LIABILITIES AND INDEMNIFICATION SMC shall be liable for any actual losses, claims, damages or expenses (including any reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from SMC's bad faith, willful misfeasance, reckless disregard of its obligations and duties, negligence or failure to properly perform any of its responsibilities or duties under this agreement. SMC shall not be liable and shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Fund, for any claim, demand or action brought against it arising out of, or in connection with:
A. Bad faith, willful misfeasance, reckless disregard of its duties or negligence of the Board of Directors of the Fund, or SMC's acting upon any instructions properly executed and authorized by the Board of Directors of the Fund;
B. SMC acting in reliance upon advice given by independent counsel retained by the Board of Directors of the Fund. In the event that SMC requests the Fund to indemnify or hold it harmless hereunder, SMC shall use its best efforts to inform the Fund of the relevant facts concerning the matter in question. SMC shall use reasonable care to identify and promptly notify the Fund concerning any matter which presents, or appears likely to present, a claim for indemnification against the Fund. The Fund shall have the election of defending SMC against any claim which may be the subject of indemnification hereunder. In the event the Fund so elects, it will so notify SMC and thereupon the Fund shall take over defenses of the claim, and (if so requested by the Fund, SMC shall incur no further legal or other claims related thereto for which it would be entitled to indemnity hereunder provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall prevent SMC from retaining, at its own expense, counsel to defend any claim. Except with the Fund's prior consent, SMC shall in no event confess any claim or make any compromise in any matter in which the Fund will be asked to indemnify or hold SMC harmless hereunder. PUNITIVE DAMAGES. SMC shall not be liable to the Fund, or any third party, for punitive, exemplary, indirect, special or consequential damages (even if SMC has been advised of the possibility of such damages) arising from its obligations and the services provided under this agreement, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of use of the shareholder accounting system, cost of capital and expenses of substitute facilities, programs or services. FORCE MAJEURE. Anything in this agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, SMC shall not be liable for delays or errors occurring by reason of circumstances beyond its control, including but not limited to acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, work stoppages, fire, flood, catastrophe, earthquake, acts of God, insurrection, war, riot, failure of communication or interruption.
ADVISER’S LIABILITIES AND INDEMNIFICATION (a) The Adviser shall have responsibility for the accuracy and completeness (and liability for the lack thereof) of the statements in the Fund’s offering materials (including the prospectus, the statement of additional information, and advertising and sales materials), except for information supplied by the administrator or the Trust or another third party for inclusion therein.
(b) The Adviser shall be liable to the Fund for any loss (including brokerage charges) incurred by the Fund as a result of any improper investment made by the Adviser in contradiction of the Investment Policies.
(c) In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence, or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Adviser, the Adviser shall not be subject to liability to the Trust or the Fund or to any shareholder of the Fund for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, federal securities laws and certain state laws impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who have acted in good faith, and therefore nothing herein shall in any way constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which the Trust, the Fund or any shareholder of the Fund may have under any federal securities law or state law.
(d) Each party to this Agreement shall indemnify and hold harmless the other party and the shareholders, directors, officers and employees of the other party (any such person, an “Indemnified Party”) against any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating and defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage or expenses and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of the Indemnified Party’s performance or non-performance of any duties under this Agreement; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect any Indemnified Party against any liability to which such Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of duties hereunder or by reason of reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement.
(e) No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust, or officer of the Adviser, from liability in violation of Sections 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act.
Liability Exculpation and Indemnification Liability. Except as otherwise provided by the Act, all debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company (including, without limitation, under a judgment, decree or order of a court), whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, and no Covered Person shall be obligated personally for any such debt, obligation or liability of the Company solely by reason of being a Covered Person. Exculpation. No Covered Person shall be liable to the Company or any other Covered Person for any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Company and in a manner believed to be within the scope of authority conferred on such Covered Person by this Agreement, except that a Covered Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of such Covered Person’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or willful breach of this Agreement.
