BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, et al., 61096-61100 [2017-27686]

Download as PDF 61096 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 26, 2017 / Notices ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES transactions, and underwritings, (ii) excessive layering of fees, and (iii) overly complex fund structures, which are the concerns underlying the limits in sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act. 8. Applicants request an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act to permit persons that are Affiliated Persons, or Second Tier Affiliates, of the Funds, solely by virtue of certain ownership interests, to effectuate purchases and redemptions in-kind. The deposit procedures for in-kind purchases of Creation Units and the redemption procedures for in-kind redemptions of Creation Units will be the same for all purchases and redemptions and Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments will be valued in the same manner as those Portfolio Instruments currently held by the Funds. Applicants also seek relief from the prohibitions on affiliated transactions in section 17(a) to permit a Fund to sell its shares to and redeem its shares from a Fund of Funds, and to engage in the accompanying in-kind transactions with the Fund of Funds.2 The purchase of Creation Units by a Fund of Funds directly from a Fund will be accomplished in accordance with the policies of the Fund of Funds and will be based on the NAVs of the Funds. 9. Applicants also request relief to permit a Feeder Fund to acquire shares of another registered investment company managed by the Adviser having substantially the same investment objectives as the Feeder Fund (‘‘Master Fund’’) beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) and permit the Master Fund, and any principal underwriter for the Master Fund, to sell shares of the Master Fund to the Feeder Fund beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B). 10. Section 6(c) of the Act permits the Commission to exempt any persons or transactions from any provision of the Act if such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security, or transaction, or any class or classes of 2 The requested relief would apply to direct sales of shares in Creation Units by a Fund to a Fund of Funds and redemptions of those shares. Applicants, moreover, are not seeking relief from section 17(a) for, and the requested relief will not apply to, transactions where a Fund could be deemed an Affiliated Person, or a Second-Tier Affiliate, of a Fund of Funds because an Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with an Adviser provides investment advisory services to that Fund of Funds. VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:21 Dec 22, 2017 Jkt 244001 persons, securities, or transactions, from any provision of section 12(d)(1) if the exemption is consistent with the public interest and the protection of investors. Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the Commission to grant an order permitting a transaction otherwise prohibited by section 17(a) if it finds that (a) the terms of the proposed transaction are fair and reasonable and do not involve overreaching on the part of any person concerned; (b) the proposed transaction is consistent with the policies of each registered investment company involved; and (c) the proposed transaction is consistent with the general purposes of the Act. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority. Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–27649 Filed 12–22–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Investment Company Act Release No. 32943; File No. 812–14582] BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, et al. December 19, 2017. Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Notice of application for an order under sections 17(d) and 57(i) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Act’’) and rule 17d–1 under the Act permitting certain joint transactions otherwise prohibited by sections 17(d) and 57(a)(4) of the Act and under rule 17d–1 under the Act. SUMMARY OF APPLICATION: Applicants request an order to permit a business development company (‘‘BDC’’) and certain closed end investment companies to co-invest in portfolio companies with each other and with affiliated investment funds. APPLICANTS: BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation (‘‘Company’’), Middle Market Senior Fund, L.P. (‘‘MMSF’’), and BlackRock Capital Investment Advisors, LLC (‘‘BlackRock Capital Advisor’’), on behalf of itself and its successors.1 FILING DATES: The application was filed on November 19, 2015, and amended on 1 The term ‘‘successor,’’ as applied to each BlackRock Capital Advisor, means an entity that results from a reorganization into another jurisdiction or change in the type of business organization. PO 00000 Frm 00149 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 February 24, 2016, June 8, 2016 and September 22, 2017. HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING: An order granting the requested relief will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission’s Secretary and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 p.m. on January 15, 2018, and should be accompanied by proof of service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the Act, hearing requests should state the nature of the writer’s interest, any facts bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the Commission’s Secretary. ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F St. NE, Washington, DC 20549–1090. Applicants, 40 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kaitlin C. Bottock, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551–8658, or David J. Marcinkus, Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821 (Chief Counsel’s Office, Division of Investment Management). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the application. The complete application may be obtained via the Commission’s website by searching for the file number, or for an applicant using the Company name box, at https:// www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by calling (202) 551–8090. Applicants’ Representations 1. The Company, a Delaware corporation, is organized as a closedend management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under section 54(a) of the Act.2 The Company’s Objectives and Strategies 3 are to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. The board of 2 Section 2(a)(48) defines a BDC to be any closedend investment company that operates for the purpose of making investments in securities described in sections 55(a)(1) through 55(a)(3) of the Act and makes available significant managerial assistance with respect to the issuers of such securities. 3 ‘‘Objectives and Strategies’’ means a Regulated Fund’s (defined below) investment objectives and strategies, as described in the Regulated Fund’s registration statement on Form N–2, other filings the Regulated Fund has made with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 (the ‘‘Securities Act’’) or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Regulated Fund’s reports to shareholders. E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 26, 2017 / Notices ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES directors of the Company (the ‘‘Company Board’’) is comprised of six directors. The Company Board and any board of directors of a Future Regulated Fund (defined below) (the ‘‘Boards’’ and each a ‘‘Board’’) will be comprised of directors, a majority of whom will not be ‘‘interested persons,’’ within the meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act (the ‘‘Non-Interested Directors’’), of the Company or any Future Regulated Fund. 2. MMSF is a Delaware limited partnership that is exempt from registration pursuant to section 3(c)(7) of the Act. MMSF’s investment objective is to generate current income through senior debt investments. 3. BlackRock Capital Advisor, a Delaware limited liability company, intends to be registered with the Commission as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Advisers Act’’). BlackRock Capital Advisor is an indirect whollyowned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., a New York based global investment management firm. BlackRock Capital Advisor will serve as investment adviser to the Company and MMSF. 4. Applicants seek an order (‘‘Order’’) to permit one or more Regulated Funds 4 and/or one or more Affiliated Funds 5 to participate in the same investment opportunities through a proposed coinvestment program (the ‘‘CoInvestment Program’’) where such participation would otherwise be prohibited under either or both of sections 17(d) and 57(a)(4) and rule 17d–1 by (a) co-investing with each other in securities issued by issuers in private placement transactions in which a BRC Advisor negotiates terms in addition to price; 6 and (b) making additional investments in securities, including loans, of such issuers, including through the exercise of warrants, conversion privileges, and 4 ‘‘Regulated Fund’’ means the Company and any Future Regulated Fund. ‘‘Future Regulated Fund’’ means any closed-end management investment company (a) that is registered under the Act or has elected to be regulated as a BDC, (b) whose investment adviser is a BRC Advisor, and (c) that intends to participate in the Co-Investment Program. The term ‘‘BRC Advisor’’ means (a) BlackRock Capital Advisor and (b) any future investment adviser that is controlled by BlackRock Capital Advisor and is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. 