DISTRIBUTION AGENCY AGREEMENT

including a prospectus, to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Shares, which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ 1934 Act ”), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “ 1934 Act Regulations ”), which registration statement became effective not earlier than three years prior to the date of this Agreement upon filing under Rule 462(e) of the 1933 Act Regulations.

Except where the context otherwise requires, the registration statement, as it may have heretofore been amended, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 430B ”) and also including any other registration statement filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) or Rule 429 of the 1933 Act Regulations, is herein called the “ Registration Statement ;” the base prospectus filed as part of such Registration Statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is herein called the “ Base Prospectus ;” the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares prepared and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein called the “ Prospectus Supplement ;” and the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented from time to time by the Prospectus Supplement, is herein called the “ Prospectus .”  The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “ Original Registration Statement .”  Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof with the Commission of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any Prospectus Supplement and any document deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement or the Company is not a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 or otherwise is unable to make the representations set forth in Section 1(b) at any time when such representations are required, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional shares of Common Stock necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable.  After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated therein by reference, and all references to “Prospectus” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in any such registration statement, as amended or supplemented from time to time (including by any prospectus supplement thereto).  For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System (“ EDGAR ”), and such copy shall be identical in content to any Prospectus delivered to the Manager for use in connection with the offering of the Shares.

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(b)  Well-Known Seasoned Issuer .  (1) At the time of filing of the Original Registration Statement, (2) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act or otherwise (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (3) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations, (4) at the earliest time after the filing of the Original Registration Statement that a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Shares was made, and (5) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405.  The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405, and the Shares, since their registration on the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on a Rule 405 “automatic shelf registration statement.”  The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form.

(c)  S-3 Eligibility .  The Company meets, and at the time of filing of the Original Registration Statement met, the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act.  The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and is effective under the 1933 Act.  The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use or effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or threatening or instituting proceedings for that purpose.  Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed.  Copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any such amendments or supplements and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement (including one fully executed copy of each of the Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto for the Manager) have been delivered to the Manager and its counsel.  The Company has not distributed any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and reviewed and consented to by the Manager.

(d)  Form Compliance; No Material Misstatement or Omission of a Material Fact .  Each of the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto conforms, and when it became effective or was filed with the Commission conformed, in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, when it became effective or was filed with the Commission, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  The Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto does not, and on the date of filing thereof with the Commission did not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information concerning the

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Manager that was furnished in writing to the Company by the Manager specifically for use in the preparation thereof.

(e)  Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses .  Any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, all considered together (collectively, the “ General Disclosure Package ”), do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

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

“ Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 433 ”), relating to the Shares, in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not, and as of its issue date and all subsequent times did not, include any information that conflicts or conflicted with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

The representations and warranties in this Section 1(e) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager expressly for use therein.

(f)  Incorporation of Documents by Reference .  The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply, and at the time they were filed with the Commission complied, in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, do not, and at the time the Original Registration Statement became effective and at the date of the Prospectus did not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(g)  Independent Accountants .  The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

(h)  Financial Statements .  The financial statements included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its

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consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“ GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as stated therein.  The supporting schedules incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  Any pro forma financial statements of the Company, and the related notes thereto, included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the basis described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.  No other financial statements are required to be set forth in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.

(i)  No Material Adverse Change in Business .  Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change or prospective material adverse change in the business, management, financial position, stockholders equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise from that set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

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

(k)  Good Standing of Subsidiaries .  Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized or formed and is validly existing as a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, Massachusetts business trust or general partnership, as the case may be, under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, has power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, Massachusetts business trust or general partnership, as the case may be, to

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transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company which is a corporation, have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable, and to the extent owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (except for directors’ qualifying shares and as described or reflected generally in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, in each case with such exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  The partnership interests, membership interests and shares of beneficial interest of each subsidiary of the Company which is a partnership, limited liability company or Massachusetts business trust have been validly issued in accordance with applicable law and the partnership agreement, limited liability agreement or declaration of trust, as applicable, of such subsidiary, and to the extent owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (except as described or reflected generally in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except, in the case of each subsidiary of the Company, for liens, encumbrances, equities or claims which individually or in the aggregate would not be material to the Company’s ownership of such subsidiary or to the Company’s exercise of its rights with respect to such subsidiary; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or shares of beneficial interests, as the case may be, of any subsidiary of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary.

