Duties of the Employee The Executive represents and warrants that the performance by Executive of the Executive’s duties and obligations under this Agreement will not violate any agreement between the Executive and any other person, firm, partnership, corporation or other organization.
Duties as Sub-Adviser (a) Subject to the supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees ("Board") and Adviser, the Sub-Adviser will provide a continuous investment program for each Fund, including investment research and management, with respect to all or a portion of the securities and investments and cash equivalents of the Fund (the "Sub-Advised Assets"), such Sub-Advised Assets to be determined by the Adviser. The Sub-Adviser will determine from time to time what securities and other investments will be purchased, retained or sold with respect to the Sub-Advised Assets of each Fund, and the brokers and dealers through whom trades will be executed.
(b) The Sub-Adviser agrees that, in placing orders with brokers and dealers, it will attempt to obtain the best net result in terms of price and execution. Consistent with this obligation, the Sub-Adviser may, in its discretion, purchase and sell portfolio securities from and to brokers and dealers who sell shares of the Funds or provide the Funds, Adviser's other clients, or Sub-Adviser's other clients with research, analysis, advice and similar services. The Sub-Adviser may pay to brokers and dealers, in return for such research and analysis, a higher commission or spread than may be charged by other brokers and dealers, subject to the Sub-Adviser determining in good faith that such commission or spread is reasonable in terms either of the particular transaction or of the overall responsibility of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser to the Funds and their other clients and that the total commissions or spreads paid by each Fund will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to the Fund over the long term. In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased from or sold to the Sub-Adviser, or any affiliated person thereof, except in accordance with the applicable securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive orders currently in effect. Whenever the Sub-Adviser simultaneously places orders to purchase or sell the same security on behalf of a Fund and one or more other accounts advised by the Sub-Adviser, such orders will be allocated as to price and amount among all such accounts in a manner believed to be equitable to each account.
(c) The Sub-Adviser will maintain all required books and records with respect to the securities transactions of the Funds, and will furnish the Board and Adviser with such periodic and special reports as the Board or Adviser reasonably may request. Sub-Adviser hereby agrees that all records which it maintains for the Adviser are the property of the Adviser, and agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by applicable law any records which it maintains for the Adviser and which are required to be maintained, and further agrees to surrender promptly to the Adviser any records which it maintains for the Adviser upon request by the Adviser.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Servicer (a) The Servicer shall conduct the servicing, administration and collection of the Transferred Loans and shall take, or cause to be taken, all such actions as may be necessary or advisable to service, administer and collect Transferred Loans from time to time on behalf of the Borrower and as the Borrower’s agent.
(b) The duties of the Servicer, as the Borrower’s agent, shall include, without limitation:
(i) preparing and submitting of claims to, and post-billing liaison with, Obligors on Transferred Loans;
(ii) maintaining all necessary Servicing Records with respect to the Transferred Loans and providing such reports to the Borrower, the Managing Agents and the Administrative Agent in respect of the servicing of the Transferred Loans (including information relating to its performance under this Agreement) as may be required hereunder or as the Borrower, any Managing Agent or the Administrative Agent may reasonably request;
(iii) maintaining and implementing administrative and operating procedures (including, without limitation, an ability to recreate Servicing Records evidencing the Transferred Loans in the event of the destruction of the originals thereof) and keeping and maintaining all documents, books, records and other information reasonably necessary or advisable for the collection of the Transferred Loans (including, without limitation, records adequate to permit the identification of each new Transferred Loan and all Collections of and adjustments to each existing Transferred Loan); provided, however, that any Successor Servicer shall only be required to recreate the Servicing Records of each prior Servicer to the extent such records have been delivered to it in a format reasonably acceptable to such Successor Servicer;
(iv) promptly delivering to the Borrower, any Managing Agent or the Administrative Agent, from time to time, such information and Servicing Records (including information relating to its performance under this Agreement) as the Borrower, such Managing Agent or the Administrative Agent from time to time reasonably request;
(v) identifying each Transferred Loan clearly and unambiguously in its Servicing Records to reflect that such Transferred Loan is owned by the Borrower and pledged to the Administrative Agent;
(vi) complying in all material respects with the Credit and Collection Policy in regard to each Transferred Loan;
(vii) complying in all material respects with all Applicable Laws with respect to it, its business and properties and all Transferred Loans and Collections with respect thereto;
(viii) preserving and maintaining its existence, rights, licenses, franchises and privileges as a corporation in the jurisdiction of its organization, and qualifying and remaining qualified in good standing as a foreign corporation and qualifying to and remaining authorized and licensed to perform obligations as Servicer (including enforcement of collection of Transferred Loans on behalf of the Borrower, Lenders, each Hedge Counterparty and the Collateral Custodian) in each jurisdiction where the failure to preserve and maintain such existence, rights, franchises, privileges and qualification would materially adversely affect (A) the rights or interests of the Borrower, Lenders, each Hedge Counterparty and the Collateral Custodian in the Transferred Loans, (B) the collectibility of any Transferred Loan, or (C) the ability of the Servicer to perform its obligations hereunder; and
(ix) notifying the Borrower, each Managing Agent and the Administrative Agent of any material action, suit, proceeding, dispute, offset, deduction, defense or counterclaim that is or is threatened to be (1) asserted by an Obligor with respect to any Transferred Loan; or (2) reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(c) The Borrower and Servicer hereby acknowledge that the Secured Parties, the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Custodian shall not have any obligation or liability with respect to any Transferred Loans, nor shall any of them be obligated to perform any of the obligations of the Servicer hereunder.
