Exhibit 4
FORM OF AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION (the "Agreement") is made as of
this ___ day of _____, 2001, by and between Pilgrim Mutual Funds, a Delaware
business trust (the "Trust") with its principal place of business at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, on behalf of its series,
the Pilgrim High Yield Fund II (the "Acquiring Fund"), and Pilgrim Investment
Funds, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), with its principal place of
business at ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, on
behalf of its series, the Pilgrim High Yield Fund (the "Acquired Fund").
This Agreement is intended to be and is adopted as a plan of reorganization
and liquidation within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1) of the United States
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). The reorganization (the
"Reorganization") will consist of the transfer of all of the assets of the
Acquired Fund to the Acquiring Fund in exchange solely for Class A, Class B,
Class C, Class M and Class Q voting shares of beneficial interest of the
Acquiring Fund (the "Acquiring Fund Shares"), the assumption by the Acquiring
Fund of all liabilities of the Acquired Fund, and the distribution of the
Acquiring Fund Shares to the shareholders of the Acquired Fund in complete
liquidation of the Acquired Fund as provided herein, all upon the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth in this Agreement.
WHEREAS, the Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund are open-end, registered
investment companies of the management type or a series thereof, and the
Acquired Fund owns securities which generally are assets of the character in
which the Acquiring Fund is permitted to invest;
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust have determined that the exchange of all
of the assets of the Acquired Fund for Acquiring Fund Shares and the assumption
of all liabilities of the Acquired Fund by the Acquiring Fund is in the best
interests of the Acquiring Fund and its shareholders and that the interests of
the existing shareholders of the Acquiring Fund would not be diluted as a result
of this transaction; and
WHEREAS, the Directors of the Company have determined that the exchange of
all of the assets of the Acquired Fund for Acquiring Fund Shares and the
assumption of all liabilities of the Acquired Fund by the Acquiring Fund is in
the best interests of the Acquired Fund and its shareholders and that the
interests of the existing shareholders of the Acquired Fund would not be diluted
as a result of this transaction;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and
agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto covenant and agree as
follows:
1. TRANSFER OF ASSETS OF THE ACQUIRED FUND TO THE ACQUIRING FUND IN EXCHANGE
FOR THE ACQUIRING FUND SHARES, THE ASSUMPTION OF ALL ACQUIRED FUND
LIABILITIES AND THE LIQUIDATION OF THE ACQUIRED FUND
1.1. Subject to the requisite approval of the Acquired Fund shareholders
and the other terms and conditions herein set forth and on the basis of the
representations and warranties contained herein, the Acquired Fund agrees to
transfer all of the Acquired Fund's assets, as set forth in paragraph 1.2, to
the Acquiring Fund, and the Acquiring Fund agrees in exchange therefor: (i) to
deliver to the Acquired Fund the number of full and fractional Class A, Class B,
Class C, Class M and Class Q Acquiring Fund Shares determined by dividing the
value of the Acquired Fund's net assets with respect to each class, computed in
the manner and as of the time and date set forth in paragraph 2.1, by the net
asset value of one Acquiring Fund Share of the same class, computed in the
manner and as of the time and date set forth in paragraph 2.2; and (ii) to
assume all liabilities of the Acquired Fund as set forth in paragraph 1.3. Such
transactions shall take place at the closing provided for in paragraph 3.1 (the
"Closing").
1.2. The assets of the Acquired Fund to be acquired by the Acquiring Fund
shall consist of all assets and property, including, without limitation, all
cash, securities, commodities and futures interests and dividends or interests
receivable, that are owned by the Acquired Fund, and any deferred or prepaid
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expenses shown as an asset on the books of the Acquired Fund, on the closing
date provided for in paragraph 3.1 (the "Closing Date") (collectively,
"Assets").
1.3. The Acquired Fund will endeavor to discharge all of its known
liabilities and obligations prior to the Closing Date. The Acquiring Fund shall
also assume all of the liabilities of the Acquired Fund, whether accrued or
contingent, known or unknown, existing at the Valuation Date, as defined in
paragraph 2.1 (collectively, "Liabilities"). On or as soon as practicable prior
to the Closing Date, the Acquired Fund will declare and pay to its shareholders
of record one or more dividends and/or other distributions so that it will have
distributed substantially all (and in no event less than 98%) of its investment
company taxable income (computed without regard to any deduction for dividends
paid) and realized net capital gain, if any, for the current taxable year
through the Closing Date.
