LKCM FUNDS
AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
FEBRUARY 10, 1994
AS AMENDED APRIL 29, 1998
AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
ARTICLE I NAME AND DEFINITIONS.............................................2
Section 1.1 Name and Principal Office........................................2
Section 1.2 Definitions. ...............................................2
(a) "Act" ...............................................2
(b) "By-Laws"...............................................2
(c) "class" ...............................................2
(d) "Commission"............................................3
(e) "Declaration of Trust"..................................3
(f) "Majority of the Outstanding Voting Shares".............3
(g) "1940" ...............................................3
(h) " person"...............................................3
(i) "Shareholder"...........................................3
(j) "Shares" ...............................................3
(k) "Sub-Trust" or "Series".................................3
(l) "Trust" ...............................................3
(m) "Trustees"..............................................3
ARTICLE II PURPOSE OF TRUST.................................................4
ARTICLE III THE TRUSTEES.....................................................4
SECTION 3.1 Number, Designation, Election, Term, etc.........................4
(A) Trustees................................................4
(B) Number. ...............................................4
(C) Election and Term.......................................4
(D) Resignation and Retirement..............................4
(E) Removal.................................................4
(F) Vacancies...............................................5
(G) Effect of Death, Resignation, etc.......................5
(h) No Accounting...........................................5
Section 3.2 Powers of Trustees...............................................5
(a) Investments.............................................6
(b) Disposition of Assets...................................6
(c) Ownership Powers........................................6
(d) Subscription............................................6
(e) Form of Holding.........................................6
(f) Reorganization, etc.....................................7
(g) Voting Trusts, etc......................................7
(h) Compromise..............................................7
(i) Partnerships, etc.......................................7
(j) Borrowing and Security..................................7
(k) Guarantees, etc.........................................7
(l) Insurance...............................................7
(m) Pensions, etc...........................................7
(n) Distribution Plans......................................8
Section 3.3 Certain Contracts................................................8
(a) Advisory................................................8
(b) Administration..........................................8
(c) Distribution............................................8
(d) Custodian and Depository................................8
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(e) Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agency.................9
(f) Shareholder Servicing...................................9
(g) Accounting..............................................9
Section 3.4 Payment of Trust Expenses and Compensation of Trustees...........9
Section 3.5 Ownership of Assets of the Trust................................10
Section 3.6 Action by Trustees..............................................10
ARTICLE IV SHARES..........................................................10
Section 4.1 Description of Shares...........................................10
Section 4.2 Establishment and Designation of Sub-Trusts and Classes.........12
(a) Assets Belonging to Sub-Trusts.........................12
(b) Liabilities Belonging to Sub-Trusts....................12
(c) Dividends..............................................13
(d) Liquidation............................................13
(e) Voting. ..............................................14
(f) Redemption by Shareholder..............................14
(g) Redemption by Trust....................................14
(h) Net Asset Value........................................14
(i) Transfer...............................................15
(j) Equality...............................................15
(k) Fractions..............................................15
(l) Conversion or Exchange Rights..........................15
(m) Class Differences......................................15
Section 4.3 Ownership of Shares.............................................16
Section 4.4 Investments in the Trust........................................16
Section 4.5 No Pre-emptive Rights...........................................16
Section 4.6 Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability...........16
Section 4.7 No Appraisal Rights.............................................16
ARTICLE V SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS........................16
Section 5.1 Voting Powers...................................................17
Section 5.2 Meetings........................................................17
Section 5.3 Record Dates. ..............................................17
Section 5.4 Quorum and Required Vote........................................17
Section 5.5 Action by Written Consent.......................................18
Section 5.6 Inspection of Records...........................................18
Section 5.7 Additional Provisions...........................................18
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ARTICLE VI LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION........................18
Section 6.1 Trustees, Shareholders, etc. Not Personally Liable; Notice......18
Section 6.2 Trustee's Good Faith Action; Expert Advice; No Bond or Surety...19
Section 6.3 Indemnification of Shareholders.................................19
Section 6.4 Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc......................19
Section 6.5 Compromise Payment..............................................20
Section 6.6 Indemnification Not Exclusive, etc..............................20
Section 6.7 Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees................20
Section 6.8 Discretion. ..............................................20
ARTICLE VII MISCELLANEOUS ..................................................21
Section 7.1 Duration and Termination of Trust...............................21
Section 7.2 Reorganization..................................................21
Section 7.3 Amendments......................................................22
Section 7.4 Filling of Copies; References; Headings.........................22
Section 7.6 Registered Agent................................................22
SECTION 7.7 INTEGRATION....................................................23
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AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made at Fort Worth, Texas
this 10th day of February 1994, as amended on April 29, 1998, by the Trustee or
Trustees hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial interest to be
issued hereunder as hereinafter provided.
WITNESSETH
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, each separate series to be a Sub-Trust hereunder,
and to issue classes of Shares of any Sub-Trust or divide Shares of any
Sub-Trust 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 business trust in accordance with the
provisions of the Delaware Business Trust Act (12 Del. C. ss. 3801, et seq.), as
from time to time amended and including any successor statute of similar import
(the "Act"), 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 Sub-Trusts created
hereunder as hereinafter set forth.
ARTICLE I
NAME AND DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1 NAME AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE. This Trust shall be known as
"LKCM FUNDS" and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that
name or any other name or names as they may from time to time determine. The
principal office of the Trust shall be located at such location as the Trustees
may from time to time determine.
Section 1.2 DEFINITIONS. Whenever used herein, unless otherwise
required by the context or specifically provided:
(a) "Act" shall have the meaning given to it in the recitals of
this Amended Declaration of Trust.
(b) "By-Laws" shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust as amended from
time to time;
(c) "class" refers to any class of Shares of any Series or
Sub-Trust established and designated under or in accordance with the provisions
of Article IV;
(d) "Commission" shall have the meaning given it in the 1940 Act;
(e) "Amended Declaration of Trust" shall mean this Amended
Agreement and Declaration of Trust as amended or restated from time to time;
(f) "Majority of the Outstanding Voting Shares" of the Trust or
Sub-Trust shall mean the vote, at the annual or a special meeting of
Shareholders duly called, (A) of 67 per centum or more of the Shares of the
Trust or Sub- Trust present at such meeting, if holders of more than 50 per
centum of the outstanding Shares of the Trust or Sub- Trust are present or
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represented by proxy; or (B) of more than 50 per centum of the outstanding
voting Shares of the Trust or Sub-Trust, whichever is the less.
(g) "1940" Act refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
the Rules and Regulations hereunder, all as amended from time to time;
(h) " person" means a natural person, corporation, limited
liability company, trust, association, partnership (whether general, limited, or
otherwise), joint venture, or any other entity;
(i) "Shareholder" means a beneficial owner of record of Shares;
(j) "Shares" refers to the transferable units of interest into
which the beneficial interest in the Trust and each Sub-Trust of the Trust
and/or any class of any Sub-Trust (as the context may require) shall be divided
from time to time;
(k) "Sub-Trust" or "Series" refers to a series of Shares
established and designated under or in accordance with the provisions of Article
IV;
(l) "Trust" refers to the Delaware business trust established by
this Amended Declaration of Trust, inclusive of each and every Sub-Trust
established hereunder; and
(m) "Trustees" refers to the trustees of the Trust and of each
Sub-Trust hereunder named herein or elected in accordance with Article III.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE OF TRUST
The purposes of the Trust are (i) to operate as an investment company
and to offer Shareholders of the Trust and each Sub-Trust of the Trust one or
more investment programs primarily in securities and debt instruments, and (ii)
to engage in such activities that are necessary, suitable, incidental, or
convenient to the accomplishment of the foregoing.
