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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
FORM
8-K
 
 
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 6, 2024
 
 
GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
Delaware
 
814-00998
 
46-2176593
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
 
(Commission
File Number)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
200 West Street, New York, New York
 
10282
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
 
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (312)
655-4419
 
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form
8-K
filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
 
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule
14a-12
under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
 
Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule
14d-2(b)
under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b))
 
Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule
13e-4(c)
under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
 
Title of each class
 
Trading
Symbol(s)
 
Name of each exchange
on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share   GSBD   The New York Stock Exchange
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule
12b-2
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Emerging growth company ☐
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 
 
 
 

Item 1.01 – Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Underwriting Agreement
On March 6, 2024, Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) by and among the Company, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. and BofA Securities, Inc., as representative of the several underwriters named in Schedule A thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), in connection with the issuance and sale of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.375% notes due 2027 (the “Offering”).
The Offering was made pursuant to the Company’s effective registration statement on Form
N-2
(File
No. 333-274797),
dated and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 29, 2023, a preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and a pricing term sheet, each dated as of and filed with the SEC on March 6, 2024.
The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, conditions to closing, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties and termination provisions.
The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement filed with this report as Exhibit 1.1 and which is incorporated herein by reference.
The Underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided in the past, and may provide from time to time in the future in the ordinary course of their business, certain commercial banking, financial advisory, investment banking and other services to, and their respective affiliates have provided, and may from time to time in the future provide, a variety of these services to the Company and to persons and entities with relationships with the Company, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
This Current Report
on Form 8-K shall not
constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
Indenture and Third Supplemental Indenture
On March 11, 2024, the Company and Computershare Trust Company, National Association (as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, the “Trustee”), entered into the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated March 11, 2024, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Third Supplemental Indenture”), which supplements that certain Base Indenture, dated February 10, 2020, between the Company and the Trustee (as may be further amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Base Indenture” and, together with the Third Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”). The Third Supplemental Indenture relates to the Company’s issuance of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its
6.375
% notes due 2027 (the “Notes”).
The Notes will mature on March 11, 2027 and may be redeemed in whole or in part at the Company’s option at any time or from time to time at the redemption prices set forth in the Indenture. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.375% per year payable semi-annually on March 11 and September 11 of each year, commencing on September 11, 2024. The Notes are general unsecured obligations of the Company that rank senior in right of payment to all of the Company’s future indebtedness or other obligations that are expressly subordinated, or junior, in right of payment to the Notes, rank
pari passu
, or equal, in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future indebtedness or other obligations that are not so subordinated, or junior, rank effectively subordinated, or junior, to any of the Company’s secured indebtedness or other obligations (including unsecured indebtedness that the Company later secures) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and rank structurally subordinated, or junior, to all future indebtedness and other obligations (including trade payables) incurred by the Company’s subsidiaries or financing vehicles that are subsidiaries of the Company.
The Indenture contains certain covenants, including covenants requiring the Company to comply with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by Section 61(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, whether or not it is subject to those requirements, and to provide financial information to the holders of
 

the Notes and the Trustee if the Company is no longer subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These covenants are subject to important limitations and exceptions that are described in the Indenture.
In addition, on the occurrence of a “change of control repurchase event,” as defined in the Indenture, the Company will generally be required to make an offer to purchase the outstanding Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the repurchase date.
The Notes were offered and sold in the Offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to the Company’s effective registration statement on Form
N-2
(File
No. 333-274797).
The Offering closed on March 11, 2024. The net proceeds to the Company were approximately $391.3 million, net of approximately $1.7 million in original issue discount, underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $5.0 million payable by the Company and estimated offering expenses of approximately $2.0 million payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to pay down a portion of the Company’s senior secured revolving credit agreement with Truist Bank, as administrative agent, and Bank of America, N.A., as syndication agent.
The foregoing descriptions of the Indenture and the Notes do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Indenture and the Notes, respectively, each filed as exhibits hereto and incorporated by reference herein.
Item 2.03 – Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an
Off-Balance
Sheet
Arrangement
of a Registrant.
The information required by Item 2.03 contained in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form
8-K
is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01 – Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits:
 
Exhibit
Number
  
Description
1.1*   
4.1   
4.2   
4.3   
5.1   
104   
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
 
*
Certain exhibits and schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation
S-K.
The
Company
agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted exhibit or schedule to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request.

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
   
GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.
(Registrant)
Date: March 11, 2024
   
By:
 
/s/ Alex Chi
   
Name:
 
Alex Chi
   
Title:
 
Co-Chief
Executive Officer and
Co-President
   
By:
 
/s/ David Miller
   
Name:
 
David Miller
   
Title:
 
Co-Chief
Executive Officer and
Co-President

Exhibit 1.1

Execution Version

 

 

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

$400,000,000 6.375% Notes due 2027

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Dated: March 6, 2024

 

 

 


GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

$400,000,000 6.375% Notes due 2027

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

BofA Securities, Inc.

as Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto

c/o BofA Securities, Inc.

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofA”) and each of the other underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom BofA is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), with respect to the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.375% Notes due 2027 (the “Securities”).

The Securities will be issued under an indenture, dated February 10, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), as supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of the Closing Time, (the “Third Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”) between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Securities will be issued to Cede & Co. as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) pursuant to that certain blanket letter of representations, dated March 19, 2015 (the “DTC Agreement”), between the Company and DTC. The Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Underwriting Agreement (this “Agreement”) has been executed and delivered.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-274797), including a related base prospectus, relating to the registration of the Securities and certain of the Company’s other securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), which registration statement became effective upon filing with the Commission on September 29, 2023. The Company has also filed with the Commission a preliminary prospectus supplement, dated March 6, 2024, together with the base prospectus, dated September 29, 2023 (collectively, the “preliminary prospectus”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus supplement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated under the 1933 Act (such provisions, the “1933


Act Regulations”) and Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included or incorporated by reference in such prospectus supplement that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” Unless the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, including all documents filed as part thereof and any Rule 430B Information contained in a prospectus supplement subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act and deemed to be part of the registration statement and also including any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The final prospectus supplement in the form filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act on or before the second business day after the date hereof (or such earlier time as may be required under the 1933 Act) which will include the base prospectus, dated September 29, 2023, together with the final prospectus supplement, is herein called the “Prospectus.” All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including those made pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act or such other rule under the 1933 Act as may be applicable to the Company, shall be deemed to mean and include, without limitation the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“EDGAR”).

A Form N-54A Notification of Election to be Subject to Sections 55 through 65 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 Filed Pursuant to Section 54(a) of the Investment Company Act (File No. 814-00998) (the “Notification of Election”) was filed with the Commission on March 29, 2013 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the rules and regulations and any applicable guidance and/or interpretation of the Commission or its staff thereunder (the “1940 Act Regulations”).

The Company has entered into a Second Amended and Restated Investment Management Agreement, effective as of June 15, 2018 (the “Investment Management Agreement”), with Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (the “Adviser”), a Delaware limited partnership, which is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Advisers Act”).

As used in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 4:25 P.M., New York City time, on March 6, 2024 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.

“General Disclosure Package” means as of the Applicable Time, the preliminary prospectus, together with the information included on Schedule B hereto, all considered together.

 

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SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time (as defined below) and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Company is eligible to use Form N-2. Each of the Registration Statement, including any post-effective amendments thereto filed prior to the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered to the parties hereto, has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (and the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment if the Company shall have made any amendments thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information in connection with the Registration Statement.

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1940 Act and the 1940 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1940 Act and the 1940 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering and the Prospectus was or 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.

(ii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacities as such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the 1933 Act or Rule 134 under the 1933 Act, (ii) the Registration Statement, (iii) any preliminary prospectus, (iv) the Prospectus, (v) the documents listed on Schedule B hereto, including a Term Sheet substantially in the form of Annex A hereto and (vi) any electronic road show or other written communications, in each case approved in writing in advance by the Representative, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, complies in all material respects with the 1933 Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the 1933 Act (to the extent required thereby). No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

 

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(iii) Documents Incorporated by Reference. The documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the preliminary prospectus, (i) at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (ii) at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus of the preliminary prospectus, as the case may be, did not or 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.

