As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 2024

File No. [    ]

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10

GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Lord Abbett Private Credit Fund 1, LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	93-4670837
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
30 Hudson Street Jersey City, New Jersey	07302
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (888) 522-2388

with copies to:

Randolph A. Stuzin, Esq.

Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC

30 Hudson Street

Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

COPIES TO:

Richard Horowitz, Esq.

Jonathan Gaines, Esq.

Cynthia Beyea, Esq.

Dechert LLP

1095 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

None

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, par value $0.01 per share

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	o	Accelerated filer	o
Non-accelerated  filer	x	Smaller reporting company	o
		Emerging growth company	x

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Explanatory Note	1
Forward-Looking Statements	3
Item 1. Business	4
Item 1A. Risk Factors	34
Item 2. Financial Information	68
Item 3. Properties	72
Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management	73
Item 5. Trustees and Executive Officers	73
Item 6. Executive Compensation	78
Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence	79
Item 8. Legal Proceedings	83
Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters	83
Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities	85
Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered	85
Item 12. Indemnification of Trustees and Officers	91
Item 13. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	91
Item 14. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	91
Item 15. Financial Statements and Exhibits	91

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Explanatory Note

Lord Abbett Private Credit Fund 1, LP is filing this registration statement on Form 10 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on a voluntary basis in connection with its election to be regulated as a business development company (a “BDC”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), to provide current public information to the investment community.

Unless indicated otherwise in this Registration Statement or the context requires otherwise, the terms:

• the terms, “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Fund” refer to Lord Abbett Private Credit Fund 1, LP, a Delaware limited partnership for periods prior to the BDC Election Date (as defined below), and refer to Lord Abbett Private Income Fund, a Delaware statutory trust for periods following the BDC Election Date; and

• the terms “Adviser” and our “Investment Adviser” refers to Lord Abbett Private Credit Advisor LLC, our investment adviser.

The Fund is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As a result, the Fund is eligible to take advantage of certain reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies including, but not limited to, not being subject to the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). See “Item 1. Business – Emerging Growth Company.”

Upon the effective date of this Registration Statement, we will be subject to the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, including the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, which will require us to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K. We will also be required to comply with all other obligations of the Exchange Act applicable to issuers filing registration statements pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Upon the effective date of this Registration Statement, we will also be subject to the proxy rules in Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and we and our trustees (“Trustees”), officers and principal shareholders will be subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 and 16 of the Exchange Act. The SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the reports mentioned in this section.

Investing in our common shares of beneficial interest (“Common Shares”) may be considered speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including the following:

• An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you might need access to the money you invest in the foreseeable future.

• You should not expect to be able to sell your shares regardless of how we perform.

• If you are unable to sell your shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure on any market downturn.

• You may not transfer your shares of the Fund or transfer your capital commitment without registration of the transfer on the Fund’s books, and unless the transferee satisfies applicable eligibility and/or suitability requirements and the transfer is otherwise made in accordance with applicable securities, tax, anti-money laundering and other applicable laws and in compliance with the terms of your subscription agreement with the Fund. Investors should be aware that registration of any transfer on the Fund’s books may be withheld if, in the opinion of counsel (who may be counsel for the Fund), such transfer would violate the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any state (or other jurisdiction) securities or “blue sky” laws applicable to the Fund or the shares to be transferred, or any other laws.

• Our Common Shares are not currently listed on an exchange and given that we have no current intention of pursuing any such listing, it is unlikely that a secondary trading market will develop for our Common Shares. The purchase of our Common Shares is intended to be a long-term investment. We do not intend to complete a Liquidity Event (as defined herein) within any specific time period, if at all. We do not intend to list our shares on a national securities exchange.

• Our distributions may be funded from unlimited amounts of offering proceeds or borrowings, which may constitute a return of capital and reduce the amount of capital available to us for investment. Any capital returned to you through distributions will be distributed after payment of fees and expenses.

• We will invest in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They will also be difficult to value and are illiquid.

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• Investment in the Fund is suitable only for sophisticated investors and requires the financial ability and willingness to accept the high risks and lack of liquidity inherent in an investment in the Fund.

• We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in the Fund.

• We intend to invest primarily in privately held companies for which very little public information exists. Such companies also could be more vulnerable to economic downturns and could experience substantial variations in operating results.

• We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act, which election imposes numerous restrictions on our activities, including restrictions on leverage and on the nature of our investments.

• Repurchases of the Common Shares by the Fund, if any, are expected to be limited and to be no more than 5% of outstanding shares as of the end of any given quarter.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This Registration Statement contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and you should not place undue reliance on such statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about us, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs and opinions and our assumptions. We are externally managed by the Adviser, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” “potential,” “predicts,” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including:

• our future operating results;

• our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;

• risk associated with possible disruptions in our operations or the economy generally;

• changes in the general interest rate environment;

• general economic, political and industry trends and other external factors, including uncertainty surrounding the financial and political stability of the United States and other countries;

• our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties;

• actual and potential conflicts of interest with our Adviser and its affiliates;

• the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its effect on the industries in which we invest;

• the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;

• the use of borrowed money to finance a portion of our investments;

• the adequacy of our financing sources and working capital;

• the timing and amount of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies;

• the ability of our Adviser to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments;

• the ability of our Adviser and its affiliates to attract and retain highly talented professionals;

• our ability to qualify and maintain our qualification as a BDC and as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”);

• the impact on our business of U.S. and international financial reform legislation, rules and regulations;

• the effect of changes in tax laws and regulations and interpretations thereof; and

• the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify under [“Item 1A. Risk Factors”] and elsewhere in this Registration Statement.

Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statements in this Registration Statement should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. This Registration Statement contains forward-looking statements, which may relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition and involves numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described or identified in the section entitled [“Item 1A. Risk Factors”] and elsewhere in this Registration Statement. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this Registration Statement. Moreover, we assume no duty and do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we make directly to you or through reports that we may

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file with the SEC in the future, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

Item 1. Business.

The Fund

We were formed on November 27, 2023, as a Delaware limited partnership and expect to convert to a Delaware statutory trust effective on the BDC Election Date. The Fund intends to invest in loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation.

We are a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that intends to file an election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act (the date of the Fund’s election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act is referred to herein as the “BDC Election Date”). We are externally managed by our adviser, Lord Abbett Private Credit Advisor LLC (the “Adviser”), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC. We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. Prior to the BDC Election Date, we conducted our investment activities and operations pursuant to the exclusion from the definition of an “investment company” in Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.

We are a non-exchange traded, perpetual-life BDC, which is a BDC whose shares of beneficial interest are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market. We use the term “perpetual-life BDC” to describe an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose shares of beneficial interest are intended to be sold across multiple closings on an ongoing basis. In our perpetual-life structure, we may offer investors an opportunity to repurchase their Common Shares (as defined below) on a quarterly basis at net asset value (“NAV”), but we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any shares in any particular quarter in our discretion. We believe that our perpetual nature enables us to execute a patient and opportunistic strategy and be able to invest across different market environments. This may reduce the risk of the Fund being a forced seller of assets in market downturns compared to non-perpetual funds. While we may consider a Liquidity Event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a Liquidity Event, and we are not obligated by our organizational documents or otherwise to effect a Liquidity Event at any time.

We intend to issue our Common Shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per Common Share as determined in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policy. The Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Board of Trustees”) has approved the Adviser’s valuation policy, is responsible for overseeing its application and has designated the Adviser as the Fund’s valuation designee under Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act.

Each issuance of Common Shares will be subject to the limitations of Section 23(b) under the 1940 Act, which generally prohibits us from issuing Common Shares at a price below the then-current NAV of the Common Shares as determined within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, of such issuance (taking into account any investment valuation adjustments from the latest quarterly valuation date in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policy), subject to certain exceptions. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion and at any time, to issue Common Shares to investors subscribing after the “Initial Closing Date”, the first closing date for Capital Commitments (as defined below) from non-affiliated investors, of this continuous private offering (the “Private Offering”) of Common Shares at a price set above the NAV per share based on a variety of factors in order to fairly allocate initial offering, organizational and other expenses to such investors.

This is a “best efforts” offering, which means that Lord Abbett Distributor LLC, the Fund’s principal placement agent for this offering and an affiliate of the Adviser (the “Placement Agent”), will use its best efforts to sell Common Shares, but is not obligated to purchase or sell any specific amount of Common Shares in this offering. Other broker-dealers will be engaged by the Placement Agent to assist in the sale of the Common Shares on a best efforts basis.

The minimum initial commitment is $2,500, after which additional commitments must be in increments of $100. In addition, the Placement Agent, which is an affiliate of the Adviser, may elect to accept smaller commitments in its discretion.

Subject to the supervision of the Board, a majority of which consists of trustees who are not “interested persons” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s day-to-day operations and provides the Fund with investment advisory services pursuant to the terms of an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, the “Administrator” or “Lord Abbett” performs, or oversees the performance of, the Fund’s corporate operations and required administrative services pursuant to an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”). Trustees who are “interested persons” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act are referred to herein as “Interested Trustees.”

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The Adviser

We are externally managed by the Adviser, Lord Abbett Private Credit Advisor LLC, a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of the Board and in accordance with the 1940 Act, the Adviser manages our day-to-day operations and provides us with investment advisory services pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for originating prospective investments, conducting research and due diligence investigations on potential investments, analyzing investment opportunities, negotiating and structuring our investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Adviser will assist us in calculating our NAV, overseeing the preparation and filing of tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our shareholders, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others.

The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company, located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. The management of our investment portfolio is the responsibility of the Adviser’s Private Credit Investment Committee (the “Private Credit Investment Committee”), which is currently comprised of two portfolio managers of the Adviser. See “Item 5. Trustees and Executive Officers – Portfolio Management” for more information regarding the Private Credit Investment Committee.

The Administrator

The Administrator oversees our day-to-day operations pursuant to the Administration Agreement, including the provision of general ledger accounting, fund accounting, legal services, investor relations, certain government and regulatory affairs activities, and other administrative services. The Administrator will also perform, or oversee the performance of, our corporate operations and required administrative services, which includes being responsible for the financial records that we are required to maintain and preparing reports for our shareholders and reports filed with the SEC. Some of these functions have been outsourced to a third-party sub-administrator, State Street Fund Services, Inc. (the “Sub-Administrator”) of the Fund.

Lord Abbett is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Lord Abbett is located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. Founded in 1929, Lord Abbett manages one of the nation’s oldest mutual fund complexes and manages approximately $201.9 billion in assets across a full range of mutual funds, institutional accounts, and separately managed accounts, including $1.3 billion for which Lord Abbett provides investment models to managed account sponsors as of June 30, 2024.

Private Offering of Common Shares

We are conducting a continuous Private Offering of our Common Shares in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including the exemption provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder, Regulation S under the Securities Act and/or other exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. In connection with the Private Offering, we have entered into, and expect to continue to enter into, subscription agreements with investors (each, a “Subscription Agreement”). An investor will make a capital contribution pursuant to a Subscription Agreement and will become a common shareholder in the Fund bound by the terms of our organizational documents.

The minimum initial investment in Common Shares offered in the Private Offering is $2,500, after which additional investments must be in increments of $100. The minimum subsequent investment amount does not apply to purchases of Common Shares made under any distribution reinvestment plan. In addition, the Placement Agent, which is an affiliate of the Adviser, may elect to accept smaller investments in its discretion.

Each prospective investor in the Private Offering will be required to represent that it (i) is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D (an “accredited investor”) under the Securities Act or, in the case of offers and sales outside of the United States to a prospective investor that is not an accredited investor, is not a “U.S. person” in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act, and (ii) is acquiring the Common Shares purchased by it for investment and not with a view to resale or distribution. Prior to the BDC Election Date, subscriptions were accepted only from persons who were also “qualified purchasers” under the 1940 Act.

The Fund has held closings for the Private Offering in connection with which it accepted capital commitments from investors to purchase Common Shares (“Capital Commitments”), and may hold additional closings for Capital Commitments. Investors with Capital Commitments will be required, pursuant to the terms of their Subscription Agreement, in the Fund’s sole discretion, to fund drawdowns to purchase Common Shares up to the amount of their respective aggregate Capital Commitments each time that the Fund delivers a drawdown notice. As set forth in the Subscription Agreement for Capital Commitments, if an investor fails to make a capital contribution when due, and such default remains uncured for a period of five (5) business days, then the Fund will be permitted to

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declare the investor to be in default on its obligations under such Subscription Agreement and will be permitted to take any actions available under the Subscription Agreement or at law or at equity, including prohibiting such investor from purchasing additional Common Shares on any future drawdown date.

Drawdown purchases for Common Shares from investors with Capital Commitments will generally be allocated among investors with unfunded Capital Commitments in amounts proportional to each investor’s Capital Commitment in such increments as the Adviser deems necessary to fund the Fund’s operations. However, the Subscription Agreements provide that the Fund retains the right, at its discretion, to call drawdown capital on a non-pro rata basis in certain circumstances. The Fund may also, if determined by the Fund in its sole discretion, from time to time require capital contributions from some investors with Capital Commitments and not others.

We will endeavor to take all reasonable actions to avoid interruptions in the continuous Private Offering. Although the Common Shares in the Private Offering are being sold under the exemption provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder, Regulation S under the Securities Act and/or other exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, there can be no assurance that we will not need to suspend our Private Offering for various reasons, including but not limited to regulatory review from the SEC and various state regulators, to the extent applicable.

Investors may generally sell, offer for sale, agree to sell, exchange, transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, in any case whether directly or indirectly (each, a “Transfer”) their Common Shares provided that the transferee, as applicable, satisfies applicable eligibility and/or suitability requirements and the Transfer is otherwise made in accordance with applicable securities, tax, anti-money laundering and other applicable laws and compliance with the terms of the Subscription Agreement. No Transfer will be effectuated except by registration of the Transfer on the Fund’s books. Each transferee must agree to be bound by the restrictions set forth in the Subscription Agreement and all other obligations as an investor in the Fund. In addition, we expect that certain of our Capital Commitment investors will agree to not Transfer or otherwise dispose of their Common Shares without the Fund’s prior written consent for a period ending at least three years from the respective investor’s initial capital contribution under their subscription agreement.

Purchase Price and Fees

We intend to issue our Common Shares at an offering price that we believe reflects the NAV per Common Share as determined in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policy. The Board has approved the Adviser’s valuation policy, is responsible for overseeing its application and has designated the Adviser as the Fund’s valuation designee under Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act.

Each issuance of Common Shares will be subject to the limitations of Section 23(b) under the 1940 Act, which generally prohibits us from issuing Common Shares at a price below the then-current NAV of the Common Shares as determined within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, of such issuance (taking into account any investment valuation adjustments from the latest quarterly valuation date in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policy), subject to certain exceptions. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion and at any time, to issue Common Shares to investors subscribing after the Initial Closing Date of this continuous private offering of Common Shares at a price set above the NAV per share based on a variety of factors in order to fairly allocate initial offering, organizational and other expenses to such investors.

This is a “best efforts” offering, which means that the Placement Agent will use its best efforts to sell Common Shares, but is not obligated to purchase or sell any specific amount of Common Shares in this offering. Other broker-dealers will be engaged by the Placement Agent to assist in the sale of the Common Shares on a best efforts basis.

We entered into a placement agent agreement (the “Placement Agent Agreement”) with the Placement Agent, pursuant to which the Placement Agent agreed to, among other things, manage our relationships with third-party brokers engaged by the Placement Agent to participate in the distribution of Common Shares, which we refer to as “participating brokers,” and financial advisers. The Placement Agent also coordinates our marketing and distribution efforts with participating brokers and their registered representatives with respect to communications related to the terms of the offering, our investment strategies, material aspects of our operations and subscription procedures. The Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay the Placement Agent for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of Common Shares of the Fund and/or shareholder support services. We will not pay referral or similar fees to any accountants, attorneys or other persons in connection with the distribution of our Common Shares.

The Placement Agent intends to enter into placement agreements with broker-dealers in connection with the Private Offering. In connection with the sales of our Common Shares, these broker-dealers may charge investors a placement fee (the “Upfront Sales Load”), subject to the discretion of the broker-dealer. Any Upfront Sales Load is not part of (and is in addition to) an investor’s aggregate

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purchase price for its Common Shares and will be directly charged to such investor. Investors should contact their broker-dealer for information on any such fees.

The Adviser may pay additional compensation, out of its own funds and not as an additional charge to the Fund or investors, to selected brokers, dealers or other financial intermediaries, including affiliated broker dealers, for the purpose of introducing a selling agent to the Fund and/or promoting the recommendation of an investment in the Common Shares. Such payments made by the Adviser may be based on the aggregate purchase price of investors in the Fund as determined by the Adviser. The amount of these payments is determined from time to time by the Adviser and may be substantial.

The purchase of our Common Shares is intended to be a long-term investment. We do not intend to list our Common Shares on a national securities exchange. As a result, if you purchase the Common Shares, your ability to sell your Common Shares will be limited. At the discretion of the Board, the Fund intends to commence a share repurchase program in which the Fund intends to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of the Common Shares outstanding (by number of Common Shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. See “Item 1. Business – Share Repurchase Program.”

Share Repurchase Program

We do not intend to list our Common Shares on a securities exchange and we do not expect there to be a public market for our Common Shares. As a result, if you purchase our Common Shares, your ability to sell your Common Shares will be limited.

Beginning no later than the second full calendar quarter from the Initial Closing Date, and at the discretion of our Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (by number of Common Shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. Upon a suspension of our share repurchase program, our Board will consider at least quarterly whether the continued suspension of our share repurchase program remains in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders. However, our Board is not required to authorize the recommencement of our share repurchase program within any specified period of time. Our Board may also determine to terminate our share repurchase program if required by applicable law or in connection with a transaction in which our shareholders receive liquidity for their Common Shares, such as a sale or merger of the Fund or listing of our Common Shares on a national securities exchange.

We expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers each quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter. We intend to conduct the repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

You may tender all of the Common Shares that you own. There is no repurchase priority for a shareholder under the circumstances of death or disability of such shareholder.

In the event the amount of Common Shares tendered exceeds the repurchase offer amount, shares will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted in the next quarterly tender offer, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase program, as applicable. We will have no obligation to repurchase shares, including if the repurchase would violate the restrictions on distributions under federal law or Delaware law. The limitations and restrictions described above may prevent us from accommodating all repurchase requests made in any quarter. Our share repurchase program has many limitations, including the limitations described above, and should not in any way be viewed as the equivalent of a secondary market.

We will offer to repurchase shares on such terms as may be determined by our Board in its complete and absolute discretion unless, in the judgment of our Independent Trustees, such repurchases would not be in the best interests of our shareholders or would violate applicable law. There is no assurance that our Board will exercise its discretion to offer to repurchase shares or that there will be sufficient funds available to accommodate all of our shareholders’ requests for repurchase. As a result, we may repurchase less than the full amount of Common Shares that you request to have repurchased. If we do not repurchase the full amount of your Common Shares that you have requested to be repurchased, or we determine not to make repurchases of our Common Shares, you will likely not be able to dispose of your Common Shares, even if we under-perform. Any periodic repurchase offers will be subject in part to our available

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cash and compliance with the RIC qualification and diversification rules and the 1940 Act. Shareholders will not pay a fee to us in connection with our repurchase of Common Shares under the share repurchase program.

The Fund will repurchase shares from shareholders pursuant to written tenders on terms and conditions that the Board determines to be fair to the Fund and to all shareholders. When the Board determines that the Fund will repurchase shares, notice will be provided to shareholders describing the terms of the offer, containing information shareholders should consider in deciding whether to participate in the repurchase opportunity and containing information on how to participate. Shareholders deciding whether to tender their shares during the period that a repurchase offer is open may obtain the Fund’s most recent NAV per share on our website at: [ ]. However, our repurchase offers will generally use the NAV on or around the last business day of a calendar quarter, which will not be available until after the expiration of the applicable tender offer, so you will not know the exact price of Common Shares in the tender offer when you make your decision whether to tender your Common Shares.

Repurchases of Common Shares from shareholders by the Fund will be paid in cash promptly after the determination of the relevant NAV per share is finalized. Repurchases will be effective after receipt and acceptance by the Fund of eligible written tenders of Common Shares from shareholders by the applicable repurchase offer deadline. The Fund does not impose any charges in connection with repurchases of Common Shares. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

Most of our assets will consist of instruments that cannot generally be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize full value upon their disposition. Therefore, we may not always have sufficient liquid resources to make repurchase offers. In order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, we intend to generally maintain under normal circumstances an allocation to broadly syndicated loans and other liquid investments. We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. Should making repurchase offers, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the Fund as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in originated loans or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our Common Shares is in the best interests of the Fund as a whole, then we may choose to offer to repurchase fewer shares than described above, or none at all.

In the event that any shareholder fails to maintain the minimum balance of $2,500 of our Common Shares, we may, at the time of such failure or any time subsequent to such failure, repurchase all of the Common Shares held by that shareholder at the repurchase price in effect on the date we determine that the shareholder has failed to meet the minimum balance. Minimum account repurchases will apply even in the event that the failure to meet the minimum balance is caused solely by a decline in our NAV.

Payment for repurchased shares may require us to liquidate portfolio holdings earlier than our Adviser would otherwise have caused these holdings to be liquidated, potentially resulting in losses, and may increase our investment-related expenses as a result of higher portfolio turnover rates. Our Adviser intends to take measures, subject to policies as may be established by our Board, to attempt to avoid or minimize potential losses and expenses resulting from the repurchase of Common Shares.

Investment Objectives and Strategy

Overview

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation, by primarily focusing on directly originated, senior secured loans to U.S. middle market companies. We define “middle-market companies” as companies that, in general, generate annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) in the range of $10 million to $100 million. We expect to invest at least 80% of our total assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in secured debt investments. We anticipate that the portfolio will be composed of primarily first lien, senior secured and unitranche loans (including first-out/last-out loans) and, to a lesser extent, second lien, unsecured or subordinated debt, as well as other debt and equity securities. We do not expect to invest in companies that are start-up in nature, companies that have speculative business plans, or companies that are distressed or in need of rescue financing. While we intend to focus our sourcing efforts on directly originated investments, we may purchase interests in loans or make other debt investments through secondary market transactions or directly from target companies as part of a larger syndicated group. Subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act, we may invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or other securities in companies whose debt or other securities are owned by Lord Abbett.

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The senior secured and unitranche loans in which we expect to invest will generally have floating interest rates based upon a variable base rate, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). Occasionally, we may be entitled to interest rate floors as well. The senior secured and unitranche loans will generally have stated terms of five to eight years, and any unsecured or subordinated debt investments that we make will generally have stated terms of up to ten years, but the expected average life of such loans and securities are expected to range between three and seven years. Loans and securities purchased in the secondary market will generally have shorter remaining terms to maturity than newly issued investments. Our debt investments are generally not rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, but, when investments are rated, they generally will carry a rating below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services), which are often referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high yield” or “junk” debt investments and may be considered “high risk” or speculative compared to debt investments that are rated investment grade. Such issuers are considered more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal, and such risk of default could reduce the Fund’s NAV and income distributions to shareholders. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value. Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” below.

An originated loan is a loan where we, along with other funds and client accounts managed by the Adviser and/or its affiliates, lend directly to the borrower and hold the loan generally on our own or in a small group with other affiliated funds and accounts and/or third-party investors. This is distinct from a syndicated loan, which is generally originated by a bank and then syndicated, or sold, in several pieces to other investors. Originated loans are generally held until maturity or until they are refinanced by the borrower. Syndicated loans often have liquid markets and can be traded by investors.

To enhance our returns, we intend to use leverage in the form of borrowings, including loans from certain financial institutions and the issuance of debt securities, as market conditions permit and at our sole discretion. In no event will the leverage we employ exceed the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, under which we are permitted to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of equity securities senior to the Common Shares as long as our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the Investment Company Act, would at least equal 150% immediately after each such issuance. These borrowings may be used for a variety of purposes, including to enhance returns, bridge fundings for investments in advance of drawdowns under any subscription lines of credit, provide the Fund with sufficient liquidity in order to meet quarterly share repurchase targets, as part of our investment program, to meet other short-term liquidity needs, including to pay the investment advisory fees under the Advisory Agreement between us and the Adviser, to pay operating expenses, and to facilitate our hedging activities, if any. Sources of leverage for us may include the issuance of senior securities and other credit facilities (secured by our portfolio investments and/or pledges of investors’ undrawn commitments), financing of subsidiaries, unsecured debt, collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) liabilities and any other form of permitted leverage. We may also use leverage in the form of preferred shares, but do not currently intend to issue preferred shares. In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the financial stability, maturity, covenant package and rate structure of such proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. Any such leverage, if incurred, would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” below for a further discussion of the risk inherent in employing leverage.

In addition to borrowing money from third parties, the Fund may borrow on an unsecured basis from the Adviser or its affiliates. The use of borrowed funds to make investments would have its own specific set of benefits and risks, and all of the costs of borrowing funds would be borne by the shareholders indirectly through their interests in the Fund. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” below for a discussion of the risk inherent in employing leverage.

We generally intend to distribute substantially all of our available earnings annually by paying distributions on a quarterly basis, as determined by our Board in its discretion.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of our total assets. “Qualifying assets” are generally privately offered securities issued by U.S. private companies or thinly traded public companies. We may also invest up to 30% of our portfolio opportunistically in “non-qualifying” portfolio investments, such as investments in non-U.S. companies, joint ventures or other interests that are non-qualifying. The Adviser directly originates credit opportunities from a large universe of private equity sponsors (each, a “Sponsor” and collectively, “Sponsors”), strategic sourcing relationships, intermediaries and other direct lenders, as well as internal Lord Abbett resources.

While the Fund’s investment program is expected to focus primarily on debt investments, the Fund may make investments that include equity or equity features, such as a direct investment in the equity or convertible securities of a portfolio company or warrants or options to buy a minority interest in a portfolio company. Any warrants that the Fund may receive with debt securities will generally require only a nominal cost to exercise. Therefore, as a portfolio company appreciates in value, the Fund may achieve additional investment returns from these equity investments. The Fund may structure warrants to include provisions protecting the Fund’s rights as a minority interest holder, as well as puts, or rights to sell such securities back to the portfolio company, upon the occurrence of

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specified events. In many cases, the Fund may also obtain registration rights in connection with these equity investments, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights.

The particular strategies that the Adviser will utilize will depend on the specific opportunities that arise. While it is currently expected that the Fund will target investments in or related to middle-market companies in the United States, the Adviser will have the flexibility to choose opportunities and strategies as events and market conditions dictate, and will not be bound by any concentration limits or diversification guidelines relating to asset type, investment or geographic sector or strategy, other than those required under the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Code.

The Fund may enter into hedging transactions, which may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of the Fund’s portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates.

We generally intend to distribute substantially all of our available earnings annually by paying distributions on a quarterly basis, as determined by our Board, in its discretion.

Because the Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund, the Adviser may invest a significant percentage of the Fund’s assets in a single issuer.

There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved or that the investment strategies employed by the Investment Adviser will be successful.

Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Item 1. Business – Investment Objectives and Strategy” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Market Opportunity

We will primarily focus on providing directly originated senior secured loans to U.S. companies, with a particular emphasis on the U.S. middle-market. We believe that there are, and will continue to be, attractive investment opportunities in this asset class for the following reasons:

· Favorable market dynamics have created robust demand for private debt capital. Increased regulation and capital requirements across the global financial system have reduced leveraged lending activity to middle-market companies from traditional financing sources such as regional and commercial banks, creating a void that is increasingly being filled by private debt capital. At the same time, large borrowers that have historically accessed debt capital in the public markets (defined as the broadly syndicated loan market and the high yield market) are increasingly turning to private debt capital versus public market alternatives, due to speed and certainty of execution, an ability to tailor loan structures to fit their specific needs and increased confidentiality. These positive long-term forces have resulted in the share of private capital as a percentage of the overall leveraged credit market increasing consistently over time.

· Large and growing U.S. middle market provides a significant landscape of potential investment opportunities. The U.S. middle market represents a large portion of the overall U.S. economy. According to the National Center for the Middle Market, as of December 31, 2023, the U.S. middle market included nearly 200,000 companies, represented one-third of U.S. private-sector gross domestic product, and employed approximately 48 million people (or around 25% of the nation’s workforce). Middle market companies also have been growing at a faster rate than larger companies, with 2023 year-over-year revenue growth of 12.4% (compared to 0.5% for the S&P 500) and 2023 employment growth of 9.6% (compared to 0.1% for ADP Large Corporations), oftentimes leading to the need for capital investments to support these growth trends.

· Large amounts of private equity “dry powder” expected to drive continued demand for private credit. Private equity activity typically drives a significant portion of leveraged lending activity. According to Preqin, there was over $711.1 billion of available but undrawn capital from private equity firms focused on the North American market as of December 31, 2023. These record amounts of private equity “dry powder” are likely to translate into significant demand for private debt capital to finance future private equity backed transactions.

· Attractive features of the private credit asset class. The Fund investments will consist primarily of privately-originated senior secured loans with attractive risk-return features. First lien and unitranche loan have historically provided a 100 to 200 basis point yield premium to public debt while providing excellent downside protection by being both senior and secured in the capital structure. The loan’s seniority results in priority of payment over junior creditors and equity holders, while security in

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the issuer’s assets can help result in greater negotiating leverage with issuers and other creditors in the event of a default, both of which can help recoveries in the event of underperformance. Private loans are typically structured with more comprehensive covenant protections compared to the public market debt, which can help limit credit risk and allow lenders an earlier “seat at the table” to protect their investments.

The foregoing information is with respect to past performance of certain markets and indices, only, and does not reflect the actual or expected performance of the Fund. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve results resembling these metrics or that market circumstances in the future will be comparable.

Competitive Advantages

We believe we will be able to execute on our investment objective due to our competitive strengths. These strengths include:

· Lord Abbett’s multi-decade history, substantial scale and extensive experience in the leveraged credit markets. As a pioneer in leveraged credit since the 1970s, Lord Abbett has one of the deepest and most experienced credit research platforms in the industry. As part of Lord Abbett, the Adviser has access to this platform to help make more informed and efficient investment decisions. In total, Lord Abbett has 29 dedicated credit research analysts who average 20 years of industry experience. The research team’s narrow industry breadth promotes a deep research focus, timely identification of sector trends and opportunities, as well as proactive idea generation. As part of the due diligence and underwriting process for each potential investment, the Adviser intends to access and review relevant Lord Abbett industry research and engage directly with the industry analysts. These proprietary industry insights allow the Adviser to improve portfolio construction and help better assess potential downside risks, allowing it to gain conviction on investments and/or avoid investments that have subtle industry headwinds or competitive pressures that might otherwise appear attractive.

· Dedicated team of seasoned private credit investors. The Adviser’s investment team is comprised of investment professionals with extensive experience in private credit (the “Investment Team”), with the portfolio managers averaging more than 20 years of experience and operating through multiple economic cycles. As part of the review process on each investment opportunity, the Adviser employs a disciplined and rigorous multi-stage investment process that includes intensive credit analysis focused on capital preservation as well as careful structuring and negotiating of transaction documentation to protect the Fund’s investments. Post-closing, the Adviser remains actively involved in monitoring the Fund’s investments in order to mitigate potential risks to the portfolio.

· Well-positioned at the cross-section of the private and public credit markets. While the traditional middle-market will be a core focus for the Fund given the attractive risk-return profile in this part of the market, the Adviser will also selectively invest in larger companies as they increasingly choosing private credit solutions over public market alternatives. Lord Abbett’s long history with borrowers and financial sponsors in this part of the market provides access to a broader landscape of potential private credit opportunities for both middle-market and larger companies, compared to many other direct lenders that solely focus on the middle market. By accessing the broadest pipeline of potential investment opportunities, the Adviser can maximize investment selectivity.

· Strong alignment of interest with investors. The alignment of interests of our firm and key professionals with those of the investors in the Fund is a core philosophy of our business. To create this alignment, Lord Abbett has committed $1 billion in capital commitments to the Fund through several of its flagship funds. In addition, we expect that key members of the Investment Team as well as Lord Abbett partners will make investments in the Fund in order to motivate the continued high-performance and retention of our team of professionals.

Investment Philosophy

Our investment philosophy is to implement a highly selective review process that emphasizes capital preservation while generating strong risk-adjusted returns. We employ a patient, disciplined and rigorous investment process to evaluate all potential investment opportunities with a strength of conviction, which includes a multi-stage review process that focuses on intensive credit analysis, careful and selective structuring and negotiation of loan documentation (with a focus on investing senior in the capital structure and negotiating strong covenant protections) and active management of the portfolio with regular and ongoing performance reviews of portfolio companies along with frequent contact with management teams and equity owners.

