Attached files

file filename
10-Q - FORM 10-Q - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.d10q.htm
EX-10.1 - DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex101.htm
EX-32 - CERTIFICATION OF CEO AND CFO, SECTION 906 - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex32.htm
EX-31.2 - CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, SECTION 302 - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex312.htm
EX-10.3 - PURCHASE AGREEMENT - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex103.htm
EX-10.6 - SUB-ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex106.htm
EX-10.10 - SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex1010.htm
EX-31.1 - CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SECTION 302 - First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Inc.dex311.htm

Exhibit 10.4

Execution Copy

CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

This Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2010, is between THL CREDIT, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Fund”), and STATE STREET BANK and TRUST COMPANY, a Massachusetts trust company (the “Custodian”).

WITNESSETH: that in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1. EMPLOYMENT OF CUSTODIAN AND PROPERTY TO BE HELD BY IT.

The Fund hereby employs the Custodian as the custodian of its assets, including securities which the Fund desires to be held in places within the United States (“domestic securities”) and securities it desires to be held outside the United States (“foreign securities”). The Fund agrees to deliver to the Custodian all securities and cash owned by it, and all payments of income, payments of principal or capital distributions received by it with respect to all securities owned by it from time to time, and the cash consideration received by it for such new or treasury shares of common stock of the Fund (“Shares”) as may be issued or sold from time to time. The Custodian shall not be responsible for any property of the Fund held or received by the Fund and not delivered to the Custodian.

Upon receipt of “Proper Instructions” (as such term is defined in Section 7 hereof), the Custodian shall from time to time employ one or more sub-custodians located in the United States, but only in accordance with an applicable vote by the Board of Directors of the Fund (the “Board”). The Custodian may employ as sub-custodian for the Fund’s foreign securities the foreign banking institutions and foreign securities depositories designated in Schedules A and B hereto, but only in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 3 and 4. The Custodian shall have no more or less responsibility or liability to the Fund on account of any actions or omissions of any sub-custodian so employed than any such sub-custodian has to the Custodian.

 

SECTION 2. DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY OF THE FUND HELD BY THE CUSTODIAN IN THE UNITED STATES.

SECTION 2.1 HOLDING SECURITIES. The Custodian shall hold and physically segregate for the account of the Fund all non-cash property, to be held by it in the United States, including all domestic securities owned by the Fund other than securities which are maintained pursuant to Section 2.8 in a clearing agency which acts as a securities depository or in a book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (each, a “U.S. Securities System”).

SECTION 2.2 DELIVERY OF SECURITIES. The Custodian shall release and deliver domestic securities owned by the Fund held by the Custodian or in a U.S. Securities System account of the Custodian only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, and only in the following cases:

 

  1) Upon sale of such securities for the account of the Fund and receipt of payment therefor;

 

  2) Upon the receipt of payment in connection with any repurchase agreement related to such securities entered into by the Fund;

 

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  3) In the case of a sale effected through a U.S. Securities System, in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.8 hereof;

 

  4) To the depository agent in connection with tender or other similar offers for securities held by the Fund;

 

  5) To the issuer thereof or its agent when such securities are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable; provided that, in any such case, the cash or other consideration is to be delivered to the Custodian;

 

  6) To the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Fund or into the name of any nominee or nominees of the Custodian or into the name or nominee name of any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.7 or into the name or nominee name of any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1; or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units; provided that, in any such case, the new securities are to be delivered to the Custodian;

 

  7) Upon the sale of such securities for the account of the Fund, to the broker or its clearing agent, against a receipt, for examination in accordance with “street delivery” custom; provided that in any such case, the Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such securities prior to receiving payment for such securities except as may arise from the Custodian’s own negligence or willful misconduct;

 

  8) For exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the securities of the issuer of such securities, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement; provided that, in any such case, the new securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;

 

  9) In the case of warrants, rights or similar securities, the surrender thereof in the exercise of such warrants, rights or similar securities or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary securities for definitive securities; provided that, in any such case, the new securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;

 

  10) For delivery in connection with any loans of securities made by the Fund, but only against receipt of adequate collateral as agreed upon from time to time by the Custodian and the Fund, which may be in the form of cash or obligations issued by the United States government, its agencies or instrumentalities, except that in connection with any loans for which collateral is to be credited to the Custodian’s account in the book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Custodian will not be held liable or responsible for the delivery of securities owned by the Fund prior to the receipt of such collateral;

 

  11) For delivery as security in connection with any borrowing by the Fund requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund, but only against receipt of amounts borrowed;

 

  12) For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”, formerly known as The National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.), relating to compliance with the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange, or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 

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  13) For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian, and a futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and/or any contract market, or any similar organization or organizations, regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 

  14) For delivery as initial or variation margin in connection with futures or options on futures contracts entered into by the Fund;

 

  15) For any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the securities of the Fund to be delivered and naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such securities shall be made.

SECTION 2.3 REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES. Domestic securities held by the Custodian (other than bearer securities) shall be registered in the name of the Fund or in the name of any nominee of the Fund or of any nominee of the Custodian which nominee shall be assigned exclusively to the Fund, unless the Fund has authorized in writing the appointment of a nominee to be used in common with other registered investment companies having the same investment advisor as the Fund, or in the name or nominee name of any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.7 or in the name or nominee name of any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1. All securities accepted by the Custodian on behalf of the Fund under the terms of this Agreement shall be in “street name” or other good delivery form. If, however, the Fund directs the Custodian to maintain securities in “street name”, the Custodian shall utilize its best efforts only to timely collect income due the Fund on such securities and to notify the Fund on a best efforts basis only of relevant corporate actions including, without limitation, pendency of calls, maturities, tender or exchange offers.

SECTION 2.4 BANK ACCOUNTS. The Custodian shall open and maintain a separate bank account or accounts in the United States in the name of the Fund, subject only to draft or order by the Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall hold in such account or accounts, subject to the provisions hereof, all cash received by it from or for the account of the Fund, other than cash maintained by the Fund in a bank account established and used in accordance with Rule 17f-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended from time to time (the “1940 Act”). Monies held by the Custodian for the Fund may be deposited by it to its credit as Custodian in the banking department of the Custodian or in such other banks or trust companies as it may in its discretion deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that every such bank or trust company shall be qualified to act as a custodian under the 1940 Act and that each such bank or trust company and the monies to be deposited with each such bank or trust company shall be approved by vote of a majority of the Board. Such monies shall be deposited by the Custodian in its capacity as Custodian and shall be withdrawable by the Custodian only in that capacity.

SECTION 2.5 COLLECTION OF INCOME. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.3, the Custodian shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to registered domestic securities held hereunder to which the Fund shall be entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business, and shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to bearer domestic securities if, on the date of payment by the issuer, such securities are held by the Custodian or its agent thereof and shall credit such income, as collected, to the Fund’s custodian account. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Custodian shall detach and present for payment all coupons and other income items requiring presentation as and when they become due and shall collect interest when due on securities held hereunder. Income due the Fund on securities loaned pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.2 (10) shall be the responsibility of the Fund. The Custodian will have no duty or responsibility in connection therewith, other than to provide the Fund with such information or data as may be necessary to assist the Fund in arranging for the timely delivery to the Custodian of the income to which the Fund is properly entitled.

 

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SECTION 2.6 PAYMENT OF FUND MONIES. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, the Custodian shall pay out monies of the Fund in the following cases only:

 

  1) Upon the purchase of domestic securities, options, futures contracts or options on futures contracts for the account of the Fund but only (a) against the delivery of such securities or evidence of title to such options, futures contracts or options on futures contracts to the Custodian (or any bank, banking firm or trust company doing business in the United States or abroad which is qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian and has been designated by the Custodian as its agent for this purpose) registered in the name of the Fund or in the name of a nominee of the Custodian referred to in Section 2.3 hereof or in proper form for transfer; (b) in the case of a purchase effected through a U.S. Securities System, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 2.8 hereof; (c) repurchase agreements entered into between the Fund and the Custodian, or another bank, or a broker-dealer which is a member of FINRA, (i) against delivery of the securities either in certificate form or through an entry crediting the Custodian’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank with such securities or (ii) against delivery of the receipt evidencing purchase by the Fund of securities owned by the Custodian along with written evidence of the agreement by the Custodian to repurchase such securities from the Fund; or (d) for transfer to a time deposit account of the Fund in any bank, whether domestic or foreign; such transfer may be effected prior to receipt of a confirmation from a broker and/or the applicable bank pursuant to Proper Instructions from the Fund as defined herein;

 

  2) In connection with conversion, exchange or surrender of securities owned by the Fund as set forth in Section 2.2 hereof;

 

  3) [Reserved];

 

  4) For the payment of any expense or liability incurred by the Fund, including but not limited to the following payments for the account of the Fund: interest, taxes, management, administration, accounting, transfer agent and legal fees, and operating expenses of the Fund whether or not such expenses are to be in whole or part capitalized or treated as deferred expenses;

 

  5) For the payment of any dividends on Shares declared pursuant to the governing documents of the Fund;

 

  6) For payment of the amount of dividends received in respect of securities sold short;

 

  7) For delivery as initial or variation margin in connection with futures or options on futures contracts entered into by the Fund;

 

  8) For the fulfillment of the Fund’s obligations with respect to unfunded commitments incurred in connection with Loans (as such term is defined below); and

 

  9) For any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the amount of such payment and naming the person or persons to whom such payment is to be made.

 

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SECTION 2.7 APPOINTMENT OF AGENTS. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion appoint (and may at any time remove) any other bank or trust company which is itself qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian, as its agent to carry out such of the provisions of this Section 2 as the Custodian may from time to time direct; provided, however, that the appointment of any agent shall not relieve the Custodian of its responsibilities or liabilities hereunder.

SECTION 2.8 DEPOSIT OF FUND ASSETS IN U.S. SECURITIES SYSTEMS. The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain securities owned by the Fund in a U.S. Securities System in compliance with the conditions of Rule 17f-4 of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time.

SECTION 2.9 SEGREGATED ACCOUNT. The Custodian shall upon receipt of Proper Instructions establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of the Fund, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or securities, including securities maintained in an account by the Custodian pursuant to Section 2.8 hereof, (i) in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of FINRA (or any futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act), relating to compliance with the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or the CFTC or any registered contract market), or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund, (ii) for purposes of segregating cash or government securities in connection with options purchased, sold or written by the Fund or commodity futures contracts or options thereon purchased or sold by the Fund, (iii) for the purposes of compliance by the Fund with the procedures required by Investment Company Act Release No. 10666, or any subsequent release of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), or interpretative opinion of the staff of the SEC, relating to the maintenance of segregated accounts by registered investment companies, and (iv) for any other purpose upon receipt of Proper Instructions.

SECTION 2.10 OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATES FOR TAX PURPOSES. The Custodian shall execute ownership and other certificates and affidavits for all federal and state tax purposes in connection with receipt of income or other payments with respect to domestic securities of the Fund held by it and in connection with transfers of securities.

SECTION 2.11 PROXIES. The Custodian shall, with respect to the domestic securities held hereunder, cause to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such securities, if the securities are registered otherwise than in the name of the Fund or a nominee of the Fund, all proxies, without indication of the manner in which such proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Fund such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials and all notices relating to such securities.

