Exhibit (h)(2)

[Form of Underwriting Agreement]

New Mountain Finance Corporation

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share



Underwriting Agreement

March 20, 2013

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC,
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

As representatives (the "Representatives") of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,

c/o
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
200 West Street
New York, New York 10282

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          New Mountain Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters"), an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Stock") of the Company, and New Mountain Finance AIV Holdings Corporation (the "Selling Stockholder") proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of Stock of the Company (collectively, the "Firm Shares"). In addition, the Selling Stockholder proposes to sell, at the election of the Underwriters, up to an additional 900,000 shares of Stock of the Company (the "Optional Shares"). The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares are herein referred to collectively as the "Shares."

          On May 19, 2011, each of the Company and New Mountain Finance Holdings, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company ("NMF LLC" and, together with the Company, the "NMF Funds"), filed a Form N-54A Notification of Election to be Subject to Sections 55 through 65 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (File Nos. 814-00832 and 814-00839, respectively) (collectively, the "Notifications of Election") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the "Investment Company Act"), pursuant to which each of the NMF Funds elected to be treated as a business development company ("BDC").

          The Company has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company ("RIC") (within the meaning of Section 851(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code")), commencing with its taxable year ending on December 31, 2011. NMF LLC has been treated, and intends to continue to be treated, as a partnership or a disregarded entity (rather than an association or partnership taxable as a corporation) for federal income tax purposes.

          NMF LLC has entered into an amended and restated investment advisory and management agreement, dated as of May 8, 2012 (the "Investment Management Agreement"), with New Mountain Finance Advisers BDC, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the "Adviser"), which has registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the "Advisers Act").


          Each of the NMF Funds has jointly entered into an amended and restated administration agreement, dated as of November 8, 2011, (the "Administration Agreement"), with New Mountain Finance Administration, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the "Administrator").

          Each of the NMF Funds has jointly entered into a trademark license agreement, dated as of May 19, 2011, as amended by Amendment No. 1, dated November 8, 2011 (the "License Agreement"), with the New Mountain Capital, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company ("New Mountain").

          NMF LLC has entered into a safekeeping agreement, dated as of May 19, 2011 (the "Safekeeping Agreement"), with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

          The Company entered into a joinder agreement, dated May 19, 2011 (the "Company Joinder Agreement"), to the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of NMF LLC, dated May 19, 2011, as amended by Amendment No. 1, dated November 8, 2011 (the "NMF LLC Agreement").

          The Company entered into a registration rights agreement, dated May 19, 2011, by and among the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Adviser (the "Registration Rights Agreement")

          For purposes of this Agreement, the Company Joinder Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Administration Agreement and the License Agreement are collectively referred to as the "Company Agreements;" and the NMF LLC Agreement, the Company Joinder Agreement, the Investment Management Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the License Agreement and the Safekeeping Agreement are collectively referred to as the "NMF LLC Agreements."

          1.      Each of the NMF Funds, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to and agree with each of the Underwriters, and the Adviser and the Administrator, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to and agree with each of the Underwriters, that:

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          2.      The Adviser and the Administrator, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to, and agree with, the Underwriters that:

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          3.      The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:

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          4.      Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth:

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          (B)    Each of the Adviser and the Administrator agrees with each of the Underwriters not to take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which could reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Shares.

          8.      Each of the NMF Funds and the Selling Stockholder agrees with each of the Underwriters that, during the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 60 days after the date of the Prospectus (the "Lock-Up Period"), not to (i) offer, sell,

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contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, exchange, convert, make any short sale or otherwise dispose, except as provided hereunder, of any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Stock, or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock, including membership interests in NMF LLC or any such substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan described in the Pricing Prospectus) or (ii) publicly announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i), without the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the NMF Funds release earnings results or announce material news or a material event or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the NMF Funds announce that it will release earnings results during the 15-day period following the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be automatically extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the announcement of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless each of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC waives, in writing, such extension; the NMF Funds will provide Goldman, Sachs & Co., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, each holder of Stock (including, but not limited to, the Selling Stockholder) and each holder of common membership units of NMF LLC subject to the Lock-Up Period pursuant to the lockup letters attached as Exhibit A with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-up Period.

          9.      The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representatives, (i) it will not distribute any offering material other than the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, and (ii) it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a "free writing prospectus" as defined in Rule 405 under the Act and which the parties agree, for the purposes of this Agreement, includes (x) any "advertisement" as defined in Rule 482 under the Act; and (y) any sales literature, materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including any in-person roadshow or investor presentations (including slides and scripts relating thereto) made to investors by or on behalf of the Company (the materials and information referred to in this Section 8 are herein referred to as an "Additional Disclosure Item"); any Additional Disclosure Item the use of which has been consented to by the Representatives is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto; and the Selling Stockholder represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus.

