DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
SEI INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENTS TRUST
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 14th day of June, 1996 between SEI
Institutional Investments Trust (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts business trust,
and SEI Financial Services Company (the "Distributor"), a Pennsylvania
corporation.
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an investment company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and its shares are registered with the SEC
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained, the Trust and the Distributor hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. SALE OF SHARES. The Trust grants to the Distributor the
exclusive right to sell shares (the "Shares") of the portfolios (the
"Portfolios") of the Trust at the net asset value per Share, plus any applicable
sales charge in accordance with the Trust's current prospectuses, as agent and
on behalf of the Trust, during the term of this Agreement and subject to the
registration requirements of the 1933 Act, the rules and regulations of the SEC
and the laws governing the sale of securities in the various states (the "Blue
Sky Laws").
ARTICLE 2. SOLICITATION OF SALES. In consideration of these rights granted
to the Distributor, the Distributor agrees to use all reasonable efforts,
consistent with its other business, in connection with the distribution of the
Shares of the Trust; provided, however, that the Distributor shall not be
prevented from entering into like arrangements with other issuers. The
provisions of this paragraph do not obligate the Distributor to register as a
broker or dealer under the Blue Sky Laws of any jurisdiction when it determines
it would be uneconomical for it to do so or to maintain its registration in any
jurisdiction in which it is now registered nor obligate the Distributor to sell
any particular number of Shares.
ARTICLE 3. COMPENSATION. As compensation for providing the services under
this Agreement:
(a) The Distributor shall receive from the Trust:
(1) all distribution and service fees, as applicable, at the rate and
under the terms and conditions set forth in each Distribution and
Service Plan adopted by the appropriate class of Shares of each of the
Portfolios, as such Plans may be amended from time to time, and
subject to any further limitations on such fees as the Board of
Directors of the Trust may impose;
(2) all contingent deferred sales charges ("CDSC") applied on
redemptions of CDSC Class Shares, as applicable, of each Portfolio on
the terms and subject to such waivers as are described in the Trust's
Registration Statement and current prospectuses, as amended from time
to time, or as otherwise required pursuant to applicable law; and
(3) all front-end sales charges, as applicable, on purchases of
front-end load Shares of each Portfolio sold subject to such charges
as described in the Trust's Registration Statement and
current prospectuses, as amended from time to time. The Distributor,
or brokers, dealers and other financial institutions and
intermediaries that have entered into sub-distribution agreements with
the Distributor, may collect the gross proceeds derived from the sale
of such front-end load Shares, remit the net asset value thereof to
the Trust upon receipt of the proceeds and retain the applicable sales
charge.
(b) The Distributor may reallow any or all of the distribution or service
fees, CDSC, and front-end sales charges which it is paid by the Trust
to such brokers, dealers and other financial institutions and
intermediaries as the Distributor may from time to time determine.
(c) The Distributor may transfer its right to the payments described in
this Article 3 to third persons who provide Trusting to the Distributor,
provided that any such transfer shall not be deemed a transfer of the
Distributor's obligations under this Agreement. Upon receipt of direction
from the Distributor to pay such fees to a transferee, the Trust shall make
payment in accordance with such direction.
ARTICLE 4. AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIONS. The Distributor is not authorized by
the Trust to give any information or to make any representations other than
those contained in the current registration statements and prospectuses of the
Trust filed with the SEC or contained in Shareholder reports or other material
that may be prepared by or on behalf of the Trust for the Distributor's use. The
Distributor may prepare and distribute sales literature and other material as it
may deem appropriate, provided that such literature and materials have been
prepared in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
ARTICLE 5. REGISTRATION OF SHARES. The Trust agrees that it will take all
action necessary to register Shares under the federal and state securities laws
so that there will be available for sale the number of Shares the Distributor
may reasonably be expected to sell and to pay all fees associated with said
registration. The Trust shall make available to the Distributor such number of
copies of its currently effective prospectuses and statement of additional
information as the Distributor may reasonably request. The Trust shall furnish
to the Distributor copies of all information, financial statements and other
papers which the Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with
the distribution of Shares of the Trust.
ARTICLE 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DISTRIBUTOR. The Trust agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless the Distributor and each of its directors and officers and
each person, if any, who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section
15 of the 1933 Act against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense
(including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss,
liability, claim, damages, or expense and reasonable counsel fees and
disbursements incurred in connection therewith), arising by reason of any person
acquiring any Shares, based upon the ground that the registration statement,
prospectus, Shareholder reports or other information filed or made public by the
Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in
order to make the statements made not misleading. However, the Trust does not
agree to indemnify the Distributor or hold it harmless to the extent that the
statements or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with,
information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Trust to be deemed to protect the
Distributor against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which the
Distributor or such person otherwise would be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or by
reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement, or (ii) is the Trust to be liable to the Distributor under the
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indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made
against the Distributor or any person indemnified unless the Distributor or
other person shall have notified the Trust in writing of the claim within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the
Distributor or such other person (or after the Distributor or the person shall
have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to
notify the Trust of any claim shall not relieve the Trust from any liability
which it may have to the Distributor or any person against whom such action is
brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph.
The Trust shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the
defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce any claims subject to this indemnity provision. If the Trust elects to
assume the defense of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel
chosen by the Trust and satisfactory to the indemnified defendants in the suit
whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Trust
elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the indemnified
defendants shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained
by them. If the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of a suit, it will
reimburse the indemnified defendants for the reasonable fees and expenses of any
counsel retained by the indemnified defendants.
The Trust agrees to notify the Distributor promptly of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or Directors in
connection with the issuance or sale of any of its Shares.
ARTICLE 7. INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUST. The Distributor covenants and agrees
that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each of its Directors and
officers and each person, if any, who controls the Trust within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Act, against any loss, liability, damages, claim or expense
(including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss,
liability, damages, claim or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in
connection therewith) based upon the 1933 Act or any other statute or common law
and arising by reason of any person acquiring any Shares, and alleging a
wrongful act of the Distributor or any of its employees or alleging that the
registration statement, prospectus, Shareholder reports or other information
filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading,
insofar as the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Distributor in favor of the Trust or
any other person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Trust or any other
person against any liability to which the Trust or such other person would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence
in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its
obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the Distributor to be
liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to
any claim made against the Trust or any person indemnified unless the Trust or
person, as the case may be, shall have notified the Distributor in writing of
the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written
notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been
served upon the Trust or upon any person (or after the Trust or such person
shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure
to notify the Distributor of any claim shall not relieve the Distributor from
any liability which it may have to the Trust or any person against whom the
action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained
in this paragraph.
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The Distributor shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in
the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce the claim, but if the Distributor elects to assume the defense, the
defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Distributor and satisfactory
to the indemnified defendants whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
In the event that the Distributor elects to assume the defense of any suit and
retain counsel, the defendants in the suit shall bear the fees and expenses of
any additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does not elect to
assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the indemnified defendants in
the suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.
The Distributor agrees to notify the Trust promptly of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against it in connection with the issue and sale
of any of the Trust's Shares.
ARTICLE 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Agreement shall be effective upon its
execution, and unless terminated as provided, shall continue in force for one
year from the effective date and thereafter year to year, provided that such
annual continuance is approved by (i) either the vote of a majority of the
Directors of the Trust, or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of those Directors of
the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or the Trust's Distribution Plan
or interested persons of any such party ("Qualified Directors"), cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the approval. This Agreement
shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. As used in this
paragraph the terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities",
"assignment" and "interested person" shall have the respective meanings
specified in the 1940 Act. In addition, this Agreement may at any time be
terminated without penalty by the Distributor, by a vote of a majority of
Qualified Directors or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Trust upon not less than sixty days prior written notice to
the other party.
ARTICLE 9. NOTICES. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either
party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or certified
mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the other party
at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving notice: if
to the Trust, at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx, and if to the
Distributor, at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000.
ARTICLE 10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. A copy of the Articles of
Incorporation of the Trust is on file with the Secretary of State of Maryland,
and notice is hereby given that this Agreement is executed on behalf of the
Directors of the Trust as Directors and not individually and that the
obligations of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Directors,
officers or shareholders of the Trust individually but binding only upon the
assets and property of the Trust.
ARTICLE 11. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance
with the laws of the state of Maryland and the applicable provisions of the 1940
Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the state of Maryland, or any of
the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act,
the latter shall control.
ARTICLE 12. MULTIPLE ORIGINALS. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
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IN WITNESS, the Trust and Distributor have each duly executed this
Agreement, as of the day and year above written.
SEI INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENTS TRUST
By: Signature Appears Here
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Attest: Signature Appears Here
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SEI FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
By: Signature Appears Here
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Attest: Signature Appears Here
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