SECTION 2.12 COMMUNICATIONS RELATING TO FUND SECURITIES. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.3, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the Fund all written information (including, without limitation, pendency of calls and maturities of domestic securities and expirations of rights in connection therewith and notices of exercise of call and put options written by the Fund and the maturity of futures contracts purchased or sold by the Fund) received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities being held for the Fund. With respect to tender or exchange offers, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the Fund all written information received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities whose tender or exchange is sought and from the party (or its agents) making the tender or exchange offer. The Custodian shall not be liable for any untimely exercise of any tender, exchange or other right or power in connection with domestic securities or other property of the Fund at any time held by it unless (i) the Custodian is in actual possession of such domestic securities or property and (ii) the Custodian receives Proper Instructions with regard to the exercise of any such right or power, and both (i) and (ii) occur at least three business days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take action to exercise such right or power. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to the Fund all written information received by the Custodian regarding any class action or other

 

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litigation in connection with securities or other assets issued in the United States and then held, or previously held, during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian for the account of the Fund, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. For avoidance of doubt, upon and after the effective date of any termination of this Agreement, the Custodian shall have no responsibility to so transmit any information under this Section 2.12.

 

SECTION 3. PROVISIONS RELATING TO RULES 17F-5 AND 17F-7.

SECTION 3.1. DEFINITIONS. As used throughout this Agreement, the following capitalized terms shall have the indicated meanings:

Country Risk” means all factors reasonably related to the systemic risk of holding Foreign Assets in a particular country including, but not limited to, such country’s political environment, economic and financial infrastructure (including any Eligible Securities Depository operating in the country), prevailing or developing custody and settlement practices, and laws and regulations applicable to the safekeeping and recovery of Foreign Assets held in custody in that country.

Eligible Foreign Custodian” has the meaning set forth in section (a)(1) of Rule 17f-5, including a majority-owned direct or indirect subsidiary of a U.S. Bank (as defined in Rule 17f-5), a bank holding company meeting the requirements of an Eligible Foreign Custodian (as set forth in Rule 17f-5 or by other appropriate action of the SEC, or a foreign branch of a Bank (as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act) meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act; the term does not include any Eligible Securities Depository.

Eligible Securities Depository” has the meaning set forth in section (b)(1) of Rule 17f-7.

Foreign Assets” means any of the Fund’s investments (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States and such cash and cash equivalents as are reasonably necessary to effect the Fund’s transactions in such investments.

Foreign Custody Manager” has the meaning set forth in section (a)(3) of Rule 17f-5.

Rule 17f-5” means Rule 17f-5 promulgated under the 1940 Act.

Rule 17f-7” means Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act.

SECTION 3.2. THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER.

3.2.1 DELEGATION TO THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER. The Fund, by resolution adopted by its Board, hereby delegates to the Custodian, subject to Section (b) of Rule 17f-5, the responsibilities set forth in this Section 3.2 with respect to Foreign Assets held outside the United States, and the Custodian hereby accepts such delegation as Foreign Custody Manager of the Fund.

3.2.2 COUNTRIES COVERED. The Foreign Custody Manager shall be responsible for performing the delegated responsibilities defined below only with respect to the countries and custody arrangements for each such country listed on Schedule A to this Agreement, which list of countries may be amended from time to time by the Fund with the agreement of the Foreign Custody Manager. The Foreign Custody Manager shall list on Schedule A the Eligible Foreign Custodians selected by the Foreign Custody Manager to maintain the Fund’s assets, which list of Eligible Foreign Custodians may be amended from time to time in the sole discretion of the Foreign Custody Manager. The Foreign Custody Manager will provide amended versions of Schedule A in accordance with Section 3.2.5 hereof.

 

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Upon the receipt by the Foreign Custody Manager of Proper Instructions to open an account or to place or maintain Foreign Assets in a country listed on Schedule A, and the fulfillment by the Fund of the applicable account opening requirements for such country, the Foreign Custody Manager shall be deemed to have been delegated by the Board responsibility as Foreign Custody Manager with respect to that country and to have accepted such delegation. Execution of this Agreement by the Fund shall be deemed to be a Proper Instruction to open an account, or to place or maintain Foreign Assets, in each country listed on Schedule A in which the Custodian has previously placed or currently maintains Foreign Assets pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Following the receipt of Proper Instructions directing the Foreign Custody Manager to close the account of the Fund with the Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager in a designated country, the delegation by the Board to the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager for that country shall be deemed to have been withdrawn and the Custodian shall immediately cease to be the Foreign Custody Manager of the Fund with respect to that country.

The Foreign Custody Manager may withdraw its acceptance of delegated responsibilities with respect to a designated country upon written notice to the Fund. Thirty days (or such longer period to which the parties agree in writing) after receipt of any such notice by the Fund, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility in its capacity as Foreign Custody Manager to the Fund with respect to the country as to which the Custodian’s acceptance of delegation is withdrawn.

3.2.3 SCOPE OF DELEGATED RESPONSIBILITIES:

(a) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE FOREIGN CUSTODIANS. Subject to the provisions of this Section 3.2, the Foreign Custody Manager may place and maintain the Foreign Assets in the care of the Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager in each country listed on Schedule A, as amended from time to time. In performing its delegated responsibilities as Foreign Custody Manager to place or maintain Foreign Assets with an Eligible Foreign Custodian, the Foreign Custody Manager shall determine that the Foreign Assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the country in which the Foreign Assets will be held by that Eligible Foreign Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation the factors specified in Rule 17f-5(c)(1).

(b) CONTRACTS WITH ELIGIBLE FOREIGN CUSTODIANS. The Foreign Custody Manager shall determine that the contract governing the foreign custody arrangements with each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager will satisfy the requirements of Rule 17f-5(c)(2).

(c) MONITORING. In each case in which the Foreign Custody Manager maintains Foreign Assets with an Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager, the Foreign Custody Manager shall establish a system to monitor (i) the appropriateness of maintaining the Foreign Assets with such Eligible Foreign Custodian and (ii) the contract governing the custody arrangements established by the Foreign Custody Manager with the Eligible Foreign Custodian. In the event the Foreign Custody Manager determines that the custody arrangements with an Eligible Foreign Custodian it has selected are no longer appropriate, the Foreign Custody Manager shall notify the Board in accordance with Section 3.2.5 hereunder.

3.2.4 GUIDELINES FOR THE EXERCISE OF DELEGATED AUTHORITY. For purposes of this Section 3.2, the Board shall be deemed to have considered and determined to accept such Country Risk as is incurred by placing and maintaining the Foreign Assets in each country for which the Custodian is serving as Foreign Custody Manager of the Fund.

3.2.5 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Foreign Custody Manager shall report the withdrawal of the Foreign Assets from an Eligible Foreign Custodian and the placement of such Foreign

 

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Assets with another Eligible Foreign Custodian by providing to the Board an amended Schedule A at the end of the calendar quarter in which an amendment to such Schedule has occurred. The Foreign Custody Manager shall make written reports notifying the Board of any other material change in the foreign custody arrangements of the Fund described in this Section 3.2 after the occurrence of the material change.

3.2.6 STANDARD OF CARE AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER OF THE FUND. In performing the responsibilities delegated to it, the Foreign Custody Manager agrees to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of assets of management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act would exercise.

3.2.7 REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO RULE 17F-5. The Foreign Custody Manager represents to the Fund that it is a U.S. Bank as defined in section (a)(7) of Rule 17f-5. The Fund represents to the Custodian that the Board has determined that it is reasonable for the Board to rely on the Custodian to perform the responsibilities delegated pursuant to this Agreement to the Custodian as the Foreign Custody Manager of the Fund.

3.2.8 EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERMINATION OF THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER. The Board’s delegation to the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager of the Fund shall be effective as of the date hereof and shall remain in effect until terminated at any time, without penalty, by written notice from the terminating party to the non-terminating party. Termination will become effective thirty (30) days after receipt by the non-terminating party of such notice. The provisions of Section 3.2.2 hereof shall govern the delegation to and termination of the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager of the Fund with respect to designated countries.

SECTION 3.3 ELIGIBLE SECURITIES DEPOSITORIES.

3.3.1 ANALYSIS AND MONITORING. The Custodian shall (a) provide the Fund (or its duly-authorized investment manager or investment advisor) with an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Eligible Securities Depositories set forth on Schedule B hereto in accordance with section (a)(1)(i)(A) of Rule 17f-7, and (b) monitor such risks on a continuing basis, and promptly notify the Fund (or its duly-authorized investment manager or investment advisor) of any material change in such risks, in accordance with section (a)(1)(i)(B) of Rule 17f-7.

3.3.2 STANDARD OF CARE. The Custodian agrees to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence in performing the duties set forth in Section 3.3.1.

 

SECTION 4. DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY OF THE FUND HELD OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

SECTION 4.1 DEFINITIONS. As used throughout this Agreement, the following capitalized terms shall have the indicated meanings:

Foreign Securities System” means an Eligible Securities Depository listed on Schedule B hereto.

Foreign Sub-Custodian” means a foreign banking institution serving as an Eligible Foreign Custodian.

SECTION 4.2. HOLDING SECURITIES. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the Fund the foreign securities held by each Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System. The Custodian may hold foreign securities for all of its customers, including the Fund, with any Foreign Sub-Custodian in an account that is identified as belonging to the Custodian for the benefit of its customers, provided however,

 

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that (i) the records of the Custodian with respect to foreign securities of the Fund which are maintained in such account shall identify those securities as belonging to the Fund and (ii), to the extent permitted and customary in the market in which the account is maintained, the Custodian shall require that securities so held by the Foreign Sub-Custodian be held separately from any assets of such Foreign Sub-Custodian or of other customers of such Foreign Sub-Custodian.

SECTION 4.3. FOREIGN SECURITIES SYSTEMS. Foreign securities shall be maintained in a Foreign Securities System in a designated country through arrangements implemented by the Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian, as applicable, in such country.

SECTION 4.4. TRANSACTIONS IN FOREIGN CUSTODY ACCOUNT.

4.4.1. DELIVERY OF FOREIGN ASSETS. The Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall release and deliver foreign securities of the Fund held by the Custodian or such Foreign Sub-Custodian, or in a Foreign Securities System account, only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, and only in the following cases:

 

  (i) upon the sale of such foreign securities for the Fund in accordance with commercially reasonable market practice in the country where such foreign securities are held or traded, including, without limitation: (A) delivery against expectation of receiving later payment; or (B) in the case of a sale effected through a Foreign Securities System, in accordance with the rules governing the operation of the Foreign Securities System;

 

  (ii) in connection with any repurchase agreement related to foreign securities;

 

  (iii) to the depository agent in connection with tender or other similar offers for foreign securities of the Fund;

 

  (iv) to the issuer thereof or its agent when such foreign securities are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable;

 

  (v) to the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Custodian (or the name of the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian or of any nominee of the Custodian or such Foreign Sub-Custodian) or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units;

 

  (vi) to brokers, clearing banks or other clearing agents for examination or trade execution in accordance with market custom; provided that in any such case the Foreign Sub-Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such securities prior to receiving payment for such securities except as may arise from the Foreign Sub-Custodian’s own negligence or willful misconduct;

 

  (vii) for exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the securities of the issuer of such securities, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement;

 

  (viii) in the case of warrants, rights or similar foreign securities, the surrender thereof in the exercise of such warrants, rights or similar securities or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary securities for definitive securities;

 

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  (ix) for delivery as security in connection with any borrowing by the Fund requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund;

 

  (x) for delivery as initial or variation margin in connection with futures or options on futures contracts entered into by the Fund;

 

  (xi) in connection with the lending of foreign securities; and

 

  (xii) for any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the foreign securities to be delivered and naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such securities shall be made.