ARTICLE III
THE TRUSTEES
Section 3.1 NUMBER, DESIGNATION, ELECTION, TERM, ETC.
(a) TRUSTEES. The initial Trustees hereof shall be J. Xxxxxx Xxxx,
Xx. and Xxxxx X. May.
(b) NUMBER. The Trustees serving as such, whether named above or
hereafter becoming Trustees, may increase or decrease the number of Trustees to
a number other than the number theretofore determined. No decrease in the number
of Trustees shall have the effect of removing any Trustee from office prior to
the expiration of his term, but the number of Trustees may be decreased in
conjunction with the removal of a Trustee pursuant to subsection (e) of this
Section 3. 1.
(c) ELECTION AND TERM. The Trustees shall be elected by the
Shareholders of the Trust at a meeting of the Shareholders held prior to the
effective date of the Registration Statement of the Trust under the 1940 Act,
and the term of office of any Trustees in office before such election shall
terminate at the time of such election. Each Trustee shall be a natural person
and may, but need not be a Shareholder. Each Trustee, whether named above or
hereafter becoming a Trustee, shall serve as a Trustee of the Trust and of each
Sub-Trust hereunder during the lifetime of this Trust and until its termination
as hereinafter provided except as such Trustee sooner dies, resigns, retires, or
is removed or, if sooner, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the
purpose of electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of his
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successor. The Shareholders may fix the number of Trustees and elect Trustees at
any meeting of Shareholders called by the Trustees for that purpose and to the
extent required by applicable law, including paragraph (a) and (b) of Section 16
of the 1940 Act. Subject to Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act, the Trustees may
elect successors and may, pursuant to Section 3.1 (f) hereof, appoint Trustees
to fill vacancies.
(d) RESIGNATION AND RETIREMENT. Any Trustee may resign his trust
or retire as a trustee of the Trust, by written instrument signed by him and
delivered to the other Trustees or to any officer of the Trust, and such
resignation or retirement shall take effect upon such delivery or upon such
later date as is specified in such instrument and shall be effective as to the
Trust and each Sub-Trust hereunder.
(e) REMOVAL. Any Trustee may be removed with or without cause at
any time by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the number of
Trustees in office immediately prior to such removal, specifying the date upon
which such removal shall become effective. Any such removal shall be effective
as to the Trust and each Sub-Trust hereunder.
(f) VACANCIES. Any vacancy or anticipated vacancy resulting from
any reason, including without limitation the death, resignation, retirement,
removal or incapacity of any of the Trustees, or resulting from an increase in
the number of Trustees by the other Trustees may (but so long as there are at
least two remaining Trustees, need not unless required by the 0000 Xxx) be
filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, subject to the provisions of
Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act, through the appointment of such other person as
such remaining Trustees in their discretion shall determine. Such appointment
shall be evidenced by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees
then in office, or by a recording in the records of the Trust, and shall be
effective upon such signing or recording and the acceptance of the person named
therein to serve as a trustee of the Trust and agreement by such person to be
bound by the provisions of this Amended Declaration of Trust. Any such
appointment in anticipation of a vacancy to occur by reason of retirement,
resignation or increase in number of Trustees to be effective at a later date
shall be deemed effective upon the effective date of said retirement,
resignation or increase in number of Trustees.
(g) EFFECT OF DEATH, RESIGNATION, ETC. The death, resignation,
retirement, removal or incapacity of the Trustees, or any one of them, shall
cause a Trustee to cease to be a trustee of the Trust but shall not operate to
annual or terminate the Trust or any Sub-Trust hereunder or to revoke or
terminate any existing agency or contract created or entered into pursuant to
the terms of this Amended Declaration of Trust.
(h) NO ACCOUNTING. Except to the extent required by the 1940 Act
or under circumstances which would justify his removal for cause, no person
ceasing to be a trustee of the Trust as a result of his death, resignation,
retirement, removal or incapacity (nor the estate of any such person) shall be
required to make an accounting to the Shareholders or remaining Trustees upon
such cessation.
Section 3.2 POWERS OF TRUSTEES. Subject to the provisions of this
Amended Declaration of Trust, the business of the Trust shall be managed by the
Trustees, and they shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out
that responsibility and the purpose of the Trust. The Trustees in all instances
shall act as principals, and are and shall be free from the control of the
Shareholders. The 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 they may
consider necessary or appropriate in connection with the management 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 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 adopt By-Laws not inconsistent
with this Amended Declaration of Trust providing for the conduct of the business
and affairs of the Trust and may amend and repeal them to the extent that such
By-Laws do not reserve that right to the Shareholders; they may from time to
time in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.1 hereof establish
Sub-Trusts, each such Sub-Trust to operate as a separate and distinct investment
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medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and
distinct investment purposes; they may from time to time in accordance with the
provisions of Section 4.1 hereof establish Series or establish classes of Shares
of any Series or Sub-Trust or divide the Shares of any Series or Sub- Trust into
classes; they may as they consider appropriate designate employees and agents
who may be denominated as officers with titles, including, but not limited to,
"president", "vice-president", "treasurer", "secretary", "assistant treasurer",
"assistant secretary", "managing director", "chairman of the board" and "vice
chairman of the board" and who in such capacity may act for and on behalf of the
Trust, as and to the extent authorized by the Trustees, and appoint and
terminate agents and consultants and hire and terminate employees, any one or
more of the foregoing of whom may be a Trustee, and may provide for the
compensation of all of the foregoing; they may appoint from their own number,
and terminate, any one or more committees consisting of two or more Trustees,
including without implied limitation an executive committee, which may, when the
Trustees are not in session and subject to the 1940 Act, exercise some or all of
the power and authority of the Trustees as the Trustees may determine; in
accordance with Section 3.3 they may employ one or more advisers,
administrators, depositories and custodians and may authorize any depository or
custodian to employ subcustodians or agents and to deposit all or any part of
such assets in a system or systems for the central handling of securities and
debt instruments, retain transfer, dividend, accounting or Shareholder servicing
agents or any of the foregoing, provide for the distribution of Shares by the
Trust through one or more distributors, principal underwriters, or otherwise,
and subject to Section 5.3 set record dates or times for the determination of
Shareholders or various of them with respect to various matters; they may
compensate or provide for the compensation of the Trustees, officers, advisers,
administrators, custodians, other agents, consultants and employees of the Trust
or the Trustees on such terms as they deem appropriate; and in general they may
delegate to any officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Trustees and to
any employee, adviser, administrator, distributor, depository, custodian,
transfer and dividend disbursing agent, or any other agent or consultant of the
Trust such authority, powers, functions and duties as they consider desirable or
appropriate for the conduct of the business and affairs of the Trust, including
without implied limitation the power and authority to act in the name of the
Trust and any Sub-Trust and of the Trustees, to sign documents and to act as
attorney-in-fact for the Trustees.
