BY-LAWS
OF
Fixed Income SHares
ARTICLE 1
Agreement and Declaration
of Trust and Principal Office
1.1 AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST. These By-Laws shall be subject to the
Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as from time to time in effect (the
"Declaration of Trust"), of Fixed Income SHares (the "Trust"), the
Massachusetts business trust established by the Declaration of Trust.
1.2 PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF THE TRUST. The principal office of the Trust shall be
located in Boston, Massachusetts.
ARTICLE 2
Meetings of Trustees
2.1 REGULAR MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the Trustees may be held without
call or notice at such places and at such times as the Trustees may from time
to time determine, provided that notice of the first regular meeting following
any such determination shall be given to absent Trustees.
2.2 SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Trustees may be held, at any
time and at any place designated in the call of the meeting, when called by the
Chairman of the Board, if any, the President or the Treasurer or by two or more
Trustees, sufficient notice thereof being given to each Trustee by the Clerk or
an Assistant Clerk or by the officer or the Trustees calling the meeting.
2.3 NOTICE. It shall be sufficient notice to a Trustee of a special meeting
to send notice by mail or courier at least forty-eight hours or by telegram at
least twenty-four hours before the meeting addressed to the Trustee at his or
her usual or last known business or residence address or to give notice to him
or her in person or by telephone at least twenty-four hours before the meeting.
Notice of a meeting need not be given to any Trustee if a written waiver of
notice, executed by him or her before or after the meeting, is filed with the
records of the meeting, or to any Trustee who attends the meeting without
protesting prior thereto or at its commencement the lack of notice to him or
her. Except as required by law, neither notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a
notice need specify the purposes of the meeting.
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2.4 QUORUM. At any meeting of the Trustees a majority of the Trustees then in
office shall constitute a quorum. Any meeting may be adjourned from time to
time by a majority of the votes cast upon the question, whether or not a
quorum is present, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further
notice to any Trustee who was present at the time of such adjournment; notice
of the time and place of any adjourned session of such meeting shall, however,
be given in the manner provided in Section 2.3 of these By-Laws to each
Trustee who was not present at the time of such adjournment.
2.5 ACTION BY VOTE. When a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of
Trustees present may take any action, except when a larger vote is expressly
required by law, by the Declaration of Trust or by these By-Laws.
2.6 ACTION BY WRITING. Except as required by law, any action required or
permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Trustees may be taken without a
meeting if a majority of the Trustees (or such larger proportion thereof as
shall be required by any express provision of the Declaration of Trust or these
By-Laws) consent to the action in writing and such written consents are filed
with the records of the meetings of the Trustees. Such consent shall be
treated for all purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of Trustees.
2.7 PRESENCE THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT. Except as required by law, the
Trustees may participate in a meeting of Trustees by means of a conference
telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time, and
participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.
ARTICLE 3
Officers
3.1 ENUMERATION; QUALIFICATION. The officers of the Trust shall be a
President, a Treasurer, a Clerk and such other officers, if any, as the
Trustees from time to time may in their discretion elect. The Trust may also
have such agents as the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion
appoint. If a Chairman of the Board is elected, he or she shall be a Trustee
and may but need not be a Shareholder; and any other officer may be but none
need be a Trustee or Shareholder. Any two or more offices may be held by the
same person.
3.2 ELECTION AND TENURE. The President, the Treasurer, the Clerk and such
other officers as the Trustees may in their discretion from time to time elect
shall each be elected by the Trustees to serve until his or her successor is
elected or qualified, or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or
becomes disqualified. Each officer shall hold office and each agent shall
retain authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
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3.3 POWERS. Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws, each officer
shall have, in addition to the duties and powers herein and in the Declaration
of Trust set forth, such duties and powers as are commonly incident to the
office occupied by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a
Massachusetts business corporation and such other duties and powers as the
Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.4 PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS. The President shall have the duties and
powers specified in these By-Laws and shall have such other duties and powers
as may be determined by the Trustees.
Any Vice Presidents shall have such duties and powers as shall be designated
from time to time by the Trustees.
3.5 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Chief Executive Officer of the Trust shall
be the Chairman of the Board, the President or such other officer as is
designated by the Trustees and shall, subject to the control of the Trustees,
have general charge and supervision of the business of the Trust and, except as
the Trustees shall otherwise determine, preside at all meetings of the
Shareholders and of the Trustees. If no such designation is made, the
President shall be the Chief Executive Officer.
3.6 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. If a Chairman of the Board of Trustees is elected,
he shall have the duties and powers specified in these By-Laws and shall have
such other duties and powers as may be determined by the Trustees.
3.7 TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial and accounting
officer of the Trust, and shall, subject to the provisions of the Declaration
of Trust and to any arrangement made by the Trustees with a custodian,
investment adviser or manager, administrator or transfer, shareholder servicing
or similar agent, be in charge of the valuable papers, books of account and
accounting records of the Trust, and shall have such other duties and powers as
may be designated from time to time by the Trustees or by the President.
3.8 CLERK. The Clerk shall record all proceedings of the Shareholders and the
Trustees in books to be kept therefor, which books or a copy thereof shall be
kept at the principal office of the Trust. In the absence of the Clerk from
any meeting of the Shareholders or Trustees, an assistant Clerk, or if there be
none or if he or she is absent, a temporary clerk chosen at such meeting shall
record the proceedings thereof in the aforesaid books.
3.9 RESIGNATIONS AND REMOVALS. Any officer may resign at any time by written
instrument signed by him or her and delivered to the President or the Clerk or
to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt
unless specified to be effective at some other time. The Trustees may remove
any officer with or without cause. Except to the extent expressly provided in
a written agreement with the Trust, no officer resigning and no
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officer removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period
following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages on
account of such removal.
ARTICLE 4
Indemnification
4.1 TRUSTEES, OFFICERS, ETC. The Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees
and officers (including persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors,
officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any
interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (hereinafter referred to as a
"Covered Person") against all liabilities and expenses, including but not
limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines
and penalties, and counsel fees reasonably incurred by any Covered Person in
connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other
proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or
legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved
as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have
been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of any alleged act or
omission as a Trustee or officer or by reason of his or her being or having
been such a Trustee or officer, except with respect to any matter as to which
such Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated in any such action,
suit or other proceeding not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable
belief that such Covered Person's action was in the best interest of the Trust
and except that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to
the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered
Person's office. Expenses, including counsel fees so incurred by any such
Covered Person, may be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance of the
final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding on the condition that
the amounts so paid shall be repaid to the Trust if it is ultimately determined
that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article.
4.2 COMPROMISE PAYMENT. As to any matter disposed of by a compromise payment
by any such Covered Person referred to in Section 4.1 above, pursuant to a
consent decree or otherwise, no such indemnification either for said payment or
for any other expenses shall be provided unless such compromise shall be
approved as in the best interests of the Trust, after notice that it involved
such indemnification, (a) by a disinterested majority of the Trustees then in
office; or (b) by a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office; or
(c) by any disinterested person or persons to whom the question may be referred
by the Trustees, provided that in the case of approval pursuant to clause (b)
or (c) there has been obtained an opinion in writing of independent legal
counsel to the effect that such Covered Person appears to have acted in good
faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interests
of the Trust and that such indemnification would not protect such person
against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such person
would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
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involved in the conduct of office; or (d) by vote of Shareholders holding
a majority of the Shares entitled to vote thereon, exclusive of any Shares
beneficially owned by any interested Covered Person. Approval by the
Trustees pursuant to clause (a) or (b) or by any disinterested person or
persons pursuant to clause (c) of this Section shall not prevent the
recovery from any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person
in accordance with any of such clauses as indemnification if such Covered
Person is subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction
not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered
Person's action was in the best interests of the Trust or to have been
liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
the conduct of such Covered Person's office.
4.3 INDEMNIFICATION NOT EXCLUSIVE. The right of indemnification hereby
provided shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any such
Covered Person may be entitled. As used in this Article 4, the term "Covered
Person" shall include such person's heirs, executors and administrators; an
"interested Covered Person" is one against whom the action, suit or other
proceeding in question or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same
or similar grounds is then or has been pending; and a "disinterested Trustee"
or "disinterested person" is a Trustee or a person against whom none of such
actions, suits or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding
on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending. Nothing contained
in this Article shall affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel
of the Trust, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be
entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to
purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such person.
ARTICLE 5
Reports
5.1 GENERAL. The Trustees and officers shall render reports at the time and
in the manner required by the Declaration of Trust or any applicable law.
Officers shall render such additional reports as they may deem desirable or as
may from time to time be required by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 6
Fiscal Year
6.1 GENERAL. Except as from time to time otherwise provided by the Trustees,
the fiscal year of the Trust shall end on December 31 in each year.
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ARTICLE 7
Seal
7.1 GENERAL. The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced die with the
word "Massachusetts," together with the name of the Trust and the year of its
organization cut or engraved thereon, but, unless otherwise required by the
Trustees, the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and its absence
shall not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper
executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 8
Execution of Papers
8.1 GENERAL. Except as the Trustees may generally or in particular cases
authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all checks, notes, drafts
and other obligations and all registration statements and amendments thereto
and all applications and amendments thereto to the Securities and Exchange
Commission shall be signed by the Chairman, if any, the President, any Vice
President or the Treasurer or any of such other officers or agents as shall be
designated for that purpose by a vote of the Trustees.
ARTICLE 9
Provisions Relating to the
Conduct of the Trust's Business
9.1 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE. The Trustees or any officer or officers
or agent or agents of the Trust designated from time to time for this purpose
by the Trustees shall determine at least once daily the net income and the
value of all the assets belonging to any Series or attributable to any class of
Shares of the Trust on each day upon which the New York Stock Exchange is open
for unrestricted trading and at such other times as the Trustees shall
designate. In determining asset values, all securities for which
representative market quotations are readily available shall be valued at
market value, and all securities and other assets for which representative
market quotations are not readily available shall be valued at fair value, all
as determined in good faith by the Trustees or an officer or officers or agent
or agents, as aforesaid, in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted at the time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the assets belonging to
any Series or attributable to any class of Shares of the Trust may, if so
authorized by the Trustees, be valued in accordance with the amortized cost
method, and the asset value so determined, subject to the power of the Trustees
to alter the asset value so determined, less total liabilities belonging to
that Series or attributable to any class of Shares (exclusive of capital stock
and surplus) shall be the net asset value until a new asset value is determined
by the Trustees or such officers or agents. In determining the net asset value
the Trustees or such officers or agents may include in liabilities
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such reserves for taxes, estimated accrued expenses and contingencies in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted at the time as the
Trustees or such officers or agents may in their best judgment deem fair and
reasonable under the circumstances. The manner of determining net asset value
may from time to time be altered as necessary or desirable in the judgment of
the Trustees to conform it to any other method prescribed or permitted by
applicable law or regulation. Determinations of net asset value made by the
Trust or such officers or agents in good faith shall be binding on all parties
concerned. The foregoing sentence shall not be construed to protect any
Trustee, officer or agent of the Trust against any liability to the Trust or
its security holders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
ARTICLE 10
Amendments to the By-Laws
10.1 GENERAL. These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part,
by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Trustees, or
by written consent in lieu thereof.
ARTICLE 11
11.1 PROXY INSTRUCTIONS TRANSMITTED BY TELEPHONIC OR ELECTRONIC MEANS. The
placing of a Shareholder's name on a proxy pursuant to telephonic or
electronically transmitted instructions obtained pursuant to procedures
reasonably designed to verify that such instructions have been authorized by
such Shareholder shall constitute execution of such proxy by or on behalf of
such Shareholder.
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