

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(xix) There are no material restrictions, limitations or regulations with respect to the ability of the Company to invest its assets as described in the Prospectus, other than as described therein.

 

(xx) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

(xxi) The expense summary information set forth in the Prospectus in the “Fees and Expenses” Table has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Form N-2 and any fee projections or estimates, if applicable, are reasonably based and comply in all material respects with the requirements of Form N-2.

 

(xxii) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) the Company has not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock, other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company, except in each case as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, respectively.

 

(xxiii) The Company owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by it, and the Company has not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxiv) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations and with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability and compliance with the books and records requirements under the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited financial statements included in the Prospectus, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated); (ii) no fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls; and (iii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxv) The Company maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 30a-3 under the Investment Company Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are effective; and the Company is not aware of any material weakness in such controls and procedures.

 

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(xxvi) Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee nor agent of the Company has made any payment of funds of the Company or received or retained any funds, which payment, receipt or retention is of a character to be disclosed in the Prospectus.

 

(xxvii) Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.

 

(xxviii) There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or the documents incorporated by reference therein) or to be filed as exhibits thereto by the Securities Act or the Investment Company Act which have not been so described or filed as required.

 

(xxix) The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xxx) Neither the Company, the Adviser nor Oxford Funds nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (“FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds, and to the knowledge of the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(xxxi) Neither the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasure Department (“OFAC”) and neither the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds will directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

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(xxxii) The Company is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which it is engaged; all policies of insurance insuring the Company or its business, assets, employees, officers and directors, including the Company’s directors and officers errors and omissions insurance policy and its fidelity bond required by Rule 17g-1 under the Investment Company Act, are in full force and effect; the Company is in compliance with the terms of such policies and fidelity bond in all material respects; there are no claims by the Company under any such policies or fidelity bond as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; the Company has not been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage and fidelity bond as and then such coverage and fidelity bond expires or to obtain similar coverage and fidelity bond from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not result in a Company Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

 

(xxxiii) Except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Agents (the description of such arrangements and outstanding indebtedness thereunder is true, accurate and complete in all respects) and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of the Agents.

 

(xxxiv) There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which have not been described as required, it being understood and agreed that the Company, the Investment Adviser and Oxford Funds make no representation or warranty with respect to such relationships involving the Agents or any affiliate and any other person that have not been disclosed to the Company by the Agents in connection with this Agreement.

 

(xxxv) The Company (A) has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in, or that has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the issuance and sale or resale of the Shares, (B) has not since the filing of the Registration Statement sold, bid for or purchased, or paid anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, Common Shares of the Company and (C) will not, until the completion of the distribution (within the meaning of Regulation M under the Exchange Act) of the Shares, sell, bid for or purchase, pay or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company (except for the solicitation of the exercises of Rights pursuant to this Agreement); provided that any action in connection with the Plan will not be deemed to be within the terms of this Section 5(xxxv).

 

(xxxvi) The Company intends to direct the investment of the proceeds from the sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement in such a manner as to comply with the applicable requirements to qualify to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Subchapter M of the Code”).

 

(xxxvii) The Company and its officers and directors, in their capacities as such, are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(xxxviii) The Company has (a) appointed a Chief Compliance Officer and (b) adopted and implemented written policies and procedures which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the federal securities laws in a manner required by and consistent with Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act and is in compliance in all material respects with such Rule.

 

(xxxix) The Company owns, leases or has rights to use all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations as presently conducted.

 

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(xl) No director or officer of the Company or the Adviser is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer which could materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Company or the Adviser or result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xli) Any documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(xlii) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the transactions contemplated herein other than the Prospectus to which an Agent has consented.

 

Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Agents or counsel for the Agents in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company as to the matters covered therein to the Agents.

SECTION 6.     Representations and Warranties of the Adviser and Oxford Funds.