(iv) Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Rule 163B under the 1933 Act. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

(v) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, none of the General Disclosure Package, nor any individual preliminary prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of their respective date(s), at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Time, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will 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.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”). For purposes of this Agreement, the only Underwriter Information shall be (i) the concession amounts appearing in the second paragraph under the heading “Underwriting—Commissions and Discounts,” (ii) the information in “Underwriting—Price Stabilization, Short Positions” and (iii) the information in “Underwriting—Principal Business Address,” in each case, in the Prospectus.

 

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(vi) Company Not Ineligible Issuer and is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company (i) was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer; and (ii) the Company was or is (as the case may be) a “well-known seasoned issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, at the times specified in the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.

(vii) Independent Accountants of the Company. The accountants who audited or reviewed the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Company within the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the 1933 Act.

(viii) Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined below) at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in the cash flows of the Company and the Subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.

(ix) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

(x) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Investment Management Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities and the DTC Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified to transact business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5


(xi) Subsidiaries of the Company; Portfolio Companies. The Company’s only subsidiaries that are consolidated with the Company for financial reporting purposes under GAAP are those listed on Schedule C hereto (each a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any of the Subsidiaries was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. Except for any investments made in the ordinary course of business since the most recent quarter end, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any investments or shares of stock or any other equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation or other entity other than (A) the Subsidiaries and (B) those corporations or other entities described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Portfolio Companies” (each a “Portfolio Company” and collectively the “Portfolio Companies”). Except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not control (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act), any of the Portfolio Companies or any corporation or other entity in which it invested since the most recent quarter end.

(xii) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization.” The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and 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.

(xiii) Authorization of Agreements.

 

  (a)

This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

6


  (b)

The Base Indenture and the DTC Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitute the valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations hereunder and thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or thereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

  (c)

The Third Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized, and, at the Closing Time, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the Trustee, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations hereunder and thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or thereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

(xiv) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture relating thereto, against payment of the purchase price set forth herein, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be subject to the effect of (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or thereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture relating thereto; and the Securities and the Indenture conform to all statements relating thereto contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.

(xv) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities of the Company registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement.

(xvi) Absence of Violations and Defaults. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, bylaws or similar organizational document, each as amended or supplemented as of the date of this Agreement and the Closing Time, (B) in default under any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xvii) Absence of Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the performance of the Investment Management Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities and the DTC Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of (a) the charter, bylaws or similar organizational document of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (b) any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity, except, in the case of (b) above, for any violation that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.

(xviii) Employees. As of the date hereof, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has, and as of the Closing Time neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries will have, any employees.

(xix) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding or, to the knowledge of the Company, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the Investment Management Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities or the DTC Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or thereunder.

(xx) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

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(xxi) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Investment Management Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities, the DTC Agreement or the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”), except (A) such as have been already made or obtained, including under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1940 Act, the 1940 Act Regulations, the Trust Indenture Act, state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), (B) the filing of the Notifications of Election under the 1940 Act, which has been effected and (C) where the failure to obtain any such filing, authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxiii) Title to Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not own any real property; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries holds properties, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

(xxiv) Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and the Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate 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, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xxv) Accounting Controls. The Company, on a consolidated basis, maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (such rules and regulations, the “1934 Act Regulations”)) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to the Company’s consolidated assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) 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.

(xxvi) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and the Subsidiaries required by law to have been filed by them (taking into account any applicable extensions) have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, in each case, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided or insofar as the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The United States federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 have been filed, and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them (taking into account any applicable extensions) pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and the Subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company or, in each case, insofar as the failure to pay such taxes or file such returns would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any current assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxvii) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes is prudent, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of the Subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xxviii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required and, upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus, will not be required to register as a “management investment company” under the 1940 Act.

(xxix) Stabilization and Manipulation. The Company has not taken, nor will it take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to any activities by the Underwriters, any action designed, or that would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or that constitutes, any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities, other than activity permitted pursuant to Rule 10b-18 under the 1934 Act.

(xxx) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any agent, controlled affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is aware of, has taken or will take 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 (the “FCPA”), including 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 the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its Subsidiaries 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) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of the jurisdictions in which the Company and the Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any other relevant laws, rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(xxxii) OFAC. None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any agent, controlled affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”), or is controlled by a Person that is, (i) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant

 

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sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is itself the subject of Sanctions (currently Crimea, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and so-called Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria). In the past five (5) years, the Company and the Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, and are not now knowingly engaged in, any unauthorized dealings or transactions with any Person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or target of Sanctions.

(xxxiii) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

(xxxiv) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

(xxxv) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus which have not been described as required.

(xxxvi) Notification of Election. When the Notification of Election was filed with the Commission, it (A) contained all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with, and complied in all material respects with the requirements of, the 1940 Act and (B) did not include any 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.

(xxxvii) Investment Management Agreement. (A) The terms of the Investment Management Agreement, including compensation terms, comply in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the 1940 Act Regulations and the Advisers Act and (B) the approvals by the board of directors and the stockholders of the Company of the Investment Management Agreement have been made in accordance with the requirements of Section 15(a) and (c) of the 1940 Act and the 1940 Act Regulations applicable to companies that have elected to be regulated as business development companies under the 1940 Act. The Investment Management Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or thereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

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(xxxviii) Interested Persons. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (A) no person is serving or acting as an officer, director or investment adviser of the Company, except in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act, and (B) to the knowledge of the Company, no director of the Company is an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company or an “affiliated person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any of the Underwriters.

(xxxix) Business Development Company. (A) The Company has duly elected to be regulated by the Commission under the 1940 Act as a business development company, such election is effective and all required action has been taken by the Company under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act to make the public offering and consummate the sale of the Securities as provided in this Agreement; (B) the provisions of the charter and bylaws of the Company, and the investment objectives, policies and restrictions described in the Prospectus, assuming they are implemented as described, will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1940 Act; and (C) the operations of the Company are in compliance in all material respects with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the 1940 Act Regulations applicable to business development companies.

(xl) No Extension of Credit. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, extended credit, agreed to extend credit, arranged to extend credit or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.

(xli) Regulated Investment Company. The Company has elected to be treated, and has operated, and intends to continue to operate, its business in such a manner as to enable the Company to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Company intends to direct the investment of the proceeds of the offering of the Securities in a manner as to comply with the requirements applicable to a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.

(xlii) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. To the extent applicable to the Company on the date hereof, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(xliii) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(xliv) Cybersecurity. (i) The Company is not aware of any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise relating to the Adviser’s information technology and computer systems, data and databases used by the Company (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) except in each case as would not reasonably expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, the Adviser has implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of the IT

 

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Systems and Data reasonably consistent in all material respects with industry standards and practices, or as required by regulatory standards applicable to the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, the Adviser is presently in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the privacy and security of the IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.

(b) Representations and Warranties by the Adviser. The Adviser represents to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs, business prospects or regulatory status of the Adviser, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or on the ability of the Adviser to carry out its obligations under this Agreement or the Investment Management Agreement (collectively, an “Adviser Material Adverse Effect”).

(ii) Good Standing. The Adviser has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited partnership, in good standing under the laws of Delaware, its state of organization, and has limited partnership power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement; and the Adviser is duly qualified as a foreign entity to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not otherwise reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.

(iii) Registration Under Advisers Act. The Adviser is duly registered with the Commission as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act from acting under the Investment Management Agreement for the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There does not exist any proceeding or, to the Adviser’s knowledge, any facts or circumstances the existence of which could lead to any proceeding which might adversely affect the registration of the Adviser with the Commission.

(iv) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Adviser or any of its properties, assets or operations now pending or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, threatened, against or affecting the Adviser, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein) or which would reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities or the Investment Management Agreement or the performance by the Adviser of its obligations hereunder or thereunder.

 

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(v) Absence of Violations and Defaults. The Adviser is not (A) in violation of its limited partnership agreement, (B) in default under any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Adviser is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject (collectively, the “Adviser Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Adviser or any of its properties, assets or operations, except for such violations that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.