5 ‘‘Affiliated Fund’’ means MMSF and any Future Affiliated Fund. ‘‘Future Affiliated Fund’’ means any entity (a) whose investment adviser is a BRC Advisor, (b) that would be an investment company but for section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act, and (c) that intends to participate in the Co-Investment Program. 6 The term ‘‘private placement transactions’’ means transactions in which the offer and sale of securities by the issuer are exempt from registration under the Securities Act. VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:21 Dec 22, 2017 Jkt 244001 other rights to purchase securities of the issuers (‘‘Follow-On Investments’’). ‘‘CoInvestment Transaction’’ means any transaction in which a Regulated Fund (or its Wholly-Owned Investment Sub, defined below) participated together with one or more other Regulated Funds and/or one or more Affiliated Funds in reliance on the requested Order. ‘‘Potential Co-Investment Transaction’’ means any investment opportunity in which a Regulated Fund (or its WhollyOwned Investment Sub) could not participate together with one or more Affiliated Funds and/or one or more other Regulated Funds without obtaining and relying on the Order.7 5. Applicants state that any of the Regulated Funds may, from time to time, form one or more Wholly-Owned Investment Subs.8 Such a subsidiary would be prohibited from investing in a Co-Investment Transaction with any Affiliated Fund or Regulated Fund because it would be a company controlled by its parent Regulated Fund for purposes of section 57(a)(4) and rule 17d–1. Applicants request that each Wholly-Owned Investment Sub be permitted to participate in CoInvestment Transactions in lieu of its parent Regulated Fund and that the Wholly-Owned Investment Sub’s participation in any such transaction be treated, for purposes of the requested Order, as though the parent Regulated Fund were participating directly. Applicants represent that this treatment is justified because a Wholly-Owned Investment Sub would have no purpose other than serving as a holding vehicle for the Regulated Fund’s investments and, therefore, no conflicts of interest could arise between the Regulated Fund and the Wholly-Owned Investment Sub. The Regulated Fund’s Board would make all relevant determinations under the conditions with regard to a WhollyOwned Investment Sub’s participation in a Co-Investment Transaction, and the Regulated Fund’s Board would be informed of, and take into consideration, any proposed use of a 7 All existing entities that currently intend to rely upon the requested Order have been named as applicants. Any other existing or future entity that subsequently relies on the Order will comply with the terms and conditions of the application. 8 The term ‘‘Wholly-Owned Investment Sub’’ means an entity (i) that is wholly-owned by a Regulated Fund (with the Regulated Fund at all times holding, beneficially and of record, 100% of the voting and economic interests); (ii) whose sole business purpose is to hold one or more investments on behalf of the Regulated Fund; (iii) with respect to which the Regulated Fund’s Board has the sole authority to make all determinations with respect to the entity’s participation under the conditions of the application; and (iv) that would be an investment company but for section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act. PO 00000 Frm 00150 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 61097 Wholly-Owned Investment Sub in the Regulated Fund’s place. If the Regulated Fund proposes to participate in the same Co-Investment Transaction with any of its Wholly-Owned Investment Subs, the Board will also be informed of, and take into consideration, the relative participation of the Regulated Fund and the Wholly-Owned Investment Sub. 6. When considering Potential CoInvestment Transactions for any Regulated Fund, the applicable BRC Advisor will consider only the Objectives and Strategies, investment policies, investment positions, capital available for investment, and other pertinent factors applicable to that Regulated Fund. Before relying on the requested Order, the Board of each Regulated Fund, including the NonInterested Directors, will have determined that it is in the best interests of the Regulated Fund to participate in the Co-Investment Transactions.9 7. Other than pro rata dispositions and Follow-On Investments as provided in conditions 7 and 8, and after making the determinations required in conditions 1 and 2(a), the BRC Advisor will present each Potential CoInvestment Transaction and the proposed allocation to the directors of the Board eligible to vote under section 57(o) of the Act (‘‘Eligible Directors’’), and the ‘‘required majority,’’ as defined in section 57(o) of the Act (‘‘Required Majority’’) 10 will approve each CoInvestment Transaction prior to any investment by the participating Regulated Fund. 8. With respect to the pro rata dispositions and Follow-On Investments provided in conditions 7 and 8, a Regulated Fund may participate in a pro rata disposition or Follow-On Investment without obtaining prior approval of the Required Majority if, among other things: (i) The proposed participation of each Regulated Fund and Affiliated Fund in such disposition is proportionate to its outstanding investments in the issuer immediately preceding the disposition or Follow-On Investment, as the case may be; and (ii) the Board of the Regulated Fund has approved that Regulated Fund’s participation in pro rata dispositions and Follow-On Investments as being in the best interests of the Regulated Fund. If the Board does not so approve, any 9 The Regulated Funds, however, will not be obligated to invest, or co-invest, when investment opportunities are referred to them. 10 In the case of a Regulated Fund that is a registered closed-end fund, the Board members that make up the Required Majority will be determined as if the Regulated Fund were a BDC subject to section 57(o). E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 61098 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 26, 2017 / Notices ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES such disposition or Follow-On Investment will be submitted to the Regulated Fund’s Eligible Directors. The Board of any Regulated Fund may at any time rescind, suspend or qualify its approval of pro rata dispositions and Follow-On Investments with the result that all dispositions and/or Follow-On Investments must be submitted to the Eligible Directors. 9. No Non-Interested Director of a Regulated Fund will have a financial interest in any Co-Investment Transaction, other than through share ownership in one of the Regulated Funds. 10. Applicants also represent that if a BRC Advisor or its principals, or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with a BRC Advisor or its principals, and the Affiliated Funds (collectively, the ‘‘Holders’’) own in the aggregate more than 25% of the outstanding voting shares of a Regulated Fund (the ‘‘Shares’’), then the Holders will vote such Shares as required under condition 14. Applicants’ Legal Analysis 1. Section 57(a)(4) of the Act prohibits certain affiliated persons of a BDC from participating in joint transactions with the BDC or a company controlled by a BDC in contravention of rules as prescribed by the Commission. Under section 57(b)(2) of the Act, any person who is directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with a BDC is subject to section 57(a)(4). Applicants submit that each of the Regulated Funds and Affiliated Funds could be deemed to be a person related to each Regulated Fund in a manner described by section 57(b) by virtue of being under common control. Section 57(i) of the Act provides that, until the Commission prescribes rules under section 57(a)(4), the Commission’s rules under section 17(d) of the Act applicable to registered closed-end investment companies will be deemed to apply to transactions subject to section 57(a)(4). Because the Commission has not adopted any rules under section 57(a)(4), rule 17d–1 also applies to joint transactions with Regulated Funds that are BDCs. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d–1 under the Act are applicable to Regulated Funds that are registered closed-end investment companies. 2. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d–1 under the Act prohibit affiliated persons of a registered investment company from participating in joint transactions with the company unless the Commission has granted an order permitting such transactions. In passing VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:21 Dec 22, 2017 Jkt 244001 upon applications under rule 17d–1, the Commission considers whether the company’s participation in the joint transaction is consistent with the provisions, policies, and purposes of the Act and the extent to which such participation is on a basis different from or less advantageous than that of other participants. 