TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the 1st day of June, 2023, by and between The Xxxxx ETF Trust (the “Trust”), including on behalf of each of its series listed on Appendix A hereto (as such Appendix may be amended from time to time) (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, a New York corporation authorized to do a banking business having its principal office and place of business at 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (the “Bank”).
WHEREAS, the Trust will ordinarily issue for purchase and redeem shares of each Fund (the “Shares”) only in aggregations of Shares known as “Creation Units” as set forth next to the name of each Fund on Appendix A hereto (each a “Creation Unit”);
WHEREAS, The Depository Trust Company, a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York (“DTC”), or its nominee (Cede & Co.), will be the registered owner (the “Shareholder”) of all Shares; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to appoint the Bank as its transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, and agent in connection with certain other activities, and the Bank desires to accept such appointment;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as follows:
1. Terms of Appointment; Duties of the Bank
1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Trust hereby employs and appoints the Bank to act as, and the Bank agrees to act as, its transfer agent for the authorized and issued Shares, and as the Trust’s dividend disbursing agent.
1.2 Pursuant to such appointment, the Bank agrees that it will perform the following services:
(a) In accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the authorized participant agreements (the “Participant Agreements”) between the Trust’s distributor (“Distributor”), the Bank and each Fund’s authorized participants, a form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A, the Bank shall:
(i) Perform and facilitate the performance of purchases and redemption of Creation Units;
(ii) Prepare and transmit by means of DTC’s book-entry system payments for dividends and distributions on or with respect to the Shares declared by the Trust on behalf of the applicable Fund;
(iii) Maintain the record of the name and address of the Shareholder and the number of Shares issued by the Trust, on behalf of the applicable Fund, and held by the Shareholder;
(iv) Record the issuance of Shares of the Trust and maintain a record of the total number of Shares of the Trust which are outstanding, and, based upon data provided to it by the Trust, the total number of authorized Shares. The Bank shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Trust other than laws directly applicable to the Bank as a result of the services provided pursuant to this Agreement.
(v) Prepare and transmit to the Trust and the Trust’s administrator and to any applicable securities exchange (as specified to the Bank by the Trust or its administrator) information with respect to purchases and redemptions of Shares;
(vi) On days that the Trust may accept orders for purchases or redemptions, calculate and transmit to the Distributor and the Trust’s administrator the number of outstanding Shares;
(vii) On days that the Trust may accept orders for purchases or redemptions (pursuant to the Participant Agreements), transmit to the Bank, the Trust and DTC the amount of Shares purchased on such day;
(viii) Confirm to DTC the number of Shares issued to the Shareholder, as DTC may reasonably request;
(ix) Prepare and deliver other reports, information and documents to DTC as DTC may reasonably request;
(x) Extend the voting rights to the Shareholder for extension by DTC to DTC participants and the beneficial owners of Shares in accordance with policies and procedures of DTC for book-entry only securities;
(xi) Distribute or maintain, as directed by the Trust, amounts related to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units, dividends and distributions, variation margin on derivative securities and collateral;
(xii) Send to the National Securities Clearance Corporation on the evening of each trade day a portfolio composition file for each Fund displaying the individual securities and the weightings that make up each Fund’s basket for the following trade day;
(xiii) Maintain those books and records of the Trust specified by the Trust in Schedule A attached hereto in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;
(xiv) Prepare a monthly report of all purchases and redemptions of Shares during such month on a gross transaction basis, and identify on a daily basis the net number of Shares either redeemed or purchased on such business day and with respect to each Authorized Participant purchasing or redeeming Shares, the amount of Shares purchased or redeemed;
(xv) Receive from the Distributor, or from its agent, purchase orders from Authorized Participants (as defined in the Participant Agreement) for Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares received in good form and accepted by or on behalf of the Trust by the Distributor, promptly transmit appropriate trade instructions to the National Securities Clearance Corporation, if applicable, and pursuant to such orders issue the appropriate number of Shares of the Trust and hold such Shares in the account of the Shareholder for each of the respective Funds;
(xvi) Receive from the Authorized Participants redemption requests, deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to The Bank of New York as custodian for the Trust, generate and transmit or cause to be generated and transmitted confirmation of receipt of such redemption requests to the Authorized Participants submitting the same; transmit appropriate trade instructions to the National Securities Clearance Corporation, if applicable, and redeem the appropriate number of Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares held in the account of the Shareholder;
(xvii) Confirm the name, U.S taxpayer identification number and principal place of business of each Authorized Participant;
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(xviii) The Bank may execute transactions directly with Authorized Participants to the extent necessary or appropriate to enable the Bank to carry out any of the duties set forth in items (i) through (xvii) above;
(xix) Except as otherwise instructed by the Trust, the Bank shall process all transactions in each Series in accordance with the policies and procedures mutually agreed upon between the Trust and the Bank with respect to the proper net asset value to be applied to purchases received in good order by the Bank or from an Authorized Participant before any cut-offs established by the Trust, and such other matters set forth in items (i) through (xvii) above as these policies and procedures are intended to address; and
(xx) The Bank will act only upon instruction from the Trust and/or Distributor or pursuant to the procedures established by the Distributor with the Authorized Participants in addressing any failure in the delivery of cash, securities and/or Shares in connection with the creation and redemptions of Creation Units.
