▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SERIES TRUST
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
THIS SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made
this __ of December, 1997 by the Trustees hereunder and the holders of shares of
beneficial interest issued hereunder and to be issued hereunder as hereinafter
provided:
WITNESSETH that
WHEREAS the Trustees desire to amend and restate the First Amended and
Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust to add each of the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Market Neutral Fund and ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Double Alpha Market Fund to the Trust
pursuant to the power of the Trustees set forth in Article III, Section 5 of the
First Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
WHEREAS the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their
hands as trustees of a Massachusetts business trust in accordance with the
provisions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby direct that this Second Amended and
Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust be filed with the Secretary of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and with the Clerk of every city or town where
such association or trust has a usual place of business, and do hereby declare
that they will hold all cash, securities and other assets, which they may from
time to time acquire in any manner as Trustees hereunder IN TRUST to manage and
dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the pro rata
benefit of the holders from time to time of Shares in this Trust as hereinafter
set forth.
ARTICLE I
Name and Definitions
SECTION 1. This Trust shall be known as ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Series Trust and
the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any
other name as they may from time to time determine.
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required
by the context or specifically provided
(a) "Trust" refers to the Massachusetts business trust established by
the Trust's original Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated April 1, 1988, as
amended and restated by the First Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust,
dated August 5, 1996, as further amended by this instrument and as further
amended from time to time;
(b) "Trustees" refers to the Trustees of the Trust named in Article
IV hereof or elected in accordance with such Article;
(c) "Shares" means the equal proportionate units of interest into
which the beneficial interest in the Trust or in the Trust property belonging to
any Series of the Trust (or in the property belonging to any Series allocable to
any Class of that Series) (as the context may require) shall be divided from
time to time;
(d) "Shareholder" means a record owner of Shares;
(e) "1940 Act" refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the
Rules and Regulations thereunder, all as amended from time to time;
(f) The terms "Commission" and "principal underwriter" shall have the
meanings given them in the 1940 Act;
(g) "Declaration of Trust" shall mean this Agreement and Declaration
of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time;
(h) "By-Laws" shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust as amended from
time to time;
(i) "Series Company" refers to the form of registered open-end
investment company described in Section 18(f)(2) of the 1940 Act or in any
successor statutory provision;
(j) "Series" refers to Series of Shares established and designated
under or in accordance with the provisions of Article III; and
(k) "Class" refers to any Class of Shares established and designated
under or in accordance with the provisions of Article III. The Shares of any
Class shall represent a subset of Shares of a Series, and together with all
other Classes of the same Series, shall constitute all Shares of that Series.
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ARTICLE II
Purpose of Trust
The purpose of the Trust is to provide investors a managed investment
primarily in securities (including options), debt instruments, money market
instruments, commodities, commodity contracts and options thereon.
ARTICLE III
Shares
SECTION 1. DIVISION OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST. The beneficial interest in
the Trust shall at all times be divided into an unlimited number of Shares,
without par value. Subject to the provisions of Section 6 of this Article III,
each Share shall have voting rights as provided in Article V hereof, and holders
of the Shares of any Series or Class shall be entitled to receive dividends,
when and as declared with respect thereto in the manner provided in Article VI,
Section 1 hereof. No Share shall have any priority or preference over any other
Share of the same Series and Class with respect to dividends or distributions
upon termination of the Trust or of such Series or Class made pursuant to
Article IX, Section 4 hereof. All dividends and distributions shall be made
ratably among all Shareholders of a particular Series or Class from the assets
belonging to such Series (or, in the case of a Class, allocable to such Class)
according to the number of Shares of such Series or Class held of record by such
Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or on the date of termination,
as the case may be. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to
subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust. The
Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any particular
Series or Class into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that Series or
Class without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest of the
Shares of that Series or Class in the assets belonging to that Series (or, in
the case of a Class, allocable to such Class) or in any way affecting the rights
of Shares of any other Series or Class.
SECTION 2. OWNERSHIP OF SHARES. The ownership of Shares shall be recorded
on the books of the Trust or a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which
books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series and Class.
No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the
Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Trustees may make such
rules as they consider appropriate for the transfer of Shares of each Series and
similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any
transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are
the Shareholders of each Series and Class and as to the number of Shares of each
Series and Class held from time to time by each.
SECTION 3. INVESTMENT IN THE TRUST. The Trustees shall accept investments
in the Trust from such persons and on such terms and for such consideration as
they from time to time authorize.
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SECTION 4. STATUS OF SHARES AND LIMITATION OF PERSONAL LIABILITY. Shares
shall be deemed to be personal property giving only the rights provided in this
instrument. Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be
held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof and to have
become a party hereto. The death of a Shareholder during the continuance of the
Trust shall not operate to terminate the same nor entitle the representative of
any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or
elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees, but entitles such representative
only to the rights of said deceased Shareholder under this Trust. Ownership of
Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any
part of the Trust property or right to call for a partition or division of the
same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the
Shareholders partners. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer,
employee or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any
Shareholders, nor except as specifically provided herein to call upon any
Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other
than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay.
