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NexPoint Raises Concerns About UDF IV Board Allowing Millions in Management Fees to Enrich Former UDF Executives Imprisoned for Fraud

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Current Trustees Continue to Protect the Interests of the Board, UDF Management, and the Largest Borrower at Shareholders’ ExpenseShareholders Should Not Be Misled by UDF IV’s Ongoing Attempts to Deflect from the Board’s Egregious Actions

DALLAS, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NexPoint Real Estate Opportunities, LLC (together with its affiliates “NexPoint”) today provided an update on United Development Funding IV (“UDF IV” or the “Company”). NexPoint notes that UDF IV’s current Board of Trustees continues to deflect attention from the Board’s egregious actions and the Company’s underperformance by pushing false and misleading narratives about NexPoint. Shareholders should instead focus on the ongoing conduct of this Board and recognize the need for wholesale change; otherwise, questionable actions by UDF IV management, the Board, and the Company’s largest borrower, Mehrdad Moayedi, are unlikely to be investigated and remedied.

NexPoint nominated four highly regarded real estate and finance industry professionals to replace the current independent Trustees on the UDF IV Board. These accomplished individuals bring relevant industry expertise and governance experience at both public and private companies to their candidacy. If elected, NexPoint’s nominees are committed to working on behalf of shareholders to enact critical change, establish accountability and transparency, and recover value and liquidity at UDF IV. This includes thoroughly investigating any improper transactions and, where available, pursuing recoveries of misused funds for the benefit of all shareholders.

Shareholders Should Note Major Red Flags from Current Board of Trustees:

UDF IV’s current Board of Trustees does not want you to know that the management fees it continues to approve for UDF’s advisor—over $10 million in the last two years—enrich former UDF executives who are currently in federal prison for committing fraud against UDF IV shareholders. Not only do the convicted felons inordinately profit from UDF IV’s advisory agreement, but the advisory fees appear even more unfounded considering the deficiencies in portfolio management (one of the advisor’s primary responsibilities) that were revealed in the Company’s latest financials. Meanwhile, shareholders suffer without liquidity, brought on by years of disclosure violations that led Nasdaq to delist the stock and the SEC to revoke the Company’s registration altogether. This all occurred under the oversight of three of the four trustees who are up for election.

UDF IV’s Board of Trustees has permitted the Company to use shareholder funds for former executives’ personal disgorgement and legal defenses. Upon information and belief, the Company advanced legal fees totaling more than $65 million, and a significant portion of those advancements may have been improper. For example, the current Trustees authorized the Company to pay millions in legal fees and indemnification expenses for former management’s criminal trial, despite the clear language in the advisory agreement prohibiting indemnification when the expense arises from “an alleged violation of federal or state securities law.” Prior to that, the Board allowed UDF IV to pay former executives’ SEC disgorgements (totaling $7.2 million with pre-judgment interest), which were obligations of the individuals, not the Company.

UDF IV, under the Board of Trustees’ oversight, has permitted the Company to amass over 98% of UDF’s unaffiliated debt with a single borrower, Mehrdad Moayedi and affiliates of Centurion American, a developer with a history of failed projects. Inexplicably, the Company appears to have released Mr. Moayedi from significant personal guarantee liability.

These red flags underscore the urgent need for shareholders to establish proper oversight at UDF IV by replacing the Board of Trustees with NexPoint’s highly qualified nominees: Paul S. Broaddus, Edward N. Constantino, John A. Good, and Julie Silcock.

Shareholders Should Not Be Fooled by UDF IV’s Expensive Misinformation Campaign, Which Defends and Protects the Board and Management at Shareholders’ Expense:

UDF continues to use shareholder funds to spread misleading information about NexPoint to divert shareholder attention from the Board and management’s own actions and abysmal performance.

In its attacks on NexPoint, UDF IV mischaracterizes the performance of one NexPoint-advised REIT, NexPoint Diversified Real Estate Trust (NYSE:NXDT), conveying returns over a self-serving timeframe without including dividends. NexPoint manages real estate assets in many different investment vehicles, including several public and private REITs, registered funds, and tax-advantaged vehicles, among other structures. As responsible stewards of invested capital, NexPoint has a track record of maintaining robust compliance practices and generating meaningful dividends and capital appreciation for its shareholders.

