Actions of Custodian Based on Proper Instructions and Special Instructions So long as and to the extent that the Custodian acts in accordance with (a) Proper Instructions or Special Instructions, as the case may be, and (b) the terms of this Agreement, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property, or evidence of title thereof, received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement.
Proper Instructions and Special Instructions “Proper Instructions,” which may also be standing instructions, as such term is used throughout this Agreement shall mean instructions received by the Custodian from a Fund, a Fund’s duly authorized investment manager or investment adviser, or a person or entity duly authorized by either of them. Such instructions may be in writing signed by the authorized person or persons or may be in a tested communication or in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro-mechanical or electronic devices or may be by such other means and utilizing such intermediary systems and utilities as may be agreed from time to time by the Custodian and the person(s) or entity giving such instruction, provided that the Fund has followed any security procedures agreed to from time to time by the applicable Fund and the Custodian including, but not limited to, the security procedures selected by the Fund via the form of Funds Transfer Addendum hereto, the terms of which are hereby agreed to. Oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions if the Custodian reasonably believes them to have been given by a person authorized to provide such instructions with respect to the transaction involved; the Fund shall cause all oral instructions to be confirmed in writing. For purposes of this Section, Proper Instructions shall include instructions received by the Custodian pursuant to any multi-party agreement which requires a segregated asset account in accordance with Section 2.9 hereof.
Proper Instructions Proper Instructions, which may also be standing instructions, as used throughout this Agreement, shall mean instructions received by the Custodian from the Fund, the Fund’s investment manager, or a person or entity duly authorized by either of them. Such instructions may be in writing signed by the authorized person or persons or may be in a tested communication or in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro-mechanical or electronic devices or may be by such other means and utilizing such intermediary systems and utilities as may be agreed to from time to time by the Custodian and the person or entity giving such instructions, provided that the Fund has followed any security procedures agreed to from time to time by the Fund and the Custodian, including, but not limited to, the security procedures selected by the Fund in the Funds Transfer Addendum to this Agreement. Oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions if the Custodian reasonably believes them to have been given by a person authorized to give such instructions with respect to the transaction involved. The Fund shall cause all oral instructions to be confirmed in writing. For purposes of this Section, Proper Instructions shall include instructions received by the Custodian pursuant to any multi-party agreement which requires a segregated asset account in accordance with Section 2.9 of this Agreement. The Fund or the Fund’s investment manager shall cause its duly authorized officer to certify to the Custodian in writing the names and specimen signatures of persons authorized to give Proper Instructions. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon the identity and authority of such persons until it receives notice from the Fund to the contrary.
Investment Management Services (a) The Manager shall manage the Fund’s assets subject to and in accordance with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund and any directions which the Trust’s Board of Trustees may issue from time to time. In pursuance of the foregoing, the Manager shall make all determinations with respect to the investment of the Fund’s assets and the purchase and sale of its investment securities, and shall take such steps as may be necessary to implement the same. Such determinations and services shall include determining the manner in which any voting rights, rights to consent to corporate action and any other rights pertaining to the Fund’s investment securities shall be exercised. The Manager shall render or cause to be rendered regular reports to the Trust, at regular meetings of its Board of Trustees and at such other times as may be reasonably requested by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, of (i) the decisions made with respect to the investment of the Fund’s assets and the purchase and sale of its investment securities, (ii) the reasons for such decisions and (iii) the extent to which those decisions have been implemented.