SECTION 5. POWER OF TRUSTEES TO CHANGE PROVISIONS RELATING TO SHARES.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and without
limiting the power of the Trustees to amend the Declaration of Trust as provided
elsewhere herein, the Trustees shall have the power to amend this Declaration of
Trust, at any time and from time to time, in such manner as the Trustees may
determine in their sole discretion, without the need for Shareholder action, so
as to add to, delete, replace or otherwise modify any provisions relating to the
Shares contained in this Declaration of Trust for the purpose of (i) responding
to or complying with any regulations, orders, rulings or interpretations of any
governmental agency or any laws, now or hereafter applicable to the Trust, or
(ii) designating and establishing Series and Classes in addition to the Series
and Classes established in Section 6 of this Article III; provided that before
adopting any such amendment without Shareholder approval the Trustees shall
determine that it is consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all
Shareholders. The establishment and designation of any Series or Class of
Shares in addition to the Series and Classes established and designated in
Section 6 of this Article III shall be effective upon the execution by a
majority of the then Trustees of an amendment to this Declaration of Trust,
taking the form of a complete restatement or otherwise, setting forth such
establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences of such
Series or Class, as the case may be, or as otherwise provided in such
instrument.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trustees may, for the
above-stated purposes, amend the Declaration of Trust to:
(a) create one or more Series or Classes of Shares (in addition to
any Series or Classes already existing or otherwise) with such rights and
preferences and such eligibility requirements for investment therein as the
Trustees shall determine and reclassify any or all outstanding Shares as shares
of particular Series or Classes in accordance with such eligibility
requirements;
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(b) amend any of the provisions set forth in paragraphs (a) through
(j) of Section 6 of this Article III;
(c) combine one or more Series or Classes of Shares into a single
Series or Class on such terms and conditions as the Trustees shall determine;
(d) change or eliminate any eligibility requirements for investment
in Shares of any Series or Class, including without limitation the power to
provide for the issue of Shares of any Series or Class in connection with any
merger or consolidation of the Trust with another trust or company or any
acquisition by the Trust of part or all of the assets of another trust or
company;
(e) change the designation of any Series or Class of Shares;
(f) change the method of allocating dividends among the various
Series and Classes of Shares;
(g) allocate any specific assets or liabilities of the Trust or any
specific items of income or expense of the Trust to one or more Series or
Classes of Shares;
(h) specifically allocate assets to any or all Series or Classes of
Shares or create one or more additional Series or Classes of Shares which are
preferred over all other Series or Classes of Shares in respect of assets
specifically allocated thereto or any dividends paid by the Trust with respect
to any net income, however determined, earned from the investment and
reinvestment of any assets so allocated or otherwise and provide for any special
voting or other rights with respect to such Series or Classes.
SECTION 6. ESTABLISHMENT AND DESIGNATION OF SERIES AND CLASSES. Without
limiting the authority of the Trustees set forth in Section 5, INTER ALIA, to
establish and designate any further Series or Classes of Shares or to modify
the rights and preferences of any Series or Class, the "Japan Series", the
"U.S. Small Capitalization Series" (formerly the Small Capitalization
Series), the "International Small Capitalization Series", the "▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Market Neutral Fund" and the "▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Double Alpha Market Fund" shall
be, and are hereby, established and designated; and with respect to the U.S.
Small Capitalization Series, Japan Series and International Small
Capitalization Series, the Institutional Shares Class, Adviser Shares Class
and Select Shares Class, which may be issued by each such Series from time to
time, shall be, and are hereby, established and designated, and with respect
to the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Market Neutral Fund and ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Double Alpha
Market Fund, the Institutional Shares Class and Investor Shares Class, which
may be issued by each such Series from time to time, shall be, and are
hereby, established and designated, all of which Classes shall have the
respective rights and preferences as are set forth in the Plan attached as
Exhibit 3.6 hereto as such Plan may be amended from time to time by the Board
of Trustees.
Shares of each Series (or Class, as the case may be) established in this
Section 6 shall have the following relative rights and preferences:
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(a) ASSETS BELONGING TO SERIES. All consideration received by the
Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all
assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income,
earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived, including,
without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation
of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such
proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably belong to that
Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors, and shall be
so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration, assets,
income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived,
including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or
liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any
reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein
referred to as "assets belonging to" that Series. In the event that there are
any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments
which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Series
(collectively "General Assets"), the Trustees shall allocate such General Assets
to, between or among any one or more of the Series established and designated
from time to time in such manner and on such basis as they, in their sole
discretion, deem fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to a
particular Series shall belong to that Series. Each such allocation by the
Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for
all purposes.
(b) LIABILITIES BELONGING TO SERIES. The assets belonging to each
particular series shall be charged solely with the liabilities of the Trust in
respect to that Series, expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to
that Series, and any general liabilities of the Trust which are not readily
identifiable as belonging to any particular Series but which are allocated and
charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more of the Series established
and designated from time to time in a manner and on such basis as the Trustees
in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. The liabilities, expenses,
costs, charges, and reserves so charged to a Series are herein referred to as
"liabilities belonging to" that Series. Each allocation of liabilities,
expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Trustees shall be conclusive and
binding upon the holders of all Series for all purposes.
(c) DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, REDEMPTIONS, AND REPURCHASES.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including,
without limitation, Article VI, no dividend or distribution (including, without
limitation, any distribution paid upon termination of the Trust or of any Series
or Class) with respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of
any Series shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets belonging
to such Series, nor shall any Shareholder of any particular Series otherwise
have any right or claim against the assets belonging to any other Series except
to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a
Shareholder of such other Series.
(d) VOTING. Notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this
Declaration of Trust, including, without limitation, Section 1 of Article V, the
Shareholders of any particular Series or Class shall not be entitled to vote on
any matters as to which such Series or Class is not affected except as otherwise
required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. On any
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matter submitted to a vote of Shareholders, all Shares of the Trust then
entitled to vote shall be voted by individual Series, unless otherwise required
by the 1940 Act or other applicable law.
(e) EQUALITY. All the Shares of each particular Class of a Series
shall represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets allocable to that
Class, and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each other
Share of that Series (subject to the liabilities allocated to each Class of that
Series).
