XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Term Trust Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust Dated as of July 13, 2017

 

Exhibit 99.(a)(2)

 

XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Term Trust

 

Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust

 

Dated as of July 13, 2017

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE I
The Trust
1.1	Name	4
1.2	Definitions	5
ARTICLE II
Trustees
2.1	Number and Qualification	6
2.2	Term and Election	6
2.3	Resignation and Removal	7
2.4	Vacancies	8
2.5	Meetings	8
2.6	Trustee Action by Written Consent	9
2.7	Officers and Chairperson	9
ARTICLE III
Powers and Duties of Trustees
3.1	General	9
3.2	Investments	9
3.3	Legal Title	10
3.4	Issuance and Repurchase of Shares	10
3.5	Borrow Money or Utilize Leverage	10
3.6	Delegation; Committees	11
3.7	Collection and Payment	11
3.8	Expenses	11
3.9	By-Laws	11
3.10	Miscellaneous Powers	11
3.11	Further Powers	12
ARTICLE IV
Advisory, Administration, Management and Distribution Arrangements
4.1	Advisory, Administration and Management Arrangements	12
4.2	Distribution Arrangements	13
4.3	Parties to Contract	13

 

 

ARTICLE V
Limitations of Liability and Indemnification
5.1	No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, etc.	14
5.2	Mandatory Indemnification	14
5.3	Voluntary Indemnification	17
5.4	No Bond Required of Trustees	17
5.5	No Duty of Investigation; etc.	17
5.6	Insurance	17
5.7	Reliance on Experts, etc.	17
ARTICLE VI
Shares of Beneficial Interest
6.1	Beneficial Interest	18
6.2	Other Securities	18
6.3	Rights of Shareholders	18
6.4	Trust Only	18
6.5	Issuance of Shares	18
6.6	Register of Shares	19
6.7	Transfer Agent and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇	▇▇
6.8	Transfer of Shares	19
6.9	Notices	20
6.10	Derivative Actions	20
6.11	Assent to Agreement	20
6.12	Disclosure of Holding	21
ARTICLE VII
Custodians
7.1	Appointment and Duties	21
7.2	Central Certificate System	22
ARTICLE VIII
Redemption; Repurchase of Shares
8.1	Redemptions	22
8.2	Repurchase of Shares	22
ARTICLE IX
Determination of Net Asset Value; Distributions
9.1	Net Asset Value	23

 

 

9.2	Distributions to Shareholders	23
9.3	Power to Modify Foregoing Procedures	24
ARTICLE X
Shareholders
10.1	Meetings of Shareholders	24
10.2	Voting	24
10.3	Notice of Meeting and Record Date	25
10.4	Quorum and Required Vote	25
10.5	Proxies, etc.	26
10.6	Shareholder Action by Written Consent	26
10.7	Reports	26
10.8	Inspection of Records	26
ARTICLE XI
Duration; Termination of Trust; Amendment; Mergers, Etc.
11.1	Duration	27
11.2	Termination	28
11.3	Amendment Procedure	29
11.4	Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets	30
11.5	Subsidiaries	31
11.6	Conversion	31
11.7	Certain Transactions	31
11.8	Absence of Appraisal or Dissenters’ Rights	34
ARTICLE XII
Miscellaneous
12.1	Filing	34
12.2	Resident Agent	34
12.3	Governing Law	34
12.4	Choice of Forum	34
12.5	Counterparts	35
12.6	Reliance by Third Parties	35
12.7	Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulation	35

 

 

XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income TERM Trust

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made as of the 13^th day of July, 2017, by the Trustees hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial interest issued hereunder as hereinafter provided.

 

WHEREAS, this Trust has been formed to carry on business as set forth more particularly hereinafter;

 

WHEREAS, this Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of its shares of beneficial interest all in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth;

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their hands as Trustees of a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth;

 

WHEREAS, the parties hereto intend that the Trust created by this Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Certificate of Trust filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 4, 2017, as amended on or about the date hereof, shall constitute a statutory trust under the Delaware Act and that this Declaration shall constitute the governing instrument of such statutory trust;

 

WHEREAS, the Trust previously adopted an Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated April 4, 2017, and Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated May 5, 2017, and the parties hereto desire to further amend and restate such Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and that this Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust shall constitute the governing instrument of the Trust;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees 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 benefit of the holders from time to time of shares of beneficial interest in this Trust as hereinafter set forth.

 

ARTICLE I

 

The Trust

 

1.1           Name. This Trust shall be known as the “XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Term Trust” and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any other name or names as they may from time to time determined.

 

 

1.2           Definitions. As used in this Declaration, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

The “1940 Act” refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and exemptions granted therefrom, as amended from time to time.

 

The terms “Affiliated Person”, “Assignment”, “Commission”, “Interested Person” and “Principal Underwriter” shall have the meanings given them in the 1940 Act.

 

“By-Laws” shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust as amended from time to time by the Trustees.

 

“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Declaration” shall mean this Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, supplemented or amended and restated from time to time.

 

“Delaware Act” shall mean the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C.ss.3801, et. seq., as such Act may be amended from time to time.

 

“Delaware General Corporation Law” means the Delaware General Corporation Law, 8 Del. C.ss.100, et. seq., as amended from time to time.

 

“Fundamental Policies” shall mean the investment policies and restrictions as set forth from time to time in any registration statement of the Trust filed with the Commission and designated as fundamental policies therein or as otherwise adopted by the Trustees and the Shareholders in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, as they may be amended from time to time in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

 

“Majority Shareholder Vote” shall mean a vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as such term is defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the Trust with each class and series of Shares voting together as a single class, except to the extent otherwise required by the 1940 Act or this Declaration with respect to any one or more classes or series of Shares, in which case the applicable proportion of such classes or series of Shares voting as a separate class or series, as the case may be, also will be required.

 

“Person” shall mean and include individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, limited liability companies, associations, joint ventures and other entities, whether or not legal entities, and governments and agencies and political subdivisions thereof.

 

 

“Prospectus” shall mean the Prospectus of the Trust, if any, as in effect from time to time under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Shareholders” shall mean as of any particular time the holders of record of outstanding Shares of the Trust, at such time.

 

“Shares” shall mean the transferable units of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time and includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares. In addition, Shares also means any preferred shares or preferred units of beneficial interest which may be issued from time to time, as described herein. All references to Shares shall be deemed to be Shares of any or all series or classes as the context may require.

 

“Trust” shall mean the trust established by this Declaration, as amended from time to time, inclusive of each such amendment.

 

“Trust Property” shall mean as of any particular time any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which at such time is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or the Trustees in such capacity.

 

“Trustees” shall mean the signatories to this Declaration, so long as they shall continue in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all other persons who at the time in question have been duly elected or appointed and have qualified as trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof and are then in office.

 

ARTICLE II

 

Trustees

 

2.1           Number and Qualification. Prior to a public offering of Shares there may be a sole Trustee. Thereafter, the number of Trustees shall be determined by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees then in office, provided that the number of Trustees shall be no less than two (2) or more than nine (9). No reduction in the number of Trustees shall have the effect of removing any Trustee from office prior to the expiration of his or her term. An individual nominated as a Trustee shall be at least 21 years of age at the time of nomination and not under legal disability. Trustees need not own Shares and may succeed themselves in office.

 

2.2           Term and Election.

 

(a)          The Trustees shall be elected by the Shareholders of the Trust at the first meeting of Shareholders or written consent in lieu thereof prior to the initial offering of Shares of the Trust. Each Trustee elected shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been elected and shall have qualified.

 

 

(b)          The Board of Trustees shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of trustees constituting the entire Board of Trustees. Within the limits above specified, the number of Trustees in each class, and the individual Trustees assigned to each class, shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees and the terms of office for each class of Trustees shall be determined as follows:

 

(i)          the term of office of the first class shall expire on the date of the first annual meeting of Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof following the effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

(ii)         the term of office of the second class shall expire on the date of the second annual meeting of Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof following the effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and

 

(iii)        the term of office of the third class shall expire on the date of the third annual meeting of Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof following the effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Upon expiration of the term of office of each class as set forth above, the number of Trustees in such class, as determined by the Board of Trustees, shall be elected for a term expiring on the date of the third annual meeting of Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof following such expiration to succeed the Trustees whose terms of office expire.

 

(c)          Except as provided in Section 2.3 of this Article, the Trustees shall be elected at an annual meeting of the Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof called by the Board for that purpose, and each Trustee elected shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been elected and shall have qualified. The term of office of a Trustee shall terminate and a vacancy shall occur in the event of the death, resignation, removal, bankruptcy, adjudicated incompetence or other incapacity to perform the duties of the office, or removal, of a Trustee.

