AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION
Exhibit 4(a)(ii)
This Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (this “Agreement”) is made as of this 5th
day of September 2008, by and between WT Mutual Fund, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), on
behalf of its Wilmington Fundamentally Weighted Small Company Fund (the “FWSC Fund”), and the Trust
on behalf of its Wilmington Multi-Manager Small-Cap Fund (the “Small-Cap Fund”).
ARTICLE I
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parties hereto, but in any event not later than October 27, 2008, or such later date as the
parties may mutually agree. All acts taking place on the Closing Date shall be deemed to be taking
place simultaneously as of the commencement of business on the Closing Date, unless otherwise
provided. The closing of the reorganization contemplated by the Plan (the “Closing”) shall be held
at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, 3000 Two Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, or such other time and/or place as the parties may mutually
agree.
ARTICLE II
The respective obligation of each party to effect the reorganization contemplated by this
Agreement is subject to the satisfaction or waiver on or prior to the Closing Date of the following
conditions:
Section 2.1. Shareholder Approval. On or prior to the Closing Date, the shareholders of the FWSC
Fund shall have approved the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in accordance with the
provisions of Delaware law and the 1940 Act.
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(i) | The transfer of all of the assets of the FWSC Fund solely in exchange for Shares and the assumption by the Small-Cap Fund of all of the liabilities of the FWSC Fund, followed by the distribution of the Shares by the FWSC Fund to its shareholders in complete liquidation and termination of the FWSC Fund, will constitute a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and each of the Small-Cap Fund and the FWSC Fund will be a party to a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code; | ||
(ii) | No gain or loss will be recognized by the Small-Cap Fund upon the receipt of the assets of the FWSC Fund solely in exchange for Shares and the assumption by the Small-Cap Fund of the liabilities of the FWSC Fund. | ||
(iii) | No gain or loss will be recognized by the FWSC Fund upon the transfer of all of its assets to the Small-Cap Fund solely in exchange for the Shares and the assumption by the Small-Cap Fund of the liabilities of the FWSC Fund, or upon the distribution of the Shares to the FWSC Fund’s shareholders in complete liquidation in exchange for their shares of the FWSC Fund. | ||
(iv) | No gain or loss will be recognized by the FWSC Fund’s shareholders upon the exchange of their shares of the FWSC Fund for Shares in the Reorganization; | ||
(v) | The aggregate tax basis of the Shares received by each shareholder of the FWSC Fund pursuant to the Reorganization will be the same as the aggregate tax basis of the shares of the FWSC Fund held by such shareholder immediately prior to the Reorganization, and the holding period of the Shares received by a shareholder of the FWSC Fund will include the period during which the shares of the FWSC Fund exchanged therefor were held by such shareholder (provided that the shares of the FWSC Fund were held as a capital asset on the date of the Reorganization); and | ||
(vi) | The tax basis of the assets of the FWSC Fund acquired by the Small-Cap Fund will be the same as the tax basis of such assets to the FWSC Fund immediately prior to the Reorganization, and the holding period of such assets in the hands of the Small-Cap Fund will include the period during which the assets were held by the FWSC Fund. |
No opinion, however, will be expressed as to: (1) the effect of the Reorganization on (i) the
FWSC Fund or the Small-Cap Fund (x) with respect to any asset as to which any unrealized gain or
loss is required to be recognized for federal income tax purposes at the end of the taxable year
(or on the termination or transfer thereof) under a xxxx-to-market system of accounting, or (y)
with respect to any stock held of a passive foreign investment company as defined in Section
1297(a) of the Code or (ii) any shareholder of the FWSC Fund that is required to recognize
unrealized gains and losses for federal income tax purposes under a xxxx-to-market system of
accounting and (2) any other federal tax issues (except those set forth above) and all state, local or
foreign tax issues of any kind.
ARTICLE III
The parties represent and warrant as follows:
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Section 3.1. Structure and Standing. Each party represents and warrants that it is duly organized
as a series of a statutory trust, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State
of Delaware, and has the power to own all of its properties and assets and conduct its business.
(a) At the Closing Date, all federal and other tax returns and reports of the Funds required
by law to have been filed by such date shall have been filed, and all federal and other taxes due
and payable shall have been paid, or provision shall have been made for the payment thereof. To
the best of the Funds knowledge, no such return is currently under audit by the IRS or any state or
local tax authority, and no assessment has been asserted with respect to such returns.
(b) For each fiscal year of its operation, the Funds have met, and will continue to meet
through the Closing Date, the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code for qualification and
treatment as a regulated investment company and has distributed in each such year all net
investment company taxable income (computed without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and
net realized capital gains (after reduction for any capital loss carryforward). In furtherance
thereof, and not in limitation, each of the Funds has less than 25% of its non cash assets in the
stock or securities of any one issuer and has less than 50% of the total value of its assets
invested in five or fewer issuers.
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ARTICLE IV
Immediately prior to the closing, the FWSC Fund will have declared a dividend which, together with
all previous dividends, will have the effect of distributing to its shareholders all of the FWSC
Fund’s investment company
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taxable income for taxable years ending on or prior to closing, and all
of its net capital gains, if any, realized in taxable years ending on or prior to closing.
Section 4.7. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Small-Cap Fund and the FWSC
Fund will each take, or cause to be taken, all action, and do or cause to be done, all things
reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 4.8. The Small-Cap Fund and the FWSC Fund shall each use its reasonable best efforts to fulfill or
obtain the fulfillment of the conditions precedent to effect the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement as promptly as practicable.
Section 4.9. The Small-Cap Fund will use all reasonable efforts to obtain the approvals and
authorizations required by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the 1940 Act and such of the
state blue sky or securities laws as may be necessary in order to continue its operations after the
Closing Date.
ARTICLE V
(a) either party shall have breached any material provision of this Agreement; or
(b) circumstances develop that, in the opinion of such Board, make proceeding with the Plan
inadvisable; or
(c) any governmental body shall have issued an order, decree or ruling having the effect of
permanently enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of this Agreement.
ARTICLE VI
Section 6.1. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Delaware.
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with a copy to:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP
0000 Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxx X. Del Xxxx
0000 Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxx X. Del Xxxx
WT MUTUAL FUND, on behalf of its Wilmington Fundamentally Weighted Small Company Fund |
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By: | /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, President | ||||
WT MUTUAL FUND, on behalf of its Wilmington Multi-Manager Small-Cap Fund |
||||
By: | /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, President | ||||
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