Amended and RestateD CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
Exhibit (g)(1)
Amended and RestateD CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
Amended and Restated CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT made this 8th day of August, 2017 by and among GMO Trust, a business trust established under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( the “Trust”), on behalf of each series of the Trust identified on Appendix A and each series which becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof (in each case a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), separately and not jointly, and, with respect to Section 12.1 hereof, Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company (the “Manager”), and State Street Bank and Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company (the “Bank” or the “Custodian”).
WHEREAS, the Trust, the Manager, and Investors Bank & Trust Company (“IBT”) entered into a Custodian Agreement dated as of August 1, 1991 (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “IBT Custodian Agreement”);
WHEREAS, IBT merged with and into the Bank, effective July 2, 2007, with the result that the Bank now serves as custodian under the IBT Custodian Agreement and all references in the IBT Custodian Agreement to “IBT” shall now be references to “State Street Bank and Trust Company”; and
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Manager have requested that the Bank amend and restate the IBT Custodian Agreement and the Bank has agreed to do so as an accommodation to the Trust and the Manager notwithstanding that as amended, this Agreement is not identical to the form of custodian agreement customarily entered into by the Bank as custodian, in order that the services, as successor by merger to IBT, may be made consistently and predictably to the Trust and the Funds.
2. Definitions. Whenever used herein, the terms listed below will have the following meaning:
2.3 Portfolio security. Portfolio security will mean any security owned by the Trust.
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(b) Redemptions: in such amount as may be necessary for the repurchase or redemption of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust offered for repurchase or redemption in accordance with Section 8 of this Agreement;
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The Bank is hereby authorized to endorse for collection and collect on behalf of and in the name of the Trust all checks, drafts, or other negotiable or transferable instruments or other orders for the payment of money received by it for the account of the Trust.
The Bank will use the same care with respect to the safekeeping of portfolio securities and cash of the Trust held by it as it uses in respect of its own similar property but it need not maintain any special insurance for the benefit of the Trust.
The Trust will from time to time furnish to the Bank appropriate instruments to enable it to hold or deliver in proper form for transfer, or to register in the name of its registered nominee, any securities which it may hold for the account of the Trust and which may from time to time be registered in the name of the Trust.
Neither the Bank nor any nominee of the Bank will vote any of the portfolio securities held hereunder by or for the account of the Trust, except in accordance with Proper Instructions or an Officers' Certificate.
The Bank will execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Trust all notices, proxies and proxy soliciting materials with respect to such securities, such proxies to be executed by the registered holder of such securities (if registered otherwise than in the name of the Trust), but without indicating the manner in which such proxies are to be voted.
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1. The Bank may keep Securities of the Trust in the Book-Entry System provided that such securities are represented in an account (“Account”) of the Bank (or its agent) in such System which shall not include any assets of the Bank (or such agent) other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian, or otherwise for customers.
2. The records of the Bank (and any such agent) with respect to the Trust's participation in the Book-Entry System through the Bank (or any such agent) will identify by book entry securities belonging to the Trust which are included with other securities deposited in the Account and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Bank (or such agent) be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Trust. Where securities are transferred to the Trust's account, the Bank shall also, by book entry or otherwise, identify as belonging to the Trust a quantity of securities in fusible bulk of securities (i) registered in the name of the Bank or its nominee, or (ii) shown on the Bank's account on the books of the Federal Reserve Bank.
3. The Bank (or its agent) shall pay for securities purchased for the account of the Trust or shall pay cash collateral against the return of securities loaned by the Trust upon (i) receipt of advice from the Book-Entry System that such Securities have been transferred to the Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Bank (or its agent) to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Trust. The Bank (or its agent) shall transfer securities sold or loaned for the account of the Trust upon
(i) receipt of advice from the Book-Entry System that payment for Securities sold or payment of the initial cash collateral against the delivery of securities loaned by the Trust has been transferred to the Account, and
(ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Bank (or its agent) to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of the Trust. Copies of all advices from the Book-Entry System of transfers of Securities for the account of the Trust shall identify the Trust, be maintained for the Trust by the Bank and shall be provided to the Trust at its request. The Bank shall send the Trust a confirmation, as defined by Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, of any transfers to or from the account of the Trust.