1.4. Immediately after the transfer of assets provided for in paragraph
1.1, the Acquired Fund will distribute to the Acquired Fund's shareholders of
record with respect to each class of its shares, determined as of immediately
after the close of business on the Closing Date (the "Acquired Fund
Shareholders"), on a pro rata basis within that class, the Acquiring Fund Shares
of the same class received by the Acquired Fund pursuant to paragraph 1.1, and
will completely liquidate. Such distribution and liquidation will be
accomplished, with respect to each class of the Acquired Fund's shares, by the
transfer of the Acquiring Fund Shares then credited to the account of the
Acquired Fund on the books of the Acquiring Fund to open accounts on the share
records of the Acquiring Fund in the names of the Acquired Fund Shareholders.
The aggregate net asset value of Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q
Acquiring Fund Shares to be so credited to Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M
and Class Q Acquired Fund Shareholders shall, with respect to each class, be
equal to the aggregate net asset value of the Acquired Fund shares of that same
class owned by such shareholders on the Closing Date. All issued and outstanding
shares of the Acquired Fund will simultaneously be canceled on the books of the
Acquired Fund, although share certificates representing interests in Class A,
Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q shares of the Acquired Fund will represent
a number of the same class of Acquiring Fund Shares after the Closing Date, as
determined in accordance with Section 2.3. The Acquiring Fund shall not issue
certificates representing the Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q
Acquiring Fund Shares in connection with such exchange.
1.5. Ownership of Acquiring Fund Shares will be shown on the books of the
Acquiring Fund's transfer agent, as defined in paragraph 3.3.
1.6. Any reporting responsibility of the Acquired Fund including, but not
limited to, the responsibility for filing of regulatory reports, tax returns, or
other documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission"), any state securities commission, and any federal, state or local
tax authorities or any other relevant regulatory authority, is and shall remain
the responsibility of the Acquired Fund.
2. VALUATION
2.1. The value of the Assets shall be the value computed as of immediately
after the close of business of the New York Stock Exchange and after the
declaration of any dividends on the Closing Date (such time and date being
hereinafter called the "Valuation Date"), using the valuation procedures in the
then-current prospectus and statement of additional information with respect to
the Acquiring Fund, and valuation procedures established by the Acquiring Fund's
Board of Trustees.
2.2. The net asset value of a Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class
Q Acquiring Fund Share shall be the net asset value per share computed with
respect to that class as of the Valuation Date, using the valuation procedures
set forth in the Acquiring Fund's then-current prospectus and statement of
additional information and valuation procedures established by the Acquiring
Fund's Board of Trustees.
2.3. The number of the Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q
Acquiring Fund Shares to be issued (including fractional shares, if any) in
exchange for the Acquired Fund's assets shall be determined with respect to each
such class by dividing the value of the net assets with respect to the Class A,
Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q shares of the Acquired Fund, as the case
may be, determined using the same valuation procedures referred to in paragraph
2.1, by the net asset value of an Acquiring Fund Share, determined in accordance
with paragraph 2.2.
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2.4. All computations of value shall be made by the Acquired Fund's
designated record keeping agent and shall be subject to review by the Acquiring
Fund's record keeping agent and by each Fund's respective independent
accountants.
3. CLOSING AND CLOSING DATE
3.1. The Closing Date shall be March 22, 2002, or such other date as the
parties may agree to in writing. All acts taking place at the Closing shall be
deemed to take place simultaneously as of immediately after the close of
business on the Closing Date unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. The
close of business on the Closing Date shall be as of 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
The Closing shall be held at the offices of the Acquiring Fund or at such other
time and/or place as the parties may agree.
3.2. The Acquired Fund shall direct State Street Bank and Trust
Company--Missouri, as custodian for the Acquired Fund (the "Custodian"), to
deliver, at the Closing, a certificate of an authorized officer stating that (i)
the Assets shall have been delivered in proper form to the Acquiring Fund within
two business days prior to or on the Closing Date, and (ii) all necessary taxes
in connection with the delivery of the Assets, including all applicable federal
and state stock transfer stamps, if any, have been paid or provision for payment
has been made. The Acquired Fund's portfolio securities represented by a
certificate or other written instrument shall be presented by the Acquired Fund
Custodian to the custodian for the Acquiring Fund for examination no later than
five business days preceding the Closing Date, and shall be transferred and
delivered by the Acquired Fund as of the Closing Date for the account of the
Acquiring Fund duly endorsed in proper form for transfer in such condition as to
constitute good delivery thereof. The Acquired Fund's portfolio securities and
instruments deposited with a securities depository, as defined in Rule 17f-4
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), shall
direct the Custodian to deliver as of the Closing Date by book entry in
accordance with the customary practices of such depositories and the custodian
for Acquiring Fund. The cash to be transferred by the Acquired Fund shall be
delivered by wire transfer of federal funds on the Closing Date.