4.4.2. PAYMENT OF FUND MONIES. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, the Custodian shall pay out, or direct the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian or the respective Foreign Securities System to pay out, monies of the Fund in the following cases only:

 

  (i) upon the purchase of foreign securities for the Fund, unless otherwise directed by Proper Instructions, by (A) delivering money to the seller thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent for such seller or dealer) against expectation of receiving later delivery of such foreign securities; or (B) in the case of a purchase effected through a Foreign Securities System, in accordance with the rules governing the operation of such Foreign Securities System;

 

  (ii) in connection with the conversion, exchange or surrender of foreign securities of the Fund;

 

  (iii) for the payment of any expense or liability of the Fund, including but not limited to the following payments: interest, taxes, investment advisory fees, transfer agency fees, fees under this Agreement, legal fees, accounting fees, and other operating expenses;

 

  (iv) for the purchase or sale of foreign exchange or foreign exchange contracts for the Fund, including transactions executed with or through the Custodian or its Foreign Sub-Custodians;

 

  (v) for delivery as initial or variation margin in connection with futures or options on futures contracts entered into by the Fund;

 

  (vi) for payment of part or all of the dividends received in respect of securities sold short;

 

  (vii) in connection with the borrowing or lending of foreign securities; and

 

  (viii) for any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the amount of such payment and naming the person or persons to whom such payment is to be made.

4.4.3. MARKET CONDITIONS. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, settlement and payment for Foreign Assets received for the account of the Fund and delivery of Foreign Assets maintained for the account of the Fund may be effected in accordance with the customary established securities trading or processing practices and procedures in the country or market in which the transaction occurs, including, without limitation, delivering Foreign Assets to the purchaser thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent for such purchaser or dealer) with the expectation of receiving later payment for such Foreign Assets from such purchaser or dealer.

 

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The Custodian shall provide to the Board the information with respect to custody and settlement practices in countries in which the Custodian employs a Foreign Sub-Custodian described on Schedule C hereto at the time or times set forth on such Schedule. The Custodian may revise Schedule C from time to time, provided that no such revision shall result in the Board being provided with substantively less information than had been previously provided hereunder.

SECTION 4.5. REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN SECURITIES. The foreign securities maintained in the custody of a Foreign Sub-Custodian (other than bearer securities) shall be registered in the name of the Fund or in the name of the Custodian or in the name of any Foreign Sub-Custodian or in the name of any nominee of the foregoing, and the Fund agrees to hold any such nominee harmless from any liability as a holder of record of such foreign securities. The Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall not be obligated to accept securities on behalf of the Fund under the terms of this Agreement unless the form of such securities and the manner in which they are delivered are in accordance with reasonable market practice.

SECTION 4.6 BANK ACCOUNTS. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the Fund cash (including cash denominated in foreign currencies) deposited with the Custodian. Where the Custodian is unable to maintain, or market practice does not facilitate the maintenance of, cash on the books of the Custodian, a bank account or bank accounts shall be opened and maintained outside the United States on behalf of the Fund with a Foreign Sub-Custodian. All accounts referred to in this Section shall be subject only to draft or order by the Custodian (or, if applicable, such Foreign Sub-Custodian) acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement to hold cash received by or from or for the account of the Fund. Cash maintained on the books of the Custodian (including its branches, subsidiaries and affiliates), regardless of currency denomination, is maintained in bank accounts established under, and subject to the laws of, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

SECTION 4.7. COLLECTION OF INCOME. The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to collect all income and other payments with respect to the Foreign Assets held hereunder to which the Fund shall be entitled and shall credit such income, as collected, to the Fund. In the event that extraordinary measures are required to collect such income, the Fund and the Custodian shall consult as to such measures and as to the compensation and expenses of the Custodian relating to such measures.

SECTION 4.8 SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS. With respect to the foreign securities held pursuant to this Section 4, the Custodian will use reasonable commercial efforts to facilitate the exercise of voting and other shareholder rights, subject always to the laws, regulations and practical constraints that may exist in the country where such securities are issued. The Fund acknowledges that local conditions, including lack of regulation, onerous procedural obligations, lack of notice and other factors may have the effect of severely limiting the ability of the Fund to exercise shareholder rights.

SECTION 4.9. COMMUNICATIONS RELATING TO FOREIGN SECURITIES. The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the Fund written information with respect to materials received by the Custodian via the Foreign Sub-Custodians from issuers of the foreign securities being held for the account of the Fund (including, without limitation, pendency of calls and maturities of foreign securities and expirations of rights in connection therewith). With respect to tender or exchange offers, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the Fund written information with respect to materials so received by the Custodian from issuers of the foreign securities whose tender or exchange is sought or from the party (or its agents) making the tender or exchange offer. The Custodian shall not be liable for any untimely exercise of any tender, exchange or other right or power in connection with foreign securities or other property of the Fund at any time held by it unless (i) the Custodian or the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian is in actual possession of such foreign securities or property and (ii) the Custodian receives Proper Instructions with regard to the exercise of any such right or power, and both (i) and (ii) occur at least three business days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take action to exercise such right or power. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to the Fund all written

 

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information received by the Custodian via the Foreign Sub-Custodians from issuers of the foreign securities being held for the account of the Fund regarding any class action or other litigation in connection with foreign securities or other assets issued outside the United States and then held, or previously held, during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian for the account of the Fund, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. For avoidance of doubt, upon and after the effective date of any termination of this Agreement, the Custodian shall have no responsibility to so transmit any information under this Section 4.9.

SECTION 4.10. LIABILITY OF FOREIGN SUB-CUSTODIANS. Each agreement pursuant to which the Custodian employs a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall, to the extent possible, require the Foreign Sub-Custodian to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties, and to indemnify, and hold harmless, the Custodian from and against any loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim arising out of or in connection with the Foreign Sub-Custodian’s performance of such obligations. At the Fund’s election, it shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claims against a Foreign Sub-Custodian as a consequence of any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim if and to the extent that the Fund has not been made whole for any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim.

SECTION 4.11 TAX LAW. The Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any obligations now or hereafter imposed on the Fund or the Custodian as custodian of the Fund by the tax law of the United States or of any state or political subdivision thereof. It shall be the responsibility of the Fund to notify the Custodian of the obligations imposed on the Fund or the Custodian as custodian of the Fund by the tax law of countries other than those mentioned in the above sentence, including responsibility for withholding and other taxes, assessments or other governmental charges, certifications and governmental reporting. The sole responsibility of the Custodian with regard to such tax law shall be to use reasonable efforts to assist the Fund with respect to any claim for exemption or refund under the tax law of countries for which the Fund has provided such information.

SECTION 4.12. LIABILITY OF CUSTODIAN. The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of a Foreign Sub-Custodian to the same extent as set forth with respect to sub-custodians generally in the Agreement and, regardless of whether assets are maintained in the custody of a Foreign Sub-Custodian or a Foreign Securities System, the Custodian shall not be liable for any loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim resulting from nationalization, expropriation, currency restrictions, or acts of war or terrorism, or any other loss where the Sub-Custodian has otherwise acted with reasonable care.

 

SECTION 5. PAYMENTS FOR SALES OF SHARES.

The Custodian shall receive from the distributor for the Shares or from the Transfer Agent and deposit into the Fund’s account such payments as are received for Shares thereof issued or sold from time to time by the Fund. The Custodian will provide timely notification to the Fund and the Transfer Agent of any receipt by it of payments for Shares of the Fund.

 

SECTION 6. LOAN SERVICING PROVISIONS

SECTION 6.1 GENERAL. The following provisions shall apply with respect to investments, property or assets in the nature of loans, or interests or participations in loans, including without limitation interests in syndicated bank loans and bank loan participations, whether in the U.S. or outside the U.S. (collectively, “Loans”) entered into by the Fund.

SECTION 6.2 SAFEKEEPING. Instruments, certificates, agreements and/or other documents which the Custodian may receive with respect to Loans, if any (collectively “Financing Documents), from time to time, shall be held by the Custodian at its offices in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

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SECTION 6.3 DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN. The Custodian shall accept such Financing Documents, if any, with respect to Loans as may be delivered to it from time to time by the Fund. The Custodian shall be under no obligation to examine the contents or determine the sufficiency of any such Financing Documents or to provide any certification with respect thereto, whether received by the Custodian as original documents, photocopies, by facsimile or otherwise. Without limiting the foregoing, the Custodian is under no duty to examine any such Financing Documents to determine whether necessary steps have been taken or requirements met with respect to the assignment or transfer of the related Loan or applicable interest or participation in such Loan. The Custodian shall be entitled to assume the genuineness, sufficiency and completeness of any Financing Documents received, and the genuineness and due authority of any signature appearing on such documents. Notwithstanding any term of this Agreement to the contrary, with respect to any Loans, (i) the Custodian shall be under no obligation to determine, and shall have no liability for, the sufficiency of, or to require delivery of, any instrument, document or agreement constituting, evidencing or representing such Loan, other than to receive such Financing Documents, if any, as may be delivered or caused to be delivered to it by the Fund (or its investment manager acting on its behalf), (ii) without limiting the generality of the foregoing, delivery of any such Loan (including without limitation, for purposes of Section 2.8 above) may be made to the Custodian by, and may be represented solely by, delivery to the Custodian of a facsimile or photocopy of an assignment agreement (an “Assignment Agreement”) or a confirmation or certification from the Fund (or the investment manager) to the effect that it has acquired such Loan and/or has received or will receive, and will deliver to the Custodian, appropriate Financing Documents constituting, evidencing or representing such Loan (such confirmation or certification, together with any Assignment Agreement, collectively, an “Assignment Agreement or Confirmation”), in any case without delivery of any promissory note, participation certificate or similar instrument (collectively, an “Instrument”), (iii) if an original Instrument shall be or shall become available with respect to any such Loan, it shall be the sole responsibility of the Fund (or the investment manager acting on its behalf) to make or cause delivery thereof to the Custodian, and the Custodian shall be under no obligation at any time or times to determine whether any such original Instrument has been issued or made available with respect to such Loan, and shall not be under any obligation to compel compliance by the Fund to make or cause delivery of such Instrument to the Custodian, and (iv) any reference to Financing Documents appearing in this Section 6 shall be deemed to include, without limitation, any such Instrument and/or Assignment Agreement or Confirmation.

If payments with respect to a Loan (“Loan Payment”) are not received by the Custodian on the date on which they are due, as reflected in the Payment Schedule (as such term is defined in Section 6.4 below) of the Loan (“Payment Date”), or in the case of interest payments, not received either on a scheduled interest payable date, as reported to the Custodian by the Fund (or the investment manager acting on its behalf) for the Loan (the “Interest Payable Date”), or in the amount of the accrued interest payable, the Custodian shall promptly, but in no event later than one business day after the Payment Date or the Interest Payable Date, give telephonic notice to the party obligated under the Financing Documents to make such Loan Payment (the “Obligor”) of its failure to make timely payment, and (2) if such payment is not received within three business days of its due date, shall notify the Fund (or the investment manager on its behalf) of such Obligor’s failure to make the Loan Payment. The Custodian shall have no responsibility with respect to the collection of Loan Payments which are past due, other than the duty to notify the Obligor and the Fund (or the investment manager acting on its behalf) as provided herein.