Investment Selection/Criteria

Target companies for the Fund typically have some (if not all) of the following characteristics:

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· Leading and defensible market positions with identifiable and sustainable competitive advantages, with strong competitive barriers to entry

· Established products and services with high switching costs

· Long-tenured and diversified customer and supplier base

· Experienced management teams with strong track records

· For private-equity backed transactions, high quality financial sponsors that have a history of creating value and have the capability to contribute additional capital if necessary

· High free cash flow with an ability to generate sufficient cash flow and profitability to service debt obligations in a range of economic environments

· Strong asset and enterprise values supportive of attractive loan to value profiles

These criteria provide general guidelines for the Adviser’s investment decisions. We will seek to construct a diversified portfolio of investments across a broad range of industries.

Investment Process Overview

Sourcing and Origination

In sourcing and originating investment opportunities for the Fund, the Adviser maintains a broad network of relationships with private equity firms, financial intermediaries (e.g., middle-market and large investment banks, accounting firms, legal firms and other industry contacts) as well as other direct lending firms to collaborate with on “club” deals. In addition, we have access to investment opportunity idea generation through Lord Abbett’s credit research team, which consists of over 20 industry-focused research analysts that cover over 2,500 corporate issues. As the public and private credit markets continue to converge, we believe we will have one of the broadest origination networks across both the traditional middle market as well as larger borrowers looking to access private debt capital.

Initial Review

During the initial review process, the Investment Team first analyzes financial and qualitative information provided by the target company and its advisors. In the early stages of evaluation, our Adviser will assess the health of the industry of the target company, competitive dynamics, growth prospects and cash flow profile, as well as consider the experience and depth of the management team and financial sponsor (if applicable). The initial review also includes a high-level discussion of proposed economic and structuring terms ahead of a full due diligence review. A summary of this information is compiled into a short “screening memo” distributed to the Private Credit Investment Committee for discussion purposes. If there is consensus to proceed (required majority vote of the Private Credit Investment Committee), the Private Credit Investment Committee and Investment Team will typically agree upfront on key due diligence items that need to be evaluated and acceptable outcomes required prior to approval of an investment. This step is crucial in creating as objective a review process as possible (following completion of due diligence) and reducing any potential bias by the Investment Team to support the transaction later in the process.

Detailed Due Diligence and Intensive Credit Analysis

Upon approval from the Private Credit Investment Committee to proceed, the Investment Team moves to the next phase of the process, which includes detailed due diligence and an intensive credit analysis of the borrower which typically lasts two to eight weeks in length and generally includes the following:

· Detailed review of the company, including relative positioning and profitability

· Thorough review of the industry, including historical and projected growth rates, peak-to-trough variability through economic cycles, key industry trends impacting the industry structure and a detailed analysis of the competitive dynamics

· Detailed review of the company’s historical, pro forma and projected financial information

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· Creation of various financial models (including a base case and downside case) to evaluate profitability and cash flow profiles under multiple economic and operating scenarios, with an emphasis on determining whether there is adequate liquidity to service debt obligations and handle unanticipated cash flow shortfalls in the business in downside scenarios

· Participation in one or more management presentations, including management interviews and on-site visits to the company’s headquarters and/or facilities (if available)

· Extensive review and examination of material contracts and other customer and supplier information, which sometimes includes calls with key customers and suppliers

· Identification of key potential risk factors and potential mitigants

· Analysis of third-party “quality-of-earnings” reports (sometimes commissioned by the Investment Team if needed)

· Review of third-party market studies and/or consulting reports (sometimes commissioned by the Investment Team if needed)

· Analysis of collateral protection as a substantial majority of the portfolio is expected to be secured by some or all of the borrower’s assets

· Review of the borrower’s enterprise value using M&A and publicly-traded comparable analysis in order to assess the equity cushion supporting the loan

· Consideration of risks and return potential presented by environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors; although the Investment Team does not focus its analysis on any specific ESG factor but rather considers ESG factors where relevant or material, among other material factors, in the context of a particular investment opportunity

· Review of regulatory, tax and legal matters

Throughout the due diligence process, the Investment Team supplements its analysis by leveraging the broader Lord Abbett platform and credit insights. This level of deep informational access is typically not available to other direct lenders who are not part of a larger platform with strong investment and non-investment-grade investment capabilities and insights like Lord Abbett.

Once the Investment Team has completed its due diligence process, it prepares a Private Credit Investment Committee memo summarizing its findings. To move forward with a transaction, members of the Private Credit Investment Committee must formally approve the transaction on a majority basis and the portfolio managers (a subset of the Private Credit Investment Committee) must formally approve the transaction on a unanimous basis.

Structuring and Execution with a Focus on Downside Protection

Once the investment opportunity is approved by the Private Credit Investment Committee, the Investment Team negotiates loan documentation with the borrower and its advisors, which typically consists of a credit agreement, security (collateral) documents, intercreditor agreements (if applicable) and other related agreements. The focus of this part of the process is to negotiate strong investor protections, including tight incurrence-based and financial maintenance covenants. Incurrence-based covenants will, among other things, restrict borrowers from incurring additional debt, paying dividends and/or repurchasing equity or making investments (subject to certain exceptions or “baskets”). Financial maintenance covenants measure the borrower’s financial performance and allow lenders to gain a “seat at the table” to protect its investment if the borrower underperforms relative to expectations. Financial maintenance covenants may include maximum leverage, minimum EBITDA, and/or minimum fixed charge coverage tests.

Outside legal counsel is engaged to assist in drafting commitment letters and loan documents and help in negotiating loan documentation. While the Investment Teams generally have discretion to negotiate these agreements, it is expected that any unusual terms will be discussed and approved by the Private Credit Investment Committee.

Portfolio Management

Our Adviser has a disciplined portfolio monitoring process which involves regular and ongoing review and analysis of each portfolio investment by its investment professionals, with oversight from the Private Credit Investment Committee. Investment professionals who worked on a particular transaction are responsible for monitoring and reporting on their respective portfolio companies. We maintain this approach because we believe that the original underwriting team has the best understanding of the portfolio company and any challenges being faced, and will be best positioned should a plan of action be required to protect the investment if the portfolio company is underperforming.

The primary objective for post-closing monitoring of the investment is to stay in front of potential credit issues and mitigate potential downside risks through an early-warning system designed to identify issues and influence management teams and equity owners to proactively address potential issues in the business. This early-warning system includes maintaining an active dialogue with multiple touch points into a company, including the CEO, CFO and other important members of the management team, along with financial sponsors and equity owners. As part of the loan documentation, the Investment Team seeks to obtain strong information rights,

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including: (i) detailed monthly financial reporting packages (at least quarterly at a minimum), (ii) annual detailed budgets broken down monthly and/or quarterly, (iii) regular in-person or telephonic meetings with management to discuss performance and outlook, and (iv) board observations rights when available (including access to board materials and meeting participation as a non-voting observer).

As part of this portfolio management process, the Investment Teams prepare informal monthly performance review packages and formal quarterly portfolio reports for all portfolio investments. Monthly portfolio reports include, at a minimum, (i) a financial summary outlining actual and year-to-date financial results compared to budget and prior year, along with a discussion of various factors leading to the variances, (ii) key credit and liquidity metrics, and (iii) detailed capital structure analysis. Quarterly portfolio reports include an additional two to three pages with more qualitative and quantitative detail, including a comparable analysis of loan and enterprise value multiples.

After each quarterly review, the Private Credit Investment Committee assigns internal ratings to each investment based upon a score of one to five (one represents companies exceeding underwriting expectations and five representing significant underperformance that may lead to a restructuring). An independent valuation committee values each investment at fair value in accordance with the firm’s valuation policies and procedures, as well as engages an external valuation firm to review each investment at least once per quarter.

Co-Investment Relief

The Adviser has received an exemptive order from the SEC (the “Co-Investment Exemptive Order”) that permits the Adviser, among other things, to co-invest our assets with the assets of certain other persons in negotiated transactions, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. Pursuant to such order, the Fund’s Board may establish board-established criteria (“Board-Established Criteria”) clearly defining co-investment opportunities in which the Fund will have the opportunity to participate with other public or private affiliated funds that target similar assets. If an investment falls within the Board-Established Criteria, the Adviser must offer an opportunity for the Fund to participate. We may determine to participate or not to participate, depending on whether the Adviser determines that the investment is appropriate for the Fund (e.g., based on investment strategy). The co-investment would generally be allocated to us and the other affiliated funds that target similar assets in accordance with allocation policies and procedures described above. If the Adviser determines that such investment is not appropriate for us, the investment will not be allocated to us, but the Adviser will be required to report such investment and the rationale for its determination for us to not participate in the investment to the Board at the next quarterly board meeting.

Competition

The business of investing in debt investments is highly competitive and involves a high degree of uncertainty. Market competition for investment opportunities includes traditional lending institutions, including commercial and investment banks, as well as a growing number of non-traditional participants, such as private credit funds, hedge funds, private equity funds, mezzanine funds, and other private investors, as well as BDCs, and debt-focused competitors, such as issuers of CLOs and other structured loan funds. In addition, given the Fund’s target investment size and investment type, the Adviser expects a large number of competitors for investment opportunities. Some of these competitors may have access to greater amounts of capital and to capital that may be committed for longer periods of time or may have different return thresholds than the Fund, and thus these competitors may have advantages not shared by the Fund. In addition, competitors may have incurred, or may in the future incur, leverage to finance their debt investments at levels or on terms more favorable than those available to the Fund. Furthermore, competitors may offer loan terms that are more favorable to borrowers, such as less onerous borrower financial and other covenants, borrower rights to cure defaults, and other terms more favorable to borrowers than current or historical norms. Strong competition for investments could result in fewer investment opportunities for the Fund, as certain of these competitors have established or are establishing investment vehicles that target the same or similar investments in which the Fund intends to invest.

Over the past several years, many investment funds have been formed with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund, and many such existing funds have grown in size and have added larger successor funds to their platform. These and other investors may make competing offers for investment opportunities identified by the Adviser which may affect the Fund’s ability to participate in attractive investment opportunities and/or cause the Fund to incur additional risks when competing for investment opportunities. Moreover, identifying attractive investment opportunities is difficult and involves a high degree of uncertainty. The Adviser may identify an investment that presents an attractive investment opportunity but may not be able to complete such investment in a manner that meets the objectives of the Fund. The Fund may incur significant expenses in connection with the identification of investment opportunities and investigating other potential investments that are ultimately not consummated, including expenses related to due diligence, legal, accounting and other professional services as well as the fees of other third-party service providers.

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Management Agreements

Advisory Agreement

The Adviser is located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of our Board and in accordance with the 1940 Act, the Adviser manages our day-to-day investment operations and provides investment advisory services to us.

The Adviser will provide management services to us pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for the following:

· determining the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes in accordance with our investment objective, policies and restrictions;

· identifying investment opportunities and making investment decisions for us, including negotiating the terms of investments in, and dispositions of, portfolio securities and other instruments on our behalf;

· monitoring our investments;

· performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies;

· exercising voting rights in respect of portfolio securities and other investments for us;

· serving on, and exercising observer rights for, boards of directors and similar committees of our portfolio companies;

· negotiating, obtaining and managing financing facilities and other forms of leverage; and

· providing us with such other investment advisory and related services as we may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of capital.

The Adviser’s services under the Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities, and it intends to do so, so long as its services to us are not impaired.

Compensation of Adviser

We will pay the Adviser a fee for its services under the Advisory Agreement consisting of two components: a base management fee (“Base Management Fee”) and an incentive fee (“Incentive Fee”). The cost of both the Base Management Fee and the Incentive Fee will ultimately be borne by the shareholders.

Management Fee

The Base Management Fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of the Fund’s net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month, adjusted for any Share issuances or repurchases during the applicable month. For purposes of the Advisory Agreement, net assets mean the Fund’s total assets less liabilities determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

Incentive Fee

The Incentive Fee will consist of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the Incentive Fee is based on a percentage of our income and a portion is based on a percentage of our capital gains, each as described below.

Incentive Fee Based on Income

The portion based on our income is based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to our Common Shares. “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns” means dividends, cash interest or other distributions or other cash income and any third-party fees received from portfolio companies such as upfront fees, commitment fees, origination fee, amendment fees, ticking fees and break-up fees, as well as prepayments premiums, but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance and fees earned by the Adviser or an affiliate accrued during the month, minus operating expenses for the month (including the management fee, taxes, any expenses payable under the Advisory Agreement and an Administration Agreement with our Administrator, any expense of securitizations, and interest expense or other financing fees and any dividends paid on preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee

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and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees, if any). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero-coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediate preceding quarter, adjusted for any Share issuances or repurchases during the applicable quarter in which the Incentive Fee is calculated, is compared to a “hurdle rate” of return of 1.50% per quarter (6.00% annualized).

We will pay the Adviser an Incentive Fee quarterly in arrears with respect to our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in each calendar quarter as follows:

· No incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in any calendar quarter in which our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.50% per quarter (6.0% annualized);

· 100% of the dollar amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.71% (6.84% annualized). We refer to this portion of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.71%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the Adviser with approximately 12.5% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns as if a hurdle rate did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 1.71% in any calendar quarter; and

· 12.5% of the dollar amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, if any, that exceed a rate of return of 1.71% (6.86% annualized). This reflects that once the hurdle rate is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 12.5% of all Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns thereafter are allocated to the Adviser.

Percentage of Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
Allocated to Quarterly Incentive Fee

These calculations are pro-rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter. You should be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to the Adviser with respect to Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that we may pay an Incentive Fee in a calendar quarter in which we incur an overall loss taking into account capital account losses. For example, if we receive Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in excess of the quarterly hurdle rate, we will pay the applicable incentive fee even if we have incurred a loss in that calendar quarter due to realized and unrealized capital losses.

Incentive Fee Based on Capital Gains

The second component of the Incentive Fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears. The amount payable equals:

· 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid Incentive Fee on capital gains as calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Each year, the fee paid for the capital gains incentive fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fee for all prior periods. We will accrue, but will not pay, a capital gains incentive fee with respect to unrealized appreciation

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because a capital gains incentive fee would be owed to the Adviser if we were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. In no event will the capital gains incentive fee payable pursuant to the Advisory Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.

For purposes of computing the Fund’s incentive fee on income and the incentive fee on capital gains, the calculation methodology will look through derivative financial instruments or swaps as if we owned the reference assets directly. The fees that are payable under the Advisory Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated.

Administration Agreement

Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides, or oversees the performance of, administrative and compliance services necessary for the fund operations, including, but not limited to, maintaining financial records, overseeing the calculation of NAV, compliance monitoring (including diligence and oversight of our other service providers), preparing reports to shareholders and reports filed with the SEC and other regulators, preparing materials and coordinating meetings of our Board, managing the payment of expenses, the payment and receipt of funds for investments and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others and providing office space, equipment and office services. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator may delegate its obligations under the Administration Agreement to an affiliate or to a third party and we will reimburse the Administrator for any services performed for us by such affiliate or third party. The Administrator has hired a sub-administrator to assist in the provision of administrative services. The sub-administrator receives compensation for its sub-administrative services under a sub-administration agreement.

From time to time, the Adviser, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. Unless such expenses are specifically assumed by the Adviser, Administrator or their affiliates under the Advisory Agreement or Administration Agreement, as applicable, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on the Fund’s behalf. From time to time, the Adviser or the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses.

The Fund will pay the Administrator a fee payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 0.25% of the value of the Fund’s net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month, adjusted for any Share issuances or repurchases during the applicable month.

Certain Terms of the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement

Each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement has been approved by the Board. Unless earlier terminated as described below, each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date it first becomes effective and will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and, in each case, a majority of the Independent Trustees. We may terminate the Advisory Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice, and the Administration Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice, without payment of any penalty. The decision to terminate either agreement may be made by a majority of the Board, and the decision to terminate the Advisory Agreement may also be made by the shareholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting securities, which means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. In addition, without payment of any penalty, the Adviser may terminate the Advisory Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice and the Administrator may terminate the Administration Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice. The Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate within the meaning of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance and interpretations in the event of its assignment.

Each of the Adviser and the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any act or omission or any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively, relate, provided that each of the Adviser and the Administrator shall not be protected against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations (“disabling conduct”). Each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement provide that, absent disabling conduct, the Adviser and the Administrator, as applicable, and their officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with either of them will be entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of the Adviser’s services under the Advisory Agreement and the Administrator’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as adviser or administrator for us. Each of the Adviser and the Administrator shall not be liable under their respective agreements with us or otherwise for any loss due to the mistake, action, inaction, negligence, dishonesty, fraud or bad faith of any broker or other agent; provided, that such broker or other agent shall have been selected, engaged or retained and monitored by the Adviser or the Administrator in good faith, unless such action or inaction was made by reason of disabling conduct, or in the case of a criminal action or proceeding, where the Adviser or the

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Administrator had reasonable cause to believe its conduct was unlawful. In addition, we will not provide for indemnification of an Indemnified Party for any liability or loss suffered by such Indemnified Party, nor will we provide that an Indemnified Party be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by us, unless: (1) we have determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in our best interest; (2) the Indemnified Party was acting on our behalf or performing services for us; (3) such liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnified Party is the Adviser, the Administrator, an affiliate of the Adviser or Administrator, or one of our officers; and (4) the indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets and not from our shareholders.

Payment of Our Expenses Under the Advisory and Administration Agreements

Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. We will bear the following costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions:

1. investment advisory fees, including the Base Management Fee and Incentive Fee, to the Adviser, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement;

2. Administration fee (“Administration Fee”) to the Administrator, pursuant to the Administration Agreement; and

3. Sub-administration fee to the Sub-Administrator, pursuant to the Sub-Administration Agreement;

4. other expenses of the Fund’s operations and transactions listed in “Expenses” below.

From time to time, the Adviser, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Adviser, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf that are Fund expenses. From time to time, the Adviser and the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders.

Expenses

Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. The Administrator or its affiliates will bear all fees, costs, and expenses incurred that are not assumed by the Fund.

The Fund will bear the following costs and expenses of the Fund’s operations, administration, and transactions:

(i) investment advisory fees, including the Base Management Fee and Incentive Fee, to the Adviser, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement;

(ii) Administration Fee to the Administrator, pursuant to the Administration Agreement;

(iii) Sub-administration fee to the Sub-Administrator, pursuant to the Sub-Administration Agreement;

(iv) organization and offering expenses associated with this offering (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing, subscription processing and filing fees and expenses and other offering expenses, including reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of participating intermediaries supported by detailed and itemized invoices, fees and expenses of the Fund’s transfer agent);

(v) all taxes, fees, costs, and expenses, retainers and/or other payments of accountants, legal counsel, advisers (including tax advisers), administrators, auditors (including with respect to any additional auditing required under The Directive 2011/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and any applicable legislation implemented by an EEA Member state in connection with such Directive), investment bankers, administrative agents, paying agents, depositaries, custodians, trustees, sub-custodians, consultants (including individuals consulted through expert network consulting firms), engineers, senior advisers, industry experts, operating partners, deal sourcers (including personnel dedicated to but not employed by the Administrator, or its affiliates), and other professionals (except to the extent such taxes, fees, costs, and expenses are borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement or borne by the Adviser or its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement);

(vi) the cost of effecting any sales and repurchases of the Common Shares of the Fund and other securities;

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(vii) fees and expenses payable under any placement agent and selected intermediary agreements, if any;

(viii) interest and fees and expenses arising out of all borrowings, guarantees and other financings or derivative transactions (including interest, fees and related legal expenses) made or entered into by the Fund, including, but not limited to, the arranging thereof and related legal expenses;

(ix) fees and expenses of any third-party valuation services;

(x) all fees, costs and expenses of any loan servicers and other service providers and of any custodians, lenders, investment banks and other financing sources;

(xi) costs incurred in connection with the formation or maintenance of entities or vehicles to hold the Fund’s assets for tax or other purposes;

(xii) costs of derivatives and hedging;

(xiii) all fees, costs and expenses, if any, incurred by or on behalf of the Fund in developing, negotiating and structuring prospective or potential investments that are not ultimately made, including, without limitation any broken deal expenses, legal, research, tax, administrative, accounting, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment, advisory, consulting and printing expenses or other expenses associated with advisers in connection with conducting due diligence or otherwise pursuing a particular non-consummated transaction, reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments;

(xiv) the allocated costs incurred by the Adviser and the Administrator in providing (or arranging for the provision of) managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it;

(xv) all brokerage costs, hedging costs, prime brokerage fees, custodial expenses, agent bank and other bank service fees; private placement fees, commissions, appraisal fees, commitment fees and underwriting costs; costs and expenses of any lenders, investment banks and other financing sources, and other investment costs, fees and expenses actually incurred in connection with evaluating, making, holding, settling, clearing, monitoring or disposing of actual investments (including, without limitation, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment expenses and any expenses related to attending trade association and/or industry meetings, conferences or similar meetings, any costs or expenses relating to currency conversion in the case of investments denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars) and expenses arising out of trade settlements (including any delayed compensation expenses);

(xvi) investment costs, including all fees, costs and expenses incurred in sourcing, evaluating, developing, negotiating, structuring, trading (including trading errors), settling, monitoring and holding prospective or actual investments or investment strategies including, without limitation, any financing, legal, filing, auditing, tax, accounting, compliance, loan administration, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment, advisory, consulting, engineering, data-related and other professional fees, costs and expenses in connection therewith (to the extent the Adviser is not reimbursed by a prospective or actual issuer of the applicable investment or other third parties or capitalized as part of the acquisition price of the transaction), or any fees, costs and expenses related to the organization or maintenance of any vehicle through which the Fund directly or indirectly participates in the acquisition, holding and/or disposition of investments or which otherwise facilitate the Fund’s investment activities;

(xvii) transfer agent, dividend agent and custodial fees;

(xviii) federal and state registration fees, franchise fees, any stock exchange listing fees and fees payable to rating agencies;

(xix) fees and expenses including reasonable travel, entertainment, lodging and meal expenses of, and any legal counsel or other advisers retained by, or at the discretion or for the benefit of, the Independent Trustees;

(xx) costs of preparing financial statements, costs of Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance and attestation and costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents with the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, CFTC and other regulatory bodies and other reporting and compliance costs, including registration and exchange listing and the costs associated with reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and any other applicable federal and state securities laws, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing (except to the extent such costs and expenses are borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement or borne by the Adviser or its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement);

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(xxi) all fees, costs and expenses associated with the preparation and issuance of the Fund’s periodic reports and related statements (e.g., financial statements and tax returns) and other internal and third-party printing (including a flat service fee), publishing (including time spent performing such printing and publishing services) and reporting-related expenses (including other notices and communications) in respect of the Fund and its activities (including internal expenses, charges and/or related costs incurred, charged or specifically attributed or allocated by the Fund or the Adviser or its affiliates in connection with such provision of services thereby) (except to the extent such costs and expenses are borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement or borne by the Adviser or its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement);

(xxii) the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to shareholders (including printing and mailing costs) and the costs of any shareholder or Trustee meetings;

(xxiii) proxy voting expenses;

(xxiv) costs of registration rights granted to certain investors;

(xxv) any taxes and/or tax-related interest, fees or other governmental charges (including any penalties incurred where the Adviser lacks sufficient information from third parties to file a timely and complete tax return) levied against the Fund and all expenses incurred in connection with any tax audit, investigation, litigation, settlement or review of the Fund and the amount of any judgments, fines, remediation or settlements paid in connection therewith;

(xxvi) all fees, costs and expenses of any litigation, arbitration or audit involving the Fund any vehicle or its portfolio companies and the amount of any judgments, assessments fines, remediations or settlements paid in connection therewith, Trustees and officers, liability or other insurance (including costs of title insurance) and indemnification (including advancement of any fees, costs or expenses to persons entitled to indemnification) or extraordinary expense or liability relating to the affairs of the Fund;

(xxvii) fidelity bond, trustees and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;

(xxviii) all fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Fund’s assets; and

(xxix) extraordinary expenses (such as litigation or indemnification).

The Adviser and/or its affiliates advanced all of our initial organization and offering expenses. Pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement we have entered into with the Adviser (the “Expense Support Agreement”), the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (as defined below) (including organizational and offering expenses) to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV (the “Expense Cap”). We will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. See “— Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement” below. Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Adviser and its affiliates.

From time to time, the Adviser, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Adviser, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. From time to time, the Adviser and the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders, subject to the cap on organization and offering expenses described above.

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement we have entered into with the Adviser, for the 12-month period commencing from the date of the Expense Support Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (each, a “Required Expense Payment”) to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. Any Required Expense Payment must be paid by the Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Adviser or its affiliates. “Other Operating Expenses” means the Fund’s organization and offering expenses, professional fees (including accounting, legal and auditing fees), custodian and transfer agent fees, third party valuation service fees, insurance costs, trustee fees, administration fees, other general and administrative expenses, and upfront fees associated with the Fund’s initial credit facility.

The Adviser may elect to pay, at such times as the Adviser determines, certain expenses on our behalf (each, a “Voluntary Expense Payment” and together with a Required Expense Payment, the “Expense Payments”), provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense of the Fund. Any Voluntary Expense Payment that the Adviser has committed to pay must be paid by the Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than 45 days after such commitment was made in writing, and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Adviser or its affiliates.

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Following any month in which Other Operating Expenses are below the Expense Cap on an annualized basis, the Adviser may be reimbursed (a, “Required Reimbursement Payment”) for any Required Expense Payment to the extent that (i) the Other Operating Expenses, inclusive of such Required Reimbursement Payment remain at or below the Expense Cap and (ii) the applicable Required Expense Payment was made no more than three years prior to the Required Reimbursement Payment.

Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Fund’s shareholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), we shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Adviser until such time as all Voluntary Expense Payments made by the Adviser to the Fund within three (3) years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund with respect to Voluntary Expense Payments shall be referred to herein as a “Voluntary Reimbursement Payment”, and together with the Required Reimbursement Payments, the “Reimbursement Payments”). “Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) our net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) our net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to us on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).

No Voluntary Reimbursement Payment for any month shall be made if: (1) the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share declared by the Fund at the time of such Voluntary Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Voluntary Reimbursement Payment relates, (2) the Fund’s Operating Expense Ratio at the time of such Voluntary Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Voluntary Reimbursement Payment relates, or (3) the Fund’s Other Operating Expenses at the time of such Voluntary Reimbursement Payment exceeds 0.70% of the Fund’s NAV. “Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share” means the annualized rate (based on a 365-day year) of regular cash distributions per share exclusive of returns of capital and declared special dividends or special distributions, if any. The “Operating Expense Ratio” is calculated by dividing Operating Expenses, less organizational and offering expenses, base management and incentive fees owed to the Adviser, shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees, if any, and interest expense, by the Fund’s net assets. “Operating Expenses” means all of the Fund’s operating costs and expenses incurred, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for investment companies.

The Fund’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.

Either the Fund or the Adviser may terminate the Expense Support Agreement at any time, with or without notice, without the payment of any penalty, provided that any Expense Payments that have not been reimbursed by the Fund to the Adviser will remain the obligation of the Fund following any such termination, subject to the terms of the Expense Support Agreement.

Determination of Net Asset Value

We expect to determine our NAV quarterly and as otherwise needed in connection with capital calls. The NAV per share of our Common Shares is determined by dividing the value of total assets minus liabilities by the total number of Common Shares outstanding at the date as of which the determination is made.

The Fund values its investments, upon which its NAV is based, in accordance with FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”), which defines fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also provides a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the observability of inputs used to measure fair value and prescribes disclosure requirements for fair value measurements.

Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board has designated the Adviser as the valuation designee responsible for valuing all of the Fund’s investments, including making fair valuation determinations as needed. The Adviser has established a fair value committee (the “Fair Value Committee”) to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern activities of the Fair Value Committee and the performance of functions required to determine the fair value of a fund’s investments in good faith. These functions include periodically assessing and managing material risks associated with fair value determinations, selecting, applying, reviewing, and testing fair value methodologies, monitoring for circumstances that may necessitate the use of fair value, and overseeing and evaluating pricing services used.

In accordance with the Adviser’s policies and procedures, which have been approved by the Board, investments, including debt securities, that are publicly traded but for which no readily available market quotations exist are generally valued on the basis of information furnished by an independent third-party pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied

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valuations and electronic data processing techniques. To assess the continuing appropriateness of pricing sources and methodologies, the Adviser regularly performs price verification procedures and issues challenges as necessary to independent pricing services or brokers, and any differences are reviewed in accordance with the valuation procedures. The Adviser does not adjust the prices unless it has a reason to believe market quotations or prices received from third-party pricing services are not reflective of the fair value of an investment. Investments that are not publicly traded or whose current market prices or quotations are not readily available, as will be the case for a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments, are valued at fair value as determined by the Adviser in good faith pursuant to the Adviser’s Board-approved policies and procedures. Factors used in determining fair value vary by investment type and may include market or investment specific events, transaction data, estimated cash flows, and market observations of comparable investments. In determining fair value of the Fund’s loan investments the types of factors that the Fair Value Committee may take into account generally include comparison to publicly-traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of the portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business and other relevant factors.

The Fair Value Committee manages the Fund’s fair valuation practices and maintains the fair valuation policies and procedures. To assess the continuing appropriateness of pricing sources and methodologies, the Fair Value Committee regularly performs price verification procedures, engages in oversight activities with respect to third-party pricing sources used and issues challenges as necessary. In addition, the Fair Value Committee may rely on third-party valuation services to verify the fair value determinations of certain investments. A third-party valuation service will generally review a portion of the Fund’s investments in loans each quarter such that on an annual basis most of the loans’ values will be tested for appropriateness and reliability. The Adviser reports to the Board information regarding the fair valuation process and related material matters. The Board may determine to modify its designation of the Adviser as valuation designee, relating to any or all Fund investments, at any time.

Valuation techniques used to value the Fund’s investments by major category are as follows:

· Equity securities and other investments, including restricted securities, for which market quotations are readily available, are valued at the last reported sale price or official closing price (in the case of securities and futures) or the mean of the closing bid and offer (in the case of options) as reported by a third-party pricing service on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded. In the event there were no sales during the day or closing prices are not available, securities are valued at the last quoted bid price or may be valued using the last available price. For foreign equity securities, when market or security specific events arise, comparisons to the valuation of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), futures contracts, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and certain indexes as well as quoted prices for similar securities may be used. For equity securities, including restricted securities, where observable inputs are limited, assumptions about market activity and risk are used.

· Debt securities that are publicly traded, including restricted securities, are valued based on evaluated prices received from third party pricing services or from brokers who make markets in such securities. Preferred securities are valued by pricing services who utilize matrix pricing which considers yield or price of bonds of comparable quality, coupon, maturity and type or by broker-supplied prices. When independent prices are unavailable or unreliable, debt securities may be valued utilizing pricing methodologies which consider similar factors that would be used by third party pricing services.

· Investments in open-end investment companies are valued at their closing NAV.

· Investments, including private placements, for which observable inputs are not available are generally valued using one or more valuation methods including the market approach, the income approach and cost approach. The market approach considers factors including the price of recent investments in the same or a similar security or financial metrics of comparable securities. The income approach considers factors including expected future cash flows, security specific risks and corresponding discount rates. The cost approach considers factors including the value of the security’s underlying assets and liabilities.

Non-Exchange Traded, Perpetual-Life BDC

The Fund is non-exchange traded, meaning its shares are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market and a perpetual-life BDC, meaning it is an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose Common Shares are intended to be sold across multiple closings on an ongoing basis. In our perpetual-life structure, we may, at our discretion, offer investors an opportunity to repurchase their shares on a quarterly basis, but we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any in any particular quarter. We believe that our perpetual nature enables us to execute a patient and opportunistic strategy and be able to invest across different market environments. This may reduce the risk of the Fund being a forced seller of assets in market downturns compared to non-perpetual funds. While we

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may consider a Liquidity Event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a Liquidity Event, and we are not obligated by our Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) or otherwise to effect a Liquidity Event at any time.

The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine to cause the Fund to conduct a “Liquidity Event,” which may include, among other things, a Sale Transaction. A “Sale Transaction” means (a) the sale of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets to, or other liquidity event with, another entity or (b) a transaction or series of transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization, or sale of stock in each case for consideration of either cash and/or publicly listed securities of the acquirer. A Sale Transaction also may include a sale, merger or other transaction with one or more affiliated investment companies managed by the Adviser or an affiliate thereof. The decision to cause the Fund to conduct a Liquidity Event will take into consideration factors such as prevailing market conditions at the time and the Fund’s portfolio composition. The ability of the Fund to commence and consummate a Liquidity Event is not assured, and will depend on a variety of factors, including the size and composition of the Fund’s portfolio and prevailing market conditions at the time. We may consider other liquidity options, including but not limited to an initial public offering or listing of the Common Shares on a national securities exchange.