 

The Adviser and Oxford Funds, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to the Agents as of the date hereof and as of each Representation Date on which a certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 8(p) of this Agreement, as of each Applicable Time and as of each Settlement Date, and agree with the Agents, as follows:

(i) Each of the Adviser and Oxford Funds has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the State of Connecticut and the State of Delaware, respectively, with the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and enter into this Agreement and the Company Agreements to which the Adviser or Oxford Funds is a party, as the case may be, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of the Adviser or Oxford Funds, as the case may be (an “Adviser/Oxford Funds Material Adverse Effect”). Each of the Adviser and Administrator has no subsidiaries.

(ii) The Adviser is duly registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the Investment Company Act from acting under the Investment Advisory Agreement as an investment adviser to the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and no order of suspension or revocation of such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, threatened by the Commission.

(iii) Each of this Agreement and the Company Agreements to which the Adviser or Oxford Funds is a party, as the case may be, has been duly authorized by the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable. Each Company Agreement to which the Adviser or Oxford Funds is a party, complies with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act. Each Company Agreement to which the Adviser or Oxford Funds is a party has been duly executed and delivered by the Adviser or Oxford Funds, as applicable and (assuming the due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto) represents a valid and binding agreement of the Adviser or Oxford Funds, as applicable, enforceable against the Adviser or Oxford Funds, as applicable, in accordance with its terms, except (a) as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of public policy and subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the Adviser’s or Oxford Funds’ obligations thereunder, as applicable, may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium, and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (including without limitation the availability of specific performance or injunctive relief and the application of concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing) whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and (b) in the case of the Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to termination under the Investment Company Act or the reasonableness or fairness of compensation payable thereunder.

 

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(iv) The execution and delivery by the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, of, and the performance by the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, of its obligations under, this Agreement and each Company Agreement to which the Adviser or Oxford Funds is a party, respectively, does not conflict with or will not conflict with, result in, or constitute a violation, breach of, default under, (x) the limited liability company operating agreement of the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable (y) any agreement, indenture, note, bond, license, lease or other instrument or obligation binding upon the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, that is material to the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, or (z) any law, rule or regulation applicable to the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, whether foreign or domestic; except, with respect to clauses (y) or (z), any contravention which would have neither (i) an Adviser/Oxford Funds Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided that no representation or warranty is made with respect to compliance with the laws of any jurisdiction outside of the United States in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares in such jurisdiction by the Agents.

(v) No consent, approval, authorization, order or permit of, license from, or qualification or registration with any governmental body, agency or authority, self-regulatory organization or court or other tribunal, whether foreign or domestic, is required to be obtained by the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, for the performance by the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, of its obligations under this Agreement or any Company Agreement to which it is a party, except such as have been obtained and as may be required by (i) the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act or the Exchange Act, (ii) the rules and regulations of the FINRA or Nasdaq, (iii) by the securities or “blue sky laws” of the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares or (iv) such as which the failure to obtain would have neither (i) an Adviser/Oxford Funds Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(vi) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Adviser and Oxford Funds, threatened to which the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds is a party or to which any of the properties of the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a material adverse effect on the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, or on the power or ability of the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds, as applicable, to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described.

(vii) Each of the Adviser and Oxford Funds has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, orders (including exemptive orders), licenses, certificates, permits, qualifications and registrations of and from, and has made all declarations and filings with, all governmental authorities, self-regulatory organizations and courts and other tribunals, whether foreign or domestic, to own and use its assets and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Prospectus, except to the extent that the failure to obtain or file the foregoing would not result in an Adviser/Oxford Funds Material Adverse Effect.

(viii) Each of the Adviser and Oxford Funds has the financial resources available to it necessary for the performance of its services and obligations as contemplated in the Prospectus and by this Agreement and each Company Agreement to which it is a party.

(ix) The Investment Advisory Agreement is in full force and effect and neither the Adviser nor, to the knowledge of the Adviser, any other party to the Investment Advisory Agreement is in default thereunder, and, no event has occurred which with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default by the Adviser under such document.

 

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(x) All information furnished by the Adviser for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein), including, without limitation, the description of the Adviser 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 such information not misleading (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which such information is provided).

(xi) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development reasonably likely to involve a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Adviser from that set forth in the Prospectus, and there have been no transactions entered into by the Adviser which are material to the Adviser other than those in the ordinary course of its business or as described in the Prospectus.