Seller Indemnification (a) The Seller agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Purchaser against any and all Damages. “Damages,” as used herein, shall include any claim, action, demand, loss, cost, expense, liability (joint or several), penalty and other damage, including, without limitation, reasonable counsel fees and other costs and expenses reasonably incurred in investigation or in attempting to avoid the same or oppose the imposition thereof or in enforcing this indemnity, resulting to Purchaser from (i) any inaccurate representation made by or on behalf of The Seller or the Company in this Agreement or any certificate or other document referenced in, this Agreement and delivered pursuant hereto, (ii) the breach of any of the warranties or agreements made by or on behalf of the Seller or the Company in this Agreement or any certificate or other document referenced in this Agreement and delivered pursuant hereto, or (iii) the breach or default in the performance by the Seller of any of the obligations to be performed hereunder. The Seller agrees to pay or reimburse the Purchaser for any payment made or amount payable or loss suffered or incurred by the Purchaser at any time from and after the Closing in respect of any Damages to which the foregoing indemnity relates.
(b) If any claim shall be asserted against Purchaser by a third party for which Purchaser intends to seek indemnification from the Seller under this Section, Purchaser shall given written notice to the Seller of the nature of the claim asserted within forty-five (45) days after any executive officer of Purchaser learns of the assertion thereof and determines that the Purchaser may have a right of indemnification with respect thereto, but the failure to give this notice will not relieve the Seller of any liability hereunder in respect of this claim. The Purchaser shall have the exclusive right to conduct, through counsel of its own choosing, which counsel is approved by the Seller (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld), the defense of any such claim or action, and may compromise or settle such claims or actions with the prior consent of the Seller (which shall not be unreasonably withheld).
ADVISOR’S LIABILITIES AND INDEMNIFICATION (a) The Advisor shall have responsibility for the accuracy and completeness (and liability for the lack thereof) of the statements in the Fund’s offering materials (including the prospectus, the statement of additional information, advertising and sales materials), except for information supplied by the administrator or the Trust or another third party for inclusion therein.
(b) The Advisor shall be liable to the Fund for any loss (including brokerage charges) incurred by the Fund as a result of any improper investment made by the Advisor in contradiction of the Investment Policies.
(c) In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence, or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Advisor, the Advisor shall not be subject to liability to the Trust or the Fund or to any shareholder of the Fund for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, federal securities laws and certain state laws impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who have acted in good faith, and therefore nothing herein shall in any way constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which the Trust, the Fund or any shareholder of the Fund may have under any federal securities law or state law.
(d) Each party to this Agreement shall indemnify and hold harmless the other party and the shareholders, directors, officers and employees of the other party (any such person, an “Indemnified Party”) against any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating and defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage or expenses and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of the Indemnifying Party’s performance or non-performance of any duties under this Agreement; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect any Indemnified Party against any liability to which such Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of duties hereunder or by reason of reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement.
(e) No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust, or officer of the Advisor, from liability in violation of Sections 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act.
Other Indemnification Matters Any claim for indemnification under this Article X must be asserted by providing written notice to the other parties specifying the factual basis of the claim in reasonable detail to the extent then known by the Person asserting the claim. The right to indemnification will not be affected by any investigation conducted with respect to, or any Knowledge acquired (or capable of being acquired) at any time, whether before or after the date hereof, with respect to any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement in this Agreement. THE INDEMNIFICATION PROVISIONS IN THIS ARTICLE X WILL BE ENFORCEABLE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY PERSON ALLEGES OR PROVES THE SOLE, CONCURRENT, CONTRIBUTORY OR COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE OF THE PERSON SEEKING INDEMNIFICATION OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR THE SOLE OR CONCURRENT STRICT LIABILITY IMPOSED ON THE PERSON SEEKING INDEMNIFICATION OR ITS AFFILIATES. THE WAIVER OF ANY CONDITION BASED ON THE ACCURACY OF ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, OR ON THE PERFORMANCE OF OR COMPLIANCE WITH ANY COVENANT OR AGREEMENT, WILL NOT AFFECT THE RIGHT TO INDEMNIFICATION, PAYMENT OF DAMAGES, OR OTHER REMEDY BASED ON ANY SUCH REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, COVENANT OR AGREEMENT. If any party liquidates or dissolves at any time when any Liability of such party with respect to this Article X may thereafter arise or be determined, then at the time of such liquidation or dissolution, such party will cause its shareholders, members, partners or other equity holders or distributees of such party’s assets, as the case may be, to take such assets subject to such Liabilities ratably in proportion to the assets received; provided, however, that the failure on behalf of any party to comply with the covenant set forth in this sentence will in no way reduce such party’s obligations in this Agreement.