3.3. The Acquired Fund shall direct DST Systems, Inc. (the "Transfer
Agent"), on behalf of the Acquired Fund, to deliver at the Closing a certificate
of an authorized officer stating that its records contain the names and
addresses of the Acquired Fund Shareholders and the number and percentage
ownership of outstanding Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q shares
owned by each such shareholder immediately prior to the Closing. The Acquiring
Fund shall issue and deliver a confirmation evidencing the Acquiring Fund Shares
to be credited on the Closing Date to the Secretary of the Acquiring Fund, or
provide evidence satisfactory to the Acquired Fund that such Acquiring Fund
Shares have been credited to the Acquired Fund's account on the books of the
Acquiring Fund. At the Closing each party shall deliver to the other such bills
of sale, checks, assignments, share certificates, if any, receipts or other
documents as such other party or its counsel may reasonably request.
3.4. In the event that on the Valuation Date (a) the New York Stock
Exchange or another primary trading market for portfolio securities of the
Acquiring Fund or the Acquired Fund shall be closed to trading or trading
thereupon shall be restricted, or (b) trading or the reporting of trading on
such Exchange or elsewhere shall be disrupted so that, in the judgment of the
Board of Directors of the Acquired Fund or the Board of Trustees of the
Acquiring Fund, accurate appraisal of the value of the net assets of the
Acquiring Fund or the Acquired Fund, respectively, is impracticable, the Closing
Date shall be postponed until the first business day after the day when trading
shall have been fully resumed and reporting shall have been restored.
4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
4.1. Except as has been disclosed to the Acquiring Fund in a written
instrument executed by an officer of the Company, the Company on behalf of the
Acquired Fund represents and warrants to the Trust as follows:
(a) The Acquired Fund is duly organized as a series of the Company, which
is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Maryland with power under the Company's Articles of
Incorporation to own all of its properties and assets and to carry on its
business as it is now being conducted;
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(b) The Company is a registered investment company classified as a
management company of the open-end type, and its registration with the
Commission as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and the registration of
shares of the Acquired Fund under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("1933
Act"), is in full force and effect;
(c) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court or
governmental authority is required for the consummation by the Acquired Fund of
the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under
the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act")
and the 1940 Act and such as may be required by state securities laws;
(d) The current prospectus and statement of additional information of the
Acquired Fund and each prospectus and statement of additional information of the
Acquired Fund used during the three years previous to the date of this Agreement
conforms or conformed at the time of its use in all material respects to the
applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and does not or did not at the time of
its use include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
materially misleading;
(e) On the Closing Date, the Acquired Fund will have good and marketable
title to the Assets and full right, power, and authority to sell, assign,
transfer and deliver such Assets hereunder free of any liens or other
encumbrances, and upon delivery and payment for such Assets, the Acquiring Fund
will acquire good and marketable title thereto, subject to no restrictions on
the full transfer thereof, including such restrictions as might arise under the
1933 Act, other than as disclosed to the Acquiring Fund;
(f) The Acquired Fund is not engaged currently, and the execution, delivery
and performance of this Agreement will not result, in (i) a material violation
of the Company's Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws or of any agreement,
indenture, instrument, contract, lease or other undertaking to which the Company
on behalf of the Acquired Fund, is a party or by which it is bound, or (ii) the
acceleration of any obligation, or the imposition of any penalty, under any
agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, judgment or decree to which
the Company, on behalf of the Acquired Fund is a party or by which it is bound;
(g) All material contracts or other commitments of the Acquired Fund (other
than this Agreement and certain investment contracts, including options,
futures, and forward contracts) will terminate without liability to the Acquired
Fund on or prior to the Closing Date;
(h) Except as otherwise disclosed in writing to and accepted by the Trust
on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, no litigation or administrative proceeding or
investigation of or before any court or governmental body is presently pending
or, to its knowledge, threatened against the Acquired Fund, or any of its
properties or assets that, if adversely determined, would materially and
adversely affect the Acquired Fund's financial condition or the conduct of its
business. The Company on behalf of the Acquired Fund, knows of no facts which
might form the basis for the institution of such proceedings and is not a party
to or subject to the provisions of any order, decree or judgment of any court or
governmental body which materially and adversely affects the Acquired Fund's
