On Feb. 12, 2013, the Investment Division of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) released its SBIC TechNote 17 providing insight on the criteria the SBA considers in determining whether a Person has “Common Control” over two or more SBIC Funds. Common Control affects maximum leverage eligibility, since two or more funds under Common Control are limited to a maximum aggregate outstanding leverage of $225 million, while a single fund is allowed up to $150 million of outstanding leverage.
Common Control is defined as “a condition where two or more Persons, either through ownership, management, contract, or otherwise, are under the Control of one group or Person.” Control is defined as “the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Licensee or other concern, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.”
Control may be triggered by ownership, ability to impact fund management or investment decisions, or other factors. The SBA will determine whether the Person has Control in each SBIC Fund based on the totality of the circumstances, although the SBA will generally consider a Person to have Control if any of the following circumstances exist:
In determining whether a Person has Control, the SBA will also consider other relevant factors, including but not limited to:
The private equity practice group at McGuireWoods LLP is dedicated to keeping clients advised of new legislative and business developments as they occur. If you have any questions regarding these issues, please feel free to contact Mark A. Kromkowski (312.849.8170), Bryan P. Bylica (312.750.3617), your primary attorney at McGuireWoods LLP, or any of the authors.