FORM OF SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT OF TEUCRIUM COMMODITY TRUST Dated as of September __, 2010 By and Between TEUCRIUM TRADING, LLC as Sponsor and WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY as Delaware Trustee
EXHIBIT
3.1
FORM OF
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
DECLARATION
OF TRUST
AND
OF
Dated as
of September __, 2010
By and
Between
TEUCRIUM
TRADING, LLC
as
Sponsor
and
WILMINGTON
TRUST COMPANY
as
Delaware Trustee
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Page
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ARTICLE
I
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DEFINITIONS;
THE TRUST
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1
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Section
1.1 Definitions
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1
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Section
1.2 Name
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6
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Section
1.3 Delaware Trustee; Business Offices
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6
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Section
1.4 Declaration of Trust
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7
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Section
1.5 Purposes and Powers
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7
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Section
1.6 Tax Matters
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7
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Section
1.7 General Liability of Shareholders
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10
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Section
1.8 Legal Title
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10
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Section
1.9 Series Trust
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10
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ARTICLE
II
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THE
TRUSTEE
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10
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Section
2.1 Term; Resignation
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10
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Section
2.2 Powers
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11
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Section
2.3 Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee
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11
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Section
2.4 Indemnification
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11
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Section
2.5 Successor Trustee
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12
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Section
2.6 Liability of Trustee
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12
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Section
2.7 Reliance; Advice of Counsel
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13
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Section
2.8 Payments to the Trustee
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13
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ARTICLE
III
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SHARES;
DEPOSITS
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14
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Section
3.1 General
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14
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Section
3.2 Establishment of Series, or Funds, of the Trust
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15
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Section
3.3 Establishment of Classes and Sub-Classes
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15
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Section
3.4 Offer of Limited Shares
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15
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Section
3.5 Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation
Baskets
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16
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Section
3.6 Book-Entry-Only System, Global Security
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18
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Section
3.7 Assets
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20
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Section
3.8 Liabilities of Funds
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21
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Section
3.9 Voting Rights
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21
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Section
3.10 Equality
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21
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ARTICLE
IV
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THE
SPONSOR
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22
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Section
4.1 Management of the Trust
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22
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Section
4.2 Authority of Sponsor
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22
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Section
4.3 Obligations of the Sponsor
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23
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Section
4.4 General Prohibitions
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24
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Section
4.5 Liability of Covered Persons
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24
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Section
4.6 Fiduciary Duty
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25
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i
Section
4.7 Indemnification of the Sponsor
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26
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Section
4.8 Expenses and Limitations Thereon
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27
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Section
4.9 Compensation to the Sponsor
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28
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Section
4.10 Other Business of Shareholders
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28
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Section
4.11 Withdrawal of the Sponsor
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28
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Section
4.12 Authorization of Registration Statements
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29
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Section
4.13 Litigation
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29
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ARTICLE
V
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TRANSFERS
OF SHARES
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29
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Section
5.1 Transfer of Limited Shares
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29
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Section
5.2 Transfer of Sponsor’s Shares
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29
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ARTICLE
VI
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CAPITAL
ACCOUNTS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND ALLOCATIONS
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30
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Section
6.1 Capital Accounts
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30
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Section
6.2 Allocations for Capital Account Purposes
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31
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Section
6.3 Allocations for Tax Purposes.
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32
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Section
6.4 Tax Conventions
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32
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Section
6.5 No Interest on Capital Account
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33
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Section
6.6 Valuation
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33
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Section
6.7 Distributions
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33
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ARTICLE
VII
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REDEMPTIONS
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34
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Section
7.1 Redemption of Redemption Baskets
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34
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Section
7.2 Other Redemption Procedures
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36
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ARTICLE
VIII
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LIMITED
SHAREHOLDERS
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36
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Section
8.1 No Management or Control; Limited Liability; Exercise of Rights
through DTC
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36
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Section
8.2 Rights and Duties
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36
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Section
8.3 Limitation on Liability
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37
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Section
8.4 Derivative Actions
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38
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ARTICLE
IX
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BOOKS
OF ACCOUNT AND REPORTS
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38
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Section
9.1 Books of Account
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38
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Section
9.2 Reports to Shareholders
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39
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Section
9.3 Calculation of Net Asset Value
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39
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Section
9.4 Maintenance of Records
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39
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Section
9.5 Certificate of Trust
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39
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ARTICLE
X
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FISCAL
YEAR
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39
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Section
10.1 Fiscal Year
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39
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ii
ARTICLE
XI
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AMENDMENT
OF TRUST AGREEMENT; MEETINGS
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40
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Section
11.1 Amendments to the Trust Agreement
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40
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Section
11.2 Meetings of the Trust or the Funds
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40
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Section
11.3 Action Without a Meeting
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41
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ARTICLE
XII
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TERM
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41
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Section
12.1 Term
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41
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ARTICLE
XIII
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TERMINATION
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41
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Section
13.1 Events Requiring Dissolution of the Trust or any Fund
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41
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Section
13.2 Distributions on Dissolution
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42
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Section
13.3 Termination; Certificate of Cancellation
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43
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ARTICLE
XIV
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MERGER,
CONSOLIDATION, INCORPORATION
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43
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Section
14.1 Merger, Consolidation
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43
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Section
14.1 Changes to Trust Agreement
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43
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Section
14.3 Successor Trusts
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44
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ARTICLE
XV
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POWER
OF ATTORNEY
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44
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Section
15.1 Power of Attorney Executed Concurrently
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44
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Section
15.2 Effect of Power of Attorney
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44
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Section
15.3 Limitation on Power of Attorney
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45
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ARTICLE
XVI
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MISCELLANEOUS
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45
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Section
16.1 Governing Law
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45
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Section
16.2 Provisions In Conflict With Law or Regulations
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46
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Section
16.3 Construction
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46
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Section
16.4 Notices
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46
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Section
16.5 Counterparts
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46
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Section
16.6 Binding Nature of Trust Agreement
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47
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Section
16.7 No Legal Title to Trust Estate
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47
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Section
16.8 Creditors
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47
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Section
16.9 Integration
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47
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Section
16.10 Goodwill; Use of Name
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47
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EXHIBIT
A
|
Form
of Global Certificate
|
A-1
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EXHIBIT
B
|
Form
of Participant Agreement
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B-1
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iii
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST
AND
TRUST AGREEMENT
This
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT of TEUCRIUM
COMMODITY TRUST (the “Trust”) is made and
entered into as of the 31st day of
March, 2010, by and between Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company, as Sponsor, and Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking
corporation, as Delaware trustee.
WHEREAS,
the Sponsor formed the Trust on September 11, 2009 as a statutory trust
organized in series, pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act;
WHEREAS,
the Sponsor and the Trustee were parties to a Declaration of Trust and Trust
Agreement of the Trust dated September 11, 2009 (the “Initial Trust
Agreement”), and are parties to an Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust and Trust Agreement dated March 31, 2010, as amended by an instrument
dated June 16, 2010 establishing and designating additional series of the Trust
pursuant to Section 3.2(b) of such Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and
Trust Agreement (together, the “First Amended Trust
Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
the Sponsor and the Trustee desire to amend and restate the First Amended Trust
Agreement to revise and/or clarify certain terms and conditions upon which the
Trust is administered, as hereinafter provided.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein
and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, each party hereby agrees as follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS;
THE TRUST
Section
1.1 Definitions. As
used in this Trust Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings unless the context otherwise requires:
“Adjusted Property”
means any property the book value of which has been adjusted as provided by
Section 6.1(d).
“Administrator” means
any Person from time to time engaged to provide administrative services to the
Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.
“Affiliate” of a
Person means (i) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or
holding with power to vote 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of
such Person, (ii) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting securities
are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote by such
Person, (iii) any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or
under common control of such Person, (iv) any employee, officer, director,
member, manager or partner of such Person, or (v) if such Person is an employee,
officer, director, member, manager or partner, any Person for which such Person
acts in any such capacity.
1
“Basket” means a
Creation Basket or a Redemption Basket, as the context may require.
“Book-Tax Disparity”
means, with respect to any property held by a Fund, as of any date of
determination, the difference between the book value of such property (as
initially determined under Section 6.4(b)(ii) in the case of contributed
property, and as adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 6.1(d))
and the adjusted basis thereof for United States federal income tax purposes, as
of such date of determination.
“Business Day” means
any day other than a day when the Exchange or the applicable Fund’s Futures
Exchange is closed for regular trading or the Federal Reserve wire transfer
system is closed for cash wire transfers.
“Capital Account”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(a).
“Capital Contribution”
means, with respect to any Shareholder of a Fund, the amount of money and the
fair market value of any property (other than money) contributed to the Fund by
such Shareholder.
“CE Act” means the
Commodity Exchange Act, as amended.
“Certificate of Trust”
means that certain Certificate of Trust of the Trust filed with the Secretary of
State of the State of Delaware on September 11, 2009, as may be amended from
time to time, pursuant to Section 3810 of the Delaware Trust
Statute.
“CFTC” means the
United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent agency with
the mandate to regulate commodity futures and options in the United
States.
“Code” means the
United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Commodity” means a
traded physical commodity.
“Commodity Contract”
means a contract for the purchase or sale of a Commodity or any other contract
whose value is determined by reference to the value of a Commodity, one or more
Commodities, including a Commodity-based forward contract, futures contract,
swap or option.
“Covered Person” means
the Trustee, the Sponsor and their respective Affiliates.
“Creation Basket”
means a basket of 100,000 Limited Shares of a Fund, or such greater or lesser
number of Limited Shares as the Sponsor may determine from time to time for each
Fund.
“Creation Basket
Deposit” of a Fund means the Deposit made by a Participant in connection
with a Purchase Order and the creation of a Creation Basket in an amount equal
to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the number of Creation Baskets set
forth in the relevant Purchase Order by (ii) the Net Asset Value Per Basket of a
Fund calculated on the Purchase Order Date.
2
“Delaware Trust
Statute” means the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, Chapter 38 of Title 12
of the Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. § 3801 et seq., as the same may be
amended from time to time.
“Deliver,” “Delivered” or “Delivery”
means, when used with respect to Shares, either (A) one or more
book-entry transfers of such Shares to an account or accounts at the Depository
designated by the Person entitled to such delivery for further credit as
specified by such Person or (B) if the Depository ceases to make its
book-entry settlement system available for the Shares, execution and delivery at
the Trust’s principal office of one or more certificates evidencing those
Shares.
“Deposit” means the
amount of cash or other property contributed or agreed to be contributed to the
Trust by any Participant or by the Sponsor, as applicable, in accordance with
Article III hereof.
“Depository” means The
Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, or such other depository of
Limited Shares as may be selected by the Sponsor as specified
herein.
“Depository Agreement”
means the Letter of Representations relating to each Fund from the Sponsor to
the Depository pursuant to which the Depository will act as securities
depository for Limited Shares of each Fund, as the same may be amended or
supplemented from time to time.
“Distributor” means
ALPS Distributors, Inc. or any Person from time to time engaged to provide
distribution services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority
delegated by the Sponsor.
“DTC” shall have the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.6(b).
“DTC Participants”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.6(c).
“Event of Withdrawal”
means the filing of a certificate of dissolution or cancellation of the Sponsor,
the revocation of the Sponsor’s charter (and the expiration of 90 days after the
date of notice to the Sponsor of revocation without a reinstatement of its
charter), or the provision of written notice by the Sponsor of its withdrawal as
Sponsor in accordance with Section 4.11(a) of this Trust Agreement.
“Exchange” means NYSE
Arca, Inc. or, if the Limited Shares of any Fund shall cease to be listed on
such exchange and are listed on one or more other exchanges, the exchange on
which the Shares of such Fund are principally traded, as determined by the
Sponsor.
“Fiscal Year” shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Article X hereof.
“Fund” means a Fund
established and designated as a series of the Trust as provided in
Section 3.2(a).
3
“Futures Exchange”
means the contract market or derivative transaction execution facility on
which futures
contracts relating to the Commodity that is a Fund’s principal investment focus
are principally traded.
“Global Security”
means the global certificate or certificates for each Fund issued to the
Depository as provided in the Depository Agreement, each of which shall be in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
“Indirect
Participants” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.6
(c).
“Internal Revenue
Service” or “IRS” means the United
States Internal Revenue Service or any successor thereto.
“Liquidating Trustee”
shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.2.
“Limited Shares” means
Shares other than Sponsor’s Shares.
“Limited Shareholders”
means Shareholders of Limited Shares.
“Net Asset Value” at
any time means the total assets in the Trust Estate of a Fund including, but not
limited to, all cash and cash equivalents, other debt securities or other
property, less total expenses and liabilities of such Fund, each determined on
the basis of generally accepted accounting principles in the United States,
consistently applied under the accrual method of accounting. The
amount of any distribution made pursuant to Article VI hereof shall be a
liability of such Fund from the day when the distribution is declared until it
is paid.
“Net Asset Value Per
Basket” means the product obtained by multiplying the Net Asset Value Per
Share of a Fund by the number of Shares comprising a Basket at such
time.
“Net Asset Value Per
Share” means the Net Asset Value of a Fund divided by the number of
Shares of a Fund outstanding on the date of calculation.
“NFA” means the
National Futures Association.
“Order Cut-Off Time”
means such time as disclosed in the Prospectus by which orders for creation or
redemption of Baskets must be placed.
“Organization and Offering
Expenses” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section
4.8(a)(ii).
“Participant” means a
Person that is a DTC Participant (as defined in Section 3.6(c)) and has entered
into a Participant Agreement that, at the relevant time, is in full force and
effect.
“Participant
Agreement” means an agreement between the Sponsor (on behalf of Trust)
and a Participant, and accepted by the Distributor, substantially in the form of
Exhibit B hereto, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time in
accordance with its terms.
4
“Percentage Interest”
means, as to each Shareholder, the portion (expressed as a percentage) of the
total outstanding Shares held by such Shareholder.
“Person” means any
natural person, or any partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate,
corporation, association or other legal entity, in its own or any representative
capacity.
“Prospectus” means the
final prospectus and disclosure document of the Trust, constituting a part of
the Registration Statement filed with the SEC and declared effective thereby, as
such prospectus may at any time and from time to time be
supplemented.
“Purchase Order” shall
have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.5(a)(i).
“Purchase Order Date”
shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.5(a)(i).
“Reconstituted Trust”
shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.1(a).
“Redemption Basket”
means the minimum number of Limited Shares of a Fund that may be redeemed
pursuant to Section 7.1, which shall be the number of Limited Shares of such
Fund constituting a Creation Basket on the relevant Redemption Order
Date.
“Redemption
Distribution” means the cash or the combination of United States Treasury
securities, cash and/or cash equivalents or other securities or property to be
delivered in satisfaction of a redemption of a Redemption Basket as specified in
Section 7.1(c).
“Redemption Order”
shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 7.1(a).
“Redemption Order
Date” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section
7.1(b).
“Redemption Settlement
Date” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section
7.1(d).
“Registration
Statement” means a registration statement filed with the SEC on Form S-1
or any successor form or any other SEC registration statement form that the
Trust may be permitted to use, as any such form may be amended from time to
time, pursuant to which the Trust registered Limited Shares, as such
Registration Statement may at any time and from time to time be
amended.
“SEC” means the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Shareholder” means,
with respect to any Share, the Person who owns the ultimate economic beneficial
interest in such Share and does not hold the Share as a mere nominee or
custodian for another Person.
“Shares” means the
units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of a
Fund.
“Sponsor” means
Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company which is registered
as a Commodity Pool Operator and controls the investments and other decisions of
the Funds, and any successor thereto or any substitute therefore as provided
herein.
5
“Sponsor’s Shares”
means the shares issued by a Fund to the Sponsor pursuant to Section 1.4,
evidencing the Sponsor’s beneficial interests in the net assets of such
Fund.
“Suspended Redemption
Order” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section
7.1(d).
“Tax Matters Partner”
means the Sponsor or any successor in its capacity as the “tax matters partner”
designated to represent a Fund in certain federal income tax matters pursuant to
subchapter C of chapter 63 of the Code or under any comparable provisions of
state or local law.
“Transaction Fee”
shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.5(d).
“Trust” means Teucrium Commodity
Trust, the Delaware statutory trust formed pursuant to the Certificate of Trust,
the business and affairs of which are governed by this Trust
Agreement.