business or the Acquired Fund's ability to consummate the transactions herein
contemplated;
(i) The Statement of Assets and Liabilities, Statements of Operations and
Changes in Net Assets, and Portfolio of Investments of the Acquired Fund at
March 31, 2001 have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent
auditors, and are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
("GAAP") consistently applied, and such statements (copies of which have been
furnished to the Acquiring Fund) present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial condition of the Acquired Fund as of such date in accordance with
GAAP, and there are no known contingent liabilities of the Acquired Fund
required to be reflected on a balance sheet (including the notes thereto) in
accordance with GAAP as of such date not disclosed therein;
(j) Since March 31, 2001, there has not been any material adverse change in
the Acquired Fund's financial condition, assets, liabilities or business, other
than changes occurring in the ordinary course of business, or any incurrence by
the Acquired Fund of indebtedness maturing more than one year from the date such
indebtedness was incurred, except as otherwise disclosed to and accepted by the
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Acquiring Fund. For the purposes of this subparagraph (j), a decline in net
asset value per share of the Acquired Fund due to declines in market values of
securities in the Acquired Fund's portfolio, the discharge of Acquired Fund
liabilities, or the redemption of Acquired Fund Shares by shareholders of the
Acquired Fund shall not constitute a material adverse change;
(k) On the Closing Date, all Federal and other tax returns, dividend
reporting forms, and other tax-related reports of the Acquired Fund required by
law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been
filed and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all Federal and
other taxes shown as due or required to be shown as due on said returns and
reports shall have been paid or provision shall have been made for the payment
thereof, and to the best of the Acquired Fund's knowledge, no such return is
currently under audit and no assessment has been asserted with respect to such
returns;
(l) For each taxable year of its operation (including the taxable year
ending on the Closing Date), the Acquired Fund has met (or will meet) the
requirements of Subchapter M of the Code for qualification as a regulated
investment company, has been (or will be) eligible to and has computed (or will
compute) its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code, and will have
distributed all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain
(as defined in the Code) that has accrued through the Closing Date, and before
the Closing Date will have declared dividends sufficient to distribute all of
its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for the period ending
on the Closing Date;
(m) All issued and outstanding shares of the Acquired Fund are, and on the
Closing Date will be, duly and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and
non-assessable by the Company and have been offered and sold in every state and
the District of Columbia in compliance in all material respects with applicable
registration requirements of the 1933 Act and state securities laws. All of the
issued and outstanding shares of the Acquired Fund will, at the time of Closing,
be held by the persons and in the amounts set forth in the records of the
Transfer Agent, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, as provided in paragraph 3.3.
The Acquired Fund does not have outstanding any options, warrants or other
rights to subscribe for or purchase any of the shares of the Acquired Fund, nor
is there outstanding any security convertible into any of the Acquired Fund
shares;
(n) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will have
been duly authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action, if any,
on the part of the Trustees of the Company on behalf of the Acquired Fund, and,
subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Acquired Fund, this Agreement
will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Acquired Fund, enforceable
in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting
creditors' rights and to general equity principles;
(o) The information to be furnished by the Acquired Fund for use in
registration statements, proxy materials and other documents filed or to be
filed with any federal, state or local regulatory authority (including the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.), which may be necessary in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be accurate and
complete in all material respects and shall comply in all material respects with
Federal securities and other laws and regulations thereunder applicable thereto;
and
(p) The proxy statement of the Acquired Fund (the "Proxy Statement") to be
included in the Registration Statement referred to in paragraph 5.6, insofar as
it relates to the Acquired Fund, will, on the effective date of the Registration
Statement and on the Closing Date (i) not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which such statements were made, not materially misleading provided, however,
that the representations and warranties in this subparagraph (p) shall not apply
to statements in or omissions from the Proxy Statement and the Registration
Statement made in reliance upon and in conformity with information that was
furnished by the Acquiring Fund for use therein, and (ii) comply in all material
respects with the provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder.