The Custodian shall have no responsibilities or duties whatsoever under this Agreement, with respect to Loans or the Financing Documents, except for such responsibilities as are expressly set forth herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Custodian shall have no obligation to preserve any rights against prior parties or to exercise any right or perform any obligation in connection with the Loans or any Financing Documents (including, without limitation, no obligation to take any action in respect of or upon receipt of any consent solicitation, notice of default or similar notice received from any bank agent or Obligor, except pursuant to instructions from the Fund and except that the Custodian shall undertake reasonable efforts to forward any such notice to the Fund or the investment manager acting on its behalf). In case any question arises as to its duties hereunder, the Custodian may request instructions from the Fund and shall be entitled at all times to refrain from

 

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taking any action unless it has received Proper Instructions from the Fund or the investment manager and the Custodian shall in all events have no liability, risk or cost for any action taken, with respect to a Loan, pursuant to and in compliance with the Proper Instructions of such parties.

The Custodian shall be only responsible and accountable for Loan Payments actually received by it and identified as for the account of the Fund; any and all credits and payments credited to the Fund, with respect to Loans, shall be conditional upon clearance and actual receipt by the Custodian of final payment thereon.

The Custodian shall promptly, upon the Fund’s request, release to the Fund’s investment manager or to any party as the Fund or the Fund’s investment manager may specify, any Financing Documents being held on behalf of the Fund. Without limiting the foregoing, the Custodian shall not be deemed to have or be charged with knowledge of the sale of any Loan, unless and except to the extent it shall have received written notice and instruction from the Fund (or the investment manager acting on its behalf) with respect thereto, and except to the extent it shall have received the sale proceeds thereof.

In no event shall the Custodian be under any obligation or liability to make any advance of its own funds with respect to any Loan.

SECTION6.4 RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FUND. With respect to each Loan held by the Custodian hereunder in accordance with the provisions hereof, the Fund shall (a) cause the Financing Documents evidencing such Loan to be delivered to the Custodian; (b) include with such Financing Documents an amortization schedule of payments (the “Payment Schedule”) identifying the amount and due dates of scheduled principal payments, the Interest Payable Date(s) and related payment amount information, and such other information with respect to the related Loan and Financing Documents as the Custodian reasonably may require in order to perform its services hereunder (collectively, “Loan Information”), in such form and format as the Custodian reasonably may require; (c) take all actions necessary to acquire good title to such Loan (or the participation in such Loan, as the case may be), as and to the extent intended to be acquired; and (d) cause the Custodian to be named as its nominee for payment purposes under the Financing Documents or otherwise provide for the direct payment of the Payments to the Custodian. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon the Loan Information provided to it by the Fund without any obligation on the part of the Custodian independently to verify, investigate, recalculate, update or otherwise confirm the accuracy or completeness thereof; and the Custodian shall have no liability for any delay or failure on the part of the Fund in providing necessary Loan Information to the Custodian, or for any inaccuracy therein or incompleteness thereof. With respect to each such Loan, the Custodian shall be entitled to rely on any information and notices it may receive from time to time from the related bank agent, Obligor or similar party with respect to the related Loan, and shall be entitled to update its records on the basis of such information or notices received, without any obligation on its part independently to verify, investigate or recalculate such information.

SECTION 6.5 INSTRUCTIONS; AUTHORITY TO ACT. The certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Fund, identifying certain individuals approved by the Fund’s Board to be officers of the Fund or employees of the Fund’s investment manager, administrator or sub-administrator and authorized to sign any such instructions, may be received and accepted as conclusive evidence of the incumbency and authority of such to act and may be considered by the Custodian to be in full force and effect until it receives written notice to the contrary from the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Custodian shall have no responsibility to ensure that any investment by the Fund with respect to Loans has been authorized.

SECTION 6.6 ATTACHMENT. In case any portion of the Loans or the Financing Documents shall be attached or levied upon pursuant to an order of court, or the delivery or disbursement thereof shall be stayed or enjoined by an order of court, or any other order, judgment or decrees shall be made or entered by any court affecting the property of the Fund or any act of the Custodian relating thereto, the Custodian is hereby expressly

 

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authorized in its sole discretion to obey and comply with all orders, judgments or decrees so entered or issued, without the necessity of inquire whether such court had jurisdiction, and, in case the Custodian obeys or complied with any such order, judgment or decree, it shall not be liable to anyone by reason of such compliance.

SECTION 6.7 SECURITY INTEREST.

The provisions of this Section 6.7 shall constitute a security agreement. Terms used in this Section 6.7 which are defined or otherwise set forth in the Uniform Commercial Code of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall have the same meanings in this Section 6.7 as in the Uniform Commercial Code of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a term is defined or otherwise set forth in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in another Article as well, the term as defined or otherwise set forth in Article 9 shall control.

SECTION 6.7.1 COLLATERAL. For purposes of this Section 6.7, “Liabilities” of the Fund shall mean those liabilities described in the fourth paragraph of Section 15 of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, and without limiting the provisions of Section 15 of this Agreement (and in furtherance thereof), the Fund hereby agrees that, in connection with its Liabilities, the Custodian shall have a security interest in the following, whether now existing or hereafter acquired or created (collectively, the “Collateral”):

 

  (i) all of the Fund’s promissory notes and chattel paper (A) copies of which are in the possession or under the control of any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, (B) assigned to the Fund and for which originals or copies of confirmations or other evidences of the assignment are in the possession or under the control of any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, (C) in which the Fund holds participations and for which originals or copies of the participation agreements or certificates are in the possession or under the control of any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, or (D) assigned to the Fund or in which such Fund holds participations and for which instructions have been given to make payments of principal, interest or other amounts thereon to any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians;

 

  (ii) all of the Fund’s payment intangibles (A) evidenced by or created under written or electronic agreements originals or copies of which are in the possession or under the control of any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, (B) assigned to the Fund and for which originals or copies of confirmations or other evidences of the assignment are in the possession or under the control of any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, (C) in which the Fund holds participations and for which originals or copies of the participation agreements or certificates are in the possession or under the control of any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, or (D) assigned to the Fund or in which such Fund holds participations and for which instructions have been given to make payments of principal, interest or other amounts thereon to any of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians; and

 

  (iii) any and all proceeds of any thereof.

SECTION 6.7.2 FAILURE TO SATISFY LIABILITIES. In the event that the Fund fails to satisfy any of the Liabilities as and when due and payable, the failure shall constitute a default under this Section 6.7, and the Custodian shall then have with respect to the Collateral, in addition to all other rights and remedies arising hereunder or under applicable law, the rights and remedies of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Without prejudice to the Custodian’s rights under applicable law,

 

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the Custodian shall be entitled, without notice to the Fund, to withhold delivery of any Collateral, sell or otherwise realize on any Collateral and to apply the money or other proceeds and any other monies credited to the cash accounts in satisfaction of such Liabilities. The Fund acknowledges that, in the Custodian exercising any such rights or remedies against any Collateral, it will be commercially reasonable for the Custodian (i) to accelerate or cause the acceleration of the maturity of any fixed term deposits comprised in the Collateral and (ii) to effect such currency conversions as may be necessary at its current rates for the sale and purchase of the relevant currencies.

SECTION 6.7.3 UCC FILINGS. The Fund hereby irrevocably authorizes the Custodian at any time and from time to time to file in any filing office in any Uniform Commercial Code jurisdiction any initial financing statements and amendments thereto that (a) indicate the Collateral as described in Section 6.7.1 or (ii) as being of an equal or lesser scope or with greater detail, and (b) provide any other information required by part 5 of Article 9 of any applicable Uniform Commercial Code jurisdiction for the sufficiency or filing office acceptance of any financing statement or amendment, including whether the Fund is an organization, the type of organization and any organizational identification number issued to the Fund. The Fund agrees to furnish any such information to the Custodian promptly upon the Custodian’s request. The Fund also ratifies its authorization for the Custodian to have filed in any Uniform Commercial Code jurisdiction any like initial financing statements or amendments thereto if filed prior to the date hereof.

SECTION 6.7.4 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE. The Fund represents and warrants to the Custodian that the Fund’s chief executive office is located at the address set forth in this Agreement. The Fund covenants to provide to the Custodian at least 30 days’ prior written notice of any change of location of the chief executive office.

SECTION 6.7.5 PERFECTED SECURITY INTEREST. The Fund agrees to take such actions as the Custodian may from time to time request in order to insure that the Custodian has a first perfected security interest in the Collateral and that the Custodian has the ability to enforce its security interest. Without limitation upon the foregoing, for such purposes the Fund (a) shall promptly deliver to the possession or control of the Custodian or its designee originals of any instruments (including promissory notes) and chattel paper comprised in the Collateral and not already in the possession or under the control of the Custodian and its agents, affiliates and subcustodians, (b) shall promptly obtain termination amendments of Uniform Commercial Code financing statements or terminations or subordinations of security interests or other liens, in form and substance satisfactory to Custodian, where the failure to take such action could result in a competing security in or other lien on any of the Collateral having priority over the security interest of the Custodian in the Collateral, and (c) shall promptly execute and file such notices and registrations and take such other actions, including actions required under the law of any foreign jurisdiction, which are, in the opinion of the Custodian, necessary or advisable to assure the attachment, perfection, priority and ability of the Custodian to enforce the security interest and (d) further authorizes the Custodian to take such action as in the opinion of the Custodian may be necessary or advisable under any foreign law including making an appropriate entry in any security interest, charge or lien registry in the country whose laws the Fund is organized or in which the Fund maintains an office.

 

SECTION 7. PROPER INSTRUCTIONS.

Proper Instructions, which may also be standing instructions, as used throughout this Agreement, shall mean instructions received by the Custodian from the Fund, the Fund’s investment manager, or a person or entity duly authorized by either of them. Such instructions may be in writing signed by the authorized person or persons or may be in a tested communication or in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro-mechanical or electronic devices or may be by such other means and utilizing such intermediary systems and utilities as may be agreed to from time to time by the Custodian and the person or entity giving such instructions, provided that the Fund has followed any security procedures agreed to from time to time by the Fund and the Custodian, including, but not limited to, the security procedures selected by the Fund in the Funds Transfer

 

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Addendum to this Agreement, the terms of which are hereby agreed to. Oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions if the Custodian reasonably believes them to have been given by a person authorized to give such instructions with respect to the transaction involved. The Fund shall cause all oral instructions to be confirmed in writing. For purposes of this Section, Proper Instructions shall include instructions received by the Custodian pursuant to any multi-party agreement which requires a segregated asset account in accordance with Section 2.10 of this Agreement. The Fund or the Fund’s investment manager shall cause its duly authorized officer to certify to the Custodian in writing the names and specimen signatures of persons authorized to give Proper Instructions. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon the identity and authority of such persons until it receives notice from the Fund to the contrary.

 

SECTION 8. ACTIONS PERMITTED WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY.

The Custodian may in its discretion, without express authority from the Fund:

 

  1) make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of handling securities or other similar items relating to its duties under this Agreement, provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Fund;

 

  2) surrender securities in temporary form for securities in definitive form;

 

  3) endorse for collection, in the name of the Fund, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments; and

 

  4) in general, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with the securities and property of the Fund except as otherwise directed by the Board.

 

SECTION 9. EVIDENCE OF AUTHORITY.

The Custodian shall be protected in acting upon any instructions, notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument or paper believed by it to be genuine and to have been properly executed by or on behalf of the Fund. The Custodian may receive and accept a copy of a resolution of the Board, certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Fund (“Certified Resolution”), as conclusive evidence (a) of the authority of any person to act in accordance with such resolution or (b) of any determination or of any action by the Board as described in such resolution, and such resolution may be considered as in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of written notice to the contrary.

 

SECTION 10. DUTIES OF CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO THE BOOKS OF ACCOUNT AND CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND NET INCOME.

