Exhibit 99.23(e)(i)
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
NATIONS FUNDS TRUST
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Gentlemen:
This is to confirm that, in consideration of the agreements hereinafter
contained, the undersigned, Nations Funds Trust (the "Trust"), a Delaware
business trust, has agreed that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. (the "Distributor") shall be, for
the period of this Agreement, the exclusive distributor of the units of
beneficial interest in all classes of shares ("Shares") of the investment
portfolios of the Trust listed on Schedule I (individually, a "Fund" and
collectively the "Funds"). Absent written notification to the contrary by either
the Trust or the Distributor, each new investment portfolio established in the
future shall automatically become a "Fund" for all purposes hereunder and shares
of each new class established in the future shall automatically become "Shares"
for all purposes hereunder as if set forth on Schedule I.
1. Services as Distributor.
1.1. The Distributor will act as agent for the distribution of Shares
in accordance with the instructions of the Trust's Board of Trustees and the
Trust's registration statement and prospectus then in effect under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and will transmit promptly
any orders received by it for the purchase or redemption of Shares to the Trust
or its transfer agent.
1.2. The Distributor agrees to use appropriate efforts to solicit
orders for the sale of Shares and will undertake such advertising and promotion
as it believes appropriate in connection with such solicitation. The Trust
understands that the Distributor is and may in the future be the distributor of
shares of other investment company portfolios including portfolios having
investment objectives similar to those of the Funds. The Trust further
understands that existing and future investors in the Funds may invest in shares
of such other portfolios. The Trust agrees that the Distributor's duties to such
portfolios shall not be deemed in conflict with its duties to the Trust under
this paragraph 1.2.
1.3. The Distributor shall, at its own expense, finance such
activities as it deems reasonable and which are primarily intended to result in
the sale of Shares, including, but not limited to, advertising, compensation of
underwriters, dealers and sales personnel, the printing and mailing of
prospectuses to other than current shareholders, and the printing and mailing of
sales literature. The Distributor shall be responsible for reviewing and
providing advice and counsel on all sales literature (e.g., advertisements,
brochures and shareholder communications) with respect to each of the Funds. In
addition, the Distributor will provide one
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or more persons, during normal business hours, to respond to telephone questions
with respect to the Funds.
1.4. All activities by the Distributor and its agents and employees
as distributor of Shares shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and
regulations, including, without limitation, all rules and regulations made or
adopted pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940
Act") by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") or any securities
association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
1.5. Whenever in their judgment such action is warranted by unusual
market, economic or political conditions, or by other circumstances of any kind,
the Trust's officers may decline to accept any orders for, or make any sales of
Shares until such time as those officers deem it advisable to accept such orders
and to make such sales.
1.6. The Trust agrees at its own expense to execute any and all
documents and to furnish any and all information and otherwise to take all
actions that may be reasonably necessary in connection with the registration or
qualification of Shares for sale in such states as the Distributor may designate
to the Trust and the Trust may approve, and the Trust shall pay all fees and
other expenses incurred in connection with such registration or qualification.
1.7. The Trust shall furnish from time to time, for use in connection
with the sale of Shares, such information with respect to the Funds and Shares
as the Distributor may reasonably request; and the Trust warrants that the
statements contained in any such information shall fairly show or represent what
they purport to show or represent. The Trust shall also furnish the Distributor
upon request with: (a) audited annual and unaudited semi-annual statements of
the Trust's books and accounts with respect to each Fund, and (b) from time to
time such additional information regarding the Funds' financial condition as the
Distributor may reasonably request.
1.8. The Distributor may be reimbursed for all or a portion of the
expenses described above to the extent permitted by a distribution plan adopted
by the Trust on behalf of a Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. No
provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to prohibit any payments by a Fund
to the Distributor or by a Fund or the Distributor to investment dealers, banks
or other financial institutions through whom shares of the Fund are sold where
such payments are made under a distribution plan adopted by the Trust on behalf
of such Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the
Distributor shall be entitled to retain any front-end sales charge imposed upon
the sale of the Shares (and reallow a portion thereof) as specified in the
Trust's registration statement and the Trust shall pay to the Distributor the
proceeds from any contingent deferred sales charge imposed on the redemption of
the shares as specified in the Trust's registration statement.