4.2. Except as has been disclosed to the Acquired Fund in a written
instrument executed by an officer of the Trust, the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquiring Fund, represents and warrants to the Company as follows:
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(a) The Acquiring Fund is duly organized as a series of the Trust, which is
a business trust duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Delaware with power under the Trust's Declaration of Trust
to own all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is
now being conducted;
(b) The Trust is a registered investment company classified as a management
company of the open-end type, and its registration with the Commission as an
investment company under the 1940 Act and the registration of shares of the
Acquiring Fund under the 1933 Act, is in full force and effect;
(c) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court or
governmental authority is required for the consummation by the Acquiring Fund of
the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under
the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and such as may be required by state
securities laws;
(d) The current prospectus and statement of additional information of the
Acquiring Fund and each prospectus and statement of additional information of
the Acquiring Fund used during the three years previous to the date of this
Agreement conforms or conformed at the time of its use in all material respects
to the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder and does not or did not at the time
of its use include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
materially misleading;
(e) On the Closing Date, the Acquiring Fund will have good and marketable
title to the Acquiring Fund's assets, free of any liens of other encumbrances,
except those liens or encumbrances as to which the Acquired Fund has received
notice and necessary documentation at or prior to the Closing;
(f) The Acquiring Fund is not engaged currently, and the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement will not result, in (i) a material
violation of the Trust's Declaration of Trust or By-Laws or of any agreement,
indenture, instrument, contract, lease or other undertaking to which the Trust,
on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, is a party or by which it is bound, or (ii) the
acceleration of any obligation, or the imposition of any penalty, under any
agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, judgment or decree to which
the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, is a party or by which it is bound;
(g) Except as otherwise disclosed in writing to and accepted by the
Company, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, no litigation or administrative
proceeding or investigation of or before any court or governmental body is
presently pending or, to its knowledge, threatened against the Trust, on behalf
of the Acquiring Fund, or any of the Acquiring Fund's properties or assets that,
if adversely determined, would materially and adversely affect the Acquiring
Fund's financial condition or the conduct of its business. The Trust on behalf
of the Acquiring Fund knows of no facts which might form the basis for the
institution of such proceedings and is not a party to or subject to the
provisions of any order, decree or judgment of any court or governmental body
which materially and adversely affects the Acquiring Fund's business or the
Acquiring Fund's ability to consummate the transactions herein contemplated;
(h) The Statement of Assets and Liabilities, Statements of Operations and
Changes in Net Assets and Portfolio of Investments of the Acquiring Fund at
March 31, 2001 have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent
accountants, and are in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, and such
statements (copies of which have been furnished to the Acquired Fund) present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition of the Acquiring Fund
as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and there are no known contingent
liabilities of the Acquiring Fund required to be reflected on a balance sheet
(including the notes thereto) in accordance with GAAP as of such date not
disclosed therein;
(i) Since March 31, 2001, there has not been any material adverse change in
the Acquiring Fund's financial condition, assets, liabilities or business, other
than changes occurring in the ordinary course of business, or any incurrence by
the Acquiring Fund of indebtedness maturing more than one year from the date
such indebtedness was incurred, except as otherwise disclosed to and accepted by
the Acquired Fund. For purposes of this subparagraph (i), a decline in net asset
value per share of the Acquiring Fund due to declines in market values of
securities in the Acquiring Fund's portfolio, the discharge of Acquiring Fund
liabilities, or the redemption of Acquiring Fund Shares by shareholders of the
Acquiring Fund, shall not constitute a material adverse change;
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(j) On the Closing Date, all Federal and other tax returns, dividend
reporting forms, and other tax-related reports of the Acquiring Fund required by
law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been
filed and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all Federal and
other taxes shown as due or required to be shown as due on said returns and
reports shall have been paid or provision shall have been made for the payment
thereof, and to the best of the Acquiring Fund's knowledge no such return is
currently under audit and no assessment has been asserted with respect to such
returns;
(k) For each taxable year of its operation (including the taxable year that
includes the Closing Date) the Acquiring Fund has met (or will meet) the
requirements of Subchapter M of the Code for qualification as a regulated
investment company, has been eligible to and has computed (or will compute) its
federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code, and has distributed all of its
investment company taxable income and net capital gain (as defined in the Code)
for periods ending prior to the Closing Date;
(l) All issued and outstanding Acquiring Fund Shares are, and on the
Closing Date will be, duly and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and
non-assessable (recognizing that, under Delaware law, it is theoretically