(vi) Absence of Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the performance of the Investment Management Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Adviser with its obligations hereunder and thereunder do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Adviser or pursuant to, the Adviser Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults, events or conditions giving the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Adviser, or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of (a) the limited partnership agreement of the Adviser, or (b) any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Adviser or any of its properties, assets or operations except, in the case of (b) above, for any violation that would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.

(vii) Authorization of this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Adviser.

(viii) Investment Management Agreement. The Investment Management Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Adviser and is a valid and binding obligation of the Adviser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or thereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

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(ix) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Adviser of its obligations hereunder or, in connection with the offering, the issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Indenture, the DTC Agreement, the General Disclosure Package, the Investment Management Agreement or the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”), except (A) such as have been already made or obtained, including under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the Trust Indenture Act, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA and (B) where the failure to obtain any such filing, authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.

(x) Description of Adviser. The description of the Adviser contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus does not contain any 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(xi) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Adviser possesses such Governmental Licenses issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by it, except where the failure so to possess would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect. The Adviser is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect. The Adviser has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.

(xii) Stabilization and Manipulation. The Adviser has not taken, nor will take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to any activities by the Underwriters, any action designed, or that would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities, other than activity permitted pursuant to Rule 10b-18 under the 1934 Act.

(xiii) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In connection with the business of the Company, none of the Adviser or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, any director, officer or employee of the Adviser or any agent, controlled affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Adviser is aware of, has taken or will take any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the FCPA, including 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

 

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anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and to the knowledge of the Adviser, the Adviser has conducted its business, in relation to the Company, in compliance with the FCPA and has instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(xiv) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Adviser are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Money Laundering Laws; and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Adviser or any of its properties, assets or operations involving the Adviser with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Adviser, threatened.

(xv) OFAC. None of the Adviser or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, any director, officer or employee of the Adviser or any agent, controlled affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Adviser is a Person, or is controlled by a Person that is, (i) currently the subject or target of Sanctions, or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is itself the subject of comprehensive Sanctions (currently Crimea, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and so-called Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria). During the last five years, the Adviser has not knowingly engaged in, and is not now knowingly engaged in, any unauthorized dealings or transactions with any Person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or target of Sanctions.

(xvi) Key Employees. The Adviser is not aware that (i) any of its executives, key employees or significant group of employees plans to terminate employment with the Adviser or (ii) any such executive or key employee is subject to any noncompete, nondisclosure, confidentiality, employment, consulting or similar agreement that would be violated by either the Adviser’s present or proposed business activities, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this paragraph (xvi), the “Adviser” shall mean the Private Credit Group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

(xvii) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Adviser or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, is contemplated or threatened, and the Adviser is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees or any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this paragraph (xvii), the “Adviser” shall mean the Private Credit Group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

(xviii) Accounting Controls. The Adviser maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions effectuated by it under the Investment Management Agreement are executed in accordance with its management’s general or specific authorization; (B) access to the Company’s consolidated assets that are in its possession or control is permitted only in accordance with its management’s general or specific authorization;

 

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(C) transactions for which it has bookkeeping and record-keeping responsibility under the Investment Management Agreement are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for the Company’s assets and (D) the recorded accountability for such assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(xix) Financial Resources. The Adviser has the financial resources available to it necessary for the performance of its services and obligations as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and the Investment Management Agreement.

(c) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or the Adviser delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or the Adviser, as applicable, to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price (the “Purchase Price”) set forth in Schedule A, the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional aggregate principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.

(b) Payment. Payment of the price for the Securities and delivery of the Securities, shall be made at the offices of Ropes & Gray LLP, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

Payment of the price of the Securities shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representative through the facilities of the Depositary Trust Company for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities that it has agreed to purchase. The Representative may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

(c) Denominations; Registration. The Securities shall be transferred electronically at the Closing Time in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time. The Securities will be made available for examining by the Representative in the City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time.

 

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SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and Rule 424(b), and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b) within the time period required by Rule 424(b), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement 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, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, 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 (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including, without limitation, the filing of any document incorporated by reference therein, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the

 

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General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any document incorporated by reference therein, comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company shall give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and shall furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be.

(c) Delivery of Commission Filings. The Company has furnished or, upon written request of the Representative, shall deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, conformed copies of the Registration Statement, as originally filed, and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters 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.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters 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) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as reasonably required to complete the distribution of the Securities; 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.

(f) Rule 158. The Company will make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided that the Company will be deemed to have complied with such request by filing such an earnings statement on EDGAR.

 

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(g) DTC. The Company will cooperate with the Representative and use its commercially reasonable efforts to permit the offered Securities to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.

(h) Use of Proceeds; OFAC. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.” The Company will not directly or, to its knowledge, indirectly, use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions (to the extent that such action would result in the violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transactions contemplated hereby, whether as underwriter, adviser, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions) or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transactions contemplated hereby, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

(i) Clear Market. Through the Closing Time, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company or any such other securities, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, other than the Securities to be sold hereunder.

(j) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.

(k) Business Development Company Status. The Company, during the period of at least twenty-four months from the Closing Time, will use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain its status as a business development company; provided, however, the Company may cease to be, or withdraw its election as, a business development company, with the approval of the board of directors and a vote of stockholders as required by Section 58 of the 1940 Act or any successor provision.

(l) Regulated Investment Company Status. During the twenty-four months following the Closing Time, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code for each full fiscal year during which it is a business development company under the 1940 Act.

 

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(m) Accounting Controls. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to establish and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to the Company’s consolidated assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; (E) material information relating to the Company and the assets managed by the Adviser is promptly made known to the officers responsible for establishing and maintaining the system of internal accounting controls; and (F) any significant deficiencies or weaknesses in the design or operation of internal accounting controls that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data, and any fraud whether or not material that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in internal controls, are adequately and promptly disclosed to the Company’s independent auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors.

(n) Disclosure Controls. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to establish and employ disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

(o) Testing-the-Waters Materials. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there has occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

(p) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representative (i) it will not distribute any offering material other than the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the information set forth on Schedule B hereto, and (ii) it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act (other than for the information set forth on Schedule B hereto), and which the parties agree, for the purposes of this Agreement, includes (x) any “advertisement” as defined in Rule 482 under the 1933 Act; and (y) any sales literature, materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any in-person roadshow or investor presentations (including slides and scripts relating thereto) made to investors by or on behalf of the Company.

 

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SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, this Agreement, the Indenture, the DTC Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s and the Adviser’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, reasonable and documented expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, documented travel and lodging expenses of officers of the Company and any such consultants and (viii) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1(a)(iv). Except as set forth herein, the Underwriters will pay all of its other out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection with entering into this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, travel and similar expenses, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a)(i) or (iii) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Adviser contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or the Adviser delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Adviser of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Registration Statement. At the Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings thereof or pursuant to Section 8(A) of the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information in connection with the Registration Statement. Any required filing of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 has been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433(d).

 

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(b) Opinions of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinions, dated the Closing Time, of Fried Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Company, and of Dechert LLP, counsel for the Company and the Company’s independent directors, in each case, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letters for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request. Such counsels may state that insofar as such opinions involve factual matters, they have relied upon certificates of officers of the Company and certificates of public officials.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Underwriters. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other Representative of the Company and the Subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

(d) Officers’ Certificates.

(i) At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the chief executive officer (or co-chief executive officer) or the president of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that (A) there has been no such material adverse change, (B) the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 1(a) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (C) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (D) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to such officers’ knowledge, contemplated by the Commission.

(ii) At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, an Adviser Material Adverse Effect, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of two authorized signatories of the Adviser, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (A) there has been no such Adviser Material Adverse Effect, (B) the representations and warranties of the Adviser in Section 1(b) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time and (C) the Adviser has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time.

 

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(e) Accountant’s Comfort Letter and CFO Certificate. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received (i) from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the Company’s financial statements and certain financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative and as agreed upon prior to the date hereof, covering certain financial matters of the Company, together with signed or reproduced copies of such certificate for each of the other Underwriters.

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter and CFO Certificate. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received (i) from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e)(i) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time and (ii) from the Company a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that the chief financial officer of the Company reaffirms the statements made in the certificate furnished pursuant to subsection (e)(ii) of this Section.

