AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST of BBH TRUST a Delaware Statutory Trust
SUB-ITEM
77Q1 (a): Exhibits
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
of
a
Delaware Statutory Trust
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OF CONTENTS
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AMENDED
AND RESTATED
OF
AGREEMENT
AND DECLARATION OF TRUST amended and restated as of this 8th day of December,
2006, by the Trustees hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial
interest to be issued hereunder as hereinafter provided. This
Agreement and Declaration of Trust shall be effective upon the filing of the
Certificate of Trust in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware.
W
I T
N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS
this Trust has been formed to carry on the business of an investment company;
and
WHEREAS
this Trust is authorized to issue its shares of beneficial interest in separate
Series, and to issue classes of Shares of any Series or divide Shares of any
Series into two or more classes, all in accordance with the provisions
hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS
the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their hands as
trustees of a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the provisions of
the
Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. §3801, et seq.), as from time to time
amended and including any successor statute of similar import (the “DSTA”), and
the provisions hereinafter set forth.
NOW,
THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that they will hold all cash, securities
and other assets which they may from time to time acquire in any manner as
Trustees hereunder IN TRUST to manage and dispose of the same upon the following
terms and conditions for the benefit of the holders from time to time of shares
of beneficial interest in this Trust and the Series created hereunder as
hereinafter set forth.
Name
and
Definitions
Name
. This
Trust shall be known as “BBH Trust” and the Trustees shall conduct the business
of the Trust under that name, or any other name as they may from time to time
determine.
Registered
Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business.
Registered
Agent and Registered Office. The name of the registered agent of
the Trust and the address of the registered office of the Trust are as set
forth
on the Certificate of Trust.
Principal
Place of Business. The principal place of business of the Trust
is 000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, or such other location within or
outside of the State of Delaware as the Board of Trustees may determine from
time to time.
Definitions
. Whenever
used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically
provided:
“1940 Act”
shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations
thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time;
“Affiliate”
shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(3) of the
1940 Act when used with reference to a specified Person;
“Board
of Trustees” shall mean the governing body of the Trust, which is comprised
of the Trustees of the Trust;
“By-Laws”
shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust, as amended from time to time in accordance
with Article IX of the By-Laws, and incorporated herein by
reference;
“Certificate
of Trust” shall mean the certificate of trust filed with the Office of the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the DSTA to form
the Trust;
“Code”
shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and
regulations thereunder;
“Commission”
shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(7) of the
1940 Act;
“DSTA”
shall mean the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. §3801, et seq.), as
amended from time to time;
“Declaration
of Trust” shall mean this Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended or
restated from time to time;
“General
Liabilities” shall have the meaning given it in Article III,
Section 6(b) of this Declaration Trust;
“Interested
Person” shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the
1940 Act;
“Investment
Adviser” or “Adviser” shall mean a party furnishing services to the
Trust pursuant to any contract described in Article IV,
Section 7(a) hereof;
“Person”
shall include a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, trust, estate,
association, corporation, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity
in its own or any representative capacity;
“Principal
Underwriter” shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(29) of
the 1940 Act;
“Series”
shall refer to each Series of Shares established and designated under or in
accordance with the provisions of Article III and shall mean an entity such
as that described in Section 18(f)(2) of the 1940 Act, and
subject to Rule 18f-2 thereunder;
“Shares”
shall mean the outstanding shares of beneficial interest into which the
beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, and shall
include fractional and whole shares;
“Shareholder”
shall mean a record owner of Shares;
“Trust”
shall refer to the Delaware statutory trust established by this Declaration
of
Trust, as amended from time to time;
“Trust
Property” shall mean any and all property, real or personal, tangible or
intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or one
or
more of any Series, including, without limitation, the rights referenced in
Article VIII, Section 2 hereof; and
“Trustee”
or “Trustees” shall refer to each signatory to this Declaration of Trust
as a trustee, so long as such signatory continues in office in accordance with
the terms hereof, and all other Persons who may, from time to time, be duly
elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in
accordance with the provisions hereof. Reference herein to a Trustee
or the Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in their capacity as
trustees hereunder.
Purpose
of Trust
The
purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the business of a
registered management investment company registered under the 1940 Act
through one or more Series investing primarily in securities and, in addition
to
any authority given by law, to exercise all of the powers and to do any and
all
of the things as fully and to the same extent as any private corporation
organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware,
now or hereafter in force, including, without limitation, the following
powers:
To
invest
and reinvest cash, to hold cash uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in,
reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign,
mortgage, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise
deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of fixed
income or other securities, and securities or property of every nature and
kind,
including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, preferred
stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of
indebtedness, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial paper,
repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, and other securities of any kind,
issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including,
without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States
and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or
instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision
of
the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international
instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation
or
organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state,
territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization
organized under any foreign law, or in “when issued” contracts for any such
securities, and to change the investments of the assets of the
Trust;
To
exercise any and all rights, powers and privileges with reference to or incident
to ownership or interest, use and enjoyment of any of such securities and other
instruments or property of every kind and description, including, but without
limitation, the right, power and privilege to own, vote, hold, purchase, sell,
negotiate, assign, exchange, lend, transfer, mortgage, hypothecate, lease,
pledge or write options with respect to or otherwise deal with, dispose of,
use,
exercise or enjoy any rights, title, interest, powers or privileges under or
with reference to any of such securities and other instruments or property,
the
right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate
one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges
in
respect of any of said instruments, and to do any and all acts and things for
the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of any of
such securities and other instruments or property;
To
sell,
exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease or write options with
respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all
of
the assets of the Trust or any Series, subject to any requirements of the
1940 Act;
To
vote
or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock
or
other securities or property; and to execute and deliver proxies or powers
of
attorney to such person or persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting
to such person or persons such power and discretion with relation to securities
or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;
To
exercise powers and rights of subscription or otherwise which in any manner
arise out of ownership of securities;
To
hold
any security or property in a form not indicating that it is trust property,
whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name
or
in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise
or to authorize the custodian or a subcustodian or a nominee or nominees to
deposit the same in a securities depository;
To
consent to, or participate in, any plan for the reorganization, consolidation
or
merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust;
to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by
such corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect
to
any security held in the Trust;
To
join
with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting
trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with,
or
transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to
delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether
or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and
to
agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of
such
committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;
To
compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the
Trust or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to claims for
taxes;
To
enter
into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any other combinations
or associations;
To
endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any
Person; to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume
liability for payment thereof;
To
purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the
Trustees may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business,
including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the
Trust or payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments,
and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees,
agents, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors
of the Trust, individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature
arising by reason of holding Shares, holding, being or having held any such
office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or
omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment
Adviser, Principal Underwriter, or independent contractor, to the fullest extent
permitted by this Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws and by applicable
law;
To
adopt,
establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase,
savings, thrift and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts and
provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts
as
a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of
the
Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust;
To
purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, sell, negotiate, exchange, assign,
transfer, mortgage, pledge or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise
or
enjoy, property of all kinds;
To
buy,
sell, mortgage, encumber, hold, own, exchange, rent or otherwise acquire and
dispose of, and to develop, improve, manage, subdivide, and generally to deal
and trade in real property, improved and unimproved, and wheresoever situated;
and to build, erect, construct, alter and maintain buildings, structures, and
other improvements on real property;
To
borrow
or raise moneys for any of the purposes of the Trust, and to mortgage or pledge
the whole or any part of the property and franchises of the Trust, real,
personal, and mixed, tangible or intangible, and wheresoever
situated;
To
enter
into, make and perform contracts and undertakings of every kind for any lawful
purpose, without limit as to amount; and
To
issue,
purchase, sell and transfer, reacquire, hold, trade and deal in Shares, bonds,
debentures and other securities, instruments or other property of the Trust,
from time to time, to such extent as the Board of Trustees shall, consistent
with the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, determine; and to repurchase,
re-acquire and redeem, from time to time, its Shares or, if any, its bonds,
debentures and other securities.