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4. The Bank will promptly provide the Trust with any report obtained by the Bank or its agent on the Book-Entry System's accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding securities deposited in the Book-Entry System. The Bank will provide the Trust and cause any such agent to provide, at such times as the Trust may reasonably require, with reports by independent public accountants on the accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding securities, including Securities deposited in the Book-Entry System, relating to the services provided by the Bank or such agent under the Agreement.
5. Anything to the contrary in the Agreement notwithstanding, the Bank shall be liable to the Trust for any loss or damage to the Trust resulting from use of the Book-Entry System by reason of any negligence, willful misfeasance or bad faith of the Bank or any of its agents or of any of its or their employees or from any reckless disregard by the Bank or any such agent of its duty to enforce effectively such rights as it may have against the Book-Entry System; at the election of the Trust, it shall be entitled to be subrogated for the Bank in any claim against the Book-Entry System or any other person which the Bank or its agent may have as a consequence of any such loss or damage if and to the extent that the Trust has not been made whole for any loss or damage.
1. The Bank may use a Depository to hold, receive, exchange, release, lend, deliver and otherwise deal with the securities owned by the Trust, including stock dividends, rights and other items of like nature, and to receive and remit to the Bank on behalf of the Trust all income and other payments thereon and to take all steps necessary and proper in connection with the collection thereof.
2. Registration of the Trust's securities may be made in the name of any nominee or nominees used by such Depository.
3. Payment for securities purchased and sold may be made through the clearing medium employed by such Depository for transactions of participants acting through it. Upon any purchase of securities for the account of the Trust, payment will be made only upon delivery of the securities to or for the account of the Trust and the Trust shall pay cash collateral against the return of securities loaned by the Trust only upon delivery of the securities to or for the account of the Trust; and upon any sale of securities for the account of the Trust, delivery of the securities will be made only against payment thereof or, in the event securities are loaned, delivery of securities will be made only against receipt of the initial cash collateral to or for the account of the Trust.
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4. The Bank shall be subject to the same liability and duty to the Trust and its shareholders with respect to all securities of the Trust, and all cash, stock dividends, rights and items of like nature to which the Trust is entitled, held or received by a central securities system as agent for the Bank, pursuant to the foregoing authorization, as if the same were held or received by the Bank at its own offices. In this connection, with respect to the use of the Depository by the Bank but without limiting the foregoing duty or liability, the Bank, without cost to the Trust, shall ensure that:
(i) The Depository obtains replacement of any certificated security deposited with it in the event such security is lost, destroyed, wrongfully taken or otherwise not available to be returned to the Bank upon its request;
(ii) Any proxy materials received by Depository with respect to securities of the Trust deposited with such Depository are forwarded immediately to the Bank for prompt transmittal to the Trust;
(iii) Such Depository immediately forwards to the Bank confirmation of any purchase or sale of securities for the account of the Trust and of the appropriate book entry made by such Depository to the Trust's account;
(iv) Such Depository prepares and delivers to the Bank such records with respect to the performance of the Bank's obligations and duties hereunder as may be necessary for the Trust to comply with the recordkeeping requirements of Section 31(a) of the1940 Act and Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 thereunder; and
(v) Such Depository delivers to the Bank and the Trust all internal accounting control reports, whether or not audited by an independent public accountant, as well as such other reports as the Trust may reasonably request in order to verify the Trust's securities held by such Depository.
5. The Bank agrees to the following (the terms “financial assets,” “securities entitlements,” “securities intermediary,” “securities depository,” and “intermediary custodian,” as used herein, shall have the same meaning as when such terms are used in Rule 17f-4 of the 1940 Act (“Rule 17f-4”) for purposes of Rule 17f-4):
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(i) In addition to, and not in lieu of, any standard of care set forth in this Agreement, the Bank shall be obligated to exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards when placing and maintaining financial assets corresponding to the Trust’s securities entitlements with a securities depository or an intermediary custodian;
(ii) In addition to the Bank's obligations under Section 11 of this Agreement, the Bank shall provide, promptly upon request by the Trust, such reports as are available regarding its internal accounting controls and financial strength; and
(iii) In addition to, and not in lieu of, any standard of care set forth in this Agreement that is applicable to an intermediary custodian appointed by the Bank pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, any such intermediary custodian shall be obligated, pursuant to the terms of its agreement or other arrangement with the Bank, at a minimum to exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards in discharging its duty as a securities intermediary to obtain and thereafter maintain financial assets, corresponding to the security entitlements of its entitlement holders (as defined in U.C.C. Sections 8-102(a)(7) (2002)).