(f) FRACTIONS. Any fractional Share of a Series or Class shall carry
proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole share of that Series
or Class, including rights with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and
distributions, redemption of Shares and termination of the Trust.
(g) EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE. The Trustees shall have the authority to
provide that the holders of Shares of any Series or Class shall have the right
to exchange said Shares for Shares of one or more other Series or Classes of
Shares in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established
by the Trustees.
(h) COMBINATION OF SERIES OR CLASSES. The Trustees shall have the
authority, without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series or Class
unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and
liabilities belonging to any two or more Series (or the assets allocable to any
two or more Classes) into assets and liabilities belonging (or allocable) to a
single Series (or Class).
(i) ELIMINATION OF SERIES OR CLASSES. If at any time that there are
no Shares outstanding of any particular Series or Class previously established
and designated, the Trustees may amend this Declaration of Trust to abolish that
Series or Class and to rescind the establishment and designation thereof, such
amendment to be effected in the manner provided in Section 5 of this Article
III.
(j) ASSETS AND LIABILITIES ALLOCABLE TO A CLASS. The assets and
liabilities belonging to a Series shall be proportionately allocated among all
the Classes of that Series according to the percentage of net assets allocated
to each particular Class. For purposes of determining the assets and
liabilities belonging to a Series that are allocable to a Class of that Series,
expenses shall be accrued as described in the Plan attached as Exhibit 3.6
hereto subject to the provisions of paragraph (g) of Section 5 of this Article
III.
SECTION 7. INDEMNIFICATION OF SHAREHOLDERS. In case any Shareholder or
former Shareholder shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of his
or her being or having been a Shareholder of the Trust or of a particular Series
and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason, the
Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his or her heirs, executors,
administrators or other legal representatives or in the case of a corporation or
other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled out of
the assets of the
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Series of which he is a Shareholder or former Shareholder to be held harmless
from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability.
SECTION 8. NO PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or
other right to subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued by
the Trust.
ARTICLE IV
The Trustees
SECTION 1. ELECTION AND TENURE. The Trustees may fix the number of
Trustees, fill vacancies in the Trustees, including vacancies arising from an
increase in the number of Trustees, or remove Trustees with or without cause.
Each Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he
dies, resigns or is removed, or, if sooner, until the next meeting of
Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees and until the election
and qualification of his successor. Any Trustee may resign at any time by
written instrument signed by him and delivered to any officer of the Trust or to
a meeting of the trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt
unless specified to be effective at some other time. Except to the extent
expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning
and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period
following his resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such
removal. The Shareholders may fix the number of Trustees and elect Trustees at
any meeting of Shareholders called by the Trustees for that purpose.
SECTION 2. EFFECT OF DEATH, RESIGNATION, ETC. OF A TRUSTEE. The death,
declination, resignation, retirement, removal, or incapacity of the Trustees, or
any of them, shall not operate to annul the Trust or to revoke any existing
agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust.
SECTION 3. POWERS. Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of
Trust, the business of the Trust shall be managed by the Trustees, and they
shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility
including the power to engage in securities transactions of all kinds on behalf
of the Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may adopt By-Laws
not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and
management of the affairs of the Trust and may amend and repeal them to the
extent that such By-Laws do not reserve that right to the Shareholders; they may
fill vacancies in or remove from their number (including any vacancies created
by an increase in the number of Trustees); they may remove from their number
with or without cause; they may elect and remove such officers and appoint and
terminate such agents as they consider appropriate; they may appoint from their
own number and terminate one or more committees consisting of two or more
Trustees which may exercise the powers and authority of the Trustees to the
extent that the Trustees determine; they may employ one or more custodians of
the assets of the Trust and may authorize such custodians to employ
subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such assets in a system or
systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal
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Reserve Bank, retain a transfer agent or a shareholder servicing agent, or both,
provide for the distribution of Shares by the Trust, through one or more
principal underwriters or otherwise, set record dates for the determination of
Shareholders with respect to various matters, and in general delegate such
authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any
committee of the Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any
such custodian or underwriter.
Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees shall have power and
authority:
(a) To invest and reinvest cash, and to hold cash uninvested;
(b) To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, or
write options with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating
to any or all of the assets of the Trust;
(c) To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with
respect to stock or other securities or property; and to executive and deliver
proxies or powers of attorney to such person or persons as the Trustees shall
deem proper, granting to such person or persons such power and discretion with
relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(d) To exercise powers and rights of subscription or otherwise which
in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;
(e) To hold any security or property in a form not indicating any
trust, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own
name or in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or
otherwise;
(f) To consent to or participate in any plan for the reorganization,
consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is
held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale
of property by such corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions
with respect to any security held in the Trust;
(g) To join with other security holders in acting through a
committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to
deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee,
depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with
relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the
Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the
expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the
Trustees shall deem proper;
(h) To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of
or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to
claims for taxes;
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(i) To enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and
any other combinations or associations;
(j) To borrow funds or other property;
(k) To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other
obligations of any person; to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or
otherwise assume liability for payment thereof;
(l) To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust property such
insurance as they may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the
business, including without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets
of the Trust and payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio
investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees,
officers, employees, agents, investment advisers, principal underwriters, or
independent contractors of the Trust individually against all claims and
liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding, being or having held
any such office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been
taken or omitted by any such person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent,
investment adviser, principal underwriter, or independent contractor, including
any action taken or omitted that may be determined to constitute negligence,
whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such person against
liability; and
(m) To pay pensions as deemed appropriate by the Trustees and to
adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share
purchase, savings, thrift and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans,
trusts and provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity
contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or
all of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust.