“Trust Agreement”
means this Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement,
including the instrument dated June 16, 2010 establishing and designating
additional series of the Trust, as the same may at any time or from time to time
be amended.
“Trustee” means
Wilmington Trust Company, or any successor thereto as provided herein, acting
not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee of the Trust.
“Trust Estate” means,
with respect to a Fund, all property and cash held by such Fund.
“Unrealized Gain”
attributable to any property of a Fund means, as of any date of determination,
the excess, if any, of the fair market value of such property as of such date of
determination over the adjusted basis of such property (as determined for
purposes of Section 6.1(d)) as of such date of determination.
“Unrealized Loss”
attributable to any property of a Fund means, as of any date of determination,
the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of such property (as determined for
purposes of Section 6.1(d)) as of such date of determination over the fair
market value of such property as of such date of
determination.
Section
1.2 Name. The name of
the Trust shall be “Teucrium Commodity Trust” in which name the Trustee and the
Sponsor may engage in the business of the Trust, make and execute contracts and
other instruments on behalf of the Trust and xxx and be sued on behalf of the
Trust.
Section
1.3 Delaware Trustee; Business
Offices.
(a) The
sole Trustee of the Trust is Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking
corporation, with its principal place of business in the State of Delaware,
which is located at 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000 or
at such other address in the State of Delaware as the Trustee may designate in
writing to the Sponsor. The Trustee shall receive service of process
on the Trust in the State of Delaware at the foregoing address. In
the event Wilmington Trust Company resigns or is removed as the Trustee, another
Person in the State of Delaware shall be the successor Trustee.
6
(b) The
principal office of the Trust, and such additional offices as the Sponsor may
establish, shall be located at such place or places inside or outside the State
of Delaware as the Sponsor may designate from time to time in writing to the
Trustee and the Shareholders. Initially, the principal office of the
Trust shall be at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000.
Section
1.4 Declaration of
Trust. The Trustee hereby acknowledges that pursuant to the
Initial Trust Agreement the Trust has received from the Sponsor the sum of $100
(100 U.S. dollars), which amount shall constitute consideration for the
Sponsor’s Shares in the Fund designated in Section 3.2 hereof, which sum is held
in a bank account in the name of such Fund. The Sponsor agrees that
upon the creation of any additional Fund pursuant to this Trust Agreement it
will pay an appropriate amount to the Trustee as consideration for its Shares in
such Fund. The Trustee declares that it holds and will hold the Trust
Estate of each Fund so established, as Trustee, for the benefit of the Fund’s
Shareholders for the purposes of, and subject to the terms and conditions set
forth in, this Agreement; provided that, at any time, the Sponsor may direct
that all or a portion of the Trust Estate of each Fund be held by a custodian of
behalf of the Trust. It is the intention of the Parties hereto to
create a statutory trust under the Delaware Trust Statute, organized in series
or Funds, and that this Trust Agreement shall constitute the governing
instrument of the Trust. Nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be
construed to make the Shareholders of any Fund members of a limited liability
company, joint stock association, corporation or, except for tax purposes as
provided in Section 1.6, partners in a partnership. Effective as of
the date hereof, the Trustee and the Sponsor shall have all of the rights,
powers and duties set forth herein and, to the extent not inconsistent with this
Trust Agreement, in the Delaware Trust Statute with respect to accomplishing the
purposes of the Trust. The Trustee has filed the Certificate of Trust
required by Section 3810 of the Delaware Trust Statute in connection with the
formation of the Trust under the Delaware Trust Statute.
Section
1.5 Purposes and
Powers. The purpose and powers of the Trust and each Fund
shall be: (a) to implement the investment strategy of each Fund as
contemplated by the Prospectus; (b) to enter into any lawful transaction
and engage in any lawful activity in furtherance of or incidental to the
foregoing purposes; and (c) as determined from time to time by the Sponsor, to
engage in any other lawful business or activity for which a statutory trust may
be organized under the Delaware Trust Statute. The Trust shall have
all of the powers specified in this Section 1.5 hereof, including, without
limitation, all of the powers which may be exercised by a Trustee or Sponsor on
behalf of the Trust under this Trust Agreement.
Section
1.6 Tax
Matters.
(a) The Sponsor, and each Limited
Shareholder by virtue of its purchase of Shares in a Fund, (i) express their
intent that the Shares of such Fund qualify under applicable tax law as
interests in a partnership, and (ii) agree to file U.S. federal, state and local
income, franchise and other tax returns in a manner that is consistent with the
treatment of such Fund as a partnership in which each of the Shareholders
thereof is a partner. The Tax Matters Partner or the Shareholders (as
appropriate) will make or refrain from making any tax elections to the extent
necessary to obtain treatment consistent with the foregoing. The
Sponsor shall not be liable to any Person for the failure of any Fund to qualify
as a partnership under the Code or any comparable provision of the laws of any
State or other jurisdiction where such treatment is sought.
7
(b) The Sponsor shall obtain a separate
federal taxpayer identification number for each Fund prior to the commencement
of the Fund’s operations. The Sponsor, at its expense, shall prepare
or cause to be prepared all federal, state, and local tax returns of a Fund for
each year for which such returns are required to be filed and shall timely file
or cause to be timely filed such returns and timely pay or cause to be timely
paid, out of the Trust Estate of such Fund, any taxes, assessments or other
governmental charges owing with respect to the Fund. The Trustee and
the Administrator shall promptly notify the Sponsor if it becomes aware that any
tax, assessment or other governmental charge is due or claimed to be due with
respect to a Fund. The Sponsor shall deliver or cause to be delivered
to each Limited Shareholder of a Fund and the broker or nominee through which a
Limited Shareholder owns its Shares an IRS Schedule K-1 and such other
information, if any, with respect to the Fund as may be necessary for the
preparation of the federal income tax or information returns of such Limited
Shareholder, including a statement showing the Limited Shareholder’s share of
the Fund’s items of income, gain, loss, expense, deduction and credit for the
Fiscal Year for federal income tax purposes, as soon as practicable after the
last day of the Fiscal Year but not later than March 15 of the following
year.
(c)
Except as provided herein, the Tax Matters Partner may, in its sole discretion,
cause a Fund to make, or refrain from making, any tax elections that the Tax
Matters Partner reasonably deems necessary or advisable, including, but not
limited to, an election pursuant to Section 754 of the Code.
(d) Each
Limited Shareholder of a Share in a Fund, by its acceptance or acquisition of a
beneficial interest therein, agrees to furnish the Sponsor with such
representations, forms, documents or other information as may be necessary to
enable such Fund to comply with its U.S. federal income tax reporting
obligations in respect of such Share, including an Internal Revenue Service Form
W-9 (or the substantial equivalent thereof) in the case of a Limited Shareholder
that is a United States person within the meaning of the Code or an Internal
Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or other applicable form in the case of a Limited
Shareholder that is not a United States person. The Fund shall file
any required forms with applicable jurisdictions and, unless an exemption from
withholding and backup withholding tax is properly established by a Limited
Shareholder, shall remit amounts withheld with respect to the Limited
Shareholder to the applicable tax authorities. To the extent that the
Sponsor reasonably believes that the Fund is required to withhold and pay over
any amounts (including taxes, interest, penalties, assessments or additions to
tax) to any tax authority with respect to distributions or allocations to any
Limited Shareholder, the Fund may withhold such amounts and treat the amounts
withheld as distributions of cash to the Limited Shareholder in the amount of
the withholding and reduce the amount of cash or other property otherwise
distributable to such Limited Shareholder. If an amount required to
be withheld was not withheld, the Fund may reduce subsequent distributions to
such Limited Shareholder by the amount of such required
withholding. In the event of any claimed over-withholding, Limited
Shareholders shall be limited to an action against the applicable
jurisdiction.
8
(e) By
its acceptance of a beneficial interest in a Share, a Limited Shareholder waives
all confidentiality rights, including all confidentiality rights provided by
Section 3406(f) of the Code and Treasury Regulations
section 31.3406(f)-1, with respect to any representations, forms, documents
or information, and any information contained in such representations, forms or
documents, that the Shareholder provides, or has previously provided, to any
broker or nominee through which it owns its Shares, to the extent such
representations, forms, documents or information may be necessary to enable the
Fund to comply with its withholding tax and backup withholding tax and
information reporting obligations or to satisfy any other legal requirements
with respect to the Shares. Furthermore, the parties hereto, and by
its acceptance or acquisition of a beneficial interest in a Share, a Limited
Shareholder, acknowledge and agree that any broker or nominee through which a
Limited Shareholder holds its Shares shall be a third party beneficiary to this
Trust Agreement for the purposes set forth in this Section 1.6.
(f) The
Sponsor is specifically authorized to act as the “Tax Matters Partner” under the
Code for each Fund and in any similar capacity under state or local
law. The Tax Matters Partner shall have the authority without any
further consent of Fund Shareholders being required (except as specifically
required herein) to make any and all elections for federal, state, local, and
foreign tax purposes including any election, if permitted by applicable
law: (i) to make the election provided for in Code Section
6231(a)(1)(B)(ii), (ii) to adjust the basis of the Fund’s assets pursuant to
Code Sections 754, 734(b) and 743(b) or comparable provisions of state, local,
or foreign law, in connection with transfers of Shares and distributions; (iii)
to extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against
the Shareholders with respect to adjustments to the Fund’s federal, state,
local, or foreign tax returns; and (iv) to the extent provided in Code Sections
6221 through 6231 and similar provisions of federal, state, local, or foreign
law, to represent the Fund and its Shareholders before taxing authorities or
courts of competent jurisdiction in tax matters affecting the Fund or the
Shareholders in their capacities as Shareholders and to file any tax returns and
execute any agreements or other documents relating to or affecting such tax
matters, including agreements or other documents that bind the Shareholders with
respect to such tax matters or otherwise affect the rights of the Fund and its
Shareholders.
(g) By
its acceptance of a beneficial interest in a Share of a Fund, a Limited
Shareholder agrees to the designation of the Sponsor as the initial Tax Matters
Partner of the Fund. Each Shareholder agrees to take any further
action as may be required by regulation or otherwise to effectuate such
designation. The Tax Matters Partner of a Fund shall be authorized to
exercise all rights and responsibilities conferred upon a Tax Matters Partner
under Sections 6221-6234 of the Code with respect to such Fund, including,
without limitation: (i) handling all audits and other administrative proceedings
conducting by the IRS with respect to the Fund; (ii) extending the statute of
limitations with respect to the Fund’s partnership tax returns; (iii) entering
into a settlement with the IRS with respect to the Fund’s partnership items on
behalf of those Limited Owners having less than a 1% interest in the Fund; and
(iv) filing a petition or complaint with an appropriate U.S. federal court for
review of a final partnership administrative adjustment.
(h) The
Sponsor shall maintain all books, records and supporting documents that are
necessary to comply with any and all aspects of its duties under this Trust
Agreement.
9
Section
1.7 General Liability of
Shareholders. Subject to Sections 8.1 and 8.3 hereof, no
Shareholder, other than the Sponsor to the extent set forth above, shall have
any personal liability for any liability or obligation of the Trust or any
Fund.
Section
1.8 Legal
Title. Legal title to all of the Trust Estate of each Fund
shall be vested in the Trust as a separate legal entity; provided, however, that
where applicable law in any jurisdiction requires any part of the Trust Estate
to be vested otherwise, the Sponsor may cause legal title to the Trust Estate or
any portion thereof to be held by or in the name of the Sponsor or any other
Person (other than a Limited Shareholder) as nominee.
Section
1.9 Series
Trust. The Trust is a series trust pursuant to Sections
3804(a) and 3806(b)(2) of the Delaware Trust Statute. The Shares of
the Trust shall be divided into series, each a Fund, as provided in
Section 3806(b)(2) of the Delaware Trust Statute. Separate and
distinct records shall be maintained for each Fund and the assets associated
with a Fund shall be held in such separate and distinct records (directly or
indirectly, including a nominee or otherwise) and accounted for in such separate
and distinct records separately from the assets of any other
Fund. The use of the terms “Trust”, “Fund” or “series” in this Trust
Agreement shall in no event alter the intent of the parties hereto that the
Trust and each Fund receive the full benefit of the limitation on inter-series
liability as set forth in Section 3804 of the Delaware Trust
Statute.
ARTICLE
II
THE
TRUSTEE
Section
2.1 Term;
Resignation.
(a) The
Trust shall have only one trustee unless otherwise determined by the
Sponsor. Wilmington Trust Company has been appointed and hereby
agrees to serve as the Trustee of the Trust. The Sponsor is entitled to appoint
additional Trustees and remove any Trustee without cause and appoint a successor
Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof at any time. The Trustee
is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware for
the purpose of satisfying the requirement of Section 3807(a) of the Delaware
Trust Statute that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of
business in Delaware. It is understood and agreed by the parties
hereto that the Trustee shall have none of the duties or liabilities of the
Sponsor and shall have no obligation to supervise or monitor the Sponsor or
otherwise manage the Trust.
(b) Any
Trustee of the Trust, including the current Trustee, may resign upon 60 days’
prior written notice to the Sponsor and the other Trustee(s), if any; provided, that such
resignation shall not become effective unless and until a successor Trustee
shall have been appointed by the Sponsor in accordance with Section
2.5. If the Sponsor does not appoint a successor trustee within such
60 day period, the Trustee may, at the expense of the Trust, petition a court to
appoint a successor trustee. Any person into which the Trustee may be
merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any person resulting from any
merger or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any person
which succeeds to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of
the Trustee, shall be the successor Trustee under this Declaration without the
execution, delivery or filing of any paper or instrument or further act to be
done on the part of the parties hereto, except as may be required by applicable
law.
10
Section
2.2 Powers. Except to
the extent expressly set forth in Section 1.3(a) and this Article II, the duty
and authority to manage the business and affairs of the Trust is hereby vested
in the Sponsor, which duty and authority the Sponsor may delegate as provided
herein, all pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Trust
Statute. The duties of the Trustee shall be limited to (i) accepting
legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware, (ii) the
execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware which the Trustee is required to execute under
Section 3811 of the Delaware Trust Statute, and (iii) any other duties
specifically allocated to the Trustee in the Trust Agreement. The
Trustee shall provide prompt notice to the Sponsor of its performance of any of
the foregoing. The Trustee shall not have any implied rights, duties,
obligations and liabilities with respect to the business and affairs of the
Trust or any Fund. The Sponsor shall reasonably keep the Trustee
informed of any actions taken by the Sponsor with respect to the Trust that
would reasonably be expected to affect the rights, obligations or liabilities of
the Trustee hereunder or under the Delaware Trust Statute.
Section
2.3 Compensation and Expenses
of the Trustee. The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Sponsor
or an Affiliate of the Sponsor (including the Trust) reasonable compensation for
its services hereunder as set forth in a separate fee agreement and shall be
entitled to be reimbursed by the Sponsor or an Affiliate of the Sponsor
(including the Trust) for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it in
the performance of its duties hereunder, including without limitation, the
reasonable compensation, out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements of counsel and
such other agents as the Trustee may employ in connection with the exercise and
performance of its rights and duties hereunder.
Section
2.4 Indemnification.
Each of the Sponsor and the Trust shall, whether or not any of the transactions
contemplated hereby shall be consummated, assume liability for, and does hereby
indemnify, protect, save and keep harmless, the Trustee (in its capacity as
Trustee and individually) and its successors, assigns, legal representatives,
officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and servants (the “Indemnified Parties”)
from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages,
penalties, taxes (excluding any taxes payable by the Trustee on or measured by
any compensation received by the Trustee for its services hereunder or any
indemnity payments received by the Trustee pursuant to this Section), claims,
actions, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements (including reasonable legal
fees and expenses) of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), which may
be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Indemnified Parties in any
way relating to or arising out of the formation, operation or termination of the
Trust, the execution, delivery and performance of any other agreements to which
the Trust is a party or the action or inaction of the Trustee hereunder or
thereunder, except for Expenses resulting from the gross negligence or willful
misconduct of any of the Indemnified Parties. The indemnities
contained in this Section 2.4 shall survive the termination of this Trust
Agreement, the termination of the Trust or the removal or resignation of the
Trustee.
