DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this ____ day of _________, 2000
between________________ Funds ("the Fund"), a Maryland and SEI Investments
Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a Pennsylvania corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an investment company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and its shares are registered with the SEC
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained, the Fund and Distributor hereby agree as follows:
Article 1. Sale of Shares. The Fund grants to the Distributor the exclusive
right to sell units (the "Shares") of the portfolios (the "Portfolios") of the
Fund at the net asset value per Share, plus any applicable sales charges in
accordance with the current prospectus, as agent and on behalf of the Fund,
during the term of this Agreement and subject to the registration requirements
of the 1933 Act, the rules and regulations of the SEC and the laws governing the
sale of securities in the various states ("Blue Sky Laws"). The Distributor
shall comply in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules and
regulations in performing its duties hereunder. The distributor agrees on behalf
of itself and its employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary
information of the Fund, all records to the Fund and prior, present or potential
shareholders of the Fund (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such
records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its
responsibilities and duties hereunder.
Article 2. Solicitation of Sales. In consideration of these rights granted
to the Distributor, the Distributor agrees to use all reasonable efforts in
connection with the distribution of Shares of the Fund; provided, however, that
the Distributor shall not be prevented from entering into like arrangements with
other issuers. The provisions of this paragraph obligate the Distributor to
register as a broker or dealer under the Blue Sky Laws of all fifty (50) states
of the United States but does not obligate the Distributor to sell any
particular number of Shares.
Article 3. Authorized Representations. The Distributor is not authorized by
the Fund to give any information or to make any representations other than those
contained in the current registration statements and prospectuses of the Fund
filed with the SEC or contained in Shareholder reports or other material that
may be prepared by or on behalf of the Fund for the Distributor's use. The
Distributor may prepare and distribute sales literature and other material as it
may deem appropriate, provided that such literature and materials have been
prepared in accordance with applicable rules and regulations, and shall have
been approved by the Fund.
Article 4. Registration of Shares. The Fund agrees that it will take all
action necessary to register Shares under the federal and state securities laws
so that there will be available for sale the number of Shares the Distributor
may reasonably be expected to sell and to pay all fees associated with said
registration. The Fund shall make available to the Distributor such number of
copies of its currently effective prospectus and statement of additional
information as the Distributor may reasonably request. The Fund shall furnish to
the Distributor copies of all information, financial statements and other papers
which the Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with the
distribution of Shares of the Fund.
Article 5. Compensation. As compensation for providing the services under
this Agreement:
(a) The Distributor shall receive from the Fund, if applicable :
(1) such distribution and service fees as are approved by the
Board of Directors, at the rate and under the terms and conditions set
forth in each distribution and/or shareholder services plan applicable
to the appropriate class of shares of each Portfolio, as such plans
may be amended from time to time, and subject to any further
limitations on such fees as the Board of Directors of the Fund may
impose;
(2) all front-end sales charges, if any, on purchases of Shares
of each Portfolio sold subject to such charges as described in the
Fund's Registration Statement and current prospectuses, as amended
from time to time. The Distributor, or brokers, dealers and other
financial institutions and intermediaries that have entered into
sub-distribution agreements with the Distributor, may collect the
gross proceeds derived from the sale of such Shares, remit the net
asset value thereof to the Fund upon receipt of the proceeds and
retain the applicable sales charge; and
(3) all contingent deferred sales charges ("CDSCs") applied on
redemptions of Shares subject to such charges on the terms and subject
to such waivers as are described in the Fund's Registration Statement
and current prospectuses, as amended from time to time, or as
otherwise required pursuant to applicable law.
(b) The Distributor may reallow any or all of the distribution or service
fees, front-end sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges which it is
paid by the Fund to such brokers, dealers and other financial institutions and
intermediaries as the Distributor may from time to time determine.
Article 6. Indemnification of Distributor. The Fund agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Distributor and each of its directors and officers and each
person, if any, who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including
the reasonable cost of investigating or
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defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages, or expense and reasonable
counsel fees and disbursements incurred in connection therewith), arising by
reason of any person acquiring any Shares, based upon the ground that the
registration statement, prospectus, Shareholder reports or other information
filed or made public by the Fund (as from time to time amended) included an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements made not misleading.