Duties of the Executive (a) Subject to the ultimate control and discretion of the Boards, the Executive shall serve in the Position and perform all duties and services commensurate with the Position. Throughout the Term of this Agreement as the same may be extended from time to time, the Executive shall perform all duties reasonably assigned or delegated to the Executive under the By-laws of the Employers or from time to time by the Boards consistent with the Position. Except for travel normally incidental and reasonably necessary to the business of the Employers and the duties of the Executive under this Agreement, the duties of the Executive shall be performed from an office location not greater than 35 miles from Marietta, Pennsylvania.
(b) The Executive shall devote substantially all of the Executive’s business time and attention to the performance of the Executive’s duties under this Agreement and, during the term of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement, the Executive shall not engage in any other business enterprise that requires any significant amount of the Executive’s personal time or attention, unless granted the prior permission of the respective Boards. The foregoing provision shall not prevent the Executive’s purchase, ownership or sale of any interest in, or the Executive’s engaging in, any business that does not compete with the business of the Employers or the Executive’s involvement in charitable or community activities, provided, that the time and attention that the Executive devotes to such business and charitable or community activities does not materially interfere with the performance of the Executive’s duties under this Agreement and that a material portion of the time the Executive devotes to charitable or community activities are devoted to charitable or community activities within the Employers’ market area and further provided that such conduct complies in all material respects with applicable policies of the Employers.
(c) The Employers shall accrue earned but unused vacation in accordance with the Employers’ vacation policy.
Duties of the Escrow Agent The Escrow Agent shall have no duties or responsibilities other than those expressly set forth in this Agreement, and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent is not a party to, or bound by, any other agreement among the other parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and the Escrow Agent’s duties shall be determined solely by reference to this Agreement. The Escrow Agent shall have no duty to enforce any obligation of any person, other than as provided herein. The Escrow Agent shall be under no liability to anyone by reason of any failure on the part of any party hereto or any maker, endorser or other signatory of any document or any other person to perform such person’s obligations under any such document.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Escrow Agent The Escrow Agent's duties and responsibilities shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a) The Subscriber and Company acknowledge and agree that the Escrow Agent (i) shall not be responsible for or bound by, and shall not be required to inquire into whether either the Subscriber or Company is entitled to receipt of the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents pursuant to, any other agreement or otherwise; (ii) shall be obligated only for the performance of such duties as are specifically assumed by the Escrow Agent pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any written notice, instruction, instrument, statement, request or document furnished to it hereunder and believed by the Escrow Agent in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person or party, without being required to determine the authenticity or correctness of any fact stated therein or the propriety or validity or the service thereof; (iv) may assume that any person believed by the Escrow Agent in good faith to be authorized to give notice or make any statement or execute any document in connection with the provisions hereof is so authorized; (v) shall not be under any duty to give the property held by Escrow Agent hereunder any greater degree of care than Escrow Agent gives its own similar property; and (vi) may consult counsel satisfactory to Escrow Agent, the opinion of such counsel to be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by Escrow Agent hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the opinion of such counsel.
(b) The Subscriber and Company acknowledge that the Escrow Agent is acting solely as a stakeholder at their request and that the Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by Escrow Agent in good faith and believed by Escrow Agent to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon Escrow Agent by this Agreement. The Subscriber and Company, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Escrow Agent and any of Escrow Agent's partners, employees, agents and representatives for any action taken or omitted to be taken by Escrow Agent or any of them hereunder, including the fees of outside counsel and other costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability under this Agreement, except in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct on Escrow Agent's part committed in its capacity as Escrow Agent under this Agreement. The Escrow Agent shall owe a duty only to the Subscriber and Company under this Agreement and to no other person.
(c) The Subscriber and Company jointly and severally agree to reimburse the Escrow Agent for outside counsel fees, to the extent authorized hereunder and incurred in connection with the performance of its duties and responsibilities hereunder.
(d) The Escrow Agent may at any time resign as Escrow Agent hereunder by giving five (5) days prior written notice of resignation to the Subscriber and the Company. Prior to the effective date of the resignation as specified in such notice, the Subscriber and Company will issue to the Escrow Agent a Joint Instruction authorizing delivery of the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents to a substitute Escrow Agent selected by the Subscriber and Company. If no successor Escrow Agent is named by the Subscriber and Company, the Escrow Agent may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction in the State of New York for appointment of a successor Escrow Agent, and to deposit the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents with the clerk of any such court.
(e) The Escrow Agent does not have and will not have any interest in the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents, but is serving only as escrow agent, having only possession thereof. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any loss resulting from the making or retention of any investment in accordance with this Escrow Agreement.
(f) This Agreement sets forth exclusively the duties of the Escrow Agent with respect to any and all matters pertinent thereto and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement.
(g) The Escrow Agent shall be permitted to act as counsel for the Subscriber in any dispute as to the disposition of the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents, in any other dispute between the Subscriber and Company, whether or not the Escrow Agent is then holding the Company Documents and Subscriber Documents and continues to act as the Escrow Agent hereunder.
(h) The provisions of this Section 4.1 shall survive the resignation of the Escrow Agent or the termination of this Agreement.
Duties of the Sub Advisor The Sub-Advisor will provide the following services and undertake the following duties:
a. The Sub-Advisor will manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund, subject to and in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund and any directions which the Advisor or the Trust's Board of Trustees may give from time to time with respect to the Fund. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Sub-Advisor will make all determinations with respect to the investment of the assets of the Fund and the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and shall take such steps as may be necessary or advisable to implement the same. The Sub-Advisor also will determine the manner in which voting rights, rights to consent to corporate action and any other rights pertaining to the portfolio securities will be exercised. The Sub-Advisor will render regular reports to the Trust's Board of Trustees and to the Advisor (or such other advisor or advisors as the Advisor shall engage to assist it in the evaluation of the performance and activities of the Sub-Advisor). Such reports shall be made in such form and manner and with respect to such matters regarding the Fund and the Sub-Advisor as the Trust or the Advisor shall from time to time request.
b. The Sub-Advisor shall provide support to the Advisor with respect to the marketing of the Fund, including but not limited to: (i) permission to use the Sub-Advisor's name as provided in Section 5, (ii) permission to use the past performance and investment history of the Sub-Advisor as the same is applicable to the Fund, (iii) access to the individual(s) responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund for marketing conferences, teleconferences and other activities involving the promotion of the Fund, subject to the reasonable request of the Advisor, (iv) permission to use biographical and historical data of the Sub-Advisor and individual manager(s), and (v) permission to use the names of clients to which the Sub-Advisor provides investment management services, subject to any restrictions imposed by clients on the use of such names.
c. The Sub-Advisor will, in the name of the Fund, place orders for the execution of all portfolio transactions in accordance with the policies with respect thereto set forth in the Trust's registration statements under the 1940 Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as such registration statements may be in effect from time to time. In connection with the placement of orders for the execution of portfolio transactions, the Sub-Advisor will create and maintain all necessary brokerage records of the Fund in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to records required by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act. All records shall be the property of the Trust and shall be available for inspection and use by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), the Trust or any person retained by the Trust. Where applicable, such records shall be maintained by the Advisor for the periods and in the places required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. When placing orders with brokers and dealers, the Sub-Advisor's primary objective shall be to obtain the most favorable price and execution available for the Fund, and in placing such orders the Sub-Advisor may consider a number of factors, including, without limitation, the overall direct net economic result to the Fund (including commissions, which may not be the lowest available but ordinarily should not be higher than the generally prevailing competitive range), the financial strength and stability of the broker, the efficiency with which the transaction will be effected, the ability to effect the transaction at all where a large block is involved and the availability of the broker or dealer to stand ready to execute possibly difficult transactions in the future. Consistent with the Conduct Rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and subject to seeking the most favorable price and execution, the Sub-Advisor may give consideration to sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions of the Fund. The Sub-Advisor is specifically authorized, to the extent authorized by law (including, without limitation, Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")), to pay a broker or dealer who provides research services to the Sub-Advisor an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting such transaction, in recognition of such additional research services rendered by the broker or dealer, but only if the Sub-Advisor determines in good faith that the excess commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer viewed in terms of the particular transaction or the Sub-Advisor's overall responsibilities with respect to discretionary accounts that it manages, and that the Fund derives or will derive a reasonably significant benefit from such research services. The Sub-Advisor will present a written report to the Board of Trustees of the Trust, at least quarterly, indicating total brokerage expenses, actual or imputed, as well as the services obtained in consideration for such expenses, broken down by broker-dealer and containing such information as the Board of Trustees reasonably shall request.