3. Applicants state that in the absence of the requested relief, the Regulated Funds would be, in some circumstances, limited in their ability to participate in attractive and appropriate investment opportunities. Applicants believe that the proposed terms and conditions will ensure that the CoInvestment Transactions are consistent with the protection of each Regulated Fund’s shareholders and with the purposes intended by the policies and provisions of the Act. Applicants state that the Regulated Funds’ participation in the Co-Investment Transactions will be consistent with the provisions, policies, and purposes of the Act and on a basis that is not different from or less advantageous than that of other participants. Applicants’ Conditions Applicants agree that the Order will be subject to the following conditions: 1. Each time a BRC Advisor considers a Potential Co-Investment Transaction for an Affiliated Fund or another Regulated Fund that falls within a Regulated Fund’s then-current Objectives and Strategies, the Regulated Fund’s BRC Advisor will make an independent determination of the appropriateness of the investment for such Regulated Fund in light of the Regulated Fund’s then-current circumstances. 2. (a) If the BRC Advisor deems a Regulated Fund’s participation in any Potential Co-Investment Transaction to be appropriate for the Regulated Fund, it will then determine an appropriate level of investment for the Regulated Fund. (b) If the aggregate amount recommended by the applicable BRC Advisor to be invested by the applicable Regulated Fund in the Potential CoInvestment Transaction, together with the amount proposed to be invested by the other participating Regulated Funds and Affiliated Funds, collectively, in the same transaction, exceeds the amount of the investment opportunity, the investment opportunity will be allocated among them pro rata based on each participant’s capital available for investment in the asset class being allocated, up to the amount proposed to be invested by each. The applicable BRC Advisor will provide the Eligible PO 00000 Frm 00151 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Directors of each participating Regulated Fund with information concerning each participating party’s available capital to assist the Eligible Directors with their review of the Regulated Fund’s investments for compliance with these allocation procedures. (c) After making the determinations required in conditions 1 and 2(a), the applicable BRC Advisor will distribute written information concerning the Potential Co-Investment Transaction (including the amount proposed to be invested by each participating Regulated Fund and Affiliated Fund) to the Eligible Directors of each participating Regulated Fund for their consideration. A Regulated Fund will co-invest with one or more other Regulated Funds and/ or one or more Affiliated Funds only if, prior to the Regulated Fund’s participation in the Potential CoInvestment Transaction, a Required Majority concludes that: (i) The terms of the Potential CoInvestment Transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to the Regulated Fund and its shareholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of the Regulated Fund or its shareholders on the part of any person concerned; (ii) the Potential Co-Investment Transaction is consistent with: (A) The interests of the shareholders of the Regulated Fund; and (B) the Regulated Fund’s then-current Objectives and Strategies; (iii) the investment by any other Regulated Funds or Affiliated Funds would not disadvantage the Regulated Fund, and participation by the participating Regulated Fund would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that of other Regulated Funds or Affiliated Funds; provided that, if any other Regulated Fund or Affiliated Fund, but not the Regulated Fund itself, gains the right to nominate a director for election to a portfolio company’s board of directors or the right to have a board observer or any similar right to participate in the governance or management of the portfolio company, such event shall not be interpreted to prohibit the Required Majority from reaching the conclusions required by this condition (2)(c)(iii), if: (A) The Eligible Directors will have the right to ratify the selection of such director or board observer, if any; (B) the applicable BRC Advisor agrees to, and does, provide periodic reports to the Regulated Fund’s Board with respect to the actions of such director or the information received by such board observer or obtained through the exercise of any similar right to E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 26, 2017 / Notices participate in the governance or management of the portfolio company; and (C) any fees or other compensation that any Affiliated Fund or any Regulated Fund or any affiliated person of any Affiliated Fund or any Regulated Fund receives in connection with the right of an Affiliated Fund or a Regulated Fund to nominate a director or appoint a board observer or otherwise to participate in the governance or management of the portfolio company will be shared proportionately among the participating Affiliated Funds (who each may, in turn, share its portion with its affiliated persons) and the participating Regulated Funds in accordance with the amount of each party’s investment; and (iv) the proposed investment by the Regulated Fund will not benefit the BRC Advisors, the Affiliated Funds or the other Regulated Funds or any affiliated person of any of them (other than the parties to the Co-Investment Transaction), except (A) to the extent permitted by condition 13, (B) to the extent permitted by section 17(e) or 57(k) of the Act, as applicable, (C) indirectly, as a result of an interest in the securities issued by one of the parties to the Co-Investment Transaction, or (D) in the case of fees or other compensation described in condition 2(c)(iii)(C). 3. Each Regulated Fund has the right to decline to participate in any Potential Co-Investment Transaction or to invest less than the amount proposed. 4. The applicable BRC Advisor will present to the Board of each Regulated Fund, on a quarterly basis, a record of all investments in Potential CoInvestment Transactions made by any of the other Regulated Funds or Affiliated Funds during the preceding quarter that fell within the Regulated Fund’s thencurrent Objectives and Strategies that were not made available to the Regulated Fund, and an explanation of why the investment opportunities were not offered to the Regulated Fund. All information presented to the Board pursuant to this condition will be kept for the life of the Regulated Fund and at least two years thereafter, and will be subject to examination by the Commission and its staff. 5. Except for Follow-On Investments made in accordance with condition 8,11 a Regulated Fund will not invest in reliance on the Order in any issuer in which another Regulated Fund, 11 This exception applies only to Follow-On Investments by a Regulated Fund in issuers in which that Regulated Fund already holds investments. VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:21 Dec 22, 2017 Jkt 244001 Affiliated Fund, or any affiliated person of another Regulated Fund or Affiliated Fund is an existing investor. 6. A Regulated Fund will not participate in any Potential CoInvestment Transaction unless the terms, conditions, price, class of securities to be purchased, settlement date, and registration rights will be the same for each participating Regulated Fund and Affiliated Fund. The grant to an Affiliated Fund or another Regulated Fund, but not the Regulated Fund, of the right to nominate a director for election to a portfolio company’s board of directors, the right to have an observer on the board of directors or similar rights to participate in the governance or management of the portfolio company will not be interpreted so as to violate this condition 6, if conditions 2(c)(iii)(A), (B) and (C) are met. 7. (a) If any Affiliated Fund or any Regulated Fund elects to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of an interest in a security that was acquired in a CoInvestment Transaction, the applicable BRC Advisors will: (i) Notify each Regulated Fund that participated in the Co-Investment Transaction of the proposed disposition at the earliest practical time; and (ii) formulate a recommendation as to participation by each Regulated Fund in the disposition. (b) Each Regulated Fund will have the right to participate in such disposition on a proportionate basis, at the same price and on the same terms and conditions as those applicable to the participating Affiliated Funds and Regulated Funds. (c) A Regulated Fund may participate in such disposition without obtaining prior approval of the Required Majority if: (i) The proposed participation of each Regulated Fund and each Affiliated Fund in such disposition is proportionate to its outstanding investments in the issuer immediately preceding the disposition; (ii) the Board of the Regulated Fund has approved as being in the best interests of the Regulated Fund the ability to participate in such dispositions on a pro rata basis (as described in greater detail in the application); and (iii) the Board of the Regulated Fund is provided on a quarterly basis with a list of all dispositions made in accordance with this condition. In all other cases, the BRC Advisor will provide its written recommendation as to the Regulated Fund’s participation to the Eligible Directors, and the Regulated Fund will participate in such disposition solely to the extent that a Required Majority PO 00000 Frm 00152 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 61099 determines that it is in the Regulated Fund’s best interests. (d) Each Affiliated Fund and each Regulated Fund will bear its own expenses in connection with any such disposition. 