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EXHIBIT 2.k.1.
REGISTRAR,
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
between
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL CORPORATION
and
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1. Terms of Appointment; Duties of the Bank 1
2. Fees and Expenses 2
3. Representations and Warranties of the Bank 3
4. Representations and Warranties of the Fund 3
5. Data Access and Proprietary Information 4
6. Indemnification 5
7. Standard of Care 6
8. Covenants of the Fund and the Bank 7
9. Termination of Agreement 7
10. Assignment 8
11. Amendment 8
12. Massachusetts Law to Apply 8
13. Force Majeure 8
14. Consequential Damages 9
15. Merger of Agreement 9
16. Counterparts 9
17. Reproduction of Documents 9
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REGISTRAR, TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of the day of , 1996 , by and between
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Maryland corporation, having its principal
office and place of business at ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ (the "Fund"), and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, a Massachusetts
trust company having its principal office and place of business at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (the "Bank").
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to appoint the Bank as its registrar, transfer agent,
dividend disbursing agent, custodian of certain retirement plans 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:
l. Terms of Appointment; Duties of the Bank
1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Fund
hereby employs and appoints the Bank to act as, and the Bank agrees to act
as registrar, transfer agent for the Fund's authorized and issued shares
of its common stock, ("Shares"), dividend disbursing agent, custodian of
certain retirement plans and agent in connection with any dividend
reinvestment plan as set out in the prospectus of the Fund, corresponding
to the date of this Agreement.
1.2 The Bank agrees that it will perform the following services:
(a) In accordance with procedures established from time to time
by agreement between the Fund and the Bank, the Bank shall:
(i) Issue and record the appropriate number of Shares
as authorized and hold such Shares in the appropriate
Shareholder account;
(ii) Effect transfers of Shares by the registered
owners thereof upon receipt of appropriate documentation;
(iii) Execute transactions directly with broker-dealers authorized
by the Fund who shall thereby be deemed to be acting on
behalf of the Fund.
(iv) Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and
distributions declared by the Fund;
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(v) Act as agent for Shareholders pursuant to the dividend
reinvestment and cash purchase plan as amended from time to
time in accordance with the terms of the agreement to be
entered into between the Shareholders and the Bank; and
(vi) Issue replacement certificates for those certificates alleged
to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon receipt by the Bank
of indemnification satisfactory to the Bank and protecting the
Bank and the Fund, and the Bank at its option, may issue
replacement certificates in place of mutilated stock
certificates upon presentation thereof and without such
indemnity;
(b) In addition to and neither in lieu nor in contravention of the
services set forth in the above paragraph (a), the Bank shall: (i)
perform all the customary services of a registrar, transfer agent,
dividend disbursing agent, custodian of certain retirement plans and
agent of the dividend reinvestment and cash purchase plan as
described in Section 1 consistent with those requirements in effect
as at the date of this Agreement. The detailed definition,
frequency, limitations and associated costs (if any) set out in the
attached fee schedule, include but not limited to: maintaining all
Shareholder accounts, preparing Shareholder meeting lists, mailing
proxies, mailing Shareholder reports to current Shareholders,
withholding taxes on U.S. resident and non-resident alien accounts
where applicable, preparing and filing U.S. Treasury Department
Forms 1099 and other appropriate forms required with respect to
dividends and distributions by federal authorities for all
registered Shareholders.
(c) The Bank shall provide additional services on behalf of the Fund
(i.e., escheatment services) which may be agreed upon in writing
between the Fund and the Bank.
2. Fees and Expenses
2.1 For the performance by the Bank pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund
agrees to pay the Bank an annual maintenance fee as set out in the initial
fee schedule attached hereto. Such fees and out-of-pocket expenses and
advances identified under Section 2.2 below may be changed from time to
time subject to mutual written agreement between the Fund and the Bank.
2.2 In addition to the fee paid under Section 2.1 above, the Fund agrees to
reimburse the Bank for 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. In
addition, any other expenses incurred by the Bank at the request or with
the consent of the Fund, will be reimbursed by the Fund.
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2.3 The Fund agrees to pay all fees and reimbursable expenses within five
days following the receipt of the respective billing notice. Postage for
mailing of dividends, proxies, Fund reports and other mailings to all
Shareholder accounts shall be advanced to the Bank by the Fund 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 Fund that:
3.1 It is a trust company duly organized and existing and in good standing
under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
3.2 It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
3.3 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Charter and Bylaws to
enter into and perform this Agreement.
3.4 All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to
enter into and perform this Agreement.
3.5 It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities,
equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this
Agreement.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Fund
The Fund represents and warrants to the Bank that:
4.1 It is a corporation duly organized and existing and in good standing
under the laws of Maryland.