The
Trust
shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible
dissolution of the Trust or one or more of its Series. The Trust
shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future law or custom
in regard to investment by fiduciaries. Neither the Trust nor the
Trustees shall be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets
of
the Trust or take any other action hereunder.
The
foregoing clauses shall each be construed as purposes, objects and powers,
and
it is hereby expressly provided that the foregoing enumeration of specific
purposes, objects and powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any
manner the powers of the Trust, and that they are in furtherance of, and in
addition to, and not in limitation of, the general powers conferred upon the
Trust by the DSTA and the other laws of the State of Delaware or otherwise;
nor
shall the enumeration of one thing be deemed to exclude another, although it
be
of like nature, not expressed.
Shares
Division
of Beneficial Interest
. The
beneficial interest in the Trust shall at all times be divided into Shares,
all
without par value. The number of Shares authorized hereunder is
unlimited. The Board of Trustees may authorize the division of Shares
into separate and distinct Series and the division of any Series into separate
classes of Shares. The different Series and classes shall be
established and designated, and the variations in the relative rights and
preferences as between the different Series and classes shall be fixed and
determined by the Board of Trustees without the requirement of Shareholder
approval. If no separate Series or classes shall be established, the
Shares shall have the rights and preferences provided for herein and in
Article III, Section 6 hereof to the extent relevant and not otherwise
provided for herein, and all references to Series and classes shall be construed
(as the context may require) to refer to the Trust. The fact that a
Series shall have initially been established and designated without any specific
establishment or designation of classes (i.e., that all Shares of such Series
are initially of a single class) shall not limit the authority of the Board
of
Trustees to establish and designate separate classes of said
Series. The fact that a Series shall have more than one established
and designated class, shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees
to
establish and designate additional classes of said Series, or to establish
and
designate separate classes of the previously established and designated
classes.
The
Board
of Trustees shall have the power to issue Shares of the Trust, or any Series
or
class thereof, from time to time for such consideration (but not less than
the
net asset value thereof) and in such form as may be fixed from time to time
pursuant to the direction of the Board of Trustees.
The
Board
of Trustees may hold as treasury shares, reissue for such consideration and
on
such terms as they may determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time
to
time, any Shares of any Series reacquired by the Trust. The Board of
Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares previously
issued and reacquired of any Series or class into one or more Series or classes
that may be established and designated from time to
time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust and any Series thereof
may acquire, hold, sell and otherwise deal in, for purposes of investment or
otherwise, the Shares of any other Series of the Trust or Shares of the Trust,
and such Shares shall not be deemed treasury shares or canceled.
Subject
to the provisions of Section 6 of this Article III, each Share shall
have voting rights as provided in Article V hereof, and the Shareholders of
any Series shall be entitled to receive dividends and distributions, when,
if
and as declared with respect thereto in the manner provided in Article IV,
Section 3 hereof. No Share shall have any priority or preference
over any other Share of the same Series or class with respect to dividends
or
distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon
dissolution of the Trust or of such Series or class made pursuant to
Article VIII, Section 1 hereof. All dividends and
distributions shall be made ratably among all Shareholders of a particular
class
or Series from the Trust Property held with respect to such Series according
to
the number of Shares of such class of such Series held of record by such
Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or
distribution. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to
subscribe to new or additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust
or
any Series. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the
Shares of any particular Series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of
that Series. Such division or combination may not materially change
the proportionate beneficial interests of the Shares of that Series in the
Trust
Property held with respect to that Series or materially affect the rights of
Shares of any other Series.
Any
Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust, and any organization in which
any
such Person is interested, may acquire, own, hold and dispose of Shares of
the
Trust to the same extent as if such Person were not a Trustee, officer or other
agent of the Trust; and the Trust may issue and sell or cause to be issued
and
sold and may purchase Shares from any such Person or any such organization
subject only to the general limitations, restrictions or other provisions
applicable to the sale or purchase of such Shares generally.
Ownership
of Shares
. The
ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust kept by the
Trust or by a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books shall be
maintained separately for the Shares of each Series and class thereof that
has
been established and designated. No certificates certifying the
ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Board of Trustees may
otherwise determine from time to time. The Board of Trustees may make
such rules not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act as it
considers appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer
of
Shares of each Series or class and similar matters. The record books
of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the
case
may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders of each Series or
class thereof and as to the number of Shares of each Series or class thereof
held from time to time by each such Shareholder.
Investments
in the Trust
. Investments
may be accepted by the Trust from such Persons, at such times, on such terms,
and for such consideration as the Board of Trustees may, from time to time,
authorize. Each investment shall be credited to the individual
Shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional Shares of the Trust, in
such Series or class as the purchaser may select, at the net asset value per
Share next determined for such Series or class after receipt of the investment;
provided, however, that the Principal Underwriter may, in its sole discretion,
impose a sales charge upon investments in the Trust.
Status
of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability
. Shares
shall be deemed to be personal property giving to Shareholders only the rights
provided in this Declaration of Trust and under applicable law. Every
Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have
expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof and to have become a party
hereto. The death of a Shareholder during the existence of the Trust
shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series, nor entitle the
representative of any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to take any
action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees or any Series,
but entitles such representative only to the rights of said deceased Shareholder
under this Declaration of Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not
entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the
Trust
Property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for an
accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders as
partners. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer,
employee or agent of the Trust, shall have any power to bind personally any
Shareholder, nor, except as specifically provided herein, to call upon any
Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money other than such as the
Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay. All Shares when
issued on the terms determined by the Board of Trustees shall be fully paid
and
nonassessable. As provided in the DSTA, Shareholders of the Trust
shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to
stockholders of a private corporation organized for profit under the general
corporation law of the State of Delaware.