The Custodian shall cooperate with and supply necessary information to the entity or entities appointed by the Board to keep the books of account of the Fund and/or compute the net asset value per Share of the outstanding Shares or, if directed in writing to do so by the Fund, shall itself keep such books of account and/or compute such net asset value per Share. If so directed, the Custodian shall also calculate as often as daily the net income of the Fund as described in the Prospectus and shall advise the Fund and the Transfer Agent daily of the total amounts of such net income and, if instructed in writing by an officer of the Fund to do so, shall advise the Transfer Agent periodically of the division of such net income among its various components.

 

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SECTION 11. RECORDS.

The Custodian shall create and maintain all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement in such manner as will meet the obligations of the Fund under the 1940 Act, with particular attention to Section 31 thereof and Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 thereunder. All such records shall be the property of the Fund and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Fund and employees and agents of the SEC. The Custodian shall, at the Fund’s request, supply the Fund with a tabulation of securities owned by the Fund and held by the Custodian and shall, when requested to do so by the Fund and for such compensation as shall be agreed upon between the Fund and the Custodian, include certificate numbers in such tabulations.

 

SECTION 12. OPINION OF FUNDS INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANT.

The Custodian shall take all reasonable action, as the Fund may from time to time request, to obtain from year to year favorable opinions from the Fund’s independent accountants with respect to its activities hereunder in connection with the preparation of the Fund’s Form N-2, and Forms 10-Q and 10-K or other reports to the SEC and with respect to any other requirements thereof.

 

SECTION 13. REPORTS TO FUND BY INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS.

The Custodian shall provide the Fund, at such times as the Fund may reasonably require, with reports by independent public accountants on the accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding securities, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including securities deposited and/or maintained in a U.S. Securities System or a Foreign Securities System (either, a “Securities System”), relating to the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement; such reports, shall be of sufficient scope and in sufficient detail, as may reasonably be required by the Fund to provide reasonable assurance that any material inadequacies would be disclosed by such examination, and, if there are no such inadequacies, the reports shall so state.

 

SECTION 14. COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN.

The Custodian shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as Custodian, as agreed upon from time to time between the Fund and the Custodian.

 

SECTION 15. RESPONSIBILITY OF CUSTODIAN.

So long as and to the extent that it is in the exercise of reasonable care, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property or evidence of title thereto received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement and shall be held harmless in acting upon any notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed by the proper party or parties, including any futures commission merchant acting pursuant to the terms of a three-party futures or options agreement. The Custodian shall be held to the exercise of reasonable care in carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, but shall be kept indemnified by and shall be without liability to the Fund for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith without negligence, including, without limitation, acting in accordance with any Proper Instruction. It shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel (who may be counsel for the Fund) on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. The Custodian shall be without liability to the Fund for any loss, liability, claim or expense resulting from or caused by anything that is part of Country Risk (as defined in Section 3 hereof), including without limitation nationalization, expropriation, currency restrictions, insolvency of a Foreign Sub-Custodian, acts of war, revolution, riots or terrorism.

Except as may arise from the Custodian’s own negligence or willful misconduct or the negligence or willful misconduct of a sub-custodian or agent, the Custodian shall be without liability to the Fund for any loss,

 

-18-


liability, claim or expense resulting from or caused by; (i) events or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian or any sub-custodian or Securities System or any agent or nominee of any of the foregoing, including, without limitation, the interruption, suspension or restriction of trading on or the closure of any securities market, power or other mechanical or technological failures or interruptions, computer viruses or communications disruptions, work stoppages, natural disasters, or other similar events or acts; (ii) errors by the Fund or its duly-authorized investment manager or investment advisor in their instructions to the Custodian provided such instructions have been in accordance with this Agreement; (iii) the insolvency of or acts or omissions by a Securities System; (iv) any delay or failure of any broker, agent or intermediary, central bank or other commercially prevalent payment or clearing system to deliver to the Custodian’s sub-custodian or agent securities purchased or in the remittance or payment made in connection with securities sold; (v) any delay or failure of any company, corporation, or other body in charge of registering or transferring securities in the name of the Custodian, the Fund, the Custodian’s sub-custodians, nominees or agents or any consequential losses arising out of such delay or failure to transfer such securities including non-receipt of bonus, dividends and rights and other accretions or benefits; (vi) delays or inability to perform its duties due to any disorder in market infrastructure with respect to any particular security or Securities System; and (vii) any provision of any present or future law or regulation or order of the United States of America, or any state thereof, or any other country, or political subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction. The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of a Foreign Sub-Custodian to the same extent as set forth with respect to sub-custodians generally in this Agreement.

If the Fund requires the Custodian to take any action with respect to securities, which action involves the payment of money or which action may, in the opinion of the Custodian, result in the Custodian or its nominee assigned to the Fund being liable for the payment of money or incurring liability of some other form, the Fund, as a prerequisite to requiring the Custodian to take such action, shall provide indemnity to the Custodian in an amount and form satisfactory to it.

If the Fund requires the Custodian, its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents, to advance cash or securities for any purpose (including but not limited to securities settlements, foreign exchange contracts and assumed settlement), or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee shall incur or be assessed any taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims or liabilities in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except such as may arise from its or its nominee’s own negligent action, negligent failure to act or willful misconduct, or if the Fund fails to compensate the Custodian pursuant to Section 14 hereof, any property at any time held for the account of the Fund shall be security therefor and should the Fund fail to repay the Custodian promptly, the Custodian shall be entitled to utilize available cash and to dispose of the Fund’s assets to the extent necessary to obtain reimbursement.

In no event shall the Custodian be liable for indirect, special or consequential damages.

 

SECTION 16. EFFECTIVE PERIOD, TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT.

This Agreement shall become effective as of its execution, shall continue in full force and effect until terminated as hereinafter provided, may be amended at any time by mutual agreement of the parties hereto and may be terminated by either party by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed, postage prepaid to the other party, such termination to take effect not sooner than sixty (60) days after the date of such delivery or mailing; provided, however, that the Fund shall not amend or terminate this Agreement in contravention of any applicable federal or state regulations, or any provision of the Fund’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws, and further provided, that the Fund may at any time by action of its Board (i) substitute another bank or trust company for the Custodian by giving notice as described above to the Custodian, or (ii) immediately terminate this Agreement in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the Custodian by the Comptroller of the Currency or upon the happening of a like event at the direction of an appropriate regulatory agency or court of competent jurisdiction.

 

-19-


Upon termination of the Agreement, the Fund shall pay to the Custodian such compensation as may be due as of the date of such termination and shall likewise reimburse the Custodian for its costs, expenses and disbursements. The provisions of Sections 4.11, 14 and 15 of this Agreement shall survive termination of this Agreement for any reason.

 

SECTION 17. SUCCESSOR CUSTODIAN.

If a successor custodian for the Fund shall be appointed by the Board, the Custodian shall, upon termination, deliver to such successor custodian at the office of the Custodian, duly endorsed and in the form for transfer, all securities of the Fund then held by it hereunder and shall transfer to an account of the successor custodian all of the securities of the Fund held in a Securities System.

If no such successor custodian shall be appointed, the Custodian shall, in like manner, upon receipt of a Certified Resolution, deliver at the office of the Custodian and transfer such securities, funds and other properties in accordance with such resolution.

In the event that no written order designating a successor custodian or Certified Resolution shall have been delivered to the Custodian on or before the date when such termination shall become effective, then the Custodian shall have the right to deliver to a bank or trust company, which is a “bank” as defined in the 1940 Act, doing business in Boston, Massachusetts, or New York, New York, of its own selection, having an aggregate capital, surplus, and undivided profits, as shown by its last published report, of not less than $25,000,000, all securities, funds and other properties held by the Custodian hereunder and all instruments held by the Custodian relative thereto and all other property held by it under this Agreement on behalf of the Fund, and to transfer to an account of such successor custodian all of the Fund’s securities held in any Securities System. Thereafter, such bank or trust company shall be the successor of the Custodian under this Agreement.

In the event that securities, funds and other properties remain in the possession of the Custodian after the date of termination hereof owing to failure of the Fund to procure the Certified Resolution to appoint a successor custodian, the Custodian shall be entitled to fair compensation for its services during such period as the Custodian retains possession of such securities, funds and other properties and the provisions of this Agreement relating to the duties and obligations of the Custodian shall remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 18. INTERPRETIVE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS.

In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Custodian and the Fund may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by both parties and shall be annexed hereto, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable federal or state regulations or any provision of the Fund’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 19. MASSACHUSETTS LAW TO APPLY.

This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

-20-


SECTION 20. PRIOR AGREEMENTS.

This Agreement supersedes and terminates, as of the date hereof, all prior Agreements between the Fund and the Custodian relating to the custody of the Fund’s assets.

 

SECTION 21. NOTICES.

Any notice, instruction or other instrument required to be given hereunder may be delivered in person to the offices of the parties as set forth herein during normal business hours or delivered prepaid registered mail or by telex, cable or telecopy to the parties at the following addresses or such other addresses as may be notified by any party from time to time.

 

To the Fund:    THL CREDIT, INC.
  

100 Federal Street, 31st Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

   Attention: Terry Olson, Chief Financial Officer
   Telephone: (617) 946-2682
   Telecopy: (877) 494-9096
To the Custodian:    STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
  

John Hancock Tower

200 Clarendon Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

   Attention: Paul Woods, Senior Vice President
   Telephone: 617-937-6289
   Telecopy: 617-

Such notice, instruction or other instrument shall be deemed to have been served in the case of a registered letter at the expiration of five business days after posting, in the case of cable twenty-four hours after dispatch and, in the case of telex, immediately on dispatch and if delivered outside normal business hours it shall be deemed to have been received at the next time after delivery when normal business hours commence and in the case of cable, telex or telecopy on the business day after the receipt thereof. Evidence that the notice was properly addressed, stamped and put into the post shall be conclusive evidence of posting.

 

SECTION 22. CONFIDENTIALITY.

The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially all information provided by each party to the other party regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering or receiving services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (i) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is independently derived by any party hereto without the use of any information provided by the other party hereto in connection with this Agreement, (ii) that is required in any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process, or by operation of law or regulation, or (iii) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Custodian and its affiliates may report and use nonpublic portfolio holdings information of its clients, including the Fund, on an aggregated basis with all or substantially all other client information and without specific reference to the Fund.

 

-21-


SECTION 23. REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS.

This Agreement and all schedules, addenda, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.

 

SECTION 24. REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM.

The Custodian and the Fund agree to be bound by the terms of the Remote Access Services Addendum attached hereto.

 

SECTION 25. SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS ELECTION.

SEC Rule 14b-2 requires banks which hold securities for the account of customers to respond to requests by issuers of securities for the names, addresses and holdings of beneficial owners of securities of that issuer held by the bank unless the beneficial owner has expressly objected to disclosure of this information. In order to comply with the rule, the Custodian needs the Fund to indicate whether it authorizes the Custodian to provide the Fund’s name, address, and share position to requesting companies whose securities the Fund owns. If the Fund tells the Custodian “no”, the Custodian will not provide this information to requesting companies. If the Fund tells the Custodian “yes” or does not check either “yes” or “no” below, the Custodian is required by the rule to treat the Fund as consenting to disclosure of this information for all securities owned by the Fund or any funds or accounts established by the Fund. For the Fund’s protection, the Rule prohibits the requesting company from using the Fund’s name and address for any purpose other than corporate communications. Please indicate below whether the Fund consents or objects by checking one of the alternatives below.

 

YES  ¨    The Custodian is authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions.
NO  x    The Custodian is not authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions.

