FORM OF TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
FORM OF TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of the day of , 2013, by and between Reality Shares
ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust having its principal office and place of business at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000 (the “Trust”), on behalf of each Series of the Trust listed on Appendix I hereto (as such Appendix be amended from time to time), and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, a New York banking company having its principal office and place of business at Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (the “Bank”).
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Trust and designated agents will ordinarily issue for purchase and redeem shares of each Series of the Trust (the “Shares) only in aggregations of Shares known as “Creation Units” (currently 25,000 shares or more) (each a “Creation Unit”) principally in kind;
WHEREAS, The Depository Trust Company, a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York (“DTC”), or its nominee (Cede & Co.), will be the registered owner (the “Shareholder”) of all Shares; and
WHEREAS, the Trust, on behalf of each Series of the Trust, desires to appoint the Bank as its transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, and agent in connection with certain other activities, and the Bank desires to accept such appointment;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Terms of Appointment; Duties of the Bank
1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Trust, on behalf of each Series of the Trust, hereby employs and appoints the Bank to act as, and the Bank agrees to act as, its transfer agent for the authorized and issued Shares, and as the Trust’s dividend disbursing agent.
1.2 The Bank agrees that it will perform the following services:
(a) In accordance with the terms and conditions of the form of Participant Agreement prepared by the Distributor, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A, the Bank shall:
(i) Perform and facilitate the performance of purchases and redemption of Creation Units;
(ii) Prepare and transmit by means of DTC’s book-entry system payments for dividends and distributions on or with respect to the Shares declared by the Trust on behalf of the applicable Trust;
(iii) Maintain the record of the name and address of the Shareholder and the number of Shares issued by the Trust and held by the Shareholder;
(iv) Record the issuance of Shares of the Trust and maintain a record of the total number of Shares of the Trust which are outstanding, and, based upon data provided to it by the Trust, the total number of authorized Shares. The Bank shall have no obligation, when recording the
issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Trust.
(v) Prepare and transmit to the Trust and the Trust’s administrator and to any applicable securities exchange (as specified to the Bank by the Trust or its administrator) information with respect to purchases and redemptions of Shares;
(vi) On days that the Trust may accept orders for purchases or redemptions, calculate and transmit to Bank and the Trust’s administrator the number of outstanding Shares;
(vii) On days that the Trust may accept orders for purchases or redemptions (pursuant to the Participant Agreement), transmit to the Bank, the Trust and DTC the amount of Shares purchased on such day for each Series of the Trust;
(viii) Confirm to DTC the number of Shares issued to the Shareholder, as DTC may reasonably request;
(ix) Prepare and deliver other reports, information and documents to DTC as DTC may reasonably request;
(x) Extend the voting rights to the Shareholder for extension by DTC to DTC participants and the beneficial owners of Shares in accordance with policies and procedures of DTC for book-entry only securities;
(xi) Maintain those books and records of the Trust specified by the Trust in Schedule A attached hereto;
(xii) Prepare a monthly report of all purchases and redemptions of Shares during such month on a gross transaction basis, and identify on a daily basis the net number of Shares either redeemed or purchased on such Business Day and with respect to each Authorized Participant purchasing or redeeming Shares, the amount of Shares purchased or redeemed;
(xiii) Receive from the Distributor (as defined in the Participant Agreement) or from its agent purchase orders from Authorized Participants (as defined in the Participant Agreement) for Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares received in good form and accepted by or on behalf of the Trust by the Distributor, transmit appropriate trade instructions to the National Securities Clearance Corporation, if applicable, and pursuant to such orders issue the appropriate number of Shares of the Trust and hold such Shares in the account of the Shareholder for each of the respective Trusts;
(xiv) Receive from the Authorized Participants redemption requests, deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to The Bank of New York as custodian for the Trust, generate and transmit or cause to be generated and transmitted confirmation of receipt of such redemption requests to the Authorized Participants submitting the same; transmit appropriate trade instructions to the National Securities Clearance Corporation, if applicable, and redeem the appropriate number of Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares held in the account of the Shareholder; and
(xv) Confirm the name, U.S taxpayer identification number and principle place of business of each Authorized Participant.
