Exhibit (e)
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the _______ day of _____________, 1999,
between Huntington VA Funds (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts business trust and
SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a Pennsylvania
corporation.
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an investment company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and its shares are registered with the SEC
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained, the Trust and Distributor hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Sale of Shares. The Trust grants to the Distributor the
exclusive right to sell units (the "Shares") of the investment portfolios (the
"Funds") of the Trust at the net asset value per Share, plus any applicable
sales charges in accordance with the current prospectuses, as agent and on
behalf of the Trust, during the term of this Agreement and subject to the
registration requirements of the 1933 Act, the rules and regulations of the SEC
and the laws governing the sale of securities in the various states ("Blue Sky
Laws").
ARTICLE 2. Solicitation of Sales. In consideration of these rights
granted to the Distributor, the Distributor agrees to use all reasonable
efforts, consistent with its other business, in connection with the distribution
of Shares of the Trust; provided, however, that the Distributor shall not be
prevented from entering into like arrangements with other issuers. The
provisions of this paragraph do not obligate the Distributor to register as a
broker or dealer under the Blue Sky Laws of any jurisdiction when it determines
it would be uneconomical for it to do so or to maintain its registration in any
jurisdiction in which it is now registered nor obligate the Distributor to sell
any particular number of Shares.
ARTICLE 3. Authorized Representations. The Distributor is not
authorized by the Trust to give any information or to make any representations
other than those contained in the current registration statements and
prospectuses of the Trust filed with the SEC or contained in Shareholder
reports or other material that may be prepared by or on behalf of the Trust for
the Distributor's use. The Distributor may prepare and distribute sales
literature and other material as it may deem appropriate, provided that such
literature and materials have been approved by the Trust prior to their use.
ARTICLE 4. Registration of Shares. The Trust agrees that it will take
all action necessary to register Shares under the federal and state securities
laws so that there will be available for sale the number of Shares the
Distributor may reasonably be expected to sell and to pay all fees associated
with said registration. The Trust shall make available to the Distributor such
number of copies of its currently effective prospectuses and statements of
additional information as the Distributor may reasonably request. The Trust
shall furnish to the Distributor copies of all information, financial statements
and other papers which the Distributor may reasonably request for use in
connection with the distribution of Shares of the Trust.
ARTICLE 5. Compensation. As compensation for providing the services
under this Agreement:
(1) 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 any
Distribution and Shareholder Services Plans adopted by any
class of shares of each of the Funds, 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"), if any,
applied on redemptions of any class of Shares of the Funds
subject to such CDSCs 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, applied on purchases of
any class of Shares of the Funds subject to such charges 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. 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 Shares, remit the net asset value thereof to
the Trust upon receipt of the proceeds and retain the
applicable sales charge.
(2) The Distributor may reallow any or all of the distribution or
service fees, CDSCs 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.
ARTICLE 6. Indemnification of Distributor. The Trust agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor and each of its directors and
officers and each person, if any, who controls the Distributor within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act against any loss, liability, claim,
damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending
any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages, or expense and reasonable counsel
fees and disbursements incurred in connection therewith), arising by reason of
any person acquiring any Shares, based upon the ground that the registration
statement, prospectus, Shareholder reports or other information filed or made
public by the Trust (as from 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 made not misleading. However, the
Trust does not agree to indemnify the Distributor or hold it harmless to the
extent that 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 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
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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 claim 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.
ARTICLE 7. Indemnification of Trust. The Distributor agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each of its Trustees and officers and
each person, if any, who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Act, against any loss, liability, damages, claim or expense (including the
reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability,
damages, claim or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection
therewith) based upon the 1933 Act or any other statute or common law and
arising by reason of any person acquiring any Shares, and alleging a wrongful
act of the Distributor or any of its employees or alleging that the registration
statement, prospectus, Shareholder reports or other information filed or made
public by the Trust (as from 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
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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 8. Effective Date. This Agreement shall be effective upon its
execution, and unless terminated as provided, shall continue in force until
January 11, 2000 and thereafter from year to year, provided that such annual
continuance is approved by (i) either the vote of a majority of the Trustees of
the Trust, or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are
not parties to this Agreement or any of the Trust's Distribution and Service
Plan as or interested persons of any such party ("Qualified Trustees"), cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the approval. This
Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. As used
in this paragraph the terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities", "assignment" and "interested person" shall have the respective
meanings
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specified in the 1940 Act. In addition, this Agreement may at any time be
terminated without penalty by the Distributor, by a vote of a majority of
Qualified Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Trust upon not less than sixty days prior written notice to the other
party.
ARTICLE 9. Notices. Any notice required or permitted to be given by
either party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the
other party at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving
notice: if to the Trust, at c/o The Huntington National Bank, 00 X. Xxxx Xxxxxx,
00xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000, Attention: Huntington Variable Annuity Funds
Product Manager, and if to the Distributor, Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel.
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 Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, 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 Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the applicable
provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with
the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control.
ARTICLE 12. Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
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WHEREOF, the Trust and Distributor have each duly executed this Agreement
as of the day and year above written.
HUNTINGTON VA FUNDS
FUNDS
By: _____________________________________
Name:____________________________________
Its:_____________________________________
SEI INVESTMENTS DISTRIBUTION CO.
By:______________________________________
Name:____________________________________
Its:_____________________________________
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