1.9. The Distributor will execute and deliver agreements with
broker/dealers, financial institutions and other industry professionals based on
the forms attached hereto or based on the additional forms of agreement approved
from time to time by the Trust's Board of Trustees with respect to the various
classes of shares of the Funds, including but not limited to forms of sales
support agreements and shareholder servicing agreements approved in connection
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with a distribution plan and/or shareholder servicing plan approved in
accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
2. Representations; Indemnification.
2.1. The Trust represents to the Distributor that all registration
statements and prospectuses filed by the Trust with the SEC under the 1933 Act,
with respect to Shares have been prepared in conformity with the requirements of
the 1933 Act and rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder. As used in this
Agreement, the terms "registration statement" and "prospectus" shall mean any
registration statement and then current prospectus (together with any related
then current statement of additional information) filed with the SEC with
respect to Shares, and any amendments and supplements thereto which at any time
shall have been filed therewith. The Trust represents and warrants to the
Distributor that any registration statement and prospectus, when such
registration statement becomes effective, will contain all statements required
to be stated therein in conformity with the 1933 Act and the rules and
regulations of the SEC; that all statements of fact contained in any such
registration statement and prospectus will be true and correct when such
registration statement and prospectus become effective; and that neither any
registration statement nor any prospectus when any registration statement
becomes effective will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of Shares. The Trust may, but
shall not be obligated to, propose from time to time such amendment or
amendments to any registration statement and such supplement or supplements to
any prospectus which in light of future developments, may, in the opinion of the
Trust's counsel, be necessary or advisable. The Trust shall promptly notify the
Distributor of any advice given to it by the Trust's counsel regarding the
necessity or advisability so to amend or supplement such registration statement
or prospectus. If the Trust shall not propose such amendment or amendments
and/or supplement or supplements within fifteen days after receipt by the Trust
of a written request from the Distributor to do so, the Distributor may, at its
option, terminate this Agreement. The Trust shall not file any amendment to any
registration statement or supplement to any prospectus without giving the
Distributor reasonable notice thereof in advance; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this Agreement shall in any way limit the Trust's right to
file at any time such amendments to any registration statement and/or
supplements to any prospectus, of whatever character, as the Trust may deem
advisable, such right being in all respects absolute and unconditional.
2.2. The Trust authorizes the Distributor and dealers to use any
prospectus in the form furnished from time to time in connection with the sale
of Shares and represented by the Trust as being the then current form of
prospectus. The Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor, its
several 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 and 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, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in any
registration statement or any prospectus or arising out of or based upon any
omission, or alleged omission, to
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state a material fact required to be stated in any registration statement or
prospectus or necessary to make any statement in such documents not misleading;
provided, however, that the Trust's agreement to indemnify the Distributor, its
officers or directors, and any such controlling person shall not be deemed to
cover any claims, demands, liabilities or expenses arising out of any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
any registration statement or prospectus or in any financial or other statements
in reliance upon and in conformity with any information furnished to the Trust
by the Distributor or any affiliate thereof and used in the preparation thereof;
and further provided that the Trust's agreement to indemnify the Distributor and
the Trust's representations and warranties herein set forth shall not be deemed
to cover any liability to the Trust or its shareholders 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 the Distributor's
reckless disregard of its obligations and duties 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 notified of any action brought against the Distributor, its
officers or directors, or any such controlling person, such notification to be
given by letter or by telegram or transmitted by similar telecommunications
device, addressed to the Trust at its principal office and sent to the Trust by
the person against whom such action is brought, within a reasonable period of
time after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served. The
failure to so notify the Trust of any such action shall not relieve the Trust
from any liability which the Trust may have to the person against whom such
action is brought by reason of any such untrue, or allegedly untrue, statement
or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on account of the Trust's
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph 2.2. The Trust will be entitled
to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any such claim, demand or
liability, but, in such case, such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good
standing chosen by the Trust and approved by the Distributor, which approval
shall not unreasonably be withheld. In the event the Trust elects to assume the
defense of any such suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by the
Distributor, the defendant or defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and
expenses of any additional counsel retained by any of them; but in case the
Trust does not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, or in case the
Distributor reasonably does not approve of counsel chosen by the Trust, the
Trust will reimburse the Distributor, its officers and directors, or the
controlling person or persons named as defendant or defendants in such suit, for
the fees and expenses of any counsel retained by the Distributor or them. The
Trust's indemnification agreement contained in this paragraph 2.2 and the
Trust's representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative
and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on
behalf of the Distributor, its officers and directors, or any controlling
person, and shall survive the delivery of any Shares. This agreement of
indemnity will inure exclusively to the Distributor's benefit, to the benefit of
its several officers and directors, and their respective estates, and to the
benefit of the controlling persons and their successors. The Trust agrees
promptly to notify the Distributor of the commencement of any litigation or
proceedings against the Trust or any of its officers or Trustees in connection
with the issue and sale of any Shares.