Other established public REITs at NexPoint include NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE:NXRT) and NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE:NREF), which delivered total returns of 62.3% and 18.2% respectively over the last year.1

Meanwhile, from the time of UDF IV’s initial listing to when SEC revoked its registration, UDF IV’s share price suffered a -93% decline. It is no wonder the Company wants to divert shareholders’ attention away from that performance. Ignoring this severe decline, UDF IV touts “shareholder returns” that management and the Board allegedly delivered. The cash distributions they cite in support of this are 100% return of capital and should be more cause for concern than celebration.

UDF IV’s communications also criticize management incentives at NXDT, exclusively referencing stock grants awarded under a long-term incentive plan that align the interests of management with shareholders. Such alignment has been markedly absent from UDF IV. Further, UDF IV makes this misleading claim without acknowledging how members of the former management team—who are currently in prison for defrauding shareholders—are getting richly rewarded though UDF IV’s own advisory agreement, which directed over $10 million in fees to the advisor over the last two years.

Finally, UDF IV’s attempts to link unrelated bankruptcy proceedings to this election underscore the lengths the Board and management will go to further entrench themselves and distract from primary issues.

The 2019 bankruptcy proceedings of former affiliate Highland Capital are completely unrelated to NexPoint’s investment in UDF IV and irrelevant to current efforts to drive accountability at the Company. NexPoint’s efforts are focused on electing qualified, independent candidates to the UDF IV Board of Trustees who would represent the interests of all shareholders.

Not only are the matters irrelevant, UDF IV’s account of them mischaracterizes the actions of NexPoint founder James Dondero in these proceedings, promoting misleading claims made by parties in the case who used the process to turn a reorganization of a solvent estate into a liquidation, wasting millions in professional fees and unduly benefitting certain insiders while harming other stakeholders. (In one instance, Highland bankruptcy professionals shirked commitments to pay routine bonuses to rank-and-file employees, prompting Mr. Dondero to use millions of his own personal funds to satisfy these payments.) The improper liquidation forced Mr. Dondero to pursue legal remedies to enforce his and other parties’ rights, minimize waste on unnecessary professional fees and expenses, and otherwise recover funds in the bankruptcy process. Knowledgeable parties involved in the bankruptcy calculate that as much as $600 million was squandered that could have been used to pay creditors in full and permit Highland to emerge as a going concern. As such, interested parties continue to raise concerns that the Chief Restructuring Officer in the case has presided over immense value destruction and enriched himself and undisclosed business relationships at the expense of stakeholders.

(Details of bad acts by: (i) James Seery; and (ii) GCM Grovesnor (NASDAQ:GCMG), Stonehill Capital Management, LLC, and Farallon Capital Management, LLC.)

Mr. Dondero’s actions are in pursuit of accountability for this mismanagement of the estate and enforcement of his and other stakeholders’ rights within the bankruptcy proceedings.

While NexPoint seeks to correct UDF’s misleading accounts of these matters, the bankruptcy proceedings and the legal actions surrounding them have no bearing on NexPoint’s efforts to restore accountability at UDF IV. NexPoint urges shareholders not to let the Company’s misinformation and deception tactics distract from the severe issues at UDF IV. Electing new Trustees to the UDF IV Board is the only way to enact change and effectively address those issues that truly matter for shareholders and directly affect their investment.

Vote for Change by Electing NexPoint’s Nominees to UDF IV’s Board of Trustees:

The UDF IV Board’s red flags highlight the need for change to prevent further value destruction. Today, in addition to the current Trustees’ track record, shareholders should be concerned about the amount of time and money the Board is spending to hide the truth and stay in power.

Shareholders can vote TODAY to replace the current Trustees, voting FOR NexPoint’s nominees using the GREEN proxy card. Follow the voting instructions on your green proxy materials to submit your vote.

If you have already submitted a white proxy card, it’s not too late to change your vote. Only the last date proxy card submitted will be counted.