8. (a) If any Affiliated Fund or any Regulated Fund desires to make a Follow-On Investment in a portfolio company whose securities were acquired in a Co-Investment Transaction, the applicable BRC Advisors will: (i) Notify each Regulated Fund that participated in the Co-Investment Transaction of the proposed transaction at the earliest practical time; and (ii) formulate a recommendation as to the proposed participation, including the amount of the proposed Follow-On Investment, by each Regulated Fund. (b) A Regulated Fund may participate in such Follow-On Investment without obtaining prior approval of the Required Majority if: (i) The proposed participation of each Regulated Fund and each Affiliated Fund in such investment is proportionate to its outstanding investments in the issuer immediately preceding the Follow-On Investment; and (ii) the Board of the Regulated Fund has approved as being in the best interests of the Regulated Fund the ability to participate in Follow-On Investments on a pro rata basis (as described in greater detail in the application). In all other cases, the BRC Advisor will provide its written recommendation as to the Regulated Fund’s participation to the Eligible Directors, and the Regulated Fund will participate in such Follow-On Investment solely to the extent that a Required Majority determines that it is in the Regulated Fund’s best interests. (c) If, with respect to any Follow-On Investment: (i) The amount of the opportunity is not based on the Regulated Funds’ and the Affiliated Funds’ outstanding investments immediately preceding the Follow-On Investment; and (ii) the aggregate amount recommended by the BRC Advisor to be invested by each Regulated Fund in the Follow-On Investment, together with the amount proposed to be invested by the participating Affiliated Funds in the same transaction, exceeds the amount of the opportunity; then the amount invested by each such party will be allocated among them pro rata based on each participant’s capital available for investment in the asset class being allocated, up to the amount proposed to be invested by each. (d) The acquisition of Follow-On Investments as permitted by this condition will be considered a Co- E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES 61100 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 26, 2017 / Notices Investment Transaction for all purposes and subject to the other conditions set forth in the application. 9. The Non-Interested Directors of each Regulated Fund will be provided quarterly for review all information concerning Potential Co-Investment Transactions and Co-Investment Transactions, including investments made by other Regulated Funds or Affiliated Funds that the Regulated Fund considered but declined to participate in, so that the Non-Interested Directors may determine whether all investments made during the preceding quarter, including those investments that the Regulated Fund considered but declined to participate in, comply with the conditions of the Order. In addition, the Non-Interested Directors will consider at least annually the continued appropriateness for the Regulated Fund of participating in new and existing CoInvestment Transactions. 10. Each Regulated Fund will maintain the records required by section 57(f)(3) of the Act as if each of the Regulated Funds were a BDC and each of the investments permitted under these conditions were approved by the Required Majority under section 57(f) of the Act. 11. No Non-Interested Director of a Regulated Fund will also be a director, general partner, managing member or principal, or otherwise an ‘‘affiliated person’’ (as defined in the Act) of an Affiliated Fund. 12. The expenses, if any, associated with acquiring, holding or disposing of any securities acquired in a CoInvestment Transaction (including, without limitation, the expenses of the distribution of any such securities registered for sale under the Securities Act) will, to the extent not payable by the BRC Advisors under their respective investment advisory agreements with Affiliated Funds and the Regulated Funds, be shared by the Regulated Funds and the Affiliated Funds in proportion to the relative amounts of the securities held or to be acquired or disposed of, as the case may be. 13. Any transaction fee 12 (including break-up or commitment fees but excluding broker’s fees contemplated by section 17(e) or 57(k) of the Act, as applicable), received in connection with a Co-Investment Transaction will be distributed to the participating Regulated Funds and Affiliated Funds on a pro rata basis based on the amounts they invested or committed, as the case may be, in such Co-Investment Transaction. If any transaction fee is to be held by a BRC Advisor pending consummation of the transaction, the fee will be deposited into an account maintained by such BRC Advisor at a bank or banks having the qualifications prescribed in section 26(a)(1) of the Act, and the account will earn a competitive rate of interest that will also be divided pro rata among the participating Regulated Funds and Affiliated Funds based on the amounts they invest in such Co-Investment Transaction. None of the Affiliated Funds, the BRC Advisors, the other Regulated Funds or any affiliated person of the Regulated Funds or Affiliated Funds will receive additional compensation or remuneration of any kind as a result of or in connection with a Co-Investment Transaction (other than (a) in the case of the Regulated Funds and the Affiliated Funds, the pro rata transaction fees described above and fees or other compensation described in condition 2(c)(iii)(C); and (b) in the case of an BRC Advisor, investment advisory fees paid in accordance with the agreement between the BRC Advisor and the Regulated Fund or Affiliated Fund. 14. If the Holders own in the aggregate more than 25 percent of the Shares of a Regulated Fund, then the Holders will vote such Shares as directed by an independent third party when voting on (1) the election of directors; (2) the removal of one or more directors; or (3) any other matter under either the Act or applicable State law affecting the Board’s composition, size or manner of election. 15. Each Regulated Fund’s chief compliance officer, as defined in rule 38a–1(a)(4), will prepare an annual report for its Board each year that evaluates (and documents the basis of that evaluation) the Regulated Fund’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the application and the procedures established to achieve such compliance. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority. Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–27686 Filed 12–22–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 12 Applicants are not requesting and the staff is not providing any relief for transaction fees received in connection with any Co-Investment Transaction. VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:21 Dec 22, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–82350; File No. SR– NYSEArca–2017–139] Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade the Shares of the ProShares Bitcoin ETF and the ProShares Short Bitcoin ETF Under NYSE Arca Rule 8.200–E, Commentary .02 December 19, 2017. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3 notice is hereby given that, on December 4, 2017, NYSE Arca, Inc. (the ‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘NYSE Arca’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to list and trade the shares of the following under NYSE Arca Rule 8.200–E, Commentary .02 (‘‘Trust Issued Receipts’’): The ProShares Bitcoin ETF and the ProShares Short Bitcoin ETF. The proposed change is available on the Exchange’s website at www.nyse.com, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission’s Public Reference Room. II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of those statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such statements. 1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). U.S.C. 78a. 3 17 CFR 240.19b–4. 2 15 Frm 00153 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61096-61100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27686]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. 32943; File No. 812-14582]


BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, et al.

December 19, 2017.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice of application for an order under sections 17(d) and 57(i) 
of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act'') and rule 17d-1 
under the Act permitting certain joint transactions otherwise 
prohibited by sections 17(d) and 57(a)(4) of the Act and under rule 
17d-1 under the Act.

SUMMARY OF APPLICATION:  Applicants request an order to permit a 
business development company (``BDC'') and certain closed end 
investment companies to co-invest in portfolio companies with each 
other and with affiliated investment funds.

APPLICANTS:  BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation (``Company''), 
Middle Market Senior Fund, L.P. (``MMSF''), and BlackRock Capital 
Investment Advisors, LLC (``BlackRock Capital Advisor''), on behalf of 
itself and its successors.\1\
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    \1\ The term ``successor,'' as applied to each BlackRock Capital 
Advisor, means an entity that results from a reorganization into 
another jurisdiction or change in the type of business organization.

FILING DATES:  The application was filed on November 19, 2015, and 
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amended on February 24, 2016, June 8, 2016 and September 22, 2017.

HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING:  An order granting the requested 
relief will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. 
Interested persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's 
Secretary and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally 
or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 
5:30 p.m. on January 15, 2018, and should be accompanied by proof of 
service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a 
certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0-5 under the Act, hearing 
requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, any facts 
bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the reason 
for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be 
notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the 
Commission's Secretary.

ADDRESSES:  Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F 
St. NE, Washington, DC 20549-1090. Applicants, 40 East 52nd Street, New 
York, NY 10022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Kaitlin C. Bottock, Senior Counsel, 
at (202) 551-8658, or David J. Marcinkus, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-
6821 (Chief Counsel's Office, Division of Investment Management).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The following is a summary of the 
application. The complete application may be obtained via the 
Commission's website by searching for the file number, or for an 
applicant using the Company name box, at https://www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by calling (202) 551-8090.

Applicants' Representations

    1. The Company, a Delaware corporation, is organized as a closed-
end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a 
BDC under section 54(a) of the Act.\2\ The Company's Objectives and 
Strategies \3\ are to generate both current income and capital 
appreciation through debt and equity investments. The board of

[[Page 61097]]