[The remainder of this page intentionally left blank.]

 

-22-


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this instrument to be executed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative under seal as of the date first above-written.

 

THL CREDIT, INC.
By:  

/s/ Terrence W. Olson

  Terrence W. Olson
  Chief Financial Officer
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Joseph C. Antonellis

  Joseph C. Antonellis
  Vice Chairman

Custodian Agreement Signature Page


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

SUBCUSTODIANS

   SCHEDULE A

 

Market

  

Subcustodian

Argentina    Citibank, N.A.
Australia   

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited

Citigroup Pty. Limited

Austria    UniCredit Bank Austria AG
Bahrain   

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

Bangladesh    Standard Chartered Bank
Belgium    Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Amsterdam branch with support from its Brussels branch)
Benin    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Bermuda    Bank of Bermuda Limited
Botswana    Barclays Bank of Botswana Limited
Brazil    Citibank, N.A.
Bulgaria   

ING Bank N.V.

UniCredit Bulbank AD

Burkina Faso    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Canada    State Street Trust Company Canada
Chile    Banco Itaú Chile
People’s Republic of China   

HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

Colombia    Cititrust Colombia S.A. Sociedad Fiduciaria
Costa Rica    Banco BCT S.A.
Croatia   

Privredna Banka Zagreb d.d.

Zagrebacka Banka d.d.

Cyprus    BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A., Greece (operating through its Athens branch)
Czech Republic   

Československá obchodní banka, a.s.

UniCredit Bank Czech Republic a.s.

 

As of 04/08/10

-1-


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

SUBCUSTODIANS

   SCHEDULE A

 

Market

  

Subcustodian

Denmark    Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Sweden (operating through its Copenhagen branch)
Ecuador    Banco de la Producción S.A. PRODUBANCO
Egypt    HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E.
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)
Estonia    AS SEB Pank
Finland    Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Sweden (operating through its Helsinki branch)
France    Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Amsterdam branch with support from its Paris branch)
Germany    Deutsche Bank AG
Ghana    Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited
Greece    BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A.
Guinea-Bissau    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Hong Kong    Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited
Hungary    UniCredit Bank Hungary Zrt.
Iceland    NBI hf.
India   

Deutsche Bank AG

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited

Indonesia    Deutsche Bank AG
Ireland    Bank of Ireland
Israel    Bank Hapoalim B.M.
Italy    Deutsche Bank S.p.A.
Ivory Coast    Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire
Jamaica    Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited
Japan    Mizuho Corporate Bank Limited
   The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Jordan    HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

 

As of 04/08/10

-2-


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

SUBCUSTODIANS

   SCHEDULE A

 

Market

  

Subcustodian

Kazakhstan   

SB HSBC Bank Kazakhstan JSC

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

Kenya    Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited
Republic of Korea   

Deutsche Bank AG

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited

Kuwait   

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

Latvia    AS SEB Banka
Lebanon    HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)
Lithuania    AB SEB Bankas
Malaysia    Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad
Mali    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Malta    The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Mauritius    The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Mexico    Banco Nacional de México S.A.
Morocco    Citibank Maghreb
Namibia    Standard Bank Namibia Limited
Netherlands    Deutsche Bank AG
New Zealand    The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Niger    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Nigeria    Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.
Norway    Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Sweden (operating through its Oslo branch)
Oman    HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)
Pakistan    Deutsche Bank AG

 

As of 04/08/10

-3-


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

SUBCUSTODIANS

   SCHEDULE A

 

Market

  

Subcustodian

Palestine    HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)
Peru    Citibank del Perú, S.A.
Philippines    Standard Chartered Bank
Poland    Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A.
Portugal    Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Amsterdam branch with support from its Paris branch)
   BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A.
Puerto Rico    Citibank N.A.
Qatar    HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)
Romania    ING Bank N.V.
   UniCredit Tiriac Bank S.A.
Russia    ING Bank (Eurasia) ZAO
Saudi Arabia    Saudi British Bank
   (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)
Senegal    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Serbia    UniCredit Bank Serbia JSC
Singapore    Citibank N.A.
   United Overseas Bank Limited
Slovak Republic    Československá obchodna banka, a.s.
   UniCredit Bank Slovakia a.s.
Slovenia    UniCredit Banka Slovenija d.d.
South Africa    Nedbank Limited
   Standard Bank of South Africa Limited
Spain    Deutsche Bank S.A.E.
Sri Lanka    The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Swaziland    Standard Bank Swaziland Limited
Sweden    Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB

 

As of 04/08/10

-4-


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

SUBCUSTODIANS

   SCHEDULE A

 

Market

  

Subcustodian

Switzerland    UBS AG
   Credit Suisse AG
Taiwan - R.O.C.    Deutsche Bank AG
   Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) Limited
Thailand    Standard Chartered Bank (Thai) Public Company Limited
Togo    via Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Trinidad & Tobago    Republic Bank Limited
Tunisia    Banque Internationale Arabe de Tunisie
Turkey    Citibank, A.S.
Uganda    Barclays Bank of Uganda Limited
Ukraine    ING Bank Ukraine

United Arab Emirates –

Dubai Financial Market

  

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

United Arab Emirates –

Dubai International

Financial Center

  

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

United Arab Emirates –

Abu Dhabi

  

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

United Kingdom    State Street Bank and Trust Company, United Kingdom branch
Uruguay    Banco Itaú Uruguay S.A.
Venezuela    Citibank, N.A.
Vietnam    HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Limited
Zambia    Barclays Bank of Zambia Plc.
Zimbabwe    Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited

 

As of 04/08/10

-5-


  STATE STREET    SCHEDULE B
  GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK   
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS

 

Market

  

Depository

Argentina    Caja de Valores S.A.
Australia    Austraclear Limited
Austria    Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (Wertpapiersammelbank Division)
Bahrain    Clearing, Settlement, and Depository System of the Bahrain Stock Exchange
Bangladesh    Central Depository Bangladesh Limited
Belgium    National Bank of Belgium
   Euroclear Belgium
Benin    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Bermuda    Bermuda Securities Depository
Botswana    Central Securities Depository Company of Botswana Ltd.
Brazil    Central de Custódia e de Liquidação Financeira de Títulos Privados (CETIP)
   Companhia Brasileira de Liquidação e Custódia
   Sistema Especial de Liquidação e de Custódia (SELIC)
Bulgaria    Bulgarian National Bank
   Central Depository AD
Burkina Faso    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Canada    The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited
Chile    Depósito Central de Valores S.A.
People’s Republic of China   

China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, Shanghai Branch

China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, Shenzhen Branch

Colombia    Depósito Central de Valores
   Depósito Centralizado de Valores de Colombia S.A. (DECEVAL)
Costa Rica    Central de Valores S.A.
Croatia    Sredisnje klirinsko depozitarno drustvo d.d.
Cyprus    Central Depository and Central Registry
Czech Republic    Czech National Bank
   Středisko cenných papíru - Ceská republika
Denmark    VP Securities A/S

 

As of 04/08/10

-1-


  STATE STREET    SCHEDULE B
  GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK   
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS

 

Market

  

Depository

Egypt    Misr for Central Clearing, Depository and Registry S.A.E.
   Central Bank of Egypt
Estonia    AS Eesti Väärtpaberikeskus
Finland    Euroclear Finland
France    Euroclear France
Germany    Clearstream Banking AG, Frankfurt
Ghana    GSE Securities Depository Company Ltd.
   Bank of Ghana
Greece    Kentriko Apothetirio Aksion, a department of Hellenic Exchanges S.A. Holding
   Bank of Greece, System for Monitoring Transactions in Securities in Book-Entry Form
Guinea-Bissau    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Hong Kong    Central Moneymarkets Unit
   Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited
Hungary    Központi Elszámolóház és Értéktár (Budapesti) Zrt. (KELER)
Iceland    Icelandic Securities Depository Limited
India    Central Depository Services (India) Limited
   National Securities Depository Limited
   Reserve Bank of India
Indonesia    Bank Indonesia
   PT Kustodian Sentral Efek Indonesia
Israel    Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Clearing House Ltd. (TASE Clearing House)
Italy    Monte Titoli S.p.A.
Ivory Coast    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Jamaica    Jamaica Central Securities Depository
Japan    Bank of Japan – Net System
   Japan Securities Depository Center (JASDEC) Incorporated
Jordan    Securities Depository Center
Kazakhstan    Central Securities Depository

 

As of 04/08/10

-2-


  STATE STREET    SCHEDULE B
  GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK   
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS

 

Market

  

Depository

Kenya    Central Depository and Settlement Corporation Limited
   Central Bank of Kenya
Republic of Korea    Korea Securities Depository
Kuwait    Kuwait Clearing Company
Latvia    Latvian Central Depository
Lebanon    Banque du Liban
  

Custodian and Clearing Center of Financial Instruments

for Lebanon and the Middle East (Midclear) S.A.L.

Lithuania    Central Securities Depository of Lithuania
Malaysia    Bank Negara Malaysia
   Bursa Malaysia Depository Sdn. Bhd.
Mali    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Malta    Central Securities Depository of the Malta Stock Exchange
Mauritius    Bank of Mauritius
   Central Depository and Settlement Co. Ltd.
Mexico    S.D. Indeval, S.A. de C.V.
Morocco    Maroclear
Namibia    Bank of Namibia
Netherlands    Euroclear Nederland
New Zealand    New Zealand Central Securities Depository Limited
Niger    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Nigeria    Central Securities Clearing System Limited
Norway    Verdipapirsentralen
Oman    Muscat Depository & Securities Registration Company, SAOC
Pakistan    Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited
   State Bank of Pakistan
Palestine    Clearing, Depository and Settlement system, a department of the Palestine Securities Exchange

 

As of 04/08/10

-3-


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS

   SCHEDULE B

 

Market

  

Depository

Peru    CAVALI S.A. Institución de Compensación y Liquidación de Valores
Philippines   

Philippine Depository & Trust Corporation

Registry of Scripless Securities (ROSS) of the Bureau of Treasury

Poland   

Rejestr Papierów Warto ciowych

Krajowy Depozyt Papierów Wartos´ciowych, S.A.

Portugal   

INTERBOLSA - Sociedad Gestora de Sistemas

de Liquidação e de Sistemas Centralizados de Valores Mobiliários, S.A.

Qatar    Central Clearing and Registration (CCR), a department of the Qatar Exchange
Romania   

S.C. Depozitarul Central S.A.

National Bank of Romania

Russia   

Vneshtorgbank, Bank for Foreign Trade of the Russian Federation

National Depository Center

Saudi Arabia   

Tadawul Central Securities Depository

Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency

Senegal    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Serbia    Central Registrar, Depository and Clearinghouse
Singapore   

The Central Depository (Pte) Limited

Monetary Authority of Singapore

Slovak Republic    Centralny depozitar cenných papierov SR, a.s.
Slovenia    KDD - Centralna klirinsko depotna druzba d.d.
South Africa    Strate Ltd.
Spain    IBERCLEAR
Sri Lanka   

Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Central Depository System (Pvt) Limited

Sweden    Euroclear Sweden
Switzerland    SIX SIS AG
Taiwan - R.O.C.   