The Fund does not intend to list its Common Shares on a securities exchange and it does not expect there to be a public market for its Common Shares. As a result, if you purchase the Common Shares, your ability to sell your Common Shares will be limited. At the discretion of the Board, the Fund intends to commence a share repurchase program in which the Fund intends to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of the Common Shares outstanding (by number of Common Shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. See “Item 1. Business – Share Repurchase Program.”

Emerging Growth Company

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:

· have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

· submit certain executive compensation matters to shareholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”); or

· disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.

In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.

We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1,235,000,000 or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.

We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or this offering. We have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Common Shares are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the Adviser and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the Adviser or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of the Adviser, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements and, as a result, do not expect to be required to seek shareholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.

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Employees

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser or its affiliates pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and the Administrator or its affiliates pursuant to the Administration Agreement. Each of our executive officers is employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Our day-to-day investment operations will be managed by the Adviser. The services necessary for the sourcing and administration of our investment portfolio will be provided by investment professionals employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. The portfolio management team will focus on origination, non-originated investments and transaction development and the ongoing monitoring of our investments.

Regulation as a BDC

The following discussion is a general summary of the material prohibitions and descriptions governing BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.

Qualifying Assets. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than Qualifying Assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, Qualifying Assets represent at least 70% of the Fund’s total assets. The principal categories of Qualifying Assets relevant to our business are any of the following:

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an Eligible Portfolio Company (as defined below), or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an Eligible Portfolio Company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An “Eligible Portfolio Company” is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

(a) is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

(b) is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and

(c) satisfies any of the following:

(i) does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;

(ii) has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less than $250,000,000;

(iii) is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies, including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the Eligible Portfolio Company; or

(iv) is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4,000,000 and capital and surplus of not less than $2,000,000.

(2) Securities of any Eligible Portfolio Company controlled by the Fund.

(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

(4) Securities of an Eligible Portfolio Company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and the Fund already owns 60% of the outstanding equity of the Eligible Portfolio Company.

(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.

(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

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In addition, a BDC must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.

Significant Managerial Assistance. A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as Qualifying Assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance. Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its trustees, officers, service providers (e.g., the Adviser) or employees, offers to provide and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company through monitoring of portfolio company operations, selective participation in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising a portfolio company’s officers or other organizational or financial guidance.

Temporary Investments. Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets (including directly originated loans and broadly syndicated loans, as described above), our investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets would be Qualifying Assets.

Warrants. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC is subject to restrictions on the issuance, terms and amount of warrants, options or rights to purchase shares that it may have outstanding at any time. In particular, the amount of Common Shares that would result from the conversion or exercise of all outstanding warrants, options or rights to purchase shares cannot exceed 25% of the BDC’s total outstanding Common Shares.

Leverage and Senior Securities; Coverage Ratio. We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares senior to our Common Shares if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, would at least equal 150% immediately after each such issuance. On [ ], our shareholders approved the adoption of this 150% threshold pursuant to Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act and such election became effective the following day. As defined in the 1940 Act, asset coverage of 150% means that for every $100 of net assets we hold, we may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We will also be permitted to borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes, which borrowings would not be considered senior securities.

We intend to establish one or more credit facilities and/or subscription facilities or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates at to be determined spreads over SOFR (or other applicable reference rate). We cannot assure shareholders that we will be able to enter into a credit facility. Shareholders will indirectly bear the costs associated with any borrowings under a credit facility or otherwise. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require us to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with affirmative or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations. In addition, from time to time, our losses on leveraged investments may result in the liquidation of other investments held by us and may result in additional drawdowns to repay such amounts.

We may enter into total return swap (“TRS”) agreements. A TRS is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in the market value of the assets underlying the TRS, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate. A TRS effectively adds leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Because of the unique structure of a TRS, a TRS often offers lower financing costs than are offered through more traditional borrowing arrangements. The Fund would typically have to post collateral to cover this potential obligation. To the extent the Fund segregates liquid assets with a value equal (on a daily mark-to-market basis) to its obligations under TRS transactions, enters into offsetting transactions or otherwise covers such TRS transactions in accordance with applicable SEC guidance, the leverage incurred through TRS will not be considered a borrowing for purposes of the Fund’s overall leverage limitation.

We may also create leverage by securitizing our assets (including in CLOs) and retaining the equity portion of the securitized vehicle. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Forming CLOs Risk.” We may also from time to time make secured loans of our marginable securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions.

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Code of Ethics. We and the Adviser have adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the code are permitted to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. This code of ethics is available on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the codes of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

Affiliated Transactions. We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from conducting certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Trustees who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. The Adviser has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, among other things, to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions.

Other. We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act and be subject to the periodic reporting and related requirements of the Exchange Act.

We are also required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we will be prohibited from protecting any Trustee or officer against any liability to our shareholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

We are also required to designate a chief compliance officer (“CCO”) and to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and to review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation.

We are not permitted to change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of such company’s shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares of such company.

Exclusion from Commodity Pool Operator Definition

The Adviser has filed notice with the National Futures Association (“NFA”) to claim an exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator (“CPO”) of the Fund, provided that the Fund (i) continues to be regulated by the SEC as a BDC, (ii) allocates no more than specified amounts of its assets to futures contracts, certain swap contracts and certain other derivative instruments that are within the jurisdiction of the Commodity Exchange Act (collectively, “CEA-regulated products”), and (iii) is not marketed to the public as a commodity pool or as a vehicle for trading in CEA-regulated products. If the Fund is unable to satisfy the conditions of the exclusion, the Adviser may become subject to the CFTC’s CPO registration requirements, and the disclosure and operations of the Fund would need to comply with all applicable regulations governing commodity pools and CPOs.

If the Adviser were required to register as a CPO, it would also be required to become a member of the NFA and be subject to the NFA’s rules and bylaws. Compliance with these additional registration and regulatory requirements may increase the Adviser’s operating expenses, which, in turn, could result in the Fund’s investors being charged additional fees.

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following discussion is a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and the purchase, ownership and disposition of our shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold our shares as capital assets.

A “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of our shares that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

· a citizen or individual resident of the United States;

· a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

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· an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

· a trust if either a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or the trust was in existence on August 20, 1996, was treated as a U.S. person prior to that date, and has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person.

A “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of our shares that is not a U.S. shareholder.

If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective investor that is a partner in a partnership that will hold our shares should consult its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of such shares.

This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). This discussion does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to special classes of taxpayers including financial institutions, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, investors in pass-through entities, U.S. shareholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that elect mark to market treatment, or persons that will hold our shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge” or as part of a “constructive sale” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, this discussion does not address U.S. federal estate or gift taxes, the application of the Medicare tax on net investment income or the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax, or any tax consequences attributable to persons being required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to our shares as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement.

Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in our shares will depend on the facts of their particular situation. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of our shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country or other taxing jurisdiction.

Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company

The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each taxable year thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

To qualify for the favorable tax treatment accorded to RICs under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must, among other things: (1) have an election in effect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year; (2) have filed with its return for the taxable year an election to be a RIC or have made such election for a previous taxable year; (3) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies; and (b) net income derived from an interest in certain publicly-traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of their gross income from the items described in (a) above (each, a “Qualified Publicly-Traded Partnership”); and (4) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year of the Fund (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities and securities of other RICs, and other securities for purposes of this calculation limited, in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly-Traded Partnerships (described in 3(b) above).

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to its shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and its net tax-exempt income (if any) for such taxable year. Generally, the Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains, if any (in the current or following taxable year, pursuant to the applicable rules in the Code).

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Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. For these purposes, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which it paid U.S. federal income tax.

A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of any calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.

Although the Fund does not presently expect to do so, the Fund is authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy the distribution requirement. However, under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to make distributions to shareholders while the Fund’s debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. Moreover, the Fund’s ability to dispose of assets to meet the distribution requirement may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of the Fund’s portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to the Fund’s qualification as a RIC, including the diversification requirements. If the Fund disposes of assets in order to meet the distribution requirement or to avoid imposition of the 4% federal excise tax, the Fund may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.

Some of the income and fees that the Fund may recognize, such as fees for providing managerial assistance, certain fees earned with respect to the Fund’s investments, income recognized in a work-out or restructuring of a portfolio investment, or income recognized from an equity investment in an operating partnership, may not satisfy the 90% income requirement. In order to manage the risk that such income and fees might disqualify the Fund as a RIC for a failure to satisfy the 90% income requirement, the Fund may be required to recognize such income and fees indirectly through one or more entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such corporations will be required to pay U.S. corporate income tax on their earnings, which ultimately will reduce the Fund’s return on such income and fees.

A portfolio company in which the Fund invests may face financial difficulties that require the Fund to work-out, modify or otherwise restructure its investment in the portfolio company. Any such transaction could, depending upon the specific terms of the transaction, result in unusable capital losses and future non-cash income. Any such transaction could also result in the Fund receiving assets that give rise to income that is not qualifying income for purposes of the 90% income requirement, and we may need to hold such assets in a taxable subsidiary and pay federal and state income tax on income related to such assets.

A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its investment company taxable income. If the Fund’s deductible expenses in a given taxable year exceed the Fund’s investment company taxable income, the Fund may incur a net operating loss for that taxable year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent taxable years and such net operating losses do not pass through to its shareholders. In addition, deductible expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. A RIC may not use any net capital losses (that is, the excess of realized capital losses over realized capital gains) to offset its investment company taxable income, but may carry forward such net capital losses, and use them to offset future capital gains, indefinitely. Due to these limits on deductibility of expenses and net capital losses, the Fund may for tax purposes have aggregate taxable income for several taxable years that the Fund is required to distribute and that is taxable to shareholders even if such taxable income is greater than the net income the Fund actually earns during those taxable years. Any underwriting fees paid by the Fund are not deductible.

Failure to Qualify as a RIC

If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income (including distributions of net capital gain), even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of individual and other non-corporate shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.

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While the Fund generally intends to qualify as a RIC for each taxable year, it is possible that as we ramp up our portfolio we may not satisfy the diversification requirements described above in our initial taxable year, and thus may not qualify as a RIC for such taxable year.

The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund qualifies as a RIC for each taxable year.

Distributions

Distributions to shareholders by the Fund of ordinary income (including “market discount” realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities or accrued currently during the holding period of the debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has owned our shares. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, the excess will be treated by the shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of the shares. Distributions paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders.

Certain distributions reported by the Fund as Section 163(j) interest dividends may be treated as interest income by shareholders for purposes of the tax rules applicable to interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. Such treatment by the shareholder is generally subject to holding period requirements and other potential limitations, although the holding period requirements are generally not applicable to dividends declared by money market funds and certain other funds that declare dividends daily and pay such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. The amount that the Fund is eligible to report as a Section 163(j) dividend for a tax year is generally limited to the excess of the Fund’s business interest income over the sum of the Fund’s (i) business interest expense and (ii) other deductions properly allocable to the Fund’s business interest income.

Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional shares pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of the fair market value of the distributed shares. The additional shares received by a shareholder pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares were credited to the shareholder’s account.

If an investor purchases shares shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the shares will include the value of the distribution and the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution even though it represents a return of their investment.

The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain or a portion thereof for investment and be taxed at corporate rates on the amount retained. In such case, it may report the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders, who will be treated as if each received a distribution of his pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will (i) be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, (ii) receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and (iii) increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

The Fund (or if a U.S. shareholder holds shares through an intermediary, such intermediary) will send to each shareholder who is subject to IRS reporting, as promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, a notice reporting the amounts includible in such shareholder’s taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the federal tax status of each year’s distributions generally will be reported to the IRS. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on a shareholder’s particular situation. The Fund also intends to post on the Investor Relations portion of the Fund’s public website a notice detailing the tax character of the Fund’s distributions on a per share and per distribution basis.

The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, during any time that the Fund has preferred shares outstanding, the Fund intends to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its Common Shares and preferred shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year. Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions, and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will receive a report as to the NAV of those shares.

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[While the Fund expects to be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” (within the meaning of Section 67 of the Code) as a result of the Common Shares and the preferred shares collectively being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year, there can be no assurance the Fund will be so treated with respect to each taxable year.] If, contrary to the Fund’s expectations, the Fund is not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any period, for purposes of computing the taxable income of U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates, (1) the Fund’s earnings will be computed without taking into account such U.S. shareholders’ allocable shares of the management and incentive fees paid to the Adviser and certain of the Fund’s other expenses, (2) each such U.S. shareholder will be treated as having received or accrued a distribution from the Fund in the amount of such U.S. shareholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses for such taxable year, (3) each such U.S. shareholder will be treated as having paid or incurred such U.S. shareholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses for the calendar year and (4) each such U.S. shareholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions by such U.S. shareholder. For taxable years beginning before 2026, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are not deductible by a U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate. For taxable years beginning in 2026 or later, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are deductible by a U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. shareholder’s miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. shareholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under Section 68 of the Code.

Sale or Exchange of Shares

Upon the sale or other disposition of our shares (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Fund, as described below), a shareholder will generally realize a capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares sold. Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the shares. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. For non-corporate taxpayers, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for reduced rates of taxation.

No loss will be allowed on the sale or other disposition of shares if the owner acquires (including pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan) or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to such shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Losses realized by a shareholder on the sale or exchange of shares held for six months or less are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or amounts reported as undistributed capital gains) with respect to such shares.

The Code requires reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include shares of a RIC, to the IRS and to taxpayers. Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.

From time to time, the Fund may offer to repurchase its outstanding shares. Shareholders who tender all shares of the Fund held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold their shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a shareholder tenders fewer than all of its shares or fewer than all shares tendered are repurchased, such shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering shareholders, and shareholders who tender some but not all of their shares or fewer than all of whose shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Fund increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from the Fund. The extent of such risk will vary depending upon the particular circumstances of the tender offer, and in particular whether such offer is a single and isolated event or is part of a plan for periodically redeeming shares of the Fund.

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Nature of the Fund’s Investments

Certain of the Fund’s hedging and derivatives transactions are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a

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corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vii) produce income that will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above.

These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders and the Fund’s status as a RIC. The Fund will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.

Below Investment Grade Instruments

The Fund expects to invest in debt securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, to the extent necessary, to preserve its status as a RIC and to distribute sufficient income to not become subject to U.S. federal income tax.

Original Issue Discount

For federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero-coupon securities, debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. Because any original issue discount will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus we may become subject to corporate-level income tax.

Market Discount

In general, the Fund will be treated as having acquired a security with market discount if its stated redemption price at maturity (or, in the case of a security issued with original issue discount, its revised issue price) exceeds the Fund’s initial tax basis in the security by more than a statutory de minimis amount. The Fund will be required to treat any principal payments on, or any gain derived from the disposition of, any securities acquired with market discount as ordinary income to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. If this election is not made, all or a portion of any deduction for interest expense incurred to purchase or carry a market discount security may be deferred until the Fund sells or otherwise disposes of such security.

Warrants

Gain or loss realized by the Fund from warrants acquired by the Fund as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term or short-term, depending on how long the Fund held a particular warrant.

Currency Fluctuations

Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.

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Foreign Taxes

The Fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding and other taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders will generally not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.

Passive Foreign Investment Companies

The Fund may invest in stocks of foreign companies that are classified under the Code as passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”). In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. In general, under the PFIC rules, an “excess distribution” received with respect to PFIC stock is treated as having been realized ratably over the period during which the Fund held the PFIC stock. The Fund will be subject to tax on the portion, if any, of the excess distribution that is allocated to its holding period in prior taxable years (and an interest factor will be added to the tax, as if the tax had actually been payable in such prior taxable years) even though the Fund distributes the corresponding income to shareholders. Excess distributions include any gain from the sale of PFIC stock as well as certain distributions from a PFIC. All excess distributions are taxable as ordinary income.

The Fund may be eligible to elect alternative tax treatment with respect to PFIC stock. Under such an election, the Fund generally would be required to include in its gross income its share of the earnings of a PFIC on a current basis, regardless of whether any distributions are received from the PFIC. If this election is made, the special rules, discussed above, relating to the taxation of excess distributions, would not apply. Treasury Regulations generally treat income inclusion from a PFIC with respect to which the Fund has made such an election as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% income requirement if (i) there is a current distribution out of the earnings and profits of the PFIC that are attributable to such income inclusion or (ii) such income inclusion is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, or currencies. Alternatively, the Fund may be able to elect to mark to market its PFIC stock, resulting in any unrealized gains at year end being treated as though they were realized and reported as ordinary income. Any mark-to-market losses and any loss from an actual disposition of the PFIC’s shares would be deductible as ordinary losses to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included in income in prior years with respect to stock in the same PFIC.

Because the application of the PFIC rules may affect, among other things, the character of gains, the amount of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of income with respect to PFIC stock, as well as subject the Fund to tax on certain income from PFIC stock, the amount that must be distributed to shareholders, and which will be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income or long-term capital gain, may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC stock.

Preferred Shares or Borrowings

If the Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of preferred shares or borrowings, it may be restricted by certain covenants with respect to the declaration of, and payment of, dividends on shares in certain circumstances. Limits on the Fund’s payments of dividends on shares may prevent the Fund from meeting the distribution requirements described above, and may, therefore, jeopardize the Fund’s qualification for taxation as a RIC and possibly subject the Fund to the 4% excise tax. The Fund will endeavor to avoid restrictions on its ability to make dividend payments.

Backup Withholding

The Fund may be required to withhold from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceed certain threshold amounts.

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Tax-Exempt U.S. Shareholders

A U.S. shareholder that is a tax-exempt organization for U.S. federal income tax purposes and therefore generally exempt from U.S. federal income taxation may nevertheless be subject to taxation to the extent that it is considered to derive unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). The direct conduct by a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder of the activities that the Fund proposes to conduct could give rise to UBTI. However, a RIC is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its business activities generally will not be attributed to its shareholders for purposes of determining their treatment under current law. Therefore, unless a tax-exempt Shareholder’s investment in the Fund is itself debt-financed, a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder should not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation solely as a result of such shareholder’s direct or indirect ownership of our equity and receipt of distributions with respect to such equity (regardless of whether the Fund incurs indebtedness). Moreover, under current law, if the Fund incurs indebtedness, such indebtedness will not be attributed to a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder should not be treated as earning income from “debt-financed property” and distributions the Fund pays should not be treated as “unrelated debt-financed income” solely as a result of indebtedness that it incurs. Certain tax-exempt private universities are subject to an additional 1.4% excise tax on their “net investment income,” including income from interest, dividends, and capital gains. Proposals periodically are made to change the treatment of “blocker” investment vehicles interposed between tax-exempt investors and non-qualifying investments. In the event that any such proposals were to be adopted and applied to RICs, the treatment of dividends payable to tax-exempt investors could be adversely affected. In addition, special rules would apply if the Fund were to invest in certain real estate mortgage investment conduits or taxable mortgage pools, which the Fund does not currently plan to do, that could result in a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder recognizing income that would be treated as UBTI.

Non-U.S. Shareholders

Whether an investment in the shares of the Fund is appropriate for a non-U.S. shareholder will depend upon that person’s particular circumstances. An investment in the Common Shares by a non-U.S. shareholder may have adverse tax consequences. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors before investing in our Common Shares.

Subject to the discussion below, distributions of our investment company taxable income to non-U.S. shareholders (including interest income, net short-term capital gain or foreign-source dividend and interest income, which generally would be free of withholding if paid to non-U.S. shareholders directly) will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty, assuming the non-U.S. shareholder provides the required documentation evidencing its eligibility for such lower rate) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits unless the distributions are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder, in which case the distributions will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. persons. In that case, we will not be required to withhold U.S. federal tax if the non-U.S. shareholder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements. Special certification requirements apply to a non-U.S. shareholder that is a foreign partnership or a foreign trust, and such entities are urged to consult their own tax advisors.

Certain properly reported dividends received by a non-U.S. shareholder generally are exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax when they (1) are paid in respect of our “qualified interest income” (generally, our U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which we are at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income), or (2) are paid in connection with our “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of our net short-term capital gain over our long-term capital loss for a tax year) as well as if certain other requirements are satisfied. Nevertheless, it should be noted that in the case of shares of our stock held through an intermediary, the intermediary may have withheld U.S. federal income tax even if we reported the payment as an interest-related dividend or short-term capital gain dividend. Moreover, depending on the circumstances, we may report all, some or none of our potentially eligible dividends as derived from such qualified interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains, or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding.

Actual or deemed distributions of our net capital gains to a non-U.S. shareholder, and gains realized by a non-U.S. shareholder upon the sale of Common Shares, will not be subject to federal withholding tax and generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless the distributions or gains, as the case may be, are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder and, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. shareholder in the United States or, in the case of an individual non-U.S. shareholder, the shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the year of the sale or capital gain dividend and certain other conditions are met.

If we distribute our net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions (which we may do in the future), a non-U.S. shareholder will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the shareholder’s allocable share of the tax we pay on the capital gains deemed to have been distributed. In order to obtain the refund, the non-U.S. shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. shareholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a U.S. federal income tax return. For a corporate non-U.S. shareholder,

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distributions (both actual and deemed), and gains realized upon the sale of Common Shares that are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business may, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate if provided for by an applicable treaty).

A non-U.S. shareholder who is a non-resident alien individual, and who is otherwise subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends unless the non-U.S. shareholder provides us or the dividend paying agent with a U.S. nonresident withholding tax certification (e.g., an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or an acceptable substitute form) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. shareholder or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding.

The Fund may be required to withhold from distributions that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless the non-U.S. shareholder certifies his or her foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption.

Non-U.S. shareholders may also be subject to U.S. estate tax with respect to their investment in Common Shares.

The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), a 30% United States federal withholding tax may apply to any dividends that the Fund pays to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its United States “account” holders (as specifically defined in the Code) and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such nonfinancial foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. In addition, foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of our shares.

Other Taxation

Shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their distributions from the Fund. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

Change in Tax Laws

Each prospective investor should be aware that tax laws and regulations are changing on an ongoing basis, and such laws and/or regulations may be changed with retroactive effect. Moreover, the interpretation and/or application of tax laws and regulations by certain tax authorities may not be clear, consistent or transparent. Uncertainty in the tax law may require the Fund to accrue potential tax liabilities even in situations in which the Fund and/or shareholders do not expect to be ultimately subject to such tax liabilities. In that regard, accounting standards and/or related tax reporting obligations may change, giving rise to additional accrual and/or other obligations.

Developments in the tax laws of the United States or other jurisdictions could have a material effect on the tax consequences to shareholder, to the Fund, and/or the Fund’s direct and indirect subsidiaries, and shareholders may be required to provide certain additional information to the Fund (which may be provided to the IRS or other taxing authorities) and may be subject to other adverse consequences as a result of such change in tax laws. In the event of any such change in tax law, each shareholder is urged to consult its own advisors.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Investing in our Common Shares involves a number of significant risks. The following information is a discussion of the material risk factors associated with an investment in our Common Shares specifically, as well as those factors generally associated

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with an investment in a company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to ours. In addition to the other information contained in this Registration Statement, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our Common Shares. The risks below are not the only risks we face but do represent the known material risks and uncertainties that we believe are most significant to our business, operating results, financial condition, prospects and forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such cases, the NAV of our Common Shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Summary of Risk Factors

The following is a summary of the principal risk factors associated with an investment in our securities. Further details regarding each risk included in the below summary list can be found further below.

· We have no prior operating history and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective.

· An investment in our Common Shares may not be appropriate for all investors and is not designed to be a complete investment program.

· We have not identified specific investments that we will make with the proceeds of this offering. As a result, this may be deemed a “blind pool” offering and thus you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them.

· You should not expect to be able to sell your Common Shares regardless of how we perform.

· You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time.

· We do not intend to list our Common Shares on any securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our Common Shares to develop.

· Because you may be unable to sell your Common Shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn.

· You should purchase these securities only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment.

· We intend to implement a share repurchase program, but only a limited number of Common Shares will be eligible for repurchase and repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions. See “Item 1. Business – Share Repurchase Program”, “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Repurchase Program Risk” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Timing of Repurchase May be Disadvantageous.”

· An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest. See “Item 1. Business – Share Repurchase Program.”

· We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering.

· Distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by the Adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to the Adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to the Adviser or its affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled.

· We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Leverage Risk”.

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· We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors.

· We intend to invest primarily in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

Risks Relating to an Investment in the Fund

No Operating History. The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that will elect to be regulated as a BDC with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the results achieved by similar strategies managed by the Adviser will be achieved for the Fund. Past performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future results. Moreover, the Fund is subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risk that it will not achieve its investment objective and that the value of an investor’s investment could decline substantially or that the investor will suffer a complete loss of its investment in the Fund.

The investment philosophy and techniques used by the Adviser to manage a BDC may differ from the investment philosophy and techniques previously employed by the Adviser, its affiliates, and the portfolio managers in identifying and managing past investments. In addition, the 1940 Act and the Code impose numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs and RICs that do not apply to the other types of investment vehicles. For example, under the 1940 Act, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of qualifying U.S. private companies or thinly traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the time of investment. In addition, in order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is required to meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. The Adviser’s and the portfolio managers’ limited experience in managing a portfolio of assets under such constraints may hinder their respective ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and, as a result, achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

Risk of Failure to Achieve Investment Objective. The Adviser cannot provide assurances that it will be able to identify, choose, make or realize investments of the type targeted for the Fund. There is also no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to source attractive investments for the Fund within a reasonable period of time. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to generate returns for the investors or that returns will be commensurate with the risks of the investments. The Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective and investors may lose some or all of their invested capital. The failure by the Fund to obtain indebtedness on favorable terms or in the desired amount will adversely affect the returns realized by the Fund and impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Competition with Other Entities, Including Commercial Banks, Commercial Financing Companies, BDCs, Insurance Companies and Other Private Funds. Other entities compete with the Fund to make the types of investments that the Fund plans to make. Certain of these competitors may be substantially larger, have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than the Fund will have and offer a wider array of financial services. There may be intense competition for investments of the type the Fund intends to make, and such competition may result in less favorable investment terms than might otherwise exist. The competitive pressures the Fund faces may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risk of Dependence on Key Personnel of the Adviser. The Fund will depend on the diligence, skill, experience and network of business contacts of the Adviser’s portfolio management team. There can be no assurances that certain members of the team will continue to provide investment services to the Adviser. The loss of key personnel would limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and operate as anticipated.

Illiquid Investments and Restrictions on Withdrawal. An investment in the Fund is suitable only for certain sophisticated investors that have no need for immediate liquidity in respect of their investment and who can accept the risks associated with investing in illiquid investments.

Our Common Shares are illiquid investments for which there is not and will likely not be a secondary market. Liquidity for our Common Shares will be limited to participation in our share repurchase program, which we have no obligation to maintain. When we make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to the share repurchase program, we will offer to repurchase Common Shares at a price that

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is estimated by our internal valuation processes to be equal to our NAV per share on the last day of such quarter, which may be lower than the price that you paid for our Common Shares. As a result, to the extent you paid a price that includes the related sales load or asset prices have declined and to the extent you have the ability to sell your Common Shares pursuant to our share repurchase program, the price at which you may sell Common Shares may be lower than the amount you paid in connection with the purchase of Common Shares in this offering.

Transfer Restrictions. There are restrictions on the ability of holders of our Common Shares to transfer shares, including restrictions typically associated with a private offering of securities under Regulation D and other exemptions from registration under the Securities Act, and these restrictions could limit the liquidity of an investment our Common Shares and the price at which holders may be able to sell the shares. We are relying on an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and state securities laws in offering our Common Shares. As such, absent an effective registration statement covering our Common Shares, such shares may be resold only in transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Subscription Agreement. Our Common Shares have limited transferability which could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of the Fund that might involve a premium price for our securities or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Fund Investors have No Right to Control the Fund’s Operations. The Fund is managed exclusively by the Adviser. Fund investors will not make decisions with respect to the management, disposition or other realization of any investment, the day-to-day operations of the Fund, or any other decisions regarding the Fund’s business and affairs, except for limited circumstances. Specifically, Fund investors will not have an opportunity to evaluate for themselves the relevant economic, financial and other information regarding investments by the Fund or receive any financial information issued directly by the portfolio companies that is available to the Adviser. Fund investors should expect to rely solely on the ability of the Adviser with respect to the Fund’s operations.

The Fund’s Assets are Subject to Recourse. The assets of the Fund, including any investments made by and any capital held by the Fund are available to satisfy all liabilities and other obligations of the Fund, as applicable. If the Fund becomes subject to a liability, parties seeking to have the liability satisfied may have recourse to the Fund’s assets generally and may not be limited to any particular asset, such as the investment giving rise to the liability.

No Assurance the Fund Will be Able to Obtain Leverage. The Fund will seek to regularly employ direct or indirect leverage in a variety of forms through borrowings, derivatives and other financial instruments as part of its investment program. However, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain indebtedness at all or to the desired degree or that indebtedness will be accessible by the Fund at any time or in connection with any particular investment. If indebtedness is available to the Fund, there can be no assurance that such indebtedness will be available in the desired amount, be on terms favorable to the Fund and/or terms comparable to terms obtained by competitors. The terms of any indebtedness are expected to vary based on the counterparty, timing, size, market interest rates, other fees and costs, duration, advance rates, eligible investments or collateral, ability to borrow in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and Fund investor creditworthiness and composition. Moreover, market conditions or other factors may cause or permit the amount of leverage employed by the Fund to fluctuate over the Fund’s life. Furthermore, the Fund may seek to obtain indebtedness on an investment-by-investment basis, and leverage may not be available or may be available on less desirable terms in connection with particular investments. The instruments and borrowing utilized by the Fund to leverage its investments may be collateralized by other assets of the Fund.

It is expected that the Fund will directly or indirectly incur indebtedness collateralized by the Fund’s assets. As a BDC, with certain limited exceptions, the Fund will only be permitted to borrow amounts such that the Fund’s asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% (equivalent to $2 of debt outstanding for each $1 of equity) after such borrowing. If the Fund is unable to obtain and maintain the desired amount of borrowings on favorable terms, the Adviser may seek to realize the Fund’s investments earlier than originally expected.

No Assurance of the Availability of Asset-Based Leverage. The Fund is expected to utilize asset-based leverage in acquiring investments on a deal-by-deal basis. However, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain indebtedness with respect to any particular investment. If indebtedness is available in connection with a particular investment, there can be no assurance that such indebtedness will be on terms favorable to the Fund and/or terms comparable to terms obtained by competitors, including with respect to costs, duration, size, advance rates and interest rates. Moreover, market conditions or other factors may cause or permit the amount of leverage employed by the Fund to fluctuate over its life. For example, if leverage is obtained later in the Fund’s life, the Fund may immediately deploy such leverage in order to achieve the desired borrowing ratio, which may involve making distributions of borrowed funds. If the Fund is unable to, or not expected to be able to, obtain indebtedness in connection with a particular investment, the Fund may determine not to make the investment or may invest a different proportion of its available capital in such investment. This may affect the ability of the Fund to make investments, could adversely affect the returns of the Fund and may impair its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the lender may impose certain diversification or other requirements in connection with asset-based leverage, and these restrictions are expected to impact the ability of the Fund to participate in certain investments or the amount of the Fund’s participation in certain investments.

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Leverage Risk. The Fund will seek to employ direct or indirect leverage in a variety of forms, including through borrowings, derivatives, and other financial instruments as part of its investment program, which leverage is expected to be secured by the Fund’s assets or capital commitments. The greater the total leverage of the Fund relative to its assets, the greater the risk of loss and possibility of gain due to changes in the values of its investments. The extent to which the Fund uses leverage may have other significant consequences to Fund investors, including, the following: (i) greater fluctuations in the net assets of the Fund; (ii) use of cash flow (including capital contributions) for debt service and related costs and expenses, rather than for additional investments, distributions, or other purposes; (iii) in certain circumstances the Fund may be required to harvest investments prematurely or in unfavorable market conditions to service its debt obligations, and in such circumstances the recovery the Fund receives from such harvests may be significantly diminished as compared to the Fund’s expected return on such investments; (iv) limitation on the Fund’s flexibility to make distributions to Fund investors or result in the sale of assets that are pledged to secure the indebtedness; (v) increased interest expense if interest rate levels were to increase significantly; (vi) during the term of any borrowing, the Fund’s returns may be materially reduced by increased costs attributable to regulatory changes; and (vii) banks and dealers that provide financing to the Fund may apply discretionary margin, haircut, financing and collateral valuation policies. Changes by banks and dealers in any of the foregoing may result in large margin calls, loss of financing and forced liquidations of positions at disadvantageous prices. The cost associated with the use of leverage may not be recouped through investments or may significantly reduce the profitability of any investment. Certain types of loans require a fee payment irrespective if the credit facility is actually used and may require an annual fee to extend the facility. There can also be no assurance that the Fund will have sufficient cash flow or be able to liquidate sufficient assets to meet its debt service obligations. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses, including a potential loss of principal, as a result of which Fund investors could potentially lose all or a portion of their investments in the Fund, may be increased due to the use of leverage and the illiquidity of the investments generally. Similar risks and consequences apply with respect to indebtedness related to a particular asset or portfolio of assets.