(g) Third Supplemental Indenture and Securities. At or prior to the Closing Time, the Company and the Trustee shall have executed and delivered the Third Supplemental Indenture and the Securities.

(h) Maintenance of Rating. Since the execution of this Agreement, there shall not have been any decrease in or withdrawal of the rating of any securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in or withdrawal of any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

(i) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters 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 Securities 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, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company and the Adviser in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.

(j) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

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SECTION 6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters by the Company and the Adviser. The Company and the Adviser, severally and not jointly, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any Rule 430B Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the 1933 Act (a “road show”) or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Marketing Materials, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the General Disclosure Package of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonably incurred and documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any Rule 430B Information, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information, and provided, further, that the Adviser’s indemnity agreement shall only apply to statements described in (i) above regarding the Adviser.

 

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(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors, Officers and Adviser. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Adviser, their directors, each of the Company’s officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Adviser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any Rule 430B Information, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights and defenses) as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

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SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Adviser, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. For the avoidance of doubt, the Adviser’s contribution agreement shall only apply to instances in which the Adviser has an indemnity obligation as described above in Section 6(a).

The relative benefits received by the Company and the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

The relative fault of the Company and the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Adviser or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company, the Adviser and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

 

28


No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any indemnification and contribution by the Company shall be subject to the requirements and limitations of Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act and any applicable guidance from the Commission or its staff thereunder.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Adviser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or the Adviser, as the case may be. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or the Adviser submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representative, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as one enterprise or the Adviser, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or The New York Stock Exchange, or (iv) if trading generally on The New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American LLC, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Capital Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

29


(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, provided that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the (i) Representative or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. Notices. 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 Underwriters shall be directed to (i) BofA Securities, Inc., 114 W 47th St., NY8-114-07-01, New York, New York 10036, Facsimile: (212) 901-7881 Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal; and (ii) Ropes & Gray LLP at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Paul Tropp and Christopher Capuzzi. Notices to the Company and the Adviser shall be directed to them at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Caroline Kraus, with a copy to Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, One New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Joshua Wechsler.

 

30


SECTION 12. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or their respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

SECTION 13. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and the Adviser and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and the Adviser and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 14. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

SECTION 15. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 16. Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard

 

31


to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

SECTION 17. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Electronic signatures complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law will be deemed original signatures for purposes of this Agreement. Transmission by telecopy, electronic mail or other transmission method of an executed counterpart of this Agreement will constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.

SECTION 19. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 20. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

32


(c) For purposes of this Section 20, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

33


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and the Adviser in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.
By:   /s/ Alex Chi
  Name: Alex Chi
  Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President
GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
By:   /s/ Alex Chi
  Name: Alex Chi
  Title: Authorized Signatory

 

34


CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

BOFA SECURITIES, INC.

 

By:   /s/ Randolph Randolph
  Name: Randolph Randolph
  Title: Managing Director

For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

35


SCHEDULE A

1. The initial offering price for the Securities shall be 99.584% of the aggregate principal amount thereof.

2. The Purchase Price for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be 98.334% of the aggregate principal amount thereof.

 

Underwriters

   Aggregate
Principal
Amount of
Securities to

be Purchased
 

BofA Securities, Inc.

   $ 120,000,000  

SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.

     68,000,000  

Truist Securities, Inc.

     52,000,000  

MUFG Securities Americas Inc.

     28,000,000  

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

     28,000,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     28,000,000  

Barclays Capital Inc.

     16,000,000  

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

     16,000,000  

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

     —   

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

     8,000,000  

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

     8,000,000  

ICBC Standard Bank Plc

     4,000,000  

Santander US Capital Markets LLC

     4,000,000  

CIBC World Markets Corp.

     4,000,000  

BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC

     4,000,000  

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

     4,000,000  

ING Financial Markets LLC

     4,000,000  

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

     4,000,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 400,000,000  


SCHEDULE B

Term sheet containing the terms of the Securities, substantially in the form of Annex A hereto.


SCHEDULE C

Consolidated subsidiaries of the Company:

BDC Blocker I, LLC (formerly known as My-On BDC Blocker, LLC)

GSBD Blocker II, LLC

GSBD Blocker III LLC

GSBD Blocker IV LLC

GSBD Blocker V LLC

GSBD Wine I, LLC

MMLC Blocker I, LLC

MMLC Blocker II, LLC

MMLC Blocker III LLC

MMLC Wine I, LLC


ANNEX A

Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus dated March 6, 2024

Relating to Preliminary Prospectus dated March 6, 2024 and

Prospectus dated September 29, 2023

Registration No. 333-274797

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.

$400,000,000

6.375% Notes due 2027

PRICING TERM SHEET

March 6, 2024

The following sets forth the final terms of the 6.375% Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) and should only be read together with the preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2024, together with the accompanying prospectus dated September 29, 2023, relating to these securities (the “Preliminary Prospectus”), and supersedes the information in the Preliminary Prospectus to the extent inconsistent with the information in the Preliminary Prospectus. In all other respects, this pricing term sheet is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Preliminary Prospectus. Terms used herein but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings as set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus. All references to dollar amounts are references to U.S. dollars.

 

Issuer:

  

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.

Security:

  

6.375% Notes due 2027

Ratings (Moody’s/Fitch)*:

  

[Reserved]

Trade Date:

  

March 6, 2024

Settlement Date:

  

March 11, 2024 (T+3)

 

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. expects that delivery of the Notes will be made to investors on or about March 11, 2024, which will be the third business day following the date of pricing of the Notes (such settlement cycle being herein referred to as “T+3”). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade Notes on the date of pricing will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Notes initially will settle T+3, to specify an alternate settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of Notes who wish to trade Notes on the date of pricing should consult their own advisor.

Aggregate Principal Amount Offered:

  

$400,000,000

Maturity Date:

  

March 11, 2027

Benchmark Treasury:

  

4.125% due February 15, 2027

Benchmark Treasury Price and Yield:

  

99-14 / 4.330%

Spread to Benchmark Treasury:

  

+220 basis points

Yield to Maturity:

  

6.530%


Price to Public (Issue Price):

  

The Notes will be issued at a price of 99.584% of their principal amount, plus accrued interest, if any, from March 11, 2024

Coupon (Interest Rate):

  

6.375%

Interest Payment Dates:

  

March 11 and September 11, commencing September 11, 2024

Make-Whole Redemption:

  

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

 

•  (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the date of redemption, and

 

•  100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed,

 

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date.

Denomination:

  

$2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof

CUSIP:

  

38147UAE7

ISIN:

  

US38147UAE73

Joint Book-Running Managers:

  

BofA Securities, Inc.

SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.

Truist Securities, Inc.

MUFG Securities Americas Inc.

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Barclays Capital Inc.

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Co-Managers:

  

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

ICBC Standard Bank Plc**

Santander US Capital Markets LLC

CIBC World Markets Corp.

BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

ING Financial Markets LLC

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

*

Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

**

ICBC Standard Bank Plc is restricted in its U.S. securities dealings under the United States Bank Holding Company Act and may not underwrite, subscribe, agree to purchase or procure purchasers to purchase notes that are offered or sold in the United States. Accordingly, ICBC Standard Bank Plc shall not be obligated to, and shall not, underwrite, subscribe, agree to purchase or procure purchasers to purchase notes that may be offered or sold by other underwriters in the United States. ICBC Standard Bank Plc shall offer and sell the Securities constituting part of its allotment solely outside the United States.

 

2


Investors are advised to carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. before investing. The Preliminary Prospectus, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), contains this and other information about Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. and should be read carefully before investing.

The information in the Preliminary Prospectus and in this pricing term sheet is not complete and may be changed. The Preliminary Prospectus and this pricing term sheet are not offers to sell any securities of Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. and are not soliciting an offer to buy such securities in any state or jurisdiction where such offer and sale is not permitted.