Taiwan Depository and Clearing Corporation

Central Bank of China

Thailand    Thailand Securities Depository Company Limited

 

As of 04/08/10

-4-


  

STATE STREET

GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK

DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS

   SCHEDULE B

 

Market

  

Depository

Togo    Dépositaire Central – Banque de Règlement
Trinidad and Tobago   

Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago Central Depository Limited

Tunisia   

Société Tunisienne Interprofessionelle pour la

Compensation et le Dépôts des Valeurs Mobilières (STICODEVAM)

Turkey   

Central Bank of Turkey

Central Registry Agency

Uganda    Bank of Uganda
Ukraine   

All-Ukrainian Securities Depository

National Bank of Ukraine

United Arab Emirates - Dubai Financial Market    Clearing and Depository System, a department of the Dubai Financial Market
United Arab Emirates - Dubai International Financial Center    Central Securities Depository, owned and operated by NASDAQ Dubai Limited
United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi    Clearing, Settlement, Depository and Registry department of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
United Kingdom    Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited
Uruguay    Banco Central del Uruguay
Venezuela    Banco Central de Venezuela
   Caja Venezolana de Valores
Vietnam    Vietnam Securities Depository
Zambia   

Bank of Zambia LuSE

Central Shares Depository Limited

TRANSNATIONAL   
Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V.
Clearstream Banking, S.A.

 

As of 04/08/10

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SCHEDULE C

MARKET INFORMATION

 

Publication/Type of Information

  

Brief Description

(scheduled frequency)     

The Guide to Custody in World Markets

(hardcopy annually and regular website updates)

   An overview of settlement and safekeeping procedures, custody practices and foreign investor considerations for the markets in which State Street offers custodial services.

Global Custody Network Review

(annually)

   Information relating to Foreign Sub-Custodians in State Street’s Global Custody Network. The Review stands as an integral part of the materials that State Street provides to its U.S. mutual fund clients to assist them in complying with SEC Rule 17f-5. The Review also gives insight into State Street’s market expansion and Foreign Sub-Custodian selection processes, as well as the procedures and controls used to monitor the financial condition and performance of our Foreign Sub-Custodian banks.

Securities Depository Review

(annually)

   Custody risk analyses of the Foreign Securities Depositories presently operating in Network markets. This publication is an integral part of the materials that State Street provides to its U.S. mutual fund clients to meet informational obligations created by SEC Rule 17f-7.

Global Legal Survey

(annually)

   With respect to each market in which State Street offers custodial services, opinions relating to whether local law restricts (i) access of a fund’s independent public accountants to books and records of a Foreign Sub- Custodian or Foreign Securities System, (ii) a fund’s ability to recover in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of a Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System, (iii) a fund’s ability to recover in the event of a loss by a Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System, and (iv) the ability of a foreign investor to convert cash and cash equivalents to U.S. dollars.

Subcustodian Agreements

(annually)

   Copies of the contracts that State Street has entered into with each Foreign Sub-Custodian that maintains U.S. mutual fund assets in the markets in which State Street offers custodial services.

Global Market Bulletin

(daily or as necessary)

   Information on changing settlement and custody conditions in markets where State Street offers custodial services. Includes changes in market and tax regulations, depository developments, dematerialization information, as well as other market changes that may impact State Street’s clients.

Foreign Custody Advisories

(as necessary)

   For those markets where State Street offers custodial services that exhibit special risks or infrastructures impacting custody, State Street issues market advisories to highlight those unique market factors which might impact our ability to offer recognized custody service levels.

Material Change Notices

(presently on a quarterly basis or as otherwise necessary)

   Informational letters and accompanying materials confirming State Street’s foreign custody arrangements, including a summary of material changes with Foreign Sub-Custodians that have occurred during the previous quarter. The notices also identify any material changes in the custodial risks associated with maintaining assets with Foreign Securities Depositories.


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OPERATING GUIDELINES

1. OBLIGATION OF THE SENDER: State Street is authorized to promptly debit Client’s account(s) upon the receipt of a payment order in compliance with the selected Security Procedure chosen for funds transfer and in the amount of money that State Street has been instructed to transfer. State Street shall execute payment orders in compliance with the Security Procedure and with the Client’s instructions on the execution date provided that such payment order is received by the customary deadline for processing such a request, unless the payment order specifies a later time. All payment orders and communications received after this time will be deemed to have been received on the next business day.

2. SECURITY PROCEDURE: The Client acknowledges that the Security Procedure it has designated on the Selection Form was selected by the Client from Security Procedures offered by State Street. The Client agrees that the Security Procedures are reasonable and adequate for its wire transfer transactions and agrees to be bound by any payment orders, amendments and cancellations, whether or not authorized, issued in its name and accepted by State Street after being confirmed by any of the selected Security Procedures. The Client also agrees to be bound by any other valid and authorized payment order accepted by State Street. The Client shall restrict access to confidential information relating to the Security Procedure to authorized persons as communicated in writing to State Street. The Client must notify State Street immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such information or of any change in the Client’s authorized personnel. State Street shall verify the authenticity of all instructions according to the Security Procedure.

3. ACCOUNT NUMBERS: State Street shall process all payment orders on the basis of the account number contained in the payment order. In the event of a discrepancy between any name indicated on the payment order and the account number, the account number shall take precedence and govern. Financial institutions that receive payment orders initiated by State Street at the instruction of the Client may also process payment orders on the basis of account numbers, regardless of any name included in the payment order. State Street will also rely on any financial institution identification numbers included in any payment order, regardless of any financial institution name included in the payment order.

4. REJECTION: State Street reserves the right to decline to process or delay the processing of a payment order which (a) is in excess of the collected balance in the account to be charged at the time of State Street’s receipt of such payment order; (b) if initiating such payment order would cause State Street, in State Street’s sole judgment, to exceed any volume, aggregate dollar, network, time, credit or similar limits upon wire transfers which are applicable to State Street; or (c) if State Street, in good faith, is unable to satisfy itself that the transaction has been properly authorized.

5. CANCELLATION OR AMENDMENT: State Street shall use reasonable efforts to act on all authorized requests to cancel or amend payment orders received in compliance with the Security Procedure provided that such requests are received in a timely manner affording State Street reasonable opportunity to act. However, State Street assumes no liability if the request for amendment or cancellation cannot be satisfied.

6. ERRORS: State Street shall assume no responsibility for failure to detect any erroneous payment order provided that State Street complies with the payment order instructions as received and State Street complies with the Security Procedure. The Security Procedure is established for the purpose of authenticating payment orders only and not for the detection of errors in payment orders.

7. INTEREST AND LIABILITY LIMITS: State Street shall assume no responsibility for lost interest with respect to the refundable amount of any unauthorized payment order, unless State Street is notified of the unauthorized payment order within thirty (30) days of notification by State Street of the acceptance of such payment order. In no event shall State Street be liable for special, indirect or consequential damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages and even for failure to execute a payment order.

8. AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE (“ACH”) CREDIT ENTRIES/PROVISIONAL PAYMENTS: When a Client initiates or receives ACH credit and debit entries pursuant to these Guidelines and the rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association and the New England Clearing House Association, State Street will act as an Originating Depository Financial Institution and/or Receiving Depository Institution, as the case may be, with respect to such entries. Credits given by State Street with respect to an ACH credit entry are provisional until State Street receives final settlement for such entry from the Federal Reserve Bank. If State Street does not receive such final settlement, the Client agrees that State Street shall receive a refund of the amount credited to the Client in connection with such entry, and the party making payment to the Client via such entry shall not be deemed to have paid the amount of the entry.

9. CONFIRMATION STATEMENTS: Confirmation of State Street’s execution of payment orders shall ordinarily be provided within 24 hours. Notice may be delivered through State Street’s proprietary information systems, such as, but not limited to Horizon and GlobalQuest®, account statements, advices, or by facsimile or callback. The Client must report any objections to the execution of a payment order within 30 days.


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10. LIABILITY ON FOREIGN ACCOUNTS: State Street shall not be required to repay any deposit made at a non-U.S. branch of State Street, or any deposit made with State Street and denominated in a non-U.S. dollar currency, if repayment of such deposit or the use of assets denominated in the non-U.S. dollar currency is prevented, prohibited or otherwise blocked due to: (a) an act of war, insurrection or civil strife; (b) any action by a non-U.S. government or instrumentality or authority asserting governmental, military or police power of any kind, whether such authority be recognized as a defacto or a dejure government, or by any entity, political or revolutionary movement or otherwise that usurps, supervenes or otherwise materially impairs the normal operation of civil authority; or(c) the closure of a non-U.S. branch of State Street in order to prevent, in the reasonable judgment of State Street, harm to the employees or property of State Street. The obligation to repay any such deposit shall not be transferred to and may not be enforced against any other branch of State Street.

The foregoing provisions constitute the disclosure required by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 167D, Section 36.

While State Street is not obligated to repay any deposit made at a non-U.S. branch or any deposit denominated in a non-U.S. currency during the period in which its repayment has been prevented, prohibited or otherwise blocked, State Street will repay such deposit when and if all circumstances preventing, prohibiting or otherwise blocking repayment cease to exist.

11. MISCELLANEOUS: State Street and the Client agree to cooperate to attempt to recover any funds erroneously paid to the wrong party or parties, regardless of any fault of State Street or the Client, but the party responsible for the erroneous payment shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in trying to effect such recovery. These Guidelines may not be amended except by a written agreement signed by the parties.


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Security Procedure(s) Selection Form

Please select one or more of the funds transfer security procedures indicated below.

¨SWIFT

SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is a cooperative society owned and operated by member financial institutions that provides telecommunication services for its membership. Participation is limited to securities brokers and dealers, clearing and depository institutions, recognized exchanges for securities, and investment management institutions. SWIFT provides a number of security features through encryption and authentication to protect against unauthorized access, loss or wrong delivery of messages, transmission errors, loss of confidentiality and fraudulent changes to messages. SWIFT is considered to be one of the most secure and efficient networks for the delivery of funds transfer instructions.

Selection of this security procedure would be most appropriate for existing SWIFT members.

¨Standing Instructions

Standing Instructions may be used where funds are transferred to a broker on the Client’s established list of brokers with which it engages in foreign exchange transactions. Only the date, the currency and the currency amount are variable. In order to establish this procedure, State Street will send to the Client a list of the brokers that State Street has determined are used by the Client. The Client will confirm the list in writing, and State Street will verify the written confirmation by telephone. Standing Instructions will be subject to a mutually agreed upon limit. If the payment order exceeds the established limit, the Standing Instruction will be confirmed by telephone prior to execution.

¨Remote Batch Transmission

Wire transfer instructions are delivered via Computer-to-Computer (CPU-CPU) data communications between the Client and State Street. Security procedures include encryption and or the use of a test key by those individuals authorized as Automated Batch Verifiers.

Clients selecting this option should have an existing facility for completing CPU-CPU transmissions. This delivery mechanism is typically used for high-volume business.

¨Global Horizon Interchangesm Funds Transfer Service

Global Horizon Interchange Funds Transfer Service (FTS) is a State Street proprietary microcomputer-based wire initiation system. FTS enables Clients to electronically transmit authenticated Fedwire, CHIPS or internal book transfer instructions to State Street.

This delivery mechanism is most appropriate for Clients with a low-to-medium number of transactions (5-75 per day), allowing Clients to enter, batch, and review wire transfer instructions on their PC prior to release to State Street.

¨Telephone Confirmation (Callback)

Telephone confirmation will be used to verify all non-repetitive funds transfer instructions received via untested facsimile or phone. This procedure requires Clients to designate individuals as authorized initiators and authorized verifiers. State Street will verify that the instruction contains the signature of an authorized person and prior to execution, will contact someone other than the originator at the Client’s location to authenticate the instruction.

Selection of this alternative is appropriate for Clients who do not have the capability to use other security procedures.