To the extent that the Fund enters into multiple financing arrangements, such arrangements may contain cross-default provisions that could magnify the effect of a default. If a cross-default provision were exercised, this could result in a substantial loss for the Fund.

As a BDC, we generally will be required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred shares that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. As defined in the 1940 Act, asset coverage of 150% means that for every $100 of net assets we hold, we may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. If this ratio were to fall below 150%, we could not incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is disadvantageous to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations and investment activities. Moreover, our ability to make distributions to you may be significantly restricted or we may not be able to make any such distributions whatsoever. The amount of leverage that we will employ will be subject to oversight by our Board, a majority of whom are Independent Trustees with no material interests in such transactions.

Although borrowings by the Fund have the potential to enhance overall returns that exceed the Fund’s cost of funds, they will further diminish returns (or increase losses on capital) to the extent overall returns are less than the Fund’s cost of funds. In addition, borrowings by the Fund may be secured by the shareholders’ investments as well as by the Fund’s assets and the documentation relating to such borrowing may provide that during the continuance of a default under such borrowing, the interests of the investors may be subordinated to such borrowing.

Obtaining a Rating from a Credit Rating Agency. The Fund may apply to a credit rating agency to rate the Fund and/or its assets in order to provide the Fund access to different sources of indebtedness or capital as well as to help meet the Fund’s risk/return objectives, its overall target indebtedness ratio or other considerations as determined by the Adviser. In connection with such rating, the credit rating agency may review and analyze the Fund’s counterparties, the Adviser, the Administrator, the investments and expected investments of the Fund, the legal structure of the Fund, the historical and current Fund investors and Fund performance data. There can be no assurance that the Fund will apply for such a rating, that a credit rating agency will provide a rating or that such a rating will be beneficial to the Fund. In addition, when making investment decisions for the Fund (including establishing the Fund’s investment portfolio), the Adviser may consider the implications of the investment portfolio on a credit rating agency’s rating of the Fund and tailor the Fund’s investment portfolio taking into account such considerations. There is a risk that a rating agency could incorrectly rate, or downgrade ratings which could have a material effect on the Fund, including its assets and its ability to acquire indebtedness.

Provisions in Our Declaration of Trust Could Make It More Difficult for a Potential Acquirer to Acquire Us. Our Declaration of Trust contains provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. Our Board may, without shareholder action, authorize the issuance of Common Shares in one or more classes or series, including preferred shares; our Board may, without shareholder action, amend our Declaration of Trust to increase the number

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of our Common Shares, of any class or series, that we will have authority to issue. These provisions may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock and could entrench management.

Expedited Investment Decisions. Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Adviser at the time of making an investment decision may be limited. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Adviser will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment. In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants and other sources in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments, and no assurance can be given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by such independent consultants or other sources or to the Fund’s right of recourse against them in the event errors or omissions do occur.

Insurance Risk. Lord Abbett expects to purchase and maintain an omnibus insurance policy or policies which includes coverage in respect of the Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates, as well as Other Clients (the Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees serve as investment adviser, managing member or general partner to other investment funds, pooled investment vehicles and client accounts (the “Other Clients”)), including certain of their respective indemnified persons (which omnibus insurance policy or policies may provide coverage to the Adviser and its affiliates, as applicable, for events unrelated to the Fund). The premiums for such shared insurance policies generally would be borne by Lord Abbett and the clients covered by such policies, and such shared insurance policy or policies are expected to have an overall cap on coverage for all the insured parties thereunder. To the extent an insurable event results in claims in excess of such cap, the Fund may not receive as much in insurance proceeds as it would have received if separate insurance policies had been purchased for each insured party. Similarly, insurable events may occur sequentially in time while subject to a single overall cap. To the extent insurance proceeds for one such event are applied towards a cap and the Fund experiences an insurable loss after such event, the Fund’s receipts from such insurance policy may also be diminished. Insurance policies covering the Fund, the premiums of which are paid in whole or in part by the Fund, may provide insurance coverage to indemnified persons for conduct that would not be covered by indemnification. In addition, the Fund may need to initiate litigation in order to collect from an insurance provider, which may be lengthy and expensive for the Fund and which ultimately may not result in a financial award. In addition, the Adviser may cause the Fund to purchase and maintain insurance coverage that provides coverage to the Fund, and certain indemnified persons, in which case, the premiums would be borne by the Fund.

While Lord Abbett expects to allocate insurance expenses in a manner it determines to be fair and equitable, taking into account any factors it deems relevant to the allocation of such expenses, because of the uncertainty of whether claims will arise in the future and the timing and the amount that may be involved in any such claim, the determination of how to allocate such expenses may require Lord Abbett to take into consideration facts and circumstances that are subjective in nature. It is unlikely that Lord Abbett will be able to accurately allocate the expenses of any such insurance policies based on the actual claims related to a particular client, including the Fund.

Indemnification Risk. The Fund is required to indemnify the Adviser, the members of the Board and each other person indemnified under the Fund’s Declaration of Trust and Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) for liabilities incurred in connection with the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws, the Advisory Agreement and the Fund’s activities, except in certain circumstances. Subject to the limits on indemnification under Section 17(h) of the 1940 Act, the Fund’s Declaration of Trust provides that the Fund shall not indemnify such persons to the extent liability and losses are the result of negligence or misconduct in the case of an Interested Trustee, officer, employee, sponsor, controlling person or agent of the Fund, or gross negligence or willful misconduct in the case of an Independent Trustee. Subject to the limits on indemnification under Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act, the Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Adviser’s part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations. The Fund will also indemnify certain service providers, including the Administrator and the Fund’s auditors, as well as consultants and sourcing, operating and joint venture partners. Such liabilities may be material and may have an adverse effect on the returns to the Fund investors. The indemnification obligation of the Fund would be payable from the assets of the Fund. The application of the indemnification and exculpation standards may result in Fund investors bearing a broader indemnification obligation in certain cases than they would in the absence of such standards. As a result of these considerations, even though such provisions will not act as a waiver on the part of any investor of any of its rights which are not permitted to be waived under applicable law, the Fund may bear significant financial losses even where such losses were caused by the conduct, as described above, of such indemnified persons.

Portfolio Valuation Risk. The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, will determine the valuation of the Fund’s investments. It is expected that most of the Fund’s investments will not have readily available market quotations, which will require the Adviser to estimate, in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policies, the fair value of such investments on the valuation date. Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments, and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold. Absent bad faith or manifest error, valuation determinations of the Adviser will be conclusive and binding on the Fund investors.

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In addition, the Adviser may have an interest in determining higher valuations in order to be able to present better performance to prospective investors. In certain cases, the Fund may hold an investment in an issuer experiencing distress or going through bankruptcy. In such a situation, the Adviser may continue to place a favorable valuation on such investment due to the Adviser’s determination that the investment is sufficiently secured despite the distressed state or bankruptcy of the issuer. However, no assurances can be given that this assumption is justified or that such valuations will be accurate in the long term. In addition, an investment in a portfolio company may not be permanently written-off or permanently written down despite its distressed state or covenant breach until such portfolio company experiences a material corporate event (e.g., bankruptcy or partial sale) which establishes an objective basis for such revised valuation. In these circumstances, the Adviser has an interest in delaying any such write-offs or write-downs to maintain a higher management fee base and thus, management fees paid to the Adviser.

In addition, the Fund may rely on third-party valuation services to verify the value of certain investments. An investment may not have a readily ascertainable market value and accordingly, could potentially make it difficult to determine a fair value of an investment and may yield an inaccurate valuation. Further, because of the Adviser’s knowledge of the investment, the valuation services may defer to the Adviser’s valuation even where such valuation may not be accurate or the determination thereof involved a conflict of interest. Additionally, the Fund may also choose to discontinue the use of any third-party valuation services at any time, which could create a conflict of interest and impair the third-party valuation service’s independence. An inaccurate valuation of an investment could have a substantial impact on the Fund.

Due Diligence Risk. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding a potential investment, the Adviser will be required to rely on resources available to it, including internal sources of information as well as information provided by existing and potential obligors, any equity sponsor(s), lenders and other independent sources. The due diligence process may at times rely on limited or incomplete information.

The Adviser will select investments for the Fund in part on the basis of publicly available information filed with various government regulators or information made directly available to the Adviser. Although the Adviser will evaluate all such information and data and seek independent corroboration when it considers it appropriate and reasonably available, the Adviser may not be in a position to confirm the completeness, genuineness or accuracy of such information and data. The Adviser is dependent upon the integrity of the management of the entities filing such information and of such companies and third parties providing such information, as well as the financial reporting process in general. The value of an investment made by the Fund may be affected by fraud, misrepresentation or omission on the part of a company or any related parties to such company, or by other parties to the investment (or any related collateral and security arrangements). Such fraud, misrepresentation or omission may adversely affect the value of the investment and/or the value of the collateral underlying the investment in question and may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to enforce its contractual rights relating to that investment or the relevant obligor’s ability to repay the principal or interest on the investment.

In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants or experts in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments. There can be no assurance that these consultants or experts will accurately evaluate such investments. Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be undertaken on an expedited basis in order to make it possible for the Fund to take advantage of short-lived investment opportunities. In such cases, the available information at the time of an investment decision may be limited, inaccurate and/or incomplete. In addition, the financial information available to the Adviser may not be accurate or provided based upon accepted accounting methods. Accordingly, the Adviser cannot guarantee that the due diligence investigation it carries out with respect to any investment opportunity will reveal or highlight all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity which may have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.

Non-Specified Investments and Discretion in Determining Use of Proceeds. The Adviser has not yet identified the potential investments that the Fund will acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, and the net proceeds of this offering will be used to finance or invest in companies that will not be meaningfully described to the shareholders prior to such investment. No assurance can be given as to when the Fund will fund any investments. Shareholders will not have an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any prospective investment. As a result, shareholders will be dependent on the judgment of the Adviser in connection with the investment and management of the proceeds of this offering, including the selection of the investments. The Fund’s reliance on the Adviser is substantially increased in a “blind” investment offering such as this (i.e., specific investments have not been targeted), because the Fund will be totally reliant upon the Adviser to locate, evaluate and negotiate investments suitable for the Fund. The number of investments that the Fund makes, and diversification of its investments may be dependent on the amount of proceeds raised herein and will be reduced if less than the maximum amount of the offering is raised. There can be no guarantee that a sufficient number of investments will be available and that the Fund will therefore be able to invest all funds committed by the shareholders.

Compliance with Applicable Law. Although the Adviser will seek for it and the Fund to comply with all U.S. federal, state and local lending regulations and to obtain all required licenses, there is no assurance that the Adviser or the Fund will be able to obtain all required licenses or always be compliant or that there will not be allegations of non-compliance even if the Adviser and the Fund were

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or are fully compliant. Any violation of applicable law or failure to comply with regulatory requirements could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses or registrations, loss of approval status, termination of contracts without compensation, damages, fines, penalties, litigation costs, investigation costs and even restrictions on the ability of the Fund’s ability to conduct business.

Litigation Risk. The Adviser will act in good faith and use reasonable judgment in managing the Fund. It is impossible for the Adviser to foresee what allegations may be brought by a regulatory agency or a third party, and the Adviser will seek to avoid litigation, if, in the Adviser’s judgment, the circumstances warrant an alternative resolution. If an allegation is brought or litigation is commenced against the Fund, the Fund will incur legal fees and costs to respond to the allegations and to defend any resulting litigation, this could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s financial performance.

Possession of Material Non-Public Information, Limiting the Adviser’s Discretion. From time to time, the Adviser (in its capacity as investment manager of investment vehicles, funds or accounts or in connection with investment activities on its own behalf) and its affiliates receive material non-public information with respect to issuers of publicly-traded securities or other securities in connection with, among other examples, acquisitions, refinancings, restructurings of such issuers that the Adviser reviews or participates in, oftentimes unrelated to its management of the Fund. In such circumstances, the Fund may be prohibited, by law, contract or by virtue of the Adviser’s policies and procedures, from (i) selling all or a portion of a position in such issuer, thereby potentially incurring trading losses as a result, (ii) establishing an initial position or taking any greater position in such issuer, and (iii) pursuing other investment opportunities related to such issuer. In order to prevent the portfolio managers of the Fund from receiving material, non-public information that may prevent them from being able to trade in investments in other accounts the portfolio managers manage, portfolio management personnel (including the portfolio managers, research analysts, and traders) may be subject to information barriers and prevented from accessing certain information regarding Fund investments to which investors are otherwise entitled, such as information about a borrower’s business prospects, financial situation and liquidity situation.

Systems and Operational Risks. The Fund depends on the Adviser to develop and implement appropriate systems for the Fund’s activities. The Fund also relies heavily and on a regular basis on financial, accounting and other data processing systems to evaluate investments, to monitor its portfolio and capital, and to generate risk management and other reports that are critical to oversight of the Fund’s activities. In addition, the Fund relies on information systems to store sensitive information about the Fund, the Adviser, their affiliates and the shareholders. Certain of the Fund’s and the Adviser’s activities will be dependent upon systems operated by third parties, including custodians, market counterparties and other service providers, and the Fund and the Adviser may not be in a position to adequately verify the risks or reliability of such third-party systems. These programs or systems may be subject to certain defects, failures or interruptions, including, but not limited to data or securities price data errors, mathematical or statistical errors, or computer system implementation errors or other errors, omissions, imperfections and malfunctions, including those caused by computer “worms,” viruses and power failures. Failures in the systems employed by the Adviser, Administrator, custodians, counterparties, exchanges and similar clearance and settlement facilities and other parties could result in mistakes made in the confirmation or settlement of transactions, or in transactions not being properly booked, evaluated or accounted for. Disruptions in the Fund’s operations or breach of the Fund’s information systems may cause the Fund to suffer, among other things, financial loss, the disruption of its business, liability to third parties, regulatory penalties or reputational damage. Any of the foregoing failures or disruptions could have a material adverse effect on the Fund and the shareholders’ investment therein.

Reliance on Data; Data Errors. The Adviser is highly reliant on the gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of data from third-party and other external sources. It is not possible or practicable, however, to factor all relevant, available data into economic forecasts or trading decisions. The Adviser will use its discretion to determine what data to gather with respect to any investment and what subset of that data the research models take into account to produce forecasts that may have an impact on ultimate investment decisions. In addition, it is inevitable that not all desired or relevant data will be available to, or processed by, the Adviser at all times. In these cases, the Adviser may continue to generate forecasts and make investment decisions based on the data available to it. In addition, the Adviser may determine that certain available data, while potentially useful in generating forecasts or making investment decisions, is not cost effective to gather due to either the technology costs or third-party vendor costs and, in these cases, the Adviser will not utilize the subject data. Investors should be aware that there is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in making investment decisions will be the most accurate data available or even free of errors. Investors should assume that the foregoing limitation and risks associated with gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of data from third party and other external sources are an inherent part of investing with an adviser such as the Adviser.

Public Disclosure Obligations. The Fund, the Adviser or their respective affiliates, service providers, or agents may from time to time be required or may, in their discretion, determine that it is advisable to disclose certain information about the Fund and the Fund investors, including investments held directly or indirectly by the Fund and the names and level of beneficial ownership of certain of the Fund investors, to (i) regulatory or taxing authorities of certain jurisdictions, which have or assert jurisdiction over the disclosing party or in which the Fund directly or indirectly invests, or (ii) any lenders, counterparty of, or service provider to, the Adviser or the Fund (and its subsidiaries). Disclosure of confidential information under such circumstances will not be regarded as a breach of any

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duty of confidentiality and, in certain circumstances, the Fund, the Adviser or any of their affiliates, service providers or agents, may be prohibited from disclosing to any Fund investor that any such disclosure has been made.

Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and cloud computing to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting the Fund’s or the Adviser’s service providers have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to value its investments, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund’s service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

Technology Systems Risk. The Fund depends on the Adviser to develop and implement appropriate systems for its activities. The Fund may rely on computer programs to evaluate certain securities and other investments, to monitor their portfolios, to trade, clear and settle securities transactions and to generate asset, risk management and other reports that are utilized in the oversight of the Fund’s activities. In addition, certain of the Fund’s and the Adviser’s operations interface with or depend on systems operated by third parties, including loan servicers, custodians and administrators, and the Adviser may not always be in a position to verify the risks or reliability of such third-party systems. For example, the Fund and the Adviser generally expect to provide statements, reports, notices, updates, requests and any other communications in electronic form, such as e-mail or posting on a web-based reporting site or other internet service, in lieu of or in addition to sending such communications as hard copies via fax or mail. These programs or systems may be subject to certain defects, failures or interruptions, including, but not limited to, those caused by ‘hacking’ or other security breaches, computer ‘worms,’ viruses and power failures. Such failures could cause settlement of trades to fail, lead to inaccurate accounting, recording or processing of trades and cause inaccurate reports, which may affect the Fund’s ability to monitor its investment portfolio and its risks. Any such defect or failure could cause the Fund to suffer financial loss, disruption of its business, liability to clients or third parties, regulatory intervention or reputational damage.

No Registration as an Investment Company. While the Fund is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, it will be subject to regulation as a BDC under the 1940 Act and will be required to adhere to the provisions of the 1940 Act applicable to BDCs.

Rights Against Third Parties, Including Third-Party Service Providers. The Fund is reliant on the performance of third-party service providers, including the Adviser, the Administrator, auditors, legal advisers, lenders, bankers, brokers, consultants, sourcing, operating and joint venture partners and other service providers (collectively, “Service Providers”). Further information regarding the duties and roles of certain of these Service Providers is provided in this Registration Statement. The Fund may bear the risk of any errors or omissions by such Service Providers. In addition, misconduct by such Service Providers may result in reputational damage, litigation, business disruption and/or financial losses to the Fund. Each Fund investor’s contractual relationship in respect of its investment in Common Shares of the Fund is with the Fund only and Fund investors are not in contractual privity with the Service Providers. Therefore, generally, no Fund investor will have any contractual claim against any Service Provider with respect to such Service Provider’s default or breach. Accordingly, Fund investors must generally rely upon the Adviser to enforce the Fund’s rights against Service Providers. In certain circumstances, which are generally not expected to prevail, Fund investors may have limited rights to enforce the Fund’s rights on a derivative basis or may have rights against Service Providers if they can establish that such Service Providers owe duties to the Fund investors. In addition, Fund investors will have no right to participate in the day-to-day operation of the Fund and decisions regarding the selection of Service Providers. Rather, the Adviser will select the Fund’s Service Providers and determine the retention and compensation of such providers without the review by or consent of the Fund investors. The Fund investors must therefore rely on the ability of the Adviser to select and compensate Service Providers and to make investments and manage and dispose of investments.

Lack of Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of its assets that it may invest in securities

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of a single issuer. To the extent that the Fund assumes large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, its NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. The Fund may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond the Fund’s asset diversification requirements as a RIC under the Code, the Fund does not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and its investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies. Although the Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, it maintains the flexibility to operate as a diversified investment company. To the extent that the Fund operates as a non-diversified investment company, it may be subject to greater risk.

During the period of time in which the Fund is deploying its initial capital, the Fund may make a limited number of investments. In addition, the Fund does not have fixed guidelines for diversification by industry or type of security, and investments may be concentrated in only a few industries or types of securities. Further, if the expected amount of leverage is not obtained or deployed, the Fund may be more concentrated in an investment than originally anticipated. As a result, the Fund’s investments may be concentrated and the poor performance of a single investment may have pronounced negative consequences to the Fund and the aggregate returns realized by the Fund investors.

Consultation with Sourcing and Operating Partners Risk. In certain circumstances, sourcing and operating partners may be aware of and consulted in advance in relation to certain investments made by the Fund. While sourcing and operating partners will be subject to confidentiality obligations, they are not restricted from engaging in any activities or businesses that may be similar to the business of the Fund or competitive with the Fund. In particular, sourcing and operating partners may use information available to them as sourcing and operating partners of the Adviser in a manner that conflicts with the interests of the Fund. Except in limited circumstances, the sourcing and operating partners are generally not obligated to account to the Adviser for any profits or income earned or derived from their activities or businesses or inform the Adviser of any business opportunity that may be appropriate for the Fund.

Timing of Realization of Investments. The Adviser, in its discretion, may seek to realize the Fund’s investments earlier than originally expected, which may be accomplished through one or more transactions, including transactions with another investment fund or account sponsored or managed by Lord Abbett or its affiliates, which will be for a price equal to the fair value of such investment. The value of a security in a transaction between the Fund and an account sponsored or managed by Lord Abbett or its affiliates, subject to approval by the Board, will be determined by the Adviser and verified by one or more third-party valuation services. The Adviser may seek such realizations in order to support the Fund’s target risk/return profile with respect to the Fund’s unrealized investments, taking into account factors such as, but not limited to, the Fund’s expense ratio relative to such assets and the availability of, or repayment obligations with respect to, any credit facilities.

Risks Relating to the Use of Proceeds. While the Fund generally intends to make all distributions of net proceeds in accordance with “Use of Proceeds,” the amount and timing of distributions from the Fund to the Fund investors will be at the discretion of the Board, who may also direct that amounts available for distribution be retained in the Fund (i) to be used to satisfy, or establish reserves for, the Fund’s current or anticipated obligations (including management fees, incentive fees and any other expenses) or (ii) for reinvestment of the cost basis of an investment. Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to the timing and amount of distributions from the Fund.

Risk of Electronic Delivery of Certain Documents. Shareholders will be deemed to consent to electronic delivery or posting to the Administrator’s website or other service of: (i) certain closing documents such as the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws and the Subscription Agreements; (ii) any notices or communications required or contemplated to be delivered to the Fund investors by the Fund, the Adviser, or any of their respective affiliates, pursuant to applicable law or regulation; (iii) certain tax-related information and documents; and (iv) notices, requests, demands, consents or other communications and any financial statements, reports, schedules, certificates or opinions required to be provided to the Fund investors under any agreements. There are certain costs and possible risks associated with electronic delivery. Moreover, the Adviser cannot provide any assurance that these communication methods are secure and will not be responsible for any computer viruses, problems or malfunctions resulting from the use of such communication methods. See “– Technology Systems Risk” and “Cybersecurity Risk” above.

Risks Relating to Handling of Mail. Mail addressed to the Fund and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by the Fund to be processed. None of the Fund, the Adviser or any of their trustees, officers, advisers or Service Providers will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused in mail reaching the forwarding address.

General Credit Risks. The Fund may be exposed to losses resulting from default and foreclosure of any such loans or interests in loans in which it has invested. Therefore, the value of underlying collateral, the creditworthiness of borrowers and the priority of liens are each of great importance in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. In the event of foreclosure, the Fund or an affiliate thereof may assume direct ownership of any assets collateralizing such foreclosed loans. The liquidation proceeds upon the sale of such

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assets may not satisfy the entire outstanding balance of principal and interest on such foreclosed loans, resulting in a loss to the Fund. Any costs or delays involved in the effectuation of loan foreclosures or liquidation of the assets collateralizing such foreclosed loans will further reduce proceeds associated therewith and, consequently, increase possible losses to the Fund. In addition, no assurances can be made that borrowers or third parties will not assert claims in connection with foreclosure proceedings or otherwise, or that such claims will not interfere with the enforcement of the Fund’s rights.

Volatility of Investment Prices. The prices of the Fund’s investments can be volatile. In addition, price movements may also be influenced by, among other things, changing supply and demand relationships, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and national and international political and economic events and policies. In addition, governments from time to time intervene in certain markets. Such intervention often is intended directly to influence prices and may cause or contribute to rapid fluctuations in asset prices, which may adversely affect the Fund’s returns.

Syndication and/or Transfer of Investments Risk. The Fund, directly or through the use of one or more subsidiary investment vehicles, may originate and/or purchase certain debt assets, including ancillary equity assets (“Assets”). The Fund may also purchase certain Assets (including, participation interests or other indirect economic interests) that have been originated by other affiliated or unaffiliated parties and/or trading on the secondary market. The Fund may, in certain circumstances, originate or purchase such Assets with the intent of syndicating and/or otherwise transferring a significant portion thereof, including to one or more offshore funds or accounts managed by the Adviser or any of its affiliates or to other third party investment firms. In such instances, the Fund will bear the risk of any decline in value prior to such syndication and/or other transfer. In addition, the Fund will also bear the risk of any inability to syndicate or otherwise transfer such Assets or such amount thereof as originally intended, which could result in the Fund owning a greater interest therein than anticipated.

Raising Additional Capital. The Fund may need additional capital to fund new investments and grow its portfolio of investments once it has fully invested the net proceeds of this offering. Unfavorable economic conditions could increase the Fund’s funding costs or limit its access to the capital. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit the Fund’s ability to grow. In addition, the Fund is required to distribute at least 90% of its net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to investors to maintain its qualification as a RIC. As a result, these earnings will not be available to fund new investments. An inability on the Fund’s part to access the capital successfully could limit its ability to grow its business and execute its business strategy fully and could decrease its earnings, if any, which would have an adverse effect on the value of its securities.

Counterparty Risks. To the extent that contracts for investment will be entered into between the Fund and a market counterparty as principal (and not as agent), the Fund is exposed to the risk that the market counterparty may, in an insolvency or similar event, be unable to meet its contractual obligations to the Fund. The Fund may have a limited number of potential counterparties for certain of its investments, which may significantly impair the Fund’s ability to reduce its exposure to counterparty risk. In addition, difficulty reaching an agreement with any single counterparty could limit or eliminate the Fund’s ability to execute such investments altogether. Because certain purchases, sales, hedging, financing arrangements and other instruments in which the Fund will engage are not traded on an exchange but are instead traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contracts. Although the Fund intends to pursue its remedies under any such contracts, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.

Return of Distributions to Satisfy Unpaid Debts of the Fund. Under Delaware law, the investors could, under certain circumstances, be required to return distributions made by the Fund to satisfy unpaid debts of the Fund that were in existence at the time the distributions were made.

Changes in the Fund’s Investment Objective, Operating Policies or Strategies Without Prior Notice or Investor Approval. The Fund’s Board has the authority to modify or waive certain of the Fund’s operating policies and strategies without prior notice (except as required by the 1940 Act) and without investor approval. However, absent investor approval, the Fund may not change the nature of its business so as to cease to be, or withdraw its election as, a BDC. The Fund cannot predict the effect any changes to its current operating policies and strategies would have on its business, operating results and value of its Common Shares. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect the Fund’s business and impact its ability to make distributions.

Changes to the Fund’s Declaration of Trust Without Prior Investor Approval. Our Board may, without shareholder vote, subject to certain exceptions, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust by making an amendment, a Declaration of Trust supplemental thereto or an amended and restated Declaration of Trust, including without limitation to classify the Board, to impose advance notice bylaw provisions for Trustee nominations or for shareholder proposals, to require super- majority approval of transactions with significant shareholders or other provisions that may be characterized as anti-takeover in nature.

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Allocation of Investment Opportunities and Related Conflicts. The Fund generally is prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with its affiliates without prior approval of the Independent Trustees and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities is an affiliate of the Fund for purposes of the 1940 Act, and the Fund generally is prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of the Independent Trustees. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Fund’s affiliates, which could include investments in the same issuers (whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of the Independent Trustees and, in some cases, the SEC. If a person acquires more than 25% of the Fund’s voting securities, the Fund will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit the Fund’s ability to transact business with the Fund’s officers or Trustees or their affiliates. These prohibitions will affect the manner in which investment opportunities are allocated between the Fund and other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Most importantly, the Fund generally is prohibited from co-investing with certain other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser in Lord Abbett-originated loans and financings unless the Fund co-invests in accordance with the applicable regulatory guidance or an exemptive order it has received from the SEC permitting such co-investment activities. Accordingly, while the Adviser intends to allocate suitable opportunities among the Fund and other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser based on the principles described above, the prohibition on co-investing with affiliates could significantly limit the scope of investment opportunities available to the Fund. In particular, the decision by the Adviser to allocate an opportunity to one or more other accounts or to an affiliate of the Adviser, or the existence of a prior co-investment structure, might cause the Fund to forgo an investment opportunity that it otherwise would have made. Similarly, the Fund generally may be limited in its ability to invest in an issuer in which another account or affiliate of the Adviser had previously invested. The Fund may in certain circumstances also be required to sell, transfer or otherwise reorganize assets in which the Fund has invested with other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser at times that the Fund may not consider advantageous.

Distributions Risk. The Fund intends to pay quarterly distributions to shareholders out of assets legally available for distribution. The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve investment results that will allow it to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. If the Fund is unable to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to it as a BDC, or if the Fund violates certain debt financing agreements, its ability to pay distributions to shareholders could be limited. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of the Fund’s Board and will depend on the Fund’s earnings, financial condition, maintenance of RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, compliance with debt financing agreements and such other factors as the Board may deem relevant from time to time. The distributions the Fund pays to investors in a year may exceed the Fund’s taxable income for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Investors who periodically receive the payment of a distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be under the impression that they are receiving a distribution of the RIC’s net ordinary income or capital gains when they are not. Accordingly, investors should read carefully any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from the Fund and the information about the specific tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions provided to investors after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is the Fund’s net ordinary income or capital gains.

Repurchase Program Risk. Our Board has adopted a share repurchase program, and may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time in its discretion. You may not be able to sell your Common Shares at all in the event our Board amends, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program. We will notify you of such developments in our quarterly reports or other filings. If less than the full amount of Common Shares requested to be repurchased in any given repurchase offer are repurchased, funds will be allocated pro rata based on the total number of Common Shares being repurchased without regard to class. The share repurchase program has many limitations and should not be relied upon as a method to sell Common Shares promptly or at a desired price.

Timing of Repurchase May be Disadvantageous. In the event a shareholder chooses to participate in our share repurchase program, the shareholder will be required to provide us with notice of intent to participate prior to knowing what the NAV per share of the Common Shares being repurchased will be on the repurchase date. Although a shareholder will have the ability to withdraw a repurchase request prior to the repurchase date, to the extent a shareholder seeks to sell Common Shares to us as part of our periodic share repurchase program, the shareholder will be required to do so without knowledge of what the repurchase price of our Common Shares will be on the repurchase date.

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Investors may fail to pay their undrawn Capital Commitment. If an investor fails to pay any amount of its Capital Commitment when called, other investors who have an undrawn Capital Commitment may be required to fund their respective Capital Commitment sooner and in a greater amount (but not more than their undrawn Capital Commitment) than they otherwise would have absent such a default.

In addition, if funding of Capital Commitments by other investors and borrowings by the Fund are inadequate to cover defaulted Capital Commitments, the Fund may make fewer investments than if all investors had paid their contributions. Additionally, the Fund may be forced to obtain substitute sources of liquidity by selling investments to meet the Fund’s funding obligations. Such forced sales of investment assets by the Fund may be at disadvantageous prices. In addition, if the Fund is not able to obtain substitute sources of liquidity, the Fund may default on its funding obligations.

Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk. Geopolitical and other events (e.g., wars, terrorism, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics) may disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets, thereby decreasing the value of the Fund’s investments. Sudden or significant changes in the supply or prices of commodities or other economic inputs may have material and unexpected effects on both global securities markets and individual countries, regions, sectors, companies, or industries, which could significantly reduce the value of the Fund’s investments. Securities markets also may be susceptible to market manipulation or other fraudulent trading practices, which could disrupt the orderly functioning of markets, increase overall market volatility or reduce the value of investments traded in them, including investments of the Fund.

Risks Relating to the Fund’s Investments

Our investments may be risky and, subject to compliance with our 80% test and the 70% test for Qualifying Assets under the requirements for BDCs and certain other portfolio restrictions under the 1940 Act, there is no limit on the amount of any such investments in which we may invest.

Risks Associated with Portfolio Companies.

· General Risks. A fundamental risk associated with the Fund’s investment strategy is that the companies in whose debt the Fund invests will be unable to make regular payments (e.g., principal and interest payments) when due, or at all, or otherwise fail to perform. Portfolio companies could deteriorate as a result of, among other factors, an adverse development in their business, poor performance by their management teams, a change in the competitive environment, an economic downturn or legal, tax or regulatory changes. Portfolio companies that the Adviser expects to remain stable may in fact operate at a loss or have significant variations in operating results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or to maintain their competitive position, or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress.