          10.    Each of the NMF Funds jointly and severally covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters, and the Selling Stockholder covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters (a) that the NMF Funds and the Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid their respective applicable portion of the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus, and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum and closing documents (including any compilations thereof) in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 7A(b) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey;

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(iv) to the extent applicable, all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the Exchange; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (viii) all "road show" expenses of the Company (provided that the NMF Funds, together with the Selling Stockholder, will pay fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate cost of any private aircraft used in connection with such "road show" presentations, if any) and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of any of the NMF Funds, the Adviser and the Administrator of their obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section; and (b) that the Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of such Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including (i) any fees and expenses of counsel for such Selling Stockholder and (ii) all expenses and taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder. In connection with clause (ii) of the proceeding sentence, the Representatives agree to pay New York State stock transfer tax, and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse the Representatives for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 12, 13 and 15 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

          11.    The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder shall have performed all of their respective obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

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          12.    Indemnification.

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          13.    (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and the Selling Stockholder that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company or Selling Stockholder notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you, the Company or the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be

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made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

          14.    The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator, the Selling Stockholder and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or any of the NMF Funds, or the Selling Stockholder, or any officer or director or controlling person of any of the NMF Funds, or any controlling person of the Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

          15.    If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 13 hereof, each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 10 and 12, hereof; provided, if for any other reason, other than the occurrence of an event provided in Section 11(h) hereof, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, each of the NMF Funds, jointly and severally, will reimburse the Underwriters through you for their allocable portion of all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered by the NMF Funds, but each of the NMF Funds shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 10 and 12 hereof; provided, further, if for any other reason, other than the occurrence of an event provided in Section 11(h) hereof, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder as provided herein, the Selling Stockholder will reimburse the Underwriters through you for its allocable portion of all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel,

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reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered by the Selling Stockholder, but the Selling Stockholder shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter, except as provided in Sections 10 and 12 hereof.

          16.    In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC on behalf of you as the representatives.

          All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:

          Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

          In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including any of the NMF Funds and the Selling Stockholder, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

          17.    This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder and, to the extent provided in Sections 12 and 14 hereof, the officers and directors of each of the NMF Funds and each person who controls any of the NMF Funds, the Selling Stockholder or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of

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any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

          18.    Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

          19.    Each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder hereby acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm's-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor any of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator or the Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising any of the NMF Funds or the Selling Stockholder on other matters) or any other obligation to any of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator or the Selling Stockholder except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. Each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to any of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator or the Selling Stockholder in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

          20.    This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

          21.    THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

          22.    Each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator, the Selling Stockholder and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

          23.    This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

          24.    Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, each of the NMF Funds and the Selling Stockholder is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to any of the NMF Funds and the Selling Stockholder relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, "tax structure" is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

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          25.    Except as set forth below, no claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (a "Claim") may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder each consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. Each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder each hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against any Underwriter or any indemnified party. Each Underwriter and each of the NMF Funds (each on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder (each on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its members and affiliates) each waive all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. Each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder each agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which any of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator or the Selling Stockholder each is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

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          If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us five counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and each of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Selling Stockholder. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to any of the NMF Funds, the Adviser, the Administrator or the Selling Stockholder for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 
   
   
   
    Very truly yours,

 

 

New Mountain Finance Corporation

 

 

By:

 

 

        Name:    
        Title:    

 

 

New Mountain Finance Holdings, L.L.C.

 

 

By:

 

 

        Name:    
        Title:    

 

 

New Mountain Finance Advisers BDC, L.L.C.

 

 

By:

 

  

        Name:    
        Title:    

 

 

New Mountain Finance Administration, L.L.C.

 

 

By:

 

  

        Name:    
        Title:    

 

 

New Mountain Finance AIV Holdings Corporation

 

 

By:

 

  

        Name:    
        Title:    

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Accepted as of the date hereof:

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.

By:

 

  


 

 
    Name:        
    Title:        

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC

By:

 

 


 

 
    Name:        
    Title:        

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

By:

 

  


 

 
    Name:        
    Title:        

As Representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto

 

 

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SCHEDULE I

Underwriter
 
Total Number of Firm
Shares to be
Purchased from the
Company
 
Total Number of Firm
Shares to be
Purchased from the
Selling Stockholder
 
Number of
Optional Shares
to be Purchased
if Maximum
Option Exercised
 

Goldman, Sachs & Co. 

    600,000     1,200,000     270,000  

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

    600,000     1,200,000     270,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

    400,000     800,000     180,000  

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

    110,000     220,000     49,500  

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. 

    110,000     220,000     49,500  

BB&T Capital Markets,
a division of BB&T Securities, LLC

    60,000     120,000     27,000  

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

    60,000     120,000     27,000  

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 

    60,000     120,000     27,000  
               

Total

    2,000,000     4,000,000     900,000  
               

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SCHEDULE II

          (a)     Additional Disclosure Item:

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