AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION (the “Agreement”) is made as of this fourteenth day of February, 2019 by and between Diamond Hill Funds, an Ohio business trust (the “Trust”), on behalf of Diamond Hill Financial Long-Short Fund, a series of the Trust (the “Target Fund”), and Diamond Hill Research Opportunities Fund, a series of the Trust (the “Acquiring Fund”). Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. (“DHCM”) joins this agreement solely for the purpose of agreeing to be bound by Paragraph 5.
All references in this Agreement to action taken by the Target Fund or the Acquiring Fund shall be deemed to refer to action taken by the Trust on behalf of the respective portfolio series.
This Agreement is intended to be and is adopted as a plan of reorganization and liquidation within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The reorganization (the “Reorganization”) will consist of the transfer by the Target Fund of all or substantially all of its assets to the Acquiring Fund, in exchange solely for Class A, Class C and Class I voting shares of beneficial interest in the Acquiring Fund (the “Acquiring Fund Shares”) having an aggregate net asset value equal to the aggregate net asset value of the same class of shares of the Target Fund, the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of all the liabilities of the Target Fund, and the distribution of the Acquiring Fund Shares to the shareholders of the Target Fund in complete liquidation of the Target Fund as provided herein, all upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in this Agreement.
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Trust has determined that it is in the best interest of each of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund that assets of the Target Fund be acquired by the Acquiring Fund and the liabilities of the Target Fund be assumed by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares pursuant to this Agreement and in accordance with the applicable statutes of the State of Ohio, and that the interests of existing shareholders of the Target Fund or the Acquiring Fund will not be diluted as a result of this transaction;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:
1. PLAN OF REORGANIZATION
1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Trust shall (i) transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Target Fund, as set forth in paragraph 1.2, to the Acquiring Fund, (ii) the Trust shall cause the Acquiring Fund to deliver to the Trust full and fractional Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares having an aggregate net asset value equal to the value of the aggregate net assets of the same class of shares of the Target Fund as of the close of regular session trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the Closing Date, as set forth in paragraph 2.1 (the “Closing Date”) and (iii) the Trust shall cause the Acquiring Fund to assume all liabilities of the Target Fund, as set forth in paragraph 1.2. Such transactions shall take place at the closing provided for in paragraph 2.1 (the “Closing”).
1.2 The assets of the Target Fund to be acquired by the Acquiring Fund shall consist of all property, including, without limitation, all cash, securities, commodities and futures interests, and dividends or interest receivable which are owned by the Target Fund and any deferred or prepaid expenses shown as an asset on the books of the Target Fund on the Closing Date. The Acquiring Fund will assume all of the liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves of the Target Fund of any kind, whether absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise in existence on the Closing Date.
1.3 The Target Fund will distribute pro rata to its shareholders of record of the applicable classes, determined as of immediately after the close of business on the Closing Date (the “Current Shareholders”), the Class A, Class C and Class I Shares received by the Trust pursuant to paragraph 1.1. Such distribution and liquidation will be accomplished by the transfer of the Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares then credited to the accounts of the Target Fund on the books of the Acquiring Fund to open accounts on the share records of the Acquiring Fund in the names of the Current Shareholders and representing the respective pro rata number of the Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares due to such shareholders. All issued and outstanding shares of the Target Fund will simultaneously be canceled on the books of the Trust. The Acquiring Fund shall not issue certificates representing the Class A, Class I and Class C Acquiring Fund Shares in connection with such exchange. Ownership of Class A, Class C and Class I Shares will be shown on the books of the Trust’s transfer agent. As soon as practicable after the Closing, the Trust shall take all steps necessary to effect a complete liquidation of the Target Fund.
2. CLOSING AND CLOSING DATE
2.1 The Closing Date shall be June 7 , 2019, or such other date as the parties may agree to in writing. All acts taking place at the Closing shall be deemed to take place simultaneously as of immediately after the close of business on the Closing Date unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. The close of business on the Closing Date shall be as of 4:00 p.m. New York Time. The Closing shall be held at the offices of Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. (“DHCM”), 000 Xxxx X. XxXxxxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000, or at such other time and/or place as the parties may agree.
2.2 The Trust shall cause Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (the “Transfer Agent”), sub-transfer agent of the Target Fund, to deliver at the Closing a certificate of an authorized officer stating that its records contain the names and addresses of the Current Shareholders and the number, class, and percentage ownership of outstanding shares of the Target Fund owned by each such shareholder immediately prior to the Closing. The Acquiring Fund shall issue and deliver to the Secretary of the Trust a confirmation evidencing the Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares to be credited on the Closing Date or provide evidence satisfactory to the Trust that such Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares have been credited to the accounts of the Target Fund on the books of the Acquiring Fund. At the Closing, each party shall deliver to the other such bills of sales, checks, assignments, share certificates, if any, receipts or other documents as such other party or its counsel may reasonably request.
