Portman Ridge Finance Corp

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

The Company is not currently a party to any material legal proceedings except as set forth below.

HCAP and certain of its officers and directors as well as JMP Group LLC were named as defendants in two putative stockholder class action lawsuits, both filed in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, captioned Stewart Thompson v. Joseph Jolson, et al., Case No. 2021-0164 and Ronald Tornese v. Joseph Jolson, et al., Case No. 2021-0167 (the “Delaware Actions”). The complaints in the Delaware Actions allege certain breaches of fiduciary duties against the defendants as well as aiding and abetting claims against JMP Group LLC and HCAP’s Chief Executive Officer concerning HCAP’s proposed merger with the Company and Acquisition Sub that resulted in the merger with and into the Company.

On June 9, 2021, HCAP merged with and into the Company with the Company as the surviving corporation. As a result, the Company became responsible for any claims against HCAP as well as for any advancement and/or indemnification owed to the former officers and directors of HCAP. On or about May 10, 2022, plaintiffs in the Delaware Actions filed a consolidated amended complaint seeking damages against defendants for allegedly breaching their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed merger. On or about May 31, 2022, defendants moved to dismiss the Delaware Actions.

Thereafter, in December 2022, plaintiffs in the Delaware Action again amended their complaint, and defendants again moved to dismiss the Delaware Action. On June 7, 2023, the Court heard oral argument on defendants’ motions to dismiss. The Court dismissed all claims against HCAP’s former independent directors but denied the motions of the remaining defendants.

On February 26, 2024, the parties in the Delaware Action entered into a stipulation of settlement pursuant to which all claims will be dismissed with prejudice, subject to approval by the Court. The Company will not be responsible for paying any portion of the settlement amount, either directly or through indemnification of former officers or directors of HCAP. A settlement hearing is scheduled for July 2, 2024.