 

2.3           Resignation and Removal. Any Trustee may resign his or her trust (without need for prior or subsequent accounting) by an instrument in writing signed by such Trustee and delivered or mailed to the Trustees or the Chairperson, if any, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary and such resignation shall be effective upon such delivery, or at a later date according to the terms of such written instrument. Any Trustee may be removed (provided the aggregate number of Trustees after such removal shall not be less than the minimum number required by Section 2.1 hereof) for cause only, and not without cause, and only by action taken by a majority of the remaining Trustees followed by the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding Shares then entitled to vote in an election of such Trustee. Upon the resignation or removal of a Trustee, each such resigning or removed Trustee shall execute and deliver such documents as the remaining Trustees shall require for the purpose of conveying to the Trust or the remaining Trustees any Trust Property held in the name of such resigning or removed Trustee. Upon the incapacity or death of any Trustee, such Trustee’s legal representative shall execute and deliver on such Trustee’s behalf such documents as the remaining Trustees shall require as provided in the preceding sentence.

 

 

2.4           Vacancies. Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, the remaining Trustees may fill such vacancy by appointing an individual having the qualifications described in this Article by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees then in office or may leave such vacancy unfilled or may reduce the number of Trustees; provided the aggregate number of Trustees after such reduction shall not be less than the minimum number required by Section 2.1 hereof; provided, further, that if the Shareholders of any class or series of Shares are entitled separately to elect one or more Trustees, a majority of the remaining Trustees or the sole remaining Trustee elected by that class or series may fill any vacancy among the number of Trustees elected by that class or series. Any vacancy created by an increase in the number of Trustees may be filled by the appointment of an individual having the qualifications described in this Article made by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees then in office. No vacancy shall operate to annul this Declaration or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration. Whenever a vacancy in the number of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided herein, the Trustees in office, regardless of their number, shall have all the powers granted to the Trustees and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Trustees by this Declaration.

 

2.5           Meetings. Meetings of the Trustees shall be held from time to time upon the call of the Chairperson, if any, the Chief Executive Officer or any three Trustees. Regular meetings of the Trustees may be held without call or notice at a time and place fixed by the By-Laws or by resolution of the Trustees. Notice of any other meeting shall be given by the Secretary and shall be delivered to the Trustees orally not less than 24 hours, or in writing not less than 72 hours, before the meeting, but may be waived in writing by any Trustee either before or after such meeting. The attendance of a Trustee at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting except where a Trustee attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting has not been properly called or convened. Any time there is more than one Trustee, a quorum for all meetings of the Trustees shall be a majority of the Trustees. Unless provided otherwise in this Declaration, any action of the Trustees may be taken at a meeting by vote of a majority of the Trustees present (a quorum being present).

 

Any committee of the Trustees, including an executive committee, if any, may act with or without a meeting. A quorum for all meetings of any such committee shall be a majority of the members thereof. Unless provided otherwise in this Declaration, any action of any such committee may be taken at a meeting by vote of a majority of the members present (a quorum being present).

 

With respect to actions of the Trustees and any committee of the Trustees, Trustees who are Interested Persons in any action to be taken may be counted for quorum purposes under this Section and shall be entitled to vote to the extent not prohibited by the 1940 Act.

 

 

All or any one or more Trustees may participate in a meeting of the Trustees or any committee thereof by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other; participation in a meeting pursuant to any such communications system shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

2.6           Trustee Action by Written Consent. Any action which may be taken by Trustees or a committee thereof by vote may be taken without a meeting if that number of the Trustees, or members of a committee, as the case may be, that would be required for approval of such action at a meeting of the Trustees or of such committee at which all of the Trustees or members were present consent to the action in writing and the written consents are filed with the records of the meetings of Trustees. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of Trustees or the relevant committee..

 

2.7           Officers and Chairperson. The Trustees shall elect a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer and a Secretary, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Trustees or until their successors are elected. The Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer may, but need not, be a Trustee. The Trustees may elect a Chairperson of the Board, who shall be a Trustee and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Trustees or until a successor is elected. The Trustees may elect or appoint or may authorize the Chairperson of the Board, if any, or the Chief Executive Officer to appoint such other officers or agents with such powers as the Trustees may deem to be advisable. The Chairperson is not an officer of the Trust.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Powers and Duties of Trustees

 

3.1           General. The Trustees shall owe to the Trust and its Shareholders the same fiduciary duties as owed by directors of corporations to such corporations and their stockholders under the Delaware General Corporation Law. The Trustees shall have exclusive and absolute control over the Trust Property and over the business of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the Trust Property and business in their own right, but with such powers of delegation as may be permitted by this Declaration. The Trustees may perform such acts as in their sole discretion are proper for conducting the business of the Trust. The enumeration of any specific power herein shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid power. Such powers of the Trustees may be exercised without order of or resort to any court.

 

3.2           Investments. The Trustees shall have power, subject to the Fundamental Policies in effect from time to time with respect to the Trust, to:

 

(a)          manage, conduct, operate and carry on the business of an investment company;

 

 

(b)          subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, enter into, become obligated with respect to, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer, exchange, lend, borrow, distribute or otherwise deal in or dispose of any and all sorts of property, tangible or intangible, including but not limited to securities of any type whatsoever, whether equity or non-equity, of any issuer, evidences of indebtedness of any Person and any other rights, interests, instruments or property of any sort and to exercise any and all rights, powers and privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any and all such investments of every kind and description, including, without limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons to exercise any of said rights, powers and privileges in respect of any of said investments. The Trustees shall not be limited by any law limiting the investments which may be made by fiduciaries.

 

3.3           Legal Title. Legal title to all the Trust Property shall be vested in the Trustees as joint tenants except that the Trustees shall have power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of one or more of the Trustees, or in the name of the Trust, or in the name of any other Person as nominee, custodian or pledgee, on such terms as the Trustees may determine, provided that the interest of the Trust therein is appropriately protected.

 

The right, title and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in each person who may hereafter become a Trustee upon his or her due election and qualification. Upon the ceasing of any person to be a Trustee for any reason, such person shall automatically cease to have any right, title or interest in any of the Trust Property, and the right, title and interest of such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in the remaining Trustees. Such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered.

 

3.4           Issuance and Repurchase of Shares. The Trustees shall have the power to issue, sell, repurchase, redeem, retire, cancel, acquire, hold, resell, reissue, dispose of, transfer, and otherwise deal in, Shares, including Shares in fractional denominations, and, subject to the more detailed provisions set forth in Articles VIII and IX, to apply to any such repurchase, redemption, retirement, cancellation or acquisition of Shares any funds or property whether capital or surplus or otherwise, to the full extent now or hereafter permitted corporations formed under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

3.5           Borrow Money or Utilize Leverage. Subject to the Fundamental Policies in effect from time to time with respect to the Trust, the Trustees shall have the power to borrow money or otherwise obtain credit or utilize leverage to the maximum extent permitted by law or regulation as such may be needed from time to time and to secure the same by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the assets of the Trust, including the lending of portfolio securities, and to endorse, guarantee, or undertake the performance of any obligation, contract or engagement of any other person, firm, association or corporation.

 

 

3.6           Delegation; Committees. The Trustees shall have the power, consistent with their continuing exclusive authority over the management of the Trust and the Trust Property, to delegate from time to time to such of their number or to officers, employees or agents of the Trust the doing of such things, including any matters set forth in this Declaration, and the execution of such instruments either in the name of the Trust or the names of the Trustees or otherwise as the Trustees may deem to be desirable, expedient or necessary in order to effect the purpose hereof. The Trustees may, to the extent that they determine it necessary, desirable and appropriate, designate committees with such powers as the Trustees deem appropriate, each of which shall consist of at least one Trustee, which shall have all or such lesser portion of the authority of the entire Board of Trustees as the Trustees shall determine from time to time, except to the extent action by the entire Board of Trustees or particular Trustees is required by the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.

 

3.7           Collection and Payment. The Trustees shall have power to collect all property due to the Trust; to pay all claims, including taxes, against the Trust Property or the Trust, the Trustees or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust; to prosecute, defend, compromise or abandon any claims relating to the Trust Property or the Trust, or the Trustees or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust; to foreclose any security interest securing any obligations, by virtue of which any property is owed to the Trust; and to enter into releases, agreements and other instruments. The Shareholders shall have no power to vote as to whether or not a court action, legal 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.