1. the Bank will maintain all Book Entry Paper held by the Trust in an account of the Bank that includes only assets held by it for customers;
2. the records of the Bank with respect to the Trust's purchase of Book Entry Paper through the Bank will identify, by book entry, Commercial Paper belonging to the Trust which is included in the Book Entry Paper System and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Bank be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Trust.
3. (a) The Bank shall pay for Book Entry Paper purchased for the account of the Trust upon contemporaneous (i) receipt of advice from the Issuer that such sale of Book Entry Paper has been effected, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Bank to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Trust.
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(b) The Bank shall cancel such Book Entry Paper obligation upon the maturity thereof upon contemporaneous (i) receipt of advice that payment for such Book Entry Paper has been transferred to the Trust, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Bank to reflect such payment for the account of the Trust
4. the Bank shall transmit to the Trust a transaction journal confirming each transaction in Book Entry Paper for the account of the Trust on the next business day following the transactions and
5. the Bank will send to the Trust such reports on its system of internal accounting control as the Trust may reasonably request from time to time.
6.3 | Options and Futures Transactions. |
(a) Puts and Calls Traded on Securities Exchanges, NASDAQ or Over-the-Counter.
1. The Bank shall take action as to put options (“puts”) and call options (“calls”) purchased or sold (written) by the Trust regarding escrow or other arrangements (i) in accordance with the provisions of any agreement entered into upon receipt of Proper Instructions between the Bank, any broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and, if necessary, the Trust relating to the compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange, or of any similar organization or organizations.
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2. Unless another agreement requires it to do so, the Bank shall be under no duty or obligation to see that the Trust has deposited or is maintaining adequate margin, if required, with any broker in connection with any option, nor shall the Bank be under duty or obligation to present such option to the broker for exercise unless it receives Proper Instructions from the Trust. The Bank shall have no responsibility for the legality of any put or call purchased or sold on behalf of the Trust, the propriety of any such purchase or sale, or the adequacy of any collateral delivered to a broker in connection with an option or deposited to or withdrawn from a Segregated Account as described in subparagraph c of this Section 6.3. The Bank specifically, but not by way of limitation, shall not be under any duty or obligation to: (i) periodically check or notify the Trust that the amount of such collateral held by a broker or held in a Segregated Account as described in subparagraph (c) of this Section 6.3 is sufficient to protect such broker of the Trust against any loss; (ii) effect the return of any collateral delivered to a broker; or (iii) advise the Trust that any option it holds, has or is about to expire. Such duties or obligations shall be the sole responsibility of the Trust.
(b) Puts, Calls and Futures Traded on Commodities
1. The Bank shall take action as to puts, calls and futures contracts (“Futures”) purchased or sold by the Trust in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Bank and a Futures Commission Merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any Contract Market, or any similar organization or organizations, regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Trust.
2. The responsibilities and liabilities of the Bank as to Futures, puts and calls traded on commodities exchanges, any Futures Commission Merchant account and the Segregated Account shall be limited as set forth in subparagraph (a)(2) of this Section 6.3 as if such subparagraph referred to Futures Commission Merchants rather than brokers, and Futures and puts and calls thereon instead of options.
The Bank shall upon receipt of Proper Instructions establish and maintain a Segregated Account or Accounts for and on behalf of the Trust, into which Account or Accounts may be transferred cash and/or securities including securities maintained in an Account by the Bank pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof, (i) in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Bank and a broker/dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the NASD or any Futures Commission Merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or any registered Contract Market, or of any similar organization or organizations regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Trust, and (ii) for the purpose of segregating cash or securities in connection with options purchased, or written by the Trust or commodity futures purchased or written by the Trust, and (iii) for the purposes of compliance by the Trust with the procedures required by the 1940 Act Release No. 10666, or any subsequent release or releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the maintenance of Segregated Accounts by registered investment companies and (iv) for other proper corporate purposes, but only, in the case of clause (iv), upon receipt of, in addition to Proper Instructions, a certified copy of a resolution of the Trustees of the Trust, or of the Executive Committee signed by an officer of the Trust and certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, setting forth the purpose or purposes of such Segregated Account and declaring such purposes to be proper corporate purposes.