· Highly Leveraged Portfolio Companies. Portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, and there is no restriction on the amount of debt a portfolio company can incur. Substantial indebtedness may add additional risk with respect to a portfolio company, and could (i) limit its ability to borrow money for its working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, strategic initiatives or other purposes; (ii) require it to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow from operations to the repayment of its indebtedness, thereby reducing funds available to it for other purposes; (iii) make it more highly leveraged than some of its competitors, which may place it at a competitive disadvantage; and/or (iv) subject it to restrictive financial and operating covenants, which may preclude it from favorable business activities or the financing of future operations or other capital needs. In some cases, proceeds of debt incurred by a portfolio company could be paid as a dividend to stockholders rather than retained by the portfolio company for its working capital. Leveraged companies are often more sensitive to declines in revenues, increases in expenses, and adverse business, political, or financial developments or economic factors such as a significant rise in interest rates, a severe downturn in the economy or deterioration in the condition of such companies or their industries. A leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.

If a portfolio company is unable to generate sufficient cash flow to meet principal and interest payments to its lenders, it may be forced to take other actions to satisfy such obligations under its indebtedness. These alternative measures may include reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, seeking additional capital, or restructuring or refinancing indebtedness. Any of these actions could significantly reduce the value of the Fund’s investment(s) in such portfolio company. If such strategies are not successful and do not permit the portfolio company to meet its scheduled debt service obligations, the portfolio company may also be forced into liquidation, dissolution or insolvency, and the value of the Fund’s investment in such portfolio company could be significantly reduced or even eliminated.

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· Issuer/Borrower Fraud. Of paramount concern in originating loans is the possibility of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of borrowers or guarantors. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying the loans or may adversely affect the ability of the Fund or its affiliates to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing the loan. The Fund or its affiliates will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by borrowers to the extent reasonable but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.

· Reliance on Company Management. The Adviser generally will seek to monitor the performance of investments in operating companies either through interaction with the board of the applicable company and/or by maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the company’s management team. However, the Fund generally will not be in a position to control any borrower by virtue of investing in its debt and the portfolio company’s management will be primarily responsible for the operations of the company on a day-to-day basis. Although it is the intent of the Fund to invest in companies with strong management teams, there can be no assurance that the existing management team, or any new one, will be able to operate the company successfully. In addition, the Fund is subject to the risk that a borrower in which it invests may make business decisions with which the Fund disagrees and the management of such borrower, as representatives of the common equity holders, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve the interests of the debt investors, including the Fund. Furthermore, in exercising its investment discretion, the Adviser may in certain circumstances commit funds of the Fund to other entities that will be given a mandate to make certain investments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and that may earn a performance-based fee on those investments. Once such a commitment is made, such entities will have full control over the investment of such funds, and the Adviser will cease to have such control.

· Environmental Matters. Ordinary operation or the occurrence of an accident with respect to the portfolio companies in which the Fund invest could cause major environmental damage, which may result in significant financial distress to the Fund’s investments and any portfolio company holding such assets, even if covered by insurance. Certain environmental laws and regulations may require that an owner or operator of an asset address prior environmental contamination, which could involve substantial cost and other liabilities. The Fund (and the Fund investors) may therefore be exposed to substantial risk of loss from environmental claims arising in respect of its investments. Furthermore, changes in environmental laws or regulations or the environmental condition of an investment may create liabilities that did not exist at the time of its acquisition and that could not have been foreseen. Even in cases where the Fund are indemnified by the seller with respect to an investment against liabilities arising out of violations of environmental laws and regulations, there can be no assurance as to the financial viability of the seller to satisfy such indemnities or the ability of the Fund to achieve enforcement of such indemnities. See also “– Provision of Managerial Assistance and Control Person Liability” below.

· No Readily Determinable Valuation. The Fund expects that many of its portfolio investments will take the form of securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable and will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Most, if not all, of the Fund’s investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) will be classified as Level 3 assets under Topic 820 of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification, as amended, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. This means that the Fund’s portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and the Fund’s assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. The Fund expects that inputs into the determination of fair value of portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. The Fund expects to retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of the Fund’s investments in loans. The types of factors that may be taken into account in determining the fair value of investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly-traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. The Fund’s NAV could be adversely affected if determinations regarding the fair value of the Fund’s investments were materially higher than the values that the Fund ultimately realizes upon the disposal of such loans and securities. In addition, the method of calculating the Base Management Fee and Incentive Fee may result in conflicts of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and investors on the other hand, with respect to the valuation of investments.

· Follow-On Investments in Portfolio Companies. Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, the Fund may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to:

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o attempt to preserve or enhance the value of the Fund’s investment;

o invest in various growth or merger and acquisition related initiatives;

o increase or maintain in whole or in part the Fund’s debt or equity ownership percentage; or

o exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing.

The Fund may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments.

The Fund has the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and the Fund’s initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for the Fund to increase its participation in a successful operation. Even if the Fund has sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, it may elect not to make a follow-on investment because it may not want to increase its concentration of risk, because it prefers other opportunities or because it is inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements, or compliance with the requirements for maintenance of its RIC status.

· Equity Interests in Portfolio Companies. The Fund does not generally intend to take controlling equity positions in the Fund’s portfolio companies. To the extent that the Fund does not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, it will be subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which the Fund disagrees, and the stockholders and management of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to the Fund’s interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that the Fund typically holds in portfolio companies, the Fund may not be able to dispose of its investments in the event it disagrees with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of its investments.

· Defaults by Portfolio Companies. A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Fund or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on the portfolio company’s assets representing collateral for its obligations. This could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that the Fund holds and the value of any equity securities the Fund owns. The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.

· Third Party Litigation. The Fund’s investment activities subject it to the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation initiated by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where the Fund exercises control or influence over a company’s direction. The expense of defending against claims by third parties and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments would, absent willful misconduct or gross negligence by the Adviser, be borne by the Fund (to the extent not borne by the portfolio companies) and would reduce net assets or could require Fund investors to return to the Fund distributed capital and earnings. The Adviser and others are indemnified in connection with such litigation, subject to certain conditions.

Nature of Investments Risk. The Adviser will have broad discretion in making investments for the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will correctly evaluate the nature or magnitude of the various factors that could affect the value of and return on the Fund’s investments. Prices of investments may be volatile, and a variety of factors that are inherently difficult to predict, such as domestic or international economic and political developments, may significantly affect the results of the Fund’s activities and the value of its investments. These factors and others may significantly affect the results of the Fund’s activities and the value of its investments.

An investment in the Fund is suitable only for those investors willing to risk losing some or all of their principal investment and who have the experience and ability to evaluate the risks and merits of an investment in the Fund. Potential investors should consult with their investment advisers, attorneys and accountants prior to investing in the Fund.

Provision of Managerial Assistance and Control Person Liability. The Fund may obtain rights to participate in the governance of certain of the Fund’s portfolio companies. In such instances, the Fund typically will designate representatives to serve on the boards of portfolio companies. The designation of representatives and other measures contemplated could expose the assets of the Fund to claims by a portfolio company, its security holders and its creditors, including claims that the Fund is a controlling person and thus is liable for securities laws violations and other liabilities of a portfolio company. The exercise of control over a company may impose additional risks of liability for environmental damage, product defects, failure to supervise management, violation of governmental regulations (including securities laws) or other types of liability in which the limited liability generally characteristic of business ownership may be ignored. If these liabilities were to arise, the Fund might suffer a significant loss. These measures also could result in certain liabilities in the event of the bankruptcy or reorganization of a portfolio company, could result in claims against the Fund if the

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designated board members violate their fiduciary or other duties to a portfolio company or fail to exercise appropriate levels of care under applicable corporate or securities laws, environmental laws or other legal principles, and could expose the Fund to claims that it has interfered in management to the detriment of a portfolio company. While the Adviser intends to operate the Fund in a way that will minimize the exposure to these risks, the possibility of successful claims cannot be precluded, nor can there be any assurance as to whether laws, rules, regulations and court decisions will be expanded or otherwise applied in a manner that is adverse to portfolio companies and the Fund and the Fund investors.

Adverse Developments in the Debt Capital Markets. Recent market and economic conditions have been unprecedented and challenging. Continued concerns about the systemic impact of inflation, energy costs, the pandemic, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, sovereign debt levels, the mortgage market and a declining real estate market in the U.S. have contributed to increased market volatility and diminished expectations for the U.S. economy. These conditions, combined with volatile oil prices, declining business and consumer confidence and increased unemployment have contributed to volatility of unprecedented levels. The factors described above have led to an overall reduction in liquidity in the debt capital markets, including sources of liquidity that the Fund may wish to utilize. Such conditions could reduce the availability of leverage to the Fund, its investments, and potential purchasers of the Fund’s investments or make such leverage more expensive to obtain, thereby adversely affecting the performance of the Fund.

Market Risk. The success of the Fund’s activities will be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, inflation rates, industry conditions, competition, technological developments, tax laws, availability of credit, economic uncertainty, changes in laws (including laws relating to taxation of the Fund’s investments), trade barriers, currency exchange controls, and national and international political circumstances (including wars, terrorist acts or security operations). These factors may affect, among other things, the level and volatility of securities’ prices, the liquidity of the Fund’s investments and the availability of certain securities and investments. Volatility or illiquidity could impair the Fund’s profitability or result in losses. The Fund may maintain substantial trading positions that can be materially adversely affected by the level of volatility in the financial markets—the larger the positions, the greater the potential for loss. Global markets have recently experienced unprecedented volatility and losses. The effects thereof are continuing and there can be no assurance that the Fund will not be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, none of these conditions is within the control of the Adviser.

Temporary Investments; Use of Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk. Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets (including directly originated loans and broadly syndicated loans), the Fund’s investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of the Fund’s assets would be Qualifying Assets. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.

Exposure to Foreign Markets Risk. While the Fund does not expect to invest in securities of issuers located in foreign markets as a principal investment strategy, it may invest in such securities if the Adviser believes it is advantageous to do so. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. Investments in securities and instruments in emerging and developing markets could involve substantial risks not typically associated with investing in more established markets, including, without limitation, those set forth above under “— Non-U.S. Securities.”

Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to it and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the Adviser and/or its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the Adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.

Foreign security trading, settlement, custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment), and creditor protection are often less developed than those in U.S. markets and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign sub-custodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.

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Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets and tend to be less regulated. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.

Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.

The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.

Brexit. On January 31, 2020, the UK left the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). An agreement between the UK and the EU governing their future trade relationship became effective January 1, 2021, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. Brexit resulted in volatility in European and global markets and could have negative long-term impacts on financial markets in the UK and throughout Europe. There is still considerable uncertainty relating to the potential consequences of the exit, how the negotiations for new trade agreements will be conducted, and whether the UK’s exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any further exits from the EU may cause additional market disruption globally and introduce new legal and regulatory uncertainties.

Credit Risk. Performance may be affected by the default or perceived credit impairment of the Fund’s investments and by general or sector specific credit spread widening. Credit risks associated with the Fund’s investments include (among others): (i) the possibility that earnings of the obligor may be insufficient to meet its debt service obligations; (ii) the obligor’s assets declining in value; and (iii) the declining creditworthiness, default and potential for insolvency of the obligor during periods of rising interest rates and economic downturn. An economic downturn and/or rising interest rates could severely disrupt the market for the investments and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the ability of the obligors thereof to repay principal and interest. In turn, this could have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Fund, and, by extension, the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and the value of the Common Shares. In the event of a default by a borrower, the Fund will bear a risk of loss of principal and accrued interest on that investment. Any such investment may become defaulted for a variety of reasons, including non-payment of principal or interest, as well as breaches of contractual covenants. A defaulted investment may become subject to workout negotiations or may be restructured by, for example, reducing the interest rate, a write-down of the principal, and/or changes to its terms and conditions. Any such process may be extensive and protracted over time, and therefore may result in substantial uncertainty with respect to the ultimate recovery on the defaulted investments. In addition, significant costs might be imposed on the lender, further affecting the value of the investment. The liquidity in such defaulted investment may also be limited and, where a defaulted investment is sold, it is unlikely that the proceeds from such sale will be equal to the amount of unpaid principal and interest owed on that investment. This would have a material adverse effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio, and, by extension, the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and the value of the Common Shares. In the case of secured loans, restructuring can be an expensive and lengthy process which could have a material negative effect on the Fund’s anticipated return on the restructured loan. By way of example, it would not be unusual for any costs of enforcement to be paid out in full before the repayment of interest and principal. This would substantially reduce the Fund’s anticipated return on the restructured loan.

Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of securities held by the Fund or counterparties to Fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, custodial practices and creditor protection can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.

Forming CLOs Risk. To finance investments, we may securitize certain of our secured loans or other investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This

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would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers.

If we create a CLO, we will depend in part on distributions from the CLO’s assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to shareholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO’s debt, which could impact our ability to receive distributions from the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement for maintaining RIC status, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we may not maintain our qualification as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on an investment in the Common Shares.

In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to shareholders. To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests in the CLO.

The collateral manager for a CLO that we create may be the Fund, the Adviser or an affiliate, and such collateral manager may be entitled to receive compensation for structuring and/or management services. To the extent the Adviser or an affiliate other than the Fund serves as collateral manager and the Fund is obligated to compensate the Adviser or the affiliate for such services, we, the Adviser or the affiliate will implement offsetting arrangements to assure that we, and indirectly, our shareholders, pay no additional fees to the Adviser or the affiliate in connection therewith. To the extent the Fund serves as collateral manager, the Fund will receive no fees for providing such collateral management services.

Non-Recourse Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in non-recourse obligations of issuers. Such obligations are payable solely from proceeds collected in respect of collateral pledged by an issuer to secure such obligations. None of the owners, officers, directors or incorporators of the issuers, board members, any of their respective affiliates or any other person or entity will be obligated to make payments on the obligations. Consequently, the Fund, as holder of the obligations, must rely solely on distributions of proceeds of collateral debt obligations and other collateral pledged to secure obligations for payments due in respect of principal thereof and interest thereon. If distributions of such proceeds are insufficient to make payments on the obligations, no other assets will be available for such payments and following liquidation of all the collateral, the obligations of the issuers to make such payments will be extinguished.

Covenant-Lite Loans Risk. Although the Fund generally expects the transaction documentation of some portion of the Fund’s investments to include covenants and other structural protections, a portion of the Fund’s investments may be composed of so-called “covenant-lite loans.” Generally, covenant-lite loans either do not have certain maintenance covenants that would require the issuer to maintain debt service or other financial ratios or do not contain common restrictions on the ability of the issuer to change significantly its operations or to enter into other significant transactions that could affect its ability to repay such loans. Ownership of covenant-lite loans may expose the Fund to different risks, including with respect to liquidity, price volatility and ability to restructure loans, than is the case with loans that have financial maintenance covenants. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on the issuer’s ability to comply with its obligations under the loan.

Debt Guaranteed by a Subsidiary of the Issuer Risk. The Fund may invest in debt that is guaranteed by a subsidiary of the issuer. In some circumstances, guarantees of secured debt issued by subsidiaries of a portfolio company and held by the Fund may be subject to fraudulent conveyance or similar avoidance claims made by other creditors of such subsidiaries under applicable insolvency laws. As a result, such creditors may take priority over the claims of the Fund under such guarantees. Under federal or state fraudulent transfer law, a court may void or otherwise decline to enforce such debt and the Fund would no longer have any claim against such portfolio company or the applicable guarantor. In addition, the court might direct the Fund to disgorge any amounts already received from the portfolio company or a guarantor. In some cases, significant subsidiaries of portfolio companies may not guarantee the obligations of the portfolio company; in other cases, a portfolio company may have the ability to release subsidiaries as guarantors of the portfolio company’s obligations. The repayment of such investments may depend on cash flow from subsidiaries of a portfolio company that are not themselves guarantors of the portfolio company’s obligations.

Loans with Limited Amortization Requirements Risk. The Fund may invest in loans that have limited mandatory amortization requirements. While such a loan may obligate a portfolio company to repay the loan out of asset sale proceeds or with annual excess cash flow, such requirements may be subject to substantial limitations and/or “baskets” that would allow a portfolio company to retain such proceeds or cash flow, thereby extending the expected weighted average life of the investment. In addition, a low level of

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amortization of any debt over the life of the investment may increase the risk that a portfolio company will not be able to repay or refinance the loans held by the Fund when they come due at their final stated maturity.

Risks Related to Changes in Interest Rates. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations and other factors beyond the ability of the Fund to control or to forecast. Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. When the Fund chooses to borrow money to make investments, the Fund’s net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which the Fund borrows funds and the rate at which the Fund invest those funds. As a result, the Fund can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates would not have a material adverse effect on its net investment income in the event the Fund uses debt to finance its investments. In periods of rising interest rates, the Fund’s cost of funds would increase, which could reduce its net investment income. The Fund may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit its exposure to interest rate fluctuations. In addition, a rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to the Fund’s debt investments.

LIBOR Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) was widely used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans, bonds and derivatives globally. Most U.S. dollar LIBOR loans are no longer published after June 30, 2023, although certain synthetic rates will be published through September 30, 2024. In addition, global regulators have announced that, with limited exceptions, no new LIBOR-based contracts should be entered into after 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, supports replacing U.S.-dollar LIBOR with SOFR. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The transition away from LIBOR may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that rely on LIBOR and may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Prepayment Risks. The terms of loans in which the Fund invests may permit the borrowers to voluntarily prepay loans at any time, either with no or a nominal prepayment premium. This prepayment right could result in the borrower repaying the principal on an obligation held by the Fund earlier than expected. This may happen when there is a decline in interest rates, an improvement in the credit market conditions, or the borrower’s improved credit or operating or financial performance allows the refinancing of certain classes of debt with lower cost debt. The yield of the Fund’s investments may be affected by the rate of prepayments differing from the Adviser’s expectations. To the extent early prepayments increase, they may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s investment objective and profits. In addition, if the Fund is unable to reinvest the proceeds of such prepayments received in investments expected to be as profitable, the proceeds generated by the Fund will decline as compared to the Adviser’s expectations.

Credit Markets Risk. Conditions in the credit markets may have a significant impact on the business of the Fund. The credit markets in the United States have experienced a variety of difficulties and changed economic conditions in recent years that have adversely affected the performance and market value of many securities and financial instruments. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not suffer material adverse effects from broad and rapid changes in market conditions in the future. Among other things, the level of investment opportunities may decline from the Adviser’s current expectations. As a result, fewer investment opportunities may be available to the Fund, although if credit markets remain constrained, the Fund may have the opportunity to take larger positions in potential transactions. One possible consequence is that the Fund may take a larger than anticipated period to invest capital, as a result of which, at least for some period of time, the Fund may be relatively concentrated in a limited number of investments. Consequently, during this period, the returns realized by the shareholders may be substantially adversely affected by the unfavorable performance of a small number of these investments.

Furthermore, market conditions may unfavorably impact the Fund’s ability to secure leverage on terms as favorable as more established borrowers in the market, or to obtain any leverage on commercially feasible terms. To the extent the Fund is able to secure financing for investments, increases in interest rates or in the risk spread demanded by financing sources would make the partial financing of investments with indebtedness more expensive and could limit the Fund’s ability to structure and consummate its investments. Although the Adviser believes that the continued unfolding of the credit cycle will result in attractive investment opportunities, it may not be able to time its investments correctly, which could result in further depreciation in values. Furthermore, market conditions could deteriorate further, and the Fund may be limited in its ability to realize investments already made by the Fund due to difficulties in buyers’ ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, or to secure financing at all.

Convertible Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles its holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock, in each case, until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Because of their embedded equity component, the value of convertible securities is sensitive to changes in equity volatility and price and a decrease in equity volatility and price could result in a loss for the Fund. The

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debt characteristic of convertible securities also exposes the Fund to changes in interest rates and credit spreads. The value of the convertible securities may fall when interest rates rise or credit spreads widen. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security. Generally, the amount of the premium decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s exposure to these risks may be unhedged or only partially hedged.

Structured Credit Instruments Risk. The Fund may invest in structured credit instruments. Structured securities are extremely complex and are subject to risks related to, among other things, the decline in value of assets in the collateral pool, changes in interest rates, the rate of defaults in the collateral pool, the exercise of redemption rights by more senior tranches and the possibility that a liquid market will not exist in when the Fund seeks to sell its interest in a structured security.

Derivative Investments Risk. The Fund may invest in derivative instruments or “derivatives” that include TRS agreements and other swaps, futures, options, structured securities and other instruments and contracts that are derived from, or the value of which is related to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, currencies or indices. Derivatives allow an investor to hedge or speculate upon the price movements of a particular security, financial benchmark currency or index at a fraction of the cost of investing in the underlying asset. The value of a derivative depends largely upon price movements in the underlying asset. Therefore, many of the risks applicable to trading the underlying asset are also applicable to derivatives of such asset. However, there are a number of other risks associated with derivatives trading. For example, because many derivatives are leveraged, and thus provide significantly more market exposure than the money paid or deposited when the transaction is entered into, a relatively small adverse market movement may expose the Fund to the possibility of a loss exceeding the original amount invested. Derivatives may also expose investors to liquidity risk, as there may not be a liquid market within which to close or dispose of outstanding derivatives contracts.

All derivative instruments involve risks that are in addition to, and potentially greater than the risks of investing directly in securities and other more traditional assets, including:

· Management Risks. Derivative products are specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with equities and fixed income securities. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative itself. In particular, the use and complexity of derivatives require the maintenance of adequate controls to monitor the transactions entered into and the ability to assess the risk that a derivative adds to the Fund’s portfolio.

· Counterparty Risks. This is the risk that a loss may be sustained by the Fund as a result of the failure of the other party to a derivative (usually referred to as a “counterparty”) to comply with the terms of the derivative contract. The credit risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded or cleared derivative transaction is the counterparty to the derivative transaction. The Fund may post or receive collateral related to changes in the market value of a derivative. The Fund also may invest in derivatives that (i) do not require the counterparty to post collateral, (ii) require collateral but that do not provide for the Fund’s security interest in it to be perfected, (iii) require significant upfront deposits unrelated to the derivatives’ intrinsic value, or (iv) do not require that collateral be regularly marked-to-market. When a counterparty’s obligations are not fully secured by collateral, the Fund runs the risk of having limited recourse if the counterparty defaults.

· Documentation Risks. Many derivative instruments also have documentation risk. Because the contract for each OTC derivative transaction is individually negotiated, the counterparty may interpret contractual terms (e.g., the definition of default) differently than the Fund, and if it does, the Fund may decide not to pursue its claims against the counterparty to avoid incurring the cost and unpredictability of legal proceedings. The Fund, therefore, may be unable to obtain payments the Adviser believes are owed to the Fund under derivative instruments or those payments may be delayed or made only after the Fund has incurred the costs of litigation.

· Liquidity Risks. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many OTC derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous price. Less liquid

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derivative instruments also may fall more in price than other securities during market falls. During periods of market disruptions, the Fund may have a greater need for cash to provide collateral for large swings in the mark-to-market obligations arising under the derivative instruments used by the Fund. These risks may be further exacerbated by requirements under rules issued pursuant to recently enacted financial reform legislation.

· Leverage Risks. Because many derivatives have a leverage component (i.e., a notional value in excess of the assets needed to establish or maintain the derivative position), adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

· Tax Uncertainties. The taxation of derivatives, including credit default swaps, TRS and other transactions in which the Fund may participate, is subject to uncertainties. Such transactions may become subject to new laws and regulations, possibly with retroactive effect, as well as differing interpretations of existing law and regulations by the relevant taxing authorities. There can be no assurance that such changes in law or interpretation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund.

· Other Risks. Other risks in using derivatives include the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation of derivatives. Many derivatives, in particular OTC derivatives, are complex and their valuation often requires modeling and judgment, which increases the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation. The pricing models used may not produce valuations that are consistent with the values the Fund realizes when it closes or sells an OTC derivative. Valuation risk is more pronounced when the Fund enters into OTC derivatives with specialized terms because the market value of those derivatives in some cases is determined in part by reference to similar derivatives with more standardized terms. Incorrect valuations may result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties, over- and/or under- collateralization, and/or errors in calculation of the Fund’s NAV.

The Fund’s use of derivatives may not be effective or have the desired result. Derivatives involve the risk that changes in their value may not move as expected relative to the value of the assets, rates or indices they are designed to track. The risk may be more pronounced when outstanding notional amounts in the market exceed the amounts of the referenced assets. For example, the Fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements subjects it to interest costs based on the difference between the sale and repurchase price of the securities involved. Derivatives are also subject to currency and other risks. Moreover, suitable derivatives may not be available in all circumstances. For example, the economic costs of taking some derivatives positions may be prohibitive. In addition, the Adviser may decide not to use derivatives to hedge or otherwise reduce the Fund’s risk exposures, potentially resulting in losses for the Fund.

Counterparties to derivatives contracts may have the right to terminate such contracts if the Fund’s NAV declines below a certain level over a specified period of time. The exercise of such a right by the counterparty could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s operations.

Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act regulates registered investment companies’ use of derivatives and certain related instruments (e.g., reverse repurchase agreements). This rule, among other things, limits derivatives exposure through one of two value-at-risk tests, requires funds to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program (including the appointment of a derivatives risk manager and the implementation of certain testing requirements), and subjects funds to certain reporting requirements in respect of derivatives. To the extent the Fund uses derivative instruments (excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions) in a limited amount, it will not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4.

Illiquidity of Fund Investments Risk. The market value of the Fund’s investments will fluctuate with, among other things, changes in market rates of interest, general economic conditions, economic conditions in particular industries, the condition of financial markets and the financial condition of the issuers of the Fund’s investments. In addition, the lack of an established, liquid secondary market for some investments may have an adverse effect on the market value of those investments and on the Adviser’s ability to dispose of them. Therefore, no assurance can be given that, if the Adviser decides to dispose of a particular investment, it will be able to dispose of such investment at the prevailing market price.

Default Risk. Defaults by the Fund’s investments will harm the Fund’s operating results. An investment’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Fund or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its debt financing and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize an investment’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that the Fund holds. The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting investment.

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Distressed and Highly Leveraged Companies Risk. The Fund may make investments in restructurings that involve, or otherwise invest in the debt securities of, investments that are experiencing, or are expected to experience, severe financial difficulties. These severe financial difficulties may never be overcome and may cause such investments to become subject to bankruptcy proceedings. As such, these investments could subject the Fund to certain additional potential liabilities that may exceed the value of the Fund’s original investment. Under certain circumstances, payments to the Fund may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance, a preferential payment or a similar transaction under the applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws. In addition, under certain circumstances, a lender that has inappropriately exercised control of the management and policies of a debtor may have its claims subordinated or disallowed or may be found liable for damages suffered by parties as a result of such actions.

The Fund may also invest in highly leveraged companies. Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which the Fund invests may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Fund holds. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Fund’s realizing any guarantees that the Fund may have obtained in connection with the Fund’s investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position.

Bankruptcy Proceedings Risk. The Fund may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies that may, due to the significant volatility of such companies, enter into bankruptcy proceedings. Leveraged companies may experience bankruptcy or similar financial distress. The bankruptcy process has a number of significant inherent risks. Many events in a bankruptcy proceeding are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing by an issuer may adversely and permanently affect the issuer. The duration of a bankruptcy case can only be roughly estimated. The bankruptcy process can involve substantial legal, professional and administrative costs to the company and the Fund, it is subject to unpredictable and lengthy delays, and during the process the company’s competitive position may erode, its brand may lose value, key management may depart and the company may not be able to invest adequately or receive financing at a favorable rate or at all. In some cases, the company may not be able to reorganize and may be required to liquidate assets. Any of these factors may adversely affect the return on a creditor’s investment. If the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the value of the issuer may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. The administrative costs of a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Because the standards for classification of claims under bankruptcy law are vague, the Fund’s influence with respect to the class of securities or other obligations the Fund owns may be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in the same class or by different classification and treatment. In the early stages of the bankruptcy process, it is often difficult to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent claims that might be made. In addition, certain claims that have priority by law (for example, claims for taxes) may be substantial.

Depending on the facts and circumstances of the Fund’s investments and the extent of the Fund’s involvement in the management of an investment, upon the bankruptcy of an investment, a bankruptcy court may recharacterize the Fund’s debt investments as equity interests and subordinate all or a portion of the Fund’s claim to that of other creditors. This could occur even though the Fund may have structured the Fund’s investment as senior debt.

Exit Financing Risk. The Fund may invest in portfolio companies that are in the process of exiting, or that have recently exited, the bankruptcy process. Post-reorganization securities typically entail a higher degree of risk than investments in securities that have not undergone a reorganization or restructuring. Moreover, post-reorganization securities can be subject to heavy selling or downward pricing pressure after the completion of a bankruptcy reorganization or restructuring. If the Adviser’s evaluation of the anticipated outcome of an investment situation should prove incorrect, the Fund could experience a loss.

Bankruptcy Involving Non-U.S. Companies Risk. Investment in the debt of financially distressed companies domiciled outside the United States involves additional risks. Bankruptcy law and process may differ substantially from that in the United States, resulting in greater uncertainty as to the rights of creditors, the enforceability of such rights, reorganization timing and the classification, seniority and treatment of claims. In certain developing countries, although bankruptcy laws have been enacted, the process for reorganization remains highly uncertain, while other developing countries may have no bankruptcy laws enacted, adding further uncertainty to the process for reorganization.

Investments in Special Situations Risk. The Fund’s investments may involve investments in ‘event-driven’ special situations such as recapitalizations, spinoffs, corporate and financial restructurings, litigation or other liability impairments, turnarounds, management changes, consolidating industries and other catalyst-oriented situations. Investments in such securities are often difficult to analyze, have limited trading histories and have limited in-depth research coverage and, therefore, may present an increased risk of loss to the Fund.

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Creditors’ Committee and/or Board Participation Risk. In connection with some of the investments, the Fund may, but is not obligated to, seek representation on official and unofficial creditors’ committees and/or boards (or comparable governing bodies) of the portfolio companies. While such representation may enable the Adviser to enhance the value of the investments, it may also prevent the Fund from disposing of the investments in a timely and profitable manner, because serving on a creditors’ committee increases the possibility that the Fund will be deemed an “insider” or a “fiduciary” of the portfolio company. If the Adviser concludes that its obligations owed to the other parties as a committee or group member conflict with its duties owed to the Fund, it may resign from that committee or group, and the Fund may not realize the benefits, if any, of participation on the committee or group. If representation on a creditors’ committee or board causes the Fund or the Adviser to be deemed affiliates or related parties of the portfolio company, the securities of such portfolio company held by the Fund may become restricted securities, which are not freely tradable. Participation on a creditors’ committee and/or board representation may also subject the Fund to additional liability to which they would not otherwise be subject as an ordinary course, third-party investor. The Fund will indemnify the Adviser or any other person designated by the Adviser for claims arising from such board and/or committee representation, which could adversely affect the return on the investments. The Fund will attempt to balance the advantages and disadvantages of such representation when deciding whether and how to exercise its rights with respect to such portfolio companies, but changes in circumstances could produce adverse consequences in particular situations.

High Yield Securities Risk. The Fund may make investments in “high yield” debt and preferred securities which are rated lower than investment grade by the various credit rating agencies (or in comparable non-rated securities as determined by the Adviser). Securities that are rated lower than investment grade are subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest than higher-rated securities and are generally considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They are also generally considered to be subject to greater risk than securities with higher ratings in the case of deterioration of general economic conditions. Because investors generally perceive that there are greater risks associated with lower-rated securities, the yields and prices of such securities may tend to fluctuate more than those for higher-rated securities. The market for lower-rated securities is thinner and less active than that for higher-rated securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which these securities can be sold. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions about lower-rated securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may be a contributing factor in a decrease in the value and liquidity of such lower-rated securities.

The Fund may invest in debt of issuers that have defaulted or are anticipated to default. Issuers in this situation frequently resort to bankruptcy and other litigation to effect debt restructuring on attractive terms. Such actions may require the Fund to spend material amounts on legal and other litigation costs. Bankruptcy and other insolvency proceedings are highly complex and may result in undesirable outcomes, such as the return of payments characterized as a “preference,” the invalidation of debt as a result of a deemed fraudulent conveyance and the recharacterization or equitable subordination of debt. There can be no assurance that the Fund will obtain favorable results in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.

Securities that are rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services are often referred to in the financial press as “junk bonds” and may include securities of issuers in default. “Junk bonds” are considered by the rating agencies to be predominately speculative and may involve major risk exposures such as: (i) vulnerability to economic downturns and changes in interest rates; (ii) sensitivity to adverse economic changes and corporate developments; (iii) redemption or call provisions which may be exercised at inopportune times; and (iv) difficulty in accurately valuing or disposing of such securities.

