DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 99.28(e)
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 17th day of February, 2006, between Constellation Institutional Portfolios (“the Trust”), a Delaware business trust and Touchstone Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”), an Ohio corporation.
ARTICLE 5. Compensation. As compensation for providing the services under this Agreement:
(a) The Distributor shall receive from the Trust:
(1) all distribution and service fees, as applicable, at the rate and under the terms and conditions set forth in each Distribution and/or Shareholder Services Plan adopted by the appropriate class of shares of each of the Portfolios, as such Plans may be amended from time to time, and subject to any further limitations on such fees as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may impose;
(2) all contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSCs”) applied on redemptions of CDSC Class Shares of each Portfolio on the terms and subject to such waivers as are described in the Trust’s Registration Statement and
current prospectuses, as amended from time to time, or as otherwise required pursuant to applicable law; and
(3) all front-end sales charges, if any, on purchases of Class A Shares of each Portfolio sold subject to such charges as described in the Trust’s Registration Statement and current prospectuses, as amended from time to time. The Distributor, or brokers, dealers and other financial institutions and intermediaries that have entered into sub-distribution agreements with the Distributor, may collect the gross proceeds derived from the sale of such Class A Shares, remit the net asset value thereof to the Trust upon receipt of the proceeds and retain the applicable sales charge.
(b) The Distributor may reallow any or all of the distribution or service fees, contingent deferred sales charges and front-end sales charges which it is paid by the Trust to such brokers, dealers and other financial institutions and intermediaries as the Distributor may from time to time determine.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Trust to be deemed to protect the Distributor against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which the Distributor or such person otherwise would be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the Trust to be liable to the Distributor under the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against the Distributor or any person indemnified unless the Distributor or other person shall have notified the Trust in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the Distributor or such other person (or after the Distributor or the person shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to notify the Trust of any claim shall not relieve the Trust from any liability which it may have to the Distributor or any person against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph.
The Trust shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims subject to this indemnity provision. If the Trust elects to assume the defense of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Trust and satisfactory to the indemnified defendants in the suit whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Trust elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the indemnified defendants shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of a suit, it will reimburse the indemnified defendants for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by the indemnified defendants.
The Trust agrees to notify the Distributor promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or Trustees in connection with the issuance or sale of any of its Shares.
time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading, insofar as the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Distributor in favor of the Trust or any other person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Trust or any other person against any liability to which the Trust or such other person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the Distributor to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against the Trust or any person indemnified unless the Trust or person, as the case may be, shall have notified the Distributor in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the Trust or upon any person (or after the Trust or such person shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to notify the Distributor of any claim shall not relieve the Distributor from any liability which it may have to the Trust or any person against whom the action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph.
The Distributor shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce the claim, but if the Distributor elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Distributor and satisfactory to the indemnified defendants whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Distributor elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the defendants in the suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the indemnified defendants in the suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.
The Distributor agrees to notify the Trust promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it in connection with the issue and sale of any of the Trusts’ Shares.
ARTICLE 10. Limitation of Liability. A copy of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust is on file with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and notice is hereby given that this Agreement is executed on behalf of the Trustees of the Trust as Trustees and not individually and that the obligations of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust individually but binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust.
ARTICLE 11. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Delaware, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control.
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CONSTELLATION INSTITUTIONAL PORTFOLIOS | |||
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By: |
/s/Xxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
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Attest: |
/s/X. Xxxxxx | ||
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TOUCHSTONE SECURITIES, INC. | |||
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By: |
/s/Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
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Attest: |
/s/Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||