3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 The Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, hereby represents and warrants to the Acquiring Fund as follows:
i) the Trust is duly organized and existing under its Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Trust Instrument”) and the laws of the State of Ohio as a business trust with transferable shares of beneficial interest commonly referred to as a “Ohio business trust;”
(ii) the Trust has full power and authority to execute, deliver and carry out the terms of this Agreement on behalf of the Target Fund;
(iii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement on behalf of the Target Fund and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby are duly authorized and no other proceedings on the part of the Trust or the shareholders of the Target Fund (other than as contemplated in paragraph 4.1(vii)) are necessary to authorize this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby;
(iv) this Agreement has been duly executed by the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund and constitutes its valid and binding obligation, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium and other rights affecting creditors’ rights generally, and general equitable principles;
(v) neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund, nor the consummation by the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund of the transactions contemplated hereby, will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of or constitute (or with notice, lapse of time or both) a breach of or default under, the Trust Instrument or the Bylaws of the Trust (“Bylaws”), as each may be amended, or any statute, regulation, order, judgment or decree, or any instrument, contract or other agreement to which the Trust is a party or by which the Trust or any of its assets is subject or bound;
(vi) if applicable, the unaudited statement of assets and liabilities of the Target Fund as of the Closing Date, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied from the prior audited period, accurately reflects all assets and liabilities of the Target Fund as of the Closing Date;
(vii) no authorization, consent or approval of any governmental or other public body or authority or any other party is necessary (other than as contemplated in paragraph 4.1(vii)) for the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund or the consummation of any transactions contemplated hereby by the Trust, other than as shall be obtained at or prior to the Closing;
(viii) On the Closing Date, all Federal and other tax returns, dividend reporting forms, and other tax-related reports of the Target Fund required by law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been filed and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all Federal and other taxes shown as due or required to be shown as due on said returns and reports shall have been paid or provision shall have been made for the payment thereof;
(ix) For each taxable year of its operation (including the taxable year ending on the Closing Date), the Target Fund:
(i) has elected to qualify, and has qualified or will qualify (in the case of the short taxable year ending on the Closing Date), for taxation as a “regulated investment company” under the Code (a “RIC”); (ii) has been eligible to compute and has computed its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code, and on or prior to the Closing Date will have declared and paid a distribution with respect to all its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), the excess of its interest income excludible from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code over its deductions disallowed under Sections 265 and 171(a)(2) of the Code and its net capital gain (as such terms are defined in the Code) in each case that has accrued or will accrue on or prior to the Closing Date; and (iii) has been, and will be (in the case of the short taxable year ending on the Closing Date), treated as a separate corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
(x) Except as otherwise disclosed in writing to the Acquiring Fund, the Target Fund is in compliance in all material respects with the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and applicable regulations promulgated under the Code pertaining to the reporting of dividends and other distributions on and redemptions of its capital stock and has withheld in respect of dividends and other distributions and paid to the proper taxing authority all taxes required to be withheld, and is not liable for any penalties with respect to such reporting and withholding requirements;
(xi) The Target Fund has not been granted any waiver, extension or comparable consent regarding the application of the statute of limitations with respect to any taxes or tax return that is outstanding, nor has any request for such waiver or consent been made;
(xii) The Target Fund does not own any “converted property” (as that term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.337(d)-7T(a)(1)) that is subject to the rules of Section 1374 of the Code as a consequence of the application of Section 337(d)(1) of the Code and Treasury Regulations thereunder;
(xiii) Except as otherwise disclosed to the Acquiring Fund, the Target Fund has not previously been a party to a transaction that qualified as reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code; and
(xiv) The Target Fund has not received written notification from any tax authority that asserts a position contrary to any of the representations in (x) through (xiii) above.
