EX-99.2H 5 exhibit99-2h.txt RMK Strategic Income Fund, Inc. (a Maryland Corporation) Shares of Common Stock Par Value $.0001 Per Share UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT March [__], 2004 Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. 50 North Front Street, 19th Floor Memphis, TN 38103 Ladies and Gentlemen: RMK Strategic Income Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Fund"), and the Fund's investment adviser, Morgan Asset Management, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Adviser"), each confirms its agreement with Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. ("Morgan Keegan") and Advest, Inc., BB&T Capital Markets, a division of Scott & Stringfellow, Inc., Ferris, Baker Watts, Incorporated, Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated, McDonald Investments Inc., a KeyCorp Company, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Stephens Inc., Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc., C.E. Unterberg, Towbin and Wedbush Morgan Securities Inc. and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters"), for whom Morgan Keegan and Advest, Inc., BB&T Capital Markets, a division of Scott & Stringfellow, Inc., Ferris, Baker Watts, Incorporated, Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated, McDonald Investments Inc., a KeyCorp Company, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Stephens Inc., Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc., C.E. Unterberg, Towbin and Wedbush Morgan Securities Inc. are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the "Representatives"), with respect to the issue and sale by the Fund and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective number of shares of common stock, par value $.0001 per share, of the Fund ("Common Shares") set forth in Schedule A hereof, and with respect to the grant by the Fund to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of _________ additional Common Shares to cover over-allotments, if any. The aforesaid __________ Common Shares (the "Primary Shares") to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the _________ Common Shares subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the "Option Shares") are collectively referred to as the "Shares." The Fund understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Shares as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Fund has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-111990 and 811-21487) covering the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, and a notification on Form N-8A of registration of the Fund as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act 1 and the 1940 Act (the "Rules and Regulations"). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Fund will either (i) prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A ("Rule 430A") and paragraph (c) or (h) of Rule 497 ("Rule 497") of the Rules and Regulations or (ii) if the Fund has elected to rely upon Rule 434 ("Rule 434") of the Rules and Regulations, prepare and file a term sheet (a "Term Sheet") in accordance with the provisions of Rule 434 and Rule 497. The information included in any such prospectus, that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective, if applicable, (a) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A is referred to as "Rule 430A Information" or (b) pursuant to paragraph (d) of Rule 434 is referred to as "Rule 434 Information." Each prospectus used before such registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that omitted, as applicable, the Rule 430A Information or the Rule 434 Information, that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, including in each case any statement of additional information incorporated therein by reference, is herein called a "preliminary prospectus." Such registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules thereto at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A Information or the Rule 434 Information, as applicable, is herein called the "Registration Statement." Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations is herein referred to as the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement," and the term "Registration Statement" shall include any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement that shall have been filed. The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Shares, including the statement of additional information incorporated therein by reference, is herein called the "Prospectus." If Rule 434 is relied on, the term "Prospectus" shall refer to the preliminary prospectus dated February 24, 2004, including the statement of additional information incorporated therein by reference, together with the Term Sheet and all references in this Agreement to the date of the Prospectus shall mean the date of the Term Sheet. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Term Sheet or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("EDGAR"). All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is "contained," "included" or "stated" in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. --------- ------------------------------ (a) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE FUND AND THE ADVISER. The Fund and the Adviser represent and warrant to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agree with each Underwriter, as follows: (i) COMPLIANCE WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. Each of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act, or order of suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 2 1940 Act, and no proceedings for any such purpose, have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Fund or the Adviser, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto (filed before the Closing Time) became effective and at the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined (and, if any Option Shares are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the notification of Form N-8A and all amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Shares are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If Rule 434 is used, the Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 434 and the Prospectus shall not be "materially different," as such term is used in Rule 434, from the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective. The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of any Underwriter for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus. Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 497 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Rules and Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. If a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is required in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares, the Fund has complied or will comply with the requirements of Rule 111 under the 1933 Act Regulations relating to the payment of filing fees thereof. (ii) INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. The accountants who certified the statement of assets and liabilities included in the Registration Statement have confirmed to the Fund their status as independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Fund and the Adviser have no reason to believe that they are not independent public accountants. (iii) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. The statement of assets and liabilities included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes, presents fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals ("GAAP") in all material respects the financial position of the Fund at the date indicated and has been prepared in conformity in all material respects with GAAP. (iv) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no 3 material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Fund, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (other than as a result of changes in market conditions generally) (a "Material Adverse Effect"), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Fund, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Fund, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Fund on any class of its capital stock. (v) GOOD STANDING OF THE FUND. The Fund has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Fund 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. (vi) NO SUBSIDIARIES. The Fund has no subsidiaries. (vii) INVESTMENT COMPANY STATUS. The Fund is duly registered with the Commission under the 1940 Act as a diversified, closed-end management investment company, and no order of suspension or revocation of such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the Fund's knowledge, threatened by the Commission. (viii) OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS. No person is serving or acting as an officer, director or investment adviser of the Fund except in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated under the Advisers Act (the "Advisers Act Rules and Regulations"). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, to the Fund's knowledge after due inquiry, no director of the Fund is an "interested person" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or an "affiliated person" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any Underwriter that serves as a Representative. (ix) CAPITALIZATION. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Fund is as set forth in the Prospectus as of the date thereof under the caption "Description of Shares." All issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Fund have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and have been offered and sold or exchanged by the Fund in compliance with all applicable laws (including, without limitation, federal and state securities laws). None of the outstanding Common Shares of the Fund was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any security holder of the Fund. No shares of preferred stock of the Fund have been designated, offered, sold or issued and none of such shares of preferred stock are currently outstanding. (x) AUTHORIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SHARES. The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Fund have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Fund pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, except as described in the Registration Statement. The Common Shares conform in all material respects to all 4 statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any security holder of the Fund. (xi) ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND CONFLICTS. The Fund is not in violation of its charter or by-laws, or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any material contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Fund is subject (collectively, "Agreements and Instruments") except for such violations or defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement referred to in the Registration Statement (as used herein, individually the "Investment Advisory Agreement," the "Administration Agreement," the "Custodian Agreement" and the "Transfer Agency" and "Service Agreement," respectively and collectively the "Offering Agreements") and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Offering Agreements and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds") and compliance by the Fund with its obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will 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 Fund 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 of the Fund 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 Fund or any of its assets, properties or operations (except for such violations that 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 Fund. (xii) ABSENCE OF PROCEEDINGS. 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 Fund or the Adviser, threatened, against or affecting the Fund, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets of the Fund or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Fund of its obligations hereunder. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Fund is a party or of which any of its property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. (xiii) ACCURACY OF EXHIBITS. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto by the 1933 Act, the 1940 5 Act or by the Rules and Regulations which have not been so described and filed as required. (xiv) POSSESSION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; FUND NAME. The Fund owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate licenses, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, "Intellectual Property") necessary to carry on the business now operated by the Fund, and the Fund has not received any notice or is not otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Fund therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect. (xv) 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 Fund of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Shares hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), or under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") or the NASD, Inc ("NASD") or state securities laws. (xvi) POSSESSION OF LICENSES AND PERMITS. The Fund possesses 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 operate its properties and to conduct the business as contemplated in the Prospectus. The Fund is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so 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 when 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. The Fund has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect. (xvii) ADVERTISEMENTS. Any advertising, sales literature or other promotional material (including "prospectus wrappers," "broker kits," "road show slides" and "road show scripts" and "electronic road show presentations") authorized in writing by or prepared by the Fund or the Adviser used in connection with the public offering of the Shares (collectively, "Sales Material") does 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. Moreover, all Sales Material complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Rules and Regulations and the rules and interpretations of the NASD (except that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Sales Material made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein). 6 (xviii) SUBCHAPTER M. The Fund intends to direct the investment of the proceeds of the offering described in the Registration Statement in such a manner as to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Subchapter M of the Code" and the "Code," respectively), and intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. (xix) DISTRIBUTION OF OFFERING MATERIALS. The Fund has not distributed and, prior to the later of (A) the Closing Time and (B) completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act or the Rules and Regulations. (xx) ACCOUNTING CONTROLS. The Fund maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization and with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, the Rules and Regulations, the NASD and the Code; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets and to maintain compliance with the books and records requirements under the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with the management's general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. (xxi) ABSENCE OF UNDISCLOSED PAYMENTS. To the Fund's knowledge, neither the Fund nor any employee or agent of the Fund has made any payment of funds of the Fund or received or retained any funds, which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus. (xxii) MATERIAL AGREEMENTS. The Offering Agreements have each been duly authorized by all requisite action on the part of the Fund and executed and delivered by the Fund, as of the dates noted therein, and each complies with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act in all material respects. Assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto with respect to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, each Offering Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and except as rights to indemnification or contribution thereunder may be limited by federal or state laws. (xxiii)REGISTRATION RIGHTS. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Fund under the 1933 Act. 7 (xxiv) NYSE LISTING. The Shares have been duly authorized for listing, upon notice of issuance, on the NYSE and the Fund's registration statement on Form 8-A under the 1934 Act has become effective. (b) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE ADVISER. The Adviser represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof as follows: (i) GOOD STANDING OF THE ADVISER. The Adviser has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Tennessee with full power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign company to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospectus of such Adviser, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (an "Adviser Material Adverse Effect"). (ii) INVESTMENT ADVISER STATUS. The Adviser is duly registered and in good standing with the Commission as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and is not prohibited by the Advisers Act, the 1940 Act, or the rules and regulations under such acts, from acting under the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund as contemplated by the Prospectus. (iii) DESCRIPTION OF ADVISER. The description of the Adviser in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement thereto) complied and comply in all material respects with the provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, the Rules and Regulations and the Advisers Act Rules and Regulations and is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. (iv) CAPITALIZATION. The Adviser has the financial resources available to it necessary for the performance of its services and obligations as contemplated in the Prospectus, this Agreement and under the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement. (v) AUTHORIZATION OF AGREEMENTS; ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND CONFLICTS. This Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, and the Administration Agreement have each been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Adviser, and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of each other party thereto) the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement each constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Adviser, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) or an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and except as rights to indemnification or contribution thereunder may be limited by federal or state laws; and neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Administration Agreement nor the performance by the Adviser of its obligations hereunder or thereunder will conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute, with or 8 without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, a default under, (i) any agreement or instrument to which the Adviser is a party or by which it is bound, (ii) the charter, the by-laws or other organizational documents of the Adviser, or (iii) to the Adviser's knowledge, by any law, order, decree, rule or regulation applicable to it of any jurisdiction, court, federal or state regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, stock exchange or securities association having jurisdiction over the Adviser or its properties or operations other than any conflict, breach or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental authority or agency is required for the consummation by the Adviser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Administration Agreement, except as have been obtained or will be obtained prior to the Closing Time or may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act or state securities laws. (vi) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has not occurred any event which would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Adviser to perform its respective obligations under this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, and the Administration Agreement. (vii) ABSENCE OF PROCEEDINGS. 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 Adviser, threatened against or affecting the Adviser or any "affiliated person" of the Adviser (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) or any partners, directors, officers or employees of the foregoing, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, which would reasonably be expected to result in Adviser Material Adverse Effect or, materially and adversely affect the ability of the Adviser to function as an investment adviser with respect to the Fund or perform its obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement, or which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. (viii) ABSENCE OF VIOLATION OR DEFAULT. The Adviser is not in violation of its charter, by-laws or other organizational documents or in default under any agreement, indenture or instrument, except for such violations or defaults that would not result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect. (c) OFFICER'S CERTIFICATES. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Fund or the Adviser delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Fund or the Adviser, as the case may be, to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby. SECTION 2. SALE AND DELIVERY TO UNDERWRITERS; CLOSING. --------- ------------------------------------------ (a) PRIMARY SHARES. On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants contained herein and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Fund agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Fund, at the price per share set forth in Schedule B, the number of Primary Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Primary Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof. 9 (b) OPTION SHARES. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties contained herein and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Fund hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 3,150,000 Common Shares in the aggregate at the price per share set forth in Schedule B, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Fund and payable on the Primary Shares but not payable on the Option Shares. The option hereby granted will expire 45 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Primary Shares upon notice by the Representatives to the Fund setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Shares. Any such time and date of delivery (a "Date of Delivery") shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven (7) full business days and no earlier than three (3) full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Shares, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Shares then being purchased which the number of Primary Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Primary Shares, subject in each case to such adjustments as Morgan Keegan in its discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of a fractional number of Option Shares plus any additional number of Option Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof. (c) PAYMENT. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates, if any, for the Primary Shares shall be made at the offices of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, 100 Peabody Place, Suite 900, Memphis, Tennessee 38103 or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Fund, at 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten (10) business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Fund (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called "Closing Time"). In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for such Option Shares shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Fund, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Fund. Payment shall be made to the Fund by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Fund, against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Primary Shares and the Option Shares, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Morgan Keegan, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Primary Shares or the Option Shares, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder. (d) DENOMINATIONS; REGISTRATION. Certificates for the Primary Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least three (3) full business days before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The certificates for the Primary Shares and the Option Shares, if the Fund determines to issue any such certificates, will be made available for examination and packaging by the Representatives in the City of New York not 10 later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The Primary Shares and the Option Shares to be purchased hereunder shall be delivered to you at the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company or another mutually agreeable facility, against payment of the purchase price therefor in immediately available funds to the order of the Fund. SECTION 3. COVENANTS. --------- ---------- (a) The Fund and Adviser, covenant with each Underwriter as follows: (i) COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES REGULATIONS AND COMMISSION REQUESTS. The Fund, subject to Section 3(a)(ii), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A or Rule 434, as applicable, and will notify the Representatives as soon as practicable, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Fund will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 497 and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 497 was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Fund will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, or order of suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1940 Act, and, if any such stop order or order of suspension or revocation of registration is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. (ii) FILING OF AMENDMENTS. The Fund will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), any Term Sheet or any amendment, supplement or revision to either the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the Prospectus, and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object; provided, however that this covenant shall not apply to any post-effective amendment required by Rule 8b-16 of the 1940 Act which is filed with the Commission after the later of (x) one year from the date of this Agreement or (y) the date on which the distribution of the Shares is completed. (iii) DELIVERY OF REGISTRATION STATEMENTS. The Fund has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment (except any post-effective amendment required by Rule 8b-16 of the 1940 Act which is filed with the Commission after the later of (x) one year from the date of this Agreement 11 or (y) the date on which the distribution of the Shares is completed) thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. (iv) DELIVERY OF PROSPECTUSES. The Fund has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Fund hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Fund will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. (v) CONTINUED COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Fund, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the Rules and Regulations, the Fund will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(a)(ii), such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Fund will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. (vi) BLUE SKY QUALIFICATIONS. The Fund will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions of the United States as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not apply to the extent that the Shares are "covered securities" that are exempt from state regulation of securities offerings pursuant to Section 18 of the 1933 Act; and provided, further, that the Fund shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. (vii) RULE 158. The Fund will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act. 12 (viii) USE OF PROCEEDS. The Fund will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares in the manner specified in the Prospectus under "Use of Proceeds." (ix) LISTING. The Fund will use its best efforts to effect the listing of the Shares on the NYSE, subject to notice of issuance, no later than two weeks after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. (x) RESTRICTION ON SALE OF SHARES. During a period of 180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Fund will not, without the prior written consent of Morgan Keegan, (A) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (B) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Shares, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Shares to be sold hereunder or the Common Shares issued pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan. (xi) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Fund, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1940 Act and the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations and the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, respectively. (xii) SUBCHAPTER M. The Fund will use its best efforts to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. (xiii) NO MANIPULATION OF MARKET FOR SHARES. Except for the authorization of actions permitted to be taken by the Underwriters as contemplated herein or in the Prospectus, the Fund will not (a) take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in, or that might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Fund to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares in violation of federal or state securities laws, and (b) until the Closing Time, or the Date of Delivery, if any, (i) except for Share repurchases permitted in accordance with applicable laws and issuances of Shares or purchases of Shares in the open market pursuant to the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan, sell, bid for or purchase the Shares or pay any person any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Shares or (ii) pay or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Fund. (xiv) RULE 462(B) REGISTRATION STATEMENT. If the Fund elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Fund shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Fund shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the 1933 Act. SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. --------- ------------------- 13 (a) EXPENSES. The Fund will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Shares, if any, to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Fund's counsel, accountants and other advisers, (v) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by the NASD of the terms of the sale of the Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Shares on the NYSE (ix) the printing of any Sales Material and (x) the transportation, lodging, graphics and other expenses of the Fund and its officers related to the preparation for and participation by the Fund and its officers in the roadshow. The Adviser has agreed to pay organizational expenses and offering costs (other than sales load) of the Fund that exceed $0.05 per Common Share. (b) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a) hereof, the Fund or the Adviser, shall reimburse, or arrange for an affiliate to reimburse, the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters. SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. --------- --------------------------------------- The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Fund and the Adviser contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Fund or the Adviser delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Fund and the Adviser of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions: (a) EFFECTIVENESS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice or order pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1940 Act shall have been issued, and no proceedings with respect to either shall have been initiated or, to the Fund's knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 497 (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A) or, if the Fund has elected to rely upon Rule 434, a Term Sheet shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 497. (b) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE FUND AND THE ADVISER. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinions, dated as of Closing Time, from Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, counsel for the Fund and Edward Brundick, Esq., counsel for the Adviser, as to matters set forth in Schedule C and D hereto. 14 (c) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR UNDERWRITERS. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, from Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters with respect to the matters set forth in Section 1 hereof, clauses (a) (i), (ii), (vi), (vii) (solely as to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law or under the charter or by-laws of the Fund), (viii) through (x), inclusive, and (xiv) (solely as to the information in the Prospectus under "Description of Shares"). In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of Tennessee and the federal law of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Fund and certificates of public officials. (d) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATES. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Fund, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of a duly authorized officer of the Fund and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Fund and of the President or a Vice President or Managing Director of the Adviser, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Sections 1(a) and (b) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Fund or the Adviser, as applicable, has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or order of suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1940 Act, has been issued and no proceedings for any such purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Fund or the Adviser, are pending or are contemplated by the Commission. (e) ACCOUNTANT'S COMFORT LETTER. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers ("PwC") a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. (f) BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from PwC a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three (3) business days prior to Closing Time. (g) APPROVAL OF LISTING. At Closing Time, the Shares shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to official notice of issuance. (h) EXECUTION OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AGREEMENT. At Closing Time, Morgan Keegan shall have received the Additional Compensation Agreement, dated the date of the Closing Time, as executed by the Adviser. (i) NO OBJECTION. The NASD has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting 15 terms and arrangements. (j) CONDITIONS TO PURCHASE OF OPTION SHARES. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Shares, the representations and warranties of the Fund contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Fund hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received: (i) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATES. Certificates, dated such Date of Delivery, of a duly authorized officer of the Fund and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Fund and of the President or a Vice President or Managing Director of the Adviser confirming that the information contained in the certificate delivered by each of them at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery. (ii) OPINIONS OF COUNSEL FOR THE FUND AND THE ADVISER. The favorable opinion of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, counsel for the Fund and Edward Brundick, Esq., counsel for the Adviser, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Shares to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof. (iii) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE UNDERWRITERS. The favorable opinion of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Shares to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof. (iv) BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER. A letter from PwC, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that the "specified date" in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than five (5) days prior to such Date of Delivery. (k) ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Fund and the Adviser in connection with the organization and registration of the Fund under the 1940 Act and the issuance and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters. (l) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Shares, on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Shares, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Fund at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 13 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect. 16 SECTION 6. INDEMNIFICATION. --------- --------------- (a) INDEMNIFICATION OF UNDERWRITERS. The Fund and the Adviser agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and any director, officer, employee or affiliate thereof as follows: (i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; (ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(e) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Fund; and (iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Morgan Keegan), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund or the Adviser by any Underwriter through Morgan Keegan or its counsel expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and provided further that the Fund or the Adviser will not be liable to any Underwriter with respect to any Prospectus to the extent that the Fund or the Adviser shall sustain the burden of proving that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense resulted from the fact that such Underwriter, in contravention of a requirement of this Agreement or applicable law, sold Shares to a person to whom such Underwriter failed to send or give, at or prior to the Closing Time, a copy of the final Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented if: (i) the Fund has previously furnished copies thereof (sufficiently in advance of the Closing Time to allow for distribution by the Closing Time) to the Underwriter and the loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter resulted from an untrue statement or omission of a material fact contained in or omitted from the preliminary Prospectus which was corrected in the final Prospectus as, if applicable, amended or supplemented prior to the Closing Time and such final Prospectus was required by law to be delivered at or prior to the written 17 confirmation of sale to such person and (ii) such failure to give or send such final Prospectus by the Closing Time to the party or parties asserting such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense would have constituted a defense to the claim asserted by such person. (b) INDEMNIFICATION OF FUND, ADVISER, DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and the Adviser, their respective directors, each of the Fund's officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the Adviser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund or the Adviser by such Underwriter through Morgan Keegan or its counsel expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). (c) INDEMNIFICATION FOR MARKETING MATERIALS. In addition to the foregoing indemnification, the Fund and the Adviser also agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a), as limited by the proviso set forth therein, with respect to any Sales Material in the form approved by the Fund and the Adviser for use by the Underwriters and securities firms to whom the Fund or the Adviser shall have disseminated materials in connection with the public offering of the Shares. (d) ACTIONS AGAINST PARTIES; NOTIFICATION. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by Morgan Keegan, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Fund and the Adviser. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. 19 (e) SETTLEMENT WITHOUT CONSENT IF FAILURE TO REIMBURSE. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement; provided that an indemnifying party shall not be liable for any such settlement effected without its consent if such indemnifying party, prior to the date of such settlement, (1) reimburses such indemnified party in accordance with such request for the amount of such fees and expenses of counsel as the indemnifying party believes in good faith to be reasonable, and (2) provides written notice to the indemnified party that the indemnifying party disputes in good faith the reasonableness of the unpaid balance of such fees and expenses. (f) LIMITATIONS ON INDEMNIFICATION. Any indemnification by the Fund shall be subject to the requirements and limitations of Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act and 1940 Act Release 11330. SECTION 7. CONTRIBUTION. --------- ------------- If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Fund and the Adviser on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Fund and the Adviser on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Fund and the Adviser on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Fund and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters (whether from the Fund or otherwise), in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus or, if Rule 434 is used, the corresponding location on the Term Sheet, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Fund and the Adviser on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Fund or the Adviser or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Fund, the Adviser and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro 19 rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Fund and each director of the Adviser, respectively, each officer of the Fund who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the Adviser, within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Fund and the Adviser, respectively. The Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Primary Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint. Any contribution by the Fund shall be subject to the requirements and limitations of Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act and 1940 Act Release 11330. SECTION 8. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. --------- -------------------------------------------------- All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Fund or the Adviser submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Fund or the Adviser, and shall survive delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters. SECTION 9. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. --------- ------------------------ (a) TERMINATION; GENERAL. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Fund, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Fund or the Adviser, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any material outbreak of hostilities or material escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or 20 international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, or (iii) if trading in the Common Shares of the Fund has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or in the NASDAQ National Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the NASD or any other governmental authority, or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or Tennessee authorities. (b) LIABILITIES. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 13 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect. SECTION 10. DEFAULT BY ONE OR MORE OF THE UNDERWRITERS. ---------- ------------------------------------------ If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or any Date of Delivery to purchase the Shares which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the "Defaulted Shares"), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Shares in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then: (a) if the number of Defaulted Shares does not exceed 10% of the number of Shares to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or (b) if the number of Defaulted Shares exceeds 10% of the number of Shares to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Fund to sell the Option Shares to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default. In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Fund to sell the relevant Option Shares, as the case may be, either the Representatives or the Fund shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven (7) days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term "Underwriter" includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10. 21 SECTION 11. TAX DISCLOSURE. ---------- -------------- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, from the commencement of discussions with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, the Fund and the Advisers (and each employee, representative or other agent of the Fund or the Advisers) may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure (as such terms are used in Sections 6011, 6111 and 6112 of the U.S. Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided relating to such tax treatment and tax structure. SECTION 12. NOTICES. ---------- -------- All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives, Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., 50 North Front Street, 19th Floor, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, attention of Equity Capital Markets; and notices to the Fund or the Adviser shall be directed, as appropriate, to the office of Morgan Asset Management, Inc., Fifty Front Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, attention of Charles D. Maxwell. SECTION 13. PARTIES. ---------- ------- This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Fund, the Adviser and their respective partners and successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Fund, the Adviser and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Fund, the Adviser and their respective partners and successors, and said controlling persons and officers, directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase. SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. ---------- ---------------------- THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SAID STATE. UNLESS OTHERWISE EXPLICITLY PROVIDED, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO MEMPHIS CITY TIME. SECTION 15. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. ---------- ------------------ The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. 22 If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Fund and the Adviser in accordance with its terms. Very truly yours, RMK STRATEGIC INCOME FUND, INC. By: ---------------------------------------- Name: Title: MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. By: ---------------------------------------- Name: Title: Confirmed and accepted in Memphis, Tennessee as of the date first above written, by Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. on behalf of the Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto. By: ------------------------------------------------------ Name: Title: 23 SCHEDULE A Number of Name of Underwriter Primary Shares ------------------- -------------- Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. Advest, Inc. BB&T Capital Markets, a division of Scott & Stringfellow, Inc. Ferris, Baker Watts, Incorporated Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated McDonald Investments Inc., a KeyCorp Company Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. RBC Capital Markets Corporation Stephens Inc. Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. C.E. Unterberg, Towbin Wedbush Morgan Securities Inc. TOTAL 21,000,000 ----------- 24 SCHEDULE B RMK Strategic Income Fund, Inc. Common Shares 1. The initial public offering price per share for the Shares, determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be $15.00. 2. The purchase price per share for the Shares to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $14.325, being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $0.675 per share; provided that the purchase price per share for any Option Shares purchased upon the exercise of the over-allotment option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Fund and payable on the Primary Shares but not payable on the Option Shares. 25 Schedule C Form of Opinion for the Fund 26 Schedule D Form of Opinion for the Adviser 27