11
Section
2.5 Successor Trustee.
Upon the resignation or removal of the Trustee, the Sponsor shall appoint a
successor Trustee by delivering a written instrument to the outgoing
Trustee. Any successor Trustee must satisfy the requirements of
Section 3807(a) of the Delaware Trust Statute. Any resignation or
removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall not become
effective until a written acceptance of appointment is delivered by the
successor Trustee to the outgoing Trustee and the Sponsor and any fees and
expenses due to the outgoing Trustee are paid. Following compliance
with the preceding sentence, the successor Trustee shall become fully vested
with all of the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee
under this Trust Agreement, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee,
and the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and obligations under
this Trust Agreement.
Section
2.6 Liability of
Trustee. Except as otherwise provided in this Article II, the Trustee
acts solely as trustee hereunder and not in its individual capacity, and all
Persons having any claim against the Trustee by reason of the transactions
contemplated by this Trust Agreement and any other agreement to which the Trust
or any Fund is a party shall look only to the appropriate Fund’s Trust Estate
for payment or satisfaction thereof; provided, however, that in no event is the
foregoing intended to affect or limit the liability of the Sponsor as set forth
in Section 1.7 hereof. The Trustee shall not be liable or accountable
hereunder to the Trust or to any other Person or under any other agreement to
which the Trust or any Fund is a party, except that the Trustee shall be liable
to the Trust and the Shareholders for the Trustee’s own gross negligence or
willful misconduct. In particular, but not by way of
limitation:
(a) The
Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for the validity or
sufficiency of this Trust Agreement, any agreement contemplated hereunder, or
for the form, character, genuineness, sufficiency, value or validity of any
Trust Estate or any Shares;
(b) The
Trustee shall not be liable for any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it
in good faith in accordance with the instructions of the Sponsor or the
Liquidating Trustee;
(c) The
Trustee shall not have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor or
its delegatees, any Limited Shareholder, the Liquidating Trustee, or any other
Person;
(d) The
Trustee shall not have any duty or obligation to supervise or monitor the
performance of, or compliance with this Trust Agreement by, the Sponsor or its
delegatees or any Participant;
(e) No
provision of this Trust Agreement shall require the Trustee to expend or risk
its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of
any of its rights or powers hereunder if the Trustee shall have reasonable
grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against
such risk or liability is not reasonably assured or provided to it;
(f) Under
no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable for indebtedness evidenced by or
other obligations of the Trust or any Fund arising under this Trust Agreement or
any other agreements to which the Trust or any Fund is a party;
and
12
(g)
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Trustee shall not
be required to take any action in any jurisdiction other than in the State of
Delaware if the taking of such action will (i) require the consent or approval
or authorization or order of or the giving of notice to, or the registration
with or taking of any action in respect of, any state or other governmental
authority or agency of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware, (ii)
result in any fee, tax or other governmental charge under the laws of any
jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof in existence as of the date
hereof other than the State of Delaware becoming payable by the Trustee or (iii)
subject the Trustee to personal jurisdiction, other than in the State of
Delaware, for causes of action arising from personal acts unrelated to the
consummation of the transactions by the Trustee, as the case may be,
contemplated hereby.
Section
2.7 Reliance; Advice of
Counsel.
(a) The
Trustee is authorized to take such action or refrain from taking such action
under this Trust Agreement as it may be directed in writing by or on behalf of
the Sponsor or an Affiliate of the Sponsor from time to time; provided, however, that the
Trustee shall not be required to take or refrain from taking any such action if
it shall have determined, or shall have been advised by counsel, that such
performance is likely to involve the Trustee in personal liability or is
contrary to the terms of this Trust Agreement or of any document contemplated
hereby to which the Trust or the Trustee is a party or is otherwise contrary to
law. If at any time the Trustee determines that it requires or
desires guidance regarding the application of any provision of this Trust
Agreement or any other document, or regarding compliance with any direction
received by it hereunder, then the Trustee may deliver a notice to the Sponsor
requesting written instructions as to the course of action desired by the
Sponsor, and such instructions by or on behalf of the Sponsor shall constitute
full and complete authorization and protection for actions taken and other
performance by the Trustee in reliance thereon. Until the Trustee has
received such instructions after delivering such notice, it may refrain from
taking any action with respect to the matters described in such
notice.
(b) The
Trustee shall incur no liability to anyone in acting upon any document
reasonably believed by it to be genuine and reasonably believed by it to be
signed by the proper party or parties. The Trustee may accept a
certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors or other governing body
of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly
adopted by such body and that the same is in full force and
effect. As to any fact or matter the manner of ascertainment of which
is not specifically prescribed herein, the Trustee may for all purposes hereof
rely on a certificate, signed by the Sponsor, as to such fact or matter, and
such certificate shall constitute full protection to the Trustee for any action
taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in reliance
thereon.
(c) In
the exercise or administration of the Trust hereunder and in the performance of
its duties and obligations under this Trust Agreement, the Trustee (i) may act
directly or, at the expense of the Trust, through
agents or attorneys, and the Trustee shall not be liable for the default or
misconduct of such agents or attorneys if such agents or attorneys shall have
been selected by the Trustee with reasonable care, and (ii) may, at the expense
of the Trust, consult with counsel, accountants and other experts selected by
the Trustee with reasonable care. The Trustee shall not be liable for
anything done, suffered or omitted in good faith by it in accordance with the
advice or opinion of any such counsel, accountants or other
experts.
Section
2.8 Payments to the
Trustee. Any amounts paid to the Trustee pursuant to this
Article shall be deemed not to be a part of any Fund’s Trust Estate immediately
after such payment. Any amounts owing to the Trustee under this Trust
Agreement shall constitute a claim against the applicable Fund’s Trust
Estate.
13
ARTICLE
III
SHARES;
DEPOSITS
Section
3.1 General.
(a) The
Sponsor shall have the power and authority, without Limited Shareholder
approval, to establish and designate one or more series, or Funds, and to issue
Shares thereof, from time to time as set forth in Section 3.2, as it deems
necessary or desirable. Each Fund shall be separate from all other
Funds created as series of the Trust in respect of the assets and liabilities
allocated to that Fund and shall represent a separate investment portfolio of
the Trust. The Sponsor shall have exclusive power to fix and
determine the relative rights and preferences as between the Shares of the Funds
as to right of redemption, special and relative rights as to dividends and other
distributions and on liquidation, conversion rights, and conditions under which
the Funds shall have separate voting rights or no voting rights.
(b) The
Sponsor may, without Limited Shareholder approval, divide or subdivide Shares of
any Fund into two or more classes or subclasses, Shares of each such class or
subclass having such preferences and special or relative rights and privileges
as the Sponsor may determine as provided in Section 3.3. The fact
that a Fund shall have been initially established and designated without any
specific establishment or designation of classes or subclasses shall not limit
the authority of the Sponsor to divide a Fund and establish and designate
separate classes or subclasses thereof.
(c) The
number of Shares authorized shall be unlimited, and the Shares so authorized may
be represented in part by fractional Shares, calculated to four decimal
places. From time to time, the Sponsor may divide or combine the
Shares of any Fund or class into a greater or lesser number without thereby
changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the Fund or class
thereof. The Sponsor may issue Shares of any Fund or class thereof
for such consideration and on such terms as it may determine (or for no
consideration if pursuant to a Share dividend or split-up), all without action
or approval of the Limited Shareholders. All Shares when so issued on
the terms determined by the Sponsor shall be fully paid and
non-assessable. The Sponsor may classify or reclassify any unissued
Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any Fund or class
thereof into one or more series or classes thereof that may be established and
designated from time to time. The Sponsor may hold as treasury
Shares, reissue for such consideration and on such terms as it may determine, or
cancel, at its discretion from time to time, any Shares of any Fund or class
thereof reacquired by the Trust. Unless otherwise determined by the
Sponsor, treasury Shares shall not be deemed cancelled.
(d) The
Shares of each Fund shall initially be divided into two classes: Sponsor’s
Shares and Limited Shares.
(e) No
certificates or other evidence of beneficial ownership of the Shares will be
issued.
14
(f) Every
Shareholder, by virtue of having purchased or otherwise acquired a Share, shall
be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed to be bound by the terms of
this Trust Agreement.
Section
3.2 Establishment of Series,
or Funds, of the Trust.
(a)
Without limiting the authority of the Sponsor set forth in Section 3.2(b) to
establish and designate any further series, the Sponsor hereby establishes and
designates one initial series, or Fund, as follows:
Teucrium
Corn Fund
The
provisions of this Article III shall be applicable to the above-designated Fund
and any further Fund that may from time to time be established and designated by
the Sponsor as provided in Section 3.2(b); provided, however, that such
provisions may be amended, varied or abrogated by the Sponsor with respect to
any Fund created after the initial formation of the Trust in the written
instrument creating such additional Fund.
(b) The
establishment and designation of any series, or Funds, other than those set
forth above shall be effective upon the execution by the Sponsor of an
instrument in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C setting forth
such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences of
such series, or Funds, or as otherwise provided in such
instrument. At any time that there are no Shares outstanding of any
particular Fund previously established and designated, the Sponsor may by an
instrument executed by it abolish that Fund and the establishment and
designation thereof. Each instrument referred to in this paragraph
shall have the status of an amendment to this Trust Agreement.
Section
3.3 Establishment of Classes
and Sub-Classes. The division of any series, or Funds, into two or more
classes or sub-classes of Shares thereof and the establishment and designation
of such classes or sub-classes of Shares shall be effective upon the execution
by the Sponsor of an instrument in substantially the form attached hereto as
Exhibit C setting forth such division, and the establishment, designation, and
relative rights and preferences of such classes of Shares, or as otherwise
provided in such instrument. The relative rights and preferences of
the classes or sub-classes of Shares of any Fund may differ in such respects as
the Sponsor may determine to be appropriate, provided that such differences are
set forth in the aforementioned instrument. At any time that there
are no Shares outstanding of any particular class or sub-class of Shares
previously established and designated, the Sponsor may by an instrument executed
by it abolish that class or sub-class of Shares and the establishment and
designation thereof. Each instrument referred to in this paragraph
shall have the status of an amendment to this Trust Agreement.
Section
3.4 Offer of Limited
Shares. During the period commencing with the initial
effective date of a Fund’s Prospectus and ending no later than immediately prior
to the time Shares of the Fund begin trading on an Exchange, each Fund shall
offer Limited Shares to Participants in Creation Baskets pursuant to SEC Rule
415 at an offering price per Limited Share specified in the Fund’s Prospectus,
provided that the offering price per Creation Basket will not be less than $1
million (1 million U.S. dollars). After such period, each Fund shall
continue to offer Limited Shares in Creation Baskets at the Net Asset Value Per
Basket of such Fund. The Sponsor shall make such arrangements for the
sale of the Limited Shares as it deems appropriate. The offering
shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in the
Prospectus.
15
Section
3.5 Procedures for Creation
and Issuance of Creation Baskets
(a) General. The
following procedures, as supplemented by the more detailed procedures specified
in an attachment to the Participant Agreement for each Fund, which may be
amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Participant
Agreement (and any such amendment will not constitute an amendment of this Trust
Agreement), will govern the Trust with respect to the creation and issuance of
Creation Baskets. Subject to the limitations upon and requirements
for issuance of Creation Baskets stated herein and in such procedures, the
number of Creation Baskets which may be issued by each Fund is
unlimited.
(i) On
any Business Day, a Participant may submit to the Sponsor or its designee a
purchase order to subscribe for and agree to purchase one or more Creation
Baskets for the applicable Fund (such request by a Participant, a “Purchase Order”) in
the manner provided in the Participant Agreement. Any Purchase Order
must be received by the Order Cut-Off Time on a Business Day (the “Purchase Order
Date”). By placing a Purchase Order, a Participant agrees to
deposit cash or a combination of United States Treasury securities, cash and/or
cash equivalents or other securities or property with the
Trust. Failure to do so shall result in the cancellation of the
Purchase Order. The Sponsor or its designee will process Purchase
Orders only from Participants with respect to which the Participant Agreement
for the Fund is in full force and effect. The Sponsor or its designee
will maintain and provide to Limited Shareholders upon request a current list of
the Participants for each Fund with respect to which the Participant Agreement
is in full force and effect.
(ii) Any
Purchase Order is subject to rejection by the Sponsor or its designee pursuant
to Section 3.5(c). The Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion or
in consultation with the Administrator, the requirements for securities that may
be included in Creation Basket Deposits and publishes, or its agent publishes on
its behalf, such requirements at the beginning of each Business
Day.
(iii)
After accepting a Participant’s Purchase Order, the Sponsor or its designee will
issue and deliver Creation Baskets to fill a Participant’s Purchase Order on the
next Business Day following the Purchase Order Date (or on such later Business
Day, not to exceed three Business Days after the Purchase Order Date, as agreed
to between the Participant and the Sponsor or its designee when the Purchase
Order is placed), but only if the Sponsor or its designee has received (A) for
its own account, the Transaction Fee, and (B) for the account of the Trust, the
Creation Basket Deposit due from the Participant submitting the Purchase
Order. The Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion or in
consultation with the Administrator, the requirements for securities or
instruments that may be included in Deposits to create Baskets and publishes, or
its agent publishes on its behalf, such requirements as the beginning of each
Business Day. The Sponsor of its designee will deliver (or cause to
be delivered) a copy of the Prospectus to each Participant prior to its
execution and delivery of the Participant Agreement and prior to accepting any
Purchase Order.
16
(b) Deposit with the
Depository. Upon issuing a Creation Basket for any Fund
pursuant to a Purchase Order, the Sponsor will cause the Trust to deposit the
Creation Basket with the Depository in accordance with the Depository’s
customary procedures, for credit to the account of the Participant that
submitted the Purchase Order.
(c)
Rejection. For each Fund, the Sponsor or its designee shall
have the absolute right, but shall have no obligation, to reject any Purchase
Order or Creation Basket Deposit: (i) determined by the Sponsor not
to be in proper form; (ii) the acceptance of which would, in the opinion of
counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful, (iii) if circumstances outside the control
of the Sponsor make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process
creations of Creation Baskets; (iv) determined by the Sponsor not to be in the
best interest of the Limited Shareholders; or (v) for any other reason set forth
in the Participant Agreement entered into with that Participant. The
Sponsor shall not be liable to any person by reason of the rejection of any
Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit.
(d) Transaction
Fee. For each Fund, a non-refundable transaction fee will be
payable by a Participant to the Sponsor for its own account in connection with
each Purchase Order pursuant to this Section 3.5 and in connection with each
Redemption Order of such Participant pursuant to Section 7.1 (each a “Transaction
Fee”). The Transaction Fee charged in connection with each
such creation and redemption shall be initially $1,000 (1,000 U.S. dollars), but
may be changed as provided below. Even though a single Purchase Order
or Redemption Order may relate to multiple Creation Baskets or Redemption
Baskets, only a single Transaction Fee will be due for each Purchase Order or
Redemption Order for a Fund. The Transaction Fee may subsequently be
waived, modified, reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor, but
will not in any event exceed 0.1% of the Net Asset Value Per Basket of a Fund at
the time of creation of a Creation Basket or redemption of a Redemption Basket,
as the case may be. The Sponsor shall notify the Depository of any
agreement to change the Transaction Fee and shall not implement any increase for
redemptions of outstanding Shares until thirty (30) days
after the date of that notice.
(e) Global Certificate
Only. Certificates for Creation Baskets will not be issued,
other than the Global Security issued to the Depository. So long as
the Depository Agreement is in effect, Creation Baskets will be issued and
redeemed and Limited Shares will be transferable solely through the book-entry
systems of the Depository and the DTC Participants and their Indirect
Participants as more fully described in Section 3.6.
(f) Replacement of
Depository. The Depository may determine to discontinue
providing its service with respect to Creation Baskets and Limited Shares by
giving notice to the Sponsor pursuant to and in conformity with the provisions
of the Depository Agreement and discharging its responsibilities with respect
thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Sponsor
shall take action to find a replacement for the Depository to perform its
functions at a comparable cost and on terms acceptable to the Sponsor or, if
such a replacement is unavailable, to either (i) terminate the Trust or specific
Funds, as applicable, or (ii) execute and deliver separate certificates
evidencing Shares registered in the names of the Limited Shareholders thereof,
with such additions, deletions and modifications to this Trust Agreement and to
the form of certificate evidencing Shares as the Sponsor deems necessary or
appropriate.
17
Section
3.6 Book-Entry-Only System,
Global Security.