The issuer has filed a shelf registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus if you request it by calling or emailing, BofA Securities, Inc. at 1-800-294-1322, or email: dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., 277 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10172, Attention: Debt Capital Markets, or toll-free at: 1-888-868-6856 or E-mail: prospectus@smbcnikko-si.com; or Truist Securities, Inc. 3333 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta GA, 30326, Attn: Prospectus Dept or toll-free at 1-800-685-4786 or TruistSecurities.prospectus@Truist.com.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]

 

3


EXHIBIT A-1

[Attached Separately]

 

4


EXHIBIT A-2

Form of Opinion of Dechert LLP

[Attached Separately]

Exhibit 4.2

Execution Version

THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

between

 

 

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.

and

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

Dated as of March 11, 2024

 

 

 


THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

THIS THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Third Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of March 11, 2024, is between Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, National Association (as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association), as trustee (the “Trustee”). All capitalized terms used herein shall have the meaning set forth in the Base Indenture (as defined below) unless otherwise defined herein.

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

The Company and the Trustee executed and delivered an Indenture, dated as of February 10, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), as amended and supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 10, 2020, the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 24, 2020, and this Third Supplemental Indenture (the Third Supplemental Indenture together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), to provide for the issuance by the Company from time to time of the Company’s unsecured debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as provided in the Indenture.

The Company desires to issue and sell $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.375% Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”).

Sections 9.01(iv) and 9.01(vi) of the Base Indenture provide that without the consent of Holders of the Securities of any series issued under the Indenture, the Company, when authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental to the Base Indenture to (i) change or eliminate any of the provisions of the Indenture when there is no Security Outstanding of any series created prior to the execution of a supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision and (ii) establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Section 2.01 and Section 3.01 of the Base Indenture.

The Company desires to establish the form and terms of the Notes and to modify, alter, supplement and change certain provisions of the Base Indenture for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes (except as may be provided in a future supplemental indenture to the Indenture (“Future Supplemental Indenture”)).

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Third Supplemental Indenture to provide for the issuance of the Notes and all acts and things necessary to make this Third Supplemental Indenture a valid, binding, and legal obligation of the Company and to constitute a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done and performed.

 

1


NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Notes, as follows:

ARTICLE I.

TERMS OF THE NOTES

Section 1.01 Terms of the Notes. The following terms relating to the Notes are hereby established:

(a) The Notes shall constitute a series of Securities having the title “6.375% Notes due 2027” and shall be designated as Senior Securities under the Indenture. The Notes shall bear a CUSIP number of 38147UAE7 and an ISIN number of US38147UAE73.

(b) The aggregate principal amount of the Notes that may be initially authenticated and delivered under the Indenture (except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration of, transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Notes pursuant to Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07 of the Base Indenture) shall be $400,000,000. Under a Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate pursuant to Board Resolutions or an indenture supplement, the Company may from time to time, without the consent of the Holders of Notes, issue additional Notes (in any such case “Additional Notes”) having the same ranking and the same interest rate, maturity, CUSIP number and other terms as the Notes; provided that such Additional Notes must be part of the same issue as the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes if represented by the same CUSIP number as the Notes. Any Additional Notes and the existing Notes will constitute a single series under the Indenture and all references to the relevant Notes herein shall include the Additional Notes unless the context otherwise requires.

(c) The entire Outstanding principal amount of the Notes shall be payable on March 11, 2027, unless earlier redeemed or repurchased in accordance with the provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture.

(d) The rate at which the Notes shall bear interest shall be 6.375% per annum (the “Applicable Interest Rate”). The date from which interest shall accrue on the Notes shall be March 11, 2024, or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or provided for; the Interest Payment Dates for the Notes shall be March 11 and September 11 of each year, commencing September 11, 2024 (if an Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then the applicable interest payment will be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the scheduled Interest Payment Date and no additional interest will accrue as a result of such delayed payment); the initial interest period will be the period from and including March 11, 2024 (or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or provided for), to, but excluding, the initial Interest Payment Date, and the subsequent interest periods will be the periods from and including an Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Interest Payment Date or the Stated Maturity, as the case may be; the interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date, will be paid to the Person in whose name the Note (or one or more predecessor Notes) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be February 24 and August 27 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and any such interest on the Notes will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent, which shall initially be the Trustee, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that in the case of Notes that are not in global form, at the option of the Company, payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register. Interest on the Notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

(e) The Notes shall be initially issuable in global form (each such Note, a “Global Note”). The Global Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication thereon shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A to this Third Supplemental Indenture. Each Global Note shall represent the Outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of Outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amount of Outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the amount of Outstanding Notes represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Security Registrar, in accordance with Sections 2.03 and 3.05 of the Base Indenture.

 

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(f) The depositary for such Global Notes shall be the Depositary Custodian. The Security Registrar with respect to the Global Notes shall be the Trustee.

(g) The Notes shall be defeasible pursuant to Section 14.02 or Section 14.03 of the Base Indenture. Covenant defeasance contained in Section 14.03 of the Base Indenture shall apply to the covenants contained in Sections 10.07 and 10.08 of the Indenture.

(h) The Notes shall be redeemable pursuant to Section 11.01 of the Base Indenture and as follows:

(i) The Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

(1) (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date, and

(2) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed,

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.

Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily) - H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities—Treasury constant maturities—Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the maturity date of the Notes (the “Remaining Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields, one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life, and shall interpolate to the maturity date of the Notes on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.

If on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day preceding the Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the maturity date of the Notes, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the maturity date of the Notes but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the maturity date of the Notes, one with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the Notes and one with a maturity date following the maturity date of the Notes, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the Notes. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the maturity date of the

 

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Notes or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

(ii) Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered (or otherwise transmitted in accordance with the Applicable Procedures) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed. All notices of redemption shall contain the information set forth in Section 11.04 of the Base Indenture.

(iii) Any exercise of the Company’s option to redeem the Notes will be done in compliance with the Investment Company Act, to the extent applicable.

(iv) If the Company elects to redeem only a portion of the Notes, selection of the Notes for redemption will be made pro rata, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion deems appropriate and fair and, so long as the Notes are registered to the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee (or another depositary), in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary. No Notes of a principal amount of $2,000 or less will be redeemed in part. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to the Note will state the portion of the principal amount of the Note to be redeemed. A new Note in a principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Note will be issued in the name of the Holder of the Note upon surrender for cancellation of the original Note (or through book entry transfer). For so long as the Notes are held by the Depositary, the redemption of the Notes shall be done in accordance with the Applicable Procedures and in accordance with the Investment Company Act as directed by the Company.

(v) Unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, on and after the Redemption Date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portion of the Notes called for redemption hereunder.

(i) The Notes shall not be subject to any sinking fund pursuant to Section 12.01 of the Base Indenture.

(j) The Notes shall be issuable in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

(k) Holders of the Notes will not have the option to have the Notes repaid prior to the Stated Maturity other than in accordance with Article Thirteen of the Indenture.

ARTICLE II.

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Section 2.01 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Article One of the Base Indenture shall be amended by adding the following defined terms to Section 1.01 of the Base Indenture in appropriate alphabetical sequence, as follows:

Below Investment Grade Rating Event” means the Notes are downgraded below Investment Grade by both Rating Agencies on any date from the date of the public notice of an arrangement that results in a Change of Control until the end of the 60-day period following public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control (which period shall be extended so long as the rating of the Notes is under publicly announced consideration for possible downgrade by either of the Rating Agencies); provided that a Below Investment Grade Rating Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating shall not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus shall not be deemed a Below Investment Grade Rating Event for purposes of the

 

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definition of Change of Control Repurchase Event hereunder) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply do not announce or publicly confirm or inform the Company in writing that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control shall have occurred at the time of the Below Investment Grade Rating Event).

Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:

 

(1)

the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation) in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Controlled Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” or “group” (as those terms are used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), other than to any Permitted Holders; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, a pledge of assets pursuant to any secured debt instrument of the Company or its Controlled Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be any such sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or disposition;

 

(2)

the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any “person” or “group” (as those terms are used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) (other than any Permitted Holders) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the outstanding Voting Stock of the Company, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; or

 

(3)

the approval by the Company’s stockholders of any plan or proposal relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

Change of Control Repurchase Event” means the occurrence of a Change of Control and a Below Investment Grade Rating Event.

Controlled Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company, 50% or more of the outstanding equity interests of which are owned by the Company and its direct or indirect Subsidiaries and of which the Company possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies, whether through the ownership of voting equity interests, by agreement or otherwise.

Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business in respect of this Indenture shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 1505 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, Attention: CCT Administrator for Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., and for Agent services such office shall also mean the office or agency of the Trustee located at 1505 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, Attention: CCT Administrator for Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company) or if at any time there is more than one Trustee, means the Corporate Trust Office of any such other Trustee with respect to the Securities of the applicable series.

Depositary” means, with respect to each Note in global form, The Depository Trust Company, until a successor shall have been appointed and becomes such person, and thereafter, Depositary shall mean or include such successor.

Fitch” means Fitch, Inc., also known as Fitch Ratings, or any successor thereto.

GSAM” means Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Investment Grade” means a rating of BBB- or better by Fitch (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of Fitch) and Baa3 or better by Moody’s (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of Moody’s) (or, in each case, if such Rating Agency ceases to rate the Notes for reasons outside of the Company’s control, the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any Rating Agency selected by the Company as a replacement Rating Agency).

 

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Moody’s” means Moody’s Investor Service, or any successor thereto.

Permitted Holders” means (i) the Company, (ii) one or more of the Company’s Controlled Subsidiaries and (iii) GSAM or any Affiliate of GSAM that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction located in the United States of America and in the business of managing or advising clients.

Rating Agency” means (1) each of Fitch and Moody’s; and (2) if either of Fitch or Moody’s ceases to rate the Notes or fails to make a rating of the Notes publicly available for reasons outside of the Company’s control, a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act selected by the Company as a replacement agency for Fitch or Moody’s, or both, as the case may be.

Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act, as such regulation is in effect on the original date of this Indenture (but excluding any Subsidiary which is (a) a non-recourse or limited recourse Subsidiary, (b) a bankruptcy remote special purpose vehicle or (c) is not consolidated with the Company for purposes of GAAP).

Voting Stock” as applied to stock of any Person, means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.

ARTICLE III.

REMEDIES

Section 3.01 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Section 5.01 of the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing clause (ii) thereof with the following:

 

  “(ii)

default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Note when it becomes due and payable at its Maturity, including upon any Redemption Date or required repurchase date; or”

Section 3.02 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Section 5.01 of the Base Indenture shall be amended by adding the following language as clause (ix):

 

  “(ix):

default by the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, with respect to any mortgage, agreement or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for money borrowed in excess of $100 million in the aggregate of the Company and/or any such Significant Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created (i) resulting in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable or (ii) constituting a failure to pay the principal or interest of any such debt when due and payable at its stated maturity, upon required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise, unless, in either case, such indebtedness is discharged, or such acceleration is rescinded, stayed or annulled, within a period of 30 calendar days after written notice of such failure is given to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then Outstanding.”

Section 3.03 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Section 5.02 of the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing the first paragraph of Section 5.02 with the following:

“If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(v) or 5.01(vi)), the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes may declare the principal of all the Outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by the Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable; provided that 100% of the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes will automatically become due and payable in the case of an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(v) or 5.01(vi) hereof.”

 

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ARTICLE IV.

COVENANTS

Section 4.01 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Article Ten of the Base Indenture shall be amended by adding the following new Sections 10.07 and 10.08 thereto, each as set forth below:

“Section 10.07 Section 18(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act.

The Company hereby agrees that for the period of time during which Notes are Outstanding, the Company will not violate, whether or not it is subject to, Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by Section 61(a) of the Investment Company Act or any successor provisions thereto of the Investment Company Act, but giving effect, in either case, to any exemptive relief granted to the Company by the Commission.”

“Section 10.08 Commission Reports and Reports to Holders.

If, at any time, the Company is not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act to file any periodic reports with the Commission, the Company agrees to furnish to the Holders of Notes and the Trustee for the period of time during which the Notes are Outstanding: (i) within 90 days after the end of the each fiscal year of the Company, audited annual consolidated financial statements of the Company and (ii) within 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of the Company (other than the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter), unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company. All such financial statements shall be prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP, as applicable.

Delivery of such reports, information, and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).”

ARTICLE V.

THE TRUSTEE

Section 5.01 Neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be responsible for determining whether any Change of Control or Below Investment Grade Rating Event has occurred and whether any Change of Control offer with respect to the Notes is required.

ARTICLE VI.

OFFER TO REPURCHASE UPON A CHANGE OF CONTROL REPURCHASE EVENT

Section 6.01 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Article Thirteen of the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing Sections 13.01 to 13.05 thereto with the following:

“Section 13.01 Change of Control.

If a Change of Control Repurchase Event occurs, unless the Company shall have exercised its right to redeem the Notes in full, the Company shall make an offer to each Holder of the Notes to repurchase all or any part (in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 principal amount thereabove) of that Holder’s Notes at a repurchase price in cash equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased plus any

 

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accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes repurchased to the date of purchase. Within 30 days following any Change of Control Repurchase Event or, at the Company’s option, prior to any Change of Control, but after the public announcement of the Change of Control, the Company will send a notice to each Holder and the Trustee describing the transaction or transactions that constitute or may constitute the Change of Control Repurchase Event and offering to repurchase Notes on the payment date specified in the notice, which date will be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is sent. The notice shall, if sent prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Repurchase Event occurring on or prior to the payment date specified in the notice. The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control Repurchase Event.

To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with this Section 13.01, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 13.01 by virtue of such conflict.

On the Change of Control Repurchase Event payment date, subject to extension if necessary to comply with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:

 

(1)

accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to its offer;

 

(2)

deposit with the Paying Agent by 11:00 am New York City time, an amount equal to the aggregate purchase price in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and

 

(3)

deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted, together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes being purchased by the Company.

The Paying Agent will promptly remit to each Holder of Notes properly tendered the purchase price for the Notes, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate upon receipt of a Company Order and mail (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of any Notes surrendered; provided that each new Note will be in a minimum principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

If any Repayment Date upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then the required payment will be made on the next succeeding Business Day and no additional interest will accrue as a result of such delayed payment.

The Company will not be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event if a third party makes an offer in respect of the Notes in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.”

ARTICLE VII.

CALCULATION OF ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT

Section 7.01 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, the provisions of Section 7.05 of the Base Indenture shall not be applicable to the Notes.

ARTICLE VIII.

DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section 8.01 Except as may be provided in a Future Supplemental Indenture, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes but no other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding, Article Fourteen of the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing Section 14.04(i) thereto with the following:

 

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“The Company shall have irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 6.07 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article Fourteen applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for the benefit of, and dedicated solely to, the Holders of such Securities, (A) an amount (in such Currency in which such Securities are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity), or (B) Government Obligations applicable to such Securities (determined on the basis of the Currency in which such Securities are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity) which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, without reinvestment thereof, not later than one day before the due date of any payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Securities, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof in an amount, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (in the case where any part of the deposit consists of Government Obligations), to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, (1) the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Outstanding Securities on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (2) any mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to such Outstanding Securities on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of such Securities.”

ARTICLE IX.

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 9.01 This Third Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws that would cause the application of laws of another jurisdiction. This Third Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of the Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions. If any provision of the Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Section 318(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, the imposed duties will control.

Section 9.02 In case any provision in this Third Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 9.03 This Third Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which will be an original, but such counterparts will together constitute but one and the same Third Supplemental Indenture. The exchange of copies of this Third Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile, .pdf transmission, email or other electronic means (including any electronic signature permitted by the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, state enactments of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and /or any other relevant electronic signatures law, including relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code) shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Third Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile, .pdf transmission, email or other electronic means (including any electronic signature permitted by the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, state enactments of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and /or any other relevant electronic signatures law, including relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 9.04 The Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this Third Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and the Base Indenture and this Third Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument with respect to the Notes. All provisions included in this Third Supplemental Indenture supersede any conflicting provisions included in the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes, unless not permitted by law. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Indenture, as supplemented by this Third Supplemental Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Indenture, as supplemented by this Third Supplemental Indenture. All of the provisions contained in the Base Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers, and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of this Third Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like force and effect as though fully set forth in full herein.

Section 9.05 The provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture shall become effective as of the date hereof.

 

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Section 9.06 No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, or stockholder of the Company shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Indenture or the Notes or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting any Note, each Holder shall have been deemed to waive and release all such liability, and such waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

Section 9.07 Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary herein, the terms and provisions of this Third Supplemental Indenture shall apply only to the Notes and shall not apply to any other series of Securities under the Indenture and this Third Supplemental Indenture shall not and does not otherwise affect, modify, alter, supplement or change the terms and provisions of any other series of Securities under the Indenture, whether now or hereafter issued and Outstanding.

Section 9.08 The recitals contained herein and in the Notes shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to and shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of this Third Supplemental Indenture, the Notes or any Additional Notes, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Third Supplemental Indenture, authenticate the Notes and any Additional Notes and perform its obligations hereunder. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of the Notes or any Additional Notes or the proceeds thereof.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Third Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.

/s/ Stanley Matuszewski

Name: Stanley Matuszewski
Title: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

[Third Supplemental Indenture]


COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee

/s/ Erika Mullen

Name: Erika Mullen
Title: Vice President

[Third Supplemental Indenture]

 


Exhibit A – Form of Global Note

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL NOTE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR A SECURITY REGISTERED, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN WHOLE OR IN PART MAY BE REGISTERED, IN THE NAME OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.

Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company to the issuer or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment and such certificate issued in exchange for this certificate is registered in the name of Cede & Co., or such other name as requested by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, any transfer, pledge or other use hereof for value or otherwise by or to any person is wrongful, as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.

 

No.   

Initially $

  

CUSIP No. 38147UAE7

  

ISIN No. US38147UAE73

6.375% Notes due 2027

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of Delaware (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of [•] dollars (U.S. $[•]), or such other principal sum as shall be set forth in the Schedule of Increases or Decreases attached hereto, on March 11, 2027, and to pay interest thereon from March 11, 2024 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually on March 11 and September 11 in each year, commencing September 11, 2024, at the rate of 6.375% per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be February 24 and August 27 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Company, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture. This Security may be issued as part of a series.

Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and any such interest on this Security will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent, which shall initially be the Trustee, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register; provided, further, however, that so long as this Security is registered to Cede & Co., such payment will be made by wire transfer in accordance with the procedures established by the Depository Trust Company and the Trustee.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

 

A-1


Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

A-2


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.

Dated:

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.
By:  

     

  Name:
  Title:

 

A-3


This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:

 

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee

By:

 

     

 

Authorized Signatory

 

A-4


[BACK OF NOTE]

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.

6.375% Notes due 2027

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of February 10, 2020 (herein called the “Base Indenture”, which term shall have the meaning assigned to it in such instrument), between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, National Association (as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association), as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Base Indenture), and reference is hereby made to the Base Indenture for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee, and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered, as supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, relating to the Securities, dated as of March 11, 2024, by and between the Company and the Trustee (herein called the “Third Supplemental Indenture”; and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). In the event of any conflict between the Base Indenture and the Third Supplemental Indenture, the Third Supplemental Indenture shall govern and control.

This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof, initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $[•]. Under a Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate pursuant to Board Resolutions or an indenture supplement, the Company may from time to time, without the consent of the Holders of Securities, issue additional Securities of this series (in any such case “Additional Securities”) having the same ranking and the same interest rate, maturity, CUSIP number and other terms as the Securities, provided that such Additional Securities must be part of the same issue as the Securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes if represented by the same CUSIP number as the Securities. Any Additional Securities and the existing Securities will constitute a single series under the Indenture and all references to the relevant Securities herein shall include the Additional Securities unless the context otherwise requires. The aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities represented hereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions.

The Company may redeem the Securities at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

 

  (1)

(a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date, and

 

  (2)

100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed,

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily) -H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities—Treasury constant maturities—Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the maturity date of the Securities (the “Remaining Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields, one yield corresponding to the Treasury

 

A-5


constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life, and shall interpolate to the maturity date of the Securities on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.

If on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day preceding the Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the maturity date of the Securities, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the maturity date of the Securities, but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the maturity date of the Securities, one with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the Securities and one with a maturity date following the maturity date of the Securities, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the Securities. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the maturity date of the Securities or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered (or otherwise transmitted in accordance with the Applicable Procedures) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed. All notices of redemption shall contain the information set forth in Section 11.04 of the Base Indenture.

Any exercise of the Company’s option to redeem the Securities will be done in compliance with the Investment Company Act, to the extent applicable.

If the Company elects to redeem only a portion of the Securities, selection of the Securities for redemption will be made pro rata, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion deems appropriate and fair and, so long as the Securities are registered to DTC or its nominee (or another depositary), in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary. No Securities of a principal amount of $2,000 or less will be redeemed in part. If any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to the Security will state the portion of the principal amount of the Security to be redeemed. A new Security in a principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security will be issued in the name of the Holder of the Security upon surrender for cancellation of the original Security (or through book entry transfer). For so long as the Securities are held by the Depositary, the redemption of the Securities shall be done in accordance with the Applicable Procedures and in accordance with the Investment Company Act as directed by the Company.

Unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, on and after the Redemption Date, interest will cease to accrue on the Securities or portion of the Securities called for redemption hereunder.

Holders will have the right to require the Company to repurchase their Securities upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Repurchase Event as set forth in the Indenture.

 

A-6


The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of the entire indebtedness of this Security or certain restrictive covenants and Events of Default with respect to this Security, in each case upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing (other than Events of Default related to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization as set forth in the Indenture), the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. In the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization described in the Indenture, 100% of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities will automatically become due and payable.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities of this series at the time Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the Trustee indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of Securities of this series at the time Outstanding a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding, for 90 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

 

A-7


Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

To the extent any provision of this Security conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

The Indenture and this Security shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws.

 

A-8


ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

 

(I) or (we) assign and transfer this

Note to:

 

    

  (INSERT ASSIGNEES LEGAL NAME)
     
(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)
 
 
 
 
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

and irrevocably appoint

 

 

to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Date:    

 

Your Signature:

 

 

  (Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

Signature Guarantee*:    

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

A-9


OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 13.01 of the Indenture, check the box below:

☐ Section 13.01

If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 13.01 of the Indenture, state the amount you elect to have purchased:

$    

Date:        

 

Your Signature:

 

 

 

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

 

Tax Identification No.:

 

 

Signature Guarantee*:        

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

A-10


SCHEDULE OF INCREASES AND DECREASES OF GLOBAL NOTE

The initial principal amount of this Global Note is $[•]. The following increases and decreases to this Global Note have been made:

 

Date of Increase or

Decrease

  

Amount of Decrease in

Principal Amount at

Maturity

of this Global Note

  

Amount of Increase in

Principal Amount at

Maturity

of this Global Note

  

Principal Amount at

Maturity

of this Global Note

Following such

decrease (or increase)

  

Signature of

Authorized Signatory

of Trustee or DTC

Custodian

 

A-11

Exhibit 5.1

 

FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON LLP    LOGO

March 11, 2024

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.375% Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”), pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-274797) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), a base prospectus dated September 29, 2023 (the “Base Prospectus”) and a final prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2024 (the “Prospectus Supplement” and, together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”). The Notes are being sold by the Company pursuant to an underwriting agreement, dated as of March 6, 2024, by and among the Company, Goldman Sachs Asset Management L.P. and BofA Securities, Inc. as representative of the several underwriters named in Schedule A thereto (the “Underwriting Agreement”). The Notes were issued pursuant to a base indenture dated as of February 10, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”) between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association) (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a third supplemental indenture dated as of March 11, 2024 (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee.

With your permission, all assumptions and statements of reliance herein have been made without any independent investigation or verification on our part, and we express no opinion with respect to the subject matter or accuracy of such assumptions or items relied upon.

In connection with this opinion, we have (i) investigated such questions of law, (ii) examined originals or certified, conformed, electronic or reproduction copies, or photocopies, of such agreements, instruments, documents and records of the Company, such certificates of public officials and such other documents, and (iii) received such information from officers and representatives of the Company and others, in each case, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. We have examined, among other documents, the following:

(a) the Registration Statement;

(b) the Prospectus;

(c) the Underwriting Agreement;

(d) a copy of the Notes in global form as executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee;

(e) the Indenture;

(f) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the “Certificate of Incorporation”);

(g) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”); and

(h) resolutions of the board of directors of the Company relating to, among other things, the authorization and issuance of the Notes.