Without limiting the foregoing and to the extent not inconsistent with
the 1940 Act or other applicable law, the Trustees shall have power and
authority for and on behalf of the Trust and each separate Sub-Trust established
hereunder:
(a) INVESTMENTS. To invest and reinvest cash and other property,
and to hold cash or other property uninvested without in any event being bound
or limited by any present or future law or custom in regard to investments by
trustees;
(b) DISPOSITION OF ASSETS. To sell, exchange, lend, pledge,
mortgage, hypothecate, write options on and lease any or all of the assets of
the Trust;
(c) OWNERSHIP POWERS. To vote or give assent, or exercise any
rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities, debt instruments
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, debt instruments
or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(d) SUBSCRIPTION. To exercise powers and rights of subscription or
otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities or debt
instruments;
(e) FORM OF HOLDING. To hold any security, debt instrument or
property in a form not indicating any trust, whether in bearer, unregistered or
other negotiable form, or in the name of the Trustees or of the Trust or of any
Sub-Trust or in the name of a custodian, subcustodian or other depository or a
nominee or nominees or otherwise;
(f) REORGANIZATION, ETC. To consent to or participate in any plan
for the reorganization, consolidation, or merger of any corporation or issuer,
any security or debt instrument of which is or was held in the Trust; to consent
to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase, or sale of property by such
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corporation or issuer, and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any
security or debt instrument held in the Trust;
(g) VOTING TRUSTS, ETC. To join with other holders of any
securities or debt instruments in acting through a committee, depository, voting
trustee, or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security or debt
instrument with, or transfer any security or debt instrument to, any such
committee, depository, or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and
authority with relation to any security or debt instrument (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, depository or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(h) COMPROMISE. To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust
claims in favor of or against the Trust or any Sub-Trust or any matter in
controversy, including but not limited to claims for taxes;
(i) PARTNERSHIPS, ETC. To enter into joint ventures, general or
limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and any other combinations or
associations;
(j) BORROWING AND SECURITY. To borrow funds and to mortgage and
pledge the assets of the Trust or any part thereof to secure obligations arising
in connection with such borrowing;
(k) GUARANTEES, ETC. 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; and to mortgage
and pledge the Trust property or any part thereof to secure any of or all such
obligations;
(l) INSURANCE. To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust
property such insurance as they may deem necessary or appropriate for the
conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies
insuring the assets of the Trust and payment of distributions and principal on
its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders,
Trustees, officers, employees, agents, consultants, investment advisers,
managers, administrators, distributors, principal underwriters, or independent
contractors, or any thereof (or any person connected therewith), of the Trust
individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature arising by
reason of 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 in
any such capacity, including any action taken or omitted that may be determined
to constitute negligence, whether or not the Trust would have the power to
indemnify such person against such liability;
(m) PENSIONS, ETC. To pay pensions for faithful service, as deemed
appropriate by the Trustees, and 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; and
(n) DISTRIBUTION PLANS. To adopt on behalf of the Trust or any
Sub-Trust, including with respect to any class thereof, a plan of distribution
and related agreements thereto pursuant to the terms of Rule 12b-1 of the 1940
Act and to make payments from the assets of the Trust or the relevant Sub-Trust
or Sub-Trusts pursuant to said Rule 12b-1 Plan.
Section 3.3 CERTAIN CONTRACTS. Subject to compliance with the
provisions of the 1940 Act, but notwithstanding any limitations of present and
future law or custom in regard to delegation of powers by trustees generally,
the Trustees may, at any time and from time to time and without limiting the
generality of their powers and authority otherwise set forth herein, enter into
one or more contracts with any one or more corporations, trusts, associations,
partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, other type of
organizations, or individuals (a "Contracting Party"), to provide for the
6
performance and assumption of some or all of the following services, duties, and
responsibilities to, for, or on behalf of the Trust and/or any Sub-Trust, and/or
the Trustees, and to provide for the performance and assumption of such other
services, duties, and responsibilities in addition to those set forth below as
the Trustees may determine appropriate:
(a) ADVISORY. Subject to the general supervision of the Trustees
and in conformity with the stated policy of the Trustees with respect to the
investments of the Trust or of the assets belonging to any Sub-Trust of the
Trust (as that phrase is defined in subsection (a) of Section 4.2), to manage
such investments and assets, make investment decisions with respect thereto, and
to place purchase and sale orders for portfolio transactions relating to such
investments and assets;
(b) ADMINISTRATION. Subject to the general supervision of the
Trustees and in conformity with any policies of the Trustees with respect to the
operations of the Trust and each Sub-Trust (including each class thereof), to
supervise all or any part of the operations of the Trust and each Sub-Trust, and
to provide all or any part of the administrative and clerical personnel, office
space, and office equipment and services appropriate for the efficient
administration and operations of the Trust and each Sub-Trust;
(c) DISTRIBUTION. To distribute the Shares of the Trust and each
Sub-Trust (including any classes thereof), to be principal underwriter of such
Shares, and/or to act as agent of the Trust and each Sub-Trust in the sale of
Shares and the acceptance or rejection of orders for the purchase of Shares;
(d) CUSTODIAN AND DEPOSITORY. To act as depository for and to
maintain custody of the property of the Trust and each Sub-Trust and accounting
records in connection therewith;
(e) TRANSFER AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENCY. To maintain record of
the ownership of outstanding Shares, the issuance and redemption and the
transfer thereof, and to disburse any dividends declared by the Trustees and in
accordance with the policies of the Trustees and/or the instructions of any
particular Shareholder to reinvest any such dividends;
(f) SHAREHOLDER SERVICING. To provide service with respect to the
relationship of the Trust and its Shareholders, records with respect to
Shareholders and their Shares, and similar matters; and
(g) ACCOUNTING. To handle all or any part of the accounting
responsibilities, whether with respect to the Trust's properties, Shareholders
or otherwise.
The same person may be the Contracting Party for some or all of the service,
duties, and responsibilities to, for and of the Trust and/or the Trustees, and
the contracts with respect thereto may contain such terms interpretive of or in
addition to the delineation of the services, duties, and responsibilities
provided for, including provisions that are not inconsistent with the 1940 Act
relating to the standard of duty of and the rights to indemnification of the
Contracting Party and others, as the Trustees may determine. Nothing herein
shall preclude, prevent, or limit the Trust or a Contracting Party from entering
into sub-contractual arrangements relating to any of the matters referred to in
Sections 3.3(a) through (g) hereof.
The fact that:
(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees or officers of the Trust is
a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, adviser,
principal underwriter or distributor, or agent of or for any Contracting Party,
or of or for any parent or affiliate of any Contracting Party or that the
Contracting Party or any parent or affiliate thereof is a Shareholder or has an
interest in the Trust or any Sub-Trust, or that
(ii) any Contracting Party may have a contract providing for the
rendering of any similar services to one or more other corporations, trusts,
associations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies,
or other organizations, or have other business or interests, shall not affect
the validity of any contract for the performance and assumption of services,
7
duties, and responsibilities to, for or of the Trust or any Sub-Trust and/or the
Trustees or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from
voting upon or executing the same or create any liability or accountability to
the Trust, any Sub-Trust, or its Shareholders, provided that in the case of any
relationship or interest referred to in the preceding clause (i) on the part of
any Trustee or officer of the Trust either (x) the material facts as to such
relationship or interest have been disclosed to or are known by the Trustees not
having any such relationship or interest and the contract involved is approved
in good faith by a majority of such Trustees not having any such relationship or
interest (even though such unrelated or disinterested Trustees are less than a
quorum of all of the Trustees), (y) the material facts as to such relationship
or interest and as to the contract have been disclosed to or are known by the
Shareholders entitled to vote thereon and the contract involved is specifically
approved in good faith by vote of the Shareholders, or (z) the specific contract
involved is fair to the Trust as of the time it is authorized, approved, or
ratified by the Trustees or by the Shareholders.
Section 3.4 PAYMENT OF TRUST EXPENSES AND COMPENSATION OF TRUSTEES. The
Trustees are authorized to pay or to cause to be paid out of the principal or
income of the Trust or any Sub-Trust, or partly out of principal and partly out
of income, and to charge or allocate the same to, between, or among such one or
more of the Sub-Trusts and/or one or more classes of Shares thereof that may be
established and designated pursuant to Article IV, as the Trustees deem fair,
all expenses, fees, charges, taxes, and liabilities incurred or arising in
connection with the Trust, any Sub-Trust and/or any class of Shares thereof, or
in connection with the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the
Trustees' compensation and such expenses and charges for the services of the
Trust's officers, employees, investment adviser, administrator, distributor,
principal underwriter, auditor, counsel, depository, custodian, transfer agent,
dividend disbursing agent, accounting agent, Shareholder servicing agent, and
such other agents, consultants, and independent contractors and such other
expenses and charges as the Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur.