Investment in Private and Middle-Market Investments Risk. The Fund will make investments in private and middle-market companies, which involve a number of significant risks. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and the Fund relies on the ability of the Adviser’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If the Adviser is unable to uncover all material information about these companies, it may not make a fully informed investment decision, and the Fund may lose money on the Fund’s investments. Middle-market companies generally have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources, may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Fund holds, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Fund’s realizing any guarantees the Fund may have obtained in connection with the Fund’s investment. In addition, such companies typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns. Additionally, middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s investment and, in turn, on the Fund. Middle-market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, the Fund’s executive officers, trustees and the Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from the Fund’s investments.

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Senior Debt Risk. The Fund’s investments may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the Fund’s investments in such companies and such investments may not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations to the Fund. The Fund may invest a portion of the Fund’s capital in second lien and subordinated loans issued by the Fund’s investments. The Fund’s investments may have, or be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt securities in which the Fund invests. Such subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions. If the Fund makes a subordinated investment in an investment, the investment may be highly leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which the Fund is entitled to receive payments in respect of the securities in which the Fund invests. These debt instruments would usually prohibit the Fund’s subordinated investments from receiving interest or being repaid in the event of and during the continuance of a default under such debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of an investment, holders of securities ranking senior to the Fund’s investment in that investment would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before the Fund receives any distribution in respect of the Fund’s investment. After repaying senior creditors, the investment may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to the Fund where the Fund is a junior creditor. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities in which the Fund invests, the Fund would have to share any distributions on an equal and ratable basis with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant investment.

Additionally, certain loans that the Fund makes to investments may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the investment’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the investment under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before the Fund. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors.

The Fund may make unsecured loans, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on an investment’s collateral, if any, will secure the investment’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the investment under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before the Fund. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. The Fund can offer no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the Fund’s unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all loans secured by collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then the Fund’s unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the investment’s remaining assets, if any.

The rights the Fund may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans, including any “last out” pieces of tranched first lien loans, the Fund makes to the Fund’s investments may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that the Fund enters into (or the absence of an intercreditor agreement) with the holders of senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens:

· the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral;

· the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings;

· the approval of amendments to collateral documents;

· releases of liens on the collateral; and

· waivers of past defaults under collateral documents.

The Fund may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if the Fund’s rights as junior lenders are adversely affected.

Revolver, Delayed-Draw and Line of Credit Investments Risk. The Fund is expected to, from time to time, incur future commitments in connection with an investment. For example, the Fund expects to participate in one or more investments that are structured as “revolvers,” “delayed-draws” or “lines of credit.” These types of investments generally have funding obligations that

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extend over a period of time, and if the portfolio company subsequently draws down on the revolver or delayed-draw facility or on the line of credit, the Fund would be obligated to fund the amounts due. However, there can be no assurance that a borrower will ultimately draw down on any such loan, in which case the Fund may never fund the investment (in full or in part), which may result in the Fund not fully deploying its capital. There can be no assurance that the Fund will adequately reserve for its future commitments and that such commitments will not have an adverse effect on the Fund.

It is possible that a revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit investment would be bifurcated by the Adviser into separate investments, with certain investors (which may or may not include the Fund) participating in the initial drawdowns and other investors (which may or may not include the Fund) participating in the later drawdowns. In this situation, it is possible that investors that participate in the initial funding of an investment may receive certain economic benefits in connection with such initial funding, such as original issue discount, closing payments, or commitment fees and these benefits are expected to be allocated based on participation in the initial funding, regardless of participation in future funding obligations. Conversely, the investors participating only in the later funding obligations will have the benefit of the most recent portfolio company performance information in evaluating their investment whereas the investors that participated in the initial drawdowns (which may or may not include the Fund) will be obligated in any event to fund such later funding obligations. In certain cases, the Fund may participate in the initial funding of an investment, but may not participate in later-arising funding obligations (i.e., the revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit portions) related to such investment, including because of capacity limitations that an investment vehicle may have for making new revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit. As a result, the Fund may be allocated a smaller or larger portion of revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit than other investors participating in the loan. Where the Fund and any other participating investors have not participated in each funding of an investment on a pro rata basis, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and the other investors as the interests of the Fund and the other investors may not be completely aligned with respect to such investment. In addition, a revolver, delayed draw investment or line of credit may be senior to the rest of the loan or to the initial funding, and as a result, the interests of the Fund may not be aligned with other participating investors. There can be no assurance that the Fund will adequately reserve for its future commitments and that such commitments will not have an adverse effect on the Fund.

Investments in Portfolio Companies in Regulated Industries Risk. Certain industries are heavily regulated. The Fund may make loans to borrowers operating in industries that are subject to greater amounts of regulation than other industries generally. These more highly regulated industries may include, among others, energy and power, gaming and healthcare. Investments in borrowers that are subject to a high level of governmental regulation pose additional risks relative to loans to other companies generally. Changes in applicable laws or regulations, or in the interpretations of these laws and regulations, could result in increased compliance costs or the need for additional capital expenditures. If a portfolio company fails to comply with these requirements, it could also be subject to civil or criminal liability and the imposition of fines. A portfolio company also could be materially and adversely affected as a result of statutory or regulatory changes or judicial or administrative interpretations of existing laws and regulations that impose more comprehensive or stringent requirements on such company. Governments have considerable discretion in implementing regulations that could impact a portfolio company’s business, and governments may be influenced by political considerations and may make decisions that adversely affect a portfolio company’s business.

Union Related Risk. Certain portfolio companies may have a unionized workforce or employees who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which could subject any such portfolio company’s activities and labor relations matters to complex laws and regulations relating thereto. Moreover, a portfolio company’s operations and profitability could suffer if it experiences labor relations problems. A work stoppage at one or more of any such portfolio company’s facilities could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition. Any such problems additionally may bring scrutiny and attention to the Fund, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to implement its investment objective.

Investments in Original Issue Discount and PIK Instruments Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests in original issue discount or PIK instruments and the accretion of original issue discount or PIK interest income constitutes a portion of the Fund’s income, the Fund will be exposed to risks associated with the requirement to include such non-cash income in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

· the higher interest rates on PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than non-PIK instruments;

· original issue discount and PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because the accruals require judgments about collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;

· an election to defer PIK interest payments by adding them to the principal on such instruments increases our future investment income which increases our net assets and, as such, increases the Adviser’s future base management fees which, thus, increases the Adviser’s future income incentive fees at a compounding rate;

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· market prices of PIK instruments and other zero-coupon instruments are affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes and may be more volatile than instruments that pay interest periodically in cash. While PIK instruments are usually less volatile than zero-coupon debt instruments, PIK instruments are generally more volatile than cash pay securities;

· the deferral of PIK interest on an instrument increases the loan-to-value ratio, which is a measure of the riskiness of a loan, with respect to such instrument;

· even if the conditions for income accrual under GAAP are satisfied, a borrower could still default when actual payment is due upon the maturity of such loan;

· for accounting purposes, cash distributions to investors representing original issue discount income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of original issue discount income may come from the cash invested by investors, the 1940 Act does not require that investors be given notice of this fact;

· the required recognition of original issue discount or PIK interest for U.S. federal income tax purposes may have a negative impact on liquidity, as it represents a non-cash component of our investment company taxable income that may require cash distributions to shareholders in order to maintain tax treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes; and

· original issue discount may create a risk of non-refundable cash payments to the Adviser based on non-cash accruals that may never be realized.

In addition, the part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest that accrues prior to being received in cash, such as original issue discount, market discount, and income arising from debt instruments with PIK interest or zero-coupon securities. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that provides for such accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible, and the Adviser will have no obligation to refund any fees it received in respect of such accrued income.

Lack of Liquidity Risk. The lack of liquidity in the Fund’s investments may adversely affect the Fund’s business. The Fund may invest in companies that are experiencing financial difficulties, which difficulties may never be overcome. The Fund’s investments will be illiquid in most cases, and the Fund can offer no assurance that the Fund will be able to realize on such investments in a timely manner. A substantial portion of the Fund’s investments in leveraged companies are and will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than more broadly traded public securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for the Fund to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if the Fund is required to liquidate all or a portion of the Fund’s portfolio quickly, the Fund may realize significantly less than the value at which the Fund has previously recorded the Fund’s investments. The Fund may also face other restrictions on the Fund’s ability to liquidate an investment in an investment to the extent that the Adviser or any of its affiliates have material nonpublic information regarding such investment.

In addition, the Fund generally expects to invest in securities, instruments and assets that are not, and are not expected to become, publicly traded. The Fund will generally not be able to sell securities publicly unless the sale is registered under applicable securities laws, or unless an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

Investments may be illiquid and long-term. Illiquidity may result from the absence of an established or liquid market for investments as well as legal and contractual restrictions on their resale by the Fund. It is generally expected that the Fund will hold assets to maturity, and the amount of “discretionary sales” of investments generally will be limited. The Fund’s investment in illiquid investments may restrict its ability to dispose of investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price. Furthermore, the Fund likely will be limited in the Fund’s ability to sell investments because the Adviser may have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of such loans or investments or as a result of other policies of the Adviser. This limited ability to sell investments could materially adversely affect the Fund’s investment results. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses, including a potential loss of principal, as a result of which the shareholder could potentially lose all or a portion of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund, may be increased due to the illiquidity of the Fund’s investments generally.

In certain cases, the Fund may also be prohibited by contract from selling its investments for a period of time or otherwise be restricted from disposing of the Fund’s investments. Furthermore, certain types of investments expected to be made may require a substantial length of time to realize a return or fully liquidate. The Fund may exit some investments through distributions in kind to the shareholders, after which the shareholder will still bear the risks associated with holding the securities and must make the shareholder’s own disposition decisions.

Given the nature of the investments contemplated by the Fund, there is a material risk that the Fund will be unable to realize the Fund’s investment objective by sale or other disposition at attractive prices or will otherwise be unable to complete any exit strategy.

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In particular, this risk could arise from changes in the financial condition or prospects of the investment, changes in national or international economic conditions, changes in debt and equity capital markets and changes in laws, regulations, fiscal policies or political conditions of countries in which investments are made.

In connection with the disposition of an investment, the Fund may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the investment or may be responsible for the contents of disclosure documents under applicable securities laws. The Fund may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment or underwriters to the extent that any such representations or disclosure documents turn out to be incorrect, inaccurate or misleading. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities, for which the Fund may establish reserves or escrows. However, the Fund can offer no assurance that the Fund will adequately reserve for the Fund’s contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on the Fund. Such contingent liabilities might ultimately have to be funded by proceeds, including the return of capital, from the Fund’s other investments.

Inability of Investments to Repay or Refinance Outstanding Principal. The Fund’s prospective portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interest rates may make it more difficult for the portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the investments to pay down some or all of the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the Fund’s portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with the Fund. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Publicly Traded Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in publicly traded equity and debt securities. These investments are subject to certain risks, including the risk of loss from counterparty defaults, the risks arising from the volatility of the global fixed-income and equity markets, movements in the stock market and trends in the overall economy, increased obligations to disclose information regarding such companies, increased likelihood of shareholder litigation against such companies’ board members, which may include Lord Abbett personnel, regulatory action by the SEC and increased costs associated with each of the aforementioned risks. When buying a publicly traded security or other publicly traded instruments, the Fund may be unable to obtain financial covenants or other contractual rights that the Fund might otherwise be able to obtain in making privately-negotiated investments. Moreover, the Fund may not have the same access to information in connection with investments in publicly traded securities or other publicly traded instruments, either when investigating a potential investment or after making an investment, as compared to a privately-negotiated investment. Publicly traded securities that are rated by rating agencies are often reviewed and may be subject to downgrade, which generally results in a decline in the market value of such security. Furthermore, the Fund may be limited in its ability to make investments and to sell existing investments in public securities or other publicly traded instruments because Lord Abbett may have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of those securities or as a result of other Lord Abbett policies. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Fund will make investments in public securities or other publicly traded instruments or, if it does, as to the amount it will invest. The inability to sell such securities or instruments in these circumstances could materially adversely affect the investment results of the Fund.

Equity Investments Risk. When the Fund invests in senior, unitranche, second lien and subordinated loans, the Fund may acquire warrants or other equity securities of investments as well. The Fund may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent the Fund holds equity investments, the Fund will seek to dispose of them and realize gains upon the Fund’s disposition of them. However, the equity interests the Fund receives may not appreciate in value and may decline in value. As a result, the Fund may not be able to realize gains from its equity interests, and any gains that the Fund does realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses the Fund experiences.

Risk of No Controlling Equity Interests. Because the Fund generally does not hold controlling equity interests in the Fund’s investments, the Fund may not be able to exercise control over the Fund’s investments or to prevent decisions by management of the Fund’s investments that could decrease the value of the Fund’s investments. To the extent that the Fund does not hold controlling equity interests, the Fund will have a limited ability to protect the Fund’s position in such investments.

Minority Investments and Joint Ventures Risk. The Fund may make minority equity investments in entities in which the Fund does not control the business or affairs of such entities. In addition, the Fund intends to co-invest with other parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities and the Adviser may share management fees, incentive fees and/or other forms of compensation with such parties. The Adviser expects that in some cases the Fund will have control over, or significant influence on, the decision making of joint ventures. However, in other cases, in particular with respect to certain terms, amendments and waivers related to the underlying

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loans, the joint venture partner may have controlling or blocking rights (including because certain decisions require unanimous approval of the joint venture partners) or a tie vote among joint venture partners may be resolved by an appointed third party. Where a joint venture partner or third party has controlling or blocking rights or decision-making power with respect to a joint venture matter, there can be no assurance that the matter will be resolved in the manner desired by the Fund. In addition, these types of voting arrangements may slow the decision-making process and hinder the joint venture’s ability to act quickly.

Cooperation among joint venture partners or co-investors on existing and future business decisions will be an important factor for the sound operation and financial success of any joint venture or other business in which the Fund is involved. In particular, a joint venture partner or co-investor may have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with those of the Fund, and the Fund may not be in a position to limit or otherwise protect the value of one or more of the Fund’s investments. Disputes among joint venture partners or co-investors over obligations, expenses or other matters could have an adverse effect on the financial conditions or results of operations of the relevant businesses. In addition, the Fund may in certain circumstances be liable for actions of its joint venture partners.

In certain cases, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and a joint venture partner, for example, because the joint venture partner has invested in a different level of the issuer’s capital structure or because the joint venture partner has different investment goals or timelines. There can be no assurance that a joint venture partner with divergent interests from the Fund will cause the joint venture to be managed in a manner that is favorable to the Fund. In addition, it is anticipated that the Fund could be invested in debt instruments issued by a joint venture entity while one or more Other Clients managed by the Adviser will be invested in equity interests in such entity or vice versa, which presents certain potential conflicts of interest with respect to the capital structure of such entity.

Non-U.S. Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities and instruments of non-U.S. issuers. See “— Exposure to Foreign Markets Risk” above. The Fund’s investments in securities and instruments in non-U.S. markets involve substantial risks often not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be adversely affected by changes in currency rates or exchange control regulations, changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in the United States and abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated in that currency and thereby will have an impact upon the Fund’s total return on such assets. The Fund may seek to borrow money in foreign currencies or utilize options and forward contracts to hedge against currency fluctuations, but there can be no assurance that such techniques will be effective.

Investments in non-U.S. securities will also be subject to risks relating to political and economic developments abroad, including the possibility of expropriations or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the use or transfer of the Fund’s assets and the effects of foreign social, economic or political instability. Non-U.S. companies are not subject to the regulatory requirements of U.S. companies and, as such, there may be less publicly available information about such companies. Moreover, non-U.S. companies are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies.

Securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than comparable securities of U.S. issuers and, as such, their price changes may be more volatile. Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers are generally subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their American counterparts. Brokerage commissions, dealer concessions and other transaction costs may be higher on foreign markets than in the U.S. In addition, differences in clearance and settlement procedures on foreign markets may occasionally lead to delays in settlements of the Fund’s trades effected in such markets.

Repatriation of investment income, capital and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation or by withholding taxes imposed by the government of an emerging country.

Taxation of dividends, interest and capital gains received by non-residents varies among foreign countries and, in some cases, is comparatively high. In addition, some countries have tax laws and procedures that may permit retroactive taxation so that the Fund could in the future become subject to local tax liability that it had not reasonably anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.

Hedging Risk. The Fund may be subject to risks under hedging transactions. The Fund may engage in hedging transactions to the extent permitted under applicable commodities laws and the 1940 Act. Engaging in hedging transactions would entail additional risks to the shareholders. The Fund could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if the Fund were to invest in foreign securities, the Fund could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize the Fund’s foreign currency exposure. In each such case, the Fund generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of the Fund’s portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or

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currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of the Fund’s portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that the Fund would not be able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. Use of a hedging transaction could involve counterparty credit risk.

The success of any hedging transactions the Fund may enter into will depend on the Fund’s ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, while the Fund may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates could result in poorer overall investment performance than if the Fund had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged could vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, the Fund might not seek to (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation could prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge and expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it might not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. The Fund’s ability to engage in hedging transactions may also be adversely affected by rules adopted by the CFTC.

Force Majeure Risk. The Fund’s investments may be affected by force majeure events (i.e., events beyond the control of the party claiming that the event has occurred, including, without limitation, acts of God, fire, flood, earthquakes, outbreaks of an infectious disease, pandemic or any other serious public health concern, war, terrorism and labor strikes). Some force majeure events may adversely affect the ability of a party (including a company or a counterparty to the Fund or a company) to perform its obligations until it is able to remedy the force majeure event. In addition, the cost to a company of repairing or replacing damaged assets resulting from such force majeure event could be considerable. Additionally, a major governmental intervention into industry, including the nationalization of an industry or the assertion of control over one or more companies or its assets, could result in a loss to the Fund, including if its investment in such company is cancelled, unwound or acquired (which could be without what the Fund considers to be adequate compensation). To the extent the Fund is exposed to investments in companies that as a group are exposed to such force majeure events, the risks and potential losses to the Fund are enhanced.

Repurchase Agreements Risk. Subject to our investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in repurchase agreements as a buyer for investment purposes. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future for the purchase price plus premium (which often reflects the interests). The Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including (1) possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto; (2) possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period; and (3) expenses of enforcing its rights. In addition, as described above, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund generally will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercise of the Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss.

Risk of Assignments and Participations. The Fund may acquire investments directly, by way of assignment or indirectly by way of participation. The purchaser of an assignment of a loan obligation typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the selling institution and becomes a lender under the loan or credit agreement with respect to the loan obligation. In contrast, participations acquired in a portion of a loan obligation held by a selling institution typically result in a contractual relationship only with such selling institution, not with the obligor. Therefore, holders of indirect participation interests are subject to additional risks not applicable to a holder of a direct assignment interest in a loan. In purchasing a participation, the Fund generally would have no right to enforce compliance by the obligor with the terms of the loan or credit agreement or other instrument evidencing such loan obligation, nor any rights of set-off against the obligor, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund would assume the credit risk of both the obligor and the selling institution, which would remain the legal owner of record of the applicable loan. In the event of the insolvency of the selling institution, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the selling institution in respect of the participation, may not benefit from any set-off exercised by the selling institution against the obligor and may be subject to any set-off exercised by the obligor against the selling institution. Assignments and participations are typically sold strictly without recourse to the selling institution, and the selling institution generally will make no representations or warranties about the underlying loan, the portfolio companies, the terms of the loans or any collateral

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securing the loans. Certain loans have restrictions on assignments and participations which may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to exit from all or part of its investment in a loan. In addition, if a participation interest is purchased from a selling institution that does not itself retain any portion of the applicable loan, such selling institution may have limited interests in monitoring the terms of the loan agreement and the continuing creditworthiness of the borrower.

Fraudulent Conveyances and Voidable Preferences by Issuers. Under U.S. legal principles, in a lawsuit brought by an unpaid creditor or representative of creditors of an issuer of indebtedness (including a bankruptcy trustee), if a court were to find that the issuer did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value for incurring the indebtedness or for granting security, and that after giving effect to such indebtedness or such security, the issuer (a) was insolvent, (b) was engaged in a business for which the remaining assets of such issuer constituted unreasonably small capital or (c) intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, such court could determine to invalidate and avoid, in whole or in part, the obligation underlying an investment of the Fund as a constructive fraudulent conveyance. The measure of insolvency for purposes of the foregoing will vary. Generally, an issuer would be considered insolvent at a particular time if the sum of its debts was then greater than all of its property at a fair valuation, or if the present fair saleable value of its assets was then less than the amount that would be required to pay its probable liabilities on its existing debts as they became absolute and matured. There can be no assurance as to what standard a court would apply to determine whether the issuer was “insolvent” after giving effect to the incurrence of the indebtedness in which the Fund invested or that, regardless of the method of valuation, a court would not determine that the issuer was “insolvent” upon giving effect to such incurrence.

In addition, it is possible a court may invalidate, in whole or in part, the indebtedness underlying an investment of the Fund as a fraudulent conveyance, subordinate such indebtedness to existing or future creditors of the obligor or recover amounts previously paid by the obligor in satisfaction of such indebtedness. Moreover, in the event of the insolvency of an issuer of a portfolio company, payments made on its indebtedness could be subject to avoidance as a “preference” if made within a certain period of time (which may be as long as one year) before the portfolio company becomes a debtor in a bankruptcy case.

Even if the Fund does not engage in conduct that would form the basis for a successful cause of action based upon fraudulent conveyance or preference law, there can be no assurance as to whether any lending institution or other party from which the Fund may acquire such indebtedness, or any prior holder of such indebtedness, has not engaged in any such conduct (or any other conduct that would subject such indebtedness to disallowance or subordination under insolvency laws) and, if it did engage in such conduct, as to whether such creditor claims could be asserted in a U.S. court (or in the courts of any other country) against the Fund so that the Fund’s claim against the issuer would be disallowed or subordinated.

Risk of Default Under a Credit Facility. In the event the Fund defaults under a credit facility, the Fund’s business could be adversely affected as the Fund may be forced to sell a portion of its investments quickly and prematurely at prices that may be disadvantageous to the Fund in order to meet its outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the credit facility or such future borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under a credit facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of the Fund’s assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Relating to Certain Regulatory and Tax Matters

Failure to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility. We have elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. If we do not remain a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.

Regulations Governing the Fund’s Operation as a BDC. The Fund will not generally be able to issue and sell its Common Shares at a price below NAV per share. The Fund may, however, sell Common Shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire the Fund’s Common Shares, at a price below the then-current NAV per share of the Fund’s Common Shares if the Fund’s Board determines that such sale is in the Fund’s best interests, and if investors approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which the Fund’s securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Adviser, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If the Fund raises additional funds by issuing common shares or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, its Common Shares, then the percentage ownership of investors at that time will decrease, and investors may experience dilution.

Investing a Sufficient Portion of Assets in Qualifying Assets. The Fund may not acquire any assets other than “Qualifying Assets” unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of the Fund’s total assets are Qualifying Assets.

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The Fund believes that most of the investments that it may acquire in the future will constitute Qualifying Assets. However, the Fund may be precluded from investing in what it believes to be attractive investments if such investments are not Qualifying Assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If the Fund does not invest a sufficient portion of its assets in Qualifying Assets, it could violate the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the 1940 Act could prevent the Fund, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of its position) or could require the Fund to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. If the Fund needs to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. The Fund may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if a buyer is found, the Fund may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss. Any such outcomes would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

If the Fund does not maintain its status as a BDC, it would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end management investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end management investment company, the Fund would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease its operating flexibility.

Costs as a Result of Being an Exchange Act Reporting Company. As a BDC, our shares are registered under the Exchange Act and the Fund is subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act. As an Exchange Act reporting company, the Fund will incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other rules implemented by the SEC.

New or Modified Laws or Regulations Governing Our Operations. The Fund’s portfolio companies and the Fund are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state, and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time, including as the result of interpretive guidance or other directives from the U.S. President and others in the executive branch, and new laws, regulations, and interpretations may also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business. The effects of such laws and regulations on the financial services industry will depend, in large part, upon the extent to which regulators exercise the authority granted to them and the approaches taken in implementing regulations.

Future legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress may negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of the Fund or its portfolio companies, impose additional costs on portfolio companies or the Fund intensify the regulatory supervision of the Fund or its portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s business or the business of its portfolio companies. Laws that apply to the Fund, either now or in the future, are often highly complex and may include licensing requirements. The licensing process can be lengthy and can be expected to subject the Fund to increased regulatory oversight. Failure, even if unintentional, to comply fully with applicable laws may result in sanctions, fines, or limitations on the ability of the Fund or the Adviser to do business in the relevant jurisdiction or to procure required licenses in other jurisdictions, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. In addition, if the Fund does not comply with applicable laws and regulations, it could lose any licenses that it then holds for the conduct of its business and may be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.

Additionally, changes to the laws and regulations governing Fund operations, including those associated with RICs, may cause the Fund to alter its investment strategy in order to avail itself of new or different opportunities or result in the imposition of corporate-level taxes on us. Such changes could result in material differences to the Fund’s strategies and plans and may shift the Fund’s investment focus from the areas of expertise of the Adviser to other types of investments in which the Adviser may have little or no expertise or experience. Any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s results of operations and the value of an investor’s investment. If the Fund invests in commodity interests in the future, the Adviser may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional regulation by the CFTC or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If the Adviser or the Fund were to operate subject to CFTC regulation, the Fund may incur additional expenses and would be subject to additional regulation.

In addition, certain regulations applicable to debt securitizations implementing credit risk retention requirements that have taken effect in both the U.S. and in Europe may adversely affect or prevent the Fund from entering into securitization transactions. These risk retention rules will increase the Fund’s cost of funds under, or may prevent the Fund from completing, future securitization transactions. In particular, the U.S. Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor (directly or through a majority-owned affiliate) of a debt securitization, such as CLOs, in the absence of an exemption, to retain an economic interest in the credit risk of the assets being securitized in the form of an eligible horizontal residual interest, an eligible vertical interest, or a combination thereof, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Risk Retention Rules. Given the more attractive financing costs associated with these types of debt securitizations as opposed to other types of financing available (such as traditional senior secured facilities), this increases our financing

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costs, which increases the financing costs ultimately borne by the Fund’s investors. The statements contained in this Registration Statement regarding compliance with the U.S. Risk Retention Rules are solely based on publicly available information (including the DC Circuit Ruling (as defined below)) as of the date of this Registration Statement.

On February 9, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled (the “D.C. Circuit Ruling”) that the federal agencies responsible for the U.S. Risk Retention Rules exceeded their statutory authority under the Dodd-Frank Act in adopting the final rules as applied to asset managers of open-market CLOs. On April 5, 2018, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia entered an order implementing the D.C. Circuit Ruling and thereby vacated the U.S. Risk Retention Rules insofar as they apply to CLO managers of “open market CLOs”. As of the date of hereof, there has been no petition for writ of certiorari filed requesting the case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. Since there hasn’t been a successful challenge to the D.C. Circuit Ruling and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has issued the above described order implementing the D.C. Circuit Ruling, collateral managers of open market CLOs are no longer required to comply with the U.S. risk retention rules at this time.

Over the last several years, there also has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new regulation. While it cannot be known at this time whether any regulation will be implemented or what form it will take, increased regulation of non-bank credit extension by the Biden Administration could negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of the Fund or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Licensing Requirements. Certain banking and regulatory bodies or agencies in or outside the United States may require the Fund, its subsidiaries, the Adviser and/or certain employees of the Adviser to obtain licenses or authorizations to engage in many types of lending activities including the origination of loans. It may take a significant amount of time and expense to obtain such licenses or authorizations and the Fund may be required to bear the cost of obtaining such licenses and authorizations. There can be no assurance that any such licenses or authorizations would be granted or, if granted, whether any such licenses or authorizations would impose restrictions on the Fund. Such licenses or authorizations may require the disclosure of confidential information about the Fund, Fund investors or their respective affiliates, including the identity, financial information and/or information regarding the Fund investors and their officers and trustees. The Fund may not be willing or able to comply with these requirements. Alternatively, the Adviser may be compelled to structure certain potential investments in a manner that would not require such licenses and authorizations, although such transactions may be inefficient or otherwise disadvantageous for the Fund and/or any relevant portfolio company, including because of the risk that licensing authorities would not accept such structuring alternatives in lieu of obtaining a license or authorization. The inability of the Fund or the Adviser to obtain necessary licenses or authorizations, the structuring of an investment in an inefficient or otherwise disadvantageous manner, or changes in licensing regulations, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to implement its investment program and achieve its intended results.

Dodd-Frank Act. The enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act and other financial regulations curtailed certain investment activities of U.S. banks. As a result, alternative providers of capital (such as the Fund) were able to access certain investment opportunities on a larger scale. If the restrictions under the Dodd-Frank Act are curtailed or repealed, banks may be subject to fewer restrictions on their investment activities, thereby increasing competition with the Fund for potential investment opportunities. As a result, any changes to the Dodd-Frank Act may adversely impact the Fund.

The Fund is Subject to Risks Relating to Pay-to-Play Laws, Regulations and Policies. Many states, their subdivisions and associated pension plans have adopted so-called “pay-to-play” laws, rules, regulations or policies which prohibit, restrict or require disclosure of payments to, and/or certain contacts with, certain politicians or officials associated with public entities by individuals and entities seeking to do business with related entities, including seeking investments by public retirement funds in collective investment funds such as the Fund. The SEC also has adopted rules that, among other things, prohibit an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation with respect to a government plan investor for two years after the adviser or certain of its executives or employees makes a contribution to certain elected officials or candidates for certain elected offices. If the Adviser or the Adviser’s respective employees or affiliates violate such pay-to-play laws, rules, regulations or policies, such non-compliance could have an adverse effect on the Fund by, for example, providing the basis for the ability of such government-affiliated pension plan investor to cease funding its obligations to the Fund or to withdraw from the Fund.

Government Policies, Changes in Laws, and International Trade. Governmental regulatory activity, especially that of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, may have a significant effect on interest rates and on the economy generally, which in turn may affect the price of the securities in which the Fund plans to invest. High interest rates, the imposition of credit controls or other restraints on the financing of takeovers or other acquisitions could diminish the number of merger tender offers, exchange offers or other acquisitions, and as a consequence have a materially adverse effect on the activities of the Fund. Moreover, changes in U.S. federal, state, and local tax laws, U.S. federal or state securities and bankruptcy laws or in accounting standards may make corporate

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acquisitions or restructurings less desirable or make risk arbitrage less profitable. Amendments to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other relevant laws could also alter an expected outcome or introduce greater uncertainty regarding the likely outcome of an investment situation.

In addition, governmental policies could create uncertainty for the global financial system and such uncertainty may increase the risks inherent to the Fund and its activities. For example, in March 2018, the United States imposed an additional 25% tariff under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, on steel products imported into the United States. Furthermore, in May 2019, the United States imposed a 25% tariff on certain imports from China, and China reacted with tariffs on certain imports from the United States. These tariffs and restrictions, as well as other changes in U.S. trade policy, have resulted in, and may continue to trigger, retaliatory actions by affected countries, including imposing trade sanctions on certain U.S. products. A “trade war” of this nature has the potential to increase costs, decrease margins, reduce the competitiveness of products and services offered by current and future portfolio companies and adversely affect the revenues and profitability of companies whose businesses rely on imports and exports. Prospective Fund investors should realize that any significant changes in governmental policies (including tariffs and other policies involving international trade) could have a material adverse impact on the Fund and its investments.

EU General Data Protection Regulation. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) was made effective on May 25, 2018, introducing substantial changes to current European privacy laws. It has superseded the existing Data Protection Directive, which is the key European legislation governing the use of personal data relating to living individuals. The GDPR provides enhanced rights to individuals with respect to the privacy of their personal data and applies not only to organizations with a presence in the European Union which use or hold data relating to living individuals, but also to those organizations that offer services to individual European Union investors. In addition, although regulatory behavior and penalties under the GDPR remain an area of considerable scrutiny, it does increase the sanctions for serious breaches to the greater of €20,000,000 or 4% of worldwide revenue, the impact of which could be significant. Compliance with the GDPR may require additional measures, including updating policies and procedures and reviewing relevant IT systems, which may create additional costs and expenses for the Fund and therefore the Fund investors. The Fund may have indemnification obligations in respect of, or be required to pay the expenses relating to, any litigation or action as a result of any purported breach of the GDPR. Fund investors other than individuals in the European Union may not be afforded the protections of the GDPR.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As an SEC-reporting company, we are subject to regulations not applicable to private companies, such as provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Efforts to comply with such regulations will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with such regulations may adversely affect us.