¨Repetitive Wires

For situations where funds are transferred periodically (minimum of one instruction per calendar quarter) from an existing authorized account to the same payee (destination bank and account number) and only the date and currency amount are variable, a repetitive wire may be implemented. Repetitive wires will be subject to a mutually agreed upon limit. If the payment order exceeds the established limit, the instruction will be confirmed by telephone prior to execution. Telephone confirmation is used to establish this process. Repetitive wire instructions must be reconfirmed annually.

This alternative is recommended whenever funds are frequently transferred between the same two accounts.

¨Transfers Initiated by Facsimile

The Client faxes wire transfer instructions directly to State Street Mutual Fund Services. Standard security procedure requires the use of a random number test key for all transfers. Every six months the Client receives test key logs from State Street. The test key contains alpha-numeric characters, which the Client puts on each document faxed to State Street. This procedure ensures all wire instructions received via fax are authorized by the Client.

We provide this option for Clients who wish to batch wire instructions and transmit these as a group to State Street Mutual Fund Services once or several times a day.


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¨Instruct

Instruct is a State Street web-based application designed to provide internet-enabled remote access that allows for the capturing, verification and processing of various instruction types, including securities, cash and foreign exchange transactions. Instruct is designed using industry standard formats to facilitate straight-through processing. Instruct provides a number of security features through user entitlements, industry standard encryption protocols, digital security certificates and multiple tiers of user authentication requirements.

¨Secure Transport

Secure Transport is a file transfer application based upon the Secure File Transfer Protocol standard that is designed to enable State Street clients/ investment managers to send file based transfer and transaction instructions over the internet. Secure Transport features multi-factor authenticators such as SecurID and digital certificates, and incorporates industry-standard encryption protocols.

¨Automated Clearing House (ACH)

State Street receives an automated transmission or a magnetic tape from a Client for the initiation of payment (credit) or collection (debit) transactions through the ACH network. The transactions contained on each transmission or tape must be authenticated by the Client. Clients using ACH must select one or more of the following delivery options:

¨Global Horizon Interchange Automated Clearing House Service

Transactions are created on a microcomputer, assembled into batches and delivered to State Street via fully authenticated electronic transmissions in standard NACHA formats.

¨Transmission from Client PC to State Street Mainframe with Telephone Callback

¨Transmission from Client Mainframe to State Street Mainframe with Telephone Callback

¨Transmission from DST Systems to State Street Mainframe with Encryption

¨Magnetic Tape Delivered to State Street with Telephone Callback

State Street is hereby instructed to accept funds transfer instructions only via the delivery methods and security procedures indicated. The selected delivery methods and security procedure(s) will be effective                      for payment orders initiated by our organization.

Key Contact Information

Whom shall we contact to implement your selection(s)?

 

CLIENT OPERATIONS CONTACT

    

ALTERNATE CONTACT

    

 

    

 

  

Name

    

Name

  

 

    

 

  

Address

    

Address

  

 

    

 

  

City/State/Zip Code

    

City/State/Zip Code

  

 

    

 

  

Telephone Number

    

Telephone Number

  

 

    

 

  

Facsimile Number

    

Facsimile Number

  

 

       

SWIFT Number

       

 

       

Telex Number

       


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INSTRUCTION(S)

TELEPHONE CONFIRMATION

 

Fund _______________________________________________   
Investment Adviser ___________________________________   

Authorized Initiators

Please Type or Print

Please provide a listing of Fund officers or other individuals who are currently authorized to INITIATE wire transfer instructions to State Street:

 

NAME

  

TITLE (Specify whether position is with
Fund or Investment Adviser)

  

SPECIMEN SIGNATURE

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

Authorized Verifiers

Please Type or Print

Please provide a listing of Fund officers or other individuals who will be CALLED BACK to verify the initiation of repetitive wires of $10 million or more and all non-repetitive wire instructions:

 

NAME

  

CALLBACK PHONE NUMBER

  

DOLLAR LIMITATION (IF ANY)

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 


REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM TO CUSTODIAN CONTRACT

ADDENDUM to that certain Custodian Agreement dated as of April 19, 2010 (the “Custodian Agreement”) between THL Credit, Inc. (the “Customer”) and State Street Bank and Trust Company, including its subsidiaries and affiliates (“State Street”).

State Street has developed and/or utilizes proprietary or third-party accounting and other systems in conjunction with the services that State Street provides to the Customer. In this regard, State Street maintains certain information in databases under its ownership and/or control that it makes available to its customers (the “Remote Access Services”).

The Services

State Street agrees to provide the Customer, and its designated investment advisors, consultants or other third parties who agree to abide by the terms of this Addendum (“Authorized Designees”) with access to State Street proprietary and third-party systems as may be offered by State Street from time to time (each, a “System”) on a remote basis.

Security Procedures

The Customer agrees to comply, and to cause its Authorized Designees to comply, with remote access operating standards and procedures and with user identification or other password control requirements and other security devices and procedures as may be issued or required from time to time by State Street or its third-party vendors for use of the System and access to the Remote Access Services. The Customer is responsible for any use and/or misuse of the System and Remote Access Services by its Authorized Designees. The Customer agrees to advise State Street immediately in the event that it learns or has reason to believe that any person to whom it has given access to the System or the Remote Access Services has violated or intends to violate the terms of this Addendum and the Customer will cooperate with State Street in seeking injunctive or other equitable relief. The Customer agrees to discontinue use of the System and Remote Access Services, if requested, for any security reasons cited by State Street and State Street may restrict access of the System and Remote Access Services by the Customer or any Authorized Designee for security reasons or noncompliance with the terms of this Addendum at any time.

Fees

Fees and charges for the use of the System and the Remote Access Services and related payment terms shall be as set forth in the fee schedule in effect from time to time between the parties. The Customer shall be responsible for any tariffs, duties or taxes imposed or levied by any government or governmental agency by reason of the transactions contemplated by this Addendum, including, without limitation, federal, state and local taxes, use, value added and personal property taxes (other than income, franchise or similar taxes which may be imposed or assessed against State Street). Any claimed exemption from such tariffs, duties or taxes shall be supported by proper documentary evidence delivered to State Street.

Proprietary Information/Injunctive Relief

The System and Remote Access Services described herein and the databases, computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, formulae, processes, systems, software, knowhow, algorithms, programs, training aids, printed materials, methods, books, records, files, documentation and other information made available to the Customer by State Street as part of the Remote Access Services and through the use of the System and all copyrights, patents, trade secrets and other proprietary and

 

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intellectual property rights of State Street and third-party vendors related thereto are the exclusive, valuable and confidential proprietary property of State Street and its relevant licensors and third-party vendors (the “Proprietary Information”). The Customer agrees on behalf of itself and its Authorized Designees to keep the Proprietary Information confidential and to limit access to its employees and Authorized Designees (under a similar duty of confidentiality) who require access to the System for the purposes intended. The foregoing shall not apply to Proprietary Information in the public domain or required by law to be made public.

The Customer agrees to use the Remote Access Services only in connection with the proper purposes of this Addendum. The Customer will not, and will cause its employees and Authorized Designees not to, (i) permit any third party to use the System or the Remote Access Services, (ii) sell, rent, license or otherwise use the System or the Remote Access Services in the operation of a service bureau or for any purpose other than as expressly authorized under this Addendum, (iii) use the System or the Remote Access Services for any fund, trust or other investment vehicle without the prior written consent of State Street, or (iv) allow or cause any information transmitted from State Street’s databases, including data from third-party sources, available through use of the System or the Remote Access Services, to be published, redistributed or retransmitted for other than use for or on behalf of the Customer, as State Street’s customer.

The Customer agrees that neither it nor its Authorized Designees will modify the System in any way; enhance, copy or otherwise create derivative works based upon the System; nor will the Customer or Customer’s Authorized Designees reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise attempt to secure the source code for all or any part of the System.

The Customer acknowledges that the disclosure of any Proprietary Information, or of any information which at law or equity ought to remain confidential, will immediately give rise to continuing irreparable injury to State Street or its third-party licensors and vendors inadequately compensable in damages at law and that State Street shall be entitled to obtain immediate injunctive relief against the breach or threatened breach of any of the foregoing undertakings, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available.

Limited Warranties

State Street represents and warrants that it is the owner of and/or has the right to grant access to the System and to provide the Remote Access Services contemplated herein. Because of the nature of computer information technology, including but not limited to the use of the Internet, and the necessity of relying upon third-party sources, and data and pricing information obtained from third parties, the System and Remote Access Services are provided “AS IS” without warranty express or implied including as to availability of the System, and the Customer and its Authorized Designees shall be solely responsible for the use of the System and Remote Access Services and investment decisions, results obtained, regulatory reports and statements produced using the Remote Access Services. State Street and its relevant licensors and third-party vendors will not be liable to the Customer or its Authorized Designees for any direct or indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the System or the Remote Access Services, nor shall any party be responsible for delays or nonperformance under this Addendum arising out of any cause or event beyond such party’s control.

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS ADDENDUM, STATE STREET, FOR ITSELF AND ITS RELEVANT LICENSORS AND THIRD-PARTY VENDORS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES CONCERNING THE SYSTEM AND THE SERVICES TO BE RENDERED HEREUNDER, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

 

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Infringement

State Street will defend or, at its option, settle any claim or action brought against the Customer to the extent that it is based upon an assertion that access to or use of State Street proprietary systems by the Customer under this Addendum constitutes direct infringement of any United States patent or copyright or misappropriation of a trade secret, provided that the Customer notifies State Street promptly in writing of any such claim or proceeding, cooperates with State Street in the defense of such claim or proceeding and allows State Street sole control over such claim or proceeding. Should the State Street proprietary system or any part thereof become, or in State Street’s opinion be likely to become, the subject of a claim of infringement or the like under any applicable patent, copyright or trade secret laws, State Street shall have the right, at State Street’s sole option, to (i) procure for the Customer the right to continue using the State Street proprietary system (ii) replace or modify the State Street proprietary system so that the State Street proprietary system becomes noninfringing, or (iii) terminate this Addendum without further obligation. This section constitutes the sole remedy available to the Customer for the matters described in this section.

Termination

Either party to the Custodian Agreement may terminate this Addendum (i) for any reason by giving the other party at least one-hundred and eighty (180) days’ prior written notice in the case of notice of termination by State Street to the Customer or thirty (30) days’ notice in the case of notice from the Customer to State Street of termination, or (ii) immediately for failure of the other party to comply with any material term and condition of the Addendum by giving the other party written notice of termination. This Addendum shall in any event terminate within ninety (90) days after the termination of any service agreement applicable to the Customer. The Customer’s use of any third-party System is contingent upon its compliance with any terms and conditions of use of such System imposed by such third party and State Street’s continued access to, and use of, such third-party System. In the event of termination, the Customer will return to State Street all copies of documentation and other confidential information in its possession or in the possession of its Authorized Designees and immediately cease access to the System and Remote Access Services. The foregoing provisions with respect to confidentiality and infringement will survive termination for a period of three (3) years.

Miscellaneous

This Addendum constitutes the entire understanding of the parties to the Custodian Agreement with respect to access to the System and the Remote Access Services. This Addendum cannot be modified or altered except in a writing duly executed by each of State Street and the Customer and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

By its execution of the Custodian Agreement, the Customer: (a) confirms to State Street that it informs all Authorized Designees of the terms of this Addendum; (b) accepts responsibility for its and its Authorized Designees’ compliance with the terms of this Addendum; and (c) indemnifies and holds State Street harmless from and against any and all costs, expenses, losses, damages, charges, counsel fees, payments and liabilities arising from any failure of the Customer or any of its Authorized Designees to abide by the terms of this Addendum.

 

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