(b) In addition to and neither in lieu nor in contravention of the services set forth in the above sub-section 1.2(a), the Bank shall: perform the customary services of a transfer agent and dividend
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disbursing agent including, but not limited to, maintaining the account of the Shareholder, obtaining at the request of the Trust from the Shareholder a list of DTC participants holding interests in the Global Certificate, mailing proxy materials, through its proxy agent, shareholder reports and prospectuses to the DTC participants identified as holders of Shares, at the request of the Trust and those services set forth on Schedule A attached hereto.
(c) The following shall be delivered to DTC participants as identified by DTC as the Shareholder for book-entry only securities:
(i) Annual and semi-annual reports of the Trust;
(ii) Trust proxies, proxy statements and other proxy soliciting materials;
(iii) Trust prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto, including stickers; and
(iv) Other communications as may be required by law or as the Trust may reasonably request
(v) The Bank shall provide additional services, if any, as may be agreed upon in writing by the Trust and the Bank.
1.3 The Bank agrees that the books and records pertaining to the Trust which are in possession of the Bank shall be the property of the Trust. Such books and records shall be prepared and maintained by the Bank as required by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, with particular attention to Section 31 and Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 thereunder. The Trust, or its authorized representatives, shall have access to such books and records during the Bank’s normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Trust, copies of any such books and records shall be provided by the Bank to the Trust or its authorized representative as soon as practicable. Upon the request of the Trust, the Bank shall provide in hard copy or on computer disc any records included in any such delivery which are maintained by the Bank on a computer disc, or are similarly maintained. In the event of the termination of this Agreement, the Trust’s books and records will be returned to the Trust upon request.
2. Fees and Expenses
2.1 The Bank shall receive from the Trust such compensation for the Transfer Agent’s services provided pursuant to this Agreement as may be agreed to from time to time in a written fee schedule approved by the parties. The fees are accrued daily and billed monthly and shall be due and payable upon receipt of the invoice. Upon the termination of this Agreement before the end of any month, the fee for the part of the month before such termination shall be prorated according to the proportion which such part bears to the full monthly period and shall be payable upon the date of termination of this Agreement.
2.2 In addition to the fee paid under Section 2.1 above, the Trust agrees to reimburse the Bank for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including but not limited to confirmation production, postage, forms, telephone, microfilm, microfiche, tabulating proxies, records storage, or advances incurred by the Bank for the items set out in the fee schedule attached hereto or relating to dividend distributions and reports (whereas all expenses related to creations and redemptions of Trust securities shall be borne by the relevant authorized participant in such creations and redemptions). In addition, any other expenses incurred by the Bank at the request or with the consent of the Trust, will be reimbursed by the Trust.
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2.3 The Trust agrees to pay all fees and reimbursable expenses within thirty (30) business days following the receipt of the respective billing notice accompanied by supporting documentation, as appropriate. Postage for mailing of dividends, proxies, Trust reports and other mailings to all shareholder accounts shall be advanced to the Bank by the Trust at least seven (7) days prior to the mailing date of such materials.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Bank
The Bank represents and warrants to the Trust that:
It is a banking company duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of New York.
It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of New York.
It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Charter and By-Laws to act as transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent and to enter into, and perform its obligations under, this Agreement.
All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement.
It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
It has compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the federal securities laws, and it will cooperate with, make personnel available to, and provide such information as may reasonably be requested to the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) in order for the CCO to perform his or her duties under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Bank will provide summary procedures and updates, as applicable, to the CCO concerning its compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Trust
The Trust represents and warrants to the Bank that:
It is duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware.
It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Declaration of Trust and By-Laws to enter into and perform this Agreement.
It is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act.
A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on behalf of each of the Trusts has become effective, will remain effective, and appropriate state securities law filings have been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all Shares of the Trust being offered for sale.
5. Indemnification
5.1 The Bank shall not be responsible for, and the Trust shall indemnify and hold the Bank harmless from and against, any and all damages, costs, expenses, liabilities or claims (including reasonable attorneys’ and accountants’ fees) (“Losses”) which may sustain or incur or which may be
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asserted against the Bank in connection with or relating to this Agreement or the Bank’s actions or omissions with respect to this Agreement, arising out of or attributable to:
(a) All actions of the Bank taken pursuant to this Agreement or the Participant Agreement, provided that such actions are taken without the Bank’s own negligence, bad faith, willful misfeasance, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder, or breach of any representation or warranty of the Bank contained in this Agreement.
5.2 Neither the Trust nor any Series of the Trust shall be responsible for, and the Bank shall indemnify and hold the Trust, its officers, directors and employees and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and the applicable Series harmless from and against, any and all Losses determined by a final arbiter of competent jurisdiction to have been caused by:
(a) The Bank’s own negligence, bad faith, willful misfeasance, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder; or
(b) The breach of any representation or warranty of the Bank hereunder.
(c) A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) shall (i) provide prompt notice to the other party of any claim (“Claim”) for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and for settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party shall have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but shall not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification shall not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party.
6. Standard of Care and Limitation of Liability
6.1 The Bank shall exercise reasonable care and diligence in carrying out all of its duties and obligations under this Agreement. The Bank shall have no responsibility and shall not be liable for any Losses, except that the Bank shall be liable to the Trust for direct money damages caused by its own negligence, bad faith, willful misfeasance, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or that of its employees, or its breach of any representation or warranty of the Bank contained in this Agreement. In no event will the Bank be liable for:
(a) The conclusive good faith reliance on or use by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors of information, records, documents or services which (i) are received by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors, and (ii) have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Trust or any other person or firm on behalf of the Trust including but not limited to any previous transfer agent or registrar.
(b) The conclusive good faith reliance on, or the carrying out by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors of, any instructions or requests of the Trust or instructions or requests on behalf of the Trust.
(c) The offer or sale of Shares by or for the Trust in violation of any requirement under the federal securities laws or regulations, or the securities laws or regulations of any state that such Shares be registered in such state, or any violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal agency, or by any state with respect to the offer or sale of Shares in such state.
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6.2 Neither the Trust nor the Bank shall otherwise be liable for special, indirect or consequential damages, regardless of the form of action and even if the same were foreseeable.
6.3 All obligations of the Trust under this Agreement shall apply only on a Series by Series basis, and the assets of one Series shall not be liable for the obligations of another Series.
7. Concerning the Bank
7.1 Upon receipt of the Trust’s prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), the Bank may delegate any of its duties and obligations hereunder to any delegee or agent whenever and on such terms and conditions as it deems reasonably necessary or appropriate, provided that such delegee or agent is qualified to perform such delegated duties; provided, however, that no such delegation of its duties and obligations hereunder shall discharge the Bank from any of its obligations or any liability hereunder. The Bank shall not however be liable for any loss or expense arising out of, or in connection with, the actions or omissions to act of such permitted agents or attorneys-in-fact, provided that (1) such permitted agents or attorneys-in-fact agree to be bound by substantially the same obligations and restrictions with respect to the delegated service, and be liable to the same extent, as the Bank pursuant to this Agreement; and (2) the Bank acted in good faith and with reasonable care in the selection and retention of such agents or attorneys-in-fact. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Trust consent shall not be required for any such delegation to any other subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, and the Bank shall be liable for the acts or omissions of any such affiliate as if such act or omissions were its own.
7.2 The Bank shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any written or oral instruction actually received by the Bank and reasonably believed by the Bank to be duly authorized and delivered. The Trust agrees to forward to the Bank written instructions confirming oral instructions by the close of business of the same day that such oral instructions are given to the Bank. The Trust agrees that the fact that such confirming written instructions are not received or that contrary written instructions are received by the Bank shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of transactions authorized by such oral instructions and effected by the Bank. If the Trust elects to transmit written instructions through an online communication system offered by the Bank, Trust’s use thereof shall be subject to the terms and conditions attached hereto as Appendix A.
7.3 The Bank shall establish and maintain a disaster recovery plan and back-up system at all times satisfying the requirements of all applicable law, rules, and regulations and which is reasonable under the circumstances (the “Disaster Recovery Plan and Back-Up System”). The Bank shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control which are not a result of its negligence, including without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruption, loss or malfunctions of transportation, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority; governmental actions; or inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation, provided that the Bank has established and is maintaining the Disaster Recovery Plan and Back-Up System, or if not, that such delay or failure would have occurred even if the Bank had established and was maintaining the Disaster Recovery Plan and Back-Up System. Upon the occurrence of any such delay or
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failure the Bank shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
7.4 The Bank shall have no duties or responsibilities whatsoever except such duties and responsibilities as are specifically set forth in this Agreement and the Participation Agreement, and no covenant or obligation shall be implied against the Bank in connection with this Agreement, except as set forth in this Agreement and the Participation Agreement.
7.5 At any time the Bank may apply to an officer of the Trust for written instructions with respect to any matter arising in connection with the Bank’s duties and obligations under this Agreement, and the Bank, its agents, and subcontractors shall, in the absence of manifest error in the instructions, not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith in accordance with such instructions. Such application by the Bank for instructions from an officer of the Trust may, at the option of the Bank, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted to be taken by the Bank with respect to its duties or obligations under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken, and the Bank shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein unless, prior to taking or omitting to take any such action, the Bank has received written or oral instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
7.6 The Bank, its agents and subcontractors may act upon any paper or document, reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons, or upon any instruction, information, data, records or documents provided to the Bank or its agents or subcontractors by or on behalf of the Trust by machine readable input, telex, CRT data entry or other similar means authorized by the Trust, and shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Trust.
7.7 Notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Bank shall be under no duty or obligation to inquire into, and shall not be liable for:
(a) The legality of the issue, sale or transfer of any Shares, the sufficiency of the amount to be received in connection therewith, or the authority of the Trust to request such issuance, sale or transfer;
(b) The legality of the purchase of any Shares, the sufficiency of the amount to be paid in connection therewith, or the authority of the Trust to request such purchase;
(c) The legality of the declaration of any dividend by the Trust, or the legality of the issue of any Shares in payment of any stock dividend; or
(d) The legality of any recapitalization or readjustment of the Shares.
8. Providing of Documents by the Trust and Transfers of Shares
8.1 The Trust shall promptly furnish to the Bank with a copy of its Declaration of Trust and all amendments thereto.
8.2 In the event that DTC ceases to be the Shareholder, the Bank shall re-register the Shares in the name of the successor to DTC as Shareholder upon receipt by the Bank of such documentation and assurances as it may reasonably require.
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8.3 The Bank shall have no responsibility whatsoever with respect to any beneficial interest in any of the Shares owned by the Shareholder.
8.4 The Trust shall deliver to the Bank the following documents on or before the effective date of any increase, decrease or other change in the total number of Shares authorized to be issued:
(a) A certified copy of the amendment to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust with respect to such increase, decrease or change; and
(b) An opinion of counsel for the Trust, in a form satisfactory to the Bank, with respect to (i) the validity of the Shares, the obtaining of all necessary governmental consents, whether such Shares are fully paid and non-assessable and the status of such Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any other applicable federal law or regulations (i.e., if subject to registration, that they have been registered and that the Registration Statement has become effective or, if exempt, the specific grounds therefore), (ii) the status of the Trust with regard to the 1940 Act, and (iii) the due and proper listing of the Shares on all applicable securities exchanges.
8.5 Prior to the issuance of any additional Shares pursuant to stock dividends, stock splits or otherwise, and prior to any reduction in the number of Shares outstanding, the Trust shall deliver to the Bank:
(a) A certified copy of the order or consent of each governmental or regulatory authority required by law as a prerequisite to the issuance or reduction of such Shares, as the case may be, and an opinion of counsel for the Trust that no other order or consent is required; and
(b) An opinion of counsel for the Trust, in a form satisfactory to the Bank, with respect to (i) the validity of the Shares, the obtaining of all necessary governmental consents, whether such Shares are fully paid and non-assessable and the status of such Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any other applicable federal law or regulations (i.e., if subject to registration, that they have been registered and that the Registration Statement has become effective or, if exempt, the specific grounds therefore), (ii) the status of the Trust with regard to the 1940 Act, and (iii) the due and proper listing of the Shares on all applicable securities exchanges.
8.6 The Bank and the Trust agree that all books, records, confidential, non-public, or proprietary information and data pertaining to the business of the other party which are exchanged or received pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this Agreement shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any person other than its auditors, accountants, regulators, employees or counsel, except as may be, or may become required by law, by administrative or judicial order or by rule.
8.7 In case of any requests or demands for the inspection of the Shareholder records of the
Trust, the Bank will promptly employ reasonable commercial efforts to notify the Trust and secure instructions from an authorized officer of the Trust as to such inspection. The Bank reserves the right, however, to exhibit the Shareholder records to any person whenever it is advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for the failure to exhibit the Shareholder records to such person.
9. Termination of Agreement
9.1 The term of this Agreement shall be one year commencing upon the date hereof and shall automatically renew for additional one-year terms unless either party provides written notice of
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termination at least ninety (90) days prior to the end of any one year term or, unless earlier terminated as provided below:
(a) Either party hereto may terminate this Agreement in the event the other party breaches any material provision of this Agreement, including, without limitation in the case of the Trust, its obligations under Section 2.1, provided that the non-breaching party gives written notice of such breach to the breaching party and the breaching party does not cure such violation within 90 days of receipt of such notice.
(b) The Trust may terminate this Agreement at any time upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice.
9.2 Should the Trust exercise its right to terminate, all out-of-pocket expenses associated with the movement of records and material will be borne by the Trust.
9.3 The terms of Article 2 (with respect to fees and expenses incurred prior to termination), and of Article 5 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
10. Additional Series
In the event that the Trust establishes one or more additional series of Shares with respect to which it desires to have the Bank render services as transfer agent under the terms hereof, it shall so notify the Bank in writing, and if the Bank agrees in writing to provide such services, such additional issuance shall become Shares hereunder.
11. Assignment
11.1 Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either
party without the written consent of the other party.
11.2 This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
12. Severability and Beneficiaries
12.1 In case any provision in or obligation under this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, the legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected thereby provided obligation of the Trust to pay is conditioned upon provision of services.
13.2 This Agreement is solely for the benefit of the Bank and the Trust, and none of any Participant (as defined in the Participation Agreement), the Distributor, any Shareholder or beneficial owner of any Shares shall be or be deemed a third party beneficiary of this Agreement.
13. Amendment
This Agreement may be amended or modified by a written agreement executed by both parties.
14. New York Law to Apply
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof. The Trust and the Bank hereby consent to the
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jurisdiction of a state or federal court situated in New York City, New York in connection with any dispute arising hereunder. The Trust hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that such proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Trust and the Bank each hereby irrevocably waives any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
15. Merger of Agreement
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or writ
16. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.
| Reality Shares ETF Trust, on behalf of each Series listed on Appendix I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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SCHEDULE A
BOOKS AND RECORDS TO BE MAINTAINED BY THE BANK
Source Documents requesting Creations and Redemptions (including dates and times of orders)
Correspondence/AP Inquiries
Reconciliations, bank statements, copies of canceled checks, cash proofs
Daily/Monthly reconciliation of outstanding Shares between the Trust and DTC
Dividend Records
Year-end Statements and Tax Forms
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Exhibit A
Form of Authorized Participant Agreement
Alumnus
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Appendix I
SERIES
Reality Shares NASDAQ-100 Isolated Dividend Growth Index ETF
Reality Shares U.S. Isolated Dividend Growth Index ETF
Reality Shares Isolated Dividend Growth ETF
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