For detailed voting instructions, visit: udfaccountability.com/voting-information

For voting assistance contact Okapi Partners at: info@okapipartners.com or (877) 869-0171

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

NexPoint Real Estate Opportunities, LLC (“NexPoint”) has delivered a proxy statement with respect to its solicitation of proxies for nominees to be elected to the United Development Funding IV (“UDF IV”) Board of Trustees at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of UDF IV. The date for the Annual Meeting has not yet been set at this time.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE NEXPOINT PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) IN ITS ENTIRETY AS IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROXY SOLICITATION.

Copies of the documents are available free of charge from NexPoint by accessing the website www.udfaccountability.com.

NexPoint, its affiliates, their directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be participants (collectively “Participants”) in the solicitation of proxies by NexPoint. Information about NexPoint’s nominees to the UDF IV Board of Trustees and information regarding the direct or indirect interests in UDF IV, by security holdings or otherwise, of NexPoint, the other Participants and NexPoint’s nominees will be available in the proxy statement. NexPoint’s disclosure of any security holdings will be based on information made available to NexPoint by such Participants and nominees. UDF IV is no longer subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Consequently, NexPoint’s knowledge of significant security holders of UDF IV and as to UDF IV itself is limited.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Performance during time periods shown is limited and may not reflect the performance in different economic and market cycles. There can be no assurance that similar performance will be experienced.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Media Contact: nexpointteam@reevemark.com

Investor Relations: ir@nexpoint.com

___________________________

1 Based on cumulative dividends and stock price as of 10/31/2024. Based on stock price only, NXRT and NREF increased 54.3% and 2.0% during this period respectively.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexpoint-raises-concerns-about-udf-iv-board-allowing-millions-in-management-fees-to-enrich-former-udf-executives-imprisoned-for-fraud-302298171.html

SOURCE NexPoint Advisors, L.P.

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Zooming into the green transformation, the “Together We Act” platform for China’s dual-carbon talent plan was released

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“Empowering Green Value Chains, Contributing to New Productive Forces” Side Event was Successfully Held at COP29

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The side event titled “Empowering Green Value Chains, Contributing to New Productive Forces” was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, during COP29. The event was jointly organized by the Vanke Foundation, C Team, and Phoenix TV. The aim of the event was to explore how industries in China can empower human capital and implement green value chains to achieve green, efficient, and low-carbon operational models under the country’s dual-carbon strategy. The goal was also to inspire new productive forces and drive the green transformation of economic and social development.

The side event brought together experts, scholars, business representatives, and NGO partners from both China and abroad to discuss the latest global trends and developments in green value chains across key industries. The event was chaired by Yang Peidan, Director of C Team. In her opening remarks, Liu Xi, Senior Manager of Climate Change and Biodiversity at the Vanke Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s vision of a “beautiful and shared future home” and its commitment to promoting environmental protection and social public welfare. She also introduced the “Net Zero Drive” Talents Acceleration Initiative, unveiling the “Together We Act” platform, a significant new step in the foundation’s efforts to align with its strategies.

Liu Yifeng, Deputy Director of C Team, provided an in-depth introduction to the “Together We Act” platform. This platform aims to cultivate and empower talents in the field of China’s dual-carbon strategy, equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to better adapt to and lead the green low-carbon transformation.

C Team is implementing a strategic upgrade to support the development of emerging industry talents while facilitating the transition of workers from traditional industries. This initiative aims to create a green employment market system. According to Liu, workers in traditional industries need to adapt to the “new wave” of industry transformation, while employees in emerging sectors must quickly update their knowledge and skills to keep pace with technological advancements. Through effective training and accelerated efforts, industries, businesses, and regions can better apply technologies and management practices, achieving both technological and energy transformations.

To this end, C Team has partnered with Tencent to develop the “Together We Act” platform. The platform breaks down knowledge into “knowledge cards,” which are categorized and tailored for workers in need of transformation or upskilling. The platform offers smart, content-driven training and quantitative assessments. By using algorithms, the platform provides personalized knowledge to users and includes management features that allow administrators to assign tasks and learning objectives. Knowledge and exercises are managed separately, creating a flexible and intelligent learning system.

