MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
Exhibit (d)(18)
Management Contract executed as of December 21, 2011 between GMO SERIES TRUST, a Massachusetts
business trust (the “Trust”) on behalf of its GMO
Benchmark-Free Allocation Series Fund (the “Fund”), and GRANTHAM,
MAYO, VAN OTTERLOO & CO. LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company (the “Manager”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
That in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, it is agreed as follows:
| 1. | SERVICES TO BE RENDERED BY MANAGER TO THE TRUST. |
(a) Subject always to the control of the Trustees of the Trust and to such policies as the
Trustees may determine, the Manager will, at its expense, furnish continuously an investment
program for the Fund and will make investment decisions on behalf of the Fund and place all orders
for the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities. In the performance of its duties, the
Manager will comply with the provisions of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and
By-laws and the Fund’s stated investment objective, policies and restrictions.
(b) In placing orders for the portfolio transactions of the Fund, the Manager will seek the
best price and execution available, except to the extent it may be permitted to pay higher
brokerage commissions for brokerage and research services as described below. In using its best
efforts to obtain for the Fund the most favorable price and execution available, the Manager shall
consider all factors it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the overall net economic
result to the Fund (involving price paid or received and any commissions and other costs paid), the
efficiency with which the transaction is effected, the ability to effect the transaction at all
where a large block is involved, availability of the broker to stand ready to execute possibly
difficult transactions in the future and financial strength and stability of the broker. Subject
to such policies as the Trustees may determine, the Manager shall not be deemed to have acted
unlawfully or to have breached any duty created by this Contract or otherwise solely by reason of
its having caused a Fund to pay a broker or dealer that provides brokerage and research services to
the Manager an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio investment transaction in excess of
the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that
transaction, if the Manager determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable
in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer,
viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Manager’s overall responsibilities
with respect to the Trust and to other clients of the Manager as to which the Manager exercises
investment discretion.
(c) The Manager shall not be obligated under this agreement to pay any expenses of or for the
Trust or of or for the Fund not expressly assumed by the Manager pursuant to this Section 1 other
than as provided in Section 3.
| 2. | OTHER AGREEMENTS, ETC. |
It is understood that any of the shareholders, Trustees, officers and employees of the Trust
may be a partner, shareholder, director, officer or employee of, or be otherwise interested in, the
Manager, and in any person controlled by or under common control with the Manager, and that the
Manager and any person controlled by or under common control with the Manager may have an interest
in the Trust. It is also understood that the Manager and persons controlled by or under common
control with the Manager have and may have advisory, management service, distribution or other
contracts with other organizations and persons, and may have other interests and businesses.
| 3. | COMPENSATION TO BE PAID BY THE TRUST TO THE MANAGER. |
The Fund will pay no fee to the Manager for the Manager’s investment management services
rendered hereunder.
| 4. | ASSIGNMENT TERMINATES THIS CONTRACT; AMENDMENTS OF THIS CONTRACT. |
This Contract shall automatically terminate, without the payment of any penalty, in the event
of its assignment; and this Contract shall not be amended unless such amendment is approved at a
meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, and by the
vote, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, of a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Manager.
| 5. | EFFECTIVE PERIOD AND TERMINATION OF THIS CONTRACT. |
This Contract shall become effective upon its execution, and shall remain in full force and
effect continuously thereafter (unless terminated automatically as set forth in Section 4) until
terminated as follows:
(a) Either party hereto may at any time terminate this Contract by not more than sixty days’
written notice delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, to the other party, or
(b) If (i) the Trustees of the Trust or the shareholders by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, and (ii) a majority of the Trustees of the Trust
who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Manager, by vote cast in person at a meeting
called for the purpose of voting on such approval, do not specifically approve at least annually
after the second anniversary of its execution, the continuance of this Contract, then this Contract
shall automatically terminate at the close of business on the second anniversary of its execution,
or upon the expiration of one year from the effective date of the last such continuance, whichever
is later; provided, however, that if the continuance of this Contract is submitted to the
shareholders of the Fund for their approval and such shareholders fail to approve such continuance
of this Contract as provided herein, the Manager may continue to serve hereunder in
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a manner
consistent with the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Action by the Trust under (a) above may be taken either (i) by vote of a majority of its
Trustees, or (ii) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
Termination of this Contract pursuant to this Section 5 shall be without the payment of any
penalty.