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Assets may be withdrawn from the Segregated Account pursuant to Proper Instructions only (a) for sale or delivery to meet the Trust's obligations under outstanding firm commitment or when-issued agreements for the purchase of portfolio securities and under reverse repurchase agreements, (b) for exchange for other liquid assets of equal or greater value deposited in the Segregated Account, (c) to the extent that the Trust's outstanding forward commitment or when-issued agreements for the purchase of portfolio securities or reverse repurchase agreements are sold to other parties or the Trust's obligations thereunder are met from assets of the Trust other than those in the Segregated Account, or (d) for delivery upon settlement of a forward commitment agreement for the sale of portfolio securities.
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6A.1. Generally. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which for purposes of this Section may also include security trade advices, the Bank shall facilitate the processing and settlement of foreign exchange transactions. Foreign exchange execution services do not constitute part of the services provided by the Bank under this Agreement.
6A.2. Trust Elections. The Trust on behalf of each Fund (or its investment manager acting on its behalf) may elect to enter into and execute foreign exchange transactions with third parties that are not affiliated with the Bank, with State Street Global Markets, which is the foreign exchange division of State Street Bank and Trust Company and its affiliated companies (“SSGM”), or with a sub-custodian. Where the Trust or its investment manager gives Proper Instructions for the execution of a foreign exchange transaction using an indirect foreign exchange service described in the general client publications of State Street Bank and Trust Company made available from time to time to clients and their investment managers (“Client Publications”), the Trust (or its investment manager) instructs the Bank, on behalf of the Fund, to direct the execution of such foreign exchange transaction to SSGM or, when the relevant currency is not traded by SSGM, to the applicable sub-custodian. The Bank shall not have any agency (except as contemplated in preceding sentence), trust or fiduciary obligation to the Trust, the Fund, its investment manager or any other person in connection with the execution of any foreign exchange transaction. The Bank shall have no responsibility under this Agreement for the selection of the counterparty to, or the method of execution of, any foreign exchange transaction entered into by the Trust (or its investment manager acting on its behalf) or the reasonableness of the execution rate on any such transaction.
6A.3. Trust Acknowledgement. The Trust on behalf of each Fund acknowledges that in connection with all foreign exchange transactions entered into by the Trust (or its investment manager acting on its behalf) with SSGM or any sub-custodian, SSGM and each such sub-custodian:
(i) | shall be acting in a principal capacity and not as broker, agent or fiduciary to the Trust or its investment manager; |
(ii) | shall seek to profit from such foreign exchange transactions, and are entitled to retain and not disclose any such profit to the Trust or its investment manager; and |
(iii) | shall enter into such foreign exchange transactions pursuant to the terms and conditions, including pricing or pricing methodology, (a) agreed with the Trust or its investment manager from time to time or (b) in the case of an indirect foreign exchange service, (i) as established by SSGM and set forth in the Client Publications with respect to the particular foreign exchange execution services selected by the Trust or the investment manager or (ii) as established by the sub-custodian from time to time. |
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6.4. Transactions by the Bank. The Bank or its affiliates, including SSGM, may trade based upon information that is not available to the Trust (or its investment manager acting on its behalf), and may enter into transactions for its own account or the account of clients in the same or opposite direction to the transactions entered into with the Trust (or its investment manager), and shall have no obligation, under this Agreement, to share such information with or consider the interests of their respective counterparties, including, where applicable, the Trust or the investment manager.