Without limiting the generality of any other provision hereof, the Trustees
shall be entitled to reasonable compensation from the Trust for their services
as trustees of the Trust and may fix the amount of such compensation. Nothing
herein shall in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for special
services, including legal, accounting, advisory, management or other services
and payment for the same by the Trust. 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 his
resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal.
The Trustees shall have the power, as frequently as they may determine,
to cause each Shareholder, or each Shareholder of any particular Sub-Trust, to
pay directly, in advance or arrears, for charges of the Trust's custodian or
transfer, Shareholder servicing or similar agent, an amount fixed from time to
time by the Trustees, by setting off such charges due from such Shareholder from
declared but unpaid dividends 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.
Section 3.5 OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS OF THE TRUST. Title to all of the
assets of the Trust and of each Sub-Trust shall at all times be considered as
vested in the Trustees as joint tenants. The right, title and interest of the
Trustees in such assets shall vest automatically in each person who may
hereafter become a Trustee, and upon any Trustees' death, resignation or
removal, such Trustee shall automatically cease to have any fight, title or
interest in such assets.
Vesting and cessation of title as set forth in this Section 3.5 shall
be effective notwithstanding the absence of execution and delivery of any
conveyancing documents.
Section 3.6 ACTION BY TRUSTEES. Except as otherwise provided by the
1940 Act or other applicable law, this Amended Declaration of Trust or the
By-Laws, any action to be taken by the Trustees on behalf of or with respect to
the Trust or any Sub-Trust or class thereof may be taken by a majority of the
Trustees present at a meeting of Trustees (a quorum, consisting of at least a
majority of the Trustees then in office, being present), within or without
Delaware, including any meeting held by means of a conference telephone or other
communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the
meeting can hear each other at the same time, and participation by such means
shall constitute presence in person at a meeting, or by written consents of a
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majority of the Trustees then in office (or such larger or different number as
may be required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law).
ARTICLE IV
SHARES
Section 4.1 DESCRIPTION OF SHARES. The beneficial interest in the Trust
shall be divided into Shares, all without par value, but the Trustees shall have
the authority from time to time to issue Shares in one or more Series (each of
which Series of Shares shall represent the beneficial interest in a separate and
distinct Sub-Trust of the Trust, including without limitation each Sub-Trust
specifically established and designated in Section 4.2), as they deem necessary
or desirable. For all purposes under this Amended Declaration of Trust or
otherwise, including, without implied limitation, (i) with respect to the rights
of creditors and (ii) for purposes of interpreting the relevant rights of each
Sub-Trust and the Shareholders of each Sub-Trust, each Sub-Trust established
hereunder shall be deemed to be a separate trust. Notice of the limitation of
liabilities of a Sub-Trust shall be set forth in the certificate of trust of the
Trust, and debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for
or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Sub-Trust shall be
enforceable against the assets of such Sub-Trust only, and not against the
assets of the Trust generally.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Amended Declaration of
Trust and without limiting the power of the Trustees to amend the Amended
Declaration of Trust as provided elsewhere herein, the Trustees shall have the
power to amend this Amended Declaration of Trust, at any time and from time to
time, in such manner as the Trustees may determine in their 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 Amended
Declaration of Trust for the purpose of responding to or complying with any
regulations, orders, rulings or interpretations of any governmental agency or
any laws, now or hereafter applicable to the Trust. The Trustees shall have
exclusive power without the requirement of Shareholder approval to establish and
designate such separate and distinct Sub-Trusts, and to fix and determine the
relative rights and preferences as between the shares of the separate Sub-Trusts
as to fight of redemption and the price, terms and manner of redemption, special
and relative rights as to dividends and other distributions and on liquidation,
sinking or purchase fund provisions, conversion rights, and conditions under
which the several Sub-Trusts shall have separate voting rights or no voting
rights.
In addition, the Trustees shall have exclusive power, without the
requirement of Shareholder approval, to issue classes of Shares of any Sub-Trust
or divide the Shares of any Sub-Trust into classes, each class having such
different dividend, liquidation, voting and other rights as the Trustees may
determine in their sole discretion, and may establish and designate the specific
classes of Shares of each Sub-Trust. The fact that a Sub-Trust shall have
initially been established and designated without any specific establishment or
designation of classes (i.e., that all Shares of such Sub-Trust are initially of
a single class), or that a Sub-Trust shall have more than one established and
designated class, shall not limit the authority of the Trustees to establish and
designate separate classes, or one or more further classes, of said Sub-Trust
without approval of the holders of the initial class thereof, or previously
established and designated class or classes thereof, provided that the
establishment and designation of such further separate classes would not
adversely affect the fights of the holders of the initial or previously
established and designated class or classes.
The number of authorized Shares and the number of Shares of each
Sub-Trust or class thereof that may be issued is unlimited, and the Trustees may
issue Shares of any Sub-Trust or class thereof for such consideration and on
such terms as they may determine (or for no consideration if pursuant to a Share
dividend or split-up), all without action or approval of the Shareholders. All
Shares when so issued on the terms determined by the Trustees shall be fully
paid and non-assessable (but may be subject to mandatory contribution back to
the Trust as provided in subsection (h) of Section 4.2). The Trustees may
classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares previously issued and
reacquired of any Sub-Trusts or class thereof into one or more Sub-Trust or
classes thereof that may be established and designated from time to time. The
Trustees may hold as Shares, reissue for such consideration and on such terms as
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they may determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time to time, any Shares
of any Sub-Trust or class thereof reacquired by the Trust.
The Trustees may from time to time close the transfer books or
establish record dates and times for the purposes of determining the holders of
Shares entitled to be treated as such, to the extent provided or referred to in
Section 5.3.
The establishment and designation of any Sub-Trust or of any class of
Shares of any Sub-Trust in addition to those established and designated in
Section 4.2 shall be effective (i) upon the execution by a majority of the then
Trustees of an instrument setting forth such establishment and designation of
the relative fights and preferences of the Shares of such Sub-Trust or class,
(ii) upon the execution of an instrument in writing by an officer of the Trust
pursuant to the vote of a majority of the Trustees, or (iii) as otherwise
provided in either such instrument. At any time that there are no Shares
outstanding of any particular Sub-Trust or class previously established and
designated, the Trustees may by an instrument executed by a majority of their
number (or by an instrument executed by an officer of the Trust pursuant to the
vote of a majority of the Trustees) abolish that Sub-Trust or class and the
establishment and designation thereof. Each instrument establishing and
designating any Sub-Trust shall have the status of an amendment to this Amended
Declaration of Trust.
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 any Sub-Trust (including any classes thereof) 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 of any Sub-Trust (including any classes thereof) 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 Shares of
such Sub-Trust (including any classes thereof) generally.
Section 4.2 ESTABLISHMENT AND DESIGNATION OF SUB-TRUSTS AND CLASSES.