Additionally, C Team plans to leverage the data on workforce technology upgrades and training behaviors collected by the platform to analyze the impact of dual-transformation policies and strategies on the workforce in both corporate supply chains and regional areas. This data will help companies and local governments better understand workforce trends and provide support for industry and regional transitions.

Media’s role is also essential in promoting new productive forces. Yang Yuntong, Director of International Cooperation and Project Operations at Phoenix TV, shared that as the largest well-rounded Chinese-language cultural media group overseas, Phoenix TV has long been committed to advancing new productive forces through practical actions. The group has been actively involved in climate-change communication in China and has hosted the annual “Zero-Carbon Mission International Climate Summit” for the past four years in the lead-up to COP, providing a platform for dialogue and discussion among stakeholders and influencing corporate practices and public advocacy.

Xu Shilun, head of the ESG projects at Onewo’s Sustainable Development Center, shared that reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in property management are key concerns for the company. Onewo is integrating its experience from managing various spaces, such as communities and office buildings, into its “Magic Stone” AI system, focusing on energy management to improve carbon management efficiency in public spaces and encourage owners and tenants to adopt greener lifestyles.

The roundtable discussion focused on two main themes: “Collaborative Innovation of Diverse Forces in Creating New Productive Forces” and “Empowering Green Value Chains to Drive the Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development”. Representatives from leading companies such as JA Solar, Anta Group, Lenovo, Carbonstop, PES, Exiss, ACT, Dasso, Hainan Deeprock, and SQUAKE participated in the discussion. The Secretary of the CPC Municipal Committee of Huzhou City, Chen Hao, also joined via video to introduce the innovative concept of “Bamboo Forest Carbon Sequestration.”

The organizers stated that the side event was not only a deep exploration of green development concepts but also a firm commitment to future sustainable development. C Team plans to further collaborate with nonprofit organizations, environmental foundations, leading enterprises, research institutions, and knowledge service platforms to jointly promote public and inclusive transformation, ensuring that high-quality training content is presented on the platform. Through collective effort and the pooling of knowledge and resources, the event sought to support industry development, regional transformation, and the green transformation of society.

About C Team:
C Team is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting corporate climate action and sustainable development.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zooming-into-the-green-transformation-the-together-we-act-platform-for-chinas-dual-carbon-talent-plan-was-released-302314780.html

SOURCE C Team

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Urgent Call: Donate Electronics to Empower Charities Nationwide

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TORONTO, Nov. 23, 2024 /CNW/ – This holiday season, the Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) is spreading the spirit of giving with its annual 12 Days of Electronic Giving campaign. Aiming to donate over 200 electronic devices to charities across Canada, ERA is committed to empowering organizations to deliver critical services to their communities.

However, the demand for electronics remains pressing. More than 500 charities are still on ERA’s waitlist—a number that highlights the urgent need for public and corporate donations of pre-loved technology.

“Together, We Can Create Impact”
Bojan Paduh, Founder and President of ERA, urges individuals and businesses to step up this holiday season:

“We’ve accomplished so much, but hundreds of charities are still waiting for essential technology to continue their work. I encourage everyone to consider donating their unused laptops, tablets, or cell phones. Your generosity can transform lives and reduce e-waste at the same time.”

ERA’s 12 Days of Electronic Giving campaign is already making an impact, supporting a wide range of organizations across the country, including:

Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton – Edmonton, ABWinnipeg Humane Society – Winnipeg, MBBent Arrow Traditional Healing Society – Edmonton, ABCanadian Mental Health Association – Toronto, ONYork Region Educational Services – Toronto, ONIt Takes a Village Community Outreach and Advocacy – Halifax, NSToronto Fringe – Toronto, ONMarina Housing Co-op – Vancouver, BCAgape Table Inc. – Winnipeg, MBGreater Edmonton Live-In Society – Edmonton, ABEqual Housing Initiative Inc. – Winnipeg, MBValley Community Learning Association – Kentville, NSAlberta Children’s Hospital – Calgary, AB

How You Can Help
The holidays are the perfect time to give back. If you or your organization have unused electronic devices gathering dust, ERA invites you to donate and make a meaningful difference. Whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or cell phone, every device can create opportunities, reduce e-waste, and bring hope to someone in need.

Donating is Simple
ERA offers convenient, free pickup services across Canada.

Call: 1-877-9EWASTE / Email: info@era.ca / Visit: www.era.ca to schedule a pickup.

Let’s Make This Season Count
“Your donation today can change lives tomorrow,” adds Paduh. “Together, we can meet the urgent needs of these charities while fostering a sustainable future.”  Don’t wait—help ERA ensure no charity is left behind this holiday season.

SOURCE Electronic Recycling Association

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MyDataRemoval Proven More Effective Than Competing Data Removal Services [updated links]

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Internal and external reports show MyDataRemoval to be the most effective personal data removal service. MyDataRemoval has achieved over 70% data removal within the first week and 90% within four months, outperforming industry competitors who average 26% in the first week and 35% within four months.

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Recent findings from a consumer advocacy group have raised concerns about the effectiveness of people-search site removal services, revealing high rates of ineffectiveness among tested companies. Notably, MyDataRemoval was not included in this study. In response, MyDataRemoval conducted an internal audit [updated link] to evaluate its standing relative to the competition, revealing that it was already leading the industry. Building on this success, MyDataRemoval has since enhanced its methodologies and technologies for data removal. As a result, MyDataRemoval is now reaching a 90% removal rate within four months and exceeding a 70% removal rate within the first week—results that place it well above the competition.

MyDataRemoval will remove your data from people search sites more effectively than anyone else out there.

Over 70% of personal data removed within the first week: MyDataRemoval successfully removed over 70% of personal data from people-search websites within just one week, outperforming all other services tested by Consumer Reports.Effectiveness over time: MyDataRemoval maintained superior performance compared to other data removal services, with 80% of data removed within one month and 90% within four months.Competitor Comparison in one week: The average effectiveness for the first week across competing services was 30%, whereas MyDataRemoval removed over 70%, demonstrating a clear advantage.Competitor Comparison at four months: Competing services demonstrated significantly lower data removal rates, with some services removing only 27% of personal data within four months.

MyDataRemoval’s internal audits have demonstrated that the service is not only more effective in the initial stages of data removal but also continues to outperform over time. Its proprietary methods, commitment to ongoing audits, and dedication to continuous improvement ensure that it remains a leader in data removal.

MyDataRemoval acknowledges that while current effectiveness rates are industry-leading, there is still room for growth. The goal is to achieve over 90% removal rates across all categories and time frames. MyDataRemoval is committed to conducting monthly audits and making these results publicly available to ensure transparency and continuous improvement. You can see the most recent audit results here [updated link].

Privacy is more important than ever, and MyDataRemoval is here to help individuals reclaim theirs. Do not settle for ineffective data removal—trust the service that has been proven to deliver results. Find MyDataRemoval at www.mydataremoval.com or contact us at hello@mydataremoval.com or call (855) 700-2914 to start your journey towards a more private online presence.

Stay tuned for our monthly audit updates to see how we are continuously improving to make your personal information private once again.

Audit date: 8/9/2024

Profiles removed within 1 week: 85%Profiles removed within 1 month: 71%Profiles removed within 4 months: 73%

Audit date: 9/9/2024

Profiles removed within 1 week: 85%Profiles removed within 1 month: 78%Profiles removed within 4 months: 92%

Audit date: 10/9/2024

Profiles removed within 1 week: 59%Profiles removed within 1 month: 81%Profiles removed within 4 months: 90%

Audit date: 11/9/2024

Profiles removed within 1 week: 77%Profiles removed within 1 month: 81%Profiles removed within 4 months: 90%

Media Contact

James Wilson, MyDataRemoval, 1 8557002194, hello@mydataremoval.com, https://www.mydataremoval.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/mydataremoval-proven-more-effective-than-competing-data-removal-services-updated-links-302313853.html

SOURCE MyDataRemoval

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