(b) The Manager, subject to and in accordance with any directions which the Trust’s Board of Trustees may issue from time to time, shall place, in the name of the Fund, orders for the execution of the Fund’s securities transactions. When placing such orders, the Manager shall seek to obtain the best net price and execution for the Fund, but this requirement shall not be deemed to obligate the Manager to place any order solely on the basis of obtaining the lowest commission rate if the other standards set forth in this section have been satisfied. The parties recognize that there are likely to be many cases in which different brokers are equally able to provide such best price and execution and that, in selecting among such brokers with respect to particular trades, it is desirable to choose those brokers who furnish research, statistical, quotations and other information to the Fund and the Manager in accordance with the standards set forth below. Moreover, to the extent that it continues to be lawful to do so and so long as the Board of Trustees determines that the Fund will benefit, directly or indirectly, by doing so, the Manager may place orders with a broker who charges a commission for that transaction which is in excess of the amount of commission that another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction, provided that the excess commission is reasonable in relation to the value of “brokerage and research services” (as defined in Section 28(e)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) provided by that broker. Accordingly, the Trust and the Manager agree that the Manager shall select brokers for the execution of the Fund’s transactions from among:
(i) Those brokers and dealers who provide quotations and other services to the Fund, specifically including the quotations necessary to determine the Fund’s net assets, in such amount of total brokerage as may reasonably be required in light of such services; and
(ii) Those brokers and dealers who supply research, statistical and other data to the Manager or its affiliates which the Manager or its affiliates may lawfully and appropriately use in their investment management capacities, which relate directly to securities, actual or potential, of the Fund, or which place the Manager in a better position to make decisions in connection with the management of the Fund’s assets and securities, whether or not such data may also be useful to the Manager and its affiliates in managing other portfolios or advising other clients, in such amount of total brokerage as may reasonably be required.
(c) The Manager shall render regular reports to the Trust, not more frequently than quarterly, of how much total brokerage business has been placed by the Manager, on behalf of the Fund, with brokers falling into each of the categories referred to above and the manner in which the allocation has been accomplished.
(d) The Manager agrees that no investment decision will be made or influenced by a desire to provide brokerage for allocation in accordance with the foregoing, and that the right to make such allocation of brokerage shall not interfere with the Manager’s paramount duty to obtain the best net price and execution for the Fund.
(e) Decisions on proxy voting shall be made by the Manager unless the Board of Trustees determines otherwise. Pursuant to its authority, the Manager shall have the power to vote, either in person or by proxy, all securities in which the Fund may be invested from time to time, and shall not be required to seek or take instructions from the Fund with respect thereto. The Manager shall not be expected or required to take any action other than the rendering of investment-related advice with respect to lawsuits involving securities presently or formerly held in the Fund, or the issuers thereof, including actions involving bankruptcy. In the case of class action suits involving issuers held in the Fund, the Manager may include information about the Fund for purposes of participating in any settlements.
Discretionary Investment Management Services The Adviser shall act as investment adviser with respect to each Fund. In such capacity, the Adviser shall, subject to the supervision of the Board, regularly provide each Fund with investment research, advice and supervision and shall furnish continuously an investment program for each Fund, consistent with the respective investment objectives and policies of each Fund. The Adviser shall determine, from time to time, what securities shall be purchased for each Fund, what securities shall be held or sold by each Fund and what portion of each Fund’s assets shall be held uninvested in cash, subject always to the provisions of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”), as amended and supplemented (the “Declaration of Trust”), Bylaws and its registration statement on Form N-1A (the “Registration Statement”) under the 1940 Act, and under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), and with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of each Fund, as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect. To carry out such obligations, and to the extent not prohibited by any of the foregoing, the Adviser shall exercise full discretion and act for each Fund in the same manner and with the same force and effect as each Fund itself might or could do with respect to purchases, sales or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other such things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions. No reference in this Agreement to the Adviser having full discretionary authority over each Fund’s investments shall in any way limit the right of the Board, in its sole discretion, to establish or revise policies in connection with the management of a Fund’s assets or to otherwise exercise its right to control the overall management of a Fund.
Acting on Instructions; Unclear Instructions (a) Bank is authorized to act under this Agreement (or to refrain from taking action) in accordance with the instructions received by Bank, via telephone, telex, facsimile transmission, or other teleprocess or electronic instruction or trade information system acceptable to Bank ("Instructions"). Bank shall have no responsibility for the authenticity or propriety of any Instructions that Bank believes in good faith to have been given by Authorized Persons or which are transmitted with proper testing or authentication pursuant to terms and conditions that Bank may specify. Customer authorizes Bank to accept and act upon any Instructions received by it without inquiry. Customer shall indemnify the Bank Indemnitees against, and hold each of them harmless from, any Liabilities that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against the Bank Indemnitees as a result of any action or omission taken in accordance with any Instructions or other directions upon which Bank is authorized to rely under the terms of this Agreement, provided that Bank shall not be indemnified against or held harmless from any Liabilities arising out of Bank's negligence, bad faith, fraud, or willful misconduct.
(b) Unless otherwise expressly provided, all Instructions shall continue in full force and effect until canceled or superseded.
(c) Bank may (in its sole discretion and without affecting any part of this Section 3.1) seek clarification or confirmation of an Instruction from an Authorized Person and may decline to act upon an Instruction if it does not receive clarification or confirmation satisfactory to it. Bank shall not, except as provided in Section 7.1 hereof, be liable for any loss arising from any delay while it seeks such clarification or confirmation.
(d) In executing or paying a payment order Bank may rely upon the identifying number (e.g. Fedwire routing number or account) of any party as instructed in the payment order. Customer assumes full responsibility for any inconsistency within an Instruction between the name and identifying number of any party in payment orders issued to Bank in Customer's name.
Actions Not Requiring Proper Instructions Unless otherwise instructed by the Trust, the Custodian shall with respect to all Securities held for the Fund:
(a) Subject to Section 9.04 below, collect on a timely basis all income and other payments to which the Fund is entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business;
(b) Present for payment and, subject to Section 9.04 below, collect on a timely basis the amount payable upon all Securities which may mature or be called, redeemed, or retired, or otherwise become payable;
(c) Endorse for collection, in the name of the Fund, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments;
(d) Surrender interim receipts or Securities in temporary form for Securities in definitive form;
(e) Execute, as custodian, any necessary declarations or certificates of ownership under the federal income tax laws or the laws or regulations of any other taxing authority now or hereafter in effect, and prepare and submit reports to the IRS and the Trust at such time, in such manner and containing such information as is prescribed by the IRS;
(f) Hold for the Fund, either directly or, with respect to Securities held therein, through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, all rights and similar Securities issued with respect to Securities of the Fund; and
(g) In general, and except as otherwise directed in Proper Instructions, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with Securities and other assets of the Fund.
Appointment of Controlling Note Holder Representative and Non-Controlling Note Holder Representative (a) The Controlling Note Holder shall have the right at any time to appoint a representative in connection with the exercise of its rights and obligations with respect to the Mortgage Loan (the “Controlling Note Holder Representative”). The Controlling Note Holder shall have the right in its sole discretion at any time and from time to time to remove and replace the Controlling Note Holder Representative. When exercising its various rights under Section 5 and elsewhere in this Agreement, the Controlling Note Holder may, at its option, in each case, act through the Controlling Note Holder Representative. The Controlling Note Holder Representative may be any Person (other than the Mortgage Loan Borrower, its principal or any Affiliate of the Mortgage Loan Borrower), including, without limitation, the Controlling Note Holder, any officer or employee of the Controlling Note Holder, any affiliate of the Controlling Note Holder or any other unrelated third party. No such Controlling Note Holder Representative shall owe any fiduciary duty or other duty to any other Person (other than the Controlling Note Holder). All actions that are permitted to be taken by the Controlling Note Holder under this Agreement may be taken by the Controlling Note Holder Representative acting on behalf of the Controlling Note Holder. No Servicer, Operating Advisor, Trustee or Certificate Administrator acting on behalf of the Lead Securitization Note Holder shall be required to recognize any Person as a Controlling Note Holder Representative until the Controlling Note Holder has notified each Servicer, Operating Advisor, Trustee and Certificate Administrator of such appointment and, if the Controlling Note Holder Representative is not the same Person as the Controlling Note Holder, the Controlling Note Holder Representative provides each Servicer, Operating Advisor, Trustee and Certificate Administrator with written confirmation of its acceptance of such appointment, an address and facsimile number for the delivery of notices and other correspondence and a list of officers or employees of such person with whom the parties to this Agreement may deal (including their names, titles, work addresses and facsimile numbers). The Controlling Note Holder shall promptly deliver such information to each Servicer, Operating Advisor, Trustee and Certificate Administrator. So long as no Consultation Termination Event (including any such deemed event) is in effect pursuant to the terms of the Lead Securitization Servicing Agreement, the Controlling Note Holder Representative shall be the Lead Securitization Subordinate Class Representative.