Without limiting the authority of the Trustees set forth in Section 4.1 to
establish and designate any further Sub-Trusts, the Trustees hereby establish
and designate one Sub-Trust: "LKCM Small Cap Equity Portfolio" which shall
consist of a single class of Shares. The Shares of such Sub-Trust and any Shares
of any further Sub-Trust or class thereof that may from time to time be
established and designated by the Trustees shall (unless the Trustees otherwise
determine with respect to some further Sub-Trust at the time of establishing and
designating the same) have the following relative rights and preferences:
(a) ASSETS BELONGING TO SUB-TRUSTS. All consideration received by
the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Sub-Trust or any
classes thereof, together with all assets in which such consideration is
invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof,
including 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 be held by the Trustees in trust for the
benefit of the holders of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class thereof and shall
irrevocably belong to that Sub-Trust (and be allocable to any classes thereof)
for all purposes, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the
Trust. Separate and distinct records shall be maintained for each Sub-Trust and
the assets associated with a Sub-Trust shall be held and accounted for
separately from the other assets of the Trust, or any other Sub-Trust. Such
consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof,
including 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, together with any General Items (as
hereinafter defined) allocated to that Sub-Trust as provided in the following
sentence, are herein referred to as "assets belonging to" that Sub-Trust (and
allocable to any classes thereof). In the event that there are any assets,
income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, funds, or payments which are
not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Sub-Trust (collectively
"General Items"), the Trustees shall allocate such General Items to and among
any one or more of the Sub-Trusts established and designated from time to time
in such manner and on such basis as they, in their sole discretion, deem fair
and equitable; and any General Items so allocated to a particular Sub-Trust
shall belong to that Sub-Trust (and be allocable to any classes thereof). Each
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such allocation by the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the holders
of all Shares of all Sub-Trusts (including any classes thereof) for all
purposes.
(b) LIABILITIES BELONGING TO SUB-TRUSTS. The assets belonging to
each particular Sub-Trust shall be charged with the liabilities in respect of
that Sub-Trust and all expenses, costs, charges, and reserves belonging to that
Sub-Trust, and any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, or reserves of
the Trust which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular
Sub-Trust shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or
more of the Sub-Trusts established and designated from time to time in such
manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion shall
determine. In addition, the liabilities in respect of a particular class of
Shares of a particular Sub-Trust and all expenses, costs, charges, and reserves
belonging to that class of Shares, and any general liabilities, expenses, costs,
charges or reserves of that particular Sub-Trust which are not readily
identifiable as belonging to any particular class of Shares of that Sub-Trust
shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more of
the classes of Shares of that Sub-Trust established and designated from time to
time in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion
shall determine. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves
allocated and so charged to a Sub-Trust or class thereof are herein referred to
as "liabilities belonging to" that Sub-Trust or class thereof. Each allocation
of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves by the Trustees shall be
conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders, creditors and any other persons
dealing with the Trust or any Sub-Trust (including any classes thereof) for all
purposes. Any creditor of any Sub-Trust may look only to the assets of that
Sub-Trust to satisfy such creditor's debt. The 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.
(c) DIVIDENDS. Dividends and distributions on Shares of a
particular Sub-Trust or any class thereof may be paid with such frequency as the
Trustees may determine, which may be daily or otherwise pursuant to a standing
resolution or resolutions adopted only once or with such frequency as the
Trustees may determine, to the holders of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class,
from such of the income and capital gains, accrued or realized, from the assets
belonging to that Sub-Trust, or in the case of a class, belonging to that
Sub-Trust and allocable to that class, as the Trustees may determine, after
providing for actual and accrued liabilities belonging to that Sub-Trust or
class. All dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular Sub-Trust or
class thereof shall be distributed pro rata to the holders of Shares of that
Sub-Trust or class in proportion to the number of Shares of that Sub-Trust or
class held by such holders at the date and time of record established for the
payment of such dividends or distributions, except that in connection with any
dividend or distribution program or procedure the Trustees may determine that no
dividend or distribution shall be payable on Shares as to which the
Shareholder's purchase order and/or payment have not been received by the time
or times established by the Trustees under such program or procedure. Such
dividends and distributions may be made in cash or Shares of that Sub-Trust or
class or a combination thereof as determined by the Trustees or pursuant to any
program that the Trustees may have in effect at the time for the election by
each Shareholder of the mode of the making of such dividend or distribution to
that Shareholder. Any such dividend or distribution paid in Shares will be paid
at the net asset value thereof as determined in accordance with subsection (h)
of this Section 4.2.
The Trustees shall have full discretion 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.
(d) LIQUIDATION. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of
the Trust, subject to Section 7.1 hereof, the holders of Shares of each
Sub-Trust or any class thereof that has been established and designated shall be
entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Trustees, the excess of the
assets belonging to that Sub-Trust, or in the case of a class, belonging to that
Sub-Trust and allocable to that class, over the liabilities belonging to that
Sub-Trust or class. The assets so distributable to the holders of Shares of any
particular Sub-Trust or class thereof shall be distributed among such holders in
proportion to the number of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class thereof held by
them and recorded on the books of the Trust. The liquidation of any particular
Sub-Trust or class thereof may be authorized at any time by vote of a majority
of the Trustees then in office.
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(e) VOTING. On each matter submitted to a vote of the
Shareholders, each holder of a Share shall be entitled to one vote for each
whole Share standing in his name on the books of the Trust irrespective of the
Series thereof or class thereof and all Shares of all Series and classes thereof
shall vote together as a single class; provided, however, that as to any matter
(i) with respect to which a separate vote of one or more Series or classes
thereof is required by the 1940 Act or the provisions of the writing
establishing and designating the Sub-Trust or class, such requirements as to a
separate vote by such Series or class thereof shall apply in lieu of all Shares
of all Series and classes thereof voting together; and (ii) as to any matter
which affects the interests of one or more particular Series or classes thereof,
only the holders of Shares of the one or more affected Series or classes shall
be entitled to vote, and each such Series or class shall vote as a separate
class.
(f) REDEMPTION BY SHAREHOLDER. Each holder of Shares of a
particular Sub-Trust or any class thereof shall have the right at such times as
may be permitted by the Trust to require the Trust to redeem all or any part a
of his Shares of that Sub-Trust or class thereof at a redemption price equal to
the net asset value per Share of that Sub- Trust or class thereof next
determined in accordance with subsection (h) of this Section 4.2 after the
Shares are properly tendered for redemption, subject to any contingent deferred
sales charge or redemption charge in effect at the time of redemption. Payment
of the redemption price shall be in cash; provided, however, that if the
Trustees determine, which determination shall be conclusive, that conditions
exist which make payment wholly in cash unwise or undesirable, the Trust may,
subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, make payment wholly or partly in
securities or other assets belonging to the Sub-Trust of which the Shares being
redeemed are part at the value of such securities or assets used in such
determination of net asset value.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may postpone payment of the redemption
price and may suspend the right of the holders of Shares of any Sub-Trust or
class thereof to require the Trust to redeem Shares of that Sub-Trust during any
period or at any time when and to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act.
(g) REDEMPTION BY TRUST. Each Share of each Sub-Trust or class
thereof that has been established and designated is subject to redemption by the
Trust at the redemption price which would be applicable if such Share was then
being redeemed by the Shareholder pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section
4.2: (i) at any time, in the sole discretion of the Trustees, or (ii) upon such
other conditions as may from time to time be determined by the Trustees and set
forth in the then current Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information of
the Trust. Upon such redemption the holders of the Shares so redeemed shall have
no further right with respect thereto other than to receive payment of such
redemption price.