Power
of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares
. Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and without limiting the
power
of the Board of Trustees to amend this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate
of Trust as provided elsewhere herein, the Board of Trustees shall have the
power to amend this Declaration of Trust, or the Certificate of Trust, at any
time and from time to time, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may
determine in its sole discretion, without the need for Shareholder action,
so as
to add to, delete, replace or otherwise modify any provisions relating to the
Shares contained in this Declaration of Trust, provided that Shareholder
approval is not otherwise required by the 1940 Act or other applicable
law.
The
Board
of Trustees shall have the power, in its discretion, to make such elections
as
to the tax status of the Trust as may be permitted or required under the Code
as
presently in effect or as amended, without the vote of any
Shareholder.
Establishment
and Designation of Series
. The
establishment and designation of any Series or class of Shares shall be
effective upon the resolution by a majority of the then Board of Trustees,
adopting a resolution which sets forth such establishment and designation and
the relative rights and preferences of such Series or class. Each
such resolution shall be incorporated herein by reference upon
adoption.
Each
Series shall be separate and distinct from any other Series and shall maintain
separate and distinct records on the books of the Trust, and the assets and
liabilities belonging to any such Series shall be held and accounted for
separately from the assets and liabilities of the Trust or any other
Series.
Shares
of
each Series or class established pursuant to this Section 6, unless
otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such Series, shall have the
following relative rights and preferences:
Assets
Held with Respect to a Particular Series. All consideration
received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series,
together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested,
all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source
derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale,
exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from
any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall
irrevocably be held with respect to that Series for all purposes, subject only
to the rights of creditors with respect to that Series, and shall be so recorded
upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration, assets,
income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived,
including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange
or
liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any
reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein
referred to as “assets held with respect to” that Series. In the
event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof,
funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect
to any particular Series (collectively “General Assets”), the Board of Trustees
shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among any one or more of
the
Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees, in its sole
discretion, deems fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to
a
particular Series shall be held with respect to that Series. Each
such allocation by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon
the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes.
Liabilities
Held with Respect to a Particular Series or Class. The assets of
the Trust held with respect to each particular Series shall be charged against
the liabilities of the Trust held with respect to that Series and all expenses,
costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series, and any liabilities,
expenses, costs, charges and reserves of the Trust which are not readily
identifiable as being held with respect to any particular Series (collectively
“General Liabilities”) shall be allocated and charged by the Board of Trustees
to and among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis
as
the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, deems fair and
equitable. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves so
charged to a Series are herein referred to as “liabilities held with respect to”
that Series. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges
and reserves by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon
the
Shareholders of all Series for all purposes. All Persons who have
extended credit which has been allocated to a particular Series, or who have
a
claim or contract which has been allocated to any particular Series, shall
look,
and shall be required by contract to look exclusively, to the assets of that
particular Series for payment of such credit, claim, or contract. In
the absence of an express contractual agreement so limiting the claims of such
creditors, claimants and contract providers, each creditor, claimant and
contract provider will be deemed nevertheless to have impliedly agreed to such
limitation.
Subject
to the right of the Board of Trustees in its discretion to allocate General
Liabilities as provided herein, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses
incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular
Series, whether such Series is now authorized and existing pursuant to this
Declaration of Trust or is hereafter authorized and existing pursuant to this
Declaration of Trust, shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect
to that Series only, and not against the assets of any other Series or the
Trust
generally and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred,
contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or
any
other Series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect
to such Series. Notice of this limitation on liabilities between and
among Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust of the Trust
(whether originally or by amendment) as filed or to be filed in the Office
of
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DSTA, and upon
the giving of such notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions
of Section 3804 of the DSTA relating to limitations on liabilities between
and among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting
forth such notice in the Certificate of Trust) shall become applicable to the
Trust and each Series.
Liabilities,
debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses related to the
distribution of, and other identified expenses that should properly be allocated
to, the Shares of a particular class may be charged to and borne solely by
such
class. The bearing of expenses solely by a particular class of Shares
may be appropriately reflected (in a manner determined by the Board of Trustees)
and may affect the net asset value attributable to, and the dividend, redemption
and liquidation rights of, such class. Each allocation of
liabilities, debts, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses by or
under the direction of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding
upon the Shareholders of all classes for all purposes. All Persons
who have extended credit that has been allocated to a particular class, or
who
have a claim or contract that has been allocated to any particular class, shall
look, and may be required by contract to look exclusively, to that particular
class for payment of such credit, claim, or contract.
Dividends,
Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases. Notwithstanding any
other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including, without limitation,
Article VI, no dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any
distribution paid upon dissolution of the Trust or of any Series or class with
respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series or
class shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with
respect to such Series or class, nor, except as specifically provided in
Section 4 of Article VII or Section 5 of Article IV, shall
any Shareholder of any particular Series or class otherwise have any right
or
claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series or class or
the
Trust generally except to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right
or
claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series or class. The
Board of Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent
with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and
which items as capital; and each such determination and allocation shall be
conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.
Voting. All
Shares of the Trust entitled to vote on a matter shall vote on the matter in
the
aggregate without differentiation between the separate Series or classes.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if any matter affects only the interests
of some but not all Series or classes, then only the Shareholders of such
affected Series or classes shall be entitled to vote on the matter; and
(ii) with respect to matters which would otherwise be voted on by two or
more Series or classes as a single class, the Trustees may, in their sole
discretion, submit such matters to the Shareholders of any or all such Series
or
classes, separately.
Equality. All
Shares of each particular Series shall represent an equal proportionate
undivided beneficial interest in the assets held with respect to that Series
(subject to the liabilities held with respect to that Series and such rights
and
preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes
of Shares within such Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall
be
equal to each other Share of that Series (subject to the rights and preferences
with respect to separate classes of such Series).
Fractions. Any
fractional Share of a Series shall carry proportionately all the rights and
obligations of a whole Share of that Series, including rights with respect
to
voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and
dissolution of the Trust or that Series.
Exchange
Privilege. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to
provide that the holders of Shares of any Series or class shall have the right
to exchange said Shares for Shares of one or more other Series or classes in
accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established by the
Board of Trustees, and in accordance with the 1940 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
Combination
of Series or Class. The Board of Trustees shall have the
authority, without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series or class,
unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and
liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series or two or more classes
into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series or class,
respectively.
Elimination
of Series or Class. At any time that there are no Shares
outstanding of any particular Series or class previously established and
designated, the Board of Trustees may by resolution of a majority of the then
Board of Trustees abolish that Series or class and rescind the establishment
and
designation thereof.