(b) The Bank may maintain and manage, as agent for the Trust, such accounts as the Bank shall deem necessary for the performance of its duties under this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the processing of Creation Unit purchases and redemptions; and the payment of dividends and distributions. The Bank may maintain such accounts at financial institutions deemed appropriate by the Bank in accordance with applicable law.
(c) In addition to the services set forth in the above sub-section 1.2(a), the Bank shall: perform the customary services of a transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent including, but not limited to, maintaining the account of the Shareholder, maintaining the items set forth on Schedule A attached hereto, and performing such services identified in each Participant Agreement.
(d) The following shall be delivered to DTC participants as identified by DTC as the Shareholder for book-entry only securities:
(i) Annual and semi-annual reports of the Funds;
(ii) Trust proxies, proxy statements and other proxy soliciting materials;
(iii) Fund prospectuses and statements of additional information, and amendments and supplements thereto; and
(iv) Other communications as the Trust may from time to time identify as required by law or as the Trust may reasonably request.
(e) The Bank shall provide additional services, if any, as may be agreed upon in writing by the Trust and the Bank.
(f) The Bank shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder, in the form and manner required by applicable laws, rules, and regulations under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and to the extent required by Section 31 of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder (the “Rules”), all such books and records shall be the property of the Trust, will be preserved, maintained and made available in accordance with such Section and Rules, and will be surrendered promptly to the Trust on and in accordance with its request or upon termination of this Agreement.
(g) At least annually, the Bank shall, upon the Trust’s request, provide the Trust with the results of its latest SSAE-18 or equivalent control audit prepared by the Bank’s external auditors. In addition, the Bank shall participate, no more than once every 12 months, in the Trust’s reasonable information security questionnaire process.
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2. Fees and Expenses
2.1 The Bank shall receive from the Trust such compensation for the Transfer Agent’s services provided pursuant to this Agreement as may be agreed to from time to time in a written fee schedule approved by the parties. The fees are accrued daily and billed monthly and shall be due and payable upon receipt of the invoice. Upon the termination of this Agreement before the end of any month, the fee for the part of the month before such termination shall be prorated according to the proportion which such part bears to the full monthly period and shall be payable upon the date of termination of this Agreement.
2.2 In addition to the fee paid under Section 2.1 above, the Trust agrees to reimburse the Bank for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including but not limited to confirmation production, postage, forms, telephone, tabulating proxies, records storage, or advances incurred by the Bank for the items set out in the fee schedule or relating to dividend distributions and reports (whereas all expenses related to creations and redemptions of Shares shall be borne by the relevant Authorized Participant in such creations and redemptions). In addition, any other expenses incurred by the Bank at the request or with the consent of the Trust, will be reimbursed by the Trust.
2.3 The Trust agrees to pay all fees and reimbursable expenses within thirty (30) business days following the receipt of the respective billing notice accompanied by supporting documentation, as appropriate. Postage for mailing of dividends, proxies, Trust reports and other mailings to all shareholder accounts shall be advanced to the Bank by the Trust at least seven (7) days prior to the mailing date of such materials. Such fees and expenses described in this Section 2 also may be paid by the Trust’s investment adviser.