 

3.8           Expenses. The Trustees shall have power to incur and pay out of the assets or income of the Trust any expenses which in the opinion of the Trustees are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the purposes of this Declaration, and the business of the Trust, and to pay reasonable compensation from the funds of the Trust to themselves as Trustees. The Trustees shall fix the compensation of all officers, employees and Trustees. The Trustees may pay themselves such compensation for special services, including legal, underwriting, syndicating and brokerage services, as they in good faith may deem reasonable reimbursement for expenses reasonably incurred by themselves on behalf of the Trust.

 

3.9           By-Laws. The Trustees shall have the exclusive authority to adopt and from time to time amend or repeal By-Laws for the conduct of the business of the Trust.

 

3.10         Miscellaneous Powers. The Trustees shall have the power to:

 

(a)          employ or contract with such Persons as the Trustees may deem desirable for the transaction of the business of the Trust;

 

(b)          enter into joint ventures, partnerships and any other combinations or associations;

 

(c)          purchase, and pay for out of Trust Property, insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, investment advisors, distributors, selected dealers or independent contractors of the Trust against all claims arising by reason of holding any such position or by reason of any action taken or omitted by any such Person in such capacity, whether or not constituting negligence, or whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability;

 

 

(d)          establish pension, profit-sharing, share purchase, and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans for any Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust;

 

(e)          make donations, irrespective of benefit to the Trust, for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, civic or similar purposes;

 

(f)           to the extent permitted by law, indemnify any Person with whom the Trust has dealings, including without limitation any advisor, administrator, manager, transfer agent, custodian, distributor or selected dealer, or any other person as the Trustees may see fit to such extent as the Trustees shall determine;

 

(g)          guarantee indebtedness or contractual obligations of others;

 

(h)          determine and change the fiscal year of the Trust and the method in which its accounts shall be kept;

 

(i)           notwithstanding the Fundamental Policies of the Trust, convert the Trust to a master-feeder structure; provided, however, the Trust obtains the approval of shareholders holding at least a majority of the Trust’s Shares present at a meeting of Shareholders at which a quorum is present; and

 

(j)           adopt a seal for the Trust but the absence of such seal shall not impair the validity of any instrument executed on behalf of the Trust.

 

3.11         Further Powers. The Trustees shall have the power to conduct the business of the Trust and carry on its operations in any and all of its branches and maintain offices both within and without the State of Delaware, in any and all states of the United States of America, in the District of Columbia, and in any and all commonwealths, territories, dependencies, colonies, possessions, agencies or instrumentalities of the United States of America and of foreign governments, and to do all such other things and execute all such instruments as they deem necessary, proper or desirable in order to promote the interests of the Trust although such things are not herein specifically mentioned. Any determination as to what is in the interests of the Trust made by the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive. In construing the provisions of this Declaration, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees. The Trustees will not be required to obtain any court order to deal with the Trust Property.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Advisory, Administration, Management and Distribution Arrangements

 

4.1           Advisory, Administration and Management Arrangements. Subject to the requirements of applicable law as in effect from time to time, the Trustees may in their discretion from time to time enter into advisory, administration or management contracts (including, in each case, one or more sub-advisory, sub-administration or sub-management contracts) whereby the other party to any such contract shall undertake to furnish such advisory, administrative and management services, with respect to the Trust as the Trustees shall from time to time consider desirable and all upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Declaration, the Trustees may authorize any advisor, administrator or manager (subject to such general or specific instructions as the Trustees may from time to time adopt) to effect investment transactions with respect to the assets on behalf of the Trust to the full extent of the power of the Trustees to effect such transactions or may authorize any officer, employee or Trustee to effect such transactions pursuant to recommendations of any such advisor, administrator or manager (and all without further action by the Trustees). Any such investment transaction shall be deemed to have been authorized by all of the Trustees.

 

 

4.2           Distribution Arrangements. Subject to compliance with the 1940 Act, the Trustees may retain underwriters, placement agents and/or other distribution agents to sell Shares or other securities of the Trust. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time enter into one or more contracts, providing for the sale of securities of the Trust, whereby the Trust may either agree to sell such securities to the other party to the contract or appoint such other party its sales agent for such securities. In either case, the contract shall be on such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine not inconsistent with the provisions of this Article IV or the By-Laws; and such contract may also provide for the repurchase or sale of securities of the Trust by such other party as principal or as agent of the Trust and may provide that such other party may enter into selected dealer agreements with registered securities dealers and brokers and servicing and similar agreements with persons who are not registered securities dealers to further the purposes of the distribution or repurchase of securities of the Trust.

 

4.3           Parties to Contract. Any contract of the character described in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of this Article IV or in Article VII hereof may be entered into with any Person, although one or more of the Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust may be an officer, director, trustee, shareholder, or member of such other party to the contract, and no such contract shall be invalidated or rendered voidable by reason of the existence of any such relationship, nor shall any Person holding such relationship be liable merely by reason of such relationship for any loss or expense to the Trust under or by reason of said contract or accountable for any profit realized directly or indirectly therefrom, provided that the contract when entered into was reasonable and fair and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Article IV or the By-Laws. The same Person may be the other party to contracts entered into pursuant to Sections 4.1 and 4.2 or Article VII, and any individual may be financially interested or otherwise affiliated with Persons who are parties to any or all of the contracts mentioned in this Section 4.3.

 

 

ARTICLE V

 

Limitations of Liability and Indemnification

 

5.1           No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, etc. No Shareholder of the Trust shall be subject in such capacity to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust. Shareholders shall have the same limitation of personal liability as is extended to stockholders of a private corporation for profit incorporated under the Delaware General Corporation Law. No Trustee or officer of the Trust shall be subject in such capacity to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person, save only liability to the Trust or its Shareholders arising from bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard for his or her duty to such Person; and, subject to the foregoing exception, all such Persons shall look solely to the Trust Property for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust. If any Shareholder, Trustee or officer, as such, of the Trust, is made a party to any suit or proceeding to enforce any such liability, subject to the foregoing exception, he or she shall not, on account thereof, be held to any personal liability. Any repeal or modification of this Section 5.1 shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Trustee or officer of the Trust existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

 

5.2           Mandatory Indemnification.

 

(a)          To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved as a witness in, any proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was a Covered Person, against expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such proceeding.

 

(b)          To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved as a witness in, any proceeding by or in the right of the Trust to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a Covered Person, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the investigation, defense or settlement of such proceeding.

 

(c)          Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein, no Covered Person shall be indemnified for any expenses, judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, or other liability or loss arising by reason of disabling conduct or for any proceedings by such Covered Person for which indemnification is precluded by applicable law. The termination of any proceeding by conviction, or a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, creates a rebuttable presumption that the person engaged in disabling conduct.

 

(d)          Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any action, suit or other proceeding voluntarily prosecuted by any indemnitee as plaintiff, indemnification shall be mandatory only if the prosecution of such action, suit or other proceeding by such indemnitee (1) was authorized by a majority of the Trustees or (2) was instituted by the indemnitee to enforce his or her rights to indemnification hereunder in a case in which the indemnitee is found to be entitled to such indemnification. The rights to indemnification set forth herein shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Trustee or officer of the Trust and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives. No amendment or restatement of this Declaration or repeal of any of its provisions shall limit or eliminate any of the benefits provided to any person who at any time is or was a Covered Person or otherwise entitled to indemnification hereunder in respect of any act or omission that occurred prior to such amendment, restatement or repeal.

 

 

(e)          To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Trust shall advance to any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved as a witness in, any proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was a Covered Person the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense of such proceeding in advance of its final disposition.

 

(f)           Any indemnification required or permitted under this Section 5.2 (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Trust only as authorized in the specific case upon a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification because (i) he or she is not liable by reason of disabling conduct, or (ii) in cases where there is no liability, he or she has not engaged in disabling conduct. Such determination shall be made by (i) the vote of a majority of a quorum of qualifying Trustees; or (ii) if there are no such Trustees, or if such Trustees so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 5.2(e), if a determination that a Covered Person engaged in disabling conduct is made in accordance with this Section 5.2(f), no further advances of expenses shall be made, and all prior advances, and insurance premiums paid for by the Trust, if applicable, must be repaid.