(b) Neither the Controlling Note Holder Representative nor the Controlling Note Holder will have any liability to the other Note Holders or any other Person for any action taken, or for refraining from the taking of any action or the giving of any consent or the failure to give any consent pursuant to this Agreement or the Lead Securitization Servicing Agreement, or errors in judgment, absent any loss, liability or expense incurred by reason of its willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence. The Note Holders agree that the Controlling Note Holder Representative and the Controlling Note Holder (whether acting in place of the Controlling Note Holder Representative when no Controlling Note Holder Representative shall have been appointed hereunder or otherwise exercising any right, power or privilege granted to the Controlling Note Holder hereunder) may take or refrain from taking actions, or give or refrain from giving consents, that favor the interests of one Note Holder over the other Note Holder, and that the Controlling Note Holder Representative may have special relationships and interests that conflict with the interests of a Note Holder and, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Controlling Note Holder Representative or the Controlling Note Holder, as the case may be, agree to take no action against the Controlling Note Holder Representative, the Controlling Note Holder or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, principals or agents as a result of such special relationships or interests, and that neither the Controlling Note Holder Representative nor the Controlling Note Holder will be deemed to have been grossly negligent or reckless, or to have acted in bad faith or engaged in willful misfeasance or to have recklessly disregarded any exercise of its rights by reason of its having acted or refrained from acting, or having given any consent or having failed to give any consent, solely in the interests of any Note Holder.
(c) The Non-Controlling Note Holder shall have the right at any time to appoint a representative in connection with the exercise of its rights and obligations with respect to the Mortgage Loan (the “Non-Controlling Note Holder Representative”). All of the provisions relating to Controlling Note Holder and the Controlling Note Holder Representative set forth in Section 6(a) (except those contained in the last sentence thereof) and Section 6(b) shall apply to the Non-Controlling Note Holder and the Non-Controlling Note Holder Representative mutatis mutandis. The Non-Controlling Note Holder Representative, as of the date of this Agreement and until the Lead Securitization Note Holder (and the Master Servicer and the Special Servicer) is notified otherwise, shall be the Initial Note A-2 Holder.
Custodian's Acts Without Instructions Unless and until Custodian receives an officers' certificate to the contrary, Custodian shall: (a) present for payment all coupons and other income items held by it for the account of the Fund, which call for payment upon presentation and hold the cash received by it upon such payment for the account of the Fund; (b) collect interest and cash dividends received, with notice to the Fund, for the account of the Fund; (c) hold for the account of the Fund hereunder all stock dividends, rights and similar securities issued with respect to any securities held by it hereunder; and (d) execute, as agent on behalf of the Fund, all necessary ownership certificates required by the Internal Revenue Code or the Income Tax Regulations of the United States Treasury Department or under the laws of any state now or hereafter in effect, inserting the Fund's name on such certificates as the owner of the securities covered thereby, to the extent it may lawfully do so.
DELEGATION TO THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER Each Fund, by resolution adopted by its Board, hereby delegates to the Custodian, subject to Section (b) of Rule 17f-5, the responsibilities set forth in this Section 3.2 with respect to Foreign Assets of the Portfolios held outside the United States, and the Custodian hereby accepts such delegation as Foreign Custody Manager with respect to the Portfolios.