Company Indemnification The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agent, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 11(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be delayed or withheld; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above, provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made solely in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
Exculpation and Indemnification (a) No Member, Manager, Officer, employee or agent of the Company and no affiliate, stockholder, officer, director, employee or agent of the Member (collectively, the “Covered Persons”) shall be liable to the Company or any other person or entity who is a party to or is otherwise bound by this Agreement for any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Company and in a manner reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Covered Person by this Agreement, except that a Covered Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of such Covered Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, a Covered Person shall be entitled to indemnification from the Company for any loss, damage or claim incurred by such Covered Person by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Company and in a manner reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Covered Person by this Agreement, except that no Covered Person shall be entitled to be indemnified in respect of any loss, damage or claim incurred by such Covered Person by reason of such Covered Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions; provided, however, that any indemnity under this Section shall be provided out of and to the extent of Company assets only, and the Member shall have no personal liability on account thereof.
(c) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, expenses (including reasonable legal fees) incurred by a Covered Person in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to time, be advanced by the Company prior to the final disposition of such claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding upon receipt by the Company of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Covered Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Section.
(d) A Covered Person shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Company and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Company by the person or entity as to matters the Covered Person reasonably believes are within such other person or entity’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company, including information, opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from which distributions to the Member might properly be paid.
(e) The provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities of a Covered Person otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Member to replace such other duties and liabilities of such Covered Person.
(f) The foregoing provisions of this Section shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
Liability of Servicer; Indemnification (a) The Servicer shall not be relieved of its obligations under this Agreement notwithstanding any Sub-Servicing Agreement or any of the provisions of this Agreement relating to agreements or arrangements between the Servicer and a Sub-Servicer and the Servicer shall be obligated to the same extent and under the same terms and conditions as if it alone were servicing and administering the Home Equity Loans. The Servicer shall be entitled to enter into any agreement with a Sub-Servicer for indemnification of the Servicer by such Sub-Servicer and nothing contained in such Sub-Servicing Agreement shall be deemed to limit or modify this Agreement.
(b) The Servicer agrees to indemnify and hold the Trustee, the Depositor and each Owner harmless against any and all claims, losses, penalties, fines, forfeitures, legal fees and related costs, judgments, and any other costs, fees and expenses that the Trustee, the Depositor and any Owner may sustain in any way related to the failure of the Servicer to perform its duties and service the Home Equity Loans in compliance with the terms of this Agreement. The Servicer shall immediately notify the Trustee, the Depositor and each Owner if a claim is made by a third party with respect to this Agreement, and the Servicer shall assume (with the consent of the Trustee) the defense of any such claim and pay all expenses in connection therewith, including reasonable counsel fees, and promptly pay, discharge and satisfy any judgment or decree which may be entered against the Servicer, the Trustee, the Depositor and/or Owner in respect of such claim. The Trustee shall, in accordance with written instructions received from the Servicer, reimburse the Servicer only from amounts otherwise distributable on the Class R Certificates for all amounts advanced by it pursuant to the preceding sentence, except when a final nonappealable adjudication determines that the claim relates directly to the failure of the Servicer to perform its duties in compliance with the Agreement. The provisions of this Section 8.05(b) shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the resignation or removal of the Trustee, and the payment of the outstanding Certificates.