The Trustees shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present
or future law or custom in regard to investments by Trustees. The Trustees
shall not be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the
Trust or take any other action hereunder.
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSE BY THE TRUST. The Trustees are authorized
to pay or cause to be paid out of the principal or income of the Trust, or
partly out of principal and partly out of income, as they deem fair, all
expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities incurred or arising in connection
with the Trust, or in connection with the management thereof, including but not
limited to, the Trustees' compensation and such expenses and charges for the
services of the Trust's officers, employees, investment adviser or manager,
principal underwriter, auditor, counsel, custodian, transfer agent, shareholder
servicing agent, and such other agents or independent contractors and such other
expenses and charges as the Trustees may deem necessary or power to incur.
SECTION 5. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES BY SHAREHOLDERS. The Trustees shall have
the power, as frequently as they may determine, to cause each Shareholder, or
each Shareholder of any particular Series or Class, to pay directly, in advance
or arrears, for charges of the Trust's custodian or transfer, shareholder
servicing or similar agent, an amount fixed from time to
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time by the Trustees, by setting off such charges due from such Shareholder from
declared but unpaid dividends owed such Shareholder and/or by reducing the
number of Shares in the account of such Shareholder by that number of full
and/or fractional Shares which represents the outstanding amount of such charges
due from such Shareholder.
SECTION 6. OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS OF THE TRUST. Title to all of the assets
of the Trust shall at all times be considered as vested in the Trustees.
SECTION 7. ADVISORY, MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION CONTRACTS. Subject to
such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws, the
Trustees may, at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or
nonexclusive advisory and/or management services for the Trust or for any Series
with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Institutional Equity Management or any other partnership,
corporation, trust, association or other organization (the "Manager"); and any
such contract may contain such other terms as the Trustees may determine,
including without limitation, authority for a Manager to determine from time to
time without prior consultation with the Trustees what investments shall be
purchased, held, sold or exchanged and what portion, if any, of the assets of
the Trust shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust's
investments. The Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract
with the Manager or any other partnership, corporation, trust, association or
other organization, appointing it exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or
principal underwriter for the Shares, every such contract to comply with such
requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws; and any such
contract may contain such other terms as the Trustees may determine.
The fact that:
(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees or officers of the
Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager,
adviser, principal underwriter, distributor or affiliate or agent of or for any
partnership, corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or of or
for any parent or affiliate of any organization, with which an advisory or
management contract, or principal underwriter's or distributor's contract, or
transfer, shareholder servicing or other agency contract may have been or may
hereafter be made, or that any such organization, or any parent or affiliate
thereof, is Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or that
(ii) any corporation, trust, association or other organization
with which an advisory or management contract or principal underwriter's or
distributor's contract, or transfer, shareholder servicing or other agency
contract may have been or may hereafter be made also has an advisory or
management contract, or principal underwriter's or distributor's contract, or
transfer, shareholder servicing or other agency contract with one or more other
corporations, trusts, associations, or other organizations, or has other
business or interests, shall not affect the validity of any such contract or
disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or
executing the same or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its
Shareholders.
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ARTICLE V
Shareholders' Voting Powers and Meetings
SECTION 1. VOTING POWERS. The Shareholders shall have power to vote only
(i) for the election of Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1, (ii) with
respect to any amendment of this Declaration of Trust to the extent and as
provided in Article IX, Section 8, (iii) to the same extent as the stockholders
of a Massachusetts business corporation as to whether or not a court action,
proceeding or claim should or should not be brought or maintained derivatively
or as a class action on behalf of the Trust or the Shareholders, (iv) with
respect to the termination of the Trust or any Series or Class to the extent and
as provided in Article IX, Section 4, and (v) with respect to such additional
matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration of Trust,
the By-Laws or any registration of the Trust with the Commission (or any
successor agency) or any state, or as the Trustees may consider necessary or
desirable. Each whole Share shall be entitled to one vote as to any matter on
which it is entitled to vote and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a
proportionate fractional vote. There shall be no cumulative voting in the
election of Trustees. Shares may be voted in person or by proxy. A proxy with
respect to Shares held in the name of two or more persons shall be valid if
executed by any one of them unless at or prior to exercise of the proxy the
Trust receives a specific written notice to the contrary from any one of them.
A proxy purporting to be executed by or on behalf of a Shareholder shall be
deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise and the burden of
proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger. At any time when no Shares of
a Series or Class are outstanding, the Trustees may exercise all rights of
Shareholders of that Series or Class with respect to matters affecting that
Series or Class and may with respect to that Series or Class take any action
required by law, this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws to be taken by the
Shareholders.
SECTION 2. VOTING POWER AND MEETINGS. Meetings of the Shareholders may be
called by the Trustees for the purpose of electing Trustees as provided in
Article IV, Section 1 and for such other purposes as may be prescribed by law,
by this Declaration of Trust or by the By-Laws. Meetings of the Shareholders
may also be called by the Trustees from time to time for the purpose of taking
action upon any other matter deemed by the Trustees to be necessary or
desirable. A meeting of Shareholders may be held at any place designated by the
Trustees. Written notice of any meeting of Shareholders shall be given or
caused to be given by the Trustees by mailing such notice at least seven days
before such meeting, postage prepaid, stating the time and place of the meeting,
to each Shareholder at the Shareholder's address as it appears on the records of
the Trust. Whenever notice of a meeting is required to be given to a
Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, a written waiver
thereof, executed before or after the meeting by such Shareholder or his
attorney thereunto authorized and filed with the records of the meeting, shall
be deemed equivalent to such notice.
SECTION 3. QUORUM AND REQUIRED VOTE. Except when a larger quorum is
required by law, by the By-Laws or by this Declaration of Trust, 40% of the
Shares entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a Shareholders' meeting.
When any one Series or Class is to vote separately from any other Shares which
are to vote on the same matters as a separate Series or Class, 40% of the Shares
of each such Series or Class entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum
-12-
at a Shareholder's meeting of that Series or Class. Any meeting of Shareholders
may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of the votes properly cast upon
the question, whether or not a quorum is present, and the meeting may be held as
adjourned within a reasonable time after the date set for the original meeting
without further notice. When a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of
the Shares voted shall decide any questions and a plurality shall elect a
Trustee, except when a larger vote is required by any provision of this
Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or by law. If any question on which the
Shareholders are entitled to vote would adversely affect the rights of any
Series or Class, the vote of a majority (or such larger vote as is required as
aforesaid) of the Shares of such Series or Class which are entitled to vote,
voting separately, shall also be required to decide such question.
SECTION 4. ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT. Any action taken by Shareholders
may be taken without a meeting if Shareholders holding a majority of the Shares
entitled to vote on the matter (or such larger proportion thereof as shall be
required by any express provision of this Declaration of Trust or by the
By-Laws) and holding a majority (or such larger proportion as aforesaid) of the
Shares of any Series or Class entitled to vote separately on the matter consent
to the action in writing and such written consents are filed with the records of
the meetings of Shareholders. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as
a vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders.
SECTION 5. RECORD DATES. For the purpose of determining the Shareholders
of any Series or Class who are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any
adjournment thereof, the Trustees may from time to time fix a time, which shall
be not more than 60 days before the date of any meeting of Shareholders, as the
record date for determining the Shareholders of such Series or Class having the
right to notice of and to vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof, and
in such case only Shareholders of record on such record date shall have such
right, notwithstanding any transfer of shares on the books of the Trust after
the record date. For the purpose of determining the Shareholders of any Series
or Class who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other
distribution, the Trustees may from time to time fix a date, which shall be
before the date for the payment of such dividend or such other payment, as the
record date for determining the Shareholders of such Series or Class having the
right to receive such dividend or distribution. Without fixing a record date
the Trustees may for voting and/or distribution purposes close the register or
transfer books for one or more Series or Classes for all or any part of the
period between a record date and a meeting of shareholders or the payment of a
distribution. Nothing in this section shall be construed as precluding the
Trustees from setting different record dates for different Series or Classes.
SECTION 6. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. The By-Laws may include further
provisions for Shareholders' votes and meetings and related matters.
-13-
ARTICLE VI
Net Income, Distributions, and Redemptions and Repurchases
SECTION 1. DISTRIBUTIONS OF NET INCOME. The Trustees shall each year, or
more frequently if they so determine in their sole discretion, distribute to the
Shareholders of each Series or Class, in shares of that Series or Class, cash or
otherwise, an amount approximately equal to the net income attributable to the
assets belonging to such Series (or the assets allocable to such Class) and may
from time to time distribute to the Shareholders of each Series or Class, in
shares of that Series, cash or otherwise, such additional amounts, but only from
the assets belonging to such Series (or allocable to such Class), as they may
authorize. All dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular Series or
Class shall be distributed pro rata to the holders of that Series or Class in
proportion to the number of Shares of that Series or Class held by such holders
and recorded on the books of the Trust at the date and time of record
established for that payment of such dividend of distributions.
The manner of determining net income, income, asset values, capital gains,
expenses, liabilities and reserves of any Series or Class may from time to time
be altered as necessary or desirable in the judgement of the Trustees to conform
such manner of determination to any other method prescribed or permitted by
applicable law. Net income shall be determined by the Trustees or by such
person as they may authorize at the times and in the manner provided in the
By-Laws. Determinations of net income of any Series or Class and determination
of income, asset value, capital gains, expenses, and liabilities made by the
Trustees, or by such person as they may authorize, in good faith, shall be
binding on all parties concerned. The foregoing sentence shall not be construed
to protect any Trustee, officer or agent of the Trust against any liability to
the Trust or its security holders to which he would otherwise be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
If, for any reason, the net income of any Series or Class determined at any
time is a negative amount, the pro rata share of such negative amount allocable
to each Shareholder of such Series or Class shall constitute a liability of such
Shareholder to that Series or Class which shall be paid out of such
Shareholder's account at such times and in such manner as the Trustees may from
time to time determine (x) out of the accrued dividend account of such
Shareholder, (y) by reducing the number of Shares of that Series or Class in the
account of such Shareholder, or (z) otherwise.
SECTION 2. REDEMPTIONS AND REPURCHASES. The Trust shall purchase such
Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption, upon the presentation
of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request directed to the Trust
or a person designated by the Trust that the Trust purchase such Shares or in
accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Trustees may from
time to time authorize; and the Trust will pay therefor the net asset value
thereof, as determined in accordance with the By-Laws, the 1940 Act and the
rules of the Commission. Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to
the Shareholders within seven days after the date on which the request is made
or in accordance with such other procedures, consistent with the 1940 Act and
the rules of the Commission, as the Trustees may
-14-
from to time authorize. The obligation set forth in this Section 2 is subject
to the provision that in the event that any time the New York Stock Exchange is
closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the
Commission during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during
any emergency which makes it impracticable for the Trust to dispose of the
investments of the applicable Series or to determine fairly the value of the net
assets belonging to such Series (or net assets allocable to such Class) or
during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for the protection
of investors, such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Trustees.