possible that shareholders of the Acquiring Fund could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for obligations of the Acquiring Fund)
and have been offered and sold in every state and the District of Columbia in
compliance in all material respects with applicable registration requirements of
the 1933 Act and state securities laws. The Acquiring Fund does not have
outstanding any options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for or purchase
any Acquiring Fund Shares, nor is there outstanding any security convertible
into any Acquiring Fund Shares;
(m) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will have
been fully authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action, if any,
on the part of the Trustees of the Trust on behalf of the Acquiring Fund and
this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Trust, on
behalf of the Acquiring Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject,
as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
other laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity
principles;
(n) The Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q Acquiring Fund
Shares to be issued and delivered to the Acquired Fund, for the account of the
Acquired Fund Shareholders, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, will on the
Closing Date have been duly authorized and, when so issued and delivered, will
be duly and validly issued Acquiring Fund Shares, and will be fully paid and
non-assessable (recognizing that, under Delaware law, it is theoretically
possible that shareholders of the Acquiring Fund could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for obligations of the Acquiring Fund);
(o) The information to be furnished by the Trust for use in the
registration statements, proxy materials and other documents that may be
necessary in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall be
accurate and complete in all material respects and shall comply in all material
respects with Federal securities and other laws and regulations applicable
thereto; and
(p) That insofar as it relates to the Acquiring Fund, the Registration
Statement relating to the Acquiring Fund Shares issuable hereunder, and the
proxy materials of the Acquired Fund to be included in the Registration
Statement, and any amendment or supplement to the foregoing, will, from the
effective date of the Registration Statement through the date of the meeting of
shareholders of the Acquired Fund contemplated therein (i) not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading provided,
however, that the representations and warranties in this subparagraph (p) shall
not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information that was furnished by the
Acquired Fund for use therein, and (ii) comply in all material respects with the
provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
5. COVENANTS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE ACQUIRED FUND
5.1. The Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund each will operate its
business in the ordinary course between the date hereof and the Closing Date, it
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being understood that such ordinary course of business will include the
declaration and payment of customary dividends and distributions, and any other
distribution that may be advisable.
5.2. The Acquired Fund will call a meeting of the shareholders of the
Acquired Fund to consider and act upon this Agreement and to take all other
action necessary to obtain approval of the transactions contemplated herein.
5.3. The Acquired Fund covenants that the Class A, Class B, Class C, Class
M and Class Q Acquiring Fund Shares to be issued hereunder are not being
acquired for the purpose of making any distribution thereof, other than in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
5.4. The Acquired Fund will assist the Acquiring Fund in obtaining such
information as the Acquiring Fund reasonably requests concerning the beneficial
ownership of the Acquired Fund shares.
5.5. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund and
the Acquired Fund will each take, or cause to be taken, all action, and do or
cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to
consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
5.6. The Acquired Fund will provide the Acquiring Fund with information
reasonably necessary for the preparation of a prospectus (the "Prospectus")
which will include the Proxy Statement referred to in paragraph 4.1(p), all to
be included in a Registration Statement on Form N-14 of the Acquiring Fund (the
"Registration Statement"), in compliance with the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the
1940 Act, in connection with the meeting of the shareholders of the Acquired
Fund to consider approval of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
herein.
5.7. As soon as is reasonably practicable after the Closing, the Acquired
Fund will make a liquidating distribution to its shareholders consisting of the
Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q Acquiring Fund Shares received at
the Closing.
5.8. The Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund shall each use its reasonable
best efforts to fulfill or obtain the fulfillment of the conditions precedent to
effect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as promptly as
practicable.
5.9. The Company, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, covenants that the
Company will, from time to time, as and when reasonably requested by the
Acquiring Fund, execute and deliver or cause to be executed and delivered all
such assignments and other instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such
further action as the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, may reasonably
deem necessary or desirable in order to vest in and confirm (a) the Company's,
on behalf of the Acquired Fund's, title to and possession of the Acquiring Fund
Shares to be delivered hereunder, and (b) Trust's, on behalf of the Acquiring
Fund's, title to and possession of all the assets, and to carry out the intent
and purpose of this Agreement.
5.10. The Acquiring Fund will use all reasonable efforts to obtain the
approvals and authorizations required by the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and such of
the state blue sky or securities laws as may be necessary in order to continue
its operations after the Closing Date.
6. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRED FUND
The obligations of the Company, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, to
consummate the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the
Company's election, to the performance by the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring
Fund, of all the obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the
Closing Date, and, in addition thereto, the following further conditions:
6.1. All representations and warranties of the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquiring Fund, contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing Date, with
the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date;
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6.2. The Trust shall have delivered to the Company a certificate executed
in its name by its President or Vice President and its Treasurer or Assistant
Treasurer, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company and dated as of the
Closing Date, to the effect that the representations and warranties of the
Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, made in this Agreement are true and
correct at and as of the Closing Date, except as they may be affected by the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and as to such other matters as the
Company shall reasonably request;
6.3. The Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, shall have performed all
of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this
Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquiring Fund, on or before the Closing Date; and
6.4. The Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund shall have agreed on the
number of full and fractional Acquiring Fund Shares of each Class to be issued
in connection with the Reorganization after such number has been calculated in
accordance with paragraph 1.1.
7. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND
The obligations of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, to complete
the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Trust's election,
to the performance by the Company on behalf of the Acquired Fund of all of the
obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing Date and,
in addition thereto, the following conditions:
7.1. All representations and warranties of the Company, on behalf of the
Acquired Fund, contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing Date, with
the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date;
7.2. The Company shall have delivered to the Acquiring Fund a statement of
the Acquired Fund's assets and liabilities, as of the Closing Date, certified by
the Treasurer of the Company;
7.3. The Company shall have delivered to the Acquiring Fund on the Closing
Date a certificate executed in its name by its President or Vice President and
its Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Trust and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the representations
and warranties of the Company on behalf of the Acquired Fund, made in this
Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date, except as they may
be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and as to such
other matters as the Trust shall reasonably request;
7.4. The Company, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, shall have performed all
of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this
Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Company, on behalf of the
Acquired Fund, on or before the Closing Date;
7.5. The Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund shall have agreed on the
number of full and fractional Acquiring Fund Shares of each class to be issued
in connection with the Reorganization after such number has been calculated in
accordance with paragraph 1.1; and
7.6. The Acquired Fund shall have declared and paid a distribution or
distributions prior to the Closing that, together with all previous
distributions, shall have the effect of distributing to its shareholders (i) all
of its investment company taxable income and all of its net realized capital
gains, if any, for the period from the close of its last fiscal year to 4:00
p.m. Eastern time on the Closing; and (ii) any undistributed investment company
taxable income and net realized capital gains from any period to the extent not
otherwise already distributed.
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8. FURTHER CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE
ACQUIRED FUND
If any of the conditions set forth below have not been satisfied on or
before the Closing Date with respect to the Company, on behalf of the Acquired
Fund, or the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, the other party to this
Agreement shall, at its option, not be required to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement:
8.1. The Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein shall have been
approved by the requisite vote of the holders of the outstanding shares of the
Acquired Fund in accordance with the provisions of the Company's Articles of
Incorporation, By-Laws, applicable Maryland law and the 1940 Act, and certified
copies of the resolutions evidencing such approval shall have been delivered to
the Acquiring Fund. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, neither the
Trust nor the Company may waive the conditions set forth in this paragraph 8.1;
8.2. On the Closing Date no action, suit or other proceeding shall be
pending or, to its knowledge, threatened before any court or governmental agency
in which it is sought to restrain or prohibit, or obtain damages or other relief
in connection with, this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein;
8.3. All consents of other parties and all other consents, orders and
permits of Federal, state and local regulatory authorities deemed necessary by
the Trust or the Company to permit consummation, in all material respects, of
the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained, except where
failure to obtain any such consent, order or permit would not involve a risk of
a material adverse effect on the assets or properties of the Acquiring Fund or
the Acquired Fund, provided that either party hereto may for itself waive any of
such conditions;
8.4. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the 1933
Act and no stop orders suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been
issued and, to the best knowledge of the parties hereto, no investigation or
proceeding for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending, threatened
or contemplated under the 1933 Act; and
8.5. The parties shall have received the opinion of Dechert addressed to
the Company and the Trust substantially to the effect that, based upon certain
facts, assumptions, and representations, the transaction contemplated by this
Agreement shall constitute a tax-free reorganization for Federal income tax
purposes. The delivery of such opinion is conditioned upon receipt by Dechert of
representations it shall request of the Company and the Trust. Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, neither the Trust nor the Company may waive the
condition set forth in this paragraph 8.5.