Exculpation and Indemnification of Escrow Agent 9.1. The Escrow Agent shall have no duties or responsibilities other than those expressly set forth herein. The Escrow Agent shall have no duty to enforce any obligation of any person to make any payment or delivery, or to direct or cause any payment or delivery to be made, or to enforce any obligation of any person to perform any other act. The Escrow Agent shall be under no liability to the other parties hereto or to anyone else by reason of any failure on the part of any party hereto or any maker, guarantor, endorser or other signatory of any document or any other person to perform such person's obligations under such document. Except for amendments to this Agreement referred to below, and except for instructions given to the Escrow Agent by the Company and the subscribers relating to the Escrow Account, the Escrow Agent, as applicable, shall not be obligated to recognize any agreement between any and all of the persons referred to herein, notwithstanding that references thereto may be made herein and whether or not it has knowledge thereof.
9.2. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable to the Company or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted by it, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the exercise of its own best judgment. The Escrow Agent may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Escrow Agent), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained), which is believed by the Escrow Agent, as applicable, to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Escrow Agent shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Escrow Agreement or any of the terms thereof, unless evidenced by a writing delivered to the Escrow Agent, as applicable, signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Escrow Agent, as applicable, are affected, unless it shall give its prior written consent thereto.
9.3. The Escrow Agent shall not be responsible for the sufficiency or accuracy of the form of, or the execution, validity, value or genuineness of, any document or property received, held or delivered by it hereunder, or of any signature or endorsement thereon, or for any lack of endorsement thereon, or for any description therein, nor shall the Escrow Agent be responsible or liable to the other parties hereto or to anyone else in any respect on account of the identity, authority or rights of the persons executing or delivering or purporting to execute or deliver any document or property pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. Except as specifically provided for herein, the Escrow Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the use or application of any funds or other property paid or delivered by the Escrow Agent pursuant to the provisions hereof. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable to the Company or to anyone else for any loss which may be incurred by reason of any investment of any monies which it holds hereunder provided the Escrow Agent, as applicable, has complied with the provisions of Section 2 hereunder.
9.4. The Escrow Agent shall have the right to assume in the absence of written notice to the contrary from the proper person or persons that a fact or an event by reason of which an action would or might be taken by the Escrow Agent, as applicable, does not exist or has not occurred, without incurring liability to the other parties hereto or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the exercise of its own best judgment, in reliance upon such assumption.
9.5. To the extent that the Escrow Agent becomes liable for the payment of taxes, including withholding taxes, in respect of income derived from the investment of funds held hereunder or any payment made hereunder, the Escrow Agent, as applicable, may pay such taxes. The Escrow Agent, as applicable, may withhold from any payment of monies held by it hereunder such amount as the Escrow Agent, as applicable, estimates to be sufficient to provide for the payment of such taxes not yet paid, and may use the sum withheld for that purpose. The Escrow Agent shall be indemnified and held harmless against any liability for taxes and for any penalties or interest in respect of taxes, on such investment income or payments in the manner provided in Section 9.6.
9.6. The Escrow Agent will be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from and against any and all expenses, including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, or loss suffered by the Escrow Agent, as applicable, in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding involving any claim, or in connection with any claim or demand, which in any way, directly or indirectly, arises out of or relates to this Escrow Agreement, the services of the Escrow Agent, as applicable, hereunder, the monies or other property held by it hereunder or any income earned from investment of such monies; provided, that such expenses or loss are not as a result of the Escrow Agent, as applicable, acting, or omitting to take action, in bad faith or with willful misconduct or gross negligence promptly after the receipt by the Escrow Agent, as applicable, of notice of any demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, the Escrow Agent, as applicable, shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the Company, notify the Company thereof in writing, but the failure by the Escrow Agent, as applicable, to give such notice shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have to the Escrow Agent hereunder. For the purposes hereof, the term "expense or loss" shall include all amounts paid or payable to satisfy any claim, demand or liability, or in settlement of any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding settled with the express written consent of the Escrow Agent, and all costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, paid or incurred in investigating or defending against any such claims, demand, action, suit or proceeding.