2.4 The Trust hereby represents and warrants to the Bank that (i) the terms of this Agreement, (ii) the fees and expenses associated with this Agreement, and (iii) any benefits accruing to the Bank or to the adviser to, or sponsor of, the Trust in connection with this Agreement, including, but not limited to, any fee waivers, reimbursements, or payments made, or to be made, by the Bank to such adviser or sponsor or to any affiliate of the Trust relating to this Agreement have been fully disclosed to the Board of Trustees of the Trust and that, if required by applicable law, such Board of Trustees has approved or will approve the terms of this Agreement, and any such fees, expenses, and benefits.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Bank
3.1 The Bank represents and warrants to the Trust that:
(a) It is duly registered as a transfer agent under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), it will remain so registered for the duration of this Agreement, and it will promptly notify the Trust in the event of any material change in its status as a registered transfer agent.
(b) It has in place, and will maintain during the term of this Agreement, policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with the rules applicable to transfer agents set forth in the 1934 Act.
(c) It is a banking company duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of New York.
(d) It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of New York.
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(e) It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Charter and By-Laws (each as may be amended from time to time) to act as transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent and to enter into, and perform its obligations under, this Agreement.
(f) It has obtained all regulatory licenses, approvals and consents necessary to carry on its business as currently conducted; there is no statute, regulation, rule, order or judgment binding on Bank and no provision of its Charter or By-laws, nor of any mortgage, indenture, credit agreement or other contract binding on Bank or affecting its property which would prohibit the execution or performance by Bank of this Agreement.
(g) All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement.
(h) It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Trust
4.1 The Trust represents and warrants to the Bank that:
(a) It is duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(b) It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws (each as may be amended from time to time) to enter into and perform this Agreement.
(c) It is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act.
(d) A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on behalf of each of the Funds has become effective, will remain effective, and appropriate state securities law filings have been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all Shares of the relevant Fund being offered for sale.
5. Indemnification
5.1 The Bank shall not be responsible for, and the Trust shall indemnify and hold the Bank and its directors, officers, employees and agents harmless from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, including, without limitation, those incurred by the Bank in a successful defense of any claims by the Trust, payments, expenses and liability (“Losses”) which may be sustained or incurred by or which may be asserted against the Bank in connection with or relating to this Agreement or the Bank’s actions or omissions with respect to this Agreement, or as a result of acting upon any instructions reasonably believed by the Bank to have been duly authorized by the Trust or upon reasonable reliance of information or records given or made by the Trust; except for any Losses for which the Bank is liable pursuant to Article 6 of this Agreement as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
5.2 This indemnification provision shall apply to actions taken or omissions pursuant to this Agreement or a Participant Agreement.
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6. Standard of Care and Limitation of Liability
6.1 In performing the services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to this Agreement, the Bank shall exercise the standard of care, skill and diligence that a professional provider of transfer agent services would observe in these affairs. The Bank shall have no responsibility and shall not be liable for any Losses, except that the Bank shall be liable to the Trust for direct money damages caused by its own fraud, negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or its reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement or that of its employees. The parties agree that any encoding or payment processing errors shall be governed by this standard of care, and not Section 4-209 of the Uniform Commercial Code which shall be superseded by this Article.
6.2 In no event shall the Bank or the Trust be liable for special, indirect or consequential damages, regardless of the form of action and even if the same were foreseeable.
6.3 Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the Bank’s cumulative liability under this Agreement shall be limited to the amount of fees paid for services hereunder during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event first giving rise to such loss, damage or liability; provided, however, that the foregoing limitation of liability shall not apply if a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that BNY Mellon acted with actual fraud, bad faith, intentional misconduct or reckless disregard of its obligations hereunder.
6.4 For purposes of this Agreement, none of the following shall be or be deemed a breach of the Bank’s standard or care:
(a) The conclusive reliance on or use by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors of information, records, documents or services which (i) are received by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors, and (ii) have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Trust or any other person or firm on behalf of the Trust including but not limited to any previous transfer agent or registrar.
(b) The conclusive reliance on, or the carrying out by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors of, any instructions or requests of the Trust or instructions or requests on behalf of the Trust.
(c) The offer or sale of Shares by or for the Trust in violation of any requirement under the federal securities laws or regulations, or the securities laws or regulations of any state that such Shares be registered in such state, or any violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal agency, or by any state with respect to the offer or sale of Shares in such state.
7. Concerning the Bank
7.1 The Bank may employ agents or attorneys-in-fact which are not affiliates of the Bank with the prior written consent of the Trust (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), and shall not be liable for any loss or expense arising out of, or in connection with, the actions or omissions to act of such agents or attorneys-in-fact, provided that the Bank acts in good faith and with reasonable care in the selection and retention of such agents or attorneys-in-fact. The Bank may, at its own expense, without the prior consent of the Trust, enter into subcontracts, agreements and understandings with any Bank affiliate, whenever and on such terms and conditions as it deems necessary or appropriate to perform its services hereunder. No such subcontract, agreement or understanding shall discharge Bank from its obligations hereunder and Bank shall be liable and responsible to the Trust for any act or omission of any Bank affiliate in the manner, and to the same extent, as though such act or omission were that of Bank.
7.2 The Bank shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any written or oral instruction actually received by the Bank and reasonably believed by the Bank to be duly authorized and delivered by the Trust or the
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Distributor. The Trust agrees to forward to the Bank written instructions confirming oral instructions by the close of business of the same day that such oral instructions are given to the Bank. The Trust agrees that the fact that such confirming written instructions are not received or that contrary written instructions are received by the Bank shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of transactions authorized by such oral instructions and effected by the Bank.
7.3
(a) The Bank shall establish and maintain a disaster recovery plan and back-up system satisfying the requirements of its regulators (the “Disaster Recovery Plan and Back-Up System”). The Bank shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control which are not a result of its negligence, including without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruption, loss or malfunctions of transportation, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority; governmental actions; or inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation, provided that the Bank has established and is maintaining the Disaster Recovery Plan and Back-Up System, or if not, that such delay or failure would have occurred even if the Bank had established and was maintaining the Disaster Recovery Plan and Back-Up System. Upon the occurrence of any such delay or failure the Bank shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control which are not a result of its negligence, including without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruption, loss or malfunctions of transportation, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority; governmental actions; or inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation.
(b) The Bank shall endeavor to conduct a test of significant components of its Disaster Recovery Plan not less frequently than annually, and upon reasonable request, discuss with senior management of the Trust’s investment adviser such Disaster Recovery Plan, a summary of the test results and answer questions regarding the same.
7.4 The Bank shall have no duties or responsibilities whatsoever except such duties and responsibilities as are specifically set forth in this Agreement and the Participation Agreement, and no covenant or obligation shall be implied against the Bank in connection with this Agreement, except as set forth in this Agreement and the Participation Agreement.
7.5 At any time the Bank may apply to an officer of the Trust, but is not obligated to do so, for written instructions with respect to any matter arising in connection with the Bank’s duties and obligations under this Agreement, and the Bank, its agents, and subcontractors shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith in accordance with such instructions. Such application by the Bank for instructions from an officer of the Trust may, at the option of the Bank, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted to be taken by the Bank with respect to its duties or obligations under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken, and the Bank shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein unless, prior to taking or omitting to take any such action, the Bank has received written or oral instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted. In connection with the foregoing, the Bank may consult with legal counsel of its own choosing at its own expense, but is not obligated to do so, and advise the Trust if any instructions provided by the Trust at the request of the Bank pursuant to this Article or otherwise would, to the Bank’s knowledge, cause the
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Bank to take any action or omit to take any action contrary to any law, rule, regulation or commercially reasonable practice for similarly situated service providers. In the event a situation or circumstance arises whereby the Bank adopts a course of conduct in reliance upon written legal advice it has received (which need not be a formal opinion of counsel) and the course of conduct is not identical to the course of conduct contained in the instructions received from the Trust, the Bank may rely upon and follow the written legal advice without liability hereunder provided it otherwise acts in compliance with this Agreement and notifies the Trust in writing of its determination to take such actions.
7.6 The Bank, its agents and subcontractors may act upon any paper or document, reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons, or upon any instruction, information, data, records or documents provided to the Bank or its agents or subcontractors by or on behalf of the Trust by machine readable input, telex, CRT data entry or other similar means authorized by the Trust, and shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Trust.
7.7 The Bank shall retain title to and ownership of any and all data bases, computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, derivative works, inventions, discoveries, patentable or copyrightable matters, concepts, expertise, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and other related legal rights utilized by the Bank in connection with the services provided by the Bank hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties hereto acknowledge that the Trust shall retain all ownership rights in Trust data and Trust information residing on the Bank’s electronic system.
7.8 Notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Bank shall be under no duty or obligation to inquire into, and shall not be liable for:
(a) The legality of the issue, sale or transfer of any Shares, the sufficiency of the amount to be received in connection therewith, or the authority of the Trust to request such issuance, sale or transfer;
(b) The legality of the purchase of any Shares, the sufficiency of the amount to be paid in connection therewith, or the authority of the Trust to request such purchase;
(c) The legality of the declaration of any dividend by the Trust, or the legality of the issue of any Shares in payment of any stock dividend; or
(d) The legality of any recapitalization or readjustment of the Shares.
7.9 The Bank shall cooperate with the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and shall take reasonable action as directed to provide such information, as may be reasonably requested by the Trust, from time to time, to such firm for the provision of their opinions.
8. Providing of Documents by the Trust and Transfers of Shares
8.1 The Trust shall promptly furnish to the Bank with a copy of its Agreement and Declaration of Trust and all amendments thereto.
8.2 In the event that DTC ceases to be the Shareholder, the Bank shall re-register the Shares in the name of the successor to DTC as Shareholder upon receipt by the Bank of such documentation and assurances as it may reasonably require.
8.3 The Bank shall have no responsibility whatsoever with respect to of any beneficial interest in any of the Shares owned by the Shareholder.
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8.4 The Trust shall deliver to the Bank the following documents on or before the effective date of any increase, decrease or other change in the total number of Shares authorized to be issued:
(a) A certified copy of the amendment to the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust with respect to such increase, decrease or change; and
(b) At the reasonable request of the Bank, an opinion of counsel for the Trust, in a form satisfactory to the Bank, with respect to (i) the validity of the Shares, the obtaining of all necessary governmental consents, whether such Shares are fully paid and non-assessable and the status of such Shares under the 1933 Act, and any other applicable federal law or regulations (i.e., if subject to registration, that they have been registered and that the Registration Statement has become effective or, if exempt, the specific grounds therefor), (ii) the status of the Trust with regard to the 1940 Act, and (iii) the due and proper listing of the Shares on all applicable securities exchanges.
8.5 Prior to the issuance of any additional Shares pursuant to stock dividends, stock splits or otherwise, and prior to any reduction in the number of Shares outstanding, the Trust shall deliver to the Bank:
(a) A certified copy of the order or consent of each governmental or regulatory authority required by law as a prerequisite to the issuance or reduction of such Shares, as the case may be, and an opinion of counsel for the Trust that no other order or consent is required; and
(b) At the reasonable request of the Bank, an opinion of counsel for the Trust, in a form satisfactory to the Bank, with respect to (i) the validity of the Shares, the obtaining of all necessary governmental consents, whether such Shares are fully paid and non-assessable and the status of such Shares under the 1933 Act, and any other applicable federal law or regulations (i.e., if subject to registration, that they have been registered and that the Registration Statement has become effective or, if exempt, the specific grounds therefor), (ii) the status of the Trust with regard to the 1940 Act, and (iii) the due and proper listing of the Shares on all applicable securities exchanges.
8.6 The Bank and the Trust agree that all books, records, confidential, non-public, or proprietary information and data pertaining to the business of the other party which are exchanged or received pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this Agreement shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any person other than its auditors, accountants, regulators, employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact or counsel, except as may be, or may become required by law, by administrative or judicial order or by rule. The foregoing confidentiality obligation shall not apply to any information to the extent: (i) it is already known to the receiving party at the time it is obtained; (ii) it is or becomes publicly known or available through no wrongful act of the receiving party: (iii) it is rightfully received from a third party who, to the receiving party’s knowledge, is not under a duty of confidentiality; (iv) it is released by the protected party to a third party without restriction; or (v) it has been or is independently developed or obtained by the receiving party without reference to the information provided by the protected party.
8.7 In case of any requests or demands for the inspection of the Shareholder records of the Trust, the Bank will promptly employ reasonable commercial efforts to notify the Trust and secure instructions from an authorized officer of the Trust as to such inspection. The Bank reserves the right, however, to exhibit the Shareholder records to any person whenever it is advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for the failure to exhibit the Shareholder records to such person.
9. Termination of Agreement
9.1 The term of this Agreement shall be three years commencing upon the date hereof (the “Initial Term”) and shall automatically renew for additional one-year terms (each a “Subsequent Term”). Following
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the expiration of the Initial Term, either party may terminate this Agreement at any time by giving to the other party a notice in writing specifying the date of such termination, which will be not less than ninety (90) days after the date of such notice.
9.2 Additionally, the Initial Term or any Subsequent Term may be earlier terminated as provided below:
(a) Either party hereto may terminate this Agreement prior to the expiration of the Initial Term in the event the other party breaches any material provision of this Agreement, provided that the non-breaching party gives written notice of such breach to the breaching party and the breaching party does not cure such violation within ninety (90) days of receipt of such notice.
(b) Either party hereto may terminate this Agreement immediately by sending notice thereof to the other party upon the happening of any of the following: (i) a party commences as debtor any case or proceeding under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, or there is commenced against such party any such case or proceeding; (ii) a party commences as debtor any case or proceeding seeking the appointment of a receiver, conservator, trustee, custodian or similar official for such party or any substantial part of its property or there is commenced against the party any such case or proceeding; (iii) a party makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (iv) a party states in any medium, written, electronic or otherwise, any public communication or in any other public manner its inability to pay debts as they come due. Either party hereto may exercise its termination right under this Section 9.1(b) at any time after the occurrence of any of the foregoing events notwithstanding that such event may cease to be continuing prior to such exercise, and any delay in exercising this right shall not be construed as a waiver or other extinguishment of that right.
9.3 Should the Trust exercise its right to terminate, all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses associated with the movement of records and material will be borne by the Trust.
9.4 The terms of Article 2 (with respect to fees and expenses incurred prior to termination), Article 5 and Article 6 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
9.5 In the event that the Bank terminates this Agreement other than for cause pursuant to Article 9.2, or the Trust terminates this Agreement for cause pursuant to Article 9.2, in each case at any time prior to the expiration of the Initial Term, the Bank agrees to pay the reasonable, documented conversion costs of the Funds, including without limitation, professional fees, regulatory filing fees or other fees reasonably incurred in connection with such termination and conversion to a replacement transfer agency service provider, provided that such costs shall not exceed the fees paid to Bank for services provided under this Agreement.
9.6 Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Fund shall in no way affect the rights, benefits and duties under this Agreement with respect to any other Fund.
9.7 Notwithstanding any provision of this Article 9 to the contrary, in the event that this Agreement is terminated, the parties agree to continue operating under the terms of this Agreement as if this Agreement remained in full force and effect for a conversion period not to exceed nine (9) months following the effective date of the termination or as the parties may mutually agree is necessary for the Bank to deliver the books and records and any other properties of the Funds held hereunder by the Bank to a successor provider of transfer agency services in an orderly manner.
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10. Additional Series
In the event that the Trust establishes one or more additional series of Shares with respect to which it desires to have the Bank render services as transfer agent under the terms hereof, it shall so notify the Bank in writing, and if the Bank agrees in writing to provide such services, such additional series shall become a Fund hereunder, and Appendix A shall be amended accordingly.
11. Assignment
11.1 Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either party without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that either party may assign this Agreement to a party controlling, controlled by or under common control with it provided further, that in the case of an assignment by the Trusts to a new entity, the Trusts shall provide the Bank with sixty (60) days’ prior written notice of such assignment so as to permit Bank to complete any applicable know-your-customer obligations or new client onboarding requirements. Any assignment in violation of this Agreement shall be null and void. A change in control of a lineal parent company of a party resulting from the sale of stock, merger, or other similar transaction shall not be considered an assignment of the Agreement.
11.2 If, during the Initial Term, the Bank assigns this Agreement pursuant to this Article 11 to a third party that is not an affiliate of Bank without the written consent of the Trust, the Trust shall have the option, exercisable for ninety (90) days after receiving written notice of such assignment or transfer (or for such longer period as may be mutually agreed by the parties), to terminate this Agreement.
11.3 This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
12. Severability and Beneficiaries
12.1 In case any provision in or obligation under this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, the legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected thereby provided obligation of the Trust to pay is conditioned upon provision of services.
12.2 This Agreement is solely for the benefit of the Bank and the Trust, and none of any Participant (as defined in the Participation Agreement), the Distributor, any Shareholder or beneficial owner of any Shares shall be or be deemed a third party beneficiary of this Agreement.
13. Amendment
This Agreement may be amended or modified by a written agreement executed by both parties.
14. New York Law to Apply
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof. The Trust and the Bank hereby consent to the jurisdiction of a state or federal court situated in New York City, New York in connection with any dispute arising hereunder. Each party hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that such proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient
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forum. The Trust and the Bank each hereby irrevocably waives any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
15. Merger of Agreement
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written.
16. Notices
All notices and other communications as required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows or to such other address or addresses of which the respective party shall have notified the other.
If to the Bank:
The Bank of New York Mellon
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York, New York 10286
Attention: ETF Operations
with a copy to:
The Bank of New York Mellon
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York, New York 10286
Attention: Legal Dept. – Asset Servicing
If to the Trust:
The Alger ETF Trust
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Legal Department
17. Information Sharing and Confidentiality
17.1 The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial organization that provides services to clients through its affiliates and subsidiaries in multiple jurisdictions (the “BNY Mellon Group”). The BNY Mellon Group may centralize functions including audit, accounting, risk, legal, compliance, sales, administration, product communication, relationship management, storage, compilation and analysis of customer-related data, and other functions (the “Centralized Functions”) in one or more affiliates, subsidiaries and third-party service providers. Solely in connection with the Centralized Functions, (i) the Trust consents to the disclosure of and authorizes the Bank to disclose information regarding the Trust (“Customer-Related Data”) to the BNY Mellon Group and to its third-party service providers who are subject to confidentiality obligations with respect to such information and (ii) the Bank may store the names and business contact information of the Trust’s employees and representatives on the systems or in the records of the BNY Mellon Group or its service providers. The BNY Mellon Group may aggregate Customer-Related Data with other data collected and/or calculated by the BNY Mellon Group, and notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary the BNY Mellon Group will own all such aggregated data, provided that the BNY Mellon Group shall not distribute the aggregated data in a format
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that identifies Customer-Related Data with a particular customer. The Trust confirms that it is authorized to consent to the foregoing.
17.2 A receiving party shall protect confidential information, including information provided pursuant to Section 8.6 and this Section 17, of a disclosing party at least to the same degree as the receiving party protects its own confidential information. All confidential information provided by a disclosing party shall remain the property of such disclosing party. All confidential information, together with any copies thereof, in whatever form, shall, upon the disclosing party’s written request, be returned to the disclosing party or destroyed, at the receiving party’s election; provided, that the receiving party shall be permitted to retain all or any portion of the confidential information, in accordance with the confidentiality obligations specified in this Agreement, to the extent required by applicable law or regulatory authority or to the extent required by the receiving party’s internal policies and in accordance with its customary practices for backup and storage.
18. Limitations of Liability of the Trustees and Shareholders
It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the shareholders, Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust, personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust, as provided in its Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and signed by an officer of the Trust, acting as such, and neither such authorization by such Trustees nor such execution and delivery by such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in its Agreement Declaration of Trust.
19. Use of Names
The Bank shall not, without prior written consent of the Trust, in each instance, (i) use in advertising, publicity or otherwise the name of “Xxxxx ETFs,” “Xxxxx Funds” or “Xxxxx” including the name of any affiliate, partner or employee of Xxxx Xxxxx Management, LLC or any of its affiliates, nor any trade name, trademark, trade device, service mark, symbol, logo or any abbreviation, contraction or simulation thereof owned by Xxxx Xxxxx Management, LLC or any of its affiliates; or (ii) represent, directly or indirectly, that any product or any service provided by the Bank has been approved or endorsed by Xxxx Xxxxx Management, LLC or any of its affiliates.
20. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the latest date set forth below.
THE XXXXX ETF TRUST, INCLUDING ON BEHALF OF EACH FUND LISTED ON APPENDIX A | ||
By: |
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: General Counsel | ||
Date: May 26, 2023 | ||
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | ||
By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Title: Managing Director | ||
Date: June 1, 2023 |
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APPENDIX A
Funds/Creation Units
Name of Fund |
Shares Per Creation Unit | |
Xxxxx 35 ETF |
12,500 | |
Xxxxx Mid Cap 40 ETF |
12,500 | |
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Enduring Growth ETF |
12,500 |
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SCHEDULE A
Books And Records To Be Maintained By The Bank
Source Documents requesting Creations and Redemptions
Correspondence/AP Inquiries
Reconciliations, bank statements, copies of canceled checks, cash proofs
Daily/Monthly reconciliation of outstanding Shares between the Trust and DTC
Dividend Records
Year-end Statements and Tax Forms
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EXHIBIT A
Form of Authorized Participant Agreement
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