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1.
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Appointment of USBFS as Fund Accountant
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2.
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Services and Duties of USBFS
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A.
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Portfolio Accounting Services:
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(1)
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Maintain portfolio records on a trade date+1 basis using security trade information communicated from each Fund’s investment adviser.
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(2)
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For each valuation date, obtain prices from a pricing source approved by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”) and apply those prices to the portfolio positions. For those securities
where market quotations are not readily available, the Board of Directors shall approve, in good faith, procedures for determining the fair value for such securities.
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(3)
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Identify interest and dividend accrual balances as of each valuation date and calculate gross earnings on investments for each accounting period.
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(4)
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Determine gain/loss on security sales and identify them as short-term or long-term; account for periodic distributions of gains or losses to shareholders and maintain undistributed gain or loss balances as of
each valuation date.
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(5)
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On a daily basis, reconcile portfolio holdings and cash of each Fund with each Fund’s custodian and/or prime brokerage account(s).
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(6)
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Transmit a copy of the portfolio valuation to each Fund’s investment adviser daily.
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(7)
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Review the impact of current day’s activity on a per share basis, and review changes in market value.
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B.
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Expense Accrual and Payment Services:
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(1)
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For each valuation date, calculate the expense accrual amounts as directed by the Company as to methodology, rate or dollar amount.
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(2)
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Process and record payments for Fund expenses upon receipt of written authorization from the Company.
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(3)
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Account for Fund expenditures and maintain expense accrual balances at the level of accounting detail, as agreed upon by USBFS and the Company.
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(4)
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Provide expense accrual and payment reporting.
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C.
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Fund Valuation and Financial Reporting Services:
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(1)
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Account for Fund share purchases, sales, exchanges, transfers, dividend reinvestments, and other Fund share activity as reported by each Fund’s transfer agent on a timely basis.
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(2)
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Determine net investment income (earnings) for each Fund as of each valuation date. Account for periodic distributions of earnings to shareholders and maintain undistributed net investment income balances as of
each valuation date.
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(3)
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Maintain a general ledger and other accounts, books, and financial records for each Fund in the form as agreed upon.
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(4)
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Determine the net asset value of each Fund according to the accounting policies and procedures set forth in each Fund's current prospectus.
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(5)
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Calculate per share net asset value, per share net earnings, and other per share amounts reflective of Fund operations at such time as required by the nature and characteristics of the Fund.
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(6)
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Communicate to the Company, at an agreed upon time, the per share net asset value for each valuation date.
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(7)
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Prepare monthly reconciliations of sub-ledger reports that document the adequacy of accounting detail to support month-end ledger balances.
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(8)
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Prepare monthly security transactions listings.
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D.
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Tax Accounting Services:
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(1)
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Maintain accounting records for the investment portfolio of each Fund to support the tax reporting required for “regulated investment companies” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
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(2)
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Maintain tax lot detail for each Fund’s investment portfolio.
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(3)
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Calculate taxable gain/loss on security sales using the tax lot relief method designated by the Company.
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(4)
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Provide the necessary financial information to calculate the taxable components of income and capital gains distributions to support tax reporting to the shareholders.
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E.
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Compliance Control Services:
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(1)
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Support reporting to regulatory bodies and support financial statement preparation by making each Fund's accounting records available to the Company, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and the
independent accountants.
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(2)
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Maintain accounting records according to the 1940 Act and regulations provided thereunder.
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(3)
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Perform its duties hereunder in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and provide any sub-certifications reasonably requested by the Company in connection with any certification required of the
Company pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “SOX Act”) or any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder, provided the same shall not be deemed to change USBFS’ standard of care as set forth herein.
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(4)
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In order to assist the Company in satisfying the requirements of Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Rule”), USBFS will provide the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer with reasonable access to USBFS’ fund records
relating the services provided by it under this Agreement, and will provide quarterly compliance reports and related certifications regarding any Material Compliance Matter (as defined in the Rule) involving USBFS that affect or could
affect the Company.
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(5)
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Cooperate with the Company’s independent accountants and take all reasonable action in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement to ensure that the necessary information is made available to such
accountants for the expression of their opinion on each Fund’s financial statements without any qualification as to the scope of their examination.