2.3. The Distributor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust,
its several officers and Trustees, and any person who controls the Trust within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act free and harmless from and against any
and all claims, demands, liabilities and
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expenses (including the costs of investigation or defending such claims, demands
or liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the
Trust, its officers or Trustees or any such controlling person, may incur under
the 1933 Act or under common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such
liability or expense incurred by the Trust, its officers or Trustees, or such
controlling person resulting from such claims or demands, shall arise out of or
be based upon any untrue, or alleged untrue, statement of a material fact
contained in information furnished by the Distributor or any affiliate thereof
to the Trust or its counsel and used in the Trust's registration statement or
corresponding statements made in the prospectus, or shall arise out of or be
based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in
connection with such information furnished by the Distributor or any affiliate
thereof to the Trust or its counsel required to be stated in such answers or
necessary to make such information not misleading. The Distributor's agreement
to indemnify the Trust, its officers and Trustees, and any such controlling
person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon the Distributor's being
notified of any action brought against the Trust, its officers or Trustees, or
any such controlling person, such notification to be given by letter or telegram
addressed to the Distributor at its principal office in Little Rock, Arkansas
and sent to the Distributor by the person against whom such action is brought,
within a reasonable period of time after the summons or other first legal
process shall have been served. The Distributor shall have the right to control
the defense of such action, with counsel of its own choosing, satisfactory to
the Trust, if such action is based solely upon such alleged misstatement or
omission on the Distributor's part or any affiliate thereof, and in any other
event the Trust, its officers or Trustees or such controlling person shall each
have the right to participate in the defense or preparation of the defense of
any such action. The failure so to notify the Distributor of any such action
shall not relieve the Distributor or any affiliate thereof from any liability
which the Distributor or any affiliate thereof may have to the Trust, its
officers or Trustees, or to such controlling person by reason of any such untrue
or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission, otherwise than on
account of the Distributor's indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph
2.3.
2.4. No Shares shall be offered by either the Distributor or the
Trust under any of the provisions of this Agreement and no orders for the
purchase or sale of Shares hereunder shall be accepted by the Trust if and so
long as the effectiveness of the registration statement then in effect or any
necessary amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of
the 1933 Act, or if and so long as a current prospectus, as required by Section
10(b) of the 1933 Act is not on file with the SEC; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this paragraph 2.4 shall in any way restrict or have any
application to or bearing upon the Trust's obligation to repurchase Shares from
any shareholder in accordance with the provisions of the Trust's prospectus or
Declaration of Trust.
2.5. The Trust agrees to advise the Distributor as soon as reasonably
practicable:
(a) of any request by the SEC for amendments to the
registration statement or prospectus then in effect;
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(b) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the registration statement or prospectus then in effect or
of the initiation of any proceeding for that purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event that makes untrue any
statement of a material fact made in the registration statement or prospectus
then in effect or which requires the making of a change in such registration
statement or prospectus in order to make the statements therein not misleading;
(d) of all actions of the SEC with respect to any amendment
to any registration statement or prospectus which may from time to time be filed
with the SEC; and
(e) if a current prospectus is not on file with the SEC.