(xii) Neither the Adviser nor Oxford Funds, nor any of their affiliates, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

(xiii) The operations of the Adviser and Oxford Funds are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable Money Laundering laws and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Adviser or Oxford Funds with respect to the Money Laundering laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Adviser or Oxford Funds, threatened.

(xiv) The Adviser maintains a system of internal controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions effectuated by it under the Investment Advisory Agreement are executed in accordance with its management’s general or specific authorization and (ii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with its management’s general or specific authorization.

(xv) Oxford Funds maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that transactions for which it has bookkeeping and record keeping responsibility for under the Administration Agreement are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for the Company’s assets.

Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Adviser or Oxford Funds and delivered to the Agents or counsel for the Agents in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Adviser or Oxford Funds, as applicable, as to the matters covered therein to the Agents.

SECTION 7.    Sale and Delivery to the Agents; Settlement.

(a)   Sale of Placement Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Designated Agent’s acceptance of the terms of a Placement Notice or upon receipt by such Designated Agent of an Acceptance, as the case may be, and unless the sale of the Placement Securities described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Designated Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” offerings up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable). Each of the Company and the Adviser acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Designated Agent will be successful in selling Placement Securities, and (ii) the Designated Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company, the Adviser, Oxford Funds or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Securities for any reason other than a failure by such Designated Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities as required under this Section 7 and (iii) the Designated Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Common Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Designated Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

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(b)   Settlement of Placement Securities. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), settlement for sales of Placement Securities will occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Securities sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate offering price received by the Designated Agent at which such Placement Securities were sold, after deduction for (i) the Designated Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, and (ii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.

(c)   Delivery of Placement Securities. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Securities being sold by crediting the Designated Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided the Designated Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Designated Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company prior to the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Securities on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 11(a) and Section 12 hereto, it will (i) hold the Designated Agents harmless against any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense whatsoever (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (ii) pay to the Designated Agent any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

(d)   Denominations; Registration. The Placement Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Designated Agent may request in writing at least one full business day before the Settlement Date. The Company shall deliver the Placement Securities, if any, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Designated Agent shall otherwise instruct.

(e)   Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares, if after giving effect to the sale of such Shares, the aggregate offering price of the Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) together with all sales of Shares under this Agreement, the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement, (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company and notified to the Agents in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement (i) at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Company and notified to the Agents in writing and (ii) at a price (net of the Designated Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof) lower than the Company’s then current net asset value per share (as calculated pursuant to the Investment Company Act), unless the Company has received the requisite approval from stockholders as required pursuant to the Investment Company Act. Further, under no circumstances shall the aggregate offering price of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, including any separate underwriting or similar agreement covering principal transactions described in Section 1 of this Agreement, exceed the Maximum Amount. 

 

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SECTION 8.    Covenants of the Company and the Adviser. Each of the Company and the Adviser covenants with the Agents as follows:

(a)   Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Agents under the Securities Act, (i) the Company will notify the Agents promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement contemplated by this Agreement) has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any comment letter from the Commission or any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon an Agent’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in an Agent’s reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Securities by the Agents (provided, however, that the failure of the Agents to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect an Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, relating to the Placement Securities or a security convertible into the Placement Securities unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agents within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Agents have not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that the failure of the Agents to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect an Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement); and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act.