The
Board
of Trustees
Number,
Election and Tenure
. The
number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees may be fixed from time
to
time by a written instrument signed, or by resolution approved at a duly
constituted meeting, by a majority of the Board of Trustees, provided, however,
that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more
than twenty (20). The Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of
the then Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may fill vacancies in the
Board
of Trustees. The Board of Trustees, by action of a two-thirds of the then
Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may remove any trustee with or without
cause. The Shareholders may elect Trustees, including filling any
vacancies in the Board of Trustees, at any meeting of Shareholders called by
the
Board of Trustees for that purpose. A meeting of Shareholders for the
purpose of electing one or more Trustees may be called by the Board of Trustees
or, to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder, by the Shareholders. Shareholders shall have the power to
remove a Trustee only to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules
and regulations thereunder.
Each
Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he or
she
dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of appropriate
jurisdiction, or is removed, or, if sooner than any of such events, until the
next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees and
until the election and qualification of his or her successor. Any
Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and
delivered to any officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Board of
Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless
specified to be effective at some later time. Except to the extent
expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning
and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period
following any such event or any right to damages on account of such events
or
any actions taken in connection therewith following his or her resignation
or
removal.
Effect
of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc. of a Trustee
. The
death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, declaration as bankrupt
or
incapacity of one or more Trustees, but not all of them, shall not operate
to
dissolve the Trust or any Series or to revoke any existing agency created
pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Whenever a
vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled
as
provided in the By-Laws, the Trustee(s) in office, regardless of the number,
shall have all the powers granted to the Board of Trustees and shall discharge
all the duties imposed upon the Board of Trustees by this Declaration of
Trust.
Powers
. Subject
to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the business of the Trust shall
be managed by the Board of Trustees, and such Board of Trustees shall have
all
powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility, including,
without limitation, the power to engage in securities or other transactions
of
all kinds on behalf of the Trust. The Board of Trustees shall have
full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any
and
all contracts and instruments that it may consider necessary or appropriate
in
connection with the administration of the Trust. The Trustees shall
not be bound or limited by present or future laws or customs with regard to
investment by trustees or fiduciaries, but, subject to the other provisions
of
the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, shall have full authority and absolute
power and control over the assets of the Trust and the business of the Trust
to
the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the assets of the
Trust and the business in their own right, including such authority, power
and
control to do all acts and things as they, in their sole discretion, shall
deem
proper to accomplish the purposes of this Trust. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Trustees may: (1) adopt, amend and repeal By-Laws not
inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and
management of the affairs of the Trust; (2) fill vacancies in or remove
from their number in accordance with this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws,
and may elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents
as
they consider appropriate; (3) to delegate such authority as they consider
desirable to a committee or committees comprised of Trustees or any officers
or
agents of the Trust including, without limitation, an Executive Committee;
(4) employ one or more custodians of the Trust Property and may authorize
such custodians to employ subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such
Trust Property in a system or systems for the central handling of securities
or
with a Federal Reserve Bank; (5) retain a transfer agent, dividend
disbursing agent, a shareholder servicing agent or administrative services
agent, fund accountant, or all of them; (6) provide for the issuance and
distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more Principal
Underwriters or otherwise; (7) retain one or more Investment Adviser(s);
(8) redeem, repurchase and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law;
(9) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to
various matters, in the manner provided in Article V, Section 5 of
this Declaration of Trust; (10) declare and pay dividends and distributions
to Shareholders from the Trust Property; (11) establish from time to time,
in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof,
any Series or class of Shares, each such Series to operate as a separate and
distinct investment medium and with separately defined investment objectives
and
policies and distinct investment purposes; and (12) in general delegate
such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any
committee of the Board of Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust
or
to any such custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing or shareholder servicing
agent, fund accountant, legal counsel, independent auditors for the Trust,
Principal Underwriter or Investment Adviser. The powers of the Board
of Trustees set forth in the Section 3 are without prejudice to any other
powers of the Board of Trustees set forth in this Declaration of Trust and
By-Laws. Any determination as to what is in the best interests of the
Trust made by the Board of Trustees in good faith shall be
conclusive.
In
construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall
be
in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees. Unless otherwise
specified herein or required by law, any action by the Board of Trustees shall
be deemed effective if approved or taken by a majority of the Trustees then
in
office.
The
Trustees shall devote to the affairs of the Trust such time as may be necessary
for the proper performance of their duties hereunder, but neither the Trustees
nor the officers, directors, shareholders or partners of the Trustees, shall
be
expected to devote their full time to the performance of such
duties. The Trustees, or any Affiliate shareholder, officer,
director, partner or employee thereof, or any Person owning a legal or
beneficial interest therein, may engage in or possess an interest in any other
business or venture of any nature and description, independently or with or
for
the account of others.
Payment
of Fees and Expenses by the Trust
. The
Board of Trustees is authorized to pay or cause to be paid out of the principal
or income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, or partly out of
the
principal and partly out of the income of the Trust or any particular Series
or
class, and to charge or allocate the same to, between or among such one or
more
of the Series or classes that may be established or designated pursuant to
Article III, Section 6, as it deems fair, all expenses, fees, charges,
taxes and liabilities incurred by or arising in connection with the maintenance
or operation of the Trust or a particular Series or class, or in connection
with
the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees’
compensation and such expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities for the
services of the Trust’s officers, employees, Investment Adviser, Principal
Underwriter, fund accountant, auditors, counsel, custodian, sub-custodian (if
any), transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent,
and such other agents or independent contractors and such other expenses, fees,
charges, taxes and liabilities as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary
or
proper to incur.
Payment
of Fees and Expenses by Shareholders
. The
Board of Trustees shall have the power, as frequently as it may determine,
to
cause each Shareholder of the Trust, or each Shareholder of any particular
Series, to pay directly, in advance or arrears, for charges of the Trust’s
custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, fund accounting, shareholder
servicing or similar agent, an amount fixed from time to time by the Board
of
Trustees, by setting off such charges due from such Shareholder from declared
but unpaid dividends or distributions owed such Shareholder and/or by reducing
the number of Shares in the account of such Shareholder by that number of full
and/or fractional Shares which represents the outstanding amount of such charges
due from such Shareholder.
Ownership
of Trust Property
. Legal
title to all of the Trust Property shall at all times be considered to be vested
in the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees shall have the power to cause
legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of any Person
as
nominee, on such terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, in accordance
with applicable law.
Service
Contracts
Subject
to such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws and/or
the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may, at any time and from time to time,
contract for exclusive or nonexclusive advisory, management and/or
administrative services for the Trust or for any Series with any corporation,
trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate; and any
such
contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine,
including without limitation, authority for the Investment Adviser or
administrator to determine from time to time without prior consultation with
the
Board of Trustees what securities and other instruments or property shall be
purchased or otherwise acquired, owned, held, invested or reinvested in, sold,
exchanged, transferred, mortgaged, pledged, assigned, negotiated, or otherwise
dealt with or disposed of, and what portion, if any, of the Trust Property
shall
be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust’s or a particular Series’
investments, or such other activities as may specifically be delegated to such
party.
