Agency Cross Transactions From time to time, the Advisor or brokers or dealers affiliated with it may find themselves in a position to buy for certain of their brokerage clients (each an "Account") securities which the Advisor's investment advisory clients wish to sell, and to sell for certain of their brokerage clients securities which advisory clients wish to buy. Where one of the parties is an advisory client, the Advisor or the affiliated broker or dealer cannot participate in this type of transaction (known as a cross transaction) on behalf of an advisory client and retain commissions from one or both parties to the transaction without the advisory client's consent. This is because in a situation where the Advisor is making the investment decision (as opposed to a brokerage client who makes his own investment decisions), and the Advisor or an affiliate is receiving commissions from both sides of the transaction, there is a potential conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities on the Advisor's part regarding the advisory client. The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted a rule under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, which permits the Advisor or its affiliates to participate on behalf of an Account in agency cross transactions if the advisory client has given written consent in advance. By execution of this Agreement, the Trust authorizes the Advisor or its affiliates to participate in agency cross transactions involving an Account. The Trust may revoke its consent at any time by written notice to the Advisor.
Fund/SERV Transactions If the parties choose to use the National Securities Clearing Corporation’s Mutual Fund Settlement, Entry and Registration Verification (“Fund/SERV”) or any other NSCC service, the following provisions shall apply: The Company and the Fund or its designee will each be bound by the rules of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and the terms of any NSCC agreement filed by it or its designee with the NSCC. Without limiting the generality of the following provisions of this section, the Company and the Fund or its designee will each perform any and all duties, functions, procedures and responsibilities assigned to it and as otherwise established by the NSCC applicable to Fund/SERV, the Mutual Fund Profile Service, the Networking Matrix Level utilized and any other relevant NSCC service or system (collectively, the “NSCC Systems”). Any information transmitted through the NSCC Systems by any party or its designee to the other or its designee and pursuant to this Agreement will be accurate, complete, and in the format prescribed by the NSCC. Each party or its designee will adopt, implement and maintain procedures reasonably designed to ensure the accuracy of all transmissions through the NSCC Systems and to limit the access to, and the inputting of data into, the NSCC Systems to persons specifically authorized by such party. On each day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the SEC (“Business Day”), the Company shall aggregate and calculate the net purchase and redemption orders for each Account received by the Company by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) (the “Close of Trading”) on the Business Day. The Company shall communicate to the Fund or its designee for that Business Day, by Fund/SERV, the net aggregate purchase or redemption orders (if any) for each Account received by the Close of Trading on such Business Day (the “Trade Date”) no later than 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as may be agreed by the parties from time to time) (the “Fund/SERV Transactions Deadline”) on the Business Day following the Trade Date. All such aggregated orders communicated to the Fund or its designee by the Fund/SERV Transactions Deadline on the Business Day following the Trade Date shall be treated by the Fund or its designee as if received prior to the Close of Trading on the Trade Date. All orders received by the Company after the Close of Trading on a Business Day shall not be aggregated with Orders received by the Company prior to the Close of Trading on such Business Day and shall be communicated to BRIL or its designee as part of an aggregated order no sooner than after the FUND/SERV Transactions Deadline or such other time as may be agreed by the parties from time to time) the following Business Day. Cash settlement shall be transmitted pursuant to the normal NSCC settlement process. In the case of delayed settlement, the Fund or its designee shall make arrangements for the settlement of redemptions by wire no later than the time permitted for settlement of redemption orders by the 1940 Act. Unless otherwise informed in writing, such redemption wires should be sent to an account specified by the Company and agreed to by Fund Parties.
Manual Transactions If the parties choose not to use Fund/SERV, if there are technical problems with Fund/SERV, or if the parties are not able to transmit or receive information through Fund/SERV, any corrections to a Portfolio’s prices should be communicated by facsimile or by electronic transmission, and will include for each day on which an adjustment has occurred the incorrect Portfolio price, the correct price, and, to the extent communicated to Portfolio shareholders, the reason for the adjustment. The Company may send this notification or a derivation thereof to Contract owners whose Contracts are affected by the adjustment.
Options and Futures Transactions (a) Puts and Calls Traded on Securities Exchanges, NASDAQ or Over-the-Counter.
(i) The Bank shall take action as to put options ("puts") and call options ("calls") purchased or sold (written) by the Fund regarding escrow or other arrangements (i) in accordance with the provisions of any agreement entered into upon receipt of Proper Instructions among the Bank, any broker-dealer registered with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"), and, if necessary, the Fund, relating to the compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange, or of any similar organization or organizations.
(ii) Unless another agreement requires it to do so, the Bank shall be under no duty or obligation to see that the Fund has deposited or is maintaining adequate margin, if required, with any broker in connection with any option, nor shall the Bank be under duty or obligation to present such option to the broker for exercise unless it receives Proper Instructions from the Fund. The Bank shall have no responsibility for the legality of any put or call purchased or sold on behalf of the Fund, the propriety of any such purchase or sale, or the adequacy of any collateral delivered to a broker in connection with an option or deposited to or withdrawn from a Segregated Account (as defined in subsection 6.10 below). The Bank specifically, but not by way of limitation, shall not be under any duty or obligation to: (i) periodically check or notify the Fund that the amount of such collateral held by a broker or held in a Segregated Account is sufficient to protect such broker or the Fund against any loss; (ii) effect the return of any collateral delivered to a broker; or (iii) advise the Fund that any option it holds, has or is about to expire. Such duties or obligations shall be the sole responsibility of the Fund.