For purposes of this section, informal requests by or acts of the staff
of the SEC shall not be deemed actions of or requests by the SEC.
3. 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 relative to the Funds and/or 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.
4. Limitations of Liability.
Except as provided in paragraph 2.3, the Distributor shall not be
liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by
the Trust or any Fund in connection with 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 from reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this agreement.
5. Term.
This agreement shall become effective on the date of its
execution and, unless sooner terminated as provided herein, shall continue in
effect for a period of two years from the date written below. This Agreement
shall thereafter continue from year to year, provided such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Trust's Board of Trustees, or
(ii) by a vote of a majority (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund, provided that in either event the continuance is
also approved by the majority of the Trust's Trustees who are not parties to
this agreement or interested persons (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of any such
party, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such approval. This agreement is not assignable and is terminable with respect
to a Fund,
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without penalty, on not less than sixty (60) days' notice, by the Trust's Board
of Trustees, by vote of a majority (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the
outstanding voting securities of such Fund, or by the Distributor. This
agreement will also terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as
defined in the 1940 Act).
6. Miscellaneous.
6.1. No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived,
discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by
the party against which an enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or
termination is sought.
6.2. This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
Arkansas.
7. Counterparts.
7.1. This Agreement may be executed in any manner of
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.
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Please confirm that the foregoing is in accordance with your
understanding by indicating your acceptance hereof at the place indicated below,
whereupon it shall become a binding agreement between us.
Yours very truly,
NATIONS FUNDS TRUST
By: /s/ A. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
-----------------
A. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
President and Chairman of the
Board of Trustees
Accepted:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇.
-------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇.
Senior Vice President
Dated as of February 14, 2000
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SCHEDULE I
Nations Funds Trust:
1. Nations Tax-Exempt Reserves
2. Nations Value Fund
3. Nations Strategic Growth Fund
4. Nations Capital Growth Fund
5. Nations MidCap Growth Fund
6. Nations LargeCap Index Fund
7. Nations Managed Index Fund
8. Nations SmallCap Index Fund
9. Nations Short-Intermediate Government Fund
10. Nations Short-Term Income Fund
11. Nations Strategic Income Fund
12. Nations Bond Fund
13. Nations Municipal Income Fund
14. Nations Short-Term Municipal Income Fund
15. Nations Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
16. Nations Florida Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
17. Nations Florida Municipal Bond Fund
18. Nations Georgia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
19. Nations Maryland Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
20. Nations North Carolina Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
21. Nations South Carolina Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
22. Nations Tennessee Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
23. Nations Texas Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
24. Nations Virginia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
25. Nations Small Company Fund
26. Nations Government Reserves
27. Nations Municipal Reserves
28. Nations Cash Reserves
29. Nations Treasury Reserves
30. Nations Money Market Reserves
31. Nations California Tax-Exempt Reserves
32. Nations Convertible Securities Fund
33. Nations California Municipal Bond Fund
34. Nations Intermediate Bond Fund
35. Nations International Equity Fund
36. Nations International Value Fund
37. Nations Emerging Markets Fund
38. Nations High Yield Bond Fund
39. Nations MidCap Index Fund
40. Nations Kansas Municipal Income Fund
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41. Nations ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 21st Century Fund
42. Nations ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ International Opportunities Fund
43. Nations Financial Services Fund
44. Nations Classic Value Fund
45. Nations Global Value Fund
46. Nations Asset Allocation Fund
47. Nations Government Securities Fund
48. Nations ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Focused Equities Fund
49. Nations ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Growth Fund
50. Nations LifeGoal Growth Portfolio
51. Nations LifeGoal Balanced Growth Portfolio
52. Nations LifeGoal Income and Growth Portfolio
53. Nations MidCap Value Fund
54. Nations LargeCap Value Fund
55. Nations New York Tax-Exempt Reserves
56. Nations Research Fund
57. Nations SmallCap Value Fund
58. Nations California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
59. Corporate Bond Portfolio
60. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Portfolio
61. High Income Portfolio
62. Nations SmallCap Core Fund
Approved: December 9, 1999
Last Amended: August 28, 2002
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