 

(g)          With respect to any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved as a witness in, any proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was a Covered Person, the rights to indemnification conferred in Section 5.2(a), and with respect to any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved as a witness in, any proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was a Trustee or officer of the Trust, the advancement of expenses conferred in Section 5.2(e) shall be contract rights. Any amendment, repeal, or modification of, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with, this Section 5.2 (or any provision hereof) shall not adversely affect any right to indemnification or advancement of expenses granted to any such person pursuant hereto with respect to any act or omission of such person occurring prior to the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption (regardless of whether the proceeding relating to such acts or omissions is commenced before or after the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption). Any amendment or modification of, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with, this Section 5.2 (or any provision hereof), that has the effect of positively affecting any right to indemnification or advancement of expenses granted to any such person pursuant hereto, shall not apply retroactively to any person who was not serving as a Covered Person at the time of such amendment, modification or adoption.

 

 

(h)          If (i) a claim under Section 5.2(a) with respect to any right to indemnification is not paid in full by the Trust within sixty days after a written demand has been received by the Trust or (ii) a claim under Section 5.2(b) with respect to any right to the advancement of expenses is not paid in full by the Trust within thirty days after a written demand has been received by the Trust, then the Covered Person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses, as the case may be, may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Trust to recover the unpaid amount of the claim.

 

(i)           If successful in whole or in part in any suit brought pursuant to Section 5.2(h), or in a suit brought by the Trust to recover an advancement of expenses (whether pursuant to the terms of an undertaking or otherwise), the Covered Person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or an advancement of expenses hereunder or the Covered Person from whom the Trust sought to recover an advancement of expenses, as the case may be, shall be entitled to be paid by the Trust the reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of prosecuting or defending such suit.

 

(j)           The rights accruing to any indemnitee under this Section 5.2 shall not exclude any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under this Declaration, the By-Laws of the Trust, any statute, agreement, vote of shareholders or qualifying Trustees or any other right to which he or she may be lawfully entitled. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent the Trust enters into a written agreement with any Trustee to indemnify such Trustee, any indemnification of such Trustee by the Trust shall be governed by the terms of such written agreement, including with respect to determinations required, applicable presumptions and burden of proof with respect to such Trustee’s entitlement to indemnification and/or advancement of expenses.

 

(k)          For purposes of this Section 5.2:

 

(i)          references to “Trust” include any domestic or foreign predecessor entity of this Trust in a merger, consolidation, or other transaction in which the predecessor’s existence ceased upon consummation of the transaction;

 

(ii)         the term “Covered Person” means a person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, or is or was serving at the request of the Trustees as a director, trustee, partner, officer, employee or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, trust, partnership, joint venture or other enterprise;

 

(iii)        the term “disabling conduct” means willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or the reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Covered Person’s office with the Trust;

 

(iv)        the term “expenses” includes, without limitations, attorneys’ fees;

 

 

(v)         the term “proceeding” means any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative; and

 

(vi)        the term “qualifying Trustee” means any Trustee who is not an interested person (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the Trust and is not a party to the proceeding.

 

5.3           Voluntary Indemnification. Subject to any limitations provided by the 1940 Act and this Declaration, the Trust shall have the power and authority to indemnify and provide for the advance payment of expenses to employees, agents and other Persons providing services to the Trust or serving in any capacity at the request of the Trust to the full extent corporations organized under the Delaware General Corporation Law may indemnify or provide for the advance payment of expenses for such Persons, provided that such indemnification has been approved by a majority of the Trustees.

 

5.4           No Bond Required of Trustees. No Trustee shall, as such, be obligated to give any bond or other security for the performance of any of his or her duties hereunder.

 

5.5           No Duty of Investigation; etc. No purchaser, lender, transfer agent or other person dealing with the Trustees or with any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction purporting to be made by the Trustees or by said officer, employee or agent or be liable for the application of money or property paid, loaned, or delivered to or on the order of the Trustees or of said officer, employee or agent. Every obligation, contract, undertaking, instrument, certificate, Share, other security of the Trust, and every other act or thing whatsoever executed in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively taken to have been executed or done by the executors thereof only in their capacity as Trustees under this Declaration or in their capacity as officers, employees or agents of the Trust.

 

5.6           Insurance. The Trustees may maintain insurance for the protection of the Trust Property, its Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents in such amount as the Trustees shall deem adequate to cover possible tort liability, and such other insurance as the Trustees in their sole judgment shall deem advisable or is required by the 1940 Act.

 

5.7           Reliance on Experts, etc. Each Trustee and officer or employee of the Trust shall, in the performance of its duties, be fully and completely justified and protected with regard to any act or any failure to act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Trust, upon an opinion of counsel, or upon reports made to the Trust by any of the Trust’s officers or employees or by any advisor, administrator, manager, distributor, selected dealer, accountant, appraiser or other expert or consultant selected with reasonable care by the Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a Trustee.

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Shares of Beneficial Interest

 

6.1           Beneficial Interest. The interest of the beneficiaries hereunder shall be divided into an unlimited number of transferable shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share. All Shares issued in accordance with the terms hereof, including, without limitation, Shares issued in connection with a dividend in Shares or a split of Shares, shall be fully paid and nonassessable when the consideration determined by the Trustees (if any) therefor shall have been received by the Trust.

 

6.2           Other Securities. The Trustees may, subject to the Fundamental Policies and the requirements of the 1940 Act, authorize and issue such other securities of the Trust as they determine to be necessary, desirable or appropriate, having such terms, rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions as the Trustees see fit, including preferred interests, debt securities or other senior securities. To the extent that the Trustees authorize and issue preferred shares of any class or series, they are hereby authorized and empowered to amend or supplement this Declaration as they deem necessary or appropriate, including to comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act or requirements imposed by the rating agencies or other Persons, all without the approval of Shareholders. Any such supplement or amendment shall be filed as is necessary. The Trustees are also authorized to take such actions and retain such persons as they see fit to offer and sell such securities.

 

6.3           Rights of Shareholders. The Shares shall be personal property given only the rights in this Declaration specifically set forth. The ownership of the Trust Property of every description and the right to conduct any business herein before described are vested exclusively in the Trustees, and the Shareholders shall have no interest therein other than the beneficial interest conferred by their Shares, and they shall have no right to call for any partition or division of any property, profits, rights or interests of the Trust nor can they be called upon to share or assume any losses of the Trust or suffer an assessment of any kind by virtue of their ownership of Shares. The Shares shall not entitle the holder to preference, preemptive, appraisal, conversion or exchange rights (except as specified by the Trustees when creating the Shares, as in preferred shares).

 

6.4           Trust Only. It is the intention of the Trustees to create only the relationship of Trustee and beneficiary between the Trustees and each Shareholder from time to time. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general partnership, limited partnership, joint stock association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other than a trust. Nothing in this Declaration shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.

 

 

6.5           Issuance of Shares. The Trustees, in their discretion, may from time to time without vote of the Shareholders issue Shares including preferred shares that may have been established pursuant to Section 6.2, in addition to the then issued and outstanding Shares and Shares held in the treasury, to such party or parties and for such amount and type of consideration, including cash or property, at such time or times, and on such terms as the Trustees may determine, and may in such manner acquire other assets (including the acquisition of assets subject to, and in connection with the assumption of, liabilities) and businesses. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser number without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in such Shares. Issuances and redemptions of Shares may be made in whole Shares and/or l/l,000ths of a Share or multiples thereof as the Trustees may determine.

 

6.6           Register of Shares. A register shall be kept at the offices of the Trust or any transfer agent duly appointed by the Trustees under the direction of the Trustees which shall contain the names and addresses of the Shareholders and the number of Shares held by them respectively and a record of all transfers thereof. Separate registers shall be established and maintained for each class or series of Shares. Each such register shall be conclusive as to who are the holders of the Shares of the applicable class or series of Shares and who shall be entitled to receive dividends or distributions or otherwise to exercise or enjoy the rights of Shareholders. No Shareholder shall be entitled to receive payment of any dividend or distribution, nor to have notice given to him as herein provided, until he or she has given his or her address to a transfer agent or such other officer or agent of the Trustees as shall keep the register for entry thereon. It is not contemplated that certificates will be issued for the Shares; however, the Trustees, in their discretion, may authorize the issuance of share certificates and promulgate appropriate fees therefore and rules and regulations as to their use.

 

6.7           Transfer Agent and Registrar. The Trustees shall have power to employ a transfer agent or transfer agents, and a registrar or registrars, with respect to the Shares. The transfer agent or transfer agents may keep the applicable register and record therein, the original issues and transfers, if any, of the said Shares. Any such transfer agents and/or registrars shall perform the duties usually performed by transfer agents and registrars of certificates of stock in a corporation, as modified by the Trustees.

