EXHIBIT 14.1
ATEL CAPITAL GROUP
CODE OF ETHICS FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND CHIEF
ACCOUNTING OFFICER
A. SCOPE.
This ATEL Capital Group Code of Ethics is applicable to the ATEL Capital Group's
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Accounting
Officer, or persons acting in such capacity (collectively the "Covered
Officers"), each of whom acts in such capacity on behalf of its affiliate, ATEL
Financial Services, LLC, which is the general partner or manager, as the case
may be, of each of the public limited partnerships and limited liability
companies sponsored by the Company. ATEL Capital Group is referred to herein as
the "Company," ATEL Financial Services, LLC is referred to as "AFS" and the
sponsored limited partnerships and limited liability companies are referred to
herein as the "Funds" and each of them as a "Fund." The board of directors of
ATEL Leasing Corporation ("ALC"), an affiliate of the Company that serves as the
managing member of ATEL Financial Services, LLC, ("AFS") the manager or general
partner of each of the Funds, is the first board of directors in management
succession for each Fund.
Accordingly, under the Securities and Exchange Commission's interpretation of
its disclosure rules, the ATEL Leasing Corporation board of directors functions
as the de facto audit committee for each Fund with respect to all procedural and
disclosure requirements applicable to audit committees under Securities and
Exchange Commission rules. The Company's Board of Directors shall have oversight
responsibility over the activities of ALC's Board of Directors for purposes of
this Code of Ethics.
B. PURPOSE.
The Company is proud of the values with which it and its subsidiaries and
affiliates conduct business. It has and will continue to uphold the highest
levels of business ethics and personal integrity in all types of transactions
and interactions. To this end, this Code of Ethics serves to (1) emphasize the
Company's commitment to ethics and compliance with the law; (2) set forth basic
standards of ethical and legal behavior; (3) provide reporting mechanisms for
known or suspected ethical or legal violations; and (4) help prevent and detect
wrongdoing. This Code of Ethics is intended to augment and supplement the
standard of ethics and business conduct expected of all Company employees, and
its limitation to Covered Officers is not intended to limit the obligation of
all Company employees to adhere to the highest standards of business ethics and
integrity in all transactions and interactions conducted while in the Company's
employ.
Given the variety and complexity of ethical questions that may arise in the
course of business of the Company and its subsidiaries, this Code of Ethics
serves only as a rough guide. Confronted with ethically ambiguous situations,
the Covered Officers should remember the Company's commitment to the highest
ethical standards and seek independent advice, where necessary, to ensure that
all actions they take on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries honor this
commitment.
C. ETHICS STANDARDS.
1. Honest and Ethical Conduct.
The Covered Officers shall behave honestly and ethically at all times and with
all people. They shall act in good faith, with due care, and shall engage only
in fair and open competition, by treating ethically competitors, suppliers,
customers, and colleagues. They shall not misrepresent facts or engage in
illegal, unethical, or anti-competitive practices for personal or professional
gain.
2. Conflicts of Interest.
This fundamental standard of honest and ethical conduct extends to the handling
of conflicts of interest. The Covered Officers shall avoid any actual,
potential, or apparent conflicts of interest with the Company and its
subsidiaries and affiliates, including the Funds, and any personal activities,
investments, or associations that might give rise to such conflicts. They shall
not compete with or use the Company, any of its subsidiaries or a Fund for
personal gain, self-deal, or take advantage of corporate or Fund opportunities.
They shall act on behalf of the Company, its subsidiaries and the Funds free
from improper influence or the appearance of improper influence on their
judgment or performance of duties. A Covered Officer shall disclose any material
transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to
such a conflict to the Company's General Counsel or a member of the Company's
Board of Directors. The board of directors of ATEL Leasing Corporation ("ALC"),
an affiliate of the Company that serves as the managing member of ATEL Financial
Services, LLC, ("AFS") the manager or general partner of each of the Funds, is
the first board of directors in management succession for each Fund.
1
Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is understood, as fully disclosed in the
offering documents for each Fund, that AFS as manager or general partner of the
Fund has certain inherent conflicts of interest. The provisions of each Fund's
Operating Agreement or Limited Partnership Agreement have been drafted to
address the obligations, restrictions and limitations on the power and authority
of AFS to manage each Fund's affairs, including restrictions prohibiting or
limiting the terms of any transactions in which conflicts of interest may arise.
Furthermore, AFS has a fiduciary duty to each Fund as its manager or general
partner. It is therefore expressly understood by the Company and the Covered
Officers that any and all actions by AFS and its personnel that comply with the
provisions of a Fund's Operating Agreement or Limited Partnership Agreement, as
the case may be, and are consistent with AFS's fiduciary duty to the Fund, will
not be considered material transactions or relationships which require
disclosure or reporting under this Code of Ethics.
3. Timely and Truthful Disclosure.
In reports and documents filed with or submitted to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and other regulators by the Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates
or a Fund, and in other public communications made by the Company, its
subsidiaries or affiliates or a Fund, the Covered Officers shall make
disclosures that are full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable. The
Covered Officers shall provide thorough and accurate financial and accounting
data for inclusion in such disclosures. The Covered Officers shall not knowingly
conceal or falsify information, misrepresent material facts, or omit material
facts necessary to avoid misleading the Company's, any of its subsidiaries' or
affiliates' or a Fund's independent public auditors or investors.
4. Legal Compliance.
In conducting the business of the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates and
the Funds, the Covered Officers shall comply with applicable governmental laws,
rules, and regulations at all levels of government in the United States and in
any non-U.S. jurisdiction in which the Company, any of its affiliates or
subsidiaries or a Fund does business, as well as applicable rules and
regulations of self-regulatory organizations of which the Company, any of its
affiliates or subsidiaries or a Fund is a member. If the Covered Officer is
unsure whether a particular action would violate an applicable law, rule, or
regulation, he or she should seek the advice of inside counsel (if available),
and, where necessary, outside counsel before undertaking it.
D. VIOLATIONS OF ETHICAL STANDARDS.
1. Reporting Known or Suspected Violations.
The Covered Officers will promptly bring to the attention of the Company's
General Counsel or the Board of Directors any information concerning a material
violation of any of the laws, rules or regulations applicable to the Company and
the operation of its businesses, by the Company or any agent thereof, or of
violation of this Code of Ethics. The Company's General Counsel will investigate
reports of violations and the findings communicated to the Company's Board of
Directors.
2. Accountability for Violations.
If the Company's Board of Directors determines that this Code of Ethics has been
violated, either directly, by failure to report a violation, or by withholding
information related to a violation, it may discipline the offending Covered
Officer for non-compliance with penalties up to and including termination of
employment. Violations of this Code of Ethics may also constitute violations of
law and may result in criminal penalties and civil liabilities for the offending
Covered Officer and the Company, its subsidiaries, affiliates or a Fund.
2