directors of the Company (the ``Company Board'') is comprised of six 
directors. The Company Board and any board of directors of a Future 
Regulated Fund (defined below) (the ``Boards'' and each a ``Board'') 
will be comprised of directors, a majority of whom will not be 
``interested persons,'' within the meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the 
Act (the ``Non-Interested Directors''), of the Company or any Future 
Regulated Fund.
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    \2\ Section 2(a)(48) defines a BDC to be any closed-end 
investment company that operates for the purpose of making 
investments in securities described in sections 55(a)(1) through 
55(a)(3) of the Act and makes available significant managerial 
assistance with respect to the issuers of such securities.
    \3\ ``Objectives and Strategies'' means a Regulated Fund's 
(defined below) investment objectives and strategies, as described 
in the Regulated Fund's registration statement on Form N-2, other 
filings the Regulated Fund has made with the Commission under the 
Securities Act of 1933 (the ``Securities Act'') or under the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Regulated Fund's reports to 
shareholders.
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    2. MMSF is a Delaware limited partnership that is exempt from 
registration pursuant to section 3(c)(7) of the Act. MMSF's investment 
objective is to generate current income through senior debt 
investments.
    3. BlackRock Capital Advisor, a Delaware limited liability company, 
intends to be registered with the Commission as an investment adviser 
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ``Advisers Act''). 
BlackRock Capital Advisor is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of 
BlackRock, Inc., a New York based global investment management firm. 
BlackRock Capital Advisor will serve as investment adviser to the 
Company and MMSF.
    4. Applicants seek an order (``Order'') to permit one or more 
Regulated Funds \4\ and/or one or more Affiliated Funds \5\ to 
participate in the same investment opportunities through a proposed co-
investment program (the ``Co-Investment Program'') where such 
participation would otherwise be prohibited under either or both of 
sections 17(d) and 57(a)(4) and rule 17d-1 by (a) co-investing with 
each other in securities issued by issuers in private placement 
transactions in which a BRC Advisor negotiates terms in addition to 
price; \6\ and (b) making additional investments in securities, 
including loans, of such issuers, including through the exercise of 
warrants, conversion privileges, and other rights to purchase 
securities of the issuers (``Follow-On Investments''). ``Co-Investment 
Transaction'' means any transaction in which a Regulated Fund (or its 
Wholly-Owned Investment Sub, defined below) participated together with 
one or more other Regulated Funds and/or one or more Affiliated Funds 
in reliance on the requested Order. ``Potential Co-Investment 
Transaction'' means any investment opportunity in which a Regulated 
Fund (or its Wholly-Owned Investment Sub) could not participate 
together with one or more Affiliated Funds and/or one or more other 
Regulated Funds without obtaining and relying on the Order.\7\
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    \4\ ``Regulated Fund'' means the Company and any Future 
Regulated Fund. ``Future Regulated Fund'' means any closed-end 
management investment company (a) that is registered under the Act 
or has elected to be regulated as a BDC, (b) whose investment 
adviser is a BRC Advisor, and (c) that intends to participate in the 
Co-Investment Program. The term ``BRC Advisor'' means (a) BlackRock 
Capital Advisor and (b) any future investment adviser that is 
controlled by BlackRock Capital Advisor and is registered as an 
investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
    \5\ ``Affiliated Fund'' means MMSF and any Future Affiliated 
Fund. ``Future Affiliated Fund'' means any entity (a) whose 
investment adviser is a BRC Advisor, (b) that would be an investment 
company but for section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act, and (c) that 
intends to participate in the Co-Investment Program.
    \6\ The term ``private placement transactions'' means 
transactions in which the offer and sale of securities by the issuer 
are exempt from registration under the Securities Act.
    \7\ All existing entities that currently intend to rely upon the 
requested Order have been named as applicants. Any other existing or 
future entity that subsequently relies on the Order will comply with 
the terms and conditions of the application.
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    5. Applicants state that any of the Regulated Funds may, from time 
to time, form one or more Wholly-Owned Investment Subs.\8\ Such a 
subsidiary would be prohibited from investing in a Co-Investment 
Transaction with any Affiliated Fund or Regulated Fund because it would 
be a company controlled by its parent Regulated Fund for purposes of 
section 57(a)(4) and rule 17d-1. Applicants request that each Wholly-
Owned Investment Sub be permitted to participate in Co-Investment 
Transactions in lieu of its parent Regulated Fund and that the Wholly-
Owned Investment Sub's participation in any such transaction be 
treated, for purposes of the requested Order, as though the parent 
Regulated Fund were participating directly. Applicants represent that 
this treatment is justified because a Wholly-Owned Investment Sub would 
have no purpose other than serving as a holding vehicle for the 
Regulated Fund's investments and, therefore, no conflicts of interest 
could arise between the Regulated Fund and the Wholly-Owned Investment 
Sub. The Regulated Fund's Board would make all relevant determinations 
under the conditions with regard to a Wholly-Owned Investment Sub's 
participation in a Co-Investment Transaction, and the Regulated Fund's 
Board would be informed of, and take into consideration, any proposed 
use of a Wholly-Owned Investment Sub in the Regulated Fund's place. If 
the Regulated Fund proposes to participate in the same Co-Investment 
Transaction with any of its Wholly-Owned Investment Subs, the Board 
will also be informed of, and take into consideration, the relative 
participation of the Regulated Fund and the Wholly-Owned Investment 
Sub.
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    \8\ The term ``Wholly-Owned Investment Sub'' means an entity (i) 
that is wholly-owned by a Regulated Fund (with the Regulated Fund at 
all times holding, beneficially and of record, 100% of the voting 
and economic interests); (ii) whose sole business purpose is to hold 
one or more investments on behalf of the Regulated Fund; (iii) with 
respect to which the Regulated Fund's Board has the sole authority 
to make all determinations with respect to the entity's 
participation under the conditions of the application; and (iv) that 
would be an investment company but for section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of 
the Act.
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    6. When considering Potential Co-Investment Transactions for any 
Regulated Fund, the applicable BRC Advisor will consider only the 
Objectives and Strategies, investment policies, investment positions, 
capital available for investment, and other pertinent factors 
applicable to that Regulated Fund. Before relying on the requested 
Order, the Board of each Regulated Fund, including the Non-Interested 
Directors, will have determined that it is in the best interests of the 
Regulated Fund to participate in the Co-Investment Transactions.\9\
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    \9\ The Regulated Funds, however, will not be obligated to 
invest, or co-invest, when investment opportunities are referred to 
them.
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    7. Other than pro rata dispositions and Follow-On Investments as 
provided in conditions 7 and 8, and after making the determinations 
required in conditions 1 and 2(a), the BRC Advisor will present each 
Potential Co-Investment Transaction and the proposed allocation to the 
directors of the Board eligible to vote under section 57(o) of the Act 
(``Eligible Directors''), and the ``required majority,'' as defined in 
section 57(o) of the Act (``Required Majority'') \10\ will approve each 
Co-Investment Transaction prior to any investment by the participating 
Regulated Fund.
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    \10\ In the case of a Regulated Fund that is a registered 
closed-end fund, the Board members that make up the Required 
Majority will be determined as if the Regulated Fund were a BDC 
subject to section 57(o).
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    8. With respect to the pro rata dispositions and Follow-On 
Investments provided in conditions 7 and 8, a Regulated Fund may 
participate in a pro rata disposition or Follow-On Investment without 
obtaining prior approval of the Required Majority if, among other 
things: (i) The proposed participation of each Regulated Fund and 
Affiliated Fund in such disposition is proportionate to its outstanding 
investments in the issuer immediately preceding the disposition or 
Follow-On Investment, as the case may be; and (ii) the Board of the 
Regulated Fund has approved that Regulated Fund's participation in pro 
rata dispositions and Follow-On Investments as being in the best 
interests of the Regulated Fund. If the Board does not so approve, any

[[Page 61098]]

such disposition or Follow-On Investment will be submitted to the 
Regulated Fund's Eligible Directors. The Board of any Regulated Fund 
may at any time rescind, suspend or qualify its approval of pro rata 
dispositions and Follow-On Investments with the result that all 
dispositions and/or Follow-On Investments must be submitted to the 
Eligible Directors.
    9. No Non-Interested Director of a Regulated Fund will have a 
financial interest in any Co-Investment Transaction, other than through 
share ownership in one of the Regulated Funds.
    10. Applicants also represent that if a BRC Advisor or its 
principals, or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common 
control with a BRC Advisor or its principals, and the Affiliated Funds 
(collectively, the ``Holders'') own in the aggregate more than 25% of 
the outstanding voting shares of a Regulated Fund (the ``Shares''), 
then the Holders will vote such Shares as required under condition 14.

Applicants' Legal Analysis

    1. Section 57(a)(4) of the Act prohibits certain affiliated persons 
of a BDC from participating in joint transactions with the BDC or a 
company controlled by a BDC in contravention of rules as prescribed by 
the Commission. Under section 57(b)(2) of the Act, any person who is 
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common 
control with a BDC is subject to section 57(a)(4). Applicants submit 
that each of the Regulated Funds and Affiliated Funds could be deemed 
to be a person related to each Regulated Fund in a manner described by 
section 57(b) by virtue of being under common control. Section 57(i) of 
the Act provides that, until the Commission prescribes rules under 
section 57(a)(4), the Commission's rules under section 17(d) of the Act 
applicable to registered closed-end investment companies will be deemed 
to apply to transactions subject to section 57(a)(4). Because the 
Commission has not adopted any rules under section 57(a)(4), rule 17d-1 
also applies to joint transactions with Regulated Funds that are BDCs. 
Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d-1 under the Act are applicable to 
Regulated Funds that are registered closed-end investment companies.
    2. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d-1 under the Act prohibit 
affiliated persons of a registered investment company from 
participating in joint transactions with the company unless the 
Commission has granted an order permitting such transactions. In 
passing upon applications under rule 17d-1, the Commission considers 
whether the company's participation in the joint transaction is 
consistent with the provisions, policies, and purposes of the Act and 
the extent to which such participation is on a basis different from or 
less advantageous than that of other participants.
    3. Applicants state that in the absence of the requested relief, 
the Regulated Funds would be, in some circumstances, limited in their 
ability to participate in attractive and appropriate investment 
opportunities. Applicants believe that the proposed terms and 
conditions will ensure that the Co-Investment Transactions are 
consistent with the protection of each Regulated Fund's shareholders 
and with the purposes intended by the policies and provisions of the 
Act. Applicants state that the Regulated Funds' participation in the 
Co-Investment Transactions will be consistent with the provisions, 
policies, and purposes of the Act and on a basis that is not different 
from or less advantageous than that of other participants.