(l)  Capitalization .  The Company has the authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options, in each case accurately described or reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented).  The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.  There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described or reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, or pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans or the exercise of convertible securities or options, in each case accurately described or reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented.

(m)  Authorization of Agreement .  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(n)  Authorization of Confirmations .  The Initial Confirmation has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding

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agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).  The Company has duly authorized each Subsequent Confirmation and, when executed and delivered by the Company, each Subsequent Confirmation will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).  The description of the Confirmation and the Subsequent Confirmations set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is correct in all material respects.

(o)  Authorization and Description of Shares .  The description of the Common Stock set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is correct in all material respects.  The Settlement Shares (as defined in the Confirmation(s)) have been duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale to the Forward Purchaser pursuant to the Confirmation(s) and, if and when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Confirmation(s) against payment of the consideration specified therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not be issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.  No holder or beneficial owner of the Shares or the Settlement Shares will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder or beneficial owner.  The issuance and sale by the Company of the Settlement Shares to the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate in settlement of the Confirmation(s) in accordance with the terms thereof and the delivery by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate of the Settlement Shares, during the term of and at settlement of the Confirmation(s), to close out open borrowings of Common Stock created in the course of the hedging activities created by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate relating to its exposure under the Confirmation(s) will not require registration under the 1933 Act.  The Company will not have an obligation to file a prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations in connection with any Settlement Shares delivered to the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate by the Company upon such settlement, and no prospectus supplement will be required to be filed under Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations in connection with any Settlement Shares delivered by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate to close out open borrowings created in the course of the hedging activities created by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate relating to its exposure under the Confirmation(s), assuming in each case that the Manager complied with Rule 173 of the 1933 Act Regulations in connection with the sales of Shares in an amount not less than the Number of Shares (as defined in the Confirmation(s)).

(p)  Listing on New York Stock Exchange .  The Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “ NYSE ”) and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the listing of the Shares from the NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such listing.

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(q)  Absence of Defaults and Conflicts .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or other constituting or organizational document or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is subject (collectively, “ Agreements and Instruments ”) except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Confirmation(s) and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or other constituting or organizational instrument as in effect on the date hereof of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or any of their assets, properties or operations, except for any such violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of law which would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.

(r)  Absence of Proceedings .  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, which, singly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

(s)  Accuracy of Exhibits .  All of the descriptions of contracts or other documents contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are accurate and complete descriptions in all material respects of such contracts or other documents.

(t)  Absence of Further Requirements .  No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its

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obligations hereunder or under the Confirmation(s) or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or for the due execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement and the Confirmation(s), except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws.

(u)  Possession of Licenses and Permits .  The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “ Governmental Licenses ”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except in any such case where the failure to so possess or to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(v)  Title to Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

(w)  No Investment Company .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, and upon the offering of the Shares as herein contemplated will be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”).

(x)  Company Not an Investment Adviser .  The Company is not required to register as an “investment adviser” or as a “broker-dealer” within the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Advisers Act ”) or the 1934 Act, respectively, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.  The Company is not required to be registered, licensed or qualified as an investment adviser or broker-dealer under the laws requiring any such registration, licensing or qualification in any jurisdiction in which it or its subsidiaries conduct business.  Each of the subsidiaries has been duly registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and has been duly registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934