3.2 The Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, hereby represents and warrants to the Target Fund as follows:
(i) the Trust is duly organized and existing under its Trust Instrument and the laws of the State of Ohio as a business trust with transferable shares of beneficial interest commonly referred to as a “Ohio business trust;”
(ii) the Trust has full power and authority to execute, deliver and carry out the terms of this Agreement on behalf of the Acquiring Fund;
(iii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement on behalf of the Acquiring Fund and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby are duly authorized and no other proceedings on the part of the Trust or the shareholders of the Acquiring Fund are necessary to authorize this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby;
(iv) this Agreement has been duly executed by the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund and constitutes its valid and binding obligation, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium and other rights affecting creditors’ rights generally, and general equitable principles;
(v) neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, nor the consummation by the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund of the transactions contemplated hereby, will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of or constitute (or with notice, lapse of time or both constitute) a breach of or default under, the Trust Instrument or the Bylaws of the Trust, as each may be amended, or any statute, regulation, order, judgment or decree, or any instrument, contract or other agreement to which the Trust is a party or by which the Trust or any of its assets is subject or bound;
(vi) the net asset value per share of an Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Share as of the close of regular session trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the Closing Date reflects all liabilities of the Acquiring Fund as of that time and date;
(vii) no authorization, consent or approval of any governmental or other public body or authority or any other party is necessary for the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund or the consummation of any transactions contemplated hereby by the Trust, other than as shall be obtained at or prior to the Closing;
(viii) On the Closing Date, all Federal and other tax returns, dividend reporting forms, and other tax-related reports of the Acquiring Fund required by law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been filed and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all Federal and other taxes shown as due or required to be shown as due on said returns and reports shall have been paid or provision shall have been made for the payment thereof; and
(ix) For each taxable year of its operation (including the taxable year that includes the Closing Date), the Acquiring Fund: (i) has elected or will elect to qualify, has qualified or will qualify (in the case of the year that includes the Closing Date) and intends to continue to qualify for taxation as a RIC under the Code; (ii) has been eligible to and has computed its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code, and will do so for the taxable year that includes the Closing Date; and (iii) has been, and will be (in the case of the taxable year that includes the Closing Date), treated as a separate corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
4. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
4.1 The obligations of the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund and the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund to effectuate the Reorganization shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions with respect to such Reorganization:
(i) The Trust shall have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form N-14 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and such amendment or amendments thereto as are determined by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and/or DHCM to be necessary and appropriate to effect the registration of the Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares (the “Registration Statement”), and the Registration Statement shall have become effective, and no stop-order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission (and not withdrawn or terminated);
(ii) Class A, Class C and Class I Acquiring Fund Shares shall have been duly qualified for offering to the public in all states in which such qualification is required for consummation of the transactions contemplated hereunder;
(iii) All representations and warranties of the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and as of the Closing, with the same force and effect as if then made, and the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund shall have received a certificate of an officer of the Trust acting on behalf of the Target Fund to that effect in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund;
(iv) All representations and warranties of the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and as of the Closing, with the same force and effect as if then made, and the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund shall have received a certificate of an officer of the Trust acting on behalf of the Target Fund to that effect in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trust on behalf of the Target Fund;
(v) The Acquiring Fund and Target Fund shall have received an opinion, dated as of the Closing Date, of Xxxxxxxx Xxxx LLP, substantially to the effect that for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
(a) The Acquiring Fund’s acquisition of the assets of the Target Fund in exchange solely for the Acquiring Fund Shares and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of the liabilities of the Target Fund, followed by the Target Fund’s distribution of the Acquiring Fund Shares pro rata to the Target Fund’s shareholders actually or constructively in exchange for their Target Fund shares in complete liquidation of the Target Fund, should qualify as a “reorganization” as defined in Section 368(a)(1) of the Code, and the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund each should be a “party to a reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code.
(b) Under Section 1032(a) of the Code, no gain or loss should be recognized by the Acquiring Fund upon the receipt of the assets of the Target Fund solely in exchange for the Acquiring Fund Shares and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of the liabilities of the Target Fund.
(c) Under Section 361 of the Code, no gain or loss should be recognized by the Target Fund upon the transfer of the Target Fund’s assets to the Acquiring Fund solely in exchange for the Acquiring Fund Shares and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of the liabilities of the Target Fund or upon the distribution of the Acquiring Fund Shares to the Target Fund shareholders in exchange for their Target Fund shares in complete liquidation of the Target Fund.
(d) Under Section 354(a)(1) of the Code, no gain or loss should be recognized by the Target Fund shareholders upon the exchange of their Target Fund shares for the Acquiring Fund Shares in complete liquidation of the Target Fund pursuant to the Reorganization.
(e) Under Section 358(a)(1) of the Code, the aggregate adjusted tax basis of the Acquiring Fund Shares received by each Target Fund shareholder pursuant to the Reorganization should be the same as the aggregate adjusted tax basis of the Target Fund shares held by such shareholder immediately prior to the Reorganization.