Applicants' Conditions

    Applicants agree that the Order will be subject to the following 
conditions:
    1. Each time a BRC Advisor considers a Potential Co-Investment 
Transaction for an Affiliated Fund or another Regulated Fund that falls 
within a Regulated Fund's then-current Objectives and Strategies, the 
Regulated Fund's BRC Advisor will make an independent determination of 
the appropriateness of the investment for such Regulated Fund in light 
of the Regulated Fund's then-current circumstances.
    2. (a) If the BRC Advisor deems a Regulated Fund's participation in 
any Potential Co-Investment Transaction to be appropriate for the 
Regulated Fund, it will then determine an appropriate level of 
investment for the Regulated Fund.
    (b) If the aggregate amount recommended by the applicable BRC 
Advisor to be invested by the applicable Regulated Fund in the 
Potential Co-Investment Transaction, together with the amount proposed 
to be invested by the other participating Regulated Funds and 
Affiliated Funds, collectively, in the same transaction, exceeds the 
amount of the investment opportunity, the investment opportunity will 
be allocated among them pro rata based on each participant's capital 
available for investment in the asset class being allocated, up to the 
amount proposed to be invested by each. The applicable BRC Advisor will 
provide the Eligible Directors of each participating Regulated Fund 
with information concerning each participating party's available 
capital to assist the Eligible Directors with their review of the 
Regulated Fund's investments for compliance with these allocation 
procedures.
    (c) After making the determinations required in conditions 1 and 
2(a), the applicable BRC Advisor will distribute written information 
concerning the Potential Co-Investment Transaction (including the 
amount proposed to be invested by each participating Regulated Fund and 
Affiliated Fund) to the Eligible Directors of each participating 
Regulated Fund for their consideration. A Regulated Fund will co-invest 
with one or more other Regulated Funds and/or one or more Affiliated 
Funds only if, prior to the Regulated Fund's participation in the 
Potential Co-Investment Transaction, a Required Majority concludes 
that:
    (i) The terms of the Potential Co-Investment Transaction, including 
the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to the Regulated 
Fund and its shareholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of 
the Regulated Fund or its shareholders on the part of any person 
concerned;
    (ii) the Potential Co-Investment Transaction is consistent with:
    (A) The interests of the shareholders of the Regulated Fund; and
    (B) the Regulated Fund's then-current Objectives and Strategies;
    (iii) the investment by any other Regulated Funds or Affiliated 
Funds would not disadvantage the Regulated Fund, and participation by 
the participating Regulated Fund would not be on a basis different from 
or less advantageous than that of other Regulated Funds or Affiliated 
Funds; provided that, if any other Regulated Fund or Affiliated Fund, 
but not the Regulated Fund itself, gains the right to nominate a 
director for election to a portfolio company's board of directors or 
the right to have a board observer or any similar right to participate 
in the governance or management of the portfolio company, such event 
shall not be interpreted to prohibit the Required Majority from 
reaching the conclusions required by this condition (2)(c)(iii), if:
    (A) The Eligible Directors will have the right to ratify the 
selection of such director or board observer, if any;
    (B) the applicable BRC Advisor agrees to, and does, provide 
periodic reports to the Regulated Fund's Board with respect to the 
actions of such director or the information received by such board 
observer or obtained through the exercise of any similar right to

[[Page 61099]]

participate in the governance or management of the portfolio company; 
and
    (C) any fees or other compensation that any Affiliated Fund or any 
Regulated Fund or any affiliated person of any Affiliated Fund or any 
Regulated Fund receives in connection with the right of an Affiliated 
Fund or a Regulated Fund to nominate a director or appoint a board 
observer or otherwise to participate in the governance or management of 
the portfolio company will be shared proportionately among the 
participating Affiliated Funds (who each may, in turn, share its 
portion with its affiliated persons) and the participating Regulated 
Funds in accordance with the amount of each party's investment; and
    (iv) the proposed investment by the Regulated Fund will not benefit 
the BRC Advisors, the Affiliated Funds or the other Regulated Funds or 
any affiliated person of any of them (other than the parties to the Co-
Investment Transaction), except (A) to the extent permitted by 
condition 13, (B) to the extent permitted by section 17(e) or 57(k) of 
the Act, as applicable, (C) indirectly, as a result of an interest in 
the securities issued by one of the parties to the Co-Investment 
Transaction, or (D) in the case of fees or other compensation described 
in condition 2(c)(iii)(C).
    3. Each Regulated Fund has the right to decline to participate in 
any Potential Co-Investment Transaction or to invest less than the 
amount proposed.
    4. The applicable BRC Advisor will present to the Board of each 
Regulated Fund, on a quarterly basis, a record of all investments in 
Potential Co-Investment Transactions made by any of the other Regulated 
Funds or Affiliated Funds during the preceding quarter that fell within 
the Regulated Fund's then-current Objectives and Strategies that were 
not made available to the Regulated Fund, and an explanation of why the 
investment opportunities were not offered to the Regulated Fund. All 
information presented to the Board pursuant to this condition will be 
kept for the life of the Regulated Fund and at least two years 
thereafter, and will be subject to examination by the Commission and 
its staff.
    5. Except for Follow-On Investments made in accordance with 
condition 8,\11\ a Regulated Fund will not invest in reliance on the 
Order in any issuer in which another Regulated Fund, Affiliated Fund, 
or any affiliated person of another Regulated Fund or Affiliated Fund 
is an existing investor.
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    \11\ This exception applies only to Follow-On Investments by a 
Regulated Fund in issuers in which that Regulated Fund already holds 
investments.
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    6. A Regulated Fund will not participate in any Potential Co-
Investment Transaction unless the terms, conditions, price, class of 
securities to be purchased, settlement date, and registration rights 
will be the same for each participating Regulated Fund and Affiliated 
Fund. The grant to an Affiliated Fund or another Regulated Fund, but 
not the Regulated Fund, of the right to nominate a director for 
election to a portfolio company's board of directors, the right to have 
an observer on the board of directors or similar rights to participate 
in the governance or management of the portfolio company will not be 
interpreted so as to violate this condition 6, if conditions 
2(c)(iii)(A), (B) and (C) are met.
    7. (a) If any Affiliated Fund or any Regulated Fund elects to sell, 
exchange or otherwise dispose of an interest in a security that was 
acquired in a Co-Investment Transaction, the applicable BRC Advisors 
will:
    (i) Notify each Regulated Fund that participated in the Co-
Investment Transaction of the proposed disposition at the earliest 
practical time; and
    (ii) formulate a recommendation as to participation by each 
Regulated Fund in the disposition.
    (b) Each Regulated Fund will have the right to participate in such 
disposition on a proportionate basis, at the same price and on the same 
terms and conditions as those applicable to the participating 
Affiliated Funds and Regulated Funds.
    (c) A Regulated Fund may participate in such disposition without 
obtaining prior approval of the Required Majority if: (i) The proposed 
participation of each Regulated Fund and each Affiliated Fund in such 
disposition is proportionate to its outstanding investments in the 
issuer immediately preceding the disposition; (ii) the Board of the 
Regulated Fund has approved as being in the best interests of the 
Regulated Fund the ability to participate in such dispositions on a pro 
rata basis (as described in greater detail in the application); and 
(iii) the Board of the Regulated Fund is provided on a quarterly basis 
with a list of all dispositions made in accordance with this condition. 
In all other cases, the BRC Advisor will provide its written 
recommendation as to the Regulated Fund's participation to the Eligible 
Directors, and the Regulated Fund will participate in such disposition 
solely to the extent that a Required Majority determines that it is in 
the Regulated Fund's best interests.
    (d) Each Affiliated Fund and each Regulated Fund will bear its own 
expenses in connection with any such disposition.
    8. (a) If any Affiliated Fund or any Regulated Fund desires to make 
a Follow-On Investment in a portfolio company whose securities were 
acquired in a Co-Investment Transaction, the applicable BRC Advisors 
will:
    (i) Notify each Regulated Fund that participated in the Co-
Investment Transaction of the proposed transaction at the earliest 
practical time; and
    (ii) formulate a recommendation as to the proposed participation, 
including the amount of the proposed Follow-On Investment, by each 
Regulated Fund.
    (b) A Regulated Fund may participate in such Follow-On Investment 
without obtaining prior approval of the Required Majority if: (i) The 
proposed participation of each Regulated Fund and each Affiliated Fund 
in such investment is proportionate to its outstanding investments in 
the issuer immediately preceding the Follow-On Investment; and (ii) the 
Board of the Regulated Fund has approved as being in the best interests 
of the Regulated Fund the ability to participate in Follow-On 
Investments on a pro rata basis (as described in greater detail in the 
application). In all other cases, the BRC Advisor will provide its 
written recommendation as to the Regulated Fund's participation to the 
Eligible Directors, and the Regulated Fund will participate in such 
Follow-On Investment solely to the extent that a Required Majority 
determines that it is in the Regulated Fund's best interests.
    (c) If, with respect to any Follow-On Investment:
    (i) The amount of the opportunity is not based on the Regulated 
Funds' and the Affiliated Funds' outstanding investments immediately 
preceding the Follow-On Investment; and
    (ii) the aggregate amount recommended by the BRC Advisor to be 
invested by each Regulated Fund in the Follow-On Investment, together 
with the amount proposed to be invested by the participating Affiliated 
Funds in the same transaction, exceeds the amount of the opportunity; 
then the amount invested by each such party will be allocated among 
them pro rata based on each participant's capital available for 
investment in the asset class being allocated, up to the amount 
proposed to be invested by each.
    (d) The acquisition of Follow-On Investments as permitted by this 
condition will be considered a Co-

