Exhibit 8(a)(2)
AMENDED AND RESTATED
TRANSFER AGENCY, DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENCY AND
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGENCY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, made as of November 1, 2000, by and between XXXXXXX XXXXX
NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST (formerly known as Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Global Resources
Trust), a Massachusetts business trust (the "Fund"), and FINANCIAL DATA
SERVICES, INC., a Florida corporation ("FDS").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Fund and FDS desire to amend and restate the Transfer Agency,
Dividend Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agency Agreement previously
executed by the parties in order to reflect the change of name for the Fund
subject to, the terms and provisions of this Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of mutual covenants contained in this
Agreement, the Fund and FDS agree as follows:
1. Appointment of FDS as Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and
Shareholder Servicing Agent.
(a) The Fund hereby appoints FDS to act as Transfer Agent, Dividend
Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent for the Fund upon, and subject
to, the terms and provisions of this Agreement.
(b) FDS hereby accepts the appointment as Transfer Agent, Dividend
Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent for the Fund, and agrees to act
as such upon, and subject to, the terms and provisions of this Agreement.
2. Definitions.
(a) In this Agreement:
(I) The term "Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended
from time to time and any rule or regulation thereunder;
(II) The term "Account" means any account of a Shareholder, as defined
below, or, if the shares are held in an account in the name of a Financial
Intermediary, as defined below, for the benefit of an identified person, such
account, including a Plan Account, any account under a plan (by whatever name
referred to in the Prospectus) pursuant to the Self-Employed Individuals
Retirement Act of 1962 ("Xxxxx Act Plan") and any account under a plan (by
whatever name referred to in the Prospectus) pursuant to (S)401(k) of the
Internal Revenue Code ("Corporation Master Plan");
(III) The term "application" means an application made by a Shareholder
or prospective Shareholder respecting the opening of an Account;
(IV) The term "Fund Distributor" means FAM Distributors, Inc., a
Delaware corporation;
(V) The term "Financial Intermediary" means a registered broker-dealer,
registered investment adviser, or any other entity authorized to sell shares of
the Fund pursuant to a written agreement with the Fund Distributor;
(VI) The term "Officer's Instruction" means an instruction in writing
given on behalf of a Fund to FDS, and signed on behalf of the Fund by the
President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Fund;
(VII) The term "Plan Account" means an account opened by a Shareholder
or prospective Shareholder in respect to an open account, monthly payment or
withdrawal plan (in each case by whatever name referred to in the Prospectus),
and may also include an account relating to any other plan if and when provision
is made for such plan in the Prospectus;
(VIII) The term "Prospectus" means the Prospectus and the Statement of
Additional Information of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect;
(IX) The term "Shareholder" means a holder of record of Shares;
(X) The term "Shares" means shares of stock of the Fund irrespective of
class or series.
2
3. Duties of FDS as Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and
Shareholder Servicing Agent.
(a) Subject to the succeeding provisions of the Agreement, FDS hereby
agrees to perform the following functions as Transfer Agent, Dividend
Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent for the Fund:
(I) Issuing, transferring and redeeming Shares;
(II) Opening, maintaining, servicing and closing Accounts;
(III) Acting as agent for the Fund's Shareholders and/or
customers of a Financial Intermediary in connection with Plan
Accounts, upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained
in the Prospectus and application relating to the specific Plan
Account;
(IV) Acting as agent of the Fund and/or a Financial
Intermediary, maintaining such records as may permit the
imposition of such contingent deferred sales charges as may be
described in the Prospectus, including such reports as may be
reasonably requested by the Fund with respect to such Shares as
may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge;
(V) Upon the redemption of Shares subject to such a
contingent deferred sales charge, calculating and deducting from
the redemption proceeds thereof the amount of such charge in the
manner set forth in the Prospectus. FDS shall pay, on behalf of
the Fund's Distributor, to a Financial Intermediary such deducted
contingent deferred sales charges imposed upon all Shares
maintained in the name of that Financial Intermediary, or
maintained in the name of an account identified as a customer
account of that Financial Intermediary. Sales charges imposed
upon any other Shares shall be paid by FDS to the Fund
Distributor;
(VI) Exchanging the investment of a Shareholder into, or
from, the shares of other open-end investment companies or other
series portfolios of the Fund, if any, if and to the extent
permitted by the Prospectus at the direction of such Shareholder;
(VII) Processing redemptions;
(VIII) Examining and approving legal transfers;
(IX) Furnishing such confirmations of transactions relating
to their Shares as required by applicable law;
3
(X) Acting as agent for the Fund with respect to furnishing each
Shareholder such appropriate periodic statements relating to Accounts, together
with additional enclosures including appropriate income tax information and
income tax forms duly completed, as required by applicable law, as well as
furnishing such information to each Financial Intermediary to enable the
Financial Intermediary to provide such information to its customers;
(XI) Acting as agent for the Fund with respect to mailing annual and
semi-annual reports prepared by or on behalf of the Fund, and mailing new
Prospectuses upon their issue to each Shareholder as required by applicable law
as well as causing such materials to be mailed to each Financial Intermediary to
enable the Financial Intermediary to deliver such materials to its customers;
(XII) Furnishing such periodic statements of transactions effected by
FDS, reconciliations, balances and summaries as the Fund may reasonably request;
(XIII) Maintaining such books and records relating to transactions
effected by FDS as are required by the Act, or by any other applicable provision
of law, rule or regulation to be maintained by the Fund or its transfer agent
with respect to such transactions, and preserving, or causing to be preserved,
any such books and records for such periods as may be required by any such law,
rule or regulation and as may be agreed upon from time to time between FDS and
the Fund. In addition, FDS agrees to maintain and preserve master files and
historical computer tapes on a daily basis in multiple separate locations a
sufficient distance apart to ensure preservation of at least one copy of such
information;
(XIV) Withholding taxes on non-resident alien Accounts, preparing and
filing U.S. Treasury Department Form 1099 and other appropriate forms as
required by applicable law with respect to dividends and distributions; and
(XV) Reinvesting dividends for full and fractional Shares and
disbursing cash dividends, as applicable, pursuant to instructions received
from the Shareholder at the time an Account is established.
(b) FDS agrees to act as proxy agent in connection with the holding of
annual, if any, and special meetings of Shareholders, mailing such notices,
proxies and proxy statements in
4
connection with the holding of such meetings as may be required by applicable
law, receiving and tabulating votes cast by proxy and communicating to the Fund
the results of such tabulation accompanied by appropriate certificates, and
preparing and furnishing to the Fund certified lists of Shareholders as of such
date, in such form and containing such information as may be required by the
Fund.
(c) FDS agrees to deal with, and answer in a timely manner, all
correspondence and inquiries relating to the functions of FDS under this
Agreement with respect to Accounts.
(d) FDS agrees to furnish to the Fund such information and at such
intervals as is necessary for the Fund to comply with the registration and/or
the reporting requirements (including applicable escheat laws) of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, Blue Sky authorities or other governmental authorities.
(e) FDS agrees to provide to the Fund such information as may reasonably be
required to enable the Fund to reconcile the number of outstanding Shares
between FDS' records and the account book of the Fund.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this paragraph,
FDS agrees to perform its functions thereunder subject to such modification
(whether in respect of particular cases or in any particular class of cases) as
may from time to time be agreed in a writing signed by both parties.
4. Compensation.
(a) The Fund agrees to pay FDS the fees and charges, as well as FDS' out of
pocket costs, for services described in this Agreement as set forth in the
Schedule of Fees attached hereto.
5. Rights of Inspection.
(a) FDS agrees that it will, in a timely manner, make available to, and
permit, any officer, accountant, attorney or authorized agent of the Fund to
examine and make transcripts and copies (including photocopies and computer or
other electronical information storage media and print-outs) of any and all of
its books and records which relate to any transaction or function performed by
FDS under or pursuant to this Agreement.
5
6. Confidential Relationship.
(a) FDS agrees that it will, on behalf of itself and its officers and
employees, treat all transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and all
information germane thereto, as confidential and not to be disclosed to
any person (other than the Shareholder concerned, or the Fund, or as may be
disclosed in the examination of any books or records by any person lawfully
entitled to examine the same) except as may be authorized by the Fund by
way of an Officer's Instruction.
7. Indemnification.
(a) The Fund shall indemnify and hold FDS harmless from any loss,
costs, damage and reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees
(provided that such attorney appointed with the Fund's consent, which
consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) incurred by it resulting from
any claim, demand, action or suit in connection with the performance of its
duties hereunder, provided that this indemnification shall not apply to
actions or omissions of FDS in cases of willful misconduct, failure to act
in good faith or negligence by FDS, its officers, employees or agents, and
further provided that prior to confessing any claim against it which may be
subject to this indemnification, FDS shall give the Fund reasonable
opportunity to defend against said claim in its own name or in the name of
FDS. An action taken by FDS upon any Officer's Instruction reasonably
believed by it to have been properly executed shall not constitute willful
misconduct, failure to act in good faith or negligence under this
Agreement.
8. Regarding FDS.
(a) FDS hereby agrees to hire, purchase, develop and maintain such
dedicated personnel, facilities, equipment, software, resources and
capabilities as both parties may mutually determine to be reasonably
necessary for the satisfactory performance of the duties and
responsibilities of FDS. FDS warrants and represents that its officers and
supervisory personnel charged with carrying out its functions as Transfer
Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent for the
Fund possess the special skill and technical knowledge appropriate for that
purpose. FDS shall at all times exercise due care and diligence in the
6
performance of its functions as Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and
Shareholder Servicing Agent for the Fund. FDS agrees that, in determining
whether it has exercised due care and diligence, its conduct shall be measured
by the standard applicable to persons possessing such special skill and
technical knowledge.
(b) FDS warrants and represents that it is duly authorized and permitted
to act as Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing
Agent under all applicable laws and that it will immediately notify the Fund of
any revocation of such authority or permission or of the commencement of any
proceeding or other action which may lead to such revocation.
9. Termination.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first above
written and shall remain in force for two years thereafter and shall thereafter
continue from year to year. This Agreement may be terminated by the Fund or FDS
(without penalty to the Fund or FDS) provided that the terminating party gives
the other party written notice of such termination at least sixty (60) days in
advance, except that the Fund may terminate this Agreement immediately upon
written notice to FDS if the authority or permission of FDS to act as Transfer
Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent has been
revoked or if any proceeding or other action which the Fund reasonably believes
will lead to such revocation has been commenced.
(b) Upon termination of this Agreement, FDS shall deliver all
Shareholder records, books, stock ledgers, instruments and other documents
(including computerized or other electronically stored information) made or
accumulated in the performance of its duties as Transfer Agent, Disbursing Agent
and Shareholder Servicing Agent for the Fund along with a certified locator
document clearly indicating the complete contents therein, to such successor as
may be specified in a notice of termination or Officer's Instruction; and the
Fund assumes all responsibility for failure thereafter to produce any paper,
record or document so delivered and identified in the locator document, if and
when required to be produced.
7
10. Amendment.
(a) Except to the extent that the performance by FDS or its
functions under this Agreement may from time to time be modified by an Officer's
Instruction, this Agreement may be amended or modified only by further written
agreement between the parties.
11. Governing Law.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
signed by their respective duly authorized officers and their respective
corporate seals hereunto duly affixed and attested, as of the day and year above
written.
XXXXXXX XXXXX NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Vice President and Treasurer
FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
8
Schedule of Fees
The fund will pay to FDS:
1. For all accounts other than those detailed below an annual fee of
$11.00 per Class A and Class D Shareholder Account and $14.00 per
Class B and Class C Shareholder Account. Additionally, a $.20 monthly
closed account charge will be assessed to all accounts which close
during the calendar year. Application of this fee will commence the
month following the month the account is closed. At the end of the
calendar year, the closed account fee will be waived.
2. For ERISA accounts held in the MFA program or any other program
requiring equalization under ERISA, the Fund will pay an annual fee
equal to 10 basis points on the net assets in these accounts instead
of the per account charge.
3. For "Large" and "Mid" market employee benefit plan accounts, the Fund
will pay an annual fee of $1.00 per Class A and Class D Shareholder
Account and $14.00 per Class B and Class C Shareholder Account plus
$1.00 per transaction.
4. For "Small" market employee benefit plans, the fund will pay per each
Shareholder Account based on the following schedule:
Account Size Base Fee Transactions
(less than) $1,000 $7.00 $0.00
$1,000 (less than) $2,500 $11.00 $0.00
(greater than) $2,500 $11.00 $1.00
In addition, the Fund shall reimburse FDS for the following out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by FDS pursuant to this Agreement:
. Postage
. Envelopes/stationery
. Record storage and retrieval
. Telephone (local and long distance)
. Pre-authorized checks
. Returned check fees/charges and other similar fees/charges
. Handling costs (ADP or other similar vendor)
. Fed wire charges (excluding wires to/from the Fund's custody accounts)
. Forms
. Any other costs agreed in writing by the parties
9