(b)   Filings. Except as may be mutually agreed by the Company and the Agents, the Company and the Agents agree that no sales of Shares shall take place, and the Company shall not request the sale of any Shares that would be sold, and the Agents shall not be obligated to sell, (i) with respect to the Company’s public filings on Form N-PORT, during any period commencing upon the 30th day following the end of each fiscal quarter and ending on the date on which the Company files with the Commission a prospectus supplement under Rule 424 relating to the Shares that includes updated financial and other information as of the end of the Company’s most recent quarterly period (the “N-PORT Filing”) and (ii) with respect to the Company’s semi-annual and annual report filings on Form N-CSR, during any period commencing upon the 50th day following the end of the Company’s second fiscal quarter or fiscal year, as applicable, and ending on the date on which the Company files with the Commission a prospectus supplement under Rule 424 related to the Shares that includes updated financial information and other information as of the end of the Company’s most recent second fiscal quarter or fiscal year, as applicable (the “N-CSR Filing” and each N-PORT Filing shall also be referred to herein as a “424 Filing”). To the extent the Company releases its earnings for its most recent quarterly period or fiscal year, as applicable (an “Earnings Release”) before it files with the Commission its publicly filed report on Form N-PORT for such monthly period or semi-annual or annual report on Form N-CSR for such second fiscal quarter or fiscal year, as applicable, then the Agents and the Company agree that no sales of Shares shall take place for the period beginning on the date of the Earnings Release and ending on the date of the applicable 424 Filing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, without the prior written consent of each of the Company and the Agents, no sales of Common Shares shall take place, and the Company shall not request the sale of any Shares that would be sold, and the Agents shall not be obligated to sell, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information.

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(c)   Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Agents, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any other order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement or if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, the suspension of any qualification of the Shares for offering or sale and any loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, and if any such stop order is issued or any such suspension or loss occurs, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(d)   Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Agents and its counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during any period (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, in each case as soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than two Business Days after such filing, and in such quantities and at such locations as the Agents may from time to time reasonably request. The copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto furnished to the Agents will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)   Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If at any time when a Prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with a pending sale of the Placement Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Agents or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Agents to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Agents such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Agents may reasonably request.

 

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(f)     Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Agents, to qualify the Placement Securities for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Common Shares to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states as the Agents may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Shares (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Placement Securities have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement).

(g)    Rule 158. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Agents an earnings statement or statements of the Company which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.

(h)    Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(i)      Listing. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Agents under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Securities, the Company will use its best efforts to cause the Placement Securities to be duly authorized for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market prior to the time of issuance.

(j)      Filings with the Nasdaq. The Company will timely file with the Nasdaq all material documents and notices required by the Nasdaq of companies that have or will issue securities that are traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

(k)     Reporting Requirements. The Company, during any period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Investment Company Act within the time periods required by the Investment Company Act.

(l)      Notice of Other Sales. During the pendency of any Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) given hereunder, the Company shall provide the Designated Agent notice as promptly as reasonably possible before it offers to sell, contracts to sell, sells, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any Common Shares (other than Placement Securities offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Shares; provided, that such notice shall not be required in connection with the (i) the issuance of securities in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets described in the Prospectus or (ii) the issuance or sale of Common Shares pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan that the Company may adopt from time to time.

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(m)    Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during a fiscal quarter in which the Company intends to tender a Placement Notice or sell Placement Securities, advise the Agents promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement.

(n)     Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agents or their agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agents may reasonably request. The parties acknowledge that the due diligence review contemplated by this Section 8(n) will include, without limitation, during the term of this Agreement a quarterly diligence conference to occur within five business days after each public N-PORT Filing or N-CSR Filing whereby the Company will make its senior corporate officers available to address diligence inquiries of the Agents and will provide such additional information and documents as the Agents may reasonably request.

(o)     Disclosure of Sales. The Company will disclose in a prospectus supplement filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424, in its semi-annual and annual reports on Form N-CSR the number of Placement Securities sold through the Agents, the net proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to the Agents with respect to such Placement Securities. To the extent the information set forth in this Section 8(o) is filed in a prospectus supplement, the Company agrees to deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.

(p)     Representation Dates; Certificates. On or prior to the date that the first Shares are sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and:

 

(1)        each time the Company (unless waived by the Agents):

 

  (i) files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement relating to the Placement Securities;

 

  (ii) files a semi-annual report or annual report on Form N-CSR under the Investment Company Act; or

 

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  (iii) Publicly files a report on Form N-PORT under the Investment Company Act; and

 

(2)        at any other time reasonably requested by the Agents (each such date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (1)(i) through (iii) and any time of request pursuant to this Section 8(p) shall be a “Representation Date”), each of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds shall furnish the Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D within three (3) Trading Days of any Representation Date. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 8(p) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form N-CSR. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Securities following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Agents with a certificate under this Section 8(p), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or the Agents sells any Placement Securities, each of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds shall provide the Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, dated the date of the Placement Notice.

(q)     Company Legal Opinions. On or prior to the date that the first Shares are sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, each time Common Shares are delivered to the Designated Agent as principal on a Settlement Date and within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date (other than a Representation Date pursuant to Section 8(p)(I)(iii)) with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents written opinions of Dechert LLP (collectively, “Company Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Agents, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit C modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, and Robinson & Cole LLP, as counsel to the Adviser; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, any such counsel may furnish the Agents with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Agents may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 8(q) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).

(r)      Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date that the first Shares are sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, each time Common Shares are delivered to the Designated Agent as principal on a Settlement Date, within three (3) Trading Days after the date of a N-CSR Filing, within three (3) Trading Days after the date of a N-PORT Filing (provided that this obligation may be satisfied with the delivery of a Chief Financial Officer certificate in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agents in the case of a N-PORT filing) and each time that the Registration Statement is amended or the Prospectus supplemented to include additional or amended financial information (the “Comfort Letter Triggering Event”), the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish the Agents letters (the “Comfort Letters”), dated the date the Comfort Letter is delivered, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter. The requirement to provide a Comfort Letter under this Section 8(r) shall be waived if at the time of the Comfort Letter Triggering Event there is no Placement Notice outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to issue a Placement Notice, the Company shall provide the Agents with a Comfort Letter prior to the issuance of such Placement Notice.

 

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(s)     Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement other than the Agents; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase its Common Shares in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.

(t)      Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will use its best efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.

(u)     Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulation, including, without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and will use reasonable efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capabilities, as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

(v)     Regulation M. If the Company has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Company or the Shares, it shall promptly notify the Agents and sales of the Placement Securities under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

(w)     Status as Regulated Investment Company. The Company will use reasonable best efforts to comply with the requirements to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code with respect to any fiscal year in which the Company is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act.

 

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(x)     Additional Sales Materials. Except by means of the Prospectus or as otherwise agreed by the parties, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Agents in its capacity as such) will not make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and including without limitation any advertisement as defined in Rule 482 under the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Shares hereunder; provided, that the foregoing shall not prohibit the Company from (i) making its required filings with the Commission or the dissemination thereof as required by the Investment Company Act, state law or the rules and regulations of Nasdaq and (ii) disseminating any additional sales material used in connection with the Registration Statement other than in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares hereunder.

SECTION 9.    Payment of Expenses.

(a)   Expenses. The Company will pay all of its own expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the word processing, printing and delivery to the Agents of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Placement Securities to the Agents, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities to the Agents, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection with the qualification or exemption of the Placement Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 8(f) hereof, and in connection with the preparation of a state securities law or “blue sky” survey and any supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Agents of copies of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Agents to investors, (viii) the fees and expenses of the custodian and the transfer agent and registrar for the Shares, (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares, and (x) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. In addition to any fees that may be payable to the Agents under this Agreement, whether or not any Shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement, the Company has reimbursed Ladenburg a total of $50,000 (inclusive of reimbursement pursuant to this Section 9(a)) for its reasonable expenses incurred in connection with its activities under this Agreement, including reasonable fees and disbursements of its legal counsel. The Company shall not be obligated to reimburse the Agents for any expenses arising under or in connection with this Agreement in excess of the $50,000 previously paid to Ladenburg (which amount does not include the filing fees incident to review by FINRA of the term of the sale of the Shares).

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SECTION 10.      Conditions of the Agent’s Obligations. The obligations of the Agents hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Adviser contained in this Agreement or in certificates of any officer of the Company or the Adviser the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions: 

(a)     Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Securities issued pursuant to all prior Placement Notices (each as amended by a corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) and (ii) the sale of all Placement Securities contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

(b)     No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, including any notice objecting to the use of the Registration Statement or order pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Investment Company Act having been issued and proceedings therefor initiated, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially 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 and, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any materially 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(c)     Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, there shall not have been any material adverse change in the authorized capital stock of the Company or in the condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company.