[[Page 61100]]

Investment Transaction for all purposes and subject to the other 
conditions set forth in the application.
    9. The Non-Interested Directors of each Regulated Fund will be 
provided quarterly for review all information concerning Potential Co-
Investment Transactions and Co-Investment Transactions, including 
investments made by other Regulated Funds or Affiliated Funds that the 
Regulated Fund considered but declined to participate in, so that the 
Non-Interested Directors may determine whether all investments made 
during the preceding quarter, including those investments that the 
Regulated Fund considered but declined to participate in, comply with 
the conditions of the Order. In addition, the Non-Interested Directors 
will consider at least annually the continued appropriateness for the 
Regulated Fund of participating in new and existing Co-Investment 
Transactions.
    10. Each Regulated Fund will maintain the records required by 
section 57(f)(3) of the Act as if each of the Regulated Funds were a 
BDC and each of the investments permitted under these conditions were 
approved by the Required Majority under section 57(f) of the Act.
    11. No Non-Interested Director of a Regulated Fund will also be a 
director, general partner, managing member or principal, or otherwise 
an ``affiliated person'' (as defined in the Act) of an Affiliated Fund.
    12. The expenses, if any, associated with acquiring, holding or 
disposing of any securities acquired in a Co-Investment Transaction 
(including, without limitation, the expenses of the distribution of any 
such securities registered for sale under the Securities Act) will, to 
the extent not payable by the BRC Advisors under their respective 
investment advisory agreements with Affiliated Funds and the Regulated 
Funds, be shared by the Regulated Funds and the Affiliated Funds in 
proportion to the relative amounts of the securities held or to be 
acquired or disposed of, as the case may be.
    13. Any transaction fee \12\ (including break-up or commitment fees 
but excluding broker's fees contemplated by section 17(e) or 57(k) of 
the Act, as applicable), received in connection with a Co-Investment 
Transaction will be distributed to the participating Regulated Funds 
and Affiliated Funds on a pro rata basis based on the amounts they 
invested or committed, as the case may be, in such Co-Investment 
Transaction. If any transaction fee is to be held by a BRC Advisor 
pending consummation of the transaction, the fee will be deposited into 
an account maintained by such BRC Advisor at a bank or banks having the 
qualifications prescribed in section 26(a)(1) of the Act, and the 
account will earn a competitive rate of interest that will also be 
divided pro rata among the participating Regulated Funds and Affiliated 
Funds based on the amounts they invest in such Co-Investment 
Transaction. None of the Affiliated Funds, the BRC Advisors, the other 
Regulated Funds or any affiliated person of the Regulated Funds or 
Affiliated Funds will receive additional compensation or remuneration 
of any kind as a result of or in connection with a Co-Investment 
Transaction (other than (a) in the case of the Regulated Funds and the 
Affiliated Funds, the pro rata transaction fees described above and 
fees or other compensation described in condition 2(c)(iii)(C); and (b) 
in the case of an BRC Advisor, investment advisory fees paid in 
accordance with the agreement between the BRC Advisor and the Regulated 
Fund or Affiliated Fund.
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    \12\ Applicants are not requesting and the staff is not 
providing any relief for transaction fees received in connection 
with any Co-Investment Transaction.
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    14. If the Holders own in the aggregate more than 25 percent of the 
Shares of a Regulated Fund, then the Holders will vote such Shares as 
directed by an independent third party when voting on (1) the election 
of directors; (2) the removal of one or more directors; or (3) any 
other matter under either the Act or applicable State law affecting the 
Board's composition, size or manner of election.
    15. Each Regulated Fund's chief compliance officer, as defined in 
rule 38a-1(a)(4), will prepare an annual report for its Board each year 
that evaluates (and documents the basis of that evaluation) the 
Regulated Fund's compliance with the terms and conditions of the 
application and the procedures established to achieve such compliance.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
under delegated authority.
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-27686 Filed 12-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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