The Trust may also purchase or repurchase Shares at a price not exceeding the
net asset value of such Shares in effect when the purchase or repurchase or any
contract to purchase or repurchase is made.
The redemption price may in any case or cases be paid wholly or partly in
kind if the Trustees determine that such payment is advisable in the interest of
the remaining Shareholders of the Series or Class the Shares of which are being
redeemed. In making any such payment wholly or partly in kind, the Trust shall,
so far as may be practicable, deliver assets which approximate the
diversification of all of the assets belonging at the time to the Series (or
allocable to the Class) the Shares of which are being redeemed. Subject to the
foregoing, the fair value, selection and quantity of securities or other
property so paid or delivered as all or part of the redemption price may be
determined by or under authority of the Trustees. In no case shall the Trust be
liable for any delay of any corporation or other person in transferring
securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.
SECTION 3. REDEMPTIONS AT THE OPTION OF THE TRUST. The Trust shall have
the right at its option and at any time to redeem Shares of any Shareholder at
the net asset value thereof as described in Section 1 of this Article VI: (i)
if at such time such Shareholder owns Shares of any Series or Class having an
aggregate net asset value of less than an amount determined from time to time by
the Trustees; or (ii) to the extent that such Shareholder owns Shares equal to
or in excess of a percentage determined from time to time by the Trustees of the
outstanding Shares of the Trust or of any Series or Class.
ARTICLE VII
Compensation and Limitation of Liability of Trustees
SECTION 1. COMPENSATION. The Trustees as such shall be entitled to
reasonable compensation from the Trust; they may fix the amount of their
compensation. Nothing herein shall in any way prevent the employment of any
Trustee for advisory, management, legal, accounting, investment banking or other
services and payment for the same by the Trust.
SECTION 2. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. The Trustees shall not be responsible
or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent,
employee, manager or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee
be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee, but nothing herein
contained shall protect any Trustee against any liability to which he would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
office.
-15-
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and
every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of
the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be
conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with
respect to their or his capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or
Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.
ARTICLE VIII
Indemnification
SECTION 1. TRUSTEES, OFFICERS, ETC. The Trust shall indemnify each of its
Trustees and officers (including persons who serve at the Trust's request as
directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has
any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (hereinafter referred to
as a "Covered Person") against all liabilities and expenses, including but not
limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines
and penalties, and counsel fees reasonably incurred by any Covered Person in
connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other
proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or
legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved
as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have
been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having
been such a Covered Person except with respect to any matter as to which such
Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated in any such action, suit or
other proceeding to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of
wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office. Expenses,
including counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding
amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or
penalties), shall be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance of the final
disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an
undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to
the Trust if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses
is not authorized under this Article, provided, however, that either (a) such
Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking,
(b) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising from any such advance
payments or (c) either a majority of the disinterested Trustees acting on the
matter (provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office
act on the matter), or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall
have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a
full trial type inquiry) that there is reason to believe that such Covered
Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Article.
SECTION 2. COMPROMISE PAYMENT. As to any matter disposed of (whether by a
compromise payment, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise) without an
adjudication by a court, or by any other body before which the proceeding was
brought, that such Covered Person is liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by
reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office, indemnification
shall be provided if (a) approved, after notice that it involves such
indemnification, by at least a majority of the disinterested Trustees acting on
the matter
-16-
(provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office act on
the matter) upon a determination, based upon a review of readily available facts
(as opposed to a full trial type inquiry) that such Covered Person is not liable
to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of
his or her office, or (b) there has been obtained an opinion in writing of
independent legal counsel, based upon a review of readily available facts (as
opposed to a full trial type inquiry) to the effect that such indemnification
would not protect such Person against any liability to the Trust to which he
would otherwise be subject by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
office. Any approval pursuant to this Section shall not prevent the recovery
from any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance
with this Section as indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently
adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been liable to the
Trust or its Shareholders by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such
Covered Person's office.
SECTION 3. INDEMNIFICATION NOT EXCLUSIVE. The right of indemnification
hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which
such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in this Article VIII, the term
"Covered Person" shall include such person's heirs, executors and administrators
and a "disinterested Trustee" is a Trustee who is not an "interested person" of
the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended, (or who has been exempted from being an "interested person" by any
rule, regulation or order of the Commission) and against whom none of such
actions, suits or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding
on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending. Nothing contained
in this Article shall affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel of
the Trust, other than Trustees or officers, and other persons may be entitled by
contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to purchase and
maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such person; provided, however,
that the Trust shall not purchase or maintain any such liability insurance in
contravention of applicable law, including without limitation the 1940 Act.
SECTION 4. SHAREHOLDERS. In case any Shareholder or former Shareholder
shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or
having been a Shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for
some other reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his or her heirs,
executors, administrators or other legal representatives, or in the case of a
corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be
entitled to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense
arising from such liability, but only out of the assets of the particular series
of Shares of which he or she is or was a Shareholder.
ARTICLE IX
Miscellaneous
SECTION 1. TRUSTEES, SHAREHOLDERS, ETC. NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE; NOTICE.
All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against
the Trust or any Series or
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Class shall look only to the assets of the Trust, or, to the extent that the
liability of the Trust may have been expressly limited by contract to the assets
of a particular Series (or the assets allocable to a particular Class), only to
the assets belonging to the relevant Series (or allocable to the relevant
Class), for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the
Shareholders nor the Trustees, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or
agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.
Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall protect any Trustee against any
liability to which such Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or
issued on behalf of the Trust by the Trustees, by any officers or officer or
otherwise shall give notice that this Declaration of Trust is on file with the
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and shall recite that the same
was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust or by them as Trustee or
Trustees or as officers or officer or otherwise and not individually and that
the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the
shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of
the Trust or upon the assets belonging to the Series (or allocable to the Class)
for the benefit of which the Trustees have caused the note, bond, contract,
instrument, certificate or undertaking to be made or issued, and may contain
such further recital as he or they may deem appropriate, but the omission of any
such recital shall not operate to bind any Trustee or Trustees or officers or
officer or Shareholders or any other person individually.
SECTION 2. TRUSTEE'S GOOD FAITH ACTION, EXPERT ADVICE, NO BOND OR SURETY.
The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder shall be
binding upon everyone interested. A Trustee shall be liable for his own willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and for nothing else, and
shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The
Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning
and operation of this Declaration of Trust, and shall be under no liability for
any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such
advice. The Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any
surety if a bond is required.
SECTION 3. LIABILITY OF THIRD PERSONS DEALING WITH TRUSTEES. No person
dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the
validity of any transaction made or to be made by the Trustees or to see to the
application of any payments made or property transferred to the Trust or upon
its order.
SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF TRUST OR SERIES OR CLASS. Unless terminated as
provided herein, the Trust shall continue without limitation of time. The Trust
may be terminated at any time by vote of at least 66-2/3% of the Shares of each
Series entitled to vote and voting separately by Series or by the Trustees by
written notice to the Shareholders. Any Series may be terminated at any time by
vote of at least 66-2/3% of the Shares of that Series or by the Trustees by
written notice to the Shareholders of that Series. Any Class may be separately
terminated at any time by vote of at least a majority of the Shares of that
Class present and
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voting on the question (a quorum being present) or by the Trustees by written
notice to the Shareholders of that Class.
Upon termination of the Trust (or any Series or Class, as the case may be),
after paying or otherwise providing for all charges, taxes, expenses and
liabilities belonging, severally, to each Series or allocable to each Class (or
the applicable Series or Classes, as the case may be), whether due or accrued or
anticipated as may be determined by the Trustees, the Trust shall in accordance
with such procedures as the Trustees consider appropriate reduce the remaining
assets belonging, severally, to each Series or allocable to each Class (or the
applicable Series or Classes, as the case may be), to distributable form in cash
or shares or other securities, or any combination thereof, and distribute the
proceeds belonging to each Series or allocable to each Class (or the applicable
Series or Classes, as the case may be), to the Shareholders of that Series or
Class, as a Series or Class, ratably according to the number of Shares of that
Series or Class held by the several Shareholders on the date of termination.
SECTION 5. MERGER AND CONSOLIDATION. The Trustees may cause the Trust to
be merged into or consolidated with another trust or company or its shares
exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute, if any, or
otherwise to the extent permitted by law, if such merger or consolidation or
share exchange has been authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding
Shares; provided that in all respects not governed by statute or applicable law,
the Trustees shall have power to prescribe the procedure necessary or
appropriate to accomplish a sale of assets, merger or consolidation.
SECTION 6. FILING OF COPIES, REFERENCES, HEADINGS. The original or a copy
of this instrument and of each amendment hereto shall be kept at the office of
the Trust where it may be inspected by any Shareholder. A copy of this
instrument and of each amendment hereto shall be filed by the Trust with the
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and with any other governmental
office where such filing may from time to time be required. Anyone dealing with
the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or
not any such amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with
the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may
rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this
instrument or of any such amendments. In this instrument and in any such
amendment, references to this instrument, and all expressions like "herein,"
"hereof" and "hereunder" shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended
or affected by any such amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience
of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect
the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. This instrument may be
executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an
original.
SECTION 7. APPLICABLE LAW. This Declaration of Trust is made in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and it is created under and is to be governed by
and construed and administered according to the laws of said Commonwealth. The
Trust shall be of the type commonly called a Massachusetts business trust, and
without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which
are ordinarily exercised by such a trust.
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SECTION 8. AMENDMENTS. This Declaration of Trust may be amended at any
time by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Trustees when
authorized so to do by vote of a majority of the Shares entitled to vote, except
that amendments described in Article III, Section 5 hereof or having the purpose
of changing the name of the Trust or of supplying any omission, curing any
ambiguity or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective or inconsistent
provision contained herein shall not require authorization by Shareholder vote.
-20-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned Trustees as aforesaid do hereto
set their hands this ____ day of December, 1997.
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▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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EXHIBIT 3.6
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SERIES TRUST
Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940
Effective August 5, 1996
Amended and Restated December __, 1997
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Series Trust (the "TRUST")
has considered the following amended and restated multi-class plan (the "PLAN")
under which the Trust may offer multiple classes of shares of its now existing
and hereafter created series pursuant to Rule 18f-3 (the "RULE") under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 ACT"); and
WHEREAS, a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and a majority of the
Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust have found the Plan, as
proposed, to be in the best interests of each class of shares of each series of
the Trust individually and the Trust as a whole.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trust hereby approves and adopts the following Plan
pursuant to the Rule.