(h) NET ASSET VALUE. The net asset value per Share of any
Sub-Trust shall be (i) in the case of a Sub-Trust whose Shares are not divided
into classes, the quotient obtained by dividing the value of the net assets of
that Sub- Trust (being the value of the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust less
the liabilities belonging to that Sub-Trust) by the total number of Shares of
that Sub-Trust outstanding, and (ii) in the case of a class of Shares of a
Sub-Trust whose Shares are divided into classes, the quotient obtained by
dividing the value of the net assets of that Sub- Trust allocable to such class
(being the value of the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust allocable to such
class less the liabilities belonging to such class) by the total number of
Shares of such class outstanding; all determined in accordance with the methods
and procedures, including without limitation those with respect to rounding,
established by the Trustees from time to time.
The Trustees may determine to maintain the net asset value per Share of
any Sub-Trust at a designated constant dollar amount and in connection therewith
may adopt procedures not inconsistent with the 1940 act for the continuing
declarations of income attributable to that Sub-Trust as dividend payable in
additional shares of the Sub- Trust at the designated constant dollar amount and
for the handling of any losses attributable to that Sub-Trust. Such procedures
may provide that in the event of any loss each Shareholder shall be deemed to
have contributed to the capital of the Trust attributable to that Sub-Trust his
pro rata portion of the total number of Shares required to be canceled in order
to permit the net asset value per Share of that Sub-Trust to be maintained,
after reflecting such loss, at the designated constant dollar amount. Each
Shareholder of the Trust shall be deemed to have agreed, by his investment in
any Sub-Trust with respect to which the Trustees shall have adopted any such
procedure, to make the contribution referred to in the preceding sentence in the
event of any such loss.
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(i) TRANSFER. All Shares of each particular Sub-Trust or class
thereof shall be transferable, but transfers of Shares of a particular Sub-Trust
or class thereof will be recorded on the Share transfer records of the Trust
applicable to that Sub-Trust or class only at such times as Shareholders shall
have the right to require the Trust to redeem Shares of that Sub-Trust or class
and at such other times as may be permitted by the Trustees.
(j) EQUALITY. Except as provided herein or in the instrument
designating and establishing any class of Shares or any Sub-Trust, all Shares of
each particular Sub-Trust or class thereof shall represent an equal
proportionate interest in the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust, or in the case
of a class, belonging to that Sub-Trust and allocable to that class, subject to
the liabilities belonging to that Sub-Trust or class and each share of any
particular Sub-Trust or class shall be equal to each other Share of that
Sub-Trust or class; but the provisions of this sentence shall not restrict any
distinctions permissible under subsection (c) of this Section 4.2 that may exist
with respect to dividends and distributions on Shares of the same Sub-Trust or
class. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any
particular Sub-Trust or class into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that
Sub-Trust or class without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial
interest in the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust or class or in any way
affecting the rights of Shares of any other Sub-Trust or class.
(k) FRACTIONS. Any fractional Share of any Sub-Trust or class, if
any such fractional Share is outstanding, shall carry proportionately all the
rights and obligations of a whole Share of that Sub-Trust or class, including
rights and obligations with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and
distributions, redemption of Shares, and liquidation of the Trust.
(l) CONVERSION OR EXCHANGE RIGHTS. Subject to compliance with the
requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trustees shall have the authority to provide
that holders of Shares of any Sub-Trust or class thereof shall have the right to
convert or exchange said Shares into Shares of one or more other Sub-Trust or
class thereof in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be
established by the Trustees.
(m) CLASS DIFFERENCES. Subject to Section 4.1, the relative rights
and preferences of the classes of any Sub- Trust may differ in such other
respects as the Trustees may determine to be appropriate in their sole
discretion, provided that such differences are set forth in the instrument
establishing and designating such classes and executed by a majority of the
Trustees (or by an instrument executed by an officer of the Trust pursuant to a
vote of a majority of the Trustees).
Section 4.3 OWNERSHIP OF SHARES. The ownership of Shares shall be
recorded on the books of the Trust or of a transfer or similar agent for the
Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Sub-
Trust and each class thereof that has been established and designated. No
certificates certifying the ownership of Shares need be issued except as the
Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The trustees may make such
rules as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the
use of facsimile signature, the transfer of Shares 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 and as to
the number of Shares of each Sub-Trust and class thereof held from time to time
by each such Shareholder.
Section 4.4 INVESTMENTS IN THE TRUST. The Trustees may accept
investments in the Trust and each Sub-Trust from such persons and on such terms
and for such consideration, not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940
Act, as they from time to time authorize. The Trustees may authorize any
distributor, principal underwriter, custodian, transfer agent or other person to
accept orders for the purchase of Shares that conform to such authorized terms
and to reject any purchase orders for Shares whether or not conforming to such
authorized terms.
Section 4.5 NO PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS. Shareholders shall have no
pre-emptive or other rights to subscribe to any additional Shares or other
securities issued by the Trust or any Sub-Trust, except as the Trustees in their
sole discretion shall have determined by resolution.
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Section 4.6 STATUS OF SHARES AND LIMITATION OF PERSONAL LIABILITY.
Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving only the rights provided
in this Amended Declaration of Trust. Every Shareholder by virtue of acquiring
Shares shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof
and to have become a party hereto. The death, incapacity, dissolution,
termination, or bankruptcy of a Shareholder during the continuance of the Trust
shall not operate to dissolve or terminate the Trust or any Sub-Trust thereof
nor entitle the representative of such Shareholder to an accounting or to take
any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees, but only to
the rights of such Shareholder under this Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not
entitle the Shareholder to any tide 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
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 or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may
at any time personally agree to pay.
Section 4.7 NO APPRAISAL RIGHTS. Shareholders shall have no right to
demand payment for their shares or to any other rights of dissenting
shareholders in the event the Trust participates in any transaction which would
give rise to appraisal or dissenters' rights by a shareholder of a corporation
organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or
otherwise.
ARTICLE V
SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS
Section 5.1 VOTING POWERS. The Shareholders shall have power to vote
only (i) for the election of Trustees as provided in Section 3.1, (ii) with
respect to any contract with a Contracting Party as provided in Section 3.3 as
to which Shareholder approval is required by the 1940 Act, (iii) with respect to
any termination or reorganization of the Trust to the extent and as provided in
Sections 7.1 and 7.2, (iv) with respect to any amendment of this Amended
Declaration of Trust to the extent and as provided in Section 7.3, and (v) with
respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by
the 1940 act, this Amended Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or any registration
of the Trust with the Commission (or any successor agency) or any state, or as
the Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. There shall be no cumulative
voting in the election of Trustees. Shares may be voted in person or by proxy.
Proxies may be given orally or in writing or pursuant to any computerized or
mechanical data gathering process specifically approved by the Trustees. A proxy
with respect to Shares held in the name of two or more persons shall be valid if
executed by any one of them unless at or prior to exercise of the proxy the
Trust receives a specific written notice to the contrary from any one of them. A
proxy purporting to be executed by or on behalf of a Shareholder shall be deemed
valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise and the burden of proving
invalidity shall rest on the challenger. At any time when no Shares of a Series
are outstanding, the Trustees may exercise all fights of Shareholders of that
Series with respect to matters affecting that Series and may take any action
required by law, this Amended Declaration of Trust, or the By-Laws to be taken
by Shareholders.
Section 5.2 MEETINGS. No annual or regular meeting of Shareholders is
required. Special meetings of Shareholders may be called by the Trustees from
time to time for the purpose of electing Trustees as herein provided and for
such other purposes as may be prescribed by law, this Amended Declaration of
Trust or the By-Laws, or for taking action upon any other matter deemed by the
Trustees to be necessary or desirable. Written notice of any meeting of
Shareholders shall be given or caused to be given by the Trustees by mailing
such notice at least seven days before such meeting, postage prepaid, stating
the time, place, and purpose of the meeting, to each Shareholder at the
Shareholder's address as it appears on the record of the Trust. Whenever notice
of a meeting is required to be given to a Shareholder under the Amended
Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, a written waiver thereof, executed before
or after the meeting by such Shareholder or his attorney thereunto authorized
and filed with the records of the meeting, shall be deemed equivalent to such
notice.
Section 5.3 RECORD DATES. For the purpose of determining the
Shareholders who are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment
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thereof, or who are entitled to participate in any dividend or distribution, or
for the purpose of any other action, the Trustees may from time to time close
the transfer books for such period, not exceeding 30 days (except at or in
connection with the termination of the Trust), as the Trustees may determine; or
without closing the transfer books the Trustees may fix a date and time not more
than 90 days prior to the date of any meeting of Shareholders or other action as
the date and time of record for the determination of Shareholders entitled to
vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof or to be treated as Shareholders
of record for purposes of such other action, and any Shareholder who was a
Shareholder at the date and time so fixed shall be entitled to vote at such
meeting or any adjournment thereof or to be treated as a Shareholder of record
for purposes of such other action, even though he has since that date and time
disposed of his Shares, and no Shareholder becoming such after that date and
time shall be so entitled to vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof or
to be treated as a Shareholder of record for purposes of such other action.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as precluding the Trustees from
setting different record dates for different Sub-Trusts.
Section 5.4 QUORUM AND REQUIRED VOTE. Except as otherwise provided by
the 1940 Act or other applicable law, thirty percent of the Shares entitled to
vote shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at a Shareholders'
meeting. Any meeting of shareholders, whether or not a quorum is present, may be
adjourned from time to time by the majority of the Shares represented at the
meeting, either in person or by proxy. Any adjourned session or sessions may be
held, within a reasonable time after the date set for the original meeting
without the necessity of notice of the adjourned meeting or of the business to
be transacted at an adjourned meeting, other than by announcement at the meeting
at which the adjournment is taken, unless the Trustees fix a new record date for
the adjourned meeting . A majority of the Shares voted, at a meeting of which a
quorum is present, shall decide any questions and a plurality shall elect a
Trustee, except when a different vote is required or permitted by any provision
of the 1940 Act or other applicable law or by this Amended Declaration of Trust
or the By-Laws.
Section 5.5 ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT. Subject to the provisions of the
1940 Act and other applicable law, any action taken by Shareholders may be taken
without a meeting if a majority of Shareholders entitled to vote on the matter
(or such larger proportion thereof as shall be required by the 1940 Act or by
any express provision of this Amended Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws)
consent to the action in writing and such written consents are filed with the
record of the meetings of Shareholders. Such consent shall be treated for all
purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders.
Section 5.6 INSPECTION OF RECORDS. The records of the Trust shall be
open to inspection by Shareholders to the same extent as is permitted
stockholders of a Delaware corporation under the Delaware General Law.
Section 5.7 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. The By-Laws may include further
provisions for Shareholders' votes and meetings and related matters not
inconsistent with the provisions hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
Section 6.1 TRUSTEES, SHAREHOLDERS, ETC. NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE; NOTICE.
All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against
the Trust shall look only to the assets of the Sub-Trust with which such person
dealt for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the
Shareholders of any Sub-Trust nor the Trustees, nor any of the Trust's officers,
employees or agents, whether past, present or future, nor any other Sub-Trust
nor the Trustees, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or agents, whether
past, present or future, nor any other Sub-Trust shall be personally liable
therefor. Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking
and every act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust,
any Sub-Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall
be conclusively deemed to have been executed or done only by or for the Trust
(or the Sub-Trust) or the Trustees and not personally. The Trustees and the
Trust's officers, employees and agents shall not be liable to the Trust or the
Shareholders; provided however, that nothing in this Amended Declaration of
Trust shall protect any Trustee or officer, employee or agent against any
liability to the Trust or the Shareholders to which such Trustee or officer,
15
employee or agent would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of the office of Trustee or of such officer, employee or agent.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking
made or issued by the Trustees or by any officers or officer shall give notice
that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust or by them as
Trustees or Trustee or as officers or officer and not individually and that the
obligations of such instrument 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 Sub-Trust in question, as the case may be, but the
omission thereof shall not operate to bind any Trustees or Trustee or officers
or officer or Shareholders or Shareholder individually or otherwise invalidate
any such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking.
Section 6.2 TRUSTEE'S 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. A Trustee shall be liable to the
Trust and the Shareholders for his own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the
office of Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of
judgment or mistakes of fact or law. Subject to the foregoing, (a) the Trustees
shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of
any officer, agent, employee, consultant, adviser, administrator, distributor or
principal underwriter, custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, Shareholder
servicing or accounting agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible
for the act or omission of any other Trustee; (b) the Trustees may take advice
of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this
Amended Declaration of Trust and their duties as Trustees, and shall be under no
liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for failing
to follow such advice; and (c) 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 any officer appointed by
them, any independent public accountant, and (with respect to the subject matter
of the contract involved) any officer, partner, or responsible employee of a
Contracting Party appointed by the Trustees pursuant to Section 3.3. The
Trustees as such shall not be required to give any bond or surety or any other
security for the performance of their duties. To the extent that, at law or in
equity, a Trustee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities
relating thereto to the Trust or to a shareholder any such Trustee acting under
this Amended Declaration of Trust shall not be liable to the Trust or to any
such Shareholder for the Trustee's good faith reliance on the provisions of this
Amended Declaration of Trust. The provisions of this Amended Declaration of
Trust, to the extent that they restrict the duties and liabilities of a Trustee
otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Shareholders to
replace such other duties and liabilities of such Trustee.
Section 6.3 INDEMNIFICATION OF SHAREHOLDERS. In case any Shareholder
(or former Shareholder) of any Sub- Trust 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 on behalf of
said Sub-Trust (upon proper and timely request by the Shareholder) shall assume
the defense against such charge and satisfy any judgment thereon, and, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his
heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives or in the case
of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor)
shall be entitled out of the assets of said Sub-Trust estate to be held harmless
from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability.
Section 6.4 INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEES, OFFICERS, ETC. To the fullest
extent permitted by law, the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets of the
Sub-Trust or Sub-Trusts in question) each of its Trustees and officers
(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 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 person may be or
16
may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter by reason of any alleged
act or omission as a Trustee or officer or, 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 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 (such conduct
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
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 Covered Person was not
liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote of a majority of a quorum of
Trustees who are neither "Interested persons" of the Trust as defined in section
2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to the proceeding, 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 from funds attributable to the Sub-Trust in question 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 the Sub-Trust in question if it is ultimately determined that
indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article VI and (i)
the Covered Person shall have provided security for such undertaking, (ii) the
Trust shall be insured against losses arising by person of any lawful advances,
or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the disinterested Trustees who are not a
party to the proceeding, 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.
Section 6.5 COMPROMISE PAYMENT. As to any matter disposed of by a
compromise payment by any such Covered Person referred to in Section 6.4,
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 (a) by a majority of the disinterested
Trustees who are not parties to the proceeding or (b) by an independent legal
counsel in a written opinion. Approval by the Trustees pursuant to clause (a) or
by independent legal counsel pursuant to clause (b) shall not prevent the
recovery from any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in
accordance with any of such clauses as indemnification if such Covered Person is
subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction 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 such Covered Person's office.
Section 6.6 INDEMNIFICATION NOT EXCLUSIVE, ETC. The night of
indemnification provided by this Article VI shall not be exclusive of or affect
any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in
this Article VI, "Covered Person" shall include such person's heirs, executors,
and administrators; an "Interested Covered Person" is one against whom the
action, suits, or other proceeding in question or another action, suit, or other
proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending or
threatened; and a "disinterested" person is a person against whom none of such
actions, suits or other proceedings or another action suit or other proceeding
on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending or threatened.