 

6.8           Transfer of Shares. Shares shall be transferable on the records of the Trust only by the record holder thereof or by its agent thereto duly authorized in writing, upon delivery to the Trustees or a transfer agent of the Trust of a duly executed instrument of transfer, together with such evidence of the genuineness of each such execution and authorization and of other matters as may reasonably be required. Upon such delivery the transfer shall be recorded on the applicable register of the Trust. Until such record is made, the Shareholder of record shall be deemed to be the holder of such Shares for all purposes hereof and neither the Trustees nor any transfer agent or registrar nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be affected by any notice of the proposed transfer. Any person becoming entitled to any Shares in consequence of the death, bankruptcy, or incompetence of any Shareholder, or otherwise by operation of law, shall be recorded on the applicable register of Shares as the holder of such Shares upon production of the proper evidence thereof to the Trustees or a transfer agent of the Trust, but until such record is made, the Shareholder of record shall be deemed to be the holder of such for all purposes hereof, and neither the Trustees nor any transfer agent or registrar nor any officer or agent of the Trust shall be affected by any notice of such death, bankruptcy or incompetence, or other operation of law.

 

 

6.9           Notices. Any and all notices to which any Shareholder hereunder may be entitled and any and all communications shall be deemed duly served or given if mailed, postage prepaid, addressed to any Shareholder of record at his or her last known address as recorded on the applicable register of the Trust.

 

6.10         Derivative Actions. In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Act, a Shareholder or Shareholders may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the following conditions are met:

 

(a)          The Shareholder or Shareholders must make a pre-suit demand upon the Board of Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Board of Trustees to bring such an action is not likely to succeed. For purposes of this Section 6.10 a demand on the Board of Trustees shall be deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused only if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, is composed of Trustees who are not “independent trustees” (as such term is defined in the Delaware Act).

 

(b)          Unless a demand is not required under Section 6.10(a), Shareholders eligible to bring such derivative action under the Delaware Act who hold at least a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Trust shall join in the demand for the Board of Trustees to commence such action.

 

(c)          Unless a demand is not required under Section 6.10(a), the Board of Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such Shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim. The Board of Trustees shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the demand and shall require an undertaking by the Shareholders making such demand to reimburse the Trust for the fees and expense of any such counsel or other advisors and other out of pocket expenses of the Trust, in the event that the Board of Trustees determines not to bring such action.

 

(d)          For purposes of this Section 6.10, the Board of Trustees may designate a committee of one Trustee to consider a Shareholder demand if necessary to create a committee with a majority of Trustees who are “independent trustees” (as such term in defined in the Delaware Act).

 

6.11         Assent to Agreement. Every Shareholder, by virtue of having purchased a Share, shall be held to have expressly assented to, and agreed to be bound by, the terms hereof. The death, incapacity, dissolution, termination, or bankruptcy of a Shareholder during the continuance of the Trust shall not operate to terminate the Trust 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 only to rights of said deceased, incapacitated, dissolved, terminated or bankrupt Shareholder.

 

 

6.12         Disclosure of Holding. The Shareholders or holders of other securities of the Trust shall upon demand disclose to the Trustees in writing such information with respect to direct or indirect ownership of Shares or other securities of the Trust as the Trustees deem to be (i) in the best interests of the Trust or (ii) necessary to comply with the provisions of the Code, the 1940 Act or other applicable laws or regulations, or to comply with the requirements of any other taxing or regulatory authority or stock exchange on which the Shares are listed for trading.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Custodians

 

7.1           Appointment and Duties. The Trustees shall at all times employ a custodian or custodians, meeting the qualifications for custodians for portfolio securities of investment companies contained in the 1940 Act, as custodian with respect to the assets of the Trust. Any custodian shall have authority as agent of the Trust as determined by the custodian agreement or agreements, but subject to such restrictions, limitations and other requirements, if any, as may be contained in the By-Laws of the Trust and the 1940 Act, including, without limitation, authority:

 

(1)         to hold the securities owned by the Trust and deliver the same upon written order;

 

(2)         to receive any receipt for any moneys due to the Trust and deposit the same in its own banking department (if a bank) or elsewhere as the Trustees may direct;

 

(3)         to disburse such funds upon orders or vouchers;

 

(4)         if authorized by the Trustees, to keep the books and accounts of the Trust and furnish clerical and accounting services; and

 

(5)         if authorized to do so by the Trustees, to compute the net income or net asset value of the Trust;

 

all upon such basis of compensation as may be agreed upon between the Trustees and the custodian.

 

The Trustees may also authorize each custodian to employ one or more sub-custodians from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of the custodian and upon such terms and conditions, as may be agreed upon between the custodian and such sub-custodian and approved by the Trustees, provided that in every case such sub-custodian shall meet the qualifications for custodians contained in the 1940 Act.

 

 

7.2           Central Certificate System. Subject to such rules, regulations and orders as the Commission may adopt, the Trustees may direct the custodian to deposit all or any part of the securities owned by the Trust in a system for the central handling of securities established by a national securities exchange or a national securities association registered with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or such other Person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act, pursuant to which system all securities of any particular class of any issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of such securities, provided that all such deposits shall be subject to withdrawal only upon the order of the Trust.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Redemption; Repurchase of Shares

 

8.1           Redemptions. Unless otherwise provided in the rights of any series of Preferred Shares, the Shares of the Trust are not redeemable by the holders.

 

8.2           Repurchase of Shares.

 

(a)          Subject to this Declaration, the Trust may repurchase Shares on the open market or such Shares as are tendered by any Shareholder for repurchase pursuant to a repurchase offer or tender offer, if any, made by the Trust periodically or from time to time, upon the presentation by the Shareholder of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request directed to the Trust, its transfer agent or other duly authorized agent, that the Trust repurchase such Shares, or in accordance with such other procedures for repurchase as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust will pay therefor a price that meets the requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, and that is in accordance with the terms of such repurchase offer, tender offer, this Declaration, the By-Laws and other applicable law.

 

(b)          The repurchase price may in any case or cases be paid wholly or partly in kind if the Board of Trustees determines that such payment is advisable in the interest of the Trust. Subject to the foregoing, the fair value, selection and quantity of securities or other property of the Trust so paid or delivered as all or part of the repurchase price shall be determined by or under authority of the Board of Trustees. Subject to applicable law, the Trust shall not be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities or other property selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.

 

8.3           Disclosure of Holdings. The holders of Shares or other securities of the Trust shall upon demand disclose to the Trustees in writing such information with respect to direct and indirect ownership of Shares or other securities of the Trust as the Trustees deem necessary to comply with the provisions of the Code, the 1940 Act or other applicable laws or regulations, or to comply with the requirements of any other taxing or regulatory authority.

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Determination of Net Asset Value; Distributions

 

9.1           Net Asset Value. The net asset value of each outstanding Share of the Trust shall be determined at such time or times on such days as the Trustees may determine, in accordance with the 1940 Act. The method of determination of net asset value shall be determined by the Trustees and shall be as set forth in the Prospectus or as may otherwise be determined by the Trustees. The power and duty to make the net asset value calculations may be delegated by the Trustees and shall be as generally set forth in the Prospectus or as may otherwise be determined by the Trustees.

 

9.2           Distributions to Shareholders.

 

(a)          The Trustees shall from time to time distribute ratably among the Shareholders of any class of Shares, or any series of any such class, in accordance with the number of outstanding full and fractional Shares of such class or any series of such class, such proportion of the net profits, surplus (including paid-in surplus), capital, or assets held by the Trustees as they may deem proper or as may otherwise be determined in accordance with this Declaration. Any such distribution may be made in cash or property (including without limitation any type of obligations of the Trust or any assets thereof) or Shares of any class or series or any combination thereof, and the Trustees may distribute ratably among the Shareholders of any class of shares or series of any such class, in accordance with the number of outstanding full and fractional Shares of such class or any series of such class, additional Shares of any class or series in such manner, at such times, and on such terms as the Trustees may deem proper or as may otherwise be determined in accordance with this Declaration.

 

(b)          Distributions pursuant to this Section 9.2 may be among the Shareholders of record of the applicable class or series of Shares at the time of declaring a distribution or among the Shareholders of record at such later date as the Trustees shall determine and specify.

 

(c)          The Trustees may always retain from the net profits such amount as they may deem necessary to pay the debts or expenses of the Trust or to meet obligations of the Trust, or as they otherwise may deem desirable to use in the conduct of its affairs or to retain for future requirements or extensions of the business.

 

(d)          Inasmuch as the computation of net income and gains for Federal income tax purposes may vary from the computation thereof on the books, the above provisions shall be interpreted to give the Trustees the power in their discretion to distribute for any fiscal year as ordinary dividends and as capital gains distributions, respectively, additional amounts sufficient to enable the Trust to avoid or reduce liability for taxes.

 

 

9.3           Power to Modify Foregoing Procedures. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions of this Article IX, the Trustees may prescribe, in their absolute discretion except as may be required by the 1940 Act, such other bases and times for determining the per share asset value of the Trust’s Shares or net income, or the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions as they may deem necessary or desirable for any reason, including to enable the Trust to comply with any provision of the 1940 Act, or any securities exchange or association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or any order of exemption issued by the Commission, all as in effect now or hereafter amended or modified.

 

ARTICLE X

 

Shareholders

 

10.1         Meetings of Shareholders. Meetings of Shareholders may be called by the Trustees from time to time for the purpose of taking action upon any matter requiring the vote of the Shareholders as herein provided, or upon any other matter deemed by the Trustees to be necessary or desirable. A special meeting of Shareholders may be called at any time by a majority of the Trustees or the Chief Executive Officer and shall be called by any Trustee for any proper purpose upon written request of Shareholders of the Trust holding in the aggregate not less than fifty-one percent (51%) of the outstanding Shares of the Trust or class or series of Shares having voting rights on the matter, such request specifying the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is to be called. Any shareholder meeting, including a Special Meeting, shall be held within or without the State of Delaware on such day and at such time as the Trustees shall designate.

 

10.2         Voting. Shareholders shall have no power to vote on any matter except matters on which a vote of Shareholders is required by applicable law, this Declaration or resolution of the Trustees; provided, that no power to vote on any matter is granted to Shareholders under the Declaration solely because the Delaware Act shall require a vote on such matter in the absence of a contrary provision in the Declaration, and any power to vote on such matter is expressly denied under the Declaration unless otherwise required by this Declaration. Except as otherwise provided herein, any matter required to be submitted to Shareholders and affecting one or more classes or series of Shares shall require approval by the required vote of all the affected classes and series of Shares voting together as a single class; provided, however, that as to any matter with respect to which a separate vote of any class or series of Shares is required by the 1940 Act, such requirement as to a separate vote by that class or series of Shares shall apply in addition to a vote of all the affected classes and series voting together as a single class. Shareholders of a particular class or series of Shares shall not be entitled to vote on any matter that affects only one or more other classes or series of Shares. There shall be no cumulative voting in the election or removal of Trustees.

 

 

10.3         Notice of Meeting and Record Date. Notice of all meetings of Shareholders, stating the time, place and purposes of the meeting, shall be given by the Trustees by mail to each Shareholder of record entitled to vote thereat at its registered address, mailed at least 10 days and not more than 120 days before the commencement of the meeting or otherwise in compliance with applicable law. Only the business stated in the notice of the meeting shall be considered at such meeting. Any adjourned meeting may be held as adjourned one or more times without further notice not later than 180 days after the record date. For the purposes of determining the Shareholders who are entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting the Trustees may, without closing the transfer books, fix a date not more than 120 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of such meeting of Shareholders as a record date for the determination of the Persons to be treated as Shareholders of record for such purposes.

 

10.4         Quorum and Required Vote.

 

(a)          A majority of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote at a meeting of Shareholders, which are present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at the meeting of Shareholders, except when a larger quorum is required by applicable law or the requirements of any securities exchange on which Shares are listed for trading, in which case such quorum shall comply with such requirements. Quorum shall be determined with respect to the meeting as a whole regardless of whether particular matters have achieved the requisite vote for approval.

 

(b)          Trustees shall be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Trust present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote; provided that in the event that the 1940 Act requires any Trustees to be elected by the holders of preferred shares, such Trustees to be elected solely by the holders of preferred shares shall be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding preferred shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote, voting as a separate class, and the remaining Trustees shall be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Trust present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote, voting together as a single class.

 

(c)          With respect to all other matters, subject to any provision of applicable law, this Declaration or a resolution of the Trustees specifying a greater vote requirement for the transaction of any item of business at any meeting of Shareholders, (i) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall be the act of the Shareholders with respect to such matter, and (ii) where a separate vote of one or more classes or series of Shares is required on any matter, the affirmative vote of a majority of the Shares of such class or series of Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall be the act of the Shareholders of such class or series with respect to such matter.

 

 

10.5         Proxies, etc. At any meeting of Shareholders, any holder of Shares entitled to vote thereat may vote by properly executed proxy, provided that no proxy shall be voted at any meeting unless it shall have been placed on file with the Secretary, or with such other officer or agent of the Trust as the Secretary may direct, for verification prior to the time at which such vote shall be taken. Pursuant to a resolution of a majority of the Trustees, proxies may be solicited in the name of one or more Trustees or one or more of the officers or employees of the Trust. No proxy shall be valid after the expiration of 11 months from the date thereof, unless otherwise provided in the proxy. Only Shareholders of record shall be entitled to vote. Each full Share shall be entitled to one vote and fractional Shares shall be entitled to a vote of such fraction. When any Share is held jointly by several persons, any one of them may vote at any meeting in person or by proxy in respect of such Share, but if more than one of them shall be present at such meeting in person or by proxy, and such joint owners or their proxies so present disagree as to any vote to be cast, such vote shall not be received in respect of such Share. 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. If the holder of any such Share is a minor or a person of unsound mind, and subject to guardianship or to the legal control of any other person as regards the charge or management of such Share, he or she may vote by his or her guardian or such other person appointed or having such control, and such vote may be given in person or by proxy.

 

10.6         Shareholder Action by Written Consent. Any action which may be taken by Shareholders by vote may be taken without a meeting if the holders entitled to vote thereon of the proportion of Shares required for approval of such action at a meeting of Shareholders pursuant to Section 10.4 consent to the action in writing and the 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.

 

10.7         Reports. The Trustees shall cause to be prepared at least annually and more frequently to the extent and in the form required by law, regulation or any exchange on which Shares are listed a report of operations containing a balance sheet and statement of income and undistributed income of the Trust prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and an opinion of an independent public accountant on such financial statements. Copies of such reports shall be mailed to all Shareholders of record within the time required by the 1940 Act, and in any event within a reasonable period preceding the meeting of Shareholders. The Trustees shall, in addition, furnish to the Shareholders at least semi-annually to the extent required by law, interim reports containing an unaudited balance sheet of the Trust as of the end of such period and an unaudited statement of income and surplus for the period from the beginning of the current fiscal year to the end of such period.

 

10.8         Inspection of Records. Except as may be required by Regulation 14A promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) no Shareholder shall have the right to obtain from the Trust a list of the Trust’s Shareholders. Except as required by the Delaware Act or as expressly provided in this Declaration or the By-Laws, Shareholders shall have no right to inspect the records, documents, accounts and books of the Trust. Any request to inspect the records of the Trust shall be submitted by the Shareholder to the Trust in writing. Upon receipt of any such request, the Trustees shall determine whether delivery of records pertaining to such request is required by the Delaware Act or is otherwise necessary or appropriate, as determined by the Trustees in their sole discretion, and whether such request complies with the requirements of the Delaware Act and, if so, establish procedures for such inspection. To preserve the integrity of the records, the Trust may provide certified copies of Trust records rather than originals. The Trust shall not be required to create records or obtain records from third parties to satisfy a Shareholder request. The Trust may require a requesting Shareholder to pay in advance or otherwise indemnify the Trust for the costs and expenses of such Shareholder’s inspection of records.

 

 

ARTICLE XI

 

Duration; Termination of Trust; Amendment; Mergers, Etc.

 

11.1         Duration.

 

(a)          Unless (i) earlier dissolved, (ii) the term is extended pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section, or (iii) this Section 11.1 is amended pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section, the Trust created hereby shall have a limited period of existence and shall cease to exist at the close of business on December 31, 2029 (as such date may be extended pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section, the “Termination Date”), except that the Trust shall continue to exist for the purpose of paying, satisfying, and discharging any existing debts or obligations, collecting and distributing its assets, and doing all other acts required to liquidate and wind up its business and affairs. After the close of business on the Termination Date, if the Trust has not liquidated and wound up its business and affairs, the Trustees shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the Trust in accordance with Section 11.2 and all of the powers of the Trustees under this Declaration shall continue until the affairs of the Trust shall have been wound up, including the power to fulfill or discharge the contracts of the Trust, collect its assets, sell, convey, assign, exchange, merge where the Trust is not the survivor, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the remaining Trust Property to one or more Persons at public or private sale for consideration which may consist in whole or in part in cash, securities or other property of any kind, discharge or pay its liabilities, and do all other acts appropriate to liquidate its business.

 

(b)          The Termination Date may be extended (i) once for up to one year (i.e., up to December 31, 2030), and (ii) once for up to an additional six months (i.e. up to June 30, 2031), in each case by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trustees or by an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees, without a vote of the shareholders of the Trust.

 

(c)          Notwithstanding Section 11.3(b), if the Trust completes an Eligible Tender Offer (as defined below), this Section 11.1 may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trustees or by an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees, without a vote of the shareholders of the Trust, to eliminate the Termination Date and cause the Trust to have a perpetual existence.

 

(d)          As used in this Section 11.1, an “Eligible Tender Offer” shall be a tender offer by the Trust to purchase 100% of the then outstanding Common Shares of the Trust at a price equal to the net asset value per Common Share on the expiration date of the tender offer, which expiration date shall be as of a date within twelve months preceding the Termination Date. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Declaration to the contrary, the Trust may conduct an Eligible Tender Offer upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trustees or by an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees, without a vote of the shareholders of the Trust.

 

 

11.2         Termination.

 

(a)          At any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Termination Date or (ii) the date of an amendment to Section 11.1 that causes the Trust to have perpetual existence, the Trust may be dissolved only upon approval of not less than eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees. At any time after the date of an amendment to Section 11.1 that causes the Trust to have perpetual existence, the Trust may be dissolved only after a majority of the Trustees have approved a resolution therefor, followed by approval by not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of each class or series outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes or series, unless such resolution has been approved by eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees, in which case approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be required.

 

(b)          Upon dissolution of the Trust, the Trust shall carry on no business except for the purpose of winding up its affairs, and all powers of the Trustees under this Declaration shall continue until such affairs have been wound up. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees shall (in accordance with Section 3808 of the Delaware Act) have the power to:

 

(i)           Fulfill or discharge the contracts of the Trust;

 

(ii)          Collect its assets;

 

(iii)         Sell, convey, assign, exchange, merge where the Trust is not the survivor, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the remaining Trust Property to one or more Persons at public or private sale for consideration which may consist in whole or in part in cash, securities or other property of any kind;

 

(iv)         Pay or make reasonable provision (including through the use of a liquidating trust) to pay all claims and obligations of the Trust, including all contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations known to the Trust, and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust, but for which the identity of the claimant is unknown, and claims and obligations that have not been made known to the Trust or that have not arisen but that, based on the facts known to the Trust, are likely to arise or to become known to the Trust within 10 years after the date of dissolution; and

 

(v)          Do all other acts appropriate to liquidate its business.

 

(c)          If there are sufficient assets held with respect to the Trust, such claims and obligations shall be paid in full and any such provisions for payment shall be made in full. If there are insufficient assets held with respect to the Trust, such claims and obligations shall be paid or provided for according to their priority and, among claims and obligations of equal priority, ratably to the extent of assets available therefor. Any remaining assets (including, without limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect to the Trust shall be distributed to the Shareholders of the Trust ratably according to the number of Shares of the Trust held of record by the several Shareholders on the date for such dissolution distribution, subject to any then existing preferential rights of Shares.

 

 

(d)          On completion of distribution of the remaining assets and upon the winding up of the Trust in accordance with Section 3808 of the Delaware Act and its termination, any one (1) Trustee shall execute, and cause to be filed, a certificate of cancellation, with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the provisions of Section 3810 of the Delaware Act, whereupon the Trust shall terminate and the Trustees and the Trust shall be discharged from all further liabilities and duties hereunder with respect thereto. The Trustees shall not be personally liable to the claimants of the dissolved Trust by reason of the Trustees’ actions in winding up the Trust’s affairs if the Trustees complied with Section 3808(e) of the Delaware Act.

 

11.3         Amendment Procedure.

 

(a)          Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 11.3, this Declaration may be amended, after a majority of the Trustees have approved a resolution therefor, by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the affected Shares. The Trustees also may amend this Declaration without any vote of Shareholders of any class or series (i) to divide the Shares of the Trust into one or more classes or additional classes, or one or more series of any such class or classes, (ii) to determine the rights, powers, preferences, limitations and restrictions of any class or series of Shares, (iii) to change the name of the Trust or any class or series of Shares, (iv) to make any change that does not adversely affect the relative rights or preferences of any Shareholder, as they may deem necessary, (iv) to conform this Declaration to the requirements of the 1940 Act or any other applicable federal laws or regulations including pursuant to Section 6.2 or the requirements of the regulated investment company provisions of the Code, (v) to cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any conflicting provisions of the Declaration, or (vi) as provided for in Section 11.1(c); but in each such case the Trustees shall not be liable for failing to do so.

 

(b)          No amendment may be made to Section 2.1, Section 2.2, Section 2.3, Section 3.9, Section 5.1, Section 5.2, Section 11.1 (except as provided for in Section 11.1(c)), Section 11.2(a), this Section 11.3, Section 11.4, Section 11.6 or Section 11.7 of this Declaration and no amendment may be made to this Declaration which would change any rights with respect to any Shares of the Trust by reducing the amount payable thereon upon liquidation of the Trust or by diminishing or eliminating any voting rights pertaining thereto (except that this provision shall not limit the ability of the Trustees to authorize, and to cause the Trust to issue, other securities pursuant to Section 6.2), except after a majority of the Trustees have approved a resolution therefor, followed by approval by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of each affected class or series outstanding, voting as separate classes or series, or unless such amendment has been approved by eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees, in which case approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be required. Nothing contained in this Declaration shall permit the amendment of this Declaration to impair the exemption from personal liability of the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust or to permit assessments upon Shareholders.

 

 

(c)          An amendment duly adopted by the requisite vote of the Board of Trustees and, if required, the Shareholders as aforesaid, shall become effective at the time of such adoption or at such other time as may be designated by the Board of Trustees or Shareholders, as the case may be. A certification in recordable form signed by a majority of the Trustees setting forth an amendment and reciting that it was duly adopted by the Trustees and, if required, the Shareholders as aforesaid, or a copy of the Declaration, as amended, in recordable form, and executed by a majority of the Trustees, shall be conclusive evidence of such amendment when lodged among the records of the Trust or at such other time designated by the Board.

 

(d)          Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, until such time as a Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, covering the first public offering of Shares of the Trust shall have become effective, this Declaration may be terminated or amended in any respect by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trustees or by an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees.

 

11.4         Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets.

 

(a)          Except as provided in Section 11.7 or paragraph (b) of this Section, the Trust may merge or consolidate with any other corporation, association, trust or other organization or may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of the Trust Property or the property, including its good will, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration when and as authorized by two-thirds of the Trustees, followed by approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote, and any such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange shall be determined for all purposes to have been accomplished under and pursuant to the statutes of the State of Delaware.

 

(b)          Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, if such action has been approved by eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees, the Trust may merge or consolidate with, or may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of the Trust Property or the property, including its good will, to, any other corporation, association, trust or other organization that is, or will be immediately after giving effect to such transaction, registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act (or a series thereof) and:

 

(i)           no Fundamental Policy of the Trust is materially different from a Fundamental Policy of such registered investment company;

 

(ii)          no advisory agreement between the Trust and any investment adviser thereof is materially different from an advisory contract between such registered investment company and any investment adviser thereof, except for the identity of the investment companies as a party to the contract;

 

 

(iii)         Trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the Trust and who were elected by Shareholders will comprise a majority of the trustees or directors (or members of a similar governing body) of such registered investment company who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of such registered investment company; and

 

(iv)         such registered investment company has provisions in its governing documents substantially equivalent to Sections 10.4, 10.6, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6 and 11.7.

 

11.5         Subsidiaries. Without approval by Shareholders, the Trustees may cause to be organized or assist in organizing one or more corporations, trusts, partnerships, associations or other organizations to take over any or all of the Trust Property or to carry on any business in which the Trust shall directly or indirectly have any interest, and to sell, convey and transfer all or a portion of the Trust Property to any such corporation, trust, limited liability company, association or organization in exchange for the shares or securities thereof, or otherwise, and to lend money to, subscribe for the shares or securities of, and enter into any contracts with any such corporation, trust, limited liability company, partnership, association or organization, or any corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or organization in which the Trust holds or is about to acquire shares or any other interests.