(b) Puts, Calls and Futures Traded on Commodities Exchanges
(i) The Bank shall take action as to puts, calls and futures contracts ("Futures") purchased or sold by the Fund in accordance with the provisions of any agreement entered into upon the receipt of Proper Instructions among the Fund, the Bank and a Futures Commission Merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any Contract Market, or any similar organization or organizations, regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund.
(ii) The responsibilities of the Bank as to futures, puts and calls traded on commodities exchanges, any Futures Commission Merchant account and the Segregated Account shall be limited as set forth in subparagraph (a)(ii) of this Section 6.9 as if such subparagraph referred to Futures Commission Merchants rather than brokers, and Futures and puts and calls thereon instead of options.
Commercial Transaction Refunds If you refund a Commercial Transaction payment, there are no fees to make the refund, but the fees you originally paid to receive the payment are not returned to you.
Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with (i) the requirements of the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset Control and (ii) applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transaction Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, including the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, as amended, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar money laundering statutes, rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Federal governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, assuming reasonable inquiry, threatened.
Unusual Transactions All Accounts have been originated by the Grantors and all Inventory has been acquired by the Grantors in the ordinary course of business.
Material Transactions Prior to the Closing, no Party will (other than (i) as contemplated by the terms of this Agreement and the Related Agreements, (ii) with respect to transactions for which there is a binding commitment existing prior to the date hereof disclosed in the Disclosure Schedules, and (iii) transactions described on Schedule 7.3 which do not vary materially from the terms set forth on such Schedule 7.3, or in the Ordinary Course of Business without first obtaining the written consent of the other Parties):
(a) declare or pay any dividend or make any other distribution to shareholders, whether in cash, stock or other property;
(b) amend its Governing Documents or enter into any agreement to merge or consolidate with, or sell a significant portion of its assets to, any other Person;
(c) except pursuant to options, warrants, conversion rights or other contractual rights, issue any shares of its capital stock or any options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for or purchase such common or other capital stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any such common or other capital stock;
(d) directly redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any of its common or other capital stock;
(e) effect a reclassification, recapitalization, split-up, exchange of shares, readjustment or other similar change in or to any capital stock or otherwise reorganize or recapitalize;
(f) enter into any employment contract which is not terminable upon notice of ninety (90) days or less, at will, and without penalty except as provided herein or grant any increase (other than ordinary and normal increases consistent with past practices) in the compensation payable or to become payable to officers or salaried employees, grant any stock options or, except as required by law, adopt or make any change in any bonus, insurance, pension or other Employee Benefit Plan, agreement, payment or agreement under, to, for or with any of such officers or employees;
(g) make any payment or distribution to the trustee under any bonus, pension, profit sharing or retirement plan or incur any obligation to make any such payment or contribution which is not in accordance with such Party’s usual past practice, or make any payment or contributions or incur any obligation pursuant to or in respect of any other plan or contract or arrangement providing for bonuses, options, executive incentive compensation, pensions, deferred compensation, retirement payments, profit sharing or the like, establish or enter into any such plan, contract or arrangement, or terminate or modify any plan;
(h) prepay any debt in excess of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000), borrow or agree to borrow any amount of funds except in the Ordinary Course of Business or, directly or indirectly, guarantee or agree to guarantee obligations of others, or fail to pay any monetary obligation in a timely manner prior to delinquency;
(i) enter into any agreement, contract or commitment having a term in excess of three (3) months or involving payments or obligations in excess of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) in the aggregate, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(j) amend or modify any material Contract;
(k) agree to increase the compensation or benefits of any employee (except for normal annual salary increases in accordance with past practices);
(l) place on any of its assets or properties any pledge, charge or other Encumbrance, except as otherwise authorized hereunder, or enter into any transaction or make any contract or commitment relating to its properties, assets and business, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business or as otherwise disclosed herein;
(m) guarantee the obligation of any person, firm or corporation, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(n) make any loan or advance in excess of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or cancel or accelerate any material indebtedness owing to it or any claims which it may possess or waive any material rights of substantial value;
(o) sell or otherwise dispose of any Real Property or any material amount of any tangible or intangible personal property other than leasehold interests in closed facilities, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(p) commit any act or fail to do any act which will cause a Breach of any Contract and which will have a Material Adverse Effect on its business, financial condition or earnings;
(q) violate any Applicable Law which violation might have a Material Adverse Effect on such Party;
(r) purchase any real or personal property or make any other capital expenditure where the amount paid or committed is in excess of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) per expenditure;
(s) except in the Ordinary Course of Business, enter into any agreement or transaction with any of such Party’s Affiliates; or
(t) engage in any transaction or take any action that would render untrue in any material respect any of the representations and warranties of such Party contained in this Agreement, as if such representations and warranties were given as of the date of such transaction or action.
Formation Transactions The Formation Transactions shall have been or shall be consummated substantially concurrently in accordance with the timing set forth in the respective Formation Transaction Documentation.
Principal Transactions In connection with purchases or sales of securities for the account of a Fund, neither the Adviser nor any of its directors, officers or employees will act as a principal or agent or receive any commission except as permitted by the 1940 Act.