9. BROKERAGE FEES AND EXPENSES
9.1. The Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, and the Company, on behalf
of the Acquired Fund, represent and warrant to each other that there are no
brokers or finders entitled to receive any payments in connection with the
transactions provided for herein.
9.2. The expenses relating to the proposed Reorganization will be shared so
that (1) half of such costs are borne by the investment adviser to the Acquired
and Acquiring Funds, and (2) half are borne by the Acquired and Acquiring Funds
and will be paid by the Acquired Fund and Acquiring Fund pro rata based upon the
relative net assets of the Acquired Fund and Acquiring Fund as of the close of
business on the record date for determining the shareholders of the Acquired
Fund entitled to vote on the Reorganization. The costs of the Reorganization
shall include, but not be limited to, costs associated with obtaining any
necessary order of exemption from the 1940 Act, preparation of the Registration
Statement, printing and distributing the Acquiring Fund's prospectus and the
Acquired Fund's proxy materials, legal fees, accounting fees, securities
registration fees, and expenses of holding shareholders' meetings.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, expenses will in any event be paid by the
party directly incurring such expenses if and to the extent that the payment by
another person of such expenses would result in the disqualification of such
party as a "regulated investment company" within the meaning of Section 851 of
the Code.
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10. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; SURVIVAL OF WARRANTIES
10.1. The Trust and the Company agree that neither party has made any
representation, warranty or covenant not set forth herein and that this
Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.
10.2. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in this
Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith
shall survive the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereunder. The
covenants to be performed after the Closing shall survive the Closing.
11. TERMINATION
This Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby
may be abandoned by either party by (i) mutual agreement of the parties, or (ii)
by either party if the Closing shall not have occurred on or before ___________
__, 200_, unless such date is extended by mutual agreement of the parties, or
(iii) by either party if the other party shall have materially breached its
obligations under this Agreement or made a material and intentional
misrepresentation herein or in connection herewith. In the event of any such
termination, this Agreement shall become void and there shall be no liability
hereunder on the part of any party or their respective Directors/Trustees or
officers, except for any such material breach or intentional misrepresentation,
as to each of which all remedies at law or in equity of the party adversely
affected shall survive.
12. AMENDMENTS
This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented in such manner as
may be deemed necessary or advisable by the authorized officers of the Company
and the Trust; provided, however, that following the meeting of the shareholders
of the Acquired Fund called by the Company pursuant to paragraph 5.2 of this
Agreement, no such amendment may have the effect of changing the provisions for
determining the number of the Class A, Class B, Class C, Class M and Class Q
Acquiring Fund Shares to be issued to the Acquired Fund Shareholders under this
Agreement to the detriment of such shareholders without their further approval.
13. NOTICES
Any notice, report, statement or demand required or permitted by any
provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by
facsimile, personal service or prepaid or certified mail addressed to the Trust
or to the Company, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, in each case with a copy to Dechert, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇.
14. HEADINGS; COUNTERPARTS; GOVERNING LAW; ASSIGNMENT; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
14.1. The Article and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are
for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement.
14.2. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original.
14.3. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its principles of conflicts
of laws.
14.4. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment or
transfer hereof or of any rights or obligations hereunder shall be made by any
party without the written consent of the other party. Nothing herein expressed
or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any person,
firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns, any rights or remedies under or by reason of this
Agreement.
14.5. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the parties hereunder
shall not be binding upon any of the Directors, Trustees, shareholders,
nominees, officers, agents, or employees of the Trust or Company personally, but
shall bind only the trust property of such party, as provided in the Declaration
of Trust of the Trust or the Articles of Incorporation of the Company. The
execution and delivery by such officers shall not be deemed to have been made by
any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally,
but shall bind only the trust property of each party as provided in the
Declaration of Trust or Articles of Incorporation, as applicable, of each party.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to
be executed by its President or Vice President and its seal to be affixed
thereto and attested by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary.
PILGRIM MUTUAL FUNDS on behalf of its
Attest: PILGRIM HIGH YIELD FUND II series
__________________________________ By:_____________________________________
Secretary
Its:____________________________________
PILGRIM INVESTMENT FUNDS, INC.
on behalf of its
Attest: PILGRIM HIGH YIELD FUND series
__________________________________ By:_____________________________________
Secretary
Its:____________________________________
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