Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc Subject to the limitations, if applicable, hereinafter set forth in this Section 4, the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets of one or more Series to which the conduct in question relates) each of its Trustees, officers, employees and agents (including Persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter, together with such Person's heirs, executors, administrators or personal representative, referred to as a "Covered Person")) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants' and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, except with respect to any matter as to which it has been determined that such Covered Person (i) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust; or (ii) had acted with willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office; and (iii) for a criminal proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful (the conduct described in (i), (ii) and (iii) being referred to hereafter as "Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal of a court action or an administrative proceeding against a Covered Person for insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the indemnitee was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote of a majority of a quorum of the Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act nor parties to the proceeding (the "Disinterested Trustees"), or (b) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses, including accountants' and counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by one or more Series to which the conduct in question related in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding; provided that the Covered Person shall have undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such Series if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article VII and (i) the Covered Person shall have provided security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the Disinterested Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
Trustees and Officers Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety Section 2. The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested. A Trustee or officer shall be liable for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee or officer, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees or officers may take advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration, and shall be under no liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice. The Trustees and officers shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required. For purposes of (a) any standard of care applicable to a Trustee in the discharge of his or her duties as a trustee and (b) indemnification of a Trustee pursuant to Article VIII of this Declaration of Trust, the conduct of the Trustee shall be evaluated solely by reference to a hypothetical reasonable person, without regard to any special expertise, knowledge or other qualifications of the Trustee. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the determination that a Trustee is an “audit committee financial expert” nor the knowledge, experience or other qualifications underlying such a determination shall result in that Trustee being held to a standard of care that is higher than the standard that would be applicable in the absence of such a determination or such knowledge, experience or qualification, nor shall such a determination or such knowledge, experience or other qualification impose any duties, obligations or liabilities that are greater than would obtain in the absence of such a determination or such knowledge, experience or qualification.