d. In the event of any reorganization or other change in the Sub-Advisor, its investment principals, supervisors or members of its investment (or comparable) committee, the Sub-Advisor shall give the Advisor and the Trust's Board of Trustees written notice of such reorganization or change within a reasonable time (but not later than 30 days) after such reorganization or change.
e. The Sub-Advisor will bear its expenses of providing services to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement except such expenses as are undertaken by the Advisor or the Trust.
f. The Sub-Advisor will manage the Fund Assets and the investment and reinvestment of such assets so as to comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act and with Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Duties of the Servicer The Servicer is hereby authorized to act as agent for the Trust and in such capacity shall manage, service, administer and make collections on the Receivables, and perform the other actions required by the Servicer under this Agreement. The Servicer agrees that its servicing of the Receivables shall be carried out in accordance with customary and usual procedures of institutions which service motor vehicle retail installment sale contracts or promissory notes and, to the extent more exacting, the degree of skill and attention that the Servicer exercises from time to time with respect to all comparable motor vehicle receivables that it services for itself or others. In performing such duties, so long as GM Financial is the Servicer, it shall substantially comply with the Servicing Policies and Procedures. The Servicer’s duties shall include, without limitation, collecting and posting all payments, responding to inquiries of Obligors on the Receivables, investigating delinquencies, sending payment invoices to Obligors, reporting any required tax information to Obligors, monitoring the Collateral, accounting for collections and furnishing monthly and annual statements to the Trust Collateral Agent and the Trustee with respect to distributions, and performing the other duties specified herein. The Servicer, or if GM Financial is no longer the Servicer, GM Financial, at the request of the Servicer, shall also administer and enforce all rights and responsibilities of the holder of the Receivables provided for in the Dealer Agreements (and shall maintain possession of the Dealer Agreements, to the extent it is necessary to do so), the Dealer Assignments and the Insurance Policies, to the extent that such Dealer Agreements, Dealer Assignments and Insurance Policies relate to the Receivables, the Financed Vehicles or the Obligors. To the extent consistent with the standards, policies and procedures otherwise required hereby, the Servicer shall follow its customary standards, policies, and procedures and shall have full power and authority, acting alone, to do any and all things in connection with such managing, servicing, administration and collection that it may deem necessary or desirable. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Servicer is hereby authorized and empowered by the Trust to execute and deliver, on behalf of the Trust, any and all instruments of satisfaction or cancellation, or of partial or full release or discharge, and all other comparable instruments, with respect to the Receivables and with respect to the Financed Vehicles; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, the Servicer shall not, except pursuant to an order from a court of competent jurisdiction, release an Obligor from payment of any unpaid amount under any Receivable or waive the right to collect the unpaid balance of any Receivable from the Obligor, except in accordance with the Servicer’s customary practices. The Servicer is hereby authorized to commence, in its own name or in the name of the Trust, a legal proceeding to enforce a Receivable pursuant to Section 4.3 or to commence or participate in any other legal proceeding (including, without limitation, a bankruptcy proceeding) relating to or involving a Receivable, an Obligor or a Financed Vehicle. If the Servicer commences or participates in such a legal proceeding in its own name, the Trust shall thereupon be deemed to have automatically assigned such Receivable to the Servicer solely for purposes of commencing or participating in any such proceeding as a party or claimant, and the Servicer is authorized and empowered by the Trust to execute and deliver in the Servicer’s name any notices, demands, claims, complaints, responses, affidavits or other documents or instruments in connection with any such proceeding. The Trust Collateral Agent and the Owner Trustee shall furnish the Servicer with any limited powers of attorney and other documents which the Servicer may reasonably request and which the Servicer deems necessary or appropriate and take any other steps which the Servicer may deem necessary or appropriate to enable the Servicer to carry out its servicing and administrative duties under this Agreement. As set forth in Section 9.3, in the event the Servicer fails to perform its obligations hereunder, the successor Servicer shall be responsible for the Servicer’s duties in this Agreement as if it were the Servicer, provided that the successor Servicer shall not be liable for the Servicer’s breach of its obligations.
DUTIES OF MSS 1.01 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Trust hereby employs and appoints MSS to act, and MSS agrees to act, as transfer agent for the Trust’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest of each class of each portfolio of the Trust (the “Shares”), and as dividend disbursing and redemption agent for the Trust.
1.02 MSS agrees that it will perform the following services:
(a) In accordance with procedures established from time to time by agreement between the Trust and MSS, MSS shall:
(i) Receive for acceptance, orders for the purchase of Shares, and promptly deliver payment and appropriate documentation therefore to the Custodian of the Trust authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Custodian”);
(ii) Pursuant to purchase orders, issue the appropriate number of Shares and hold such Shares in the appropriate Shareholder account;
(iii) Receive for acceptance redemption requests and redemption directions and deliver the appropriate documentation therefore to the Custodian;
(iv) At the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, pay over or cause to be paid over in the appropriate manner such monies as instructed by the redeeming Shareholders;
(v) Effect transfers of Shares by the registered owners thereof upon receipt of appropriate instructions;
(vi) Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and distributions declared by the Trust;
(vii) Maintain records of account for and advise the Trust and its Shareholders as to the foregoing;
(viii) Maintain an Anti-Money Laundering Program in compliance with the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and regulation thereunder, and provide to the Trust a copy of MSS’s Anti-Money Laundering Program;
(ix) Perform such services as are necessary to implement and enforce the Trust’s Anti-Money Laundering Program;
(x) Provide necessary and reasonable access to properly authorized federal examiners so that they can obtain all necessary information and records relating to the AML Program and to inspect MSS’s implementation and operation of the AML Program; and
(xi) Record the issuance of shares of the Trust and maintain pursuant to SEC Rule 17Ad-10(e) a record of the total number of shares of the Trust which are authorized, based upon data provided to it by the Trust, and issued and outstanding. MSS shall also provide the Trust on a regular basis with the total number of shares which are authorized, issued and outstanding and shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of shares, to monitor the issuance of such shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Trust.
(b) In addition, MSS shall perform all of the customary services of a transfer agent, dividend disbursing and redemption agent, including but not limited to: maintaining all Shareholder accounts, preparing Shareholder meeting lists, mailing proxies, receiving and tabulating proxies, mailing Shareholder reports and prospectuses to current Shareholders, withholding taxes for U.S. resident and non-resident alien accounts, preparing and filing U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other appropriate forms required with respect to dividends and distributions by federal authorities for all Shareholders, preparing and mailing confirmation forms and statements of account to Shareholders for all purchases and redemptions of Shares and other confirmable transactions in Shareholder accounts, preparing and mailing activity statements for Shareholders, and providing Shareholder account information and provide a system and reports which will enable the Trust to monitor the total number of Shares sold in each State. Procedures applicable to certain of these services may be established from time to time by agreement between the Trust and MSS.
Duties of the Sub-Adviser Subject to supervision by the Adviser and the Trust’s Board of Trustees, the Sub-Adviser shall manage all of the securities and other assets of each Fund entrusted to it hereunder (the “Assets”), including the purchase, retention and disposition of the Assets, in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in each Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time (referred to collectively as the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following:
(a) The Sub-Adviser shall, in consultation with and subject to the direction of the Adviser, determine from time to time what Assets will be purchased, retained or sold by a Fund, and what portion of the Assets will be invested or held uninvested in cash.
(b) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall act in conformity with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust (as defined herein), Prospectus, Compliance Policies and Procedures and with the instructions and directions of the Adviser and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and will conform to and comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations, as each is amended from time to time.
(c) The Sub-Adviser shall determine the Assets to be purchased or sold by a Fund as provided in subparagraph (a) and will place orders with or through such persons, brokers or dealers to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage set forth in a Fund’s Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees or the Adviser may direct from time to time, in conformity with all federal securities laws. In executing Fund transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, the Sub-Adviser will use its best efforts to seek on behalf of each Fund the best overall terms available. In assessing the best overall terms available for any transaction, the Sub-Adviser shall consider all factors that it deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the financial condition and execution capability of the broker or dealer, and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. In evaluating the best overall terms available, and in selecting the broker-dealer to execute a particular transaction, the Sub-Adviser may also consider the brokerage and research services provided (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)). Consistent with any guidelines established by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act, the Sub-Adviser is authorized to pay to a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services a commission for executing a portfolio transaction for a Fund which is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if, but only if, the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer — viewed in terms of that particular transaction or in terms of the overall responsibilities of the Sub-Adviser to its discretionary clients, including a Fund. In addition, the Sub-Adviser is authorized to allocate purchase and sale orders for securities to brokers or dealers (including brokers and dealers that are affiliated with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or the Trust’s principal underwriter) if the Sub-Adviser believes that the quality of the transaction and the commission are comparable to what they would be with other qualified firms. In no instance, however, will a Fund’s Assets be purchased from or sold to the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, the Trust’s principal underwriter, or any affiliated person of either the Trust, Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the principal underwriter, acting as principal in the transaction, except to the extent permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the 1940 Act.
(d) The Sub-Adviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to transactions involving the Assets required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act. The Sub-Adviser shall keep the books and records relating to the Assets required to be maintained by the Sub-Adviser under this Agreement and shall timely furnish to the Adviser all information relating to the Sub-Adviser’s services under this Agreement needed by the Adviser to keep the other books and records of a Fund required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act. The Sub-Adviser agrees that all records that it maintains on behalf of a Fund are property of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser will surrender promptly to a Fund any of such records upon the Fund’s request; provided, however, that the Sub-Adviser may retain a copy of such records. In addition, for the duration of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to this Agreement, and shall transfer said records to any successor sub-adviser upon the termination of this Agreement (or, if there is no successor sub-adviser, to the Adviser).
(e) The Sub-Adviser shall provide a Fund’s custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning a Fund’s Assets and shall provide the Adviser with such information upon request of the Adviser.
(f) To the extent called for by the Trust’s Compliance Policies and Procedures, or as reasonably requested by a Fund, the Sub-Adviser shall provide the Fund with information and advice regarding Assets to assist the Fund in determining the appropriate valuation of such Assets.
(g) The investment management services provided by the Sub-Adviser under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive and the Sub-Adviser shall be free to render similar services to others, as long as such services do not impair the services rendered to the Adviser or the Trust.
(h) The Sub-Adviser shall promptly notify the Adviser of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair the Sub-Adviser’s ability to fulfill its commitment under this Agreement.
(i) Except under the circumstances set forth in subsection (ii), the Sub-Adviser shall not be responsible for reviewing proxy solicitation materials or voting and handling proxies in relation to the securities held as Assets in a Fund. If the Sub-Adviser receives a misdirected proxy, it shall promptly forward such misdirected proxy to the Adviser.
(ii) The Sub-Adviser hereby agrees that upon 60 days’ written notice from the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser shall assume responsibility for reviewing proxy solicitation materials and voting proxies in relation to the securities held as Assets in a Fund. As of the time the Sub-Adviser shall assume such responsibilities with respect to proxies under this sub-section (ii), the Adviser shall instruct the custodian and other parties providing services to a Fund to promptly forward misdirected proxies to the Sub-Adviser.
(j) In performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall not consult with any other sub-adviser to a Fund or a sub-adviser to a portfolio that is under common control with a Fund concerning the Assets, except as permitted by the policies and procedures of a Fund. The Sub-Adviser shall not provide investment advice to any assets of a Fund other than the Assets.
(k) On occasions when the Sub-Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of a Fund as well as other clients of the Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser may, to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulations, aggregate the order for securities to be sold or purchased. In such event, the Sub-Adviser will allocate securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, in a manner the Sub-Adviser reasonably considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to a Fund and to such other clients under the circumstances.
(l) The Sub-Adviser shall provide to the Adviser or the Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports, balance sheets or financial information, and such other information with regard to its affairs as the Adviser or Board of Trustees may reasonably request. The Sub-Adviser shall also furnish to the Adviser any other information relating to the Assets that is required to be filed by the Adviser or the Trust with the SEC or sent to shareholders under the 1940 Act (including the rules adopted thereunder) or any exemptive or other relief that the Adviser or the Trust obtains from the SEC.
(m) With respect to the Assets of a Fund, the Sub-Adviser shall file any required reports with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(f) and Section 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the rules and regulations thereunder. To the extent permitted by law, the services to be furnished by the Sub-Adviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of the Sub-Adviser’s partners, officers, employees or control affiliates; provided, however, that the use of such mediums does not relieve the Sub-Adviser from any obligation or duty under this Agreement.