4.2 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws to enter into and perform this Agreement.
4.3 All corporate proceedings required by said Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this
Agreement.
4.4 It is a closed-end, non-diversified investment company which has elected
to be treated as a business development company under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act");
4.5 To the extent required by federal securities laws a registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is currently
effective, and appropriate state securities law filings
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have been made with respect to all Shares of the Fund being offered for
sale; information to the contrary will result in immediate notification
to the Bank.
4.6 It shall make all required filings under federal and state securities
laws.
5. Data Access and Proprietary Information
5.1 The Fund acknowledges that the data bases, computer programs, screen
formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, and documentation
manuals furnished to the Fund by the Bank as part of the Fund's ability to
access certain Fund-related data ("Customer Data") maintained by the Bank
on data bases under the control and ownership of the Bank or other third
party ("Data Access Services") constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or
other proprietary information (collectively, "Proprietary Information") of
substantial value to the Bank or other third party. In no event shall
Proprietary Information be deemed Customer Data. The Fund agrees to
treat all Proprietary Information as proprietary to the Bank and further
agrees that it shall not divulge any Proprietary Information to any person
or organization except as may be provided hereunder. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Fund agrees for itself and its employees and agents:
(a) to access Customer Data solely from locations as may be
designated in writing by the Bank and solely in accordance with the
Bank's applicable user documentation;
(b) to refrain from copying or duplicating in any way the
Proprietary Information;
(c) to refrain from obtaining unauthorized access to any portion
of the Proprietary Information, and if such access is inadvertently
obtained, to inform the Bank in a timely manner of such fact and
dispose of such information in accordance with the Bank's
instructions;
(d) to refrain from causing or allowing third-party data acquired
hereunder from being retransmitted to any other computer facility or
other location, except with the prior written consent of the Bank;
(e) that the Fund shall have access only to those authorized
transactions agreed upon by the parties; and
(f) to honor all reasonable written requests made by the Bank to
protect at the Bank's expense the rights of the Bank in Proprietary
Information at common law, under federal copyright law and under
other federal or state law.
Each party shall take reasonable efforts to advise its employees of their
obligations pursuant to this Section 5. The obligations of this Section shall
survive any earlier termination of this Agreement.
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5.2 If the Fund notifies the Bank that any of the Data Access Services do not
operate in material compliance with the most recently issued user
documentation for such services, the Bank shall endeavor in a timely
manner to correct such failure. Organizations from which the Bank may
obtain certain data included in the Data Access Services are solely
responsible for the contents of such data and the Fund agrees to make no
claim against the Bank arising out of the contents of such third-party
data, including, but not limited to, the accuracy thereof. DATA ACCESS
SERVICES AND ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS IS, AS AVAILABLE BASIS. THE
BANK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED
HEREIN INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
5.3 If the transactions available to the Fund include the ability to
originate electronic instructions to the Bank in order to (i) effect the
transfer or movement of cash or Shares or (ii) transmit Shareholder
information or other information, (such transactions constituting a
"COEFI"), then in such event the Bank shall be entitled to rely on the
validity and authenticity of such instruction without undertaking any
further inquiry as long as such instruction is undertaken in conformity
with security procedures established by the Bank from time to time.
6. Indemnification
6.1 The Bank shall not be responsible for, and the Fund shall indemnify and
hold the Bank harmless from and against, any and all losses, damages,
costs, charges, counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out
of or attributable to:
(a) All actions of the Bank or its agents or subcontractors required to be
taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that such actions are taken
in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct.
(b) The Fund's lack of good faith, negligence or willful misconduct which
arise out of the breach of any representation or warranty of the Fund
hereunder.
(c) The 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 Fund or any other person or firm on
behalf of the Fund including but not limited to any previous transfer
agent or registrar.
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(d) The reliance on, or the carrying out by the Bank or its agents or
subcontractors of, any instructions or requests of the Fund.
(e) The offer or sale of Shares 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 in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by
any federal agency or any state with respect to the offer or sale of
such Shares in such state.
(f) The negotiation and processing by the Bank of checks not made payable
to the order of the Bank, the Fund, the Fund's management company,
transfer agent or distributor or the retirement account custodian or
trustee for a plan account investing in Shares, which checks are
tendered to the Bank for the purchase of Shares (i.e., checks made
payable to prospective or existing Shareholders, such checks are
commonly known as "third party checks").
6.2 At any time, the Bank may apply to any officer of the Fund for
instructions, and may consult with legal counsel with respect to any
matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Bank
under this Agreement, and the Bank and its agents or subcontractors shall
not be liable and shall be indemnified by the Fund for any action taken or
omitted by it in reliance upon such instructions or upon the opinion of
such counsel. The Bank, its agents and subcontractors shall be protected
and indemnified in acting 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 the
Bank or its agents or subcontractors by machine readable input, telex, CRT
data entry or other similar means authorized by the Fund, and shall not be
held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until
receipt of written notice thereof from the Fund. The Bank, its agents and
subcontractors shall also be protected and indemnified in recognizing
stock certificates which are reasonably believed to bear the proper manual
or facsimile signatures of the officers of the Fund, and the proper
countersignature of any former transfer agent or former registrar, or of a
co-transfer agent or co-registrar.
6.3 In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Section 6
shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which the Fund may be
required to indemnify the Bank, the Bank shall promptly notify the Fund of
such assertion, and shall keep the Fund advised with respect to all
developments concerning such claim. The Fund shall have the option to
participate with the Bank in the defense of such claim or to defend
against said claim in its own name or in the name of the Bank. The Bank
shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in
which the Fund may be required to indemnify the Bank except with the
Fund's prior written consent.
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7. Standard of Care
The Bank shall at all times act in good faith and agrees to use its best
efforts within reasonable limits to insure the accuracy of all services
performed under this Agreement, but assumes no responsibility and shall not
be liable for loss or damage due to errors unless said errors are caused by
its negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct or that of its employees.
8. Covenants of the Fund and the Bank
8.1 The Fund shall promptly furnish to the Bank the following:
(a) A certified copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Fund authorizing the appointment of the Bank and the execution and
delivery of this Agreement.
(b) A copy of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Fund and all
amendments thereto.
8.2 The Bank hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities and
procedures reasonably acceptable to the Fund for safekeeping of stock
certificates, check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if
any; and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such
certificates, forms and devices.
8.3 The Bank shall keep records relating to the services to be performed
hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable. To the extent
required by Section 31 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
and the Rules thereunder, the Bank agrees that all such records prepared
or maintained by the Bank relating to the services to be performed by the
Bank hereunder are the property of the Fund and will be preserved,
maintained and made available in accordance with such Section and Rules,
and will be surrendered promptly to the Fund on and in accordance with its
request.
8.4 The Bank and the Fund agree that all books, records, 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
other person, except as may be required by law.
8.5 In case of any requests or demands for the inspection of the Shareholder
records of the Fund, the Bank will endeavor to notify the Fund and to
secure instructions from an authorized officer of the Fund 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.
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9. Termination of Agreement
9.1 This Agreement may be terminated by either party upon one hundred twenty
(120) days written notice to the other.
9.2 Should the Fund exercise its right to terminate, all out-of-pocket
expenses associated with the movement of records and material will be
borne by the Fund. Additionally, the Bank reserves the right to charge
for any other reasonable expenses associated with such termination and/or
a charge equivalent to the average of three (3) months' fees.
10. Assignment
10.1 Except as provided in Section 10.3 below, neither this Agreement nor any
rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either party without
the written consent of the other party.
10.2 This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
10.3 The Bank may, without further consent on the part of the Fund,
subcontract for the performance hereof with (i) Boston Financial Data
Services, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation ("BFDS") which is duly
registered as a transfer agent pursuant to Section 17A(c)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Section 17A(c)(1)"); (ii) a
BFDS subsidiary duly registered as a transfer agent pursuant to Section
17A(c)(1); or (iii) a BFDS affiliate; provided, however, that the Bank
shall be as fully responsible to the Fund for the acts and omissions of
any subcontractor as it is for its own acts and omissions.
11. Amendment
This Agreement may be amended or modified by a written agreement executed
by both parties and authorized or approved by a resolution of the Board
of Directors of the Fund.
12. Massachusetts Law to Apply
This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted
under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
13. Force Majeure
In the event either party is unable to perform its obligations under the
terms of this Agreement because of acts of God, strikes, equipment or
transmission failure or damage reasonably beyond its control, or other
causes reasonably beyond its control, such party
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shall not be liable for damages to the other for any damages resulting from
such failure to perform or otherwise from such causes.
14. Consequential Damages
Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for
consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement or for any
consequential damages arising out of any act or failure to act hereunder.
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 written.
16. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number of
counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed
to constitute one and the same instrument.
17. Reproduction of Documents
This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments
hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm,
micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties
hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in
evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative
proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not
such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business,
and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such
reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.
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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.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL CORPORATION
BY:
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ATTEST:
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STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
BY:
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Executive Vice President
ATTEST:
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