 

11.6         Conversion. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration or the By-Laws of the Trust, a favorable vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office followed by the favorable vote of the holders of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of each affected class or series outstanding, voting as separate classes or series, shall be required to approve, adopt or authorize an amendment to this Declaration that makes the Shares a “redeemable security” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, unless such amendment has been approved by eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees, in which case approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be required. Upon the adoption of a proposal to convert the Trust from a “closed-end company” to an “open-end company” as those terms are defined by the 1940 Act and the necessary amendments to this Declaration to permit such a conversion of the Trust’s outstanding Shares entitled to vote, the Trust shall, upon complying with any requirements of the 1940 Act and state law, become an “open-end” investment company. Such affirmative vote or consent shall be in addition to the vote or consent of the holders of the Shares otherwise required by law, or any agreement between the Trust and any national securities exchange.

 

11.7         Certain Transactions.

 

(a)          Notwithstanding any other provision of this Declaration and subject to the exceptions provided in paragraph (d) of this Section, the types of transactions described in paragraph (c) of this Section shall require the affirmative vote or consent of a majority of the Trustees then in office followed by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of each affected class or series outstanding, voting as separate classes or series, when a Principal Shareholder (as defined in paragraph (b) of this Section) is a party to the transaction. Such affirmative vote or consent shall be in addition to the vote or consent of the holders of Shares otherwise required by law or by the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, whether now or hereafter authorized, or any agreement between the Trust and any national securities exchange.

 

 

(b)          The term “Principal Shareholder” shall mean any corporation, Person or other entity which is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding Shares of any class or series and shall include any affiliate or associate, as those terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, of a Principal Shareholder. For the purposes of this Section:

 

(i)           in addition to the Shares which a corporation, Person or other entity beneficially owns directly, any corporation, Person or other entity shall be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any Shares (1) which it has the right to acquire pursuant to any agreement or upon exercise of conversion rights or warrants, or otherwise (but excluding share options granted by the Trust) or (2) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly (including Shares deemed owned through application of clause (1) of this subsection), by any other corporation, Person or entity with which its “affiliate” or “associate” (as defined below) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of Shares, or which is its “affiliate” or “associate” as those terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and

 

(ii)          the outstanding Shares shall include Shares deemed owned through application of clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (i) of this Section but shall not include any other Shares which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, or upon exercise of conversion rights or warrants, or otherwise.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 11.7, the term Principal Shareholder shall not include any registered investment company managed by the Trust’s investment adviser or any affiliated person of the Trust’s investment adviser, or any subsidiary of any such registered investment company, that invests substantially all of its investable assets in Shares of the Trust.

 

(c)          This Section shall apply to the following transactions:

 

(i)           the merger or consolidation of the Trust or any subsidiary of the Trust with or into any Principal Shareholder;

 

(ii)          the issuance of any securities of the Trust to any Principal Shareholder for cash (other than pursuant to any automatic dividend reinvestment plan);

 

 

(iii)         the sale, lease or exchange of all or any substantial part of the assets of the Trust to any Principal Shareholder (except assets having an aggregate fair market value of less than $1,000,000, aggregating for the purpose of such computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar transactions within a twelve-month period); and

 

(iv)        the sale, lease or exchange to the Trust or any subsidiary thereof, in exchange for securities of the Trust, of any assets of any Principal Shareholder (except assets having an aggregate fair market value of less than $1,000,000, aggregating for the purposes of such computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar transactions within a twelve-month period).

 

(d)          The provisions of this Section shall not be applicable to:

 

(i)           any of the transactions described in paragraph (c) of this Section if eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees shall by resolution have approved a memorandum of understanding with such Principal Shareholder with respect to and substantially consistent with such transaction, in which case approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be the only vote of Shareholders required by this Section, or

 

(ii)          any such transaction with any entity of which a majority of the outstanding shares of all classes and series of a stock normally entitled to vote in elections of directors is owned of record or beneficially by the Trust and its subsidiaries.

 

(e)          The Board of Trustees shall have the power and duty to determine for the purposes of this Section on the basis of information known to the Trust whether:

 

(i)           a corporation, person or entity beneficially owns five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding Shares of any class or series;

 

(ii)           a corporation, person or entity is an “affiliate” or “associate” (as defined above) of another;

 

(iii)         the assets being acquired or leased to or by the Trust or any subsidiary thereof constitute a substantial part of the assets of the Trust and have an aggregate fair market value of less than $1,000,000; and

 

(iv)         the memorandum of understanding referred to in paragraph (d) hereof is substantially consistent with the transaction covered thereby. Any such determination shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of this Section.

 

 

11.8         Absence of Appraisal or Dissenters’ Rights. No Shareholder shall be entitled, as a matter of right, to an appraisal by the Delaware Court of Chancery or otherwise of the fair value of the Shareholder’s Shares or to any other relief as a dissenting Shareholder in respect of any proposal or action involving the Trust.

 

ARTICLE XII

 

Miscellaneous

 

12.1         Filing.

 

(a)          This Declaration and any amendment or supplement hereto shall be filed in such places as may be required or as the Trustees deem appropriate. Each amendment or supplement shall be accompanied by a certificate signed and acknowledged by a Trustee stating that such action was duly taken in a manner provided herein, and shall, upon insertion in the Trust’s minute book, be conclusive evidence of all amendments contained therein. A restated Declaration, containing the original Declaration and all amendments and supplements theretofore made, may be executed from time to time by a majority of the Trustees and shall, upon insertion in the Trust’s minute book, be conclusive evidence of all amendments and supplements contained therein and may thereafter be referred to in lieu of the original Declaration and the various amendments and supplements thereto.

 

(b)           The Trustees hereby authorize and direct a Certificate of Trust to be executed and filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the Delaware Act.

 

12.2         Resident Agent. The Trust shall maintain a resident agent in the State of Delaware, which agent shall initially be The Corporation Trust Company, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇. The Trustees may designate a successor resident agent, provided, however, that such appointment shall not become effective until written notice thereof is delivered to the office of the Secretary of the State.

 

12.3         Governing Law. This Declaration is executed by the Trustees in accordance with and under the laws of the State of Delaware and with reference to the laws thereof, and the rights of all parties and the validity and construction of every provision hereof shall be subject to and construed according to laws of said State, provided that such law shall not be viewed as limiting the powers otherwise granted to the Trustees hereunder and any ambiguity shall be viewed in favor of such powers.

 

12.4         Choice of Forum. In accordance with Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Act, unless the Trust consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for:

 

(a)          any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust;

 

 

(b)          any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust to the Trust or the Shareholders;

 

(c)          any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware Act, this Declaration or the By-Laws; or

 

(d)          any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware;

 

provided, however, that, in the event that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks jurisdiction over any such action or proceeding, the sole and exclusive forum for such action or proceeding shall be another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware. Failure to enforce the foregoing provisions would cause the Trust irreparable harm and the Trust shall be entitled to equitable relief, including injunctive relief and specific performance, to enforce the foregoing provisions.

 

12.5         Counterparts. This Declaration may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts, together, shall constitute one and the same instrument, which shall be sufficiently evidenced by any such original counterpart.

 

12.6         Reliance by Third Parties. Any certificate executed by an individual who, according to the records of the Trust, or of any recording office in which this Declaration may be recorded, appears to be a Trustee hereunder, certifying to: (a) the number or identity of Trustees or Shareholders, (b) the name of the Trust, (c) the due authorization of the execution of any instrument or writing, (d) the form of any vote passed at a meeting of Trustees or Shareholders, (e) the fact that the number of Trustees or Shareholders present at any meeting or executing any written instrument satisfies the requirements of this Declaration, (f) the form of any By Laws adopted by or the identity of any officers elected by the Trustees, or (g) the existence of any fact or facts which in any manner relate to the affairs of the Trust, shall be conclusive evidence as to the matters so certified in favor of any person dealing with the Trustees and their successors.

 

12.7         Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulation.

 

(a)          The provisions of this Declaration are severable, and if the Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with applicable law, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never to have constituted a part of this Declaration; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination.

 

(b)          No provision of this Declaration shall require a waiver of compliance with any provision of the 1940 Act, or of any valid rule, regulation or order of the Commission thereunder.

 

(c)          If any provision of this Declaration shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration in any jurisdiction.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused these presents to be executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

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	Trustee
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	Trustee
	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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	Trustee
	/s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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	Trustee

 

[XFLT – Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust]