Exhibit 6(a)
XXXXXXX CALIFORNIA TAX FREE FUND
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
June 1, 1987
Xxxxxxx Fund Distributors, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Underwriting Agreement
Dear Sirs:
Xxxxxxx California Tax Free Fund (hereinafter called the "Fund") is a
business trust organized under the laws of Massachusetts and is engaged in the
business of an investment company. The authorized capital of the Fund consists
of shares of beneficial interest, without par value ("Shares") currently
divided into two series ("Portfolios"). The Shares may be divided into
additional Portfolios and portfolios may be terminated from time to time by
action of the Trustees. The Fund has selected you to act as principal
underwriter (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(29) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act")) of the Shares of the
Portfolios now or hereafter designated by the Trustees and you are willing to
act as such principal underwriter and to perform the duties and functions of
underwriter in the manner and on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
Accordingly, the Fund hereby agrees with you as follows:
1. Delivery of Documents. The Fund has furnished you with copies, properly
certified or authenticated of each of the following:
(a) Declaration of Trust of the Fund, dated May 3, 1983.
(b) Establishment and Designation of Series of Shares of Beneficial
Interest, Without Par Value, dated April 1, 1987.
(c) By-Laws of the Fund as in effect on the date hereof.
(d) Resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Fund selecting you as
principal underwriter and approving this form of Agreement.
The Fund will furnish you from time to time with copies, properly
certified or authenticated, of all amendments of or supplements to the
foregoing, if any.
The Fund will furnish you promptly with properly certified or
authenticated copies of any registration statement filed by it with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "1933 Act"), or the 1940 Act, together with any financial statements and
exhibits included therein, and all amendments or supplements thereto hereafter
filed.
2. Registration and Sale of Additional Shares. The Fund will from time to
time use its best efforts to register under the 1933 Act such number of Shares
not already so registered as
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you may reasonably be expected to sell on behalf of the Fund. You and the Fund
will cooperate in taking such action as may be necessary from time to time to
qualify Shares so registered for sale by you or the Fund in any states mutually
agreeable to you and the Fund, and to maintain such qualification. This
Agreement relates to the issue and sale of Shares that are duly authorized and
registered and available for sale by the Fund, including redeemed or repurchased
Shares if and to the extent that they may be legally sold and if, but only if,
the Fund sees fit to sell them.
3. Sale of Shares. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 5 and 7 hereof
and to such minimum purchase requirements as may from time to time be currently
indicated in the Fund's prospectus or statement of additional information, you
are authorized to sell as agent on behalf of the Fund Shares authorized for
issue and registered under the 1933 Act. You may also purchase as principal
Shares for resale to the public. Such sales will be made by you on behalf of the
Fund by accepting unconditional orders to purchase Shares placed with you by
investors and such purchases will be made by you only after acceptance by you of
such orders. The sales price to the public of Shares shall be the public
offering price as defined in paragraph 6 hereof.
4. Solicitation of Orders. You will use your best efforts (but only in
states in which you may lawfully do so) to obtain from investors unconditional
orders for Shares authorized for issue by the Fund and registered under the 1933
Act, provided
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that you may in your discretion refuse to accept orders for Shares from any
particular applicant.
5. Sale of Shares by the Fund. Unless you are otherwise notified by the
Fund, any right granted to you to accept orders for Shares or to make sales on
behalf of the Fund or to purchase Shares for resale will not apply to (i) Shares
issued in connection with the merger or consolidation of any other investment
company with the Fund or its acquisition, by purchase or otherwise, of all or
substantially all of the assets of any investment company or substantially all
the outstanding shares of any such company, and (ii) to Shares that may be
offered by the Fund to shareholders of the Fund by virtue of their being such
shareholders.
6. Public Offering Price. All Shares sold to investors by you will be sold
at the public offering price. The public offering price for all accepted
subscriptions will be the net asset value per Share, determined in the manner
provided in the Fund's registration statements as from time to time in effect
under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, next after the order is accepted by you.
7. Suspension of Sales. If and whenever the determination of net asset
value is suspended and until such suspension is terminated, no further orders
for Shares shall be accepted by you except unconditional orders placed with you
before you had knowledge of the suspension. In addition, the Fund reserves the
right to suspend sales and your authority to accept orders
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for Shares on behalf of the Fund if, in the judgment of a majority of the Board
of Trustees or a majority of the Executive Committee of such Board, if such body
exists, it is in the b-est interests of the Fund to do so, such suspension to
continue for such period as may be determined by such majority; and in that
event, no Shares will be sold by you on behalf of the Fund while such suspension
remains in effect except for Shares necessary to cover unconditional orders
accepted by you before you had knowledge of the suspension.
8. Portfolio Securities. Portfolio securities of any Portfolio of the Fund
may be bought or sold by or through you and you may participate directly or
indirectly in brokerage commissions or "spread" in respect of transactions in
portfolio securities of any Portfolio of the Fund; provided, however, that all
sums of money received by you as a result of such purchases and sales or as a
result of such participation must, after reimbursement of your actual expenses
in connection with such activity, be paid over by you to or for the benefit of
the Fund.
9. Expenses. (a) The Fund will pay (or will enter into arrangements
providing that others than you will pay) all fees and expenses:
(1) in connection with the preparation, setting in type and
filing of any registration statement (including a
prospectus and statement of additional information)
under the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act, or both, and any
amendments or supplements thereto that may be made from
time to time;
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(2) in connection with the registration and qualification of
Shares for sale in the various jurisdictions in which
the Fund shall determine it advisable to qualify such
Shares for sale (including registering the Fund as a
broker or dealer or any officer of the Fund or other
person as agent or salesman of the Fund in any such
jurisdictions);
(3) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing any
notice, proxy statement, report, prospectus or other
communication to shareholders of the Fund in their
capacity as such;
(4) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing
prospectuses annually, and any supplements thereto, to
existing shareholders;
(5) in connection with the issue and transfer of Shares
resulting from the acceptance by you of orders to
purchase Shares placed with you by investors, including
the expenses of printing and mailing confirmations of
such purchase orders and the expenses of printing and
mailing a prospectus included with the confirmation of
such orders;
(6) of any issue taxes or any initial transfer taxes;
(7) of WATS (or equivalent) telephone lines other than the
portion allocated to you in this paragraph 9;
(8) of wiring funds in payment of Share purchases or in
satisfaction of redemption or repurchase requests,
unless such expenses are paid for by the investor or
shareholder who initiates the transaction;
(9) of the cost of printing and postage or business reply
envelopes sent to Fund share-holders;
(10) of one or more CRT terminals connected with the computer
facilities of the transfer agent other than the portion
allocated to you in this paragraph 9;
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(11) permitted to be paid or assumed by the Fund pursuant to
a plan ("12b-1 Plan"), if any, adopted by the Fund in
conformity with the requirements of Rule 12b-l under the
1940 Act ("Rule 12b-1") or any successor rule,
notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary
herein;
(12) of the expense of setting in type, printing and postage
of the periodic newsletter to shareholders other than
the portion allocated to you in this paragraph 9; and
(13) of the salaries and overhead of persons employed by you
as shareholder representatives other than the portion
allocated to you in this paragraph 9.
(b) You shall pay or arrange for the payment of all fees and
expenses:
(1) of printing and distributing any prospectuses or reports
prepared for your use in connection with the offering of
Shares to the public;
(2) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing any
other literature used by you in connection with the
offering of Shares to the public;
(3) of advertising in connection with the offering of Shares
to the public;
(4) incurred in connection with your registration as a
broker or dealer or the registration or qualification of
your officers, directors, agents or representatives
under Federal and state laws;
(5) of that portion of WATS (or equivalent) telephone lines,
allocated to you on the basis of use by investors (but
not shareholders) who request information or
prospectuses;
(6) of that portion of the expense of setting in type,
printing and postage of the periodic newsletter to
shareholders attributable to promotional material
included in such newsletter at your request concerning
investment
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companies other than the Fund or concerning the Fund to
the extent you are required to assume the expense
thereof pursuant to paragraph 9(b)(8), except such
material which is limited to information, such as
listings of other investment companies and their
investment objectives, given in connection with the
exchange privilege as from time to time described in the
Fund's prospectus;
(7) of that portion of the salaries and overhead of persons
employed by you as shareholder representatives
attributable to the time spent by such persons in
responding to requests from investors, but not
shareholders, for information about the Fund; and
(8) of any activity which is primarily intended to result in
the sale of Shares, unless a 12b-1 Plan shall be in
effect which provides that the Fund shall bear some or
all of such expenses, in which case the Fund shall bear
such expenses in accordance with such Plan;
(9) of that portion of one or more CRT terminals connected
with the computer facilities of the transfer agent
attributable to your use of such terminal(s) to gain
access to such of the transfer agent's records as also
serve as your records.
Expenses which are to be allocated between you and the Fund shall be
allocated pursuant to reasonable procedures or formulae mutually agreed upon
from time to time, which procedures or formulae shall to the extent practicable
reflect studies of relevant empirical data.
10. Conformity with Law. You agree that in selling Shares you will duly
conform in all respects with the laws of the United States and any state in
which Shares may be offered for sale by you pursuant to this Agreement and to
the rules and regulations of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., of which you are a member.
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11. Independent Contractor. You shall be an independent contractor and
neither you nor any of your officers or employees is or shall be an employee of
the Fund in the performance or your duties hereunder. You shall be responsible
for your own conduct and the employment, control and conduct of your agents and
employees and for injury to such agents or employees or to others through your
agents or employees. You assume full responsibility for your agents and
employees under applicable statutes and agree to pay all employee taxes
thereunder.
12. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and
each of its Trustees and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Fund
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any and all losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including legal and other expenses)
to which the Fund or such Trustees, officers, or controlling person may become
subject under such Act, under any other statute, at common law or otherwise,
arising out of the acquisition of any Shares by any person which (i) may be
based upon any wrongful act by you or any of your employees or representatives,
or (ii) may be based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in a registration statement (including a prospectus or
statement of additional information) covering Shares or any amendment thereof or
supplement thereto or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement
therein not misleading if such
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statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the
Fund by you, or (iii) may be incurred or arise by reason of your acting as the
Fund's agent instead of purchasing and reselling Shares as principal in
distributing the Shares to the public, provided, however, that in no case (i) is
your indemnity in favor of a Trustee or officer or any other person deemed to
protect such Trustee or officer or other person against any liability to which
any such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of his duties or by reason of
his reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or (ii)
are you to be liable under your indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph
with respect to any claim made against the Fund or any person indemnified unless
the Fund or such person, as the case may be, shall have notified you in writing
within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claims shall have been served upon the Fund or
upon such person (or after the Fund or such person shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify you of any such
claim shall not relieve you from any liability which you may have to the Fund or
any person against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of your
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph. You shall be entitled to
participate, at your own expense, in the defense, or, if you so elect, to assume
the defense of any suit brought to enforce
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any such liability, but if you elect to assume the defense, such defense shall
be conducted by counsel chosen by you and satisfactory to the Fund, to its
officers and/or Trustees, or to any controlling person or persons, defendant or
defendants in the suit. In the event that you elect to assume the defense of any
such suit and retain such counsel, the Fund, such officers and Trustees or
controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit shall bear
the fees and expenses or any additional counsel retained by them, but, in case
you do not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, you will reimburse the
Fund, such officers and Trustees or controlling person or persons, defendant or
defendants in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel
retained by them. You agree promptly to notify the Fund of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against it in connection with the issue and sale
of any Shares.
The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless you and each of your
directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls you within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to which
you or such directors, officers or controlling person may become subject under
such Act, under any other statute, at common law or otherwise, arising out of
the acquisition of any Shares by any person which (i) may be based upon any
wrongful act by the Fund or any of its employees or representatives, or (ii) may
be
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based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in a registration statement (including a prospectus or statement of
additional information) covering Shares or any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information
furnished to you by the Fund; provided, however, that in no case (i) is the
Fund's indemnity in favor of a director or officer or any other person deemed to
protect such director or officer or other person against any liability to which
any such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, or gross negligence in the performance of his duties or by reason of his
reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or (ii) is the
Fund to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with
respect to any claims made against you or any such director, officer or
controlling person unless you or such director, officer or controlling person,
as the case may be, shall have notified the Fund in writing within a reasonable
time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the
nature of the claim shall have been served upon you or upon such director,
officer or controlling person (or after you or such director, officer or
controlling person shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify
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the Fund of any such claim shall not relieve it from any liability which it may
have to the person against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account
of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph. The Fund will 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 such liability, but if
the Fund elects to assume the defense, such defense shall be conducted by
counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to you, your directors, officers or
controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event
that the Fund elects to assume the defense of any such suit and retain such
counsel, you, your directors, officers or controlling person or persons,
defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by them, but, in case the Fund does not elect to
assume the defense of any such suit, it will reimburse you or such directors,
officers or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit,
for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them. The Fund
agrees promptly to notify you 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 Shares.
13. Authorized Representations. The Fund is not authorized to give any
information or to make any representations on behalf of you other than the
information and representations
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contained in a registration statement (including a prospectus or statement of
additional information) covering Shares, as such registration statement and
prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
You are not authorized to give any information or to make any
representations on behalf of the Fund or in connection with the sale of Shares
other than the information and representations contained in a registration
statement, (including a prospectus or statement of additional information)
covering Shares, as such registration statement may be amended or supplemented
from time to time. No person other than you is authorized to act as principal
underwriter (as such term is defined in the 0000 Xxx) for the Fund.
14. Duration and Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement shall
become effective upon the date first written above and will remain in effect for
a period of two years from the date hereof and from year to year thereafter, but
only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by
the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of you or
of the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such approval, and by vote of the Board of Trustees or of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. This Agreement may, 60 days written
notice, be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty, by the
Board of Trustees of the Fund, by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of
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the Fund, or by you. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of
its assignment. In interpreting the provisions of this paragraph 14, the
definitions contained in Section 2(a) of the 1940 Act (particularly the
definitions of "interested person," "assignment" and "majority of the
outstanding voting securities"), as modified by any applicable order of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, shall be applied.
15. Amendment of this Agreement. No provisions of this Agreement may be
changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in
writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of the change, waiver,
discharge or termination is sought. If the Fund should at any time deem it
necessary or advisable in the best interests of the Fund that any amendment of
this Agreement be made in order to comply with the recommendations or
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission or other governmental
authority or to obtain any advantage under state or federal tax laws and should
notify you of the form of such amendment, and the reasons therefor, and if you
should decline to assent to such amendment, the Fund may terminate this
Agreement forthwith. If you should at any time request that a change be made in
the Fund's Declaration of Trust or By-laws or in its methods of doing business,
in order to comply with any requirements of federal law or regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission or of a national securities association of
which you are or may be
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a member relating to the sale of shares of the Fund, and the Fund should not
make such necessary change within a reasonable time, you may terminate this
Agreement forthwith.
16. Termination of Prior Agreements. This Agreement upon its effectiveness
terminates and supersedes all prior underwriting contracts between the parties.
17. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for
convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. This
Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument.
The name "Xxxxxxx California Tax Free Fund" is the designation of the
Trustees for the time being under a Declaration of Trust dated May 3, 1983, as
amended from time to time, and all persons dealing with the Fund must look
solely to the property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the
Fund as neither the Trustees, officers, agents or shareholders assume any
personal liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund. No
Portfolio of the Fund shall be liable for claims against any other Portfolio of
the Fund.
You acknowledge that the Fund may, at any time such action is deemed
desirable, suspend or terminate sales of Shares of a Portfolio and that upon
your receipt of notice of such action by the Fund you will, for such period as
determined by the
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Fund, accept no further orders for Shares of that Portfolio except unconditional
orders placed with you before you had knowledge of such action. You acknowledge
further that the Fund may from time to time set upper and lower limits on the
number of Shares of a Portfolio for which a purchaser may subscribe and may
limit sales of Shares of a Portfolio to their existing shareholders.
If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of
acceptance on the accompanying counterpart of this letter and return such
counterpart to the Fund, whereupon this letter shall become a binding contract.
Very truly yours,
XXXXXXX CALIFORNIA TAX FREE FUND
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxx
---------------------------------
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted as of the date thereof.
XXXXXXX FUND DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
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