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Act, and each such registration is in full force and effect, in each case to the extent such registration is required and with such exceptions as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each of the subsidiaries is duly registered, licensed or qualified as an investment adviser and broker-dealer under state and local laws where such registration, licensing or qualification is required by such laws and is in compliance with all such laws requiring any such registration, licensing or qualification, in each case with such exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(y)  Investment Adviser Subsidiaries .  Each subsidiary of the Company which is required to be registered as an investment adviser or broker-dealer is and has been in compliance with all applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations, as may be applicable to its investment advisory or broker-dealer business, except to the extent that such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and none of such subsidiaries is prohibited by any provision of the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act from acting as an investment adviser.  Each subsidiary of the Company which is required to be registered as a broker-dealer is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“ FINRA ”).  No subsidiary of the Company which is required to be registered as an investment adviser or broker-dealer is in default with respect to any judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree, demand or assessment issued by any court or any foreign, federal, state, municipal or other governmental agency, board, commission, bureau, instrumentality or department, domestic or foreign, or by any self-regulatory authority relating to any aspect of its investment advisory or broker-dealer business, which would need to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 206(4)-4(b) under the Advisers Act, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to an affirmative answer to any of the questions in Item 11, Part 1 of the Form ADV of such registered investment adviser or which is reasonably likely to give rise to an affirmative answer to any of the questions in Item 7 of the Form BD of such broker-dealer.

(z)  Investment Company Mutual Funds .  Each mutual fund of which a subsidiary of the Company serves as the investment advisor (a “ Mutual Fund ”) has been since inception, is currently and will be immediately after consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, a duly registered investment company in compliance with the  1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and duly registered or licensed, except where any failure to be duly registered, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Since their initial offering, shares of each of the Mutual Funds have been duly qualified for sale under the securities laws of each jurisdiction in which they have been sold or offered for sale at such time or times during which such qualification was required, and, if not so qualified, the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The offering and sale of shares of each of the Mutual Funds have been registered under the 1933 Act during such period or periods for which such registration is required; the related registration statement has become effective under the 1933 Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any such registration statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated.  Except to the extent that such failure to comply, misstatement or omission, as the case may be, would not reasonably be likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the registration statement of each Mutual Fund, together with the amendments and supplements thereto, under the 1940 Act and the 1933 Act has, at all times when such registration statement

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was effective, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the 1933 Act then in effect and neither such registration statement nor any amendments or supplements thereto contained, at the time and in light of the circumstances in which they were made, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, at the time and in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  All shares of each of the Mutual Funds were sold pursuant to an effective registration statement, or pursuant to a valid exemption from registration, and have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.  Each of the Mutual Funds’ investments has been made in accordance with its investment policies and restrictions set forth in its registration statement in effect at the time the investments were made and have been held in accordance with its respective investment policies and restrictions, to the extent applicable and in effect at the time such investments were held, except to the extent any failure to comply with such policies and restrictions, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa)  Investment Advisory Agreements .  The Company is not party to any investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement and is not serving or acting as an investment adviser to any person.  Each of the investment advisory agreements to which any of its subsidiaries is a party is a legal and valid obligation of such subsidiary and complies with the applicable requirements of the Advisers Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except where the failure to so comply would not individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each of the investment advisory agreements and distribution agreements between a subsidiary of the Company and a Mutual Fund is a legal and valid obligation of such subsidiary and complies with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and in the case of such distribution agreements, with the applicable requirements of the 1934 Act, except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement to which any of the subsidiaries is a party that was either in effect on January 1, 2006 or entered into by a subsidiary of the Company since January 1, 2006 has been terminated or expired, except where any such termination or expiration would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  None of such subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under any such investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement, with such exceptions individually or in the aggregate as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No subsidiary of the Company is serving or acting as an investment adviser to any person except pursuant to an agreement to which such subsidiary is a party and which is in full force and effect, other than any agreement the non-existence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The consummation of the transaction contemplated herein will not constitute an “assignment” as such term is defined in the Advisers Act and the 1934 Act.

(bb)  No Fiduciary Duties .  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction among the Company, on the one hand, and the Forward Purchaser and the Manager, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, the Manager is acting as age