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3.
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License of Data; Warranty; Termination of Rights;
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A.
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The valuation information and evaluations being provided to the Company by USBFS pursuant hereto (collectively, the “Data”) are being licensed, not sold, to the Company. The Company has a limited license to use
the Data only for purposes necessary to valuing the Company’s assets and reporting to regulatory bodies (the “License”). The Company does not have any license nor right to use the Data for purposes beyond the intentions of this Agreement
including, but not limited to, resale to other users or use to create any type of historical database. The License is non-transferable and not sub-licensable. The Company’s right to use the Data cannot be passed to or shared with any
other entity.
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B.
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THE COMPANY HEREBY ACCEPTS THE DATA AS IS, WHERE IS, WITH NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE OR ANY OTHER MATTER.
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C.
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USBFS may stop supplying some or all Data to the Company if USBFS’ suppliers terminate any agreement to provide Data to USBFS. Also, USBFS may stop supplying some or all Data to the Company if USBFS reasonably
believes that the Company is using the Data in violation of the License, or breaching its duties of confidentiality provided for hereunder, or if any of USBFS’ suppliers demand that the Data be withheld from the Company. Fund. USBFS will
provide notice to the Company of any termination of provision of Data as soon as reasonably possible.
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4.
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Pricing of Securities
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A.
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In the event that the Company at any time receives Data containing evaluations, rather than market quotations, for certain securities or certain other data related to such securities, the following provisions
will apply: (i) evaluated securities are typically complicated financial instruments. There are many methodologies (including computer-based analytical modeling and individual security evaluations) available to generate approximations of
the market value of such securities, and there is significant professional disagreement about which method is best. No evaluation method, including those used by USBFS and its suppliers, may consistently generate approximations that
correspond to actual “traded” prices of the securities; (ii) methodologies used to provide the pricing portion of certain Data may rely on evaluations; however, the Company acknowledges that there may be errors or defects in the software,
databases, or methodologies generating the evaluations that may cause resultant evaluations to be inappropriate for use in certain applications; and (iii) the Company assumes all responsibility for edit checking, external verification of
evaluations, and ultimately the appropriateness of using Data containing evaluations, regardless of any efforts made by USBFS and its suppliers in this respect.
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B.
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USBFS shall not have any obligation to verify the accuracy or appropriateness of any prices, evaluations, market quotations, or other data or pricing related inputs received from the Company, the Fund, any of
their affiliates, or any third party source. Notwithstanding anything else in this Agreement to the contrary, USBFS and its affiliates shall not be responsible or liable for any mistakes, errors, or mispricing, or any losses related
thereto, resulting from any inaccurate, inappropriate, or fraudulent prices, evaluations, market quotations, or other data or pricing related inputs received from the Company, the Fund, any of their affiliates, or any third party source.
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5.
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Changes in Accounting Procedures
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6.
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Changes in Equipment, Systems, Etc.
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7.
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Compensation
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8.
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Representations and Warranties
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A.
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The Company hereby represents and warrants to USBFS, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that:
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It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder;
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This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties;
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It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as
now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this
Agreement;
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A registration statement under the 1940 Act and, if applicable, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, will be made effective prior to the effective date of this Agreement and will remain effective during the term
of this Agreement, and appropriate state securities law filings will be made prior to the effective date of this Agreement and will continue to be made during the term of this Agreement as necessary to enable the Company to make a continuous
public offering of its shares; and
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All records of the Company provided to USBFS by the Company or by a prior service provider of the Company are accurate and complete and USBFS is entitled to rely on all such records in the form provided.
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B.
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USBFS hereby represents and warrants to the Company, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that:
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It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder;
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This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by USBFS in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of USBFS, enforceable in accordance with its
terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and
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It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as
now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this
Agreement.
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9.
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Standard of Care; Indemnification; Limitation of Liability
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A.