Our management is required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. As a relatively new company, developing and maintaining an effective system of internal controls may require significant expenditures, which may negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to make distributions. This process also will result in a diversion of our management’s time and attention. We cannot be certain of when our evaluation, testing and remediation actions will be completed or the impact of the same on our operations. In addition, we may be unable to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal controls over financial reporting are or will be effective in a timely manner. In the event that we are unable to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls and maintain or achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.

We are not required to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404, and will not be required to comply with all of those requirements until we have been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for a specified period of time or the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Accordingly, our internal controls over financial reporting do not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 that we will eventually be required to meet. We are in the process of addressing our internal controls over financial reporting and are establishing formal procedures, policies, processes and practices related to financial reporting and to the identification of key financial reporting risks, assessment of their potential impact and linkage of those risks to specific areas and activities within the Fund.

Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC, or the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because we do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal controls and have not yet tested our internal controls in accordance with Section 404, we cannot conclude in accordance

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with Section 404 that we do not have a material weakness in our internal controls or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that we have a material weakness in our internal controls.

Being an “Emerging Growth Company”. We will be and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act for up to five years, or until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1,235,000,000, or (ii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Common Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700,000,000 as of the date of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Shares less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Shares and our share price may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the 1933 Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We will take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate us since our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates and may result in less investor confidence.

Compliance with the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest. Broker-dealers must comply with Rule 151-1 (“Regulation Best Interest”) which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and natural persons who are associated persons of a broker-dealer when recommending to a retail customer any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. Regulation Best Interest imposes a duty of care for broker-dealers to evaluate reasonably available alternatives in the best interests of their clients. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have a lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our Common Shares, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. The impact of Regulation Best Interest on broker-dealers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time, but it may negatively impact whether broker-dealers and their associated persons recommend this offering to retail customers. Under Regulation Best Interest, high cost, high risk and complex products may be subject to greater scrutiny by broker-dealers and their salespersons. If Regulation Best Interest reduces our ability to raise capital in this offering, it would harm our ability to create a diversified portfolio of investments and achieve our investment objective and would result in our fixed operating costs representing a larger percentage of our gross income.

Federal Income Tax Risks

RIC Qualification Risks. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code, we must, among other things, meet annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements. If we do not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

Paying Required Distributions. For federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero-coupon securities, debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. We anticipate that a portion of our income may constitute original issue discount or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, we may elect to accrete market discount and include such amounts in our taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition.

Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or

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forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus may become subject to corporate-level income tax. The resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

Corporate-Level Income Tax. The Fund may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. The Fund may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding and value added taxes).

Special Tax Issues. The Fund expects to invest in debt securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about certain issues related to such investments such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by us, to the extent necessary, to distribute sufficient income to preserve our tax status as a RIC and minimize the extent to which we are subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

If we are not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses. [While we expect to be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” as a result of our Common Shares and any preferred shares collectively being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year, no certainty can be provided that we will qualify for each taxable year.] If we are not so treated, each U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate will be treated as having received a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes from us in the amount of such U.S. shareholder’s allocable share of the management and incentive fees paid to our investment adviser and certain of our other expenses for the calendar year, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. shareholder. For taxable years beginning before 2026, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are not deductible by a U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate. For taxable years beginning in 2026 or later, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are deductible by a U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. shareholder’s miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. shareholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under Section 68 of the Code.

Legislative or Regulatory Tax Changes. At any time, the federal income tax laws governing RICs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. The Biden Administration has announced a number of tax law proposals, which include increases in the corporate and individual tax rates, and impose a minimum tax on book income and profits of certain multinational corporations. Any new laws, regulations or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the taxation of us or our shareholders. Therefore, changes in tax laws, regulations or administrative interpretations or any amendments thereto could diminish the value of an investment in our Common Shares or the value or the resale potential of our investments.

Risks Relating to Securities Lending.

Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities loaned in a timely manner or at all. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, The Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If the Fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.

The foregoing list of risk factors does not purport to be a complete enumeration or explanation of the risks involved in an investment in the Fund. Each prospective Fund investor should read this entire prospectus, the Declaration of Trust of the Fund and consult with its advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. In addition, as the Fund’s investment program develops and changes over time, an investment in the Fund may be subject to additional and different risk factors.

Item 2. Financial Information.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these

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statements. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Registration Statement.

Overview

We were formed on November 27, 2023, as a Delaware limited partnership and expect to convert to a Delaware statutory trust effective on the BDC Election Date. We are externally managed by the Adviser, which manages our day-to-day operations and provides us with investment advisory services pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement. The Adviser is registered as investment adviser with the SEC. We also intend to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

The Adviser oversees (subject to the oversight of the Board, a majority of whom are Independent Trustees) the management of our operations and is responsible for making investment decisions with respect to our portfolio pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement. Under the Advisory Agreement, we have agreed to pay the Adviser an annual management fee as well as an incentive fee based on our investment performance. Also, under the Administration Agreement, we have agreed to pay the Administrator an Administration Fee on a monthly basis.

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation, by primarily focusing on directly originated, senior secured loans to U.S. middle market companies.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of our total assets. “Qualifying assets” are generally privately offered securities issued by U.S. private companies or thinly traded public companies. We may also invest up to 30% of our portfolio opportunistically in “non-qualifying” portfolio investments, such as investments in non-U.S. companies, joint ventures or other interests that are non-qualifying. The Adviser directly originates credit opportunities from a large universe of Sponsors, strategic sourcing relationships, intermediaries and other direct lenders, as well as internal Lord Abbett resources.

We generally intend to distribute substantially all of our available earnings annually by paying distributions on a quarterly basis, as determined by our Board, in its discretion.

Revenues

We plan to generate revenue in the form of interest and fee income on debt investments, capital gains, and dividend income from our equity investments in our portfolio companies. Our senior and subordinated debt investments are expected to bear interest at a fixed or floating rate. Interest on debt securities is generally payable quarterly or semiannually. In some cases, some of our investments may provide for deferred interest payments or PIK interest. The principal amount of the debt securities and any accrued but unpaid PIK interest generally will become due at the maturity date. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment and other fees in connection with transactions. Original issue discounts and market discounts or premiums will be capitalized, and we will accrete or amortize such amounts as interest income. We will record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Dividend income, if any, will be recognized on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts.

Expenses

Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. The Administrator or its affiliates will bear all fees, costs, and expenses incurred that are not assumed by the Fund.

The Adviser and/or its affiliates advanced all of our initial organization and offering expenses. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (including organizational and offering expenses) to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. We will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Adviser and its affiliates.

From time to time, the Adviser, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Adviser, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. From time to time, the Adviser and the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders, subject to the cap on organization and offering expenses described above.

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We have entered into an Expense Support Agreement with our Adviser. For additional information, see “Item 1. Business – Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.”

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

We expect to generate cash primarily from (i) the net proceeds of the offering, (ii) cash flows from our operations, (iii) any financing arrangements we may enter into in the future and (iv) any future offerings of our equity or debt securities.

Our primary uses of cash will be for (i) investments in portfolio companies and other investments, (ii) the cost of operations (including paying the Adviser and the Administrator), (iii) cost of any borrowings or other financing arrangements and (iv) cash distributions to the holders of our Common Shares.

Critical Accounting Policies

This discussion of our expected operating plans is based upon our expected financial statements, which will be prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements will require our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we will describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our future financial statements.

Fair Value Measurements

The Fund is required to report its investments for which current market values are not readily available at fair value. The Fund values its investments in accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and ASC 820, which defines fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the applicable measurement date. ASC 820 prioritizes the use of observable market prices derived from such prices over entity-specific inputs. Due to the inherent uncertainties of valuation, certain estimated fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been realized had a ready market for these investments existed, and these differences could be material. See “Item 1. Business – Determination of Net Asset Value” for more information on how we value our investments.

Revenue Recognition

Interest Income

Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis and includes the accretion of discounts and amortizations of premiums. Discounts from and premiums to par value on debt investments purchased are accreted/amortized into interest income over the life of the respective security using the effective interest method. The amortized cost of debt investments represents the original cost, including loan origination fees and upfront fees received that are deemed to be an adjustment to yield, adjusted for the accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, if any. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income in the current period.

PIK Income

The Fund may have loans in its portfolio that contain PIK provisions. PIK represents interest that is accrued and recorded as interest income at the contractual rates, increases the loan principal on the respective capitalization dates, and is generally due at maturity. Such income is included in interest income in the Fund’s statement of operations. If at any point the Fund believes PIK is not expected to be realized, the investment generating PIK will be placed on non-accrual status. When a PIK investment is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued, uncapitalized interest is generally reversed through interest income. To maintain the Fund’s status as a RIC, this non-cash source of income must be paid out to shareholders in the form of dividends, even though the Fund has not yet collected cash.

Dividend Income

Dividend income on preferred equity securities is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly-traded portfolio companies.

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Fee Income

The Fund may receive various fees in the ordinary course of business such as structuring, consent, waiver, amendment, syndication fees as well as fees for managerial assistance rendered by the Fund to the portfolio companies. Such fees are recognized as income when earned or the services are rendered.

Non-Accrual Income

Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when, in management’s judgement, there is sufficient doubt that all or a portion of principal or interest will be collected. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status. Additionally, any original issue discount and market discount are no longer accreted to interest income as of the date the loan is placed on non-accrual status. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid current and, in management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. Management may make exceptions to this treatment and determine to not place a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.

Distributions

To the extent that the Fund has taxable income available, the Fund intends to make quarterly distributions to its shareholders. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the record date. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our tax treatment as a RIC, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time.

Income Taxes

The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code. So long as the Fund maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its shareholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Fund would represent obligations of the Fund’s investors and would not be reflected in the financial statements of the Fund.

The Fund evaluates tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing its financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are reserved and recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. All penalties and interest associated with income taxes are included in income tax expense. Conclusions regarding tax positions are subject to review and may be adjusted at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

To qualify for and maintain qualification as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” for that year (without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), which is generally its ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of its realized net short-term capital gains over its realized net long-term capital losses and (ii) its net tax-exempt income.

In addition, pursuant to the excise tax distribution requirements, the Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on undistributed income unless the Fund distributes in a timely manner in each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in prior years. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund that is subject to corporate income tax is considered to have been distributed.

Contractual Obligations

We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser to provide us with investment advisory services and the Administration Agreement with the Administrator to provide us with administrative services. Payments for investment advisory services under the Advisory Agreements and payment for administration services under the Administration Agreement are described in “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement.”

We currently have one credit facility and may establish more credit facilities or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating

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rates at to-be-determined spreads over SOFR (or other applicable reference rate). We cannot assure shareholders that we will be able to enter into a credit facility on favorable terms. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require us to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with affirmative or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than contractual commitments and other legal contingencies incurred in the normal course of our business, we do not expect to have any off-balance sheet financings or liabilities. We will engage in certain transactions that may receive off-balance sheet accounting treatment, including joint venture transactions.

On April 23, 2024, we entered into a limited liability company agreement (the “LLC Agreement”) with Stifel Bank & Trust (“Stifel”) to establish a joint venture to make certain loans consisting of primarily middle market club loans and direct lending loans to U.S. issuers. The joint venture is called SBLA Private Credit LLC (“SBLA JV”).

All portfolio decisions and generally all other decisions in respect of SBLA JV must be approved by the board of SBLA JV consisting of representatives of the Fund and Stifel (generally with approval from a representative of each required). We and Stifel have equal voting rights with respect to the joint venture. The Fund does not consolidate the SBLA JV. We may enter into additional joint venture agreements in the future.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We will be subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. A rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to the variable rate investments we may hold and declines in the value of any fixed rate investments we may hold. A rise in interest rates would also be expected to lead to higher costs on floating rate borrowings. We may use risk management techniques in an effort to minimize our exposure to interest rate fluctuation when considered prudent.

We plan to invest primarily in illiquid debt securities of private companies. Most of our investments will not have a readily available market price, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined by the Adviser in good faith pursuant to policies approved by the Board and subject to Board oversight. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. See “Item 1. Business – Determination of Net Asset Value.”

Item 3. Properties.

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation or any of our subsidiaries. [Our headquarters are currently located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302, where we occupy office space pursuant to the Administration Agreement.] We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.

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Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.

As of [    ], the Fund knows of the below persons who own beneficially more than 5% of the limited partnership interests of the Fund. In connection with the Fund’s expectation to convert to a Delaware statutory trust at the time of the BDC Election Date, the Fund’s limited partnership interests will be converted into shares of beneficial interest and each limited partner will become a shareholder by operation of law.

Each person named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all of the limited partnership interests shown as beneficially owned by such person, except as otherwise set forth in the notes to the table.

	Percentage of limited partnership interests outstanding
Name	Type of ownership	Shares owned	Percentage
Independent Trustees
[   ]	[Limited Partnership interests]	—		—
Interested Trustees
[   ]	[Limited Partnership interests]	—		—
All Trustees and officers as a group ([   ] persons)		—		—	%

* Represents less than 1.0%.

Item 5. Trustees and Executive Officers.

Board

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Trustees. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund’s activities, including, among other things, the oversight of our investment activities, the quarterly valuation of our assets, review of contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund, oversight of our financing arrangements and corporate governance activities. Our Board consists of [ ] members, [ ] of whom are Independent Trustees. Our Board elects our executive officers, who serve at the discretion of the Board.

Trustees

Information regarding the Board is as follows:

Name (Year of Birth)	Position Held (Length of Time Served)	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years
Independent Trustees
[   ]	[   ]	[   ]	[   ]	[   ]
Interested Trustees
[   ]	[   ]	[   ]	[   ]	[   ]

The address for each trustee is c/o [   ].

Executive Officers Who are Not Trustees

Information regarding our officers who are not Trustees is as follows:

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Name (Year of Birth)	Position Held with the Fund	Year Elected	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
[   ]	[   ]	[   ]	[   ]

The address for each executive officer is c/o [   ].

Biographical Information

The following is information concerning the business experience of our Board, executive officers and private credit team. Our Trustees have been divided into two groups—Interested Trustees and Independent Trustees. Interested Trustees are “interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Interested Trustees

[   ]

Independent Trustees

[   ]

Executive Officers Who are not Trustees

[   ]

Non-Executive Officers Who are not Trustees

[   ]

Communications with Trustees

Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board by mail. To communicate with the Board, any individual Trustee or any group or committee of Trustees, correspondence should be addressed to the Board or any such individual Trustee or group or committee of Trustees by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent to Lord Abbett Private Credit Fund 1, LP d/b/a Lord Abbett Private Income Fund, c/o Lord Abbett Private Credit Advisor LLC, 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302.

Committees of the Board

Our Board currently has two committees: an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”) and a nominating and governance committee (the “Nominating and Governance Committee”). We do not have a compensation committee because our executive officers do not receive any direct compensation from us. The Board will consider nominees for Trustees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Independent Trustees in care of the Secretary of the Fund.

Audit Committee.

The Audit Committee is comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee provides assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities relating to accounting matters, the reporting practices of the Fund, and the quality and integrity of the Fund’s financial reports. Among other things, the Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the performance and independence of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and considering violations of the Fund’s code of ethics to determine what action should be taken. The Audit Committee meets at least quarterly.

A copy of the charter of the Audit Committee is available in print to any shareholder who requests it.

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Nominating and Governance Committee

The Nominating and Governance Committee is comprised solely of Independent Trustees. Among other things, the Nominating and Governance Committee (i) reviews the composition of the Board; (ii) reviews committee and Board and committee leadership assignments; (iii) reviews the responsibilities of any committees of the Board; (iv) reviews compensation of the Independent Trustees; (v) reviews Board governance procedures and determines the form of the Board’s annual self-evaluation; and (vi) monitors the performance of independent legal counsel employed by the Independent Trustees.

A copy of the charter of the Nominating and Governance Committee is available in print to any shareholder who requests it.

Compensation of Trustees

Our Trustees who do not also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser are entitled to receive annual cash retainer fees, annual fees for serving on committees and annual fees for serving as a committee chairperson. These Trustees are [   ]. Amounts payable under the arrangement are determined and paid quarterly as follows:

			Annual Committee Chair Cash Retainer
Annual Cash Retainer	Board Meeting Fee	Committee Meeting Fee	Audit
$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]

We also reimburse each of the Trustees for all reasonable and authorized business expenses in accordance with our policies as in effect from time to time, including reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board meeting and each committee meeting not held concurrently with a board meeting.

We will not pay compensation to our Trustees who also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser.

Staffing

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser, pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, and who are employees of the Administrator, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement. Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by our Adviser.

Compensation of Executive Officers

None of our officers will receive direct compensation from us.

Board Leadership Structure

The Board currently has [   ] Trustees, [   ] of whom are Independent Trustees. [   ], an Independent Trustee, serves as the Chair of the Board. The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate in light of the composition of the Board and its committees. The Board believes that its leadership structure enhances the effectiveness of the Board’s oversight role.

The Board generally meets four times a year and may hold additional special meetings to address specific matters that arise between regularly scheduled meetings. The Independent Trustees also meet regularly without the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel.

As discussed more fully below, the Board has delegated certain aspects of its oversight function to committees comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The committee structure facilitates the Board’s timely and efficient consideration of matters pertinent to the Fund’s business and affairs and their associated risks.

The Trustees primarily operate as a full Board, but have also established two standing committees, the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee, to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the Fund, and shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the Fund’s activities

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and associated risks. The Board has charged the Adviser and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the Fund’s business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the Fund is carried out by or through the Adviser, its affiliates, and other service providers, the Fund’s exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. Board oversight of different aspects of the Fund’s activities is exercised primarily through the full Board, but also through the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the Fund’s CCO, the Adviser’s internal auditor, the independent accountants, the Fund’s treasurer and portfolio management personnel, and the Adviser’s investment and enterprise risk management teams make periodic reports to the Board, Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee, as appropriate, including an annual review of the Adviser’s risk management program for the Lord Abbett funds. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee, including their oversight responsibilities, are described further under “Committee of the Board.”

Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees

The individual qualifications of each Trustee are noted below. These qualifications, along with the experience noted above under “Trustees,” led to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve as a Trustee for the Fund. In addition to individual qualifications, the following characteristics are among those qualifications applicable to each existing Trustee and are among the qualifications that the Independent Trustees will consider for any future nominees:

• Reputation for integrity, honesty, and high ethical standards;

• Diversity of background;

• Skills in disciplines deemed by the Independent Trustees to be relevant to the role of Independent Trustee, including business acumen, experience relevant to the financial services industry generally and the investment industry particularly, and ability to exercise sound judgment in matters relating to the current and long-term objectives of the Fund;

• Understanding and appreciation of the important role occupied by an Independent Trustee in the regulatory structure governing registered investment companies;

• Willingness and ability to contribute positively to the decision-making process for the Fund, including appropriate interpersonal skills to work effectively with other Independent Trustees;

• Desire and availability to serve as an Independent Trustee for a substantial period of time; and

• Absence of conflicts that would interfere with qualifying as an Independent Trustee.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

Managing the investment portfolio and the operations of the Fund involves certain risks. The Adviser (and other Fund service providers, subject to oversight by the Adviser) is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Fund. The Board oversees the Fund’s risk management as part of its general management oversight function. The Board, either directly or through committees, regularly receives and reviews reports from the Adviser about the elements of risk that affect or may affect the Fund, including investment risk, operational risk, compliance risk, and legal risk, among other elements of risk related to the operations of the Fund and the Adviser, and the steps the Adviser takes to mitigate those risks. The Board will appoint a CCO, who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund’s compliance program and reports to the Board at least quarterly regarding compliance matters for the Fund, the Adviser, and the Fund’s service providers. The Board will also appoint a Chief Legal Officer, who is responsible for overseeing internal reporting requirements imposed under rules adopted by the SEC pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which are designed to ensure that credible indications of material violations of federal securities laws or breaches of fiduciary duty are investigated and are adequately and appropriately resolved.

In addition to the Board’s direct oversight, the Audit Committee plays an important role in overseeing risk management on behalf of the Fund. The Audit Committee oversees the risk management efforts for financial reporting, pricing and valuation, and liquidity risk and will meet regularly with the Fund’s chief financial officer and independent auditors, as well as with members of management, to discuss financial reporting and audit issues, including risks related to financial controls.

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While the Adviser has (and the Fund’s service providers have) implemented a number of measures intended to mitigate risk effectively to the extent practicable, it is not possible to eliminate all of the risks that are inherent in the operations of the Fund. Some risks are beyond the Adviser’s and/or a service provider’s control and not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified before the risk arises or before the Adviser or a service provider, as applicable, develops processes and controls to eliminate the occurrence or mitigate the effects of such risks.

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Portfolio Management

Investment Personnel

The day-to-day management of our investment portfolio will be the responsibility of the Adviser and the Private Credit Investment Committee. The Private Credit Investment Committee is currently comprised of Stephan Kuppenheimer, Vincent Lu, Jonathan Pearl, and Steven Rocco. A majority of the Private Credit Investment Committee members must approve each transaction.

The Adviser

Private Credit Investment Committee

Investment decisions generally require the majority approval of the Private Credit Investment Committee and the unanimous approval of the portfolio managers. The Private Credit Investment Committee will meet regularly to vet new investment opportunities, and evaluate strategic initiatives and actions taken by the Adviser on our behalf. The day-to-day management of investments approved by the Private Credit Investment Committee will be overseen by the portfolio managers.

None of the Private Credit Investment Committee members receive any direct compensation from us.

Item 6. Executive Compensation.

Compensation of Executive Officers

The Fund’s executive officers do not receive any direct compensation from the Fund. We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser or its affiliates pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and the Administrator or its affiliates pursuant to the Administration Agreement. Each of our executive officers is employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Our day-to-day investment operations will be managed by the Adviser. The services necessary for the sourcing and administration of our investment portfolio will be provided by investment professionals employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. The portfolio management team will focus on origination, non-originated investments and transaction development and the ongoing monitoring of our investments.

Each of the Adviser and the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any act or omission or any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively, relate, provided that each of the Adviser and the Administrator shall not be protected against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations (“disabling conduct”). Each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement provide that, absent disabling conduct, the Adviser and the Administrator, as applicable, and their officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with either of them will be entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of the Adviser’s services under the Advisory Agreement and the Administrator’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as adviser or administrator for us. Each of the Adviser and the Administrator shall not be liable under their respective agreements with us or otherwise for any loss due to the mistake, action, inaction, negligence, dishonesty, fraud or bad faith of any broker or other agent; provided, that such broker or other agent shall have been selected, engaged or retained and monitored by the Adviser or the Administrator in good faith, unless such action or inaction was made by reason of disabling conduct, or in the case of a criminal action or proceeding, where the Adviser or the Administrator had reasonable cause to believe its conduct was unlawful. In addition, we will not provide for indemnification of an Indemnified Party for any liability or loss suffered by such Indemnified Party, nor will we provide that an Indemnified Party be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by us, unless: (1) we have determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in our best interest; (2) the Indemnified Party was acting on our behalf or performing services for us; (3) such liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnified Party is the Adviser, the Administrator, an affiliate of the Adviser or Administrator, or one of our officers; and (4) the indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets and not from our shareholders.

Compensation of Trustees

Our Trustees who do not also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser are entitled to receive annual cash retainer fees, annual fees for serving on committees and annual fees for serving as a committee chairperson. These Trustees are [   ]. Amounts payable under the arrangement are determined and paid quarterly as follows:

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			Annual Committee Chair Cash Retainer
Annual Cash Retainer	Board Meeting Fee	Committee Meeting Fee	Audit
$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]

We also reimburse each of the Trustees for all reasonable and authorized business expenses in accordance with our policies as in effect from time to time, including reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board meeting and each committee meeting not held concurrently with a board meeting.

We will not pay compensation to our Trustees who also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser.

We have obtained trustees’ and officers’ liability insurance on behalf of our Trustees and officers. We do not have a profit-sharing or retirement plan, and Trustees do not receive any pension or retirement benefits. The Board of Trustees reviews and determines the compensation of the Independent Trustees.

Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence.

Trustee Independence

[While we are not listed on any public securities exchange, we intend to comply with listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) requiring listed companies to have a board of trustees with at least a majority of independent trustees. The NYSE listing standards provide that a trustee of a BDC will be considered to be independent if he or she is not an “interested person” of the Fund, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

Based on these standards, the Board has determined that [   ], [   ] and [   ] are independent (or not “interested persons” of the Fund). Based upon information requested from each such Trustee concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations, the Board has affirmatively determined that none of the Independent Trustees has a material business or professional relationship with the Fund, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the Board or any committee thereof. All of the members of the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee are not “interested persons” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.]

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

The following inherent or potential conflicts of interest should be considered by prospective investors before subscribing for the Common Shares.

Relationship among the Fund, the Adviser and the Portfolio Managers. The Adviser has a conflict of interest between its responsibility to act in the best interests of the Fund, on the one hand, and any benefit, monetary or otherwise, that results to it or its affiliates from the operation of the Fund, on the other hand. For example, the Adviser’s incentive fee creates an incentive for the Adviser to recommend more speculative investments for the Fund than it would otherwise in the absence of such performance-based compensation. The Adviser may also be incentivized not to permanently write down, write off, revalue or dispose of an investment that has poor prospects for improvement in order to receive ongoing management fees in respect of such investment and to avoid reductions in potential incentive fees if such asset appreciates in the future. In addition, the method of calculating the incentive fee payments may result in conflicts of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Fund investors, on the other hand, with respect to the management and disposition of investments.

Conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio managers’ management of the investments of the Fund and the investments of the other funds and accounts managed by Lord Abbett. Such conflicts may arise with respect to the allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and other accounts with similar investment objectives and policies. In addition, a portfolio manager potentially could use information concerning the Fund’s transactions to the advantage of other accounts and to the detriment of the Fund. To address these potential conflicts of interest, Lord Abbett has adopted and implemented a number of policies and procedures. The objective of these policies and procedures is to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of transactions and allocation of investment opportunities on behalf of all accounts managed by Lord Abbett. In addition, Lord Abbett’s Code of Ethics sets forth general principles for the conduct of employee personal securities transactions in a manner that avoids any actual or potential conflicts of interest with the interests of Lord

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Abbett’s clients, including the Funds. Moreover, Lord Abbett’s Insider Trading and Receipt of Material Non-Public Information Policy and Procedure sets forth procedures for personnel to follow when they have material non-public information. Lord Abbett is not affiliated with a full service broker-dealer and, therefore, does not execute any portfolio transactions through such an entity, a structure that could give rise to additional conflicts. Lord Abbett does not conduct any investment banking functions. Lord Abbett does not believe that any material conflicts of interest exist in connection with the portfolio managers’ management of the investments of the Funds and the investments of the other accounts in the table referenced above.

Conflicts of interest may also arise when the Fund and other accounts invest in (i) securities or other instruments issued by a particular issuer and in certain assets owned by such issuer; and (ii) different parts of an issuer’s capital structure, for example, where the Fund owns senior debt obligations of an issuer and other accounts own junior debt or equity of the same issuer. In such circumstances, Lord Abbett may take actions with respect the Fund that are adverse to other accounts, for example, by foreclosing on loans, disposing of equity, receiving material nonpublic information, putting an issuer in default or voting on a plan or reorganization or restructuring that is adverse to other Lord Abbett accounts. Similarly, Lord Abbett may cause other accounts managed by Lord Abbett to take actions adverse to the Fund. If an issuer in which the Fund and one or more other accounts hold securities or other interests encounters financial problems, decisions over the terms of any restructuring or workout are likely to raise conflicts of interest. In order to minimize such conflicts, the Fund may avoid making certain investments or taking certain actions that would potentially give rise to conflicts of interest, which could have the effect of limiting the Fund’s investment opportunities or available courses of actions. Alternatively, the Fund may take an action that will have the potential to disadvantage other accounts or the Fund might resolve the conflict by adopting a particular strategy (including disposing of an investment earlier than it otherwise would have if no conflict existed), which could result in a different investment outcome than might arise if the Fund had adopted an otherwise different investment strategy. All conflicts of interest will be resolved by the Lord Abbett in its sole discretion. When making investment decisions where a conflict of interest may arise, Lord Abbett will endeavor to act in a fair and equitable manner as between the Fund and other accounts; however, in certain instances the resolution of the conflict may result in Lord Abbett acting on behalf of another account (for example, by foreclosing on loans, putting an issuer into default, transacting with an issuer or voting in a manner adverse to or inconsistent with the Fund’s vote) in a manner that is not in the best interests, or is opposed to the interests, of the Fund.

Co-Investment Transactions. The Adviser has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser to co-invest our assets with the assets of certain other persons, including certain affiliated accounts managed and controlled by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. Subject to the 1940 Act and the conditions of the co-investment order issued by the SEC, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, co-invest with certain affiliated accounts in investments that are suitable for the Fund and one or more of such affiliated accounts. Even though the Fund and any such affiliated account co-invest in the same securities, conflicts of interest may still arise. If the Adviser is presented with co-investment opportunities that generally fall within the Fund’s investment objective and other Board-Established Criteria and those of one or more affiliated accounts advised by the Adviser and/or its affiliates, whether focused on a debt strategy or otherwise, the Adviser and/or its affiliates will allocate such opportunities among the Fund and such affiliated accounts in a manner consistent with the exemptive order and the applicable allocation policies and procedures.

With respect to co-investment transactions conducted under the exemptive order, initial internal allocations among the Fund and other investment funds affiliated with the Adviser will generally be made, taking into account the allocation considerations set forth in the Adviser’s allocation policies and procedures as described above. If the Fund invests in a transaction under the Co-Investment Exemptive Order and, immediately before the submission of the order for the Fund and all other funds, accounts, or other similar arrangements advised by the Adviser and its affiliates, the opportunity is oversubscribed, it will generally be allocated on a pro-rata basis based on internal order size.

Performance Based Compensation and Management Fees. The existence of the incentive fees payable to the Adviser may create a greater incentive for the Adviser to make more speculative investments on behalf of the Fund, or to time the purchase or sale of investments in a manner motivated by the personal interests of the Adviser, its affiliates and/or their personnel. The manner in which the Adviser’s entitlement to incentive fees is determined may result in a conflict between its interests and the interests of shareholders with respect to the sequence and timing of disposals of investments, as the Adviser may want to dispose of lower yielding investments in favor of higher yielding ones.

Transaction Fees and Other Fees. In connection with investments made by us, the Adviser and its affiliates may negotiate and receive origination, commitment, documentation, structuring, facility, monitoring, amendment, refinancing, and/or other fees from portfolio investments in which we invest or propose to invest. The Adviser and its affiliates will only retain transaction and other fees if permissible under the 1940 Act, SEC exemptive relief, and other applicable law. Under the terms of our co-investment relief, transaction

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fees (except for fees contemplated by Section 17(e) or 57(k) of the 1940 Act) received in connection with a co-investment transaction are distributed pro rata to funds that participate in such transaction. The potential for the Adviser and its affiliates to receive economic benefits creates conflicts of interest as the Adviser and its affiliates would have an incentive to invest in portfolio investments that provide such benefits. Similarly, the Adviser and its affiliates could be incentivized to waive certain fees in connection with a refinancing in order to receive certain fees in the new transaction, including when we and/or other accounts advised by the Adviser and its affiliates can participate in the original or refinanced investment, or both.

Broken Deal Expenses. Any expenses that may be incurred by the Fund for actual investments as described herein may also be incurred by the Fund with respect to broken deals (i.e., investments that are not consummated). The Adviser is not required to [and in most circumstances will not] seek reimbursement of broken deal expenses (i.e., expenses incurred in pursuit of an investment that is not consummated) from third parties, including counterparties to the potential transaction or potential co-investors. Examples of such broken deal expenses include, but are not limited to, reverse termination fees, extraordinary expenses such as litigation costs and judgments, travel and entertainment expenses incurred, costs of negotiating co-investment documentation, and legal, accounting, tax and other due diligence and pursuit costs and expenses. Any such broken deal expenses could, in the sole discretion of the Adviser, be allocated solely to the Fund and not to Other Clients or co-investment vehicles that could have made the investment, even when the Other Client or co-investment vehicle commonly invests alongside the Fund in its investments or the Adviser or Other Clients in their investments. In such cases, the Fund’s shares of expenses would increase. In the event broken deal expenses are allocated to an Other Client or a co-investment vehicle, the Adviser may advance such fees and expenses without charging interest until paid by the Other Client or co-investment vehicle, as applicable.