The documents referred to in items (c) through (e), inclusive, are referred to collectively herein as the “Documents.”

In all such examinations, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures (whether in manual, electronic or other form), the authenticity of original and certified documents and the conformity to original or certified documents of all copies submitted to us as certified, conformed, electronic or reproduction copies. As to various questions of fact relevant to the opinion

One New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004—1980

T: +1.212.859.8000 friedfrank.com


FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON LLP   
   March 11, 2024
   Page 2

 

expressed herein, we have relied upon, and assume the accuracy of, the statements, representations and warranties contained in the Underwriting Agreement and certificates and oral or written statements and other information of or from public officials and officers and other representatives of the Company and others and assume compliance on the part of all parties to the Underwriting Agreement with their respective covenants and agreements contained therein.

To the extent it may be relevant to the opinion expressed below, we have assumed that (i) the Notes have been duly authenticated, executed and delivered by the Trustee, (ii) all of the parties to the Documents (other than the Company) are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, (iii) all of the parties to the Documents (other than the Company) have the power and authority to (a) execute and deliver the Documents, (b) perform their obligations thereunder, and (c) consummate the transactions contemplated thereby, (iv) each of the Documents has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the parties thereto (other than the Company), (v) each of the Documents constitutes a valid and binding obligation of each of the parties thereto (other than as expressly addressed in the opinion below as to the Company), enforceable against such parties in accordance with their respective terms, and (vi) all of the parties to the Documents will comply with all of their obligations under the Documents and all laws applicable thereto.

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

We express no opinion as to the validity or binding effect of any provision of the Documents:

(i) relating to indemnification, contribution or exculpation;

(ii) containing any purported waiver, release, variation, disclaimer, consent or other agreement of similar effect (all of the foregoing, collectively, a “Waiver”) by any party under any provision of the Documents to the extent limited by provisions of applicable law (including judicial decisions), or to the extent that such a Waiver applies to a right, claim, duty, defense or ground for discharge otherwise existing or occurring as a matter of law (including judicial decisions), except to the extent that such a Waiver is effective under, and is not prohibited by or void or invalid under, provisions of applicable law (including judicial decisions);

(iii) related to (a) forum selection or submission to jurisdiction (including, without limitation, any waiver of any objection to venue in any court or of any objection that a court is an inconvenient forum) to the extent that the validity or binding effect of any such provision is to be determined by any court other than a court of the State of New York, (b) choice of governing law to the extent that the validity or binding effect of any such provision is to be determined by any court other than a court of the State of New York or a federal district court sitting in the State of New York, in each case, applying the choice of law principles of the State of New York, (c) service of process or (d) waiver of any rights to trial by jury;

(iv) specifying that provisions thereof may be waived only in writing;

(v) that purports to create a trust or other fiduciary relationship or a power of attorney;

(vi) specifying that any person may exercise set-off or similar rights other than in accordance with applicable law;

(vii) relating to payment of late charges, interest (or discount or equivalent amounts), premium, “make-whole” payments, collection costs or fees at a rate or in an amount, after or upon the maturity or acceleration of the liabilities evidenced or secured thereby or after or during the continuance of any default or other circumstance, or upon prepayment, that a court would determine in the circumstances to be unreasonable, a penalty or a forfeiture;

(viii) purporting to give any person or entity the power to accelerate obligations without any notice to the obligor; and

(ix) which may be construed to be in the nature of a penalty.


FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON LLP   
   March 11, 2024
  

Page 3

 

We express no opinion as to the validity or binding effect of any provision of the Documents (i) providing for payments thereunder in a currency other than currency of the United States of America to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction, under applicable law, will convert any judgment rendered in such other currency into currency of the United States of America or to the extent that payment in a currency other than currency of the United States of America is contrary to applicable law, (ii) providing for governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States or in foreign currency or composite currency or (iii) concerning the enforceability of the waiver of rights or defenses contained in the Documents relating to waiver of stay, extension or usury laws.

The opinion set forth above is subject to the following qualifications: (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws (or related judicial doctrines) now or hereafter in effect affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, (ii) general principles of equity including, without limitation, standards of materiality, good faith, fair dealing and reasonableness, equitable defenses and limits as to the availability of equitable remedies, whether such principles are considered in a proceeding at law or in equity, and (iii) the application of any applicable fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent obligation, or preferential transfer law or any law governing the distribution of assets of any person now or hereafter in effect affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally.

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the laws of the State of New York and, to the extent relevant to the opinion expressed herein, the applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in each case as currently in effect, and no opinion is expressed with respect to any other laws or any effect that such other laws may have on the opinion expressed herein. The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters stated herein, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein. This letter is given only as of the time of its delivery, and we undertake no responsibility to update or supplement this letter after its delivery.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the captions “Legal Matters” in the Base Prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving these consents, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON LLP
v3.24.0.1
Cover Page
Mar. 06, 2024
Document Information [Line Items]  
Amendment Flag false
Entity Central Index Key 0001572694
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Mar. 06, 2024
Entity Registrant Name GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.
Entity Incorporation State Country Code DE
Securities Act File Number 814-00998
Entity Tax Identification Number 46-2176593
Entity Address, Address Line One 200 West Street
Entity Address, City or Town New York
Entity Address, State or Province NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 10282
City Area Code (312)
Local Phone Number 655-4419
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre Commencement Tender Offer false
Pre Commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Security 12b Title Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
Trading Symbol GSBD
Security Exchange Name NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
v3.24.0.1
N-2 - USD ($)
Mar. 11, 2024
Mar. 06, 2024
Cover [Abstract]    
Entity Central Index Key   0001572694
Amendment Flag   false
Securities Act File Number   814-00998
Document Type   8-K
Entity Registrant Name   GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC.
Entity Address, Address Line One   200 West Street
Entity Address, City or Town   New York
Entity Address, State or Province   NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code   10282
City Area Code   (312)
Local Phone Number   655-4419
Entity Emerging Growth Company   false
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]    
Long Term Debt [Table Text Block] On March 11, 2024, the Company and Computershare Trust Company, National Association (as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, the “Trustee”), entered into the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated March 11, 2024, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Third Supplemental Indenture”), which supplements that certain Base Indenture, dated February 10, 2020, between the Company and the Trustee (as may be further amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Base Indenture” and, together with the Third Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”). The Third Supplemental Indenture relates to the Company’s issuance of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its
6.375
% notes due 2027 (the “Notes”).
On March 6, 2024, Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) by and among the Company, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. and BofA Securities, Inc., as representative of the several underwriters named in Schedule A thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), in connection with the issuance and sale of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.375% notes due 2027 (the “Offering”).
Long Term Debt, Principal $ 400,000,000 $ 400,000,000
Long Term Debt, Structuring [Text Block] The Notes will mature on March 11, 2027 and may be redeemed in whole or in part at the Company’s option at any time or from time to time at the redemption prices set forth in the Indenture. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.375% per year payable semi-annually on March 11 and September 11 of each year, commencing on September 11, 2024. The Notes are general unsecured obligations of the Company that rank senior in right of payment to all of the Company’s future indebtedness or other obligations that are expressly subordinated, or junior, in right of payment to the Notes, rank
pari passu
, or equal, in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future indebtedness or other obligations that are not so subordinated, or junior, rank effectively subordinated, or junior, to any of the Company’s secured indebtedness or other obligations (including unsecured indebtedness that the Company later secures) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and rank structurally subordinated, or junior, to all future indebtedness and other obligations (including trade payables) incurred by the Company’s subsidiaries or financing vehicles that are subsidiaries of the Company.
 
Long Term Debt, Dividends and Covenants [Text Block]
The Indenture contains certain covenants, including covenants requiring the Company to comply with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by Section 61(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, whether or not it is subject to those requirements, and to provide financial information to the holders of
 
the Notes and the Trustee if the Company is no longer subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These covenants are subject to important limitations and exceptions that are described in the Indenture.
 

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