THE PLAN
Each now existing and hereafter created series ("FUND")(1) of the Trust may
from time to time issue one or more of the following classes of shares:
Institutional shares, Adviser shares, Select shares and Investor shares. Each
class is subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of eligibility
as are set forth in the Trust's prospectuses, each as from time to time in
effect (each, a "PROSPECTUS"). The differences in expenses among these classes
of shares, and the conversion and exchange features of each class of shares, are
set forth below in this Plan, which is subject to change, to the extent
permitted by law and by the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-laws of
the Trust, as amended from time to time, by action of the Board of Trustees of
the Trust.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
Institutional, Adviser, Select and Investor shares of a Fund represent
interests in the assets of such Fund and have identical dividend and liquidation
rights. The classes differ materially only with respect to (i) the level of
shareholder service fee ("SERVICE FEE"), if any, borne by each class, and (ii)
the level of distribution fee ("DISTRIBUTION FEE"), if any, borne by
--------------------
(1) The current Funds of the Trust are the U.S. Small Capitalization
Series, the International Small Capitalization Series, the Japan Series, the
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Market Neutral Fund and the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Double Alpha Market
Fund.
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each class. Service Fees are paid for services rendered and expenses borne in
connection with personal services rendered to shareholders of a class and the
maintenance of shareholder accounts. Service Fees are paid pursuant to
Servicing Agreement(s) between the Trust and appropriate shareholder servicing
agent(s) and under related plans (each a "SERVICE PLAN") for applicable
classes. Distribution Fees are paid in connection with services and expenses
primarily intended to result in the sale of shares pursuant to a Distributor's
Contract between the Trust and ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Funds Distributor, Inc., the
Funds' distributor (the "DISTRIBUTOR"), and under a separate plan (each a
"DISTRIBUTION PLAN") for each applicable class adopted by the Trust pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
(1) INSTITUTIONAL SHARES are sold without any initial or deferred sales
charges and are not subject to any ongoing Distribution Fees or Service Fees.
(2) ADVISER SHARES are sold without any initial or deferred sales charges
and are not subject to any ongoing Distribution Fees, but are subject to a
Service Fee at an annual rate with respect to a Fund equal to 0.25% of such
Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Adviser shares.
(3) SELECT SHARES are sold without any initial or deferred sales charges,
but are subject to a Service Fee at an annual rate with respect to a Fund equal
to 0.25% of such Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Select shares.
Select shares are also subject to a Distribution Fee. The Distribution Plan for
Select shares permits a Fund to pay the Distributor up to 0.50% per annum of the
Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Select shares. However, the
Distributor's Contract currently provides that the Distributor will be paid
0.25% per annum of a Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Select
shares.
(4) INVESTOR SHARES are sold without any initial or deferred sales charges,
but are subject to a Service Fee at an annual rate with respect to a Fund equal
to 0.25% of such Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Investor
shares. Investor shares are also subject to a Distribution Fee. The
Distribution Plan and Distributor's Contract currently provide that the
Distributor will be paid 0.25% per annum of a Fund's average daily net assets
attributable to Investor shares.
EXPENSE ALLOCATIONS
Institutional, Adviser, Select and Investor shares pay the expenses
associated with their different distribution and/or shareholder servicing
arrangements. Each class may, at the Trustees' discretion, also pay a different
share of other expenses, not including advisory or custodial fees or other
expenses related to the management of the Trust's assets, if these expenses are
actually incurred in a different amount by that class, or if the class receives
services of a different kind or to a different degree than the other classes
("CLASS EXPENSES"). All other expenses will be allocated to each class on the
basis of the net asset value of that class in relation to the net asset value of
a particular Fund attributable to that class.
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EXCHANGE FEATURES / CONVERSIONS
Shares of any particular class of a Fund may be exchanged only for shares
of the same class of another Fund. There is no sales charge on exchanges. A
shareholder may not exchange shares of a class of one Fund for shares of the
same class of another Fund that is not qualified for sale in the state of the
shareholder's residence. Although the Trust has no current intention of
terminating or modifying the exchange privilege, it reserves the right to do so
at any time. Except as otherwise permitted by regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, the Trust will give 60 days' advance notice to shareholders
of any termination or material modification of the exchange privilege. All
exchanges will be made based on the respective net asset values next determined
following receipt of the request by the Funds.
The Trust does not currently offer any automatic conversion feature among
the classes.
DIVIDENDS/DISTRIBUTIONS
Each Fund intends to pay out as dividends substantially all of its net
investment income (which comes from dividends and any interest it receives from
its investments and net realized short-term capital gains). Each Fund also
intends to distribute substantially all of its net realized long-term capital
gains, if any, after giving effect to any available capital loss carryover.
Dividends paid by the Funds with respect to Institutional, Adviser, Select and
Investor shares, to the extent any dividends are paid, will be calculated in the
same manner, at the same time, and will be in the same amount, except that any
Service Fee or Distribution Fee charged to a particular class will be borne
solely by such class and, if applicable, at the Trustees discretion, Class
Expenses relating to a particular class may be borne exclusively by that class.
VOTING RIGHTS
Each class of shares of each Fund has identical voting rights except that
each class has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders
that relates solely to that class, and has separate voting rights on any matter
submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the
interests of any other class. Each class of shares has exclusive voting rights
with respect to matters pertaining to any Distribution Plan or Service Plan
applicable to that class. All classes of shares of a Fund will vote together,
except with respect to any Distribution Plan or Service Plan applicable to a
class or when a class vote is required by the 1940 Act.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES
On an ongoing basis, the Trustees will monitor the Trust for the existence
of any material conflicts among the interests of the classes of shares. The
Trustees shall further monitor on an ongoing basis the use of waivers or
reimbursement of expenses by the Manager to guard against cross-subsidization
between classes. The Trustees, including a majority of the independent
Trustees, shall take such action as is reasonably necessary to eliminate any
such conflict that may develop.
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REPORTS TO THE TRUSTEES
The Manager and/or the Administrator will be responsible for reporting any
potential or existing conflicts among the classes of shares to the Trustees.
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AMENDMENTS
The Plan may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions
and requirements of the Rule.
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By:
Title:
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