However, the Fund does not agree to indemnify the Distributor or hold it
harmless to the extent that the statements or omission was made in reliance
upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf
of the Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Fund to be deemed to protect the
Distributor against any liability to the Fund or its Shareholders to which the
Distributor or such person otherwise would be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or
by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement, or (ii) is the Fund to be liable to the Distributor under the
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made
against the Distributor or any person indemnified unless the Distributor or
other person shall have notified the Fund in writing of the claim within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the
Distributor or such other person (or after the Distributor or the person shall
have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to
notify the Fund of any claim shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which
it may have to the Distributor or any person against whom such action is brought
otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph.
The Fund shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense
or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any
claims subject to this indemnity provision. If the Fund elects to assume the
defense of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by
the Fund and satisfactory to the indemnified defendants in the suit whose
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Fund elects
to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the indemnified defendants
shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If
the Fund does not elect to assume the defense of a suit, it will reimburse the
indemnified defendants for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel
retained by the indemnified defendants.
The Fund agrees to notify the Distributor promptly of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or Directors in
connection with the issuance or sale of any of its Shares.
Article 7. Indemnification of Fund. The Distributor covenants and agrees
that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and each of its Directors and
officers and each person, if any, who controls the Fund within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any loss, liability, damages, claim or
expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged
loss, liability, damages, claim or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred
in connection therewith) based upon the 1933 Act or any other statute or common
law and arising by reason of any person acquiring any Shares, and
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alleging a wrongful act of the Distributor or any of its employees or alleging
that the registration statement, prospectus, Shareholder reports or other
information filed or made public by the Fund (as from time to time amended)
included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements not
misleading, insofar as the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the
Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Distributor in favor of the Fund or
any other person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Fund or any other
person against any liability to which the Fund or such other person would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross
negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the
Distributor to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph with respect to any claim made against the Fund or any person
indemnified unless the Fund or person, as the case may be, shall have notified
the Distributor in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the
summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of
the claim shall have been served upon the Fund or upon any person (or after the
Fund or such person shall have received notice of service on any designated
agent). However, failure to notify the Distributor of any claim shall not
relieve the Distributor from any liability which it may have to the Fund or any
person against whom the action is brought otherwise than on account of its
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph.
The Distributor shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in
the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce the claim, but if the Distributor elects to assume the defense, the
defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Distributor and satisfactory
to the indemnified defendants whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
In the event that the Distributor elects to assume the defense of any suit and
retain counsel, the defendants in the suit shall bear the fees and expenses of
any additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does not elect to
assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the indemnified defendants in
the suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.
The Distributor agrees to notify the Fund promptly of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers in connection
with the issue and sale of any of the Funds' Shares.
Article 8. Consequential Damages. In no event and under no circumstances
shall either party to this Agreement be liable to anyone, including, without
limitation, the other party, for consequential damages for any act or failure to
act under any provision of this Agreement.
Article 9. Effective Date. This Agreement shall be effective upon its
execution, and, unless terminated as provided, shall continue in force for two
year(s) from the effective date and thereafter from year to year, provided that
such annual continuance is approved by (i) either the vote of a majority of the
Directors of the Fund, or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund, and (ii) the vote of a majority of
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those Directors of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or the Fund's
distribution plan or interested persons of any such party ("Qualified
Directors"), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the
approval. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment. As used in this paragraph the terms "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "assignment" and "interested person" shall have
the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act. In addition, this Agreement
may at any time be terminated without penalty by the Distributor, by a vote of a
majority of Qualified Directors or by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund upon not less than sixty days prior written notice
to the other party.
Article 10. Notices. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either
party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or certified
mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the other party
at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving notice: if
to the Fund, at [address], and if to the Distributor, Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000.
Article 11. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement constitutes the
entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement,
draft or agreement or proposal with respect to the subject matter hereof. This
Agreement or any part hereof may be changed or waived only by an instrument in
writing signed by the party against which enforcement of such change or waiver
is sought.
Article 12. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940
Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Delaware, or any of
the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act,
the latter shall control.
Article 13. Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
Article 14. Severability. If any part, term or provision of this Agreement
is held to be illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the
remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and not be affected,
and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as
if the Agreement did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to
be illegal or invalid.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund and Distributor have each duly executed this
Agreement, as of the day and year above written.
XXXXXXX FUNDS, INC. SEI INVESTMENTS DISTRIBUTION CO.
By: By:
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Attest: Attest:
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