(a) Global
Security. The Trust and the Sponsor will enter into the
Depository Agreement pursuant to which the Depository will act as securities
depository for Limited Shares of each Fund. Limited Shares of each
Fund will be represented by the Global Security (which may consist of one or
more certificates as required by the Depository), which will be registered, as
the Depository shall direct, in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for
the Depository and deposited with, or on behalf of, the
Depository. No other certificates evidencing Limited Shares will be
issued. The Global Security for each Fund shall be in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit A or described therein and shall represent such
Limited Shares as shall be specified therein, and may provide that it shall
represent the aggregate amount of outstanding Limited Shares of a Fund from time
to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amount of outstanding Limited
Shares represented thereby may from time to time be increased or decreased to
reflect creations or redemptions of Baskets. Any endorsement of a
Global Security to reflect the amount, or any increase or decrease in the
amount, of outstanding Limited Shares represented thereby shall be made in such
manner and upon instructions given by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust as
specified in the Depository Agreement.
(b)
Legend. Any Global Security issued to The Depository Trust
Company or its nominee shall bear a legend substantially to the following
effect: “Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of
The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (“DTC”), to the Trust
or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and any
certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co., or in such
other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any
payment is made to Cede & Co., or to such other entity as is required
by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE
HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the
registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest
herein.”
(c) The
Depository. The Depository has advised the Trust and the
Sponsor as follows: The Depository is a limited-purpose trust company organized
under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the U.S. Federal Reserve
System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions
of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. The Depository was created to hold securities of its
participants (the “DTC
Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of
securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through
electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby
eliminating the need for physical movement of securities
certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and
dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other
organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own the
Depository. Access to the Depository’s system is also available to
others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or
maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or
indirectly (“Indirect
Participants”).
18
(d) Limited
Shareholders. As provided in the Depository Agreement, upon
the settlement date of any creation, transfer or redemption of Limited Shares of
a Fund, the Depository will credit or debit, on its book-entry registration and
transfer system, the number of Limited Shares so created, transferred or
redeemed to the accounts of the appropriate DTC Participants. The
accounts to be credited and charged shall be designated by the Sponsor on behalf
of each Fund and each Participant, in the case of a creation or redemption of
Baskets. Ownership of beneficial interest in Limited Shares will be
limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests
through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Limited
Shareholders will be shown on, and the transfer of Limited Shares will be
effected only through, in the case of DTC Participants, the records maintained
by the Depository and, in the case of Indirect Participants and Limited
Shareholders holding through a DTC Participant or an Indirect Participant,
through those records or the records of the relevant DTC Participants or
Indirect Participants. Limited Shareholders are expected to receive,
from or through the broker or bank that maintains the account through which the
Limited Shareholder has purchased Limited Shares, a written confirmation
relating to their purchase of Limited Shares.
(e) Reliance on
Procedures. Limited Shareholders will not be entitled to have
Limited Shares registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to
receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and will not be
considered the record or registered holder of Limited Shares under this Trust
Agreement. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder of Limited
Shares under the Trust Agreement, a Limited Shareholder must rely on the
procedures of the Depository and, if such Limited Shareholder is not a DTC
Participant, on the procedures of each DTC Participant or Indirect Participant
through which such Limited Shareholder holds its interests. The Trust
and the Sponsor understand that under existing industry practice, if the Trust
or any Fund requests any action of a Limited Sharesholder, or a Limited
Shareholder desires to take any action that the Depository or its nominee, as
the record owner of all outstanding Limited Shares of each Fund, is entitled to
take, (1) in the case of a Trust request, the Depository will notify the DTC
Participants regarding such request, such DTC Participants will in turn notify
each Indirect Participant holding Limited Shares through it, with each
successive Indirect Participant continuing to notify each person holding Limited
Shares through it until the request has reached the Limited Shareholder, and (2)
in the case of a request or authorization to act being sought or given by a
Limited Shareholder, such request or authorization is given by such Limited
Shareholder and relayed back to the Trust or such Fund through each Indirect
Participant and DTC Participant through which the Limited Shareholder’s interest
in the Limited Shares is held.
(f) Communication between
the Trust and the Limited Shareholders. As described above,
the Trust and the Funds will recognize the Depository or its nominee as the
owner of all Limited Shares for all purposes except as expressly set forth in
this Trust Agreement. Conveyance of all notices, statements and other
communications to Limited Shareholders will be effected as follows. Pursuant to
the Depository Agreement, the Depository is required to make available to the
Funds upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Funds a listing of the
Limited Share holdings of each DTC Participant. The Trust or the
Funds shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Limited
Shareholders holding Limited Shares of a Fund, directly or indirectly, through
such DTC Participant. The Trust or the Funds shall provide each such
DTC Participant with sufficient copies of such notice, statement or other
communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant
may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication
may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such
Limited Shareholders. In addition, the Funds shall pay to each such
DTC Participant an amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such
transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory
requirements.
19
(g)
Distributions. Any distributions on Limited Shares pursuant to
Section 6.7 shall be made to the Depository or its nominee, Cede & Co.,
as the registered owner of all Limited Shares. The Trust and the
Sponsor expect that the Depository or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment
of distributions in respect of Limited Shares, shall credit immediately DTC
Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their
respective beneficial interests in Limited Shares as shown on the records of the
Depository or its nominee. The Trust and the Sponsor also expect that
payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Limited Shareholders
holding Limited Shares through such DTC Participants and Indirect Participants
will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the
case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or
registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC
Participants and Indirect Participants. None of the Trust, the Funds,
the Trustee or the Sponsor will have any responsibility or liability for any
aspects of the records relating to or notices to Limited Shareholders, or
payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Limited Shares, or
for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such
beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship
between the Depository and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such
DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Limited Shareholders owning
through such DTC Participants or Indirect Participants or between or among the
Depository, any Limited Shareholder and any person by or through which such
Limited Shareholder is considered to own Limited Shares.
(h) Limitation of
Liability. Each Global Security to be issued hereunder is
executed and delivered solely on behalf of the Trust by the Sponsor, as Sponsor,
in the exercise of the powers and authority conferred and vested in it by this
Trust Agreement. The representations, undertakings and agreements
made on the part of the Trust in each Global Security are made and intended not
as personal representations, undertakings and agreements by the Sponsor or the
Trustee, but are made and intended for the purpose of binding only the
Trust. Nothing in the Global Security shall be construed as creating
any liability on the Sponsor or the Trustee, individually or personally, to
fulfill any representation, undertaking or agreement other than as provided in
this Trust Agreement.
(i) Successor
Depository. If a successor to The Depository Trust Company
shall be employed as Depository hereunder, the Trust and the Sponsor shall
establish procedures acceptable to such successor with respect to the matters
addressed in this Section 3.6.
Section
3.7 Assets. All
consideration received by a Fund for the issue or sale of Shares together with
such Fund’s Trust Estate in which such consideration is invested, all income,
earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the
sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, shall belong to each Fund for all
purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors of such Fund and except as may
otherwise be required by applicable tax laws, and shall be so recorded upon the
books of account of such Fund.
20
Section
3.8 Liabilities of
Funds.
(a) The
Trust Estate belonging to each particular Fund shall be charged with the
liabilities of the Trust in respect of that Fund and only that Fund, and all
expenses, costs, charges, indemnities and reserves attributable to that
Fund. Any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, indemnities
or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any
particular Fund shall be allocated and charged by the Sponsor to and among any
one or more of the Funds established and designated from time to time in such
manner and on such basis as the Sponsor in its sole discretion deems fair and
equitable. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges
and reserves by the Sponsor shall be conclusive and binding upon all
Shareholders for all purposes. The Sponsor shall have full
discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with applicable law, 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. Every written agreement, instrument or other
undertaking made or issued by or on behalf of a particular Fund shall include a
recitation limiting the obligation or claim represented thereby to that Fund and
its assets.
(b)
Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.8, but subject to
the right of the Sponsor in its discretion to allocate general liabilities,
expenses, costs, charges or reserves as herein provided, the debts, liabilities,
obligations and expenses (“Claims”) incurred,
contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Fund shall be
enforceable against the assets of such Fund only, and not against the assets of
the Trust generally or of any other Fund. Notice of this limitation
on inter-series liabilities is set forth in the Certificate of Trust of the
Trust as filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware
pursuant to the Delaware Trust Statute, and upon the giving of such notice in
the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the
Delaware Trust Statute relating to limitations on inter-series liabilities (and
the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the
Certificate of Trust) became applicable to the Trust and each
Fund. Every Share, note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or
other undertaking made or issued by or on behalf of a particular Fund shall
include a recitation limiting the obligation on the Shares represented thereby
to that Fund and its assets, but the absence of such a provision shall not be
construed as creating recourse to any other Fund or any other
person.
(c) Any
agreement entered into by the Trust, any Fund, or the Sponsor, on behalf of the
Trust generally or any Fund, including, without limitation, the Purchase Order
entered into with each Participant, will include language substantially similar
to the language set forth in Section 3.8(b).
Section
3.9 Voting Rights.
Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, on each matter submitted to a vote
of the Shareholders, each Shareholder shall be entitled to a proportionate vote
based upon the number of Shares, or fraction thereof, standing in its name on
the books of such Fund in accordance with Section 3.6(g).
Section
3.10 Equality. Except
as provided herein, all Shares of a Fund shall represent an equal proportionate
beneficial interest in the assets of the Fund subject to the liabilities of the
Fund, and each Share shall be equal to each other Share. The Sponsor
may from time to time divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser
number of Shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest
in the assets of the Fund or in any way affecting the rights of
Shareholders.
21
ARTICLE
IV
THE
SPONSOR
Section
4.1 Management of the
Trust. Pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Trust
Statute, the Trust shall be managed by the Sponsor as an agent of the Trust and
the conduct of the Trust’s business shall be controlled and conducted solely by
the Sponsor in accordance with this Trust Agreement.
Section
4.2 Authority of
Sponsor. In addition to and not in limitation of any rights
and powers conferred by law or other provisions of this Trust Agreement, and
except as limited, restricted or prohibited by the express provisions of this
Trust Agreement or the Delaware Trust Statute, the Sponsor shall have and may
exercise on behalf of the Trust, all powers and rights necessary, proper,
convenient or advisable to effectuate and carry out the purposes, business and
objectives of the Trust, which shall include, without limitation, the
following:
(a) To
enter into, execute, deliver and maintain, and to cause the Trust to perform its
obligations under, contracts, agreements and any or all other documents and
instruments, and to do and perform all such things as may be in furtherance of
Trust purposes or necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of the Shares
and the conduct of Trust activities;
(b) To
establish, maintain, deposit into, sign checks and/or otherwise draw upon
accounts on behalf of the Trust with appropriate banking and savings
institutions, and execute and/or accept any instrument or agreement incidental
to the Trust’s business and in furtherance of its purposes, any such instrument
or agreement so executed or accepted by the Sponsor in the Sponsor’s name shall
be deemed executed and accepted on behalf of the Trust by the
Sponsor;
(c) To
deposit, withdraw, pay, retain and distribute each Fund’s Trust Estate or any
portion thereof in any manner consistent with the provisions of this Trust
Agreement;
(d) To
supervise the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and
supplements and amendments thereto;
(e) To
adopt, implement or amend, from time to time, such disclosure and financial
reporting information gathering and control policies and procedures as are
necessary or desirable to ensure compliance with applicable disclosure and
financial reporting obligations under any applicable securities
laws;
(f) To
make any necessary determination or decision in connection with the preparation
of the Trust’s financial statements and amendments thereto, and the
Prospectus;
(g) To
prepare, file and distribute, if applicable, any periodic reports or updates
that may be required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the CE Act, or
the rules and regulations thereunder;
(h) To
pay or authorize the payment of distributions to the Shareholders and expenses
of each Fund;
22
(i) To
make any elections on behalf of the Trust and any Fund under the Code, or any
other applicable U.S. federal or state tax law as the Sponsor shall determine to
be in the best interests of the Trust or the applicable Fund; and
(j) In
the sole discretion of the Sponsor, to admit an Affiliate or Affiliates of the
Sponsor as additional Sponsors.
Section
4.3 Obligations of the
Sponsor. In addition to the obligations expressly provided by
the Delaware Trust Statute or this Trust Agreement, the Sponsor
shall:
(a)
Devote such of its time to the business and affairs of the Trust as it shall, in
its discretion exercised in good faith, determine to be necessary to conduct the
business and affairs of the Trust for the benefit of the Trust and the Limited
Shareholders;
(b)
Execute, file, record and/or publish all certificates, statements and other
documents and do any and all other things as may be appropriate for the
formation, qualification and operation of the Trust and for the conduct of its
business in all appropriate jurisdictions;
(c)
Appoint and remove independent public accountants to audit the accounts of the
Trust;
(d)
Employ attorneys to represent the Trust;
(e) Use
its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust and each Fund as a
“statutory trust” for state law purpose and as a “partnership” for U.S. federal
income tax purposes;
(f)
Invest, reinvest, hold uninvested, sell, exchange, write options on, lease, lend
and, subject to Section 4.4(b), pledge, mortgage and hypothecate the Trust
Estate of each Fund in accordance with the purposes of the Trust and the
Registration Statement.
(g) Have
fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of the Trust Estate,
whether or not in the Sponsor’ s immediate possession or control;
(h) Enter
into a Participant Agreement with each Participant and discharge the duties and
responsibilities of the Trust and the Sponsor thereunder;
(i) For
each Fund, receive from Participants and process, or cause the Distributor or
other Fund service provider to process, properly submitted Purchase Orders, as
described in Section 3.5(a)(i);
(j) For
each Fund, in connection with Purchase Order, receive Creation Basket Deposits
from Participants;
(k) For
each Fund, in connection with Purchase Order, deliver or cause the delivery of
Creation Baskets to the Depository for the account of the Participant submitting
a Purchase Order for which the Sponsor has received the requisite Transaction
Fee and the Trust has received the requisite Deposit, as described in Section
3.5(d);
23
(l) For
each Fund, receive from Participants and process, or cause the Distributor or
other Fund service provider to process, properly submitted Redemption Orders, as
described in Section 7.1(a), or as may from time to time be permitted by Section
7.2;
(m) For
each Fund, in connection with Redemption Orders, receive from the redeeming
Participant through the Depository, and thereupon cancel or cause to be
cancelled, Limited Shares corresponding to the Redemption Baskets to be redeemed
as described in Section 7.1, or as may from time to time be permitted by Section
7.2;
(n)
Interact with the Depository as required; and
(o)
Delegate those of its duties hereunder as it shall determine from time to time
to one or more Administrators or commodity trading or other
advisors.
Section
4.4 General
Prohibitions. The Trust and each Fund, as applicable, shall
not:
(a)
Borrow money from or loan money to any Shareholder (including the
Sponsor);
(b)
Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any lien, mortgage, pledge, conditional
sale or other title retention agreement, charge, security interest or
encumbrance, except (i) liens for taxes not delinquent or being contested in
good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which appropriate reserves
have been established, (ii) deposits or pledges to secure obligations under
workmen’s compensation, social security or similar laws or under unemployment
insurance, (iii) deposits or pledges to secure contracts (other than contracts
for the payment of money), leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal
bonds and other obligations of like nature arising in the ordinary course of
business, (iv) mechanic’s, warehousemen’s, carrier’s, workmen’s, materialmen’s
or other like liens arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to
obligations which are not due or which are being contested in good faith, and
for which appropriate reserves have been established if required by generally
accepted accounting principles, and liens arising under ERISA, or (v) the
deposit of margin or collateral with respect to the initiation and maintenance
of Commodity Contract positions; or
(c)
Operate the Trust or a Fund in any manner so as to contravene the requirements
to preserve the limitation on inter-series liability set forth in Section 3804
of the Delaware Trust Statute.
Section
4.5 Liability of Covered
Persons. A Covered Person shall have no liability to the
Trust, any Fund, or to any Shareholder or other Covered Person for any loss
suffered by the Trust or any Fund which arises out of any action or inaction of
such Covered Person if such Covered Person, in good faith, determined that such
course of conduct was in the best interest of the Trust or the applicable Fund
and such course of conduct did not constitute gross negligence or willful
misconduct of such Covered Person. Subject to the foregoing, neither
the Sponsor nor any other Covered Person shall be personally liable for the
return or repayment of all or any portion of the capital or profits of any
Shareholder or assignee thereof, it being expressly agreed that any such return
of capital or profits made pursuant to this Trust Agreement shall be made solely
from the assets of the applicable Fund without any rights of contribution from
the Sponsor or any other Covered Person. A Covered Person shall not
be liable for the conduct or willful misconduct of any Administrator or other
delegatee selected by the Sponsor with reasonable care, provided, however, that
the Trustee and its Affiliates shall not under any circumstances be liable for
the conduct or willful misconduct of the Sponsor or any Administrator or other
delegatee or any other Person selected by the Sponsor to provide services to the
Trust.