(d)     Opinions of Counsels for Company and the Adviser. The Agents shall have received the favorable opinion of Company Counsel and counsel to the Adviser, required to be delivered pursuant to Section 8(q) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinions is required pursuant to Section 8(q).

 

(e)     [Intentionally Omitted]

(f)      Representation Certificate. The Agents shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 8(p) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 8(p).

 

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(g)     Accountant’s Comfort Letter. The Agents shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 8(r) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 8(r).

(h)     Approval for Listing. The Placement Securities shall either have been (i) approved for listing on Nasdaq Global Select Market, subject only to notice of issuance, or (ii) the Company shall have submitted to Nasdaq a notice of “Listing of Additional Shares” for listing of the Placement Securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.

(i)      No Suspension. Trading in the Common Shares shall not have been suspended on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

(j)      Additional Documents. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 8(p), counsel for the Agents shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained in this Agreement.

(k)     Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.

(l)      Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 10 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by each Agent by notice to the Company, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 9 hereof and except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Sections 5, 11, 12, 13, 18 and 21 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 11. Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a) The Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent, each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each partner, director, officer, trustee, manager, member and shareholder of each Agent (each, an “Agent Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim), caused by, arising out of, related to or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon written information furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use therein.

 

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(b) Each Agent agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds, and each of their respective partners, directors, trustees, managers, members and shareholders (as the case may be), and each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company, the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Company Indemnified Party”) to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds to such Agent, but only with reference to written information relating to such Agent furnished to the Company by such Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 11(a) or 11(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements reasonably incurred of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with an actual conflict of interest, or (iii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses reasonably incurred of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Agent Indemnified Parties, collectively, and (ii) the fees and expenses reasonably incurred of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Company Indemnified Parties, collectively. In the case of any such separate firm for Agent Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in writing by Ladenburg. In the case of any such separate firm for the Company Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there is a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this Section 11(c), the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the material terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into, and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

 

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(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 11(a) or 11(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds on the one hand and an Agent on the other hand from the issuance and sale of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 11(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 11(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds on the one hand and of an Agent on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds on the one hand and an Agent on the other hand in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the issuance and sale of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total fees received by such Agent, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company, the Adviser and/or Oxford Funds on the one hand and such Agent on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds or by such Agent and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(e) The Company, the Adviser, Oxford Funds and the Agents agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 11 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 11(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 11(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 11, no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the fees received by it. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 11 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

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(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 11 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Agent Indemnified Party or by or on behalf of any Company Indemnified Party and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.

 

(g) No party shall be entitled to indemnification under this Section 11 if such indemnification of such party would violate Section 17(i) of the Investment Company Act.

SECTION 12. Information Furnished by the Agents. The name of each Agent set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus and the statements set forth in the second sentence of the second paragraph and the third paragraph under the caption “Plan of Distribution (Potential Conflicts of Interest)” in the Prospectus constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of each such Agent as such information is referred to in Sections 5 and 11 hereof.

SECTION 13. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company, or the Adviser submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agents, or by or on behalf of the Company or the Adviser, and shall survive delivery of the Shares to the Agents. 

SECTION 14. Termination of Agreement.

(a)   Termination; General. Each Agent may terminate its participation in this Agreement, by notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time if (x) since the time of execution of this Agreement or the earlier respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operation of the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds, which would, in such Agent’s judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale of the Placement Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (y) there shall have occurred: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in Agent’s judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale of the Placement Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (z) there shall have occurred any downgrading, or any notice or announcement shall have been given or made of (i) any intended or potential downgrading or (ii) any watch, review or possible change that does not indicate an affirmation or improvement, in the rating accorded any securities of or guaranteed by the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act. If an Agent elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 14(a), the Agent shall provide the required notice set forth in Section 15 hereof to the Company and the other Agent. The termination of this Agreement by an Agent shall not effect the rights and obligations or continued effectiveness of this Agreement with respect to the Company and the other Agent.

