THE JPM INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT, made as of this 1st day of August, 1996,
between THE JPM INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS, an unincorporated business trust organized
under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the "Trust"), and FUNDS
DISTRIBUTOR, INC., a Massachusetts corporation (the "Distributor").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management investment company;
WHEREAS, the Shares of Beneficial Interest (par value $0.001 per share)
of the Trust (the "Shares") are divided into multiple series (such series
together with any other series which may in the future be established, the
"Funds");
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the Trust to be able to offer Shares of
each Fund for sale continuously and to appoint a broker registered under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and various state broker registration statutes
for the purpose of facilitating such offers and sales;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Distributor wish to enter into an agreement
with each other with respect to the continuous offering of Shares of the Funds;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
Section 1. Appointment of the Distributor. The Trust hereby appoints
the Distributor its exclusive agent in connection with the offering and sale of
the Shares on the terms set forth in this Agreement and the Distributor hereby
accepts such appointment and agrees to act hereunder.
Section 2. Services and Duties of the Distributor.
(a) The Distributor agrees to offer and sell, as agent for the Trust,
from time to time during the term of this Agreement, Shares upon the terms
described in the Prospectus relating to such Shares. As used in this Agreement,
the term "Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus, including any information
incorporated by reference therein, relating to such Shares included as part of
the Trust's Registration Statement, as such prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, and the term "Registration Statement" shall mean
the Registration Statement most recently filed from time to time by the Trust
with the Securities and Exchange Commission
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and effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") and
the 1940 Act, as such Registration Statement may be amended by any amendments
thereto at the time in effect.
(b) The Distributor will hold itself available to receive orders,
satisfactory to the Distributor, for the purchase of Shares and will establish
procedures for the acceptance and transmission of orders on behalf of the Trust,
which procedures shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trust. The Distributor
shall promptly forward to the Trust's custodian funds received in respect of
purchases of Shares. Purchase orders shall be deemed effective at the time and
in the manner set forth in the Prospectus relating to such Shares.
(c) The offering price of the Shares shall be the net asset value per
Share (as defined in or pursuant to the Declaration of Trust of the Trust and
determined as set forth in the Prospectus relating to such Shares) next
determined following receipt of an order. The Trust shall furnish the
Distributor, with all possible promptness, an advice of each computation of net
asset value of Shares of each Fund.
(d) The Distributor shall not be obligated to sell any certain number
of Shares and nothing herein contained shall prevent the Distributor from
entering into like distribution arrangements with other investment companies.
Section 3. Duties of the Trust.
(a) The Trust agrees to sell Shares of each Fund so long as it has
Shares available for sale and to cause the Trust's transfer agent to record on
its books the ownership of (or deliver certificates, if any, for) such Shares
registered in such names and amounts as the Distributor has requested in writing
or other means of data transmission, as promptly as practicable after receipt by
the Trust of the net asset value thereof and written request of the Distributor
therefor.
(b) The Trust shall keep the Distributor fully informed with regard to
the Trust's affairs and shall furnish to the Distributor copies of all
information, financial statements and other papers which may be necessary for
use in connection with the sale of Shares of the Funds, and this shall include
one certified copy, upon request by the Distributor, of all financial statements
prepared for the Trust by independent accountants and such number of copies of
its most current Prospectuses as may be necessary to accompany confirmation of
sales and annual and interim reports and Prospectuses for delivery to existing
shareholders.
(c) The Trust shall take, from time to time, such steps, including
payment of the related filing fee, as may be necessary to register its Shares
under the 1933 Act to the end that there will be available for sale such number
of Shares as the Distributor may be expected to sell. The Trust agrees to file
from time to time such amendments, reports and other documents as may be
necessary in order that there may be no untrue statement of a material fact in a
Registration Statement or Prospectuses, or necessary in order that there may be
no omission to state a material fact in the Registration Statement or
Prospectuses which omission would make the statements therein misleading.
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(d) The Trust, through Funds Distributor, Inc. as Co-Administrator,
shall use its best efforts to qualify and maintain the qualification of any
appropriate number of the Shares of each Fund for sale under the securities laws
of such states as the Distributor and the Trust may approve, and, if necessary
or appropriate in connection therewith, to qualify and maintain the
qualification of the Trust as a broker or dealer in such states; provided that
the Trust shall not be required to amend its Declaration of Trust or By-laws to
comply with the laws of any state, to maintain an office in any state, to change
the terms of the offering of the Shares in any state from the terms set forth in
its Registration Statement and Prospectuses, to qualify as a foreign corporation
in any state or to consent to service of process in any state other than with
respect to claims arising out of the offering of the Shares. The Distributor
shall furnish such information and other material relating to its affairs and
activities as may be required by such Co-Administrator in connection with such
qualifications.
Section 4. Expenses. The Trust shall bear all costs and expenses
necessary for the continuous sale of the Shares such as: (i) fees and
disbursements of its counsel and independent accountants; (ii) the preparation,
filing and printing of any registration statements and/or prospectuses required
to be filed by and under the Federal and state securities laws; (iii) the
preparation and mailing of annual and interim reports, prospectuses and proxy
materials to shareholders; and (iv) the qualifications of Shares for sale and of
the Trust as a broker or dealer under the securities laws of such states or
other jurisdictions as shall be selected by the Trust and the Distributor
pursuant to Section 3(d) hereof and the cost and expenses payable to each such
state for continuing qualification therein in connection with such sale. Since
the Trust has not adopted a plan under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act, the
Distributor is directed and agrees that it will not incur any expenses which
would require the Trust to adopt a plan under Rule 12b-1.