(f) Under Section 1223(1) of the Code, the holding period of the Acquiring Fund Shares received by each Target Fund shareholder in the Reorganization should include the period during which the Target Fund shares exchanged therefor were held by such shareholder (provided the Target Fund shares were held as capital assets on the date of the Reorganization).
(g) Under Section 362(b) of the Code, the adjusted tax basis of the Target Fund’s assets acquired by the Acquiring Fund should be the same as the adjusted tax basis of such assets to the Target Fund immediately prior to the Reorganization.
(h) Under Section 1223(2) of the Code, the holding period of the assets of the Target Fund in the hands of the Acquiring Fund should include the period during which those assets were held by the Target Fund (except where the Acquiring Fund’s investment activities may have the effect of reducing or eliminating an asset’s holding period).
(i) The Acquiring Fund should succeed to and take into account the items of the Target Fund described in Section 381(c) of the Code, subject to the conditions and limitations specified in Sections 381, 382, 383 and 384 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
Such opinion shall be based on customary assumptions and such representations xx Xxxxxxxx Xxxx LLP reasonably may request, and the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund will cooperate to make and certify the accuracy of such representations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trust may not waive the condition set forth in this paragraph.
(vi) The Target Fund shall have declared and paid a dividend prior to the Closing Time, which, together with all previous dividends, will have the effect of distributing to its shareholders all of the Target Fund’s investment company taxable income (within the meaning of Section 852(b)(2) of the Code, computed without regard to any deduction for dividends paid), if any, plus any excess of its interest income excludible from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code over its deductions disallowed under Sections 265 and 171(a)(2) of the Code for all periods up to and including the Closing Date, and all of the Target Fund’s net capital gain (as defined in Section 1222(11) of the Code), if any, for the avoidance of doubt after reduction for any usable capital loss carryforwards, recognized in all periods up to and including the Closing Date; and
(vii) The shareholders of the Target Fund shall have approved this Agreement at a special meeting of its shareholders.
5. EXPENSES
DHCM agrees that it will bear all costs and expenses of the Reorganization and transactions contemplated thereby; provided, however that the Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund will each pay any brokerage commissions, dealer xxxx-ups and similar expenses that they may incur in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Any transfer taxes payable upon issuance of the Acquiring Fund shares in a name other than the registered holder of the Target Fund shares on the books of the Target Fund be paid by the person to whom the Acquiring Fund shares are to be issued and transferred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any other transfer taxes payable upon the issuance of the Acquiring Fund shares shall be paid by the Adviser. All costs and expenses borne by DHCM hereunder shall be solely and directly related to the Reorganization contemplated by this Agreement, in accordance with the principles set forth in Revenue Ruling 73‑54, 1973‑1 C.B. 187. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, costs and expenses of the Reorganization will be borne by the party directly incurring such expenses if and to the extent that the payment by another person of such costs and expenses would result in the disqualification of such party as a regulated investment company within the meaning of Sections 851 and 852 of the Code or would prevent the Reorganization from qualifying as a tax‑free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.
6. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
The Trust agrees on behalf of each of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund that this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.
7. TERMINATION
This Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby may be terminated and abandoned by resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Trust at any time prior to the Closing Date, if circumstances should develop that, in the opinion of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, make proceeding with the Agreement inadvisable.
8. AMENDMENTS
This agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented in such manner as may be mutually agreed upon in writing by the parties.
9. NOTICES
Any notice, report, statement or demand required or permitted by any provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by prepaid telegraph, telecopy or certified mail addressed to the parties hereto at their principal place of business.
10. HEADINGS; COUNTERPARTS; GOVERNING LAW; ASSIGNMENT; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
10.1 The Article and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
10.2 This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an original.
10.3 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio.
10.4 This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment or transfer hereof or of any rights or obligations hereunder shall be made by any party without the written consent of the other party. Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement.
10.5 It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees, consultants, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust, as provided in the Trust Instrument. The execution and delivery by such officers of the Trust shall not be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in the Trust Instrument. The Trust is a series company with multiple series and has entered into this Agreement on behalf of each of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund.
10.6 The sole remedy of a party hereto for a breach of any representation or warranty made in this Agreement by the other party shall be an election by the non-breaching party not to complete the transactions contemplated herein.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date set forth above.
For and on behalf of the Acquiring Fund
/s/Xxxx X. Xxxxx
By: Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: President
For and on behalf of the Target Fund
/s/Xxxx X. Xxxxx
By: Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: President
DIAMOND HILL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
/s/Xxxxxx X. Line
By: Xxxxxx X. Line
Title: Chief Financial Officer
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