 

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(b)    Termination by the Company. The Company shall have the right, by giving three (3) days notice, unless such notice is waived by the recipient, as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement with respect to one or both Agents in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement.

(c)    Termination by an Agent. Each Agent shall have the right, by giving three (3) days notice, unless such notice is waived by the recipient, as hereinafter specified to terminate its participation in this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. The termination of this Agreement by an Agent shall not effect the rights and obligations or continued effectiveness of this Agreement with respect to the Company and the other Agent.

(d)    Automatic Termination. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 14, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of Placement Securities through the Agents on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein with an aggregate offering price equal to the amount set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement.

(e)    Continued Force and Effect. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 10(l), 14(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties.

(f)    Effectiveness of Termination. Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agents or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Securities, such Placement Securities shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. To the extent this Agreement is terminated by one Agent or by the Company with respect to one Agent pursuant to this Section 14, this Agreement shall terminate only with respect to such Agent and shall remain in full force and effect with respect to the Company and the other Agent, unless and until terminated in accordance with this Section 14.

(g)    Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 14, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 9 hereof, and except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Section 5, Section 11, Section 12, Section 13, Section 18 and Section 21 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

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SECTION 15. Notices. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Agents shall be directed to Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., 640 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019; and B. Riley Securities, Inc., 299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171, with a copy to Blank Rome LLP, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020; if sent to the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to them at 8 Sound Shore Drive, Suite 255, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830, with a copy to Dechert LLP, 1900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006.

SECTION 16. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and will inure to the benefit of the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 11 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

SECTION 17.Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of law principles or rules thereof, to the extent such principles would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction. The Section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.

SECTION 18.Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in The City and County of New York or in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. Each of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against an Agent or any indemnified party. Each of Ladenburg, B. Riley, the Adviser, Oxford Funds and the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. Each of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company, the Adviser or Oxford Funds is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

SECTION 19.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

SECTION 20.Merger. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written.

 

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SECTION 21.Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:

 

Applicable Time” means the time of each sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

EDGAR” means the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and retrieval system.

 

SECTION 22.    Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company, the Adviser and Oxford Funds, severally and not jointly, acknowledges and agrees that: 

(a)    The Agents are acting solely as agents and/or principals in connection with the public offering of the Shares and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and the Agents, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not an Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and no Agent has any obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;

(b)     the public offering price of the Common Shares set forth in this Agreement was not established by the Agents;

(c)     it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(d)     no Agent has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and it has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;

(e)     it is aware that each Agent and its respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and no Agent has any obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

(f)      it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Agents for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that no Agent shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of Company.

 

[Signature Page Follows.]

 

29

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company, the Adviser, Oxford Funds, Ladenburg and B. Riley.

 

  Very truly yours,
       
  OXFORD LANE CAPITAL CORP.
       
  By:  /s/ Jonathan H. Cohen 
     Name:  Jonathan H. Cohen
     Title: Chief Executive Officer
       
  OXFORD LANE MANAGEMENT, LLC
       
  By: Oxford Funds, LLC, as Managing Member
       
  By: /s/ Jonathan H. Cohen 
   Name: Jonathan H. Cohen
   Title: Chief Executive Officer
       
  OXFORD FUNDS, LLC
       
  By: /s/ Jonathan H. Cohen 
     Name:   Jonathan H. Cohen
     Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

30

 

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of

the date first above written:

 

LADENBURG THALMANN & CO. INC.

 

By: /s/ Steve Kaplan  
  Name:   Steve Kaplan  
  Title:   Head of Capital Markets   
     

 

B. RILEY SECURITIES, INC.  

 

By: /s/ Patrice McNicoll  
  Name:   Patrice McNicoll   
  Title:   Co-Head of Investment Banking   
     

 

31

 

 

EXHIBIT A

AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS FOR
PLACEMENT NOTICES AND ACCEPTANCES

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-1

 

 

EXHIBIT B

COMPENSATION

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B-1

 

 

EXHIBIT C

FORM OF OPINION OF DECHERT LLP

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

 

C-1

 

 

EXHIBIT D

OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D-1