Nothing contained in this Article 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.
Section 6.7 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 transaction made or to be made by the Trustees or to see to the
application of any payments made or property transferred to the Trust or upon
its order.
Section 6.8 DISCRETION. Whenever in this Amended Declaration of Trust
the Trustees are permitted or required to make a decision (a) in their "sole
discretion," "sole and absolute discretion," "full discretion," or "discretion,"
or under a similar grant of authority or latitude, the Trustees shall be
entitled to consider only such interests and factors as they desire, whether
17
reasonable or unreasonable, and may consider their own interests, and shall have
no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interests of or factors
affecting the Trust or the Shareholders, or (b) in their "good faith" or under
another express standard, the Trustees shall act under such express standard and
shall not be subject to any other or different standards imposed by this Amended
Declaration of Trust or by law or any other agreement contemplated herein. Each
Shareholder and Trustee hereby agrees that any standard of care or duty imposed
in this Amended Declaration of Trust or any other agreement contemplated herein
or under the Act or any other applicable law, rule or regulation shall be
modified, waived, or limited in each case as required to permit the Trustees to
act under this Amended Declaration of Trust or any other agreement contemplated
herein and to make any decision pursuant to the authority prescribed in this
Amended Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 7.1 DURATION AND TERMINATION OF TRUST. Unless terminated as
provided herein, the Trust shall continue without limitation of time and,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no change, alteration or
modification with respect to any Sub-Trust or class thereof shall operate to
terminate the Trust. The Trust may be terminated at any time by a Majority of
the Outstanding Voting Shares of the Trust or by the Trustees by written notice
to the Shareholders.
Upon termination, after paying or otherwise providing for all charges,
taxes, expenses and liabilities, whether due to accrued or anticipated as may be
determined by the Trustees, the Trust shall in accordance with such procedures
as the Trustees consider appropriate reduce the remaining assets to
distributable form in cash, securities or other property, or any combination
thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders, in conformity with the
provisions of subsection (d) of Section 4.2.
Section 7.2 REORGANIZATION. The Trustees may sell, convey, merge, and
transfer the assets of the Trust, or the assets belonging to any one or more
Sub-Trusts, to another trust, partnership, association, or corporation organized
under the laws of any state of the United States, or to the Trust to be held as
assets belonging to another Sub-Trust of the Trust in exchange for cash, shares
or other securities (including, in the case of a transfer to another Sub-Trust
of the Trust, Shares of such other Sub-Trust or any class thereof) with such
transfer either (1) being made subject to, or with the assumption by the
transferee of, the liabilities belonging to each Sub-Trust the assets of which
are so transferred, or (2) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption
of, such liabilities; provided, however, that no assets belonging to any
particular Sub-Trust shall be so transferred unless the terms of such transfer
shall have first been approved at a meeting called for the purpose by the
affirmative vote of the holders of a Majority of the Outstanding Voting Shares
of that Sub-Trust. Following such transfer, the Trustees shall distribute such
cash, shares, or other securities among the Shareholders of the Sub-Trust
(taking into account the differences among the classes of shares thereof, if
any) the assets belonging to which have been transferred; and if all of the
assets of the Trust have been so transferred, the Trust shall be terminated.
The Trust, or any one or more Sub-Trusts, may either as the successor,
survivor, or non-survivor, (1) consolidate with one or more other trusts,
partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, or corporations
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the
United States, to form a new consolidated trust, partnership, association or,
corporation under the laws of which any one of the constituent entities is
organized, or (2) merge into or transfer a substantial portion of its assets to
one or more other trusts, partnerships, associations, or corporations organized
under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the United States,
or have one or more such trusts, partnerships, associations, or corporations
merged into or transfer a substantial portion of its assets to it, any such
consolidation as are specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization
entered into by the Trust, or one or more Sub-Trusts as the case may be, in
connection therewith. Any such consolidation, merger or transfer shall require
the affirmative vote of the holders of a Majority of the Outstanding Voting
Shares of the Trust (or each Sub-Trust affected thereby, as the case may be),
except that such affirmative vote of the holders of Shares shall not be required
if the Trust (or Sub-Trust affected thereby, as the case may be) shall be the
survivor of such consolidation or merger or transferee of such assets.
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Section 7.3 AMENDMENTS. All rights granted to the Shareholders under
this Amended Declaration of Trust are granted subject to the reservation of the
right to amend this Amended Declaration of Trust as herein provided, except that
no amendment shall repeal the limitations on personal liability of any
Shareholder or Trustee or repeal the prohibition of assessment upon the
Shareholders without the express consent of each Shareholder or Trustee
involved. Subject to the foregoing, the provisions of this Amended Declaration
of Trust (whether or not related to the rights of Shareholders) may be amended
at any time, so long as such amendment does not adversely affect the rights of
any Shareholder with respect to which such amendment is or purports to be
applicable and so long as such amendment is not in contravention of applicable
law, including the 1940 Act, by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of
the then Trustees (or by an officer of the Trust pursuant to the vote of a
majority of such Trustees). Any amendment to this Amended Declaration of Trust
that adversely affects the rights of Shareholders may be adopted at any time by
an instrument in Writing signed by a majority of the then Trustees (or by an
officer of the Trust pursuant to a vote of a majority of such Trustees) when
authorized to do so by the vote in accordance with subsection (e) of Section 4.2
of Shareholders holding a majority of the Shares entitled to vote. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, amendments having the purposes of
changing the name of the Trust or any Sub-Trust or of supplying any omission,
curing or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective or inconsistent
provision contained herein shall not require authorization by Shareholder vote.
Subject to the provisions of this Section 7.3, any amendment shall be effective
as provided in the instrument containing the terms of such amendment or, if
there is no provision therein with respect to effectiveness, upon the execution
of such instrument and of a certificate (which may be a part of such instrument)
executed by a Trustee or officer of the Trust to the effect that such amendment
has been duly adopted.
Section 7.4 FILLING OF COPIES; REFERENCES; HEADINGS. The original or a
copy of this instrument and of each amendment hereto shall be kept at the office
of the Trust where 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 amendments have been made, as to the identities of the Trustees and
officers, 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
amendments. In this instrument and in any such amendment, references to this
instrument, and all expressions like "herein", "hereof", and "hereunder" shall
be deemed to refer to this instrument as a whole as the same may be amended or
affected by any such amendments. The masculine gender shall include the feminine
and neuter genders. 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. This instrument may be executed in
any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an original.
Section 7.5 APPLICABLE LAW. This Amended Declaration of Trust is
created under and is to be governed by the State of Delaware. The Trust shall be
of the type referred to in Section 3801 of the Delaware Business Trust Act and
of the type commonly called a business trust, and without limiting the
provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily
exercised by such a trust.
Section 7.6 REGISTERED AGENT. The Corporation Trust Company is hereby
designated as the initial registered agent for service of process on the Trust
in Delaware. The address of the registered office of the Trust in the State of
Delaware is 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxx of Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00000.
Section 7.7 INTEGRATION. This Amended Declaration of Trust constitutes
the entire agreement among the part hereto pertaining to the subject matter
hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings pertaining
thereto.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned hereunto set their hand and seal in
Fort Worth, Texas for themselves and their assigns, as of the day and year first
above written.
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J. Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xx.
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Xxxxx X. May
The foreg oing instrument was acknowledged before me this 8th day
of February 1994 by J. Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xx. of Fort Worth, Texas and Xxxxx X.
May of Fort Worth, Texas.
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Notary Public
[Notarial Seal]
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My commission expires:
