PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 15. Indemnification
The Registrant has entered into an Indemnification Agreement with each director whereby the Registrant has agreed to indemnify each director against expenses and costs actually and reasonably incurred by such director in connection with any claims, suits or proceedings; provided that no indemnification shall be provided to the extent that the director engaged in conduct for which indemnification may not lawfully be provided to such director.
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision eliminating the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action.
Maryland law requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Registrant’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that: (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer for an adverse judgment in a suit by or on behalf of the corporation or if the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer, without requiring a preliminary determination of the director’s or officer’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification, upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Article SEVENTH of the Registrant’s charter, incorporated by reference as Exhibit 1(a) to this Registration Statement, provides that:
To the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, no director or officer of the Registrant shall have any liability to the Registrant or its stockholders for money damages. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a director or officer of the Registrant whether or not such person is a director or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted.
The Registrant shall indemnify and advance expenses to its currently acting and its former directors and officers to the fullest extent that indemnification of directors is permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Board of Directors may by bylaw, resolution or agreement make further provision for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law. The foregoing rights of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled. The Board of Directors may take such action as is necessary to carry out these indemnification provisions and is expressly empowered to adopt, approve and amend
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