The
Board
of Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any
corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate,
appointing it or them as the exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or Principal
Underwriter for the Shares of the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes
thereof or for other securities to be issued by the Trust, or appointing it
or
them to act as the custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, fund
accountant, and/or ¬shareholder servicing agent for the Trust or one or more of
the Series or classes thereof.
The
Board
of Trustees is further empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract
with any Persons to provide such other services to the Trust or one or more
of
its Series, as the Board of Trustees determines to be in the best interests
of
the Trust or one or more of its Series.
The
fact
that:
any
of
the Shareholders, Trustees, employees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder,
director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, Adviser, Principal
Underwriter, distributor, or Affiliate or agent of or for any corporation,
trust, association, or other organization, or for any parent or Affiliate of
any
organization with which an Adviser’s, management or administration contract, or
Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer,
dividend disbursing, fund accounting, shareholder servicing or other type of
service contract may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such
organization, or any parent or Affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an
interest in the Trust, or that
any
corporation, trust, association or other organization with which an Adviser’s,
management or administration contract or Principal Underwriter’s or
distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, fund
accounting, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have
been or may hereafter be made also has an Adviser’s, management or
administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract,
or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other
service contract with one or more other corporations, trusts, associations,
or
other organizations, or has other business or interests,
shall
not
affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee,
employee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or
create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders,
provided that the establishment of and performance under each such contract
is
permissible under the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Compensation
. Except
as set forth in the last sentence of this Section 8, the Board of Trustees
may, from time to time, fix a reasonable amount of compensation to be paid
by
the Trust to the Trustees and officers of the Trust. Nothing herein
shall in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for advisory, management,
legal, accounting, investment banking or other services and payment for the
same
by the Trust.
Shareholders’
Voting Powers and Meetings
Voting
Powers
. Subject
to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), the Shareholders shall
have power to vote only (i) for the election of Trustees, including the
filling of any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, as provided in
Article IV, Section 1; (ii) with respect to such additional
matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration of Trust,
the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or any registration statement of the Trust filed
with the Commission; and (iii) on such other matters as the Board of
Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. The Shareholder of
record (as of the record date established pursuant to Section 5 of this
Article V) of each Share shall be entitled to one vote for each full Share,
and a fractional vote for each fractional Share. Shareholders shall
not be entitled to cumulative voting in the election of Trustees or on any
other
matter. Shares may be voted in person or by proxy.
Meetings
. Meetings
of the Shareholders may be called by the Board of Trustees for the purpose
of
electing Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1 and for such
other purposes as may be prescribed by law, by this Declaration of Trust or
by
the By-Laws. Meetings of the Shareholders may also be called by the
Board of Trustees from time to time for the purpose of taking action upon any
other matter deemed by the Board of Trustees to be necessary or
desirable.
Quorum
and Required Vote
. Except
when a larger quorum is required by applicable law, by the By-Laws or by this
Declaration of Trust, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares
present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at a
Shareholders’ meeting shall constitute a quorum at such meeting. When
a separate vote by one or more Series or classes is required, thirty-three
and
one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares of each such Series or class present
in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum
at a Shareholders’ meeting of such Series or class. Subject to the
provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), Article VIII,
Section 3 and any other provision of this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws
or applicable law which requires a different vote: (1) in all matters other
than the election of Trustees, the affirmative vote of the majority of votes
cast at a Shareholders’ meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of
the Shareholders; (2) Trustees shall be elected by a plurality of the votes
cast at a Shareholders’ meeting at which a quorum is present.
At
any
meeting of shareholders of the Trust, an Eligible Institution (as that term
may
from time to time be defined in the applicable then-current prospectus) may
vote
any Shares as to which such Eligible Institution is the holder or agent of
record and which are not otherwise represented in person or by proxy at the
meeting, proportionately in accordance with the votes cast by holders of all
Shares otherwise represented at the meeting in person or by proxy as to which
such Eligible Institution is the holder or agent of record. Any
Shares so voted by an Eligible Institution will be deemed represented at the
meeting for all purposes, including quorum purposes.
Shareholder
Action by Written Consent without a Meeting
. Any
action which may be taken at any meeting of Shareholders may be taken without
a
meeting and without prior notice if a consent in writing setting forth the
action so taken is signed by the holders of Shares having not less than the
minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action
at a meeting at which all Shares entitled to vote on that action were present
and voted. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust
and
shall be maintained in the Trust’s records. Any Shareholder giving a written
consent or the Shareholder’s proxy holders or a transferee of the Shares or a
personal representative of the Shareholder or its respective proxy-holder may
revoke the consent by a writing received by the secretary of the Trust before
written consents of the number of Shares required to authorize the proposed
action have been filed with the secretary.
If
the
consents of all Shareholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing
and if the unanimous written consent of all such Shareholders shall not have
been received, the secretary shall give prompt notice of the action taken
without a meeting to such Shareholders. This notice shall be given in the manner
specified in the By-Laws.
Record
Dates
. For
purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to notice of any meeting
or to
vote or entitled to give consent to action without a meeting, the Board of
Trustees may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than one
hundred eighty (180) days nor less than seven (7) days before the date of any
such meeting.
If
the
Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:
The
record date for determining Shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at
a
meeting of Shareholders shall be at the close of business on the business day
before the notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business
on
the business day which is five (5) business days before the day on which the
meeting is held.
The
record date for determining Shareholders entitled to give consent to action
in
writing without a meeting, (i) when no prior action by the Board of
Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent
is
given, or (ii) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken,
shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees
adopts the resolution taking such prior action.
For
the
purpose of determining the Shareholders of any Series or class who are entitled
to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Board
of
Trustees may from time to time fix a date, which shall be before the date for
the payment of such dividend or such other distribution, as the record date
for
determining the Shareholders of such Series or class having the right to receive
such dividend or distribution. Nothing in this Section shall be
construed as precluding the Board of Trustees from setting different record
dates for different Series or classes.
Additional
Provisions
. The
By-Laws may include further provisions for Shareholders’ votes, meetings and
related matters.
Net
Asset
Value, Distributions and Redemptions
Determination
of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions
. Subject
to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the
power to fix an initial offering price for the Shares of any Series or class
thereof which shall result in such Series or class being valued at not less
than
the net asset value thereof, at which price the Shares of such Series or class
shall be offered initially for sale, and to determine from time to time
thereafter the offering price which shall result in such Series or class being
valued at not less than the net asset value thereof from sales of the Shares
of
such Series or class; provided, however, that no Shares of a Series or class
thereof shall be issued or sold for consideration which shall result in such
Series or class being valued at less than the net asset value of the Shares
of
such Series or class next determined after the receipt of the order (or at
such
other times set by the Board of Trustees), except in the case of Shares of
such
Series or class issued in payment of a dividend properly declared and
payable.