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USBFS shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. Neither USBFS nor its suppliers shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by
the Company or any third party in connection with its duties under this Agreement, including losses resulting from mechanical breakdowns or the failure of communication or power supplies beyond USBFS’ control, except a loss arising out of
or relating to USBFS’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, if USBFS has exercised reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless USBFS and its suppliers from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses,
and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that USBFS or its suppliers may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against USBFS or its suppliers by any person arising out of or related to (X) any action
taken or omitted to be taken by it in performing the services hereunder (i) in accordance with the foregoing standards, or (ii) in reliance upon any written or oral instruction provided to USBFS by any duly authorized officer of the
Company, as approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, or (Y) the Data, or any information, service, report, analysis or publication derived therefrom, except for any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities
arising out of or relating to USBFS’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. This indemnity shall be a
continuing obligation of the Company, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term “USBFS” shall include USBFS’ directors, officers and employees.
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B.
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In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this section shall apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor
shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use all reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation that
presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim for indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend the indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this indemnification. In the event that the
indemnitor so elects, it will so notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall
seek indemnification under this section. The indemnitee shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the indemnitor’s prior written
consent.
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C.
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The indemnity and defense provisions set forth in this Section 8 shall indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this Agreement.
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D.
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If USBFS is acting in another capacity for the Company pursuant to a separate agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve USBFS of any of its obligations in such other capacity.
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10.
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Notification of Error
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11.
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Data Necessary to Perform Services
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12.
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Proprietary and Confidential Information
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A.
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USBFS agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Company, all records and other information relative to the Company and
prior, present, or potential shareholders of the Company (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except (i)
after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where USBFS may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii)
when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or (iii) when so requested by the Company. Records and other information which have become known to the public through no wrongful act of USBFS or any of its
employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in the possession of USBFS prior to receipt thereof from the Company or its agent, shall not be subject to this paragraph.
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B.
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The Company, on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees, will maintain the confidential and proprietary nature of the Data and agrees to protect it using the same efforts, but in no case less
than reasonable efforts, that it uses to protect its own proprietary and confidential information.
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C.
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The Company agrees on behalf of itself and its trustees, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of USBFS, all non-public information relative to USBFS (including, without
limitation, the Data and information regarding USBFS’ pricing, products, services, customers, suppliers, financial statements, processes, know-how, trade secrets, market opportunities, past, present or future research, development or
business plans, affairs, operations, systems, computer software in source code and object code form, documentation, techniques, procedures, designs, drawings, specifications, schematics, processes and/or intellectual property), and not to
use such information for any purpose other than in connection with the services provided under this Agreement, except (i) after prior notification to and approval in writing by USBFS, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and
may not be withheld where the Company may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii) when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or (iii) when so requested by the USBFS.
Information which has become known to the public through no wrongful act of the Company or any of its employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in the possession of the Company prior to receipt thereof from
USBFS, shall not be subject to this paragraph.
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D.
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Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Company shall be permitted to disclose the identity of USBFS as a service provider, redacted copies of this Agreement, and such other information as may be
required in the Company’s registration or offering documents, or as may otherwise be required by applicable law, rule, or regulation, and (ii) USBFS shall be permitted to include the name of the Company in lists of representative clients in
due diligence questionnaires, RFP responses, presentations, and other marketing and promotional purposes.
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13.
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Records
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14.
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Compliance with Laws
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A.
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The Company has and retains primary responsibility for all compliance matters relating to each Fund, including but not limited to compliance with the 1940 Act, the Code, the SOX Act, the USA Patriot Act of 2001
and the policies and limitations of each Fund relating to its portfolio investments as set forth in its current prospectus and statement of additional information. USBFS’or similar disclosure documents) included in its registration
statement on Form N-2 filed with the SEC. USBFS’ services hereunder shall not relieve the Company of its responsibilities for assuring such compliance or the Board of Director’s oversight responsibility with respect thereto.
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B.
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The Company shall promptly notify USBFS if the investment strategy of any Fund materially changes or deviates from the investment strategy disclosed in the current prospectus, or if it (or any Fund) becomes
subject to any new law, rule, regulation, or order of a governmental or judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that materially impacts the operations of the Company or any Fund or the services provided under this Agreement.
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15.
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Term of Agreement; Amendment
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16.
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Duties in the Event of Termination
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17.
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Assignment
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18.
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Governing Law
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19.
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No Agency Relationship
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