24
Section
4.6 Fiduciary
Duty.
(a) To
the extent that, at law (common or statutory) or in equity, the Sponsor has
duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the
Trust, the Funds, the Shareholders or to any other Person, the Sponsor acting
under this Trust Agreement shall not be liable to the Trust, the Funds, the
Shareholders or to any other Person for its good faith reliance on the
provisions of this Trust Agreement subject to the standard of care in Section
4.5 herein. The provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent
that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities of the Sponsor
otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the parties hereto to
replace such other duties and liabilities of the Sponsor.
(b)
Unless otherwise expressly provided herein:
(i)
whenever a conflict of interest exists or arises between the Sponsor or any of
its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust or any Shareholder or any other
Person, on the other hand; or
(ii)
whenever this Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or
therein provides that the Sponsor shall act in a manner that is, or provides
terms that are, fair and reasonable to the Trust, any Shareholder or any other
Person,
the
Sponsor shall resolve such conflict of interest, take such action or provide
such terms, considering in each case the relative interest of each party
(including its own interest) to such conflict, agreement, transaction or
situation and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, any customary
or accepted industry practices, and any applicable generally accepted accounting
practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by the Sponsor,
the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the Sponsor shall
not constitute a breach of this Trust Agreement or any other agreement
contemplated herein or of any duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in
equity or otherwise.
(c) The
Sponsor and any Affiliate of the Sponsor may engage in or possess an interest in
other profit-seeking or business ventures of any nature or description,
independently or with others, whether or not such ventures are competitive with
the Trust and the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine,
shall not apply to the Sponsor. If the Sponsor acquires knowledge of
a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an
opportunity for the Trust, it shall have no duty to communicate or offer such
opportunity to the Trust, and the Sponsor shall not be liable to the Trust or to
the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of the fact
that the Sponsor pursues or acquires for, or directs such opportunity to,
another Person or does not communicate such opportunity or information to the
Trust. Neither the Trust nor any Shareholder shall have any rights or
obligations by virtue of this Agreement or the trust relationship created hereby
in or to such independent ventures or the income or profits or losses derived
therefrom, and the pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the
activities of the Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or
improper. Except to the extent expressly provided herein, the Sponsor
may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the
Trust, the Shareholders or any Affiliate of the Trust or the
Shareholders.
25
Section
4.7 Indemnification of the
Sponsor.
(a) The
Sponsor shall be indemnified by the Trust (or, in furtherance of Section 3.8, by
a Fund separately to the extent the matter in question relates to a single Fund
or disproportionately affects a specific Fund in relation to other Funds)
against any losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in
settlement of any claims sustained by it in connection with its activities for
the Trust, provided that (i) the Sponsor was acting on behalf of or performing
services for the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of
conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was
not the result of gross negligence, willful misconduct, or a breach of this
Trust Agreement on the part of the Sponsor and (ii) any such indemnification
will only be recoverable from the applicable Trust Estate or Trust
Estates. All rights to indemnification permitted herein and payment
of associated expenses shall not be affected by the dissolution or other
cessation to exist of the Sponsor, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy
or insolvency of the Sponsor, or the filing of a voluntary or involuntary
petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the Bankruptcy Code by or against the
Sponsor.
(b)
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4.7(a) above, the Sponsor shall
not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out
of an alleged violation of U.S. federal or state securities laws unless (i)
there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving
alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court
approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation,
litigation costs), (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the
merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and
the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without
limitation, litigation costs) or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction
approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and finds
that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be
made.
(c) The
Trust and the Funds shall not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance
which insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is
herein prohibited.
(d)
Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending civil, administrative or
criminal action suit or proceeding against the Sponsor shall be paid by the
Trust or the applicable Fund or Funds in advance of the final disposition of
such action, suit or proceeding, if (i) the legal action relates to the
performance of duties or services by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust or any
Fund or Funds; (ii) the legal action is initiated by a party other than the
Trust; and (iii) the Sponsor undertakes to repay the advanced funds with
interest to the Trust or the applicable Fund or Funds in cases in which it is
not entitled to indemnification under this Section 4.7.
26
(e) The
term “Sponsor” as used only in this Section 4.7 shall include, in addition to
the Sponsor, any other Covered Person performing services on behalf of the Trust
or any Fund or Funds and acting within the scope of the Sponsor’s authority as
set forth in this Trust Agreement.
(f) In
the event the Trust or any Fund is made a party to any claim, dispute, demand or
litigation or otherwise incurs any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense as a
result of or in connection with any Limited Shareholder’s (or assignee’s)
obligations or liabilities unrelated to Trust business, such Limited Shareholder
(or assignees cumulatively) shall indemnify, defend, hold harmless, and
reimburse the Trust or Fund for all such loss, liability, damage, cost and
expense incurred, including attorneys’ and accountants’ fees.
(g) The
payment of any amount pursuant to this Section 4.7 shall be subject to Section
3.8 with respect to the allocation of liabilities and other amounts, as
appropriate, among the Funds.
Section
4.8 Expenses and Limitations
Thereon.
(a)(i) The
Sponsor or an Affiliate of the Sponsor shall be responsible for the payment of
all Organization Expenses incurred in connection with the creation of the Trust
or any Fund and the sale of Shares.
(ii)
“Organization
Expenses” shall mean those expenses incurred in connection with the
formation, qualification and registration of the Trust, any Fund and the Shares
under applicable U.S. federal and state law, and any other expenses actually
incurred and, directly or indirectly, related to the organization of the Trust
or any Fund or the offering of a Fund’s Shares prior to the time such Shares
begin trading on an Exchange, including, but not limited to, expenses such as:
(i) initial registration fees, prepaid licensing fees, filing fees, escrow fees
and taxes, (ii) costs of preparing, printing (including typesetting), amending,
supplementing, mailing and distributing the Registration Statement, the Exhibits
thereto and the Prospectus for a Fund, (iii) the costs of qualifying, printing,
(including typesetting), amending, supplementing, mailing and distributing sales
materials used in connection with the offering and issuance of the Shares of a
Fund, (iv) travel, telegraph, telephone and other expenses in connection with
the offering and issuance of the Shares of a Fund, and (v) accounting, auditing
and legal fees (including disbursements related thereto) incurred in connection
therewith.
(b)
Except as set forth in Article II and Sections 4.8(a) and 4.8(c), all ongoing
charges, costs and expenses of each Fund’s operation shall be billed to and paid
by the applicable Fund. Such costs and expenses shall include, but
not be limited to: (i)
brokerage and other fees and commissions incurred in connection with the trading
activities of the Funds; (ii) expenses incurred in connection with registering
additional Shares of a Fund or offering Shares of a Fund after the time any
Shares of such Fund have begun trading on an Exchange; (iii) the routine
expenses associated with preparation of monthly, quarterly, annual and other
reports required by applicable U.S. federal and state regulatory authorities,
Trust meetings and preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements and reports
to Shareholders; (iv) the payment of any distributions related to redemption of
Shares; (v) the Sponsor’s fee in accordance with Section 4.9; (vi) payment for
routine services of the Trustee, legal counsel and independent accountants;
(vii) payment for routine accounting, bookkeeping, custody and transfer agency
services, whether performed by an outside service provider or by Affiliates of
the Sponsor; (viii) postage and insurance; (ix) costs and expenses associated
with client relations and services; (x) payment of all federal, state, local or
foreign taxes payable on the income, assets or operations of the Fund and the
preparation of all tax returns related thereto; and (xi) extraordinary expenses
(including, but not limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation
costs and any indemnification related thereto).
27
(c) The
Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor may only be reimbursed for the actual
cost to the Sponsor or such Affiliate of any expenses which it advances on
behalf of a Fund for which payment a Fund is responsible. In
addition, payment to the Sponsor or such Affiliate for indirect expenses
incurred in performing services for the Funds in its capacity as the Sponsor of
the Trust, such as salaries and fringe benefits of employees, officers and
directors, rent or depreciation, utilities and other administrative items
generally falling within the category of the Sponsor’s “overhead,” is
prohibited.
Section
4.9 Compensation to the
Sponsor. The Sponsor shall be entitled to compensation for its services
as Sponsor of the Trust as set forth in the Prospectus, as the same may be
amended or supplemented from time to time.
Section
4.10 Other Business of
Shareholders. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, any of
the Shareholders and any shareholder, officer, director, member, manager,
employee or other person holding a legal or beneficial interest in an entity
which is a Shareholder, may engage in or possess an interest in other business
ventures of every nature and description, independently or with others, and the
pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the business of the Trust,
shall not be deemed wrongful or improper.
Section
4.11 Withdrawal of the
Sponsor.
(a) The
Sponsor may withdraw voluntarily as the Sponsor of the Trust only upon ninety
(90) days’ prior written notice to all Limited Shareholders and the
Trustee. If the Sponsor withdraws and a successor Sponsor is selected
in accordance with Section 13.1(a)(ii), the withdrawing Sponsor shall pay all
expenses as a result of its withdrawal.
(b) The
Sponsor will not cease to be a Sponsor of the Trust merely upon the occurrence
of its making an assignment for the benefit of creditors, filing a voluntary
petition in bankruptcy, filing a petition or answer seeking for itself any
reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution
or similar relief under any statute, law or regulation, filing an answer or
other pleading admitting or failing to contest material allegations of a
petition filed against it in any proceeding of this nature or seeking,
consenting to or acquiescing in the appointment of a trustee, receiver or
liquidator for itself or of all or any substantial part of its
properties.
(c) In connection with any
Event of Withdrawal, the Sponsor shall not cease to be a Sponsor of the Trust,
or to have the power to exercise any rights or powers as a Sponsor, or to have
liability for the obligations of the Trust under Section 1.7 hereof, until a
substitute Sponsor, which shall carry on the business of the Trust, has been
admitted to the Trust or until the Trust has been terminated in accordance with
Section 13.1.
28
(d) To
the full extent permitted by law, nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be
deemed to prevent the merger of the Sponsor with another corporation or other
entity, the reorganization of the Sponsor into or with any other corporation or
other entity, the transfer of all the capital stock of the Sponsor or the
assumption of the rights, duties and liabilities of the Sponsor by, in the case
of a merger, reorganization or consolidation, the surviving corporation or other
entity by operation of law or the transfer of the Sponsor’s Shares to an
Affiliate of the Sponsor. Without limiting the foregoing, none of the
transactions referenced in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be a
voluntary withdrawal for purposes of Section 4.11(a) or an Event of Withdrawal
or assignment of Shares for purposes of Section 5.2(a).
Section
4.12 Authorization of
Registration Statements. Each Limited Shareholder (or any permitted
assignee thereof) hereby agrees that the Sponsor, the Trust, and the Trustee are
authorized to execute, deliver and perform the agreements, acts, transactions
and matters contemplated hereby or described in or contemplated by the
Registration Statements on behalf of the Trust without any further act, approval
or vote of the Limited Shareholders of the Funds, notwithstanding any other
provision of this Trust Agreement, the Delaware Trust Statute or any applicable
law, rule or regulation.
Section
4.13 Litigation. The
Sponsor is hereby authorized to prosecute, defend, settle or compromise actions
or claims at law or in equity as may be necessary or proper to enforce or
protect the Trust’s interests. The Sponsor shall satisfy any
judgment, decree or decision of any court, board or authority having
jurisdiction or any settlement of any suit or claim prior to judgment or final
decision thereon, first, out of any insurance proceeds available therefor, next,
out of the Funds’ assets on a pro rata basis and, thereafter, out of the assets
(to the extent that it is permitted to do so under the various other provisions
of this Trust Agreement) of the Sponsor.
ARTICLE
V
TRANSFERS
OF SHARES
Section
5.1 Transfer of Limited
Shares. A Limited Shareholder may not transfer his Shares or any part of
his right, title and interest in the capital or profits in any Fund except as
permitted in this Article V and any act in violation of this Article V shall not
be binding upon or recognized by the Trust (regardless of whether the Sponsor
shall have knowledge thereof), unless approved in writing by the Sponsor.
Limited Shareholders that are not DTC Participants may transfer Limited Shares
by instructing the DTC Participant or Indirect Participant holding the Limited
Shares for such Limited Shareholder in accordance with standard securities
industry practice. Limited Shareholders that are DTC Participants may
transfer Limited Shares by instructing the Depository in accordance with the
rules of the Depository and standard securities industry practice.
Section
5.2 Transfer of Sponsor’s
Shares. Upon the Sponsor ceasing to serve as Sponsor of the Trust, the
Sponsor’s Shares shall be purchased by the Trust for a purchase price in
cash equal to the
Net Asset Value thereof.
29
ARTICLE
VI
CAPITAL
ACCOUNTS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND ALLOCATIONS
Section 6.1
Capital
Accounts.
(a) The
Sponsor or an Administrator shall establish on the books and records of each
Fund for each Shareholder a separate account (a “Capital Account”),
which shall be determined in accordance with the following
provisions:
(i) A Shareholder’s Capital Account
shall be increased by such Shareholder’s Capital Contributions to the Fund and
by any income or gain (including income and gain exempt from tax) computed in
accordance with Section 6.1(b) and allocated to such Shareholder pursuant to
Section 6.2.
(ii) A Shareholder’s Capital Account
shall be decreased by the amount of cash distributed to such Shareholder
pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and by any expenses, deductions or
losses computed in accordance with Section 6.1(b) and allocated to such
Shareholder pursuant to Section 6.2.
(b) For
purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, deduction, expense
or loss to be reflected in a Shareholder’s Capital Account, the determination,
recognition and classification of any such item shall be the same as its
determination, recognition and classification for federal income tax purposes
pursuant to Section 703(a) of the Code; provided,
that:
(i) Items
described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code shall be treated as items of
deduction. All fees and other expenses incurred by the Fund to
promote the sale of (or to sell) a Share that can neither be deducted nor
amortized under Section 709 of the Code shall, for purposes of Capital Account
maintenance, be treated as items described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the
Code.
(ii)
Except as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulations section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m),
the computation of all items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be made
without regard to any election under Section 754 of the Code.
(iii) In
computing income, gain, deduction, expense or loss for Capital Account purposes,
the amount of such item shall be determined taking into account the book value
of the Fund’s property, as adjusted pursuant to Section 6.1(d) .
(c) In
the event any Shareholder’s Shares are transferred in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement, the transferee shall succeed to the Capital Account of such
Shareholder to the extent such Capital Account relates to the transferred
Shares.
30
(d)
Consistent with the provisions of Treasury Regulations section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f),
upon an issuance or redemption of Shares, in connection with the dissolution,
liquidation or termination of a Fund, or otherwise as appropriate pursuant to
generally accepted industry accounting practices, the Capital Accounts of all
Shareholders of such Fund may, immediately prior to such issuance, redemption,
dissolution, liquidation, termination, or otherwise, be adjusted (consistent
with the provisions hereof) upwards or downwards to reflect any Unrealized Gain
or Unrealized Loss attributable to Fund property, as if such Unrealized Gain or
Unrealized Loss had been recognized upon an actual sale of such property,
immediately prior to such issuance, redemption, dissolution, liquidation,
termination, or otherwise, and had been allocated to the Shareholders at such
time pursuant to Section 6.2. Pursuant to Treasury Regulations section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g),
appropriate adjustments shall be made to the book value of the Fund’s property
with Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss. Proper adjustment shall be made to the
amount of any Capital Account adjustment under this Section 6.1(d) to take into
account any prior Capital Account adjustment under this Section
6.1.
The
foregoing provisions and the other provisions of this Agreement relating to the
maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with section 1.704-1(b)
of the Treasury regulations, and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner
consistent with such regulations. In the event the Sponsor shall
determine that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts,
or any debits or credits thereto are computed in order to comply with such
regulations, it may make such modification. The Sponsor also shall (i) make any
adjustments that are necessary or appropriate to maintain equality between the
aggregate Capital Accounts of the Shareholders and the amount of capital
reflected on the Fund’s balance sheet, as computed for book purposes, in
accordance with Treasury Regulations section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(q) and (ii) make any
appropriate modifications in the event unanticipated events might otherwise
cause this Agreement not to comply with Treasury Regulations section
1.704-1(b).
Section 6.2
Allocations for Capital
Account Purposes.
(a) For
purposes of maintaining Capital Accounts and in determining the rights of the
Shareholders among themselves, except as otherwise provided in this
Section 6.2 each item of income, gain, loss, expense and deduction
(computed in accordance with Section 6.1(b)) shall be allocated to the
Shareholders in accordance with their respective Percentage
Interests.
(b)
Pursuant to Treasury Regulations section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g), items of depreciation,
depletion, amortization and gain or loss attributable to Adjusted Property that
has a Book-Tax Disparity shall be allocated among the Shareholders in accordance
with Treasury Regulations section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g)(3).
(c) If
any Shareholder unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations or
distributions described in Treasury Regulations
section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d), items of the Fund’s
income and gain shall be specially allocated to such Shareholder in an amount
and manner sufficient to eliminate a deficit balance in its Capital Account
(after decreasing such Shareholder’s Capital Account balance by the items
described in Treasury Regulations section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)) created by such
adjustments, allocations or distributions as quickly as
possible. This Section 6.2(c) is intended to constitute a
“qualified income offset” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations
section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d).
31
Section
6.3 Allocations of Profits and
Losses for Tax Purposes..
(a) For
U.S. federal income tax purposes, except as otherwise provided in this
Section 6.3, each item of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of a
Fund shall be allocated among the Shareholders in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests.
(b) In an
attempt to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities attributable to Adjusted Property,
items of income, gain, or loss shall be allocated for U.S. federal income tax
purposes among the Shareholders under the principles of the remedial method of
Treasury Regulations section 1.704-3(d).
(c) If
any Shareholder unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations or
distributions described in Treasury Regulations
section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d), items of income and gain
shall be specially allocated to such Shareholder in an amount and manner
consistent with the allocations of income and gain pursuant to
Section 6.2(c).
Section 6.4
Tax
Conventions.
(a) For
purposes of Sections 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3, the Sponsor or Administrator shall adopt
such conventions as may be necessary, appropriate or advisable in the Sponsor’s
reasonable discretion in order to comply with applicable law, including
Section 706 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations or rulings promulgated
thereunder. The Sponsor may revise, alter or otherwise modify such
conventions in accordance with the standard established in the previous
sentence.
(b)
Unless the Sponsor determines that another convention is necessary or
appropriate in the Sponsor’s reasonable discretion in order to comply with
applicable law, each Fund shall use the monthly convention described in this
Section 6.4(b).
(i) All issuances,
redemptions and transfers of Shares or beneficial interests therein shall be
deemed to take place at a price (the “single monthly
price”) equal to the value of such Share or beneficial interest therein
at the end of the Business Day during the month in which the issuance,
redemption or transfer takes place on which the value of a Share is
lowest. Accordingly, in determining Unrealized Gain or Unrealized
Loss and in making the adjustments provided for by Section 6.1(d), the fair
market value of all Fund property immediately prior to the issuance, redemption
or transfer of Shares shall be deemed to be equal to the lowest value of such
property (as determined under Section 6.6) during the month in which such
Shares are issued or redeemed. In the event that the Fund makes an
election under Section 754 of the Code, adjustments to be made under
Sections 734(b) and 743(b) of the Code will be made using the same monthly
convention, including by reference to the single monthly price.
(ii) All property contributed to a Fund
shall be deemed to have a value equal to the value of such property (determined
under principles similar to those described in Section 6.6) on the date of
such contribution. All purchases and sales of property, however,
shall be treated as taking place at a price equal to the purchase or sale price
of the property, respectively.
32
(iii) In general, each item of a Fund’s
income, gain, expense, loss, deduction and credit shall, for U.S. federal income
tax purposes, be determined for each calendar month during a taxable period
based on an interim closing of the books and shall be allocated solely among the
Shareholders recognized as shareholders of the Fund as of the close of business
on the last trading day of the preceding calendar month. For this
purpose, any transfer of a Share during a calendar month shall be treated as
being effective immediately prior to the close of business on the last trading
day of a calendar month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless the
Sponsor determines that another method is necessary or appropriate in the
Sponsor’s reasonable discretion, gain or loss on a sale or other disposition of
all or a substantial portion of the assets of a Fund (or, in the Sponsor’s sole
discretion, other sales or dispositions of assets if appropriate to more
accurately allocate such gain and loss to Shareholders in a manner that
corresponds to their economic gain and loss) shall be allocated to the
Shareholders of the Fund who own Shares as of the close of the day in which such
gain or loss is recognized for federal income tax purposes.
(c)
The allocations pursuant to Section 6.4(b) are intended to constitute a
reasonable method of allocation in accordance with Treasury Regulations
section 1.706-1(c)(2)(ii) and to take into account a Shareholder’s or
Shareholders’ varying interests during the taxable year of any issuance,
redemption or transfer of Shares or beneficial interests therein. Any
person who is the transferee of Shares shall be deemed to consent to the methods
of determination and allocation set forth in Sections 6.3 and 6.4 as a
condition of receiving such Shares.
Section
6.5 No Interest on Capital
Account. No Shareholder shall be entitled to interest on its
Capital Account.
Section
6.6 Valuation.
(a) For
purposes of determining the Net Asset Value of a Fund, the Trust will value all
property at (A) its current market value, if quotations for such property
are readily available or (B) its fair value, as reasonably determined by
the Sponsor, if the current market value cannot be determined.
(b) The
Sponsor may (but is not required to) employ the services of, and rely upon the
reports of, a recognized pricing service. If the Sponsor determines
that the procedures in this Section are an inappropriate basis for the valuation
of the Trust’s assets, it shall determine an alternative basis to be
employed. The Sponsor shall not be liable to any Person for any
determination as to the alternative basis for evaluation, provided that such
determination is made in good faith.
Section
6.7 Distributions.
(a)
Distributions on Shares of a Fund may be paid with such frequency as the Sponsor
may determine, which may be daily or otherwise, to the Shareholders in
accordance with Section 3.6(g) from such of the income and capital gains,
accrued or realized, from each Trust Estate, after providing for actual and
accrued liabilities. Such distributions shall be made in cash or, at
the sole discretion of the Sponsor, in property.
(b)
Distributions from a Fund upon the occurrence of a redemption or upon
dissolution, liquidation or termination pursuant to Sections 7.1 and 13.2 of
this Trust Agreement will be in the form of property and/or cash as determined
by such sections, as applicable; provided that amounts received by Shareholders
in the case of distributions upon dissolution, liquidation or termination shall
be in accordance with Capital Accounts as provided in Treasury Regulations
section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(b).
33
(c)
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this Trust Agreement,
a Fund shall not be required to make a distribution with respect to Shares if
such distribution would violate the Delaware Trust Statute or any other
applicable law. A determination that a distribution is not prohibited
under this Section 6.7 or the Delaware Trust Statute shall be made by the Trust
and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, may be based either on
financial statements prepared on the basis of accounting practices and
principles that are reasonable under the circumstances or on a fair valuation or
any other method that is reasonable under the circumstances. Unless
otherwise agreed to by the Shareholders, a Shareholder shall be entitled only to
the distributions expressly provided for in this Trust Agreement.
(d)
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Trust Agreement, the
Shareholders understand and acknowledge that a Shareholder (or its agent) may be
compelled to accept a distribution of any asset in kind from the Fund despite
the fact that the percentage of the asset distributed to such Shareholder (or
its agent) exceeds the percentage of that asset which is equal to the percentage
in which such Shareholder shares in distributions from the Trust.
ARTICLE
VII
REDEMPTIONS
Section
7.1 Redemption of Redemption
Baskets. The following procedures, as supplemented by the more detailed
procedures specified in the attachment to the applicable Participant Agreement,
which may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of such
Participant Agreement (and any such amendment will not constitute an amendment
of this Trust Agreement), will govern the Trust and the Funds with respect to
the redemption of Redemption Baskets.
(a) On
any Business Day, a Participant with respect to which a Participant Agreement is
in full force and effect (as reflected on the list maintained by the Sponsor
pursuant to Section 3.5(a)(i)) may redeem one or more Redemption Baskets
standing to the credit of the Participant on the records of the Depository by
delivering a request for redemption to the Sponsor or its designee (such
request, a “Redemption
Order”) in the manner specified in the procedures described in the
attachment to the Participant Agreement, as amended from time to time in
accordance with the provisions of the Participant Agreement (and any such
amendment will not constitute an amendment of this Trust
Agreement).
(b) To be
effective, a Redemption Order must be submitted on a Business Day by the Order
Cut-Off Time in form satisfactory to the Sponsor (the Business Day on which the
Redemption Order is so submitted, the “Redemption Order
Date”). The Sponsor shall reject any Redemption Order the
fulfillment of which its counsel advises may be illegal under applicable laws
and regulations, and the Sponsor shall have no liability to any person for
rejecting a Redemption Order in such circumstances.
34
(c)
Subject to deduction of any tax or other governmental charges due thereon, the
redemption distribution (“Redemption
Distribution”) shall consist of cash or a combination of
United States Treasury securities, cash and/or cash equivalents or other
securities or property in an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying
(i) the number of Redemption Baskets set forth in the relevant Redemption Order
by (ii) the Net Asset Value Per Basket of a Fund calculated on the Redemption
Order Date. The Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion or in
consultation with the Administrator, the requirements for securities and/or
property that may be included in Redemption Distributions and publishes, or its
agent publishes on its behalf, such requirements at the beginning of each
Business Day.
(d) On
the next Business Day following the Redemption Order Date (or on such later
Business Day, not to exceed three Business Days after the Redemption Order Date,
as agreed to between the Participant and the Sponsor or its designee when the
Redemption Order is placed) (the “Redemption Settlement
Date”), if the account of the Distributor or other appropriate Fund
service provider at the Depository has been credited with the Redemption Baskets
being tendered for redemption and the Sponsor has by such time received the
Transaction Fee, the Sponsor shall deliver the Redemption Distribution through
the Depository to the account of the Participant as recorded on the book entry
system of the Depository. If by the close of business on such
Redemption Settlement Date the Sponsor has not received from a redeeming
Participant all Redemption Baskets comprising the Redemption Order, the Sponsor
will (i) settle the Redemption Order to the extent of whole Redemption Baskets
received from the Participant with the Transaction Fee and (ii) keep the
redeeming Participant’s Redemption Order open until the first Business Day
following the Redemption Settlement Date as to the balance of the Redemption
Order (such balance, the “Suspended Redemption
Order”). If the Redemption Basket(s) comprising the Suspended
Redemption Order are credited to the Distributor’s account at the Depository on
such following Business Day, the Redemption Distribution with respect to the
Suspended Redemption Order shall be paid in the manner provided in the second
preceding sentence. If by the close of business on the next Business
Day following Redemption Settlement Date, the Sponsor has not received from the
redeeming Participant all Redemption Baskets comprising the Suspended Redemption
Order, the Sponsor will settle the Suspended Redemption Order to the extent of
whole Redemption Baskets then received and any balance of the Suspended
Redemption will be cancelled. Notwithstanding the foregoing, when and
under such conditions as the Sponsor may from time to time determine, the
Sponsor shall be authorized to deliver the Redemption Distribution
notwithstanding that a Redemption Basket has not been credited to the Trust’s or
the applicable account at the Depository if the Participant has collateralized
its obligation to deliver the Redemption Basket on such terms as to which the
Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, from time to time agree.
(e) The
Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption or postpone the
Redemption Settlement Date for a Fund (i) for any period during which the
Exchange or the Fund’s Futures Exchange is closed other than customary weekend
or holiday closings, or trading on the Exchange or the Fund’s Futures Exchange
is suspended or restricted; (ii) for any period during which an emergency exists
as a result of which delivery or Redemption Distributions is not reasonably
practicable; or (iii) for such other period as the Sponsor determines to be
necessary for the protection of Shareholders. Neither the Sponsor nor
its designees will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages
that may result from any such suspension or postponement.
35
(f)
Redemption Baskets effectively redeemed pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 7.1 shall be cancelled by the Trust or the applicable Fund in accordance
with the Depository’s procedures, and no longer be deemed outstanding for
purposes of this Trust Agreement and the Delaware Trust Statute.
Section
7.2 Other Redemption
Procedures. The Sponsor from time to time may, but shall have no
obligation to, establish procedures with respect to redemption of Limited Shares
in lot sizes smaller than the Redemption Basket and permitting the Redemption
Distribution to be in a form, and delivered in a manner, other than that
specified in Section 7.1.
ARTICLE
VIII
LIMITED
SHAREHOLDERS
Section
8.1 No Management or Control;
Limited Liability; Exercise of Rights through DTC. The Limited
Shareholders of a Fund shall not participate in the management or control of the
Trust or the applicable Fund or the applicable Fund’s business, shall not
transact any business for the Trust or any Fund and shall not have the power to
sign for or bind the Trust or any Fund, said power being vested solely and
exclusively in the Sponsor. Except as provided in Section 8.3 hereof,
no Limited Shareholder of any Fund shall be bound by, or be personally liable
for, the expenses, liabilities or obligations of the Trust, the applicable Fund
or any other series Fund of the Trust except to the extent of such Shareholder’s
proportionate share of the applicable Fund’s Trust Estate. Except as
provided in Section 8.3 hereof, each Limited Share shall be fully paid and no
assessment shall be made against any Limited Shareholder. No salary
shall be paid to any Limited Shareholder in its capacity as such, nor shall any
Limited Shareholder have a drawing account or earn interest on its share of a
Fund’s Trust Estate. By the purchase and acceptance or other lawful
delivery and acceptance of Limited Shares, each Limited Shareholder shall be
deemed to be a beneficiary of the applicable Fund and vested with beneficial
undivided interest in such Fund to the extent of the Limited Shares owned
beneficially by such Shareholder, subject to the terms and conditions of this
Trust Agreement. The rights under this Trust Agreement of any
Shareholder that is not a DTC Participant must be exercised by a DTC Participant
acting on behalf of such Shareholder in accordance with the rules and procedures
of the Depository, as provided in Section 3.6.
Section
8.2 Rights and Duties.
The Limited Shareholders shall have the following rights, powers, privileges,
duties and liabilities:
(a) The
Limited Shareholders shall have the right to obtain from the Sponsor the reports
and information as are set forth in Article IX and the list of Participants
contemplated by Section 3.5(a)(i). The foregoing rights are in
addition to, and do not limit, other remedies available to Limited Shareholders
under U.S. federal or state law.
(b) The
Limited Shareholders shall receive the share of the distributions provided for
in this Trust Agreement in the manner and at the times provided for in this
Trust Agreement.
36
(c)
Except for the Limited Shareholders’ redemption rights set forth in Article VII
hereof, Limited Shareholders shall have the right to demand the return of their
capital only upon the dissolution and winding up of the applicable Fund or the
Trust and only to the extent of funds available therefore. In no
event shall a Limited Shareholder be entitled to demand property other than cash
unless the Sponsor, as determined in its sole discretion, has specified property
for distribution to all Limited Shareholders. No Limited Shareholder
shall have priority over any other Limited Shareholder either as to the return
of capital or as to profits, losses or distributions. No Limited
Shareholder shall have the right to bring an action for partition against the
Trust or a Fund.
(d)
Limited Shareholders, voting together as a single class, or, if the proposed
change affects only certain Funds, of each affected Fund voting separately as a
class, may vote to (i) continue the Trust
as provided in Section 13.1(a), (ii) approve amendments to this Trust Agreement
as set forth in Section 11.1 hereof, and (iii) terminate the Trust as provided
in Section 13.1(e). Unless otherwise specified in this Trust Agreement or in
Delaware of federal law or regulations of rules on any exchange, any matter upon
which the Shareholders vote shall be approved by the affirmative vote of Limited
Shareholders holding Limited Shares representing at least a majority (over 50%)
of the outstanding Limited Shares of the
Trust or a Fund, as the case may be.
Except as
expressly provided in this Trust Agreement, the Limited Shareholders shall have
no voting or other rights with respect to the Trust or any Fund.
Section
8.3 Limitation on
Liability.
(a)
Except as provided in Sections 4.7(f), and 6.2 hereof, and as otherwise provided under
Delaware law, the Limited Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation
of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for
profit organized under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware and
no Limited Shareholder shall be liable for
claims against, or debts of the Trust or the applicable Fund in excess of its
Deposit or share of the applicable Fund’s Trust Estate and undistributed
profits. In addition, and subject to the exceptions set forth in the
immediately preceding sentence, the Trust or the applicable Fund shall not make
a claim against a Limited Shareholder with respect to amounts distributed to
such Limited Shareholder or amounts received by such Limited Shareholder upon
redemption unless, under Delaware law, such Limited Shareholder is liable to
repay such amount.
(b) The
Trust or the applicable Fund indemnifies to the full extent permitted by law and
the other provisions of this Trust Agreement, and to the extent of the
applicable Fund’s Trust Estate, each Limited Shareholder and its agent or
nominee against any claims of liability asserted against such Limited
Shareholder solely based on its status as a Limited Shareholder of one or more
Limited Shares (other than for taxes for which such Limited Shareholder is
liable on income allocated under Section 6.3 hereof).
(c) Every
written note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or
issued by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust or a Fund shall give notice to the
effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust or the
applicable Fund and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon
the Limited Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and
property of the applicable Fund, and no resort shall be had to the Limited
Shareholders ’ personal property for satisfaction of any obligation or claim
thereunder, and appropriate references may be made to this Trust Agreement and
may contain any further recital which the Sponsor deems appropriate, but the
omission thereof shall not operate to bind the Limited Shareholders individually
or otherwise invalidate any such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate
or undertaking. Nothing contained in this Section 8.3 shall diminish
the limitation on the liability of the Trust to the extent set forth in Section
3.7 and 3.8 hereof.
37
Section
8.4 Derivative
Actions.
(a) No
person who is not a Shareholder of a particular Fund shall be entitled to bring
any derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust with
respect to such Fund. No Shareholder of a Fund may maintain a
derivative action on behalf of the Trust with respect to such Fund unless
holders of a least ten percent (10%) of the outstanding Shares of such Fund join
in the bringing of such action.
(b) In
addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Trust
Statute, a Shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust with
respect to a Fund only if the following conditions are met: (i) the
Shareholder or Shareholders must make a pre-suit demand upon the Sponsor to
bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Sponsor to bring such an
action is not likely to succeed; and a demand on the Sponsor shall only be
deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused if the Sponsor has a personal
financial interest in the transaction at issue, and the Sponsor shall not be
deemed interested in a transaction or otherwise disqualified from ruling on the
merits of a Shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that the Sponsor receives
remuneration for its service as the Sponsor or as a sponsor of one or more
companies that are under common management with or otherwise affiliated with the
Trust; and (ii) unless a demand is not required under clause (i) of this
paragraph, the Sponsor must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider
such Shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim; and the
Sponsor shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the
merits of the request and may require an undertaking by the Shareholders making
such request to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any such advisors in the
event that the Sponsor determines not to bring such action.
ARTICLE
IX
BOOKS
OF ACCOUNT AND REPORTS
Section
9.1 Books of Account.
Proper books of account for each Fund shall be kept and shall be audited
annually by an independent certified public accounting firm selected by the
Sponsor in its sole discretion, and there shall be entered therein all
transactions, matters and things relating to each Fund’s business as are
required by the CE Act and regulations promulgated thereunder, and all other
applicable rules and regulations, and as are usually entered into books of
account kept by Persons engaged in a business of like character. The
books of account shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust and, subject
to Section 8.2(a), each Shareholder (or any duly constituted designee of a
Shareholder) shall have, at all times during normal business hours, upon
reasonable advance written notice, access to and the right to inspect and copy
the same (at such Shareholder’s own cost) to the extent such access is required
under CFTC rules and regulations. Such books of account shall be kept
in accordance with, and the Trust shall report its profits and losses on, the
accrual method of accounting for financial accounting purposes on a Fiscal Year
basis as described in Article X.
38
Section
9.2 Reports to
Shareholders. The Trust will furnish to DTC Participants for distribution
to each Fund’s Shareholders monthly and annual (as of the end of each fiscal
year) reports (in such detail) as are required to be provided to Shareholders by
the CFTC and the NFA. Monthly reports will contain certain unaudited
financial information regarding a Fund, including the Fund’s NAV, and annual
reports will contain financial statements prepared by the Sponsor and audited by
an independent registered public accounting firm designated by the
Sponsor. The Sponsor will furnish to Fund Shareholders any other
reports or information which the Sponsor, in its discretion, determines to be
necessary or appropriate. In addition, it is expected that the Trust
will be required under SEC rules to file quarterly and annual reports with the
SEC, which need not be sent to Fund Shareholders directly but will be publicly
available through the SEC. The Trust will post the same information
that would otherwise be provided in the Trust’s CFTC, NFA and SEC reports on the
Trust’s website.
Section
9.3 Calculation of Net Asset
Value. Net Asset Value of a Fund shall be calculated once each Business
Day at such time as the Sponsor shall determine from time to time.
Section
9.4 Maintenance of
Records. The Sponsor shall maintain: (a) for a period of at least six
Fiscal Years all books of account required by Section 9.1 hereof, a list of the
names and last known address of, and number of Shares owned by, all Shareholders
of each Fund, a copy of the Certificate of Trust and all certificates of
amendment thereto, together with executed copies of any powers of attorney
pursuant to which any certificate has been executed, and copies of the Trust’s
and Funds’ federal, state and local income tax returns and reports, if any; and
(b) for a period of at least six Fiscal Years, copies of any effective written
trust agreements, subscription agreements and any financial statements of the
Trust and the Funds. The Sponsor may keep and maintain the books and
records of the Trust and the Funds in paper, magnetic, electronic or other
format at the Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion, provided the Sponsor
uses reasonable care to prevent the loss or destruction of such
records.
Section
9.5 Certificate of
Trust. Except as otherwise provided in the Delaware Trust Statute or this
Trust Agreement, the Sponsor shall not be required to mail a copy of any
Certificate of Trust filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware
to each Shareholder; however, such certificates shall be maintained at the
principal office of the Trust and shall be available for inspection and copying
by the Shareholders in accordance with this Trust Agreement.
ARTICLE
X
FISCAL
YEAR
Section
10.1 Fiscal Year. The
Fiscal Year of the Trust shall be the calendar year. The first Fiscal
Year of the Trust shall commence on the date of filing of the Certificate of
Trust and end on the thirty-first day of December, 2009. If the Trust
terminates, the final Fiscal Year shall end on the date of
termination.
39
ARTICLE
XI
AMENDMENT
OF TRUST AGREEMENT; MEETINGS
Section
11.1 Amendments to the Trust
Agreement.
(a) The
Sponsor may, without the approval of the Limited Shareholders, amend or
supplement this Trust Agreement; provided, however, that the
Limited Shareholders shall have the right to vote on any amendment (i) if
expressly required under Delaware or federal law or regulations or rules of any
exchange, (ii) submitted to them by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, or (iii)
if it would impair the right of a Limited Shareholders to surrender baskets of
Shares and receive the amount of Trust property represented. The
Sponsor shall provide notice of any amendment to the Limited Shareholders
setting forth the substance of the amendment and its effective
date.
(b) Upon
amendment of this Trust Agreement, the Certificate of Trust shall also be
amended, if required by the Delaware Trust Statute, to reflect such
change.
(c) No
amendment shall be made to this Trust Agreement without the consent of the
Trustee if it reasonably believes that such amendment adversely affects any of
the rights, duties or liabilities of the Trustee. At the expense of
the Sponsor, the Trustee shall execute and file any amendment to the Certificate
of Trust if so directed by the Sponsor or if such amendment is required in the
opinion of the Trustee.
(d) The
Trustee shall be under no obligation to execute any amendment to the Trust
Agreement or to any agreement to which the Trust is a party until it has
received an instruction letter from the Sponsor, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (i) directing the Trustee to execute such
amendment, (ii) representing and warranting to the Trustee that such execution
is authorized and permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement and (if
applicable) such other agreement to which the Trust is a party and does not
conflict with or violate any other agreement to which the Trust is a party and
(iii) confirming that such execution and acts related thereto are covered by the
indemnity provisions of the Trust Agreement in favor of the Trustee; provided
that the Trustee shall in no circumstance be obligated to execute any agreement
to which the Trust is a party if the Sponsor may execute such Agreement on
behalf of the Trust.
(e) No
provision of this Trust Agreement may be amended, waived or otherwise modified
orally but only by a written instrument adopted in accordance with this
Section.
Section
11.2 Meetings of the
Shareholders. Meetings of the Shareholders may be called by the Sponsor
and will be called by it upon the written request of Limited Shareholders
holding at least 25% of the outstanding Shares of
all Funds or any Fund, as applicable. The Sponsor shall deposit in
the United States mail or electronically transmit written notice to all
Shareholders of the applicable Fund of the meeting and the purpose of the
meeting, which shall be held on a date, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days
after the date of mailing of said notice, at a reasonable time and
place. Where the meeting is being called upon the written request of
Limited Shareholders as set forth in this Section 11.2, such written notice
shall be mailed or transmitted not more than 45 days after such written request
for a meeting was received by the Sponsor. Any notice of meeting
shall be accompanied by a description of the action to be taken at the meeting
and, if applicable, an opinion of independent counsel as to the effect of such
proposed action on the liability of Limited Shareholders for the debts of the
applicable Fund. Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy at any
such meeting. The Sponsor shall be entitled to establish voting and
quorum requirements and other reasonable procedures for Shareholder
voting.
40
Section
11.3 Action Without a
Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by Limited
Shareholders by vote may be taken without a meeting by written consent setting
forth the actions so taken. Such written consents shall be treated
for all purposes as votes at a meeting. If the vote or consent of any
Limited Shareholder to any action of the Trust, any Fund or any Shareholder, as
contemplated by this Trust Agreement, is solicited by the Sponsor, the
solicitation shall be effected by notice to each Limited Shareholder given in
the manner provided in Section 16.4. Any vote or consent that has
been cast by a Limited Shareholder so solicited shall be deemed conclusively to
have been cast or granted as requested in the notice of solicitation, whether or
not the notice of solicitation is actually received by that Limited Shareholder,
unless the Limited Shareholder expresses written objection to the vote or
consent by notice given in the manner provided in Section 16.4 below and
actually received by the Trust within twenty (20) days after the notice of
solicitation is effected. The Sponsor and all
persons dealing with the Trust shall be entitled to act in reliance on any vote
or consent which is deemed cast or granted pursuant to this Section and shall be
fully indemnified by the Trust in so doing. Any action taken or
omitted in reliance on any such deemed vote or consent of one or more Limited
Shareholders shall not be void or voidable by reason of timely communication
made by or on behalf of all or any of such Limited Shareholders in any manner
other than as expressly provided in Section 16.4.
ARTICLE
XII
TERM
Section
12.1 Term. The term for
which the Trust is to exist shall commence on the date of the filing of the
Certificate of Trust, and the Trust and any Fund shall terminate pursuant to the
provisions of Article XIII hereof or as otherwise provided by law.
ARTICLE
XIII
TERMINATION
Section
13.1 Events Requiring
Dissolution of the Trust or any Fund. The Trust or, as the case may be,
any Fund shall dissolve at any time upon the happening of any of the following
events:
(a) The
occurrence of an Event of Withdrawal, unless (i) at the time there is at least
one remaining Sponsor and that remaining Sponsor carries on the business of the
Trust or (ii) within 90 days of such Event of Withdrawal, the affirmative vote
or written consent of Limited Shareholders in accordance with Section 8.2(d) or
Section 11.3 of this Trust Agreement is obtained to continue the business of the
Trust and to select, effective as of the date of such selection, one or more
successor Sponsors.
41
(b) The
occurrence of any event which would make unlawful the continued existence of the
Trust or any Fund, as the case may be.
(c) In
the event of the suspension, revocation or termination of the Sponsor’s
registration as a commodity pool operator under the CE Act, or membership as a
commodity pool operator with the NFA (if, in either case, such registration is
required under the CE Act or the rules promulgated thereunder) unless at the
time there is at least one remaining Sponsor whose registration or membership
has not been suspended, revoked or terminated.
(d) The
Trust or any Fund, as the case may be, becomes insolvent or
bankrupt.
(e)
Limited Shareholders owning at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the
outstanding Limited Shares held in all Funds, voting together as a single class,
vote to dissolve the Trust, upon notice to the Sponsor not less than ninety (90)
days prior to the effective date of termination.
(f) Upon
written notice to the Trustee and the Shareholders by the Sponsor of its
determination that the Trust’s or a Fund’s aggregate net assets in relation to
the operating expenses of the Trust or such Fund make it unreasonable or
imprudent to continue the business of the Trust or such Fund, or, in the
exercise of its reasonable discretion.
(g) The
Trust is required to be registered as an investment company under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(h) DTC
is unable or unwilling to continue to perform its functions, and a comparable
replacement is unavailable.
The
death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution, or withdrawal of
any Shareholder (as long as such Shareholder is not the sole Shareholder of the
Trust) shall not result in the termination of the Trust or any Fund, and such
Shareholder, his estate, custodian or personal representative shall have no
right to withdraw or value such Shareholder’s Shares. Each
Shareholder (and any assignee thereof) expressly agrees that in the event of his
death, he waives on behalf of himself and his estate, and he directs the legal
representative of his estate and any person interested therein to waive the
furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the assets of the
applicable Fund and any right to an audit or examination of the books of the
applicable Fund, except for such rights as are set forth in Article IX hereof
relating to the books of account and reports of the applicable
Fund.
Section
13.2 Distributions on
Dissolution. Upon the dissolution of the Trust or any Fund, the Sponsor
(or in the event there is no Sponsor, such person (the “Liquidating Trustee”)
as the majority in interest of the Shareholders may propose and approve) shall
take full charge of the Trust Estate. Any Liquidating Trustee so
appointed shall have and may exercise, without further authorization or approval
of any of the parties hereto, all of the powers conferred upon the Sponsor under
the terms of this Trust Agreement, subject to all of the applicable limitations,
contractual and otherwise, upon the exercise of such powers, and provided that
the Liquidating Trustee shall not have general liability for the acts,
omissions, obligations and expenses of the Trust or the
Funds. Thereafter, in accordance with Section 3808(e) or (g), as
applicable, of the Delaware Trust Statute, the business and affairs of the Trust
or any Fund shall be wound up and all assets shall be liquidated as promptly as
is consistent with obtaining the fair value thereof, and the proceeds therefrom
shall be applied and distributed in the following order of priority: (a) to the
expenses of liquidation and termination and to creditors, including Shareholders
who are creditors, to the extent otherwise permitted by law, in satisfaction of
liabilities of the Trust or the Funds (whether by payment or the making of
reasonable provision for payment thereof) other than liabilities for
distributions to Shareholders, and (b) to the Shareholders in accordance with
their positive book Capital Account balances, after giving effect to all
contributions, distributions and allocations for all periods.
42
Section
13.3 Termination; Certificate of Cancellation.
Following the dissolution and distribution of the assets of all Funds, the Trust
shall terminate and the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee, as the case may be,
shall instruct the Trustee to execute and cause such certificate of cancellation
of the Certificate of Trust pursuant to Section 3810(d) to be filed, at the
expense of the Trust pursuant to Section 13.2 hereof or of the Sponsor, in
accordance with the Delaware Trust Statute. Notwithstanding anything
to the contrary contained in this Trust Agreement, the existence of the Trust as
a separate legal entity shall continue until the filing of such certificate of
cancellation.
ARTICLE
XIV
MERGER,
CONSOLIDATION, INCORPORATION
Section
14.1 Merger,
Consoldation Notwithstanding anything else herein, the Sponsor may,
without Shareholder approval, (i) cause the Trust to convert into or merge,
reorganize or consolidate with or into one or more trusts, partnerships, limited
liability companies, associations, corporations or other business entities (or a
series of any of the foregoing to the extent permitted by law) (including
trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, corporations or
other business entities created by the Sponsor to accomplish such conversion,
merger or consolidation), (ii) cause the Shares to be exchanged under or
pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law, (iii)
cause the Trust to incorporate under the laws of a state, commonwealth,
possession or colony of the United States, (iv) sell or convey all or
substantially all of the assets of the Trust or any Fund to another Fund of the
Trust or to another trust, partnership, limited liability company, association,
corporation or other business entity (or a series of any of the foregoing to the
extent permitted by law) (including a trust, partnership, limited liability
company, association, corporation or other business entity created by the
Sponsor to accomplish such sale and conveyance), organized under the laws of the
United States or of any state, commonwealth, possession or colony of the United
States, for adequate consideration as determined by the Sponsor which may
include the assumption of all outstanding obligations, taxes and other
liabilities, accrued or contingent of the Trust or any affected Fund, and which
may include Shares of such other Fund of the Trust or shares of beneficial
interest, stock or other ownership interest of such trust, partnership, limited
liability company, association, corporation or other business entity (or series
thereof) or (v) at any time sell or convert into money all or any part of the
assets of the Trust or any Fund thereof.
Section
14.2 Changes to Trust
Agreement Pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Section
3815(f) of the Delaware Trust Statute and notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in this Trust Agreement, but subject to Sections 11.1(b) and
11.1(c), an agreement of merger or consolidation approved by the Sponsor in
accordance with Section 14.1 may effect any amendment to the Trust Agreement or
effect the adoption of a new trust agreement of the Trust or change the name of
the Trust if the Trust is the surviving or resulting entity in the merger or
consolidation.
43
Section
14.3 Successor Trusts
Notwithstanding anything else herein, the Sponsor may, without
Shareholder approval, create one or more statutory or business trusts to which
all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust or
any fund thereof may be transferred and may provide for the conversion of Shares
in the Trust or any Fund thereof into beneficial interests in any such newly
created trust or trusts or any series or classes thereof.
ARTICLE
XV
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
Section
15.1 Power of Attorney
Executed Concurrently. Each Limited Shareholder, by virtue of
its purchase of Shares in a Fund, irrevocably constitutes and appoints the
Sponsor and its officers, directors, and managers with full power of
substitution, as the true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent for such Limited
Shareholder with full power and authority to act in his name and on his behalf
in the execution, acknowledgment, filing and publishing of Trust documents,
including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Any
certificates and other instruments, including but not limited to, any
applications for authority to do business and amendments thereto, which the
Sponsor deems appropriate to qualify or continue the Trust as a business or
statutory trust in the jurisdictions in which the Trust may conduct business, so
long as such qualifications and continuations are in accordance with the terms
of this Trust Agreement or any amendment hereto, or which may be required to be
filed by the Trust or the Shareholders under the laws of any
jurisdiction;
(b) Any
instrument which may be required to be filed by the Trust under the laws of any
state or by any governmental agency, or which the Sponsor deems advisable to
file; and
(c) This
Trust Agreement and any documents which may be required to effect an amendment
to this Trust Agreement approved under the terms of the Trust Agreement, and the
continuation of the Trust, the increase or decrease of the Global Security
pursuant to Section 3.6, or the termination of the Trust, provided such
continuation, increase, decrease or termination is in accordance with the terms
of this Trust Agreement.
Section
15.2 Effect of Power of
Attorney. The Power of Attorney granted by each Limited Shareholder to
the Sponsor:
(a) Is a
special, irrevocable Power of Attorney coupled with an interest, and shall
survive and not be affected by the death, disability, dissolution, liquidation,
termination or incapacity of the Limited Shareholder;
(b) May
be exercised by the Sponsor for each Limited Shareholder by facsimile signature
and/or by a single signature of one of its officers acting as attorney-in-fact
for all of them; and
44
(c) Shall
survive the delivery of an assignment by a Limited Shareholder of the whole or
any portion of his Limited Shares, as applicable, except that where the records
of a Direct Participant or Indirect Participant reflect a transfer by a Limited
Shareholder of its Limited Shares that has otherwise been effectuated in
accordance with the provisions of this Trust Agreement, the Depository’s
procedures and the procedures of such Direct Participant or Indirect
Participant, as applicable, the Power of Attorney of the assignor shall survive
the delivery of such assignment for the sole purpose of enabling the Sponsor to
execute, acknowledge and file any instrument necessary to effect such
transfer.
Each
Limited Shareholder agrees to be bound by any representations made by the
Sponsor and by any successor thereto, determined to be acting in good faith
pursuant to such Power of Attorney and not constituting gross negligence or
willful misconduct.
Section
15.3 Limitation on Power of
Attorney. The Power of Attorney granted by each Limited Shareholder to
the Sponsor shall not authorize the Sponsor to act on behalf of Limited
Shareholders in any situation in which this Trust Agreement requires the
approval of Limited Shareholders unless such approval has been obtained as
required by this Trust Agreement. In the event of any conflict
between this Trust Agreement and any instruments filed by the Sponsor or any new
Sponsor pursuant to this Power of Attorney, this Trust Agreement shall
control.
ARTICLE
XVI
MISCELLANEOUS
Section
16.1 Governing Law. The
validity and construction of this Trust Agreement and all amendments hereto
shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and the rights of all
parties hereto and the effect of every provision hereof shall be subject to and
construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the
conflict of laws provisions thereof; provided, however, that causes of action
for violations of U.S. federal or state securities laws shall not be governed by
this Section 16.1, and provided further, that the parties hereto intend that the
provisions hereof shall control over any contrary or limiting statutory or
common law of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Trust Statute) and
that, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, there shall not be
applicable to the Trust, the Funds, the Trustee, the Sponsor, the Shareholders
or this Trust Agreement any provision of the laws (statutory or common) of the
State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Trust Statute) pertaining to trusts
which relate to or regulate in a manner inconsistent with the terms hereof: (a)
the filing with any court or governmental body or agency of trustee accounts or
schedules of trustee fees and charges, (b) affirmative requirements to post
bonds for trustees, officers, agents, or employees of a trust, (c) the necessity
for obtaining court or other governmental approval concerning the acquisition,
holding or disposition of real or personal property, (d) fees or other sums
payable to trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust, (e) the
allocation of receipts and expenditures to income or principal, (f) restrictions
or limitations on the permissible nature, amount or concentration of trust
investments or requirements relating to the titling, storage or other manner of
holding or investing of trust assets, or (g) the establishment of fiduciary or
other standards or responsibilities or limitations on the acts or powers of
trustees or managers that are inconsistent with the limitations on liability or
authorities and powers of the Trustee or the Sponsor set forth or referenced in
this Trust Agreement. Section 3540 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code
shall not apply to the Trust. The Trust shall be of the type commonly
called a “statutory trust,” and without limiting the provisions hereof, as
determined from time to time by the Sponsor, the Trust may exercise all powers
that are ordinarily exercised by such a trust under Delaware law. The
Trust specifically reserves the right to exercise any of the powers or
privileges afforded to statutory trusts and the absence of a specific reference
herein to any such power, privilege or action shall not imply that the Trust may
not exercise such power or privilege or take such actions.
45
Section
16.2 Provisions In Conflict
With Law or Regulations.
(a) The
provisions of this Trust Agreement are severable, and if the Sponsor shall
determine, with the advice of counsel, that any one or more of such provisions
(the “Conflicting
Provisions”) are in conflict with the Code, the Delaware Trust Statute or
other applicable U.S. federal or state laws, the Conflicting Provisions shall be
deemed never to have constituted a part of this Trust Agreement, even without
any amendment of this Trust Agreement pursuant to this Trust Agreement;
provided, however, that such determination by the Sponsor shall not affect or
impair any of the remaining provisions of this Trust Agreement or render invalid
or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such
determination. No Sponsor or Trustee shall be liable for making or
failing to make such a determination.
(b) If
any provision of this Trust Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable in
any jurisdiction, such holding shall not in any manner affect or render invalid
or unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision
of this Trust Agreement in any jurisdiction.
Section
16.3 Construction. In
this Trust Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, words used in the
singular or in the plural include both the plural and singular and words
denoting any gender include all genders. The title and headings of
different parts are inserted for convenience and shall not affect the meaning,
construction or effect of this Trust Agreement.
Section
16.4 Notices. All
notices or communications under this Trust Agreement (other than requests for
redemption of Shares, notices of assignment, transfer, pledge or encumbrance of
Shares, and reports and notices by the Sponsor to the Limited Shareholders)
shall be in writing and shall be effective upon personal delivery, or if sent by
mail, postage prepaid or by overnight courier, or if sent electronically, by
facsimile; and addressed, in each such case, to the address set forth in the
books and records of the Trust or the applicable Fund or such other address as
may be specified in writing, of the party to whom such notice is to be given,
and shall be effective upon the deposit of such notice in the United States
mail, upon deposit with a representative of an overnight courier, or upon
transmission and electronic confirmation thereof, as the case may
be. Notices of assignment, transfer, pledge or encumbrance of Shares
shall be effective upon timely receipt by the Sponsor in
writing. Requests for redemption of Shares shall be effected in
accordance with the provisions of Article VII of this Trust
Agreement.
Section
16.5 Counterparts. This
Trust Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, and all so executed
shall constitute one agreement, binding upon all of the parties hereto,
notwithstanding that all the parties are not signatories to the original or the
same counterpart.
46
Section
16.6 Binding Nature of Trust
Agreement. The terms and provisions of this Trust Agreement shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, custodians, executors,
estates, administrators, personal representatives, successors and permitted
assigns of the respective Shareholders. For purposes of determining
the rights of any Shareholder or assignee hereunder, the Trust and the Sponsor
may rely upon the Trust and Fund records as to who are Shareholders and
permitted assignees, and all Shareholders and assignees agree that the Trust,
each Fund and the Sponsor, in determining such rights, shall rely on such
records and that Shareholders and assignees shall be bound by such
determination.
Section
16.7 No Legal Title to Trust
Estate. Subject to the provisions of Section 1.8 in the case of the
Sponsor, the Shareholders shall not have legal title to any part of the
applicable Fund’s Trust Estate.
Section
16.8 Creditors. No
creditors of any Shareholders shall have any right to obtain possession of, or
otherwise exercise legal or equitable remedies with respect to the applicable
Fund’s Trust Estate.
Section
16.9 Integration. This
Trust Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto
pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings pertaining thereto.
Section
16.10 Goodwill; Use of
Name. No value shall be placed on the name or goodwill of the Trust,
which shall belong exclusively to Teucrium Trading, LLC.
47
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
undersigned have duly executed this Second Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust and Trust Agreement as of the day and year first above
written.
WILMINGTON
TRUST COMPANY,
|
|
as
Trustee
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
|
|
Title:
Vice President
|
|
TEUCRIUM
TRADING, LLC,
|
|
as
Sponsor
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxx Xxxxx
|
|
Title:
Treasurer and Secretary
|
48
EXHIBIT
A
FORM
OF GLOBAL CERTIFICATE1
CERTIFICATE
OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
-Evidencing-
All
Limited Shares
-in-
WITH
RESPECT TO ONE OF ITS SERIES
UNLESS
THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE TRUST WITH RESPECT TO THE
FUND OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY
CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER
NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS
MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR
OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER
HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
This is
to certify that Cede & Co., is the owner and registered holder of this
Certificate evidencing the ownership of all issued and outstanding Limited
Shares (“Shares”), each of
which represents a fractional undivided Share of beneficial interest in
_____________ Fund (the “Fund”), established
and designated as a series of the Teucrium Commodity Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware
statutory trust formed under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. § 3801
et seq.) pursuant to a Certificate of Trust, dated as of and filed in the
offices of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 11,
2009, and a Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust
Agreement, dated as of September __, 2010, by and between Teucrium Trading, LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company, as Sponsor, and Wilmington Trust Company,
a Delaware banking corporation, as Trustee (hereinafter called the “Trust Agreement”),
copies of which are available at the principal offices of the
Trust.
1 Forms of
Global Certificates of Beneficial Interest for each of the Trust’s Funds shall
be, except for the names of the Funds, substantially identical to this Form of
Global Certificate.
A-1
At any
given time this Certificate shall represent all limited units of beneficial
interest in the Fund, which shall be the total number of Limited Shares that are
outstanding at such time. The Trust Agreement provides for the
deposit of cash or a combination of United States Treasury securities, cash
and/or cash equivalents or other securities or property with the Fund from time
to time and the issuance by the Trust, with respect to the Fund, of additional
Creation Baskets representing the undivided units of beneficial interest in the
assets of the Trust. At the request of the registered holder this
Certificate may be exchanged for one or more Certificates issued to the
registered holder in such denominations as the registered holder may request,
provided, however, that, in the aggregate, the Certificates issued to the
registered holder hereof shall represent all Shares outstanding at any given
time.
Each
Participant hereby grants and conveys all of its rights, title and interest in
and to the Fund to the extent of the undivided interest represented hereby to
the registered holder of this Certificate subject to and in pursuance of the
Trust Agreement, all the terms, conditions and covenants of which are
incorporated herein as if fully set forth at length.
The
registered holder of this Certificate is entitled at any time upon tender of
this Certificate to the Fund, endorsed in blank or accompanied by all necessary
instruments of assignment and transfer in proper form, at its principal office
in the State of New York and, upon payment of any tax or other governmental
charges, to receive at the time and in the manner provided in the Trust
Agreement, such holder’s ratable portion of the assets of the Fund for each
Redemption Basket tendered and evidenced by this Certificate.
The
holder of this Certificate, by virtue of the purchase and acceptance hereof,
assents to and shall be bound by the terms of the Trust Agreement, copies of
which are on file and available for inspection at reasonable times during
business hours at the principal office of the Trust, to which reference is made
for all the terms, conditions and covenants thereof.
The Fund
may deem and treat the person in whose name this Certificate is registered upon
the books of the Fund as the owner hereof for all purposes and the Fund shall
not be affected by any notice to the contrary.
The Trust
Agreement permits the Sponsor, without the approval of the Limited Shareholders,
to amend or supplement the Trust Agreement; provided, however, that the
affirmative vote or written consent of Limited Shareholders holding Limited
Shares equal to at least a majority (over 50%) of the Trust’s outstanding
Limited Shares or, if the proposed amendment affects only certain Funds, of each
affected Fund’s outstanding Limited Shares, or such higher percentage as may be
required by applicable law, is required to approve any amendment (i) if
expressly required under Delaware or federal law or regulations or rules of any
exchange, (ii) submitted to them by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, or (iii)
if it would impair the right of a Limited Shareholders to surrender baskets of
Shares and receive the amount of Trust property represented. The
Sponsor shall provide notice of any amendment to the Trust Agreement to the
Limited Shareholders setting forth the substance of the amendment and its
effective date. Any such vote, consent or waiver by the holder of
Limited Shares shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder of Limited
Shares and upon all future holders of Limited Shares, and shall be binding upon
any Limited Shares, whether evidenced by a Certificate or held in uncertificated
form, issued upon the registration or transfer hereof whether or not notation of
such consent or waiver is made upon this Certificate and whether or not the
Limited Shares evidenced hereby are at such time in uncertificated
form.
A-2
In
accordance with Section 3.8 of the Trust Agreement, the holder of this
Certificate agrees and consents (the “Consent”) to look
solely to the assets (the “Fund Assets”) of the
Fund and to the Sponsor and its assets for payment in respect of any claim
against or obligation of the Fund. The Fund Assets include only those
funds and other assets that are paid, held or distributed to the Trust on
account of and for the benefit of the Fund, including, without limitation, funds
delivered to the Trust for the purchase of Shares in the Fund.
The Trust
Agreement, and this Certificate, are executed and delivered by Teucrium Trading,
LLC, as Sponsor, in the exercise of the powers and authority conferred and
vested in it by the Trust Agreement. The representations,
undertakings and agreements made on the part of the Trust in the Trust Agreement
or the Fund in this Certificate are made and intended not as personal
representations, undertakings and agreements by Teucrium Trading, LLC, but are
made and intended for the purpose of binding only the Trust. Nothing
in the Agreement or this Certificate shall be construed as creating any
liability on Teucrium Trading, LLC, individually or personally, to fulfill any
representation, undertaking or agreement other than as provided in the Trust
Agreement or this Certificate.
This
Certificate shall not become valid or binding for any purpose until properly
executed by the Sponsor pursuant to the Trust Agreement.
Terms not
defined herein have the same meaning as in the Trust Agreement.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, Teucrium Trading, LLC, as Sponsor, has caused this Certificate
to be executed in its name by the manual or facsimile signature of one of its
Authorized Officers.
Teucrium
Trading, LLC,
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as
Sponsor
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By:
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Authorized
Officer
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A-3
EXHIBIT
B
FORM
OF PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT
B-1
EXHIBIT
C
FORM
OF INSTRUMENT ESTABLISHING SERIES OR CLASS
C-1