Section 5. Indemnification. The Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and
hold the Distributor, its officers and directors and any person who controls the
Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, free and harmless
from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses
(including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or
liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the
Distributor, its officers, directors or any such controlling person may incur
under the 1933 Act, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based
upon any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or arising out of or based upon any alleged omission to
state a material fact required to be stated in either thereof or necessary to
make the statements in either thereof not misleading, except insofar as such
claims, demands, liabilities or expenses arise out of or are based upon any such
untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing by the
Distributor to the Trust for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement, to the extent that it might
require indemnity of any person who is also an officer or Trustee of the Trust
or who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act,
shall not inure to the benefit of such officer, Trustee or controlling person
unless a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine, or it shall have been
determined by controlling precedent, that such result would not be against
public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act; and further provided that in no
event
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shall anything contained herein be so construed as to protect the Distributor
against any liability to the Trust or to its securities holders to which the
Distributor would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of its
reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement. The Trust's
agreement to indemnify the Distributor, its officers and directors and any such
controlling person, as aforesaid is expressly conditioned upon the Trust's being
promptly notified of any action brought against the Distributor, its officers or
directors, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given to the
Trust in accordance with Section 9, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇. The Trust agrees promptly
to notify the Distributor of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings
against it or any of its officers or Trustees in connection with the issue and
sale of any Shares.
The Distributor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, its
Trustees and officers and any person who controls the Trust, if any, within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, free and harmless from and against any
and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the cost of
investigating or defending against such claims, demands or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Trust, its Trustees or
officers of any such controlling person may incur under the 1933 Act or under
common law or otherwise, but only the extent that such liability or expense
incurred by the Trust, its Trustees or officers or such controlling person
resulting from such claims or demands shall arise out of or be based upon any
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in information furnished
in writing by the Distributor to the Trust for use in the preparation of the
Registration Statement or Prospectus or shall arise out of or be based upon any
alleged omission to state a material fact in such information or a fact
necessary to make such information not misleading, it being understood that the
Trust will rely upon the information provided by the Distributor for use in the
preparation of the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Distributor's
agreement to indemnify the Trust, its Trustees and officers, and any such
controlling person as aforesaid is expressly conditioned upon the Distributor's
being promptly notified of any action brought against the Trust, its Trustees or
officers or any such controlling person, such notification to be given to the
Distributor in accordance with Section 9.
Section 6. Limitation of Liability. The Distributor shall not be liable
for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection
with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the
performance of its duties or for reckless disregard by it of its obligations and
duties under this Agreement.
Section 7. Compliance with Securities Laws. The Trust represents that
it is registered as an open-end management investment company under the 1940
Act, and agrees that it will comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act and of
the rules and regulations thereunder. The Trust and the Distributor each agree
to comply with the applicable terms and provisions of the 1940 Act, the 1933 Act
and, subject to the provisions of Section 3(d), applicable state securities
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laws. The Distributor agrees to comply with the applicable terms and provisions
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Section 8. Term of Agreement; Termination. This Agreement shall
commence on the date first set forth above. This Agreement shall continue in
effect for a period more than two years from the date hereof only so long as
such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with
the requirements of the 1940 Act.
This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its
assignment (as defined the 1940 Act). In addition, this Agreement may be
terminated by either party at any time, without penalty, on not less than sixty
(60) days' written notice to the other party.
Section 9. Notices. Any notice required to be given pursuant to this
Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail,
postage prepaid: (1) to the Distributor at Funds Distributor, Inc., ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: President with a
copy to General Counsel; or (2) to the Trust at The JPM Institutional Funds, at
its address as set forth in its Prospectuses, Attention: Treasurer, with a copy
to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Guaranty Trust Company, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
Attention: Funds Management or at such other address as either party may from
time to time specify to the other party pursuant to this Section 9.
Section 10. Confidentiality. The Distributor agrees on behalf of itself
and its employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the
Trust all records and other information not otherwise publicly available
relative to the Trust and its prior, present or potential shareholders and not
to use such records and information for any purpose other than performance of
its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except after prior notification to
and approval in writing by the Trust, which approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld and may not be withheld where the Distributor may be exposed to civil
or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to
divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or when so requested
by the Trust.
Section 11. No Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, etc. The Trustees
have authorized the execution of this Agreement in their capacity as Trustees
and not individually and the Distributor agrees that neither the shareholders
nor the Trustees nor any officer, employee, representative or agent of the Trust
shall be personally liable upon, nor shall resort be had to their private
property for the satisfaction of, obligations given, executed or delivered on
behalf of or by the Trust, that the shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees,
representatives and agents of the Trust shall not be personally liable
hereunder, and that it shall look solely to the property of the Trust for the
satisfaction of any claim hereunder.
Section 12. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the day and year first above written.
THE JPM INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Vice President
and Secretary
FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, President and
Chief Executive Officer
JPMI272.DOC
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