Diverse Membership; Relationships with Fund Investors. The Fund and investors are generally expected to have conflicting investment, tax and other interests with respect to the investments made by the Fund. The Fund investors are expected to include various types of persons or entities organized in various jurisdictions, and different Fund investors may have conflicting investment, tax and other interests in respect of their investment in the Fund. The conflicting interests of the Fund and of individual Fund investors may relate to or arise from, among other things, the nature of investments made by the Fund, the structuring of the acquisition of the Fund’s investments, and the timing of disposition of investments, which may be more beneficial for the Fund or Fund investors than for one or more of the other Fund investors. Such structuring of the Fund’s investments and other factors may result in different returns being realized by different Fund investors. Furthermore, under the U.S. tax audit rules applicable to the Fund, decisions or elections made in connection with certain laws and regulations by the Adviser (or such other person designated by the Adviser) in connection with tax audits (including whether or not to make an election under those rules) may be more beneficial for one type of Fund investor than for another type of Fund investor. As a consequence, conflicts of interest among different Fund investors may arise in connection with decisions made by the Adviser, including in respect of the nature or structuring of investments and the use of leverage that may be more beneficial for one Fund investor than for another Fund investor, especially in respect of individual tax situations. In addition, the Fund may face certain tax risks based on positions taken by the Fund, the Adviser on behalf of the Fund, the Fund’s subsidiaries and/or a withholding agent.

Allocation of Personnel. The Adviser and its members, officers and employees will devote as much of their time to the activities of the Fund as they deem necessary to conduct its business affairs in an appropriate manner. By the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not restricted from forming additional investment funds, from entering into other investment advisory relationships or from engaging in other business activities, even though such activities may be in competition with the Fund and/or may involve substantial time and resources of the Adviser. Personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates, including members of the Fund’s portfolio management team, will work on other projects, serve on other committees and source potential investments for and otherwise assist the investment programs of Other Clients and their portfolio companies, including other investment programs to be developed in the future. These activities could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest in that the time and effort of the members of the Adviser and its officers and employees will not be devoted exclusively to the business of the Fund but will be allocated between the business of the Fund and the management of the monies of such other advisees of the Adviser. Time spent on these other initiatives diverts attention from the activities of the Fund, which could negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. Furthermore, personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates derive financial benefit from these other activities, including fees and performance-based compensation. Lord Abbett personnel outside of the Adviser may share in the fees and performance-based compensation from the Fund; similarly, personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates may share in the fees and performance-based compensation generated by Other Clients. These and other factors create conflicts of interest in the allocation of time by personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates. The determination of the Adviser and its affiliates of the amount of time necessary to conduct the Fund’s activities will be conclusive, and shareholders rely on the Adviser’s judgment in this regard. The officers and trustees will devote such portion of their time to our affairs as is required for the performance of their duties, but they are not required to devote all of their time to us.

Valuation of Assets. A majority of securities and other assets in which the Fund will directly or indirectly invest, including secured loan investments, are not expected to have a readily ascertainable market value and will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with its established valuation policies. Such securities and other assets will constitute a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments. In addition, when the Adviser determines that the market price does not fairly represent the value of an investment, the Adviser will fair

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value such investment in accordance with the Fund’s policies and procedures. The Adviser has a conflict of interest in determining such valuations, as the Adviser’s determination of a fair value for such investments may cause it to receive higher management fees.

The Adviser and its affiliates are engaged in advisory and management services for multiple collective investment vehicles and managed accounts, including other investment funds managed by the Adviser and its affiliates. In connection with these activities, the Adviser and its affiliates are required to value assets, including in connection with managing or advising their proprietary and client accounts. In this regard, the Adviser and its affiliates may share information regarding valuation techniques and models or other information relevant to the valuation of a specific asset or category of assets, although they are under no obligation to engage in such information sharing.

Conflicts with Portfolio Companies. In certain instances, the portfolio managers and officers and employees of the Adviser may serve as board members of certain portfolio companies and, in that capacity, will be required to make decisions that they consider to be in the best interests of the portfolio company. In certain circumstances, such as in situations involving bankruptcy or near insolvency of the portfolio company, actions that may be in the best interests of the portfolio company may not be in the best interests of the Fund, and vice versa. Accordingly, in these situations, there may be conflicts of interest between an individual’s duties as a portfolio manager or officer or employee of the Adviser and such individual’s duties as a board member of the portfolio company. Additionally, the Adviser or affiliates of the Adviser may enter into transactions with a portfolio company (for example, a property lease), which may create a conflict of interest. While it is generally expected that any such transaction would be on arm’s length terms, it is possible that the portfolio company may pay higher fees or receive fewer benefits in the transaction than it would if the counterparty to the transaction were a third party.

Certain Investments Inside the Fund’s Mandate that are not Pursued by the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Adviser may determine not to pursue some or all of an investment opportunity within the Fund’s mandate pursuant to its investment allocation policies and procedures, including without limitation, as a result of business, reputational or other reasons applicable to the Fund, Other Clients, their respective portfolio companies or the Adviser. In addition, the Adviser may determine that the Fund should not pursue some or all of an investment opportunity, including, by way of example and without limitation, because the Fund has already invested sufficient capital in the investment, sector, industry, geographic region or markets in question, as determined by the Adviser in its good faith discretion, or the investment is not appropriate for the Fund for other reasons as determined by the Adviser in its good faith reasonable sole discretion. In any such case the Adviser or its affiliates could, thereafter, offer such opportunity to other parties, including Other Clients or portfolio companies or limited partners or shareholders of the Fund or Other Clients, joint venture partners, related parties or third parties. Any such Other Clients may be advised by a different Lord Abbett affiliate, which could determine an investment opportunity to be more attractive than the Adviser believes to be the case. In any event, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s assessment will prove correct or that the performance of any investments actually pursued by the Fund will be comparable to any investment opportunities that are not pursued by the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates, including their personnel, may receive compensation from any such party that makes the investment, including an allocation of carried interest or referral fees, and any such compensation could be greater than amounts paid by the Fund to the Adviser. In some cases, the Adviser or its affiliates earn greater fees when Other Clients participate alongside or instead of the Fund in an investment.

Allocation of Revolver, Delayed-Draw Investment or Line of Credit Obligations. The Fund generally expects to participate in one or more investments that are structured as “revolvers,” “delayed-draws” or “lines of credit” with funding obligations that extend past the initial date of investment. Later funding obligations related to such investments may not be allocated pro rata among all the investors who participated in the initial funding of an investment. In particular, the Fund may participate in the initial funding of an investment but may not participate in later-arising funding obligations (i.e., the revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit portions) related to such investment, including because of capacity limitations that an investment vehicle may have for making new revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit. As a result, the Fund may be allocated a smaller or larger portion of revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit than other investors participating in the loan (or may not be allocated any portion). Fund investors that participate in the initial funding of an investment may receive certain economic benefits in connection with such initial funding, such as original issue discount, closing payments, or commitment fees and these benefits are expected to be allocated based on participation in the initial funding, regardless of participation in future funding obligations. In addition, where the Fund and any other participating investors have not participated in each funding of an investment on a pro rata basis, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and the other investors as the interests of the Fund and the other investors may not be completely aligned with respect to such investment. In that regard, the revolver, delayed draw or line of credit portion of an investment may be senior to the investment in the portfolio company made by the Fund, and as a result, the interests of the Fund may not be aligned with other participating investors.

Insurance. The Adviser will cause the Fund to purchase, and/or bear premiums, fees, costs and expenses (including any expenses or fees of insurance brokers) for insurance to insure the Fund and the Board against liability in connection with the activities of the Fund. This includes a portion of any premiums, fees, costs and expenses for one or more “umbrella,” group or other insurance policies maintained by the Adviser or its affiliates that cover the Fund and one or more of the Other Clients, the Adviser, and/or its affiliates (including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, independent client representative (if any) and

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other indemnified parties). The Adviser will make judgments about the allocation of premiums, fees, costs and expenses for such “umbrella,” group or other insurance policies among the Fund, one or more Other Clients, the Adviser, and/or its affiliates on a fair and reasonable basis, subject to approval by the Board.

The foregoing list of conflicts does not purport to be a complete enumeration or explanation of the actual and potential conflicts involved in an investment in the Fund. Prospective investors should read this Registration Statement and consult with their own advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. In addition, as the Fund’s investment program develops and changes over time, an investment in the Fund may be subject to additional and different actual and potential conflicts. Although the various conflicts discussed herein are generally described separately, prospective investors should consider the potential effects of the interplay of multiple conflicts.

Item 8. Legal Proceedings.

Neither we, the Adviser, the Administrator nor our subsidiaries are currently subject to any material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to our businesses. We, the Adviser, the Administrator and our subsidiaries may from time to time, however, be involved in litigation arising out of our operations in the normal course of business or otherwise. Furthermore, third parties may seek to impose liability on us in connection with the activities of our portfolio companies. While the outcome of any current legal proceedings cannot at this time be predicted with certainty, we do not expect any current matters will materially affect our financial condition or results of operations; however, there can be no assurance whether any pending legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations in any future reporting period.

Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters.

Market Information

Our Common Shares will be offered and sold in private offerings exempt from registration under the Securities Act under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder, Regulation S under the Securities Act and/or other exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. See “Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities” for more information. There is no public market for our Common Shares currently, nor can we give any assurance that one will develop.

Because Common Shares are being acquired by investors in one or more transactions “not involving a public offering,” they are “restricted securities” and may be required to be held indefinitely. Investors may generally Transfertheir Common Shares provided that the transferee, as applicable, satisfies applicable eligibility and/or suitability requirements and the Transfer is otherwise made in accordance with applicable securities, tax, anti-money laundering and other applicable laws and compliance with the terms of the Subscription Agreement. No Transfer will be effectuated except by registration of the Transfer on our books. Each transferee will be required to execute a Subscription Agreement pursuant to which they will agree to be bound by these restrictions and the other restrictions imposed on the Common Shares and to execute such other instruments or certifications as are reasonably required by us. Accordingly, investors must be willing to bear the economic risk of investment in the Common Shares until we are liquidated.

Holders

[Please see “Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” for disclosure regarding the holders of our Common Shares.]

Distributions

We expect to pay regular quarterly distributions commencing with the first full calendar quarter after the Initial Closing Date. Any distributions we make will be at the discretion of our Board, considering factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Delaware law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time.

Our Board’s discretion as to the payment of distributions will be directed, in substantial part, by its determination to cause us to comply with the RIC requirements. To maintain our treatment as a RIC, we generally are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our shareholders of at least 90% of our investment company taxable income. See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered” and “Item 1. Business – Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. Funding distributions from

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the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Doing so may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your Common Shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering.

From time to time, we may also pay special interim distributions in the form of cash or Common Shares at the discretion of our Board.

We have not established any limits on the amount of funds we may use from any available sources to make distributions. There can be no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary to sustain our distributions or that we will be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all. The Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to waive advisory fees or otherwise reimburse expenses in future periods. See “Item 1. Business – Management Agreements.”

Consistent with the Code, shareholders will be notified of the source of our distributions. Our distributions may exceed our earnings and profits, especially during the period before we have substantially invested the proceeds from this offering. As a result, a portion of the distributions we make may represent a return of capital for tax purposes. The tax basis of Common Shares must be reduced by the amount of any return of capital distributions, which will result in an increase in the amount of any taxable gain (or a reduction in any deductible loss) on the sale of Common Shares.

For a period of time following commencement of this offering, which time period may be significant, we expect substantial portions of our distributions may be funded indirectly through the reimbursement of certain expenses by the Adviser and its affiliates that are subject to conditional reimbursement by us within three years. Any such distributions funded through expense reimbursements or waivers of advisory fees are not based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or the Adviser or its affiliates continues to advance such expenses or waive such fees. Our future reimbursement of amounts advanced or waived by the Adviser and its affiliates will reduce the distributions that you would otherwise receive in the future. Other than as set forth in this Registration Statement, the Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to advance expenses or waive advisory fees.

We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (net ordinary taxable income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses), if any, to our shareholders. A RIC may satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by actually distributing dividends (other than capital gain dividends) during the taxable year. In addition, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M. If a RIC makes a spillback dividend, the amounts will be included in a shareholder’s gross income for the year in which the spillback dividend is paid.

We currently intend to distribute net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may decide in the future to retain such capital gains for investment and elect to treat such gains as deemed distributions to you. If this happens, you will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains that we retain and reinvested the net after tax proceeds in us. In this situation, you would be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions. See “Item 1. Business – Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

If we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan pursuant to which you may elect to have the full amount of your cash distributions reinvested in additional Common Shares. See “— Distribution Reinvestment Plan” below.

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash dividends declared by the Board on behalf of our shareholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our shareholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each participating shareholder’s account to three decimal places.

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No action is required on the part of a registered shareholder to have his, her or its cash dividend or other distribution reinvested in our Common Shares, except shareholders located in certain states or who are clients of selected participating brokers, as described below. Shareholders who are eligible for default enrollment can elect to “opt out” of the Fund’s distribution reinvestment plan in their subscription agreements. If any shareholder initially elects not to participate or is defaulted to non-participation by virtue of residing in one of the states mentioned above or being a client of a participating broker dealer that does not permit automatic enrollment in distribution reinvestment plans, they may later become a participant by subsequently completing and executing an enrollment form or any distribution authorization form as may be available from the Fund or [ ] (the “Plan Administrator”) at [ ]. Participation in the distribution reinvestment plan will begin with the next distribution payable after acceptance of a participant’s subscription, enrollment or authorization. Common Shares will be purchased under the distribution reinvestment plan as of the first calendar day of the month following the record date of the distribution.

If a shareholder seeks to terminate its participation in the distribution reinvestment plan, notice of termination must be received by the Plan Administrator five business days in advance of the first calendar day of the next month in order for a shareholder’s termination to be effective for such month. Any transfer of Common Shares by a participant to a non-participant will terminate participation in the distribution reinvestment plan with respect to the transferred shares. If a participant elects to tender its Common Shares in full and such full tender is accepted by the Fund, any Common Shares issued to the participant under the distribution reinvestment plan subsequent to the expiration of the tender offer will be considered part of the participant’s prior tender, and participant’s participation in the distribution reinvestment plan will be terminated as of the expiration date of the applicable tender offer. Any distributions to be paid to such shareholder on or after such date will be paid in cash on the scheduled distribution payment date.

If you elect to opt out of the distribution reinvestment plan, you will receive any distributions we declare in cash. There will be no upfront selling commissions or Placement Agent fees charged to you if you participate in the distribution reinvestment plan. We will pay the Plan Administrator fees under the distribution reinvestment plan. If your Common Shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary, you may change your election by notifying your broker or other financial intermediary of your election.

Any purchases of our Common Shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan are dependent on the continued registration of our securities or the availability of an exemption from registration in the recipient’s home state.

The purchase price for shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such Common Shares at the time the distribution is payable. Common Shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan will have the same voting rights as the Common Shares offered pursuant to this Registration Statement. Shareholders will not pay transaction related charges when purchasing Common Shares under our distribution reinvestment plan.

Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

As of [   ], the Fund had sold $[   ] of limited partnership interests. In connection with the Fund’s expectation to convert to a Delaware statutory trust at the time of the BDC Election Date, the Fund’s limited partnership interests will be converted into shares of beneficial interest and each limited partner will become a shareholder by operation of law.

Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered.

The following description is based on relevant portions of Delaware law and on our Declaration of Trust and bylaws. This summary is not necessarily complete, and we refer you to Delaware law, our Declaration of Trust and our bylaws for a more detailed description of the provisions summarized below.

General

The terms of the Declaration of Trust authorize an unlimited number of Common Shares of any class, par value $0.01 per share, of which [ ] shares were outstanding as of [ ], and an unlimited number of shares of preferred shares, par value $0.01 per share. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Board may classify or reclassify any unissued Common Shares into one or more classes or series of Common Shares or preferred shares by setting or changing the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, or limitations as to dividends, qualifications, or terms or conditions of redemption of the Common Shares. There is currently no market for our Common Shares, and we can offer no assurances that a market for our Common Shares will develop in the future. We do not intend for the Common Shares offered under this Registration Statement to be listed on any national securities exchange. There are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase our Common Shares. No shares have been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans. Under the terms of our Declaration of Trust, shareholders shall be entitled to the same limited liability extended to shareholders of private Delaware for profit corporations formed under the Delaware General Corporation Law, 8 Del. C. § 100, et. seq. Our Declaration of Trust provides that no shareholder shall be liable for any debt, claim, demand, judgment or obligation of any kind of, against or with respect to us by reason of being a shareholder, nor shall any shareholder be subject to any personal liability whatsoever,

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in tort, contract or otherwise, to any person in connection with the Fund’s assets or the affairs of the Fund by reason of being a shareholder.

None of our Common Shares are subject to further calls or to assessments, sinking fund provisions, obligations of the Fund or potential liabilities associated with ownership of the security (not including investment risks). In addition, except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of any class or series of Common Shares, no shareholder shall be entitled to exercise appraisal rights in connection with any transaction.

Outstanding Securities

Title of Class	Amount Authorized	Amount Held by Fund for its Account	Amount Outstanding as of [ ]
Common Shares	Unlimited	—	[   ]

Common Shares

Under the terms of our Declaration of Trust, all Common Shares will have equal rights as to voting and, when they are issued, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Dividends and distributions may be paid to the holders of our Common Shares if, as and when authorized by our Board and declared by us out of funds legally available therefore. Except as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares, our Common Shares will have no preemptive, exchange, conversion, appraisal or redemption rights and will be freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract and except that, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as “plan assets,” we may require any person proposing to acquire Common Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is a benefit plan investor or a controlling person, restrict or prohibit transfers of such Common Shares or redeem any outstanding Common Shares for such price and on such other terms and conditions as may be determined by or at the direction of the Board. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our Common Shares would be entitled to share pro rata in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred shares, if any preferred shares are outstanding at such time. Subject to the rights of holders of any other class or series of Common Shares, each share of our Common Shares will be entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, including the election of Trustees. Except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares, and subject to the express terms of any class or series of preferred shares, the holders of our Common Shares will possess exclusive voting power. There will be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. Subject to the special rights of the holders of any class or series of preferred shares to elect Trustees, each Trustee will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast with respect to such Trustee’s election except in the case of a “contested election” (as defined in our bylaws), in which case Trustees will be elected by a majority of the votes cast in the contested election of Trustees. Pursuant to our Declaration of Trust, our Board may amend the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect Trustees.

Preferred Shares

This offering does not include an offering of preferred shares. However, under the terms of the Declaration of Trust, our Board may authorize us to issue preferred shares in one or more classes or series without shareholder approval, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Board has the power to fix the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of each class or series of preferred shares. We do not currently anticipate issuing preferred shares within the first year after the effective date of this Registration Statement. In the event we issue preferred shares, we will make any required disclosure to shareholders. We will not offer preferred shares to the Adviser or our affiliates except on the same terms as offered to all other shareholders.

Preferred shares could be issued with terms that would adversely affect the shareholders, provided that we may not issue any preferred shares that would limit or subordinate the voting rights of holders of our Common Shares. Preferred shares could also be used as an anti-takeover device through the issuance of Common Shares of a class or series of preferred shares with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control. Every issuance of preferred shares will be required to comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act requires, among other things, that: (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to common shares and before any purchase of common shares is made, such preferred shares together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our total assets

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after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred shares, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class voting separately to elect two Trustees at all times and to elect a majority of the Trustees if distributions on such preferred shares are in arrears by two full years or more. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of preferred shares (as determined in accordance with the 1940 Act) voting together as a separate class. For example, the vote of such holders of preferred shares would be required to approve a proposal involving a plan of reorganization adversely affecting such securities.

The issuance of any preferred shares must be approved by a majority of our Independent Trustees not otherwise interested in the transaction, who will have access, at our expense, to our legal counsel or to independent legal counsel.

Limitation on Liability of Trustees and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses

Delaware law permits a Delaware statutory trust to include in its declaration of trust a provision to indemnify and hold harmless any trustee or beneficial owner or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever. Our Declaration of Trust provides that our Trustees will not be liable to us or our shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a trustee to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Our Declaration of Trust provides for the indemnification of any person to the full extent permitted, and in the manner provided, by Delaware law. In accordance with the 1940 Act, we will not indemnify certain persons for any liability to which such persons would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

Pursuant to our Declaration of Trust and subject to certain exceptions described therein, we will indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any individual who is a present or former Trustee or officer of the Fund and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (ii) any individual who, while a Trustee or officer of the Fund and at the request of the Fund, serves or has served as a trustee, officer, partner or trustee of any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity (each such person, an “Indemnitee”), in each case to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not provide indemnification for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by an Indemnitee unless (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations, (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction, or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the Indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.

In addition, the Declaration of Trust permits the Fund to advance reasonable expenses to an Indemnitee, and we will do so in advance of final disposition of a proceeding (a) if the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on behalf of the Fund, and (b) upon the Fund’s receipt of (i) a written affirmation by the trustee or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Fund and (ii) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Fund, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

Delaware Law and Certain Declaration of Trust Provisions

Organization and Duration

We were formed on November 27, 2023, as a Delaware limited partnership and expect to convert to a Delaware statutory trust effective on the BDC Election Date. We will remain in existence until dissolved in accordance with our Declaration of Trust or pursuant to Delaware law.

Purpose

Under the Declaration of Trust, we are permitted to engage in any business activity that lawfully may be conducted by a statutory trust organized under Delaware law and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon us pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity.

Our Declaration of Trust contains provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. Our Board may, without shareholder action, authorize the issuance of Common Shares in one or more classes or series, including preferred shares; our Board may, without shareholder action, amend our Declaration of Trust to increase the number of our Common Shares, of any class or series, that we will have authority to issue. These provisions are expected

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to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our Board. We believe that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.

Number of Trustees; Vacancies; Removal

Our Declaration of Trust provides that the number of Trustees will be set by our Board in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire Board may at any time increase or decrease the number of Trustees. Our Declaration of Trust provides that the number of Trustees generally may not be less than [three]. Except as otherwise required by applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred shares, pursuant to an election under our Declaration of Trust, any and all vacancies on our Board may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Trustees in office, even if the remaining Trustees do not constitute a quorum, and any Trustee elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the Trustee for whom the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualified, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Independent Trustees will nominate replacements for any vacancies among the Independent Trustees’ positions.

Our Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee may be removed without cause upon the vote of a majority of then-outstanding Common Shares.

We have a total of [ ] members of our Board, [ ] of whom are Independent Trustees. Our Declaration of Trust provides that a majority of our Board must be Independent Trustees except for a period of up to 60 days after the death, removal or resignation of an Independent Trustee pending the election of his or her successor. Each Trustee will hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified.

Action by Shareholders

The shareholders will only have voting rights as required by the 1940 Act or as otherwise provided for in the Declaration of Trust. Special meetings of shareholders may be called in the manner provided in the bylaws, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees or the President, and will be limited to the purposes for any such special meeting set forth in the notice thereof. In addition, our Declaration of Trust provides that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the shareholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of shareholders will be called by the secretary of the Fund to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders upon the written request of shareholders entitled to cast not less than 51% of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting. Notice of any special meeting called by such shareholders will be sent to all shareholders within 10 days of the receipt of the written request and the special meeting will be held at the time and place specified in the shareholder request not less than 15 days nor more than 60 days after we are provided notice by such shareholders of the request for a special meeting; provided, however, that if no time or place is so specified in the shareholder request, at such time and place convenient to the shareholder. If there are no Trustees, the officers of the Fund will promptly call a special meeting of the shareholders entitled to vote for the election of successor Trustees. Any meeting may be adjourned and reconvened as the Board may determine or as otherwise provided in the bylaws. These provisions will have the effect of significantly reducing the ability of shareholders being able to have proposals considered at a meeting of shareholders.

With respect to special meetings of shareholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board at a special meeting may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the Board or (3) provided that the Board has determined that Trustees will be elected at the meeting, by a shareholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the Declaration of Trust.

Our Declaration of Trust also provides that the following actions may be taken by the shareholders, without concurrence by our Board or the Adviser, upon a vote by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares entitled to vote to:

• modify the Declaration of Trust;

• remove the Adviser or appoint a new investment adviser;

• dissolve the Fund; or

• sell all or substantially all of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business.

The purpose of requiring shareholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our Board a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our Board, to inform shareholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of shareholders. Although our Declaration of Trust

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does not give our Board any power to disapprove shareholder nominations for the election of Trustees or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of Trustees or the consideration of shareholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of trustees or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our shareholders.

Our Adviser may not, without the approval of a vote by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares entitled to vote on such matters:

• amend the Declaration of Trust;

• amend the Advisory Agreement except for amendments that would not adversely affect the rights of our shareholders;

• except as otherwise permitted under the Advisory Agreement, voluntarily withdraw as our investment adviser unless such withdrawal would not affect our tax status and would not materially adversely affect our shareholders;

• appoint a new investment adviser (other than a sub-adviser pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement and applicable law);

• sell all or substantially all of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business; or

• cause the merger or similar reorganization of the Fund.

Amendment of the Declaration of Trust and Bylaws

Our Declaration of Trust provides that shareholders are entitled to vote upon a proposed amendment to the Declaration of Trust if the amendment would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Common Shares held by such shareholders so as to affect them adversely. Approval of any such amendment requires at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. In addition, amendments to our Declaration of Trust to make our Common Shares a “redeemable security” or to convert the Fund, whether by merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company each must be approved by (a) the affirmative vote of shareholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter and (b) the affirmative vote of shareholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter upon and following the occurrence of a listing of any class of our Common Shares on a national securities exchange.

Our Declaration of Trust provides that our Board has the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws and to make new bylaws. Except as described above and for certain provisions of our Declaration of Trust relating to shareholder voting and the removal of Trustees, our Declaration of Trust provides that our Board may amend our Declaration of Trust without any vote of our shareholders.

Actions by the Board Related to Merger, Conversion, Reorganization or Dissolution

The Board may, without the approval of holders of our outstanding Common Shares, approve a merger, conversion, consolidation or other reorganization of the Fund, provided that the resulting entity is a business development company under the 1940 Act. The Fund will not permit the Adviser to cause any other form of merger or other reorganization of the Fund without the affirmative vote by the holders of more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding Common Shares of the Fund entitled to vote on the matter. The Fund may be dissolved at any time, without the approval of holders of our outstanding Common Shares, upon affirmative vote by a majority of the Trustees.

Derivative Actions

No person, other than a Trustee, who is not a shareholder shall be entitled to bring any derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Fund. No shareholder may maintain a derivative action on behalf of the Fund unless a certain percentage of the outstanding Common Shares, as disclosed in the Declaration of Trust, join in the bringing of such action. The requirement for ten percent (10%) of the outstanding Common Shares to join in a derivative action does not apply to claims arising under the federal and state securities laws.

In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, a shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Fund only if the following conditions are met: (i) the shareholder or shareholders must make a pre-

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suit demand upon the Board to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Board to bring such an action is not likely to succeed; and a demand on the Board shall only be deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused if a majority of the Board, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, is composed of Board who are not “Independent Trustees” (as that term is defined in the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute); and (ii) unless a demand is not required under clause (i) above, the Board must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim; and the Board shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisers in considering the merits of the request and may require an undertaking by the shareholders making such request to reimburse the Fund for the expense of any such advisers in the event that the Board determine not to bring such action. For purposes of this paragraph, the Board may designate a committee of one or more Trustees to consider a shareholder demand.

Exclusive Delaware Jurisdiction

Each Trustee, each officer and each person legally or beneficially owning a share or an interest in a share of the Fund (whether through a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing or otherwise), to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, (i) irrevocably agrees that any claims, suits, actions or proceedings asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs (or similar) doctrine or arising out of or relating in any way to the Fund, the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or the Declaration of Trust (including, without limitation, any claims, suits, actions or proceedings) to interpret, apply or enforce (A) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, (B) the duties (including fiduciary duties), obligations or liabilities of the Fund to the shareholders or the Board, or of officers or the Board to the Fund, to the shareholders or each other, (C) the rights or powers of, or restrictions on, the Fund, the officers, the Board or the shareholders, (D) any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or other laws of the State of Delaware pertaining to trusts made applicable to the Fund pursuant to Section 3809 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or (E) any other instrument, document, agreement or certificate contemplated by any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or the Declaration of Trust relating in any way to the Fund (regardless, in each case, of whether such claims, suits, actions or proceedings (x) sound in contract, tort, fraud or otherwise, (y) are based on common law, statutory, equitable, legal or other grounds or (z) are derivative or direct claims), shall be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, (ii) irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such claim, suit, action or proceeding, (iii) irrevocably agrees not to, and waives any right to, assert in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding that (A) it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such courts or any other court to which proceedings in such courts may be appealed, (B) such claim, suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or (C) the venue of such claim, suit, action or proceeding is improper, (iv) consents to process being served in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding by mailing, certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy thereof to such party at the address in effect for notices hereunder, and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof; provided, nothing in clause (iv) hereof shall affect or limit any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law and (v) irrevocably waives any and all right to trial by jury in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding. Nothing disclosed in this section will apply to any claims, suits, actions or proceedings asserting a claim brought under federal securities laws or state securities laws.

Access to Records

Any shareholder will be permitted access to all of our records to which they are entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable copying charge. Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, our shareholders are entitled to inspect and copy the following corporate documents: (i) our Declaration of Trust; (ii) our bylaws; (iii) a current list of shareholders; and (iv) information regarding our business and financial condition. A shareholder may also request access to any other corporate records, which may be evaluated solely in the discretion of our Board. Inspection of our records by the office or agency administering the securities laws of a jurisdiction will be provided upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours. An alphabetical list of the names, addresses and business telephone numbers of our shareholders, along with the number of Common Shares held by each of them, will be maintained as part of our books and records and will be available for inspection by any shareholder or the shareholder’s designated agent at our office. The shareholder list will be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. A copy of the list will be mailed to any shareholder who requests the list within ten days of the request. A shareholder may request a copy of the shareholder list for any proper and legitimate purpose, including, without limitation, in connection with matters relating to voting rights and the exercise of shareholder rights under federal proxy laws. A shareholder requesting a list will be required to pay reasonable costs of postage and duplication. Such copy of the shareholder list shall be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in readily readable type size (no smaller than 10 point font).

A shareholder may also request access to any other corporate records. If a proper request for the shareholder list or any other corporate records is not honored, then the requesting shareholder will be entitled to recover certain costs incurred in compelling the production of the list or other requested corporate records as well as actual damages suffered by reason of the refusal or failure to produce the list. However, a shareholder will not have the right to, and we may require a requesting shareholder to represent that it will not, secure the shareholder list or other information for the purpose of selling or using the list for a commercial purpose not related to the

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requesting shareholder’s interest in our affairs. We may also require that such shareholder sign a confidentiality agreement in connection with the request.

Conflict with the 1940 Act

Our Declaration of Trust provides that, if and to the extent that any provision of Delaware law, or any provision of our Declaration of Trust conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act will control.

Item 12. Indemnification of Trustees and Officers.

See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered – Limitation on Liability of Trustees and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses.”

So long as we are regulated under the 1940 Act, the above indemnification and limitation of liability is limited by the 1940 Act or by any valid rule, regulation or order of the SEC thereunder. The 1940 Act provides, among other things, that a company may not indemnify any trustee or officer against liability to it or its security holders to which he or she might otherwise be subject by reason of his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office unless a determination is made by final decision of a court, by vote of a majority of a quorum of trustees who are disinterested, non-party trustees or by independent legal counsel that the liability for which indemnification is sought did not arise out of the foregoing conduct. [In addition, we have obtained liability insurance for our officers and Trustees.]

Item 13. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

[To be filed by amendment.]

Item 14. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

There are not and have not been any disagreements between the Fund and its accountant on any matter of accounting principles, practices, or financial statement disclosure.

Item 15. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(a) List separately all financial statements filed

The financial statements included in this Registration Statement are listed above in “Item 13. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

(b) Exhibits

Number	Exhibit
3.1	Certificate of Limited Partnership*
3.2	Amendment to the Certificate of Limited Partnership*
3.3	Certificate of Trust**
3.4	Declaration of Trust**

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Number	Exhibit
3.3	Bylaws**
10.1	Form of Subscription Agreement for Capital Commitments**
10.2	Investment Advisory Agreement**
10.3	Administration Agreement**
10.4	Sub-Administration Agreement**
10.5	Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement**
10.6	[Custodian Agreement, dated [   ], by and between the Fund and [   ]**]
10.7	Transfer Agent Agreement**
10.8	Credit Facility Agreement**
10.9	Distribution Reinvestment Plan**
10.10	Form of Placement Agent Agreement**
10.11	[Distribution and Servicing Plan]**
21.1	List of Subsidiaries: Lord Abbett Private Credit Funding 1, LLC.

*	Filed herewith.
**	To be filed by amendment.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

		Lord Abbett Private Credit Fund 1, LP
Date: August 5, 2024	By:	/s/ Randolph A. Stuzin
	Name:	Randolph A. Stuzin
	Title:	Authorized Person