| 6. | CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. |
For the purposes of this Contract, the “affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding
shares” of the Fund means the affirmative vote, at a duly called and held meeting of shareholders,
(a) of the holders of 67% or more of the shares of the Fund present (in person or by proxy) and
entitled to vote at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the
Fund entitled to vote at such meeting are present in person or by proxy, or (b) of the holders of
more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund entitled to vote at such meeting, whichever is
less.
For the purposes of this Contract, the terms “affiliated person”, “control”, “interested
person” and “assignment” shall have their respective meanings defined in the Investment Company Act
of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be
granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under said Act; and the phrase “specifically
approve at least annually” shall be construed in a manner consistent with the Investment Company
Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
| 7. | NONLIABILITY OF MANAGER. |
In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the
Manager, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder, the Manager shall not be
subject to any liability to the Trust, or to any shareholder of the Trust, for any act or omission
in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder.
| 8. | INITIALS “GMO” and the name “Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC”. |
The Manager owns the initials “GMO” and the name “Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC”
which may be used by the Trust only with the consent of the Manager. The Manager consents to the
use by the Trust of the name “GMO Series Trust” or any other name embodying the initials “GMO” or
the name “Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC”, in such forms as the Manager shall in writing
approve, but only on condition and so long as (i) this Contract shall remain in full force and (ii)
the Trust shall fully perform, fulfill and comply with all provisions of this Contract expressed
herein to be performed, fulfilled or complied with by it. No such name shall be used by the Trust
at any time or in any place or for any purposes or under any conditions except as in this section
provided. The foregoing authorization by the Manager to the Trust to use said initials and name as
part of a business or name is not exclusive of the right of the Manager itself to use, or to
authorize others to use, the same; the Trust acknowledges and agrees that as between the Manager
and the Trust, the Manager has the exclusive right so to authorize others to use the same; the
Trust acknowledges and agrees
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that as between the Manager and the Trust, the Manager has the
exclusive right so to use, or authorize others to use, said initials and name and the Trust agrees
to take such action as may reasonably be requested by the Manager to
give full effect to the provisions of this section (including, without limitation, consenting
to such use of said initials and name). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Trust agrees that, upon any termination of this Contract by either party or upon the violation of
any of its provisions by the Trust, the Trust will, at the request of the Manager made within six
months after the Manager has knowledge of such termination or violation, use its best efforts to
change the name of the Trust so as to eliminate all reference, if any, to the initials “GMO” or the
name “Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC” and will not thereafter transact any business in a
name containing the initials “GMO” or the words “Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC” in any
form or combination whatsoever, or designate itself as the same entity as or successor to an entity
of such name, or otherwise use the initials “GMO” or the name “Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co.
LLC” or any other reference to the Manager. Such covenants on the part of the Trust shall be
binding upon it, its trustees, officers, stockholders, creditors and all other persons claiming
under or through it.
| 9. | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE TRUSTEES AND SHAREHOLDERS. |
A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust is on file with the Secretary of
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed on
behalf of the Trustees of the Trust as Trustees and not individually and that the obligations of
this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees or shareholders individually but are
binding only upon the assets and property of the Fund.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, GMO SERIES TRUST and GRANTHAM, MAYO, VAN OTTERLOO & CO. LLC have each
caused this instrument to be signed in duplicate on its behalf by its duly authorized
representative, all as of the day and year first above written.
| GMO SERIES TRUST |
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| By | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx | |||
| Name: | Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx | |||
| Title: | Clerk | |||
| GRANTHAM, MAYO, VAN OTTERLOO & CO. LLC |
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| By | /s/ X.X. Xxxxxxxxx | |||
| Name: | X.X. Xxxxxxxxx | |||
| Title: | General Counsel | |||
| Reviewed by: JH | ||||
[Signature Page
to GMO Benchmark - Free Allocation Series Fund Management Contract]