(a) upon sales of portfolio securities for the account of the Trust, against contemporaneous receipt by the Bank of payment therefor in full, each such payment to be in the amount of the sale price set forth in the Proper Instructions received by the Bank before such payment is made;
(b) in exchange for or upon conversion into other securities alone or other securities and cash pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, reorganization, share split-up, change in par value, recapitalization or readjustment or otherwise, upon exercise of subscription, purchase or sale or other similar rights represented by such portfolio securities, or for the purpose of tendering shares in the event of a tender offer therefor, provided however that in the event of an offer of exchange, tender offer, or other exercise of rights requiring the physical tender or delivery of portfolio securities, the Bank shall have no liability for failure to so tender in a timely manner unless such Proper Instructions are received by the Bank at least two business days prior to the date required for tender, and unless the Bank (or its agent or subcustodian hereunder) has actual possession of such security at least two business days prior to the date of tender;
(c) upon conversion of portfolio securities pursuant to their terms into other securities;
(d) for the purpose of redeeming in kind shares of the Trust upon authorization from the Trust;
(e) in the case of option contracts owned by the Trust, for presentation to the endorsing broker;
(f) when such portfolio securities are called, redeemed or retired or otherwise become payable;
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(g) for the purpose of effectuating the pledge of portfolio securities held by the Bank pursuant to this Agreement in order to collateralize loans made to the Trust by any bank, including the Bank; provided, however, that such portfolio securities will be released only upon payment to the Bank for the account of the Trust of the monies borrowed, except that in cases where additional collateral is required to secure a borrowing already made, and such fact is made to appear in the Proper Instructions, further portfolio securities. may be released for that purpose without any such payment In the event that any such pledged portfolio securities are held by the Bank, they will be so held for the account of the lender, and after notice to the Trust from the lender in accordance with the normal procedures of the lender, that an event of deficiency or default on the loan has occurred, the Bank may deliver such pledged portfolio securities to or for the account of the lender;
(h) for the purpose of releasing certificates representing portfolio securities of the Trust, against contemporaneous receipt by the Bank of the fair market value of such security, as set forth in Proper Instructions received by the Bank before such payment is made;
(i) for the purpose of delivering securities lent by the Trust to a bank or broker dealer, but only against receipt in accordance with street delivery custom except as otherwise provided in Subsections 6.2(a) and (b) hereof, of adequate collateral as agreed upon from time to time by the Trust and the Bank, and upon receipt of payment in connection with any repurchase agreement relating to such securities entered into by the Trust;
(j) for other authorized transactions of the Trust or for other proper corporate purposes; provided that before making such transfer, the Bank will also receive a certified copy of resolutions of the Trustees of the Trust, signed by an authorized officer of the Trust (other than the officer certifying such resolution) and certified by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, specifying the portfolio securities to be delivered, setting forth the transaction in or purpose for which such delivery is to be made, declaring such transaction to be an authorized transaction of the Trust or such purpose to be a proper corporate purpose, and naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such securities shall be made; and
(k) upon termination of this Agreement as hereinafter set forth pursuant to Section 9 and Section 13of this Agreement
As to any deliveries made by the Bank pursuant to subsections (a), (b), (c), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) securities or cash receivable in exchange therefor shall be delivered to the Bank.
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10.1 Receive and hold for the account of the Trust hereunder and deposit in the account or accounts referred to in Section 6 hereof, all income, dividends, interest and other payments or distribution of cash with respect to the portfolio securities held thereunder;
10.2 Present for payment all coupons and other income items held by it for the account of the Trust which call for payment upon presentation and hold the cash received by it upon such payment for the account of the Trust account or accounts referred to in Section 6 hereof;
10.3 Receive and hold for the account of the Trust hereunder and deposit in the account or accounts referred to in Section 6 hereof all securities received as a distribution on portfolio securities as a result of a stock dividend, share split-up, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, readjustment, distribution of rights and similar securities issued with respect to any portfolio securities held by it hereunder.
10.4 Execute as agent on behalf of the Trust all necessary ownership and other certificates and affidavits required by the Internal Revenue Code or the regulations of the Treasury Department issued thereunder, or by the laws of any state, now or hereafter in effect, inserting the Trust's name on such certificates as the owner of the securities covered thereby, to the extent it may lawfully do so and as may be required to obtain payment in respect thereof. The Bank will execute and deliver such certificates in connection with portfolio securities delivered to it or by it under this Agreement as may be required under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and any Regulations of the Treasury Department issued thereunder, or under the laws of any State;
10.5 Present for payment all portfolio securities which are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable, and hold cash received by it upon payment for the account of the Trust in the account or accounts referred to in Section 6 hereof; and
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10.6 Exchange interim receipts or temporary securities for definitive securities.
The Bank will use all reasonable effort to collect any funds which may to its knowledge become collectible arising from such securities, including dividends, interest and other income, and to transmit to the Trust notice actually received by it of any call for redemption, offer of exchange, right of subscription, reorganization or other proceedings affecting such securities.
If portfolio securities upon which such income is payable are in default or payment is refused after due demand or presentation, the Bank will notify the Trust in writing of any default or refusal to pay within two business days from the day on which it receives knowledge of such default or refusal. In addition, the Bank will send the Trust a written report once each month showing any income on any portfolio security held by it which is more than ten days overdue on the date of such report and which has not previously been reported.
As custodian the Bank shall have and perform the following powers and duties:
11.1 To keep the books of account and render statements or copies from time to time as reasonably requested by the Treasurer or any executive officer of the Trust.
11.2 To compute and, unless otherwise directed by the Trustees of the Trust, determine as of the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange on each day on which said Exchange is open for unrestricted trading and as of such other hours, if any, as may be authorized by said Trustees the net asset value and the public offering price of a share of capital stock of the Trust, such determination to be made in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust and Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information relating to the Trust, as they may from time to time be amended, and any applicable resolutions of the Trustees of the Trust at the time in force and applicable; and promptly to notify the Trust, or such other persons as the Trust may request of the results of such computation and determination. In computing the net asset value hereunder, the Bank may rely in good faith upon information furnished to it by any Authorized Person in respect of (i) the manner of accrual of the liabilities of the Trust and in respect of liabilities of the Trust not appearing on its books of account kept by the Bank, (ii) reserves, if any, authorized by the Trustees or that no such reserves have been authorized, (iii) the source of the quotations to be used in computing the net asset value, (iv) the value to be assigned to any security for which no price quotations are available, and (v) the method of computation of the public offering price on the basis of the net asset value of the shares, and the Bank shall not be responsible for any loss occasioned by such reliance or for any good faith reliance on any quotations received from a source pursuant to (ii) above.
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11.3 To assist generally in the preparation of reports to shareholders and others, audits of accounts, and other ministerial matters of like nature.
The Bank may employ agents in the performance of its duties hereunder, including, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, subcustodians, provided that any such subcustodian meets at least the minimum qualifications required by Section 17(f)(1) of the1940 Act to act as a custodian of the Trust's assets. The Bank shall have no more or less responsibility or liability to the Trust on account of any actions or omissions of any sub-custodian so employed than any such sub-custodian has to the Bank; provided, however, that the Bank agrees to use reasonable efforts to promptly pursue claims against any such subcustodian in connection with any loss or damage to the Trust caused by the actions or omissions of such subcustodian. Furthermore, the Bank shall indemnify the Trust for any loss to the Trust resulting from the acts or omissions of any subcustodian to the extent that the Bank is so indemnified by the subcustodian.
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In order that the indemnification provision contained in this Section 12.1 shall apply, however, it is understood that if in any case the Manager or the Trust may be asked to indemnify or save the Bank harmless, the Manager and the Trust shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the Bank will use all reasonable care to identify and notify the Manager and the Trust promptly concerning any situation which presents or appears likely to present the probability of such claim for indemnification. The Manager or the Trust, as the case may be, shall have the option to defend the Bank against any claim which may be the subject of this indemnification, and in the event that the Manager or the Trust so elects it will so notify the Bank and thereupon the Manager or the Trust, as the case may be, shall take over the complete defense of the claim, and the Bank shall in such situations incur no further legal or other expenses in connection with such claim, provided however, if the defendants in any such action include both (i) the Manager or the Trust and (ii) the Bank, and the Bank shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the Manager or the Trust, as the case may be, the Bank shall have the right to select separate counsel to assert such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of the Bank with such cost to be borne by the party hereto ultimately liable with respect to such claim. The Bank shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the Manager or the Trust will be asked to indemnify the Bank except with the prior written consent of the Manager or the Trust, as the case may be, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Manager or the Trust, as the case may be, shall not settle any claim without the Bank's prior written consent, provided however that the Bank shall not unreasonably withhold its consent.
The Trust shall pay all fees and expenses of any subcustodian.
The Bank will be under no duty or obligation to inquire into and will not be liable for:
(a) the validity of the issue of any portfolio securities purchased by or for the Trust, the legality of the purchases thereof or the propriety of the price incurred therefor;
(b) the legality of any sale of any portfolio securities by or for the Trust or the propriety of the amount for which the same are sold;
(c) the legality of an issue or sale of any shares of beneficial interest of the Trust or the sufficiency of the amount to be received therefor;
(d) the legality of the repurchase of any shares of beneficial interest of the Trust or the propriety of the amount to be paid therefore except as specifically set forth on any Schedule hereto;
(e) the legality of the declaration of any dividend by the Trust or the legality of the distribution of any portfolio securities as payment in kind of such dividend; or
(f) any property or moneys of the Trust unless and until received by it, and any such property or moneys delivered or paid by it pursuant to the terms hereof.
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Moreover, the Bank will not be under any duty or obligation to ascertain whether any portfolio securities at any time delivered to or held by it for the account of the Trust are such as may properly be held by the Trust under the provisions of its Declaration of Trust, any federal or state statutes or any rule or regulation of any governmental agency.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, in no event shall any party to this Agreement be liable to any other party to this Agreement or to any third party for lost profits or lost revenues or any special, consequential, punitive or incidental damages of any kind whatsoever in connection with this Agreement or any activities hereunder.
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13.1 This Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty upon sixty days written notice delivered by either party to the other by means of registered mail, and upon the expiration of such sixty days this Agreement will terminate; provided, however, that the effective date of such termination may be postponed to a date not more than ninety days from the date of delivery of such notice (i) by the Bank in order to prepare for the transfer by the Bank of all of the assets of the Trust held hereunder, and (ii) by the Trust in order to give the Trust an opportunity to make suitable arrangements for a successor custodian. At any time after the termination of this Agreement, the Trust will, at its request, have access to the records of the Bank relating to the performance of its duties as custodian.
13.2 In the event of the termination of this Agreement, the Bank will immediately upon receipt or transmittal, as the case may be, of notice of termination, commence and prosecute diligently to completion the transfer of all cash and the delivery of all portfolio securities duly endorsed and all records maintained under Section 11to the successor custodian when appointed by the Trust. The obligation of the Bank to deliver and transfer over the assets of the Trust held by it directly to such successor custodian will commence as soon as such successor is appointed and will continue until completed as aforesaid. If the Trust does not select a successor custodian within ninety (90) days from the date of delivery of notice of termination the Bank may, subject to the provisions of subsection 13.3 of this Section, deliver the portfolio securities and cash of the Trust held by the Bank to a bank or trust company of its own selection which meets the requirements of Section 17(f)(1) of the1940 Act and has a reported capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating not less than $25,000,000, to be held as the property of the Trust under terms similar to those on which they were held by the Bank, whereupon such bank or trust company so selected by the Bank will become the successor custodian of such assets of the Trust with the same effect as though selected by the Trustees of the Trust.
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13.3 Prior to the expiration of ninety (90) days after notice of termination has been given, the Trust may furnish the Bank with an order of the Trust advising that a successor custodian cannot be found willing and able to act upon reasonable and customary terms and that there has been submitted to the shareholders of the Trust the question of whether the Trust will be liquidated or will function without a custodian for the assets of the Trust held by the Bank. In that event the Bank will deliver the portfolio securities and cash of the Trust held by it, subject as aforesaid, in accordance with one of such alternatives which may be approved by the requisite vote of shareholders, upon receipt by the Bank of a copy of the minutes of the meeting of shareholders at which action was taken, certified by the Trust's Secretary.
(a) | In the case of notices sent to the Trust to: |
x/x Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxxx & Co. LLC
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: General Counsel
(b) | In the case of notices sent to the Manager to: |
Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: General Counsel
(c) | In the case of notices sent to the Bank to: |
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Building
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, XXX0
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Senior Vice President
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Telephone: 000-000-0000
with a copy to:
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Legal Division – Global Services Americas
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel
or at such other place as such party may from time to time designate in writing.
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15. Prior Agreements; Amendments. This Agreement supersedes the IBT Custodian Agreement. For avoidance of doubt, the IBT Custodian Agreement does not include the Amended and Restated Delegation Agreement between the Bank (as successor by merger to IBT) and the Trust dated as of June 29, 2001 (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time). This Agreement may not be altered or amended, except by an instrument in writing, executed by the parties, and in the case of the Trust, such alteration or amendment will be authorized and approved by its Trustees.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement and all performance hereunder will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(a) GMO Trust. The term GMO Trust means and refers to the Trustees from time to time serving under the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust dated March 9, 2016, as the same may subsequently thereto have been, or subsequently hereto be, amended. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust, personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees of the Trust and this Agreement has been signed by an authorized 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, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
(b) The Manager. This instrument is executed on behalf of Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC (“GMO” or the “Manager”) by a duly authorized officer or other agent solely in his or her capacity as an authorized signatory, pursuant to delegated authority from GMO, and not individually. GMO’s obligations of or arising out of this instrument are limited to those set forth in Section 12.1 and are not binding upon any officer or other agent, partner, member or director of GMO individually, but are binding only upon GMO and its assets. A Certificate of Organization of GMO is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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The Security Procedures of the Bank will, at all times during the term of this Agreement, (i) comply with all laws and regulations applicable to the Bank, (ii) meet the information security standards and practices that are commonly utilized by the leading providers of custodial services, and (iii) in no event offer less protection than that which the Bank affords to its own confidential information and materials. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Bank agrees that it shall comply with Massachusetts regulation 201 CMR 17.00 and any other laws applicable to the Bank with respect to the collection, processing or transfer of information in connection with the Bank’s performance of the services under this Agreement.
To the extent that the Bank employs agents, affiliates or subcontractors to assist it in the provision of services under this Agreement, the Bank shall remain responsible for such acts and omissions as if the Bank had committed such acts and omissions itself.
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If, notwithstanding the Bank’s undertakings above, the confidentiality of any Investor Information is compromised as a result of the Bank’s actions or omissions, then the Bank agrees to take reasonable actions to correct, if possible, or otherwise to mitigate the effects to the Trust and its former and current investors of such compromise. Such mitigation may include, without limitation, the provision of free credit monitoring services to affected parties, including the Trust and its former and current investors. For the avoidance of doubt, any actions taken by the Bank to correct or otherwise mitigate the effects of compromised Investor Information are in addition to, and shall not affect the rights or ability of the Trust and its former and current investors to seek, other remedies provided in this Agreement or under applicable law.
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YES ¨ | The Bank is authorized to release the Trust’s and Fund’s name, address, and share positions. |
NO x | The Bank is not authorized to release the Trust’s and Fund’s name, address, and share positions. |
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GMO TRUST, on behalf of each series of the Trust identified on Appendix A
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X Xxxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxxxx X Xxxxxxx | |
Title: | Vice President |
GRANTHAM, MAYO, VAN OTTERLOO & CO. LLC
solely for the purpose of section 12.1
By: | /s/ X.X. Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name: | X.X. Xxxxxxxxx | |
Title: | General Counsel | |
Reviewed By: Xxxxxxx X Xxxxxxx |
This Agreement is executed on behalf of GMO by a duly authorized officer or other agent solely in his or her capacity as an authorized signatory, pursuant to delegated authority from GMO, and not individually. The obligations of or arising out of this Agreement are not binding upon any officer or other agent, partner, member or director of GMO individually, but are binding only upon GMO and its assets. A Certificate of Organization of GMO is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Title: | Executive Vice President |
APPENDIX A
to
Amended and Restated Custodian Agreement
Management Investment Companies Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Funds thereof, If Any
GMO SGM Major Markets Fund
GMO Asset Allocation Bond Fund
GMO Benchmark-Free Allocation Fund
GMO Benchmark-Free Fund
GMO Core Plus Bond Fund
GMO Climate Change Fund
GMO Currency Hedged International Bond Fund
GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund
GMO Global Asset Allocation Fund
GMO Global Equity Allocation Fund
GMO Implementation Fund
GMO International Equity Allocation Fund
GMO International Developed Equity Allocation Fund
GMO Quality Fund
GMO Opportunistic Income Fund
GMO Risk Premium Fund
GMO Special Opportunities Fund
GMO Strategic Opportunities Allocation Fund
GMO U. S. Equity Allocation Fund
GMO U.S. Treasury Fund
GMO Global Developed Equity Allocation Fund
GMO Alpha Only Fund*
GMO Emerging Domestic Opportunities Fund*
GMO Emerging Markets Fund*
GMO Foreign Small Companies Fund*
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund*
GMO International Equity Fund*
GMO International Small Companies Fund*
GMO Resources Fund*
GMO Taiwan Fund*
GMO Tax-Managed International Equities Fund*
*This Agreement shall be effective as of November 6, 2017 with respect to such Fund.