Subject
to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees, in its
absolute discretion, may prescribe and shall set forth in the By-laws or in
a
duly adopted vote of the Board of Trustees such bases and time for determining
the per Share or net asset value of the Shares of any Series or net income
attributable to the Shares of any Series, or the declaration and payment of
dividends and distributions on the Shares of any Series, as they may deem
necessary or desirable.
Redemptions
at the Option of a Shareholder
. Unless
otherwise provided in the prospectus of the Trust relating to the Shares, as
such prospectus may be amended from time to time (“Prospectus”):
The
Trust
shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption,
upon the presentation of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request
directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust that the Trust
purchase such Shares or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption
as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust will
pay
therefore the net asset value thereof, in accordance with the By-Laws and
applicable law. The payment of redemption proceeds may be reduced by
any applicable sales charges or fees described in the
Prospectus. Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the
Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the request is received
in
proper form. The obligation set forth in this Section 2 may be
suspended or postponed in accordance with Section 22(e) of the
1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder or as otherwise permitted
by the Commission. If certificates have been issued to a Shareholder,
any such request by such Shareholder must be accompanied by surrender of any
outstanding certificate or certificates for such Shares in form for transfer,
together with such proof of the authenticity of signatures as may reasonably
be
required on such Shares and accompanied by proper stock transfer stamps, if
applicable.
Payments
for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made in cash, except payment for
such Shares may, at the option of the Board of Trustees, or such officer or
officers as it may duly authorize in its complete discretion, be made in kind
or
partially in cash and partially in kind. In case of any payment in
kind, the Board of Trustees, or its delegate, shall have absolute discretion
as
to what security or securities of the Trust shall be distributed in kind and
the
amount of the same; and the securities shall be valued for purposes of
distribution at the value at which they were appraised in computing the then
current net asset value of the Shares, provided that any Shareholder who cannot
legally acquire securities so distributed in kind by reason of the prohibitions
of the 1940 Act or the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act (“ERISA”) shall receive cash. Shareholders shall bear
the expenses of in-kind transactions, including, but not limited to, transfer
agency fees, custodian fees and costs of disposition of such
securities.
If
payment for Shares shall be made other than exclusively in cash, any securities
to be delivered as part of such payment shall be delivered as promptly as any
necessary transfers of such securities on the books of the several corporations
whose securities are to be delivered practicably can be made, which may not
necessarily occur within such seven day period. In no case shall the
Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring
securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in
kind.
The
right
of Shareholders to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares may be
set
forth in a Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees and amended from time to time
pursuant to Rule 18f-3 of the 1940 Act. The right of any
Shareholder of the Trust to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares
redeemed and all other rights of such Shareholder with respect to the Shares
so
redeemed by the Trust, except the right of such Shareholder to receive payment
for such Shares, shall cease at the time as of which the purchase price of
such
Shares shall have been fixed, as provided above.
Redemptions
at the Option of the Trust
. The
Board of Trustees may, from time to time, without the vote or consent of the
Shareholders, and subject to the 1940 Act, redeem Shares or authorize the
closing of any Shareholder account, subject to such conditions as may be
established by the Board of Trustees.
Limitation
of Liability; Indemnification
Trustees,
Shareholders, etc. Not Personally Liable
. The
Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust, in incurring any debts,
liabilities or obligations, or in limiting or omitting any other actions for
or
in connection with the Trust, are or shall be deemed to be acting as Trustees,
officers, employees or agents of the Trust and not in their own
capacities. No Shareholder shall be subject to any personal liability
whatsoever in tort, contract or otherwise to any other Person or Persons in
connection with the assets or the affairs of the Trust or of any Series or
class, and subject to Sections 3 and 5 of this Article VII, no
Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be subject to any
personal liability whatsoever in tort, contract, or otherwise, to any other
Person or Persons in connection with the assets or affairs of the Trust or
of
any Series or class, save only that arising from his or her own willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of his or her office or the discharge of his or her
duties. The Trust (or if the matter relates only to a particular
Series or class, that Series or class) shall be solely liable for any and all
debts, claims, demands, judgments, decrees, liabilities or obligations of any
and every kind, against or with respect to the Trust or such Series or class
in
tort, contract or otherwise in connection with the assets or the affairs of
the
Trust or such Series or class, and all Persons dealing with the Trust or any
Series or class shall be deemed to have agreed that resort shall be had solely
to the Trust Property of the Trust (or if the matter relates only to a
particular Series or class, that of such Series or class), for the payment
or
performance thereof.
The
Trustees may provide that every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate
or
undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers shall
give notice that a Certificate of Trust in respect of the Trust is on file
with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and may recite to the effect
that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust or by them
as
Trustee or Trustees or as officer or officers, and not individually, and that
the obligations of any instrument made or issued by the Trustees or by any
officer or officers of the Trust are not binding upon any of them or the
Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property
of
the Trust, or the particular Series in question, as the case may
be. The omission of any statement to such effect from such instrument
shall not operate to bind any Trustee or Trustees or officer or officers or
Shareholder or Shareholders individually, or to subject the assets of any Series
or class to the obligations of any other Series or class.
Officers
and Trustees’ Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or
Surety
. The
exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretion hereunder shall be
binding upon everyone interested. An officer or Trustee shall be
liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for such officer’s or
Trustee’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of such officer
or
Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment
or
mistakes of fact or law. Subject to the foregoing, the Trustees shall
not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of
any
officer, agent, employee, consultant, investment adviser, administrator,
distributor, underwriter, custodian or transfer agent, dividend disbursing
agent, shareholder servicing agent or accounting agent of the trust, nor shall
any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other
Trustee. In discharging their duties, the Trustees, when acting in
good faith, shall be entitled to rely upon the books of account of the Trust
and
upon written reports made to the Trustees by an officer appointed by them,
any
independent public accountant or auditor, and (with respect to the subject
matter of the relevant contract involved) any officer, partner or responsible
employee of a contracting party employed by the Trust. The officers
and Trustees may obtain the advice of counsel or other experts with respect
to
the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their duties as
officers or Trustees. No such officer or Trustee shall be liable for
any act or omission in accordance with such advice and no inference concerning
liability shall arise from a failure to follow such advice. The
officers and Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any
surety if a bond is required.
Indemnification
of Shareholders
. If
any Shareholder (or former Shareholder) of the Trust shall be charged or held
to
be personally liable for any obligation or liability of the Trust solely by
reason of being or having been a Shareholder and not because of such
Shareholder’s acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Trust (upon proper
and timely request by the Shareholder) may assume the defense against such
charge and satisfy any judgment thereon or may reimburse the Shareholder or
former Shareholder for expenses, and the Shareholder or former Shareholder
(or
the heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives thereof,
or
in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general
successor) shall be entitled (but solely out of the assets of the Series of
which such Shareholder or former Shareholder is or was the holder of Shares)
to
be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising
from
such liability.
Indemnification
of Trustees, Officers, etc
. Subject
to the limitations, if applicable, hereinafter set forth in this Section 4,
the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets of one or more Series to which the
conduct in question relates) each of its Trustees, officers, employees and
agents (including Persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors,
officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest
as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter, together with such
Person’s heirs, executors, administrators or personal representatives, referred
to as a “Covered Person”)) against all liabilities, including but not limited to
amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and
penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants’ and counsel fees,
incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition
of
any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any
court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may
be
or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered
Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by
reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee,
except with respect to any matter as to which it has been determined that such
Covered Person (i) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that
such Covered Person’s action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Trust; or (ii) had acted with willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such
Covered Person’s office; and (iii) for a criminal proceeding, had
reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful (the conduct
described in (i), (ii) and (iii) being referred to hereafter as “Disabling
Conduct”). A determination that the Covered Person is entitled to
indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a
court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered
Person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct,
(ii) dismissal of a court action or an administrative proceeding against a
Covered Person for insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or
(iii) a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that
the indemnitee was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote
of a majority of a quorum of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons
of
the Trust nor parties to the proceeding (the “Disinterested Trustees”), or
(b) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses,
including accountants’ and counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person
(but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or
as
fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by one or more Series to
which the conduct in question related in advance of the final disposition of
any
such action, suit or proceeding; provided that the Covered Person shall have
undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such Series if it is ultimately
determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this
Article VII and (i) the Covered Person shall have provided security
for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses
arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum
of the Disinterested Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written
opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts
(as
opposed to a full trial type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that
the
Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to
indemnification.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, with respect to any action, suit or other proceeding voluntarily
prosecuted by any Covered Person as plaintiff, indemnification shall be
mandatory only if the prosecution of such action, suit or other proceeding
by
such indemnitee (1) was authorized by a majority of the Trustees or (2) was
instituted by the indemnitee to enforce his or her rights to indemnification
hereunder in a case in which the indemnitee is found to be entitled to such
indemnification. The rights to indemnification set forth in this
Declaration shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Trustee or
officer of the Trust and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs,
executors and personal and legal representatives. No amendment or
restatement of this Declaration or repeal of any of its provisions shall limit
or eliminate any of the benefits provided to any person who at any time is
or
was a Trustee or officer of the Trust or otherwise entitled to indemnification
hereunder in respect of any act or omission that occurred prior to such
amendment, restatement or repeal. In making any determination
regarding any person’s entitlement of indemnification hereunder, it shall be
presumed that such person is entitled to indemnification, and the Trust shall
have the burden of proving the contrary.
Compromise
Payment
. As
to any matter disposed of by a compromise payment by any such Covered Person
referred to in Section 4 of this Article VII, pursuant to a consent
decree or otherwise, no such indemnification either for said payment or for
any
other expenses shall be provided unless such indemnification shall be approved
(i) by a majority of a quorum of the Disinterested Trustees or (ii) by
an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Approval by the
Trustees pursuant to clause (i) or by independent legal counsel pursuant to
clause (ii) shall not prevent the recovery from any Covered Person of any
amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance with either of such clauses
as
indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently adjudicated by a court
of
competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief
that such Covered Person’s action was in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Trust or to have been liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason
of
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of the Covered Person’s office.
Indemnification
Not Exclusive, etc
. The
right of indemnification provided by this Article VII shall not be
exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any such Covered Person or
shareholder may be entitled. As used in this Article VII, a
“disinterested” Person is one against whom none of the actions, suits or other
proceedings in question, and no other action, suit or other proceeding on the
same or similar grounds is then or has been pending or
threatened. Nothing contained in this Article VII shall affect
any rights to indemnification to which personnel of the Trust, other than
Trustees and officers, and other Persons may be entitled by contract or
otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to purchase and maintain
liability insurance on behalf of any such Person.
Insurance
. To
the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the officers and Trustees shall
be entitled and have the authority to purchase with Trust Property, insurance
for liability and for all expenses reasonably incurred or paid or expected
to be
paid by a Trustee or officer in connection with any claim, action, suit or
proceeding in which such Person becomes involved by virtue of such Person’s
capacity or former capacity with the Trust, whether or not the Trust would
have
the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions
of this Article.
Liability
of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees
. No
person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning
the validity of any actions made or to be made by the Trustees.
Derivative
Actions
. Subject
to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the DSTA, a Shareholder or
Shareholders may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the
Shareholder or Shareholders first make a pre-suit demand upon the Board of
Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Board of
Trustees to bring such action is excused. A demand on the Board of
Trustees shall only be excused if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a
majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action,
has
a material personal financial interest in the action at issue. A
Trustee shall not be deemed to have a material personal financial interest
in an
action or otherwise be disqualified from ruling on a Shareholder demand by
virtue of the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration from his service
on
the Board of Trustees of the Trust or on the boards of one or more investment
companies with the same or an affiliated investment advisor or
underwriter.
Miscellaneous
Dissolution
and Liquidation of Trust, Series, or Class
. Unless
dissolved as provided herein, the Trust shall have perpetual
existence. The Trust may be dissolved at any time by vote of a
majority of the Shares of the Trust entitled to vote or by the Board of Trustees
by written notice to the Shareholders. Any Series or class may be
dissolved or liquidated at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of
that
Series or class or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the
Shareholders of that Series or class.
Upon
dissolution of the Trust (or a particular Series or class, as the case may
be),
the Trustees shall (in accordance with Section 3808 of the DSTA) pay or
make reasonable provision to pay all claims and obligations of each Series
or
class (or the particular Series or class, as the case may be), including all
contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations known to the Trust,
and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust but for which the
identity of the claimant is unknown. If there are sufficient assets
held with respect to each Series or class of the Trust (or the particular Series
or class, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid in
full
and any such provisions for payment shall be made in full. If there
are insufficient assets held with respect to each Series or class of the Trust
(or the particular Series or class, as the case may be), such claims and
obligations shall be paid or provided for according to their priority and,
among
claims and obligations of equal priority, ratably to the extent of assets
available therefor. Any remaining assets (including without
limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect
to
each Series or class of the Trust (or the particular Series or class, as the
case may be) shall be distributed to the Shareholders of such Series or class,
ratably according to the number of Shares of such Series or class held by the
several Shareholders on the record date for such dissolution distribution.
Upon
the winding up of the Trust in accordance with Section 3808 of the DSTA and
its termination, any one (1) Trustee shall execute, and cause to be filed,
a certificate of cancellation, with the office of the Secretary of State of
the
State of Delaware in accordance with the provisions of Section 3810 of the
DSTA
Merger
and Consolidation; Conversion.
Merger
and Consolidation. Pursuant to an agreement of merger or
consolidation, the Trust, or any one or more Series or classes, may, by act
of a
majority of the Board of Trustees, merge or consolidate with or into one or
more
statutory trusts or other business entities formed or organized or existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state or the United States
or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction. Any such merger
or consolidation shall not require the vote of the Shareholders affected
thereby, unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act, or unless such
merger or consolidation would result in an amendment of this Declaration of
Trust which would otherwise require the approval of such
Shareholders. In accordance with Section 3815(f) of the
DSTA, an agreement of merger or consolidation may effect any amendment to this
Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or effect the adoption of a new declaration
of trust or by-laws of the Trust if the Trust is the surviving or resulting
statutory trust. Upon completion of the merger or consolidation, any
one (1) Trustee shall execute and cause to be filed a certificate of merger
or consolidation in accordance with Section 3815 of the DSTA.
Conversion. A
majority of the Board of Trustees may, without the vote or consent of the
Shareholders, cause (i) the Trust to convert to an “other business entity”
as defined in Section 3801 of the DSTA organized, formed or created under
the laws of the State of Delaware as permitted pursuant to Section 3821 of
the DSTA; (ii) the Shares of the Trust or any Series or class to be
converted into beneficial interests in another statutory trust (or series or
class thereof) created pursuant to this Section 2 of this
Article VIII, or (iii) the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to
any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law; provided, however,
that if required by the 1940 Act, no such statutory conversion, Share
conversion or Share exchange shall be effective unless the terms of such
transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose
by the “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” as such phrase
is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or Series or class, as applicable;
provided, further, that in all respects not governed by statute or applicable
law, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe the procedure
necessary or appropriate to accomplish a sale of assets, merger or consolidation
including the power to create one or more separate statutory trusts to which
all
or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may
be
transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares of the Trust or any
Series or class into beneficial interests in such separate statutory trust
or
trusts (or series or class thereof).
Reorganization.
A
majority of the Board of Trustees may cause the Trust to sell, convey and
transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or all or
substantially all of the assets associated with any one or more Series or class,
to another trust, statutory trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited
liability company, association or corporation organized under the laws of any
state, or to one or more separate series or classes thereof, or to the Trust
to
be held as assets associated with one or more other Series or class of the
Trust, in exchange for cash, shares or other securities (including, without
limitation, in the case of a transfer to another Series or class of the Trust,
Shares of such other Series or class) with such transfer either (a) being
made subject to, or with the assumption by the transferee of, the liabilities
associated with each Series or class the assets of which are so transferred,
or
(b) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption of, such
liabilities; provided, however, that, if required by the 1940 Act, no
assets associated with any particular Series or class shall be so sold, conveyed
or transferred unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been
approved at a meeting called for that purpose by the “vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities,” as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act,
of that Series or class. Following such sale, conveyance and
transfer, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other
securities (giving due effect to the assets and liabilities associated with
and
any other differences among the various Series or classes the assets associated
with which have so been sold, conveyed and transferred) ratably among the
Shareholders of the Series or class the assets associated with which have been
so sold, conveyed and transferred (giving due effect to the differences among
the various classes within each such Series or class); and if all of the assets
of the Trust have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, the Trust shall be
dissolved.
Amendments
. Subject
to the provisions of the second paragraph of this Section 4 of this
Article VIII, this Declaration of Trust may be restated and/or amended at
any time by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Board
of
Trustees and, if required, by approval of such amendment by Shareholders in
accordance with Article V, Section 3 hereof. Any such
restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be effective immediately upon
execution and approval or upon such future date and time as may be stated
therein. The Certificate of Trust of the Trust may be restated and/or
amended at any time by the Board of Trustees, without Shareholder approval,
to
correct any inaccuracy contained therein. Any such restatement and/or
amendment of the Certificate of Trust shall be executed by at least one
(1) Trustee and shall be effective immediately upon its filing with the
office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or upon such future
date as may be stated therein.
Notwithstanding
the above, the Board of Trustees expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal
any provisions contained in this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of
Trust, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of Article III
hereof, and all rights, contractual and otherwise, conferred upon Shareholders
are granted subject to such reservation. The Board of Trustees
further expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision of the
By-Laws pursuant to Article IX of the By-Laws.
Filing
of Copies, References, Headings
. The
original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or
amendment hereto shall be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust
or
at the principal offices of any administrator where the Trust’s records are
maintained so that it may be inspected by any Shareholder. Anyone
dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust
as
to whether or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and
as
to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect
as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the
Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such restatements and/or
amendments. In this Declaration of Trust and in any such restatements
and/or amendments, references to this instrument, and all expressions of similar
effect to “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” shall be deemed to refer to this
instrument as amended or affected by any such restatements and/or
amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference
only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning,
construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular
number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter,
masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as
applicable. This instrument may be executed in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.
Applicable
Law
. This
Declaration of Trust is created under and is to be governed by and construed
and
administered according to the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable
provisions of the 1940 Act and the Code. The Trust shall be a
Delaware statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA, and without limiting the
provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily
exercised by such a statutory trust.
Provisions
in Conflict with Law or Regulations.
The
provisions of this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Board of
Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such
provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Code, the DSTA, or with
other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed
not to have constituted a part of this Declaration of Trust from the time when
such provisions became inconsistent with such laws or regulations; provided,
however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining
provisions of this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action
taken or omitted prior to such determination.
If
any
provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable
in
any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to
such
provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision
in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration of Trust
in
any jurisdiction.
Statutory
Trust Only
. It
is the intention of the Trustees to create a statutory trust pursuant to the
DSTA, and thereby to create the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners
within the meaning of the DSTA between the Trustees and each
Shareholder. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a
general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock
association, corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other
than
a statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA. Nothing in this Declaration
of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves
or
with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock
association.
Use
of
the Name “BBH”
. The
Trust expressly agrees and acknowledges that the name “BBH” is the sole property
of Xxxxx Brothers Xxxxxxxx & Co. (“BBH & Co.”). BBH & Co.
has consented to the use by the Trust of the identifying words “BBH” and has
granted to the Trust a non-exclusive license to use such name as part of the
name of the Trust and the name of any Series of its Shares. The Trust
further expressly agrees and acknowledges that the non-exclusive license granted
herein may be terminated by BBH & Co. if the Trust ceases to use BBH &
Co. or one of its Affiliates as Investment Adviser or to use other Affiliates
or
successors of BBH & Co. for such purposes. In such event, the
non-exclusive license granted herein may be revoked by BBH & Co. and the
Trust shall cease using the name “BBH” as part of its name or the name of any
Series of Shares, unless otherwise consented to by BBH & Co. or any
successor to its interests in such name.
The
Trust
further understands and agrees that so long as BBH & Co. and/or any future
advisory Affiliate of BBH & Co. shall continue to serve as the Trust’s
Investment Adviser, other mutual funds as may be sponsored or advised by BBH
& Co. or its Affiliates shall have the right permanently to adopt and to use
the word “BBH” in their names and in the names of any Series or class of Shares
of such funds.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustees named below do hereby make and enter into this
Declaration of Trust as of the 8th day of
December,
2006.
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx,
Xx.
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx, Xx.
/s/
Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx