Responsibility of the Custodian In performing its duties and obligations hereunder, the Custodian shall use reasonable care under the facts and circumstances prevailing in the market where performance is effected. Subject to the specific provisions of this Section, the Custodian shall be liable for any direct damage incurred by the Fund in consequence of the Custodian's negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. In no event shall the Custodian be liable hereunder for any special, indirect, punitive or consequential damages arising out of, pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement even if the Custodian has been advised of the possibility of such damages. It is agreed that the Custodian shall have no duty to assess the risks inherent in the Fund's Investments or to provide investment advice with respect to such Investments and that the Fund as principal shall bear any risks attendant to particular Investments such as failure of counterparty or issuer.
Responsibility of the Trustee (a) The Trustee shall act with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims; provided, however, that the Trustee shall incur no liability to any person for any action taken pursuant to a direction, request or approval given by the Company which is contemplated by, and in conformity with, the terms of the Agreements or this Trust and is given in writing by the Company. In the event of a dispute between the Company and a party, the Trustee may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to resolve the dispute.
(b) If the Trustee undertakes or defends any litigation arising in connection with this Trust, the Company agrees to indemnify the Trustee against the Trustee's costs, expenses and liabilities (including, without limitation, attorney's fees and expenses) relating thereto and to be primarily liable for such payments. If the Company does not pay such costs, expenses and liabilities in a reasonably timely manner, the Trustee may obtain payment from the Trust.
(c) The Trustee may consult with legal counsel (who may also be counsel for the Company generally) with respect to any of its duties or obligations hereunder.
(d) The Trustee may hire agents, accountants, actuaries, investment advisors, financial consultants or other professionals to assist it in performing any of its duties or obligations hereunder.
(e) The Trustee shall have, without exclusion, all powers conferred on trustees by applicable law, unless expressly provided otherwise herein; provided, however, that if an insurance policy is held as an asset of the Trust, the Trustee shall have no power to name a beneficiary of the policy other than the Trust, to assign the policy (as distinct from conversion of the policy to a different form) other than to a successor Trustee, or to loan to any person the proceeds of any borrowing against such policy.
(f) Notwithstanding any powers granted to the Trustee pursuant to this Trust Agreement or to applicable law, the Trustee shall not have any power that could give this Trust the objective of carrying on a business and dividing the gains therefrom, within the meaning of Section 301.7701-2 of the Procedure and Administrative Regulations promulgated pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Liability of the Custodian for Actions of Others (a) Domestic Subcustodians ---------------------- The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of any Domestic Subcustodian to the same extent as if such actions or omissions were performed by the Custodian itself.
Responsibility of Custodian So long as and to the extent that it is in the exercise of reasonable care, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property or evidence of title thereto received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Contract and shall be held harmless in acting upon any notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed by the proper party or parties, including any futures commission merchant acting pursuant to the terms of a three-party futures or options agreement. The Custodian shall be held to the exercise of reasonable care in carrying out the provisions of this Contract, but shall be kept indemnified by and shall be without liability to the Fund for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith without negligence. It shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon written advice of counsel (who may be counsel for the Fund) on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. Except as may arise from the Custodian’s own negligence or willful misconduct or the negligence or willful misconduct of a sub-custodian or agent, the Custodian shall be without liability to the Fund for any loss, liability, claim or expense resulting from or caused by; (i) events or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian or any sub-custodian or U.S. or Foreign Securities System or any agent or nominee of any of the foregoing, including, without limitation, nationalization or expropriation, imposition of currency controls or restrictions, the interruption, suspension or restriction of trading on or the closure of any securities market, power or other mechanical or technological failures or interruptions, computer viruses or communications disruptions, acts of war or terrorism, riots, revolutions, work stoppages, natural disasters or other similar events or acts; (ii) errors by the Fund or the Investment Adviser in their instructions to the Custodian provided such instructions have been in accordance with this Contract; (iii) the insolvency of or acts or omissions by a U.S. or Foreign Securities System; (iv) any delay or failure of any broker, agent or intermediary, central bank or other commercially prevalent payment or clearing system to deliver to the Custodian’s sub-custodian or agent securities purchased or in the remittance or payment made in connection with securities sold; (v) any delay or failure of any company, corporation, or other body in charge of registering or transferring securities in the name of the Custodian, the Fund, the Custodian’s sub-custodians, nominees or agents or any consequential losses arising out of such delay or failure to transfer such securities including non-receipt of bonus, dividends and rights and other accretions or benefits; (vi) delays or inability to perform its duties due to any disorder in market infrastructure with respect to any particular security or U.S. or Foreign Securities System; and (vii) any provision of any present or future law or regulation or order of the United States, or any state thereof, or any other country, or political subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction. The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of a foreign banking institution to the same extent as set forth with respect to sub-custodians generally in this Contract. If the Fund requires the Custodian to take any action with respect to securities, which action involves the payment of money or which action may, in the opinion of the Custodian, result in the Custodian or its nominee assigned to the Fund being liable for the payment of money or incurring liability of some other form, the Fund, as a prerequisite to requiring the Custodian to take such action, shall provide indemnity to the Custodian in an amount and form satisfactory to it. If the Fund requires the Custodian, its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents, to advance cash or securities for any purpose (including but not limited to securities settlements, foreign exchange contracts and assumed settlement) or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee shall incur or be assessed any taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims or liabilities in connection with the performance of this Contract, except such as may arise from its or its nominee’s own negligent action, negligent failure to act or willful misconduct, any property at any time held for the account of the applicable Fund shall be security therefor and should the Fund fail to repay the Custodian promptly, the Custodian shall be entitled to utilize available cash and to dispose of such Fund’s assets to the extent necessary to obtain reimbursement. In no event shall either party be liable to the other for indirect, special or consequential damages.
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.
RESPONSIBILITY OF ADMINISTRATOR A. The Company shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Investment Company in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. The Company shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel (who may be counsel for the Investment Company) on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. Any person, even though also an officer, director, trustee, partner, employee or agent of the Company, who may be or become an officer, director, trustee, partner, employee or agent of the Investment Company, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Investment Company or acting on any business of the Investment Company (other than services or business in connection with the duties of the Company hereunder) to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Investment Company and not as an officer, director, trustee, partner, employee or agent or one under the control or direction of the Company even though paid by the Company.
B. The Company shall be kept indemnified by the Investment Company and be without liability for any action taken or thing done by it in performing the Administrative Services in accordance with the above standards. In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Article 10 shall apply, however, it is understood that if in any case the Investment Company may be asked to indemnify or hold the Company harmless, the Investment Company shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the Company will use all reasonable care to identify and notify the Investment Company promptly concerning any situation which presents or appears likely to present the probability of such a claim for indemnification against the Investment Company. The Investment Company shall have the option to defend the Company against any claim which may be the subject of this indemnification. In the event that the Investment Company so elects, it will so notify the Company and thereupon the Investment Company shall take over complete defense of the claim, and the Company shall in such situation initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek indemnification under this Article. The Company shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the Investment Company will be asked to indemnify the Company except with the Investment Company's written consent. SECTION THREE: TRANSFER AGENCY SERVICES.
Responsibility of Trustee The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Conversion Rate (or any adjustment thereto) or whether any facts exist that may require any adjustment (including any increase) of the Conversion Rate, or with respect to the nature or extent or calculation of any such adjustment when made, or with respect to the method employed, or herein or in any supplemental indenture provided to be employed, in making the same. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any shares of Common Stock, or of any securities, property or cash that may at any time be issued or delivered upon the conversion of any Note; and the Trustee and any other Conversion Agent make no representations with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be responsible for any failure of the Company to issue, transfer or deliver any shares of Common Stock or stock certificates or other securities or property or cash upon the surrender of any Note for the purpose of conversion or to comply with any of the duties, responsibilities or covenants of the Company contained in this Article. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be under any responsibility to determine the correctness of any provisions contained in any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 14.07 relating either to the kind or amount of shares of stock or securities or property (including cash) receivable by Holders upon the conversion of their Notes after any event referred to in such Section 14.07 or to any adjustment to be made with respect thereto, but, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, may accept (without any independent investigation) as conclusive evidence of the correctness of any such provisions, and shall be protected in relying upon, the Officer’s Certificate (which the Company shall be obligated to file with the Trustee prior to the execution of any such supplemental indenture) with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor the Conversion Agent shall be responsible for determining whether any event contemplated by Section 14.01(b) has occurred that makes the Notes eligible for conversion or no longer eligible therefor until the Company has delivered to the Trustee and the Conversion Agent the notices referred to in Section 14.01(b) with respect to the commencement or termination of such conversion rights, on which notices the Trustee and the Conversion Agent may conclusively rely, and the Company agrees to deliver such notices to the Trustee and the Conversion Agent immediately after the occurrence of any such event or at such other times as shall be provided for in Section 14.01(b).
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.
Appointment of the Custodian The Trustee may, with the consent of the Master Servicer and the Company, or shall, at the direction of the Company and the Master Servicer, appoint custodians who are not Affiliates of the Company, the Master Servicer or any Seller to hold all or a portion of the Custodial Files as agent for the Trustee, by entering into a Custodial Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company, Master Servicer and Trustee acknowledge that the functions of the Trustee hereunder with respect to the acceptance, custody, inspection and release of Custodial Files, and the preparation and delivery of the Interim Certification required pursuant to Section 2.02, shall be performed by the Custodian as and to the extent set forth in the Custodial Agreement. Subject to Article VIII, the Trustee agrees to comply with the terms of each Custodial Agreement with respect to the Custodial Files and to enforce the terms and provisions thereof against the related custodian for the benefit of the Certificateholders. Each custodian shall be a depository institution subject to supervision by federal or state authority, shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $15,000,000 and shall be qualified to do business in the jurisdiction in which it holds any Custodial File. Each Custodial Agreement, with respect to the Custodial Files, may be amended only as provided in Section 11.01. The Trustee shall notify the Certificateholders of the appointment of any custodian (other than the custodian appointed as of the Closing Date) pursuant to this Section 8.11.
DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY OF THE FUND HELD BY THE CUSTODIAN IN THE UNITED STATES
