As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2018

 

1933 Act Registration No. 333-215607

1940 Act Registration No. 811-23227

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 þ  
  Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 þ  
  Post-Effective Amendment No. ¨  
     
  and/or  
     
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 þ  
  Amendment No. 5    

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

 

Syntax ETF Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

110 East 59th Street, 33rd Floor

New York, NY 10022

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (212) 883 - 2290

 

Kathy Cuocolo, 110 East 59th Street, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10022

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copies to:

 

Kathleen H. Moriarty

Counsel to the Trust
Chapman & Cutler LLP
1270 Avenue of the Americas, 30 th Floor

New York, New York 10020

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)
  ¨ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in Accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION. THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

Preliminary PROSPECTUS dated August 22, 2018

 

Syntax ETF Trust (the “Trust”)

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF (SSPY)

 

[    ], 2018

 

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. Shares in the Fund are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other agency of the U.S. Government, nor are Shares deposits or obligations of any bank. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

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Table of Contents

 

FUND SUMMARY  
   
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF 3
   
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES INFORMATION 9
   
ADDITIONAL RISK INFORMATION 10
   
MANAGEMENT 13
   
INDEX/TRADEMARK LICENSES AND DISCLAIMER 15
   
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION 17
   
DISTRIBUTIONS 18
   
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE 19
   
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION 19
   
GENERAL INFORMATION 24
   
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION 25
   
CODE OF ETHICS 25
   
DISTRIBUTION PLAN 25
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 26
   
WHERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FUND 27

 

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Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF

 

OBJECTIVE

 

The Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of publicly traded equity securities of companies in the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index (the “Index”).

 

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

 

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Fund Shares”). This table and the Example below reflect the expenses of the Fund and do not reflect brokerage commissions you may pay on purchases and sales of Fund Shares.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):

 

Management fees 0.45%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 1 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.45%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement 2 0.15%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement 2 0.30%

 

(1) Other expenses have been estimated for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may be different.

(2) Syntax Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund to ensure that Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding except any (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund) do not exceed 0.30%. Subject to approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, any waiver under the Expense Limitation Agreement is subject to repayment by the Fund within 36 months following the month in which fees are waived or reimbursed, if the Fund is able to make the payment without exceeding the applicable expense limitation. These arrangements cannot be terminated prior to one year from the effective date of this prospectus without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell all of your Fund Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their

 

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purchases and sales of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

Year 1 Year 3
$31 $129

 

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may generate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.

 

PRINCIPAL STRATEGY

 

In seeking to track the performance of the Index, the Fund employs a replication strategy, which means that the Fund typically invests in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index. Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, and at least 95% of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index. The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days’ notice prior to any material change in this 95% investment policy. In addition, the Fund may invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds.

 

The Index is the stratified-weight version of the widely used S&P 500® Index and holds the same constituents as the S&P 500. “Stratified-weight” refers to the weighting methodology of the Index and is the method by which Syntax diversifies its indices by hierarchically grouping and distributing the weight of constituent companies that share “Related Business Risks”. Related Business Risk occurs when two or more companies’ earnings are affected by the same fundamental drivers. The process of identifying, grouping, and diversifying across related business risk is called stratification. The Index rebalances quarterly on the third Friday of each month and will typically include 500 components equally allocated eight industry sectors: consumer, energy, financials, food, healthcare, industrials, information, and information tools. The market capitalization of companies in the S&P 500® Index as of March 29, 2018 was between $3.02 billion and $851.3.

 

Please see the Additional Strategies Information section of the Fund’s prospectus for more information on the methodology of the Syntax Indices.

 

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND

 

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

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EQUITY SECURITIES RISK: The value of equity securities may increase or decrease as a result of market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices.

 

LARGE-CAPITALIZATION SECURITIES RISK: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. Under certain market conditions the capitalization of a large-size company could decline to the extent that it exhibits the characteristics of a mid-capitalization company.

 

SMALL- AND MID-CAPITALIZATION SECURITIES RISK:   Investing in securities of small and mid-sized companies may involve greater volatility than investing in larger and more established companies because small and mid-sized companies can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies, are more vulnerable to adverse business and economic developments, and are more thinly traded relative to those of larger companies.

 

INDEX TRACKING RISK: While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index as closely as possible (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index due to operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows, regulatory requirements and operational inefficiencies. For example, the Adviser may anticipate that it may take several business days for additions and deletions to an Index to be reflected in the portfolio composition of the Fund.

 

PASSIVE STRATEGY/INDEX RISK: The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund's return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

MARKET TRADING RISK: The Fund is a new Fund and faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund Shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV.

 

FUND PERFORMANCE

 

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of the Fund from year to year and by showing how its average annual returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s performance information, from January 1,

 

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2015 to the Fund’s commencement of operations, is that of the 500 Series of the Syntax Index Series LP, a privately offered predecessor of the Fund.

 

The returns were calculated using the methodology the SEC requires of registered funds. However, since the 500 Series did not calculate its returns on a per share basis, its returns have been calculated on its total net asset value. Neither the 500 Series’ nor the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available by calling (866) 972-4492 or visiting our website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.

 

The 500 Series had investment objectives and strategies that were, in all material respects, the same as those of the Fund, and was managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund which means that it also complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Index. The 500 Series is expected to be reorganized into the Fund as of the date of the Fund’s commencement of operations as a tax-free conversion.

 

As a registered investment company, the Fund is subject to certain restrictions under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Internal Revenue Code”) which did not apply to the 500 Series. If the 500 Series had been subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Internal Revenue Code, its performance could have been adversely affected. However, these restrictions are not expected to have a material effect on the Fund’s investment performance.

 

The performance information of the 500 Series is net of all fees, which were generally capped at 0.30%. The Fund may be subject to higher fees which would negatively impact performance.

 

Consistent with the rules of the Index, the 500 Series held, and the Fund holds, underlying securities that coincide with the securities chosen by the Index in appropriate pre-set weights. Trading in securities undertaken for the 500 Series by the Fund’s portfolio manager during the prior privately offered investment period, was the addition or deletion of portfolio securities made in order to track the constituents under the same criteria as those of the Index during the quarterly constituent selection process. Rebalancing and tracking, quarterly, of the underlying securities into the pre-set weights during the privately offered period were also executed as determined by the Fund’s Index as contemplated by both the Fund’s investment strategies and the Index that the Fund is designed to track.

 

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* Performance from January 1, 2015 to the Fund’s commencement of operations is that of the 500 Series of Syntax Index Series LP.

 

The year to date return of the Fund as of June 30, 2018 is 1.68%.

 

Highest Quarterly Return Fourth Quarter 2017 6.25%
Lowest Quarterly Return Third Quarter 2015 -7.30%

 

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ending 12/31/17)*

 

  One
Year
Since
Inception
(1/1/15)
Return Before Taxes 19.73% 10.42%
Return After Taxes on Distributions** n/a% n/a%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares** n/a% n/a%
S&P 500® Index 21.83% 11.41%

(Index returns reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

* Performance from January 1, 2015 to the Fund’s commencement of operations is that of the 500 Series of Syntax Index Series LP.

**The 500 Series was an unregistered limited partnership that did not qualify as a registered investment company for federal income tax purposes and did not pay dividends or distributions. Due to this different tax treatment, after tax returns of the 500 Series are not available.

 

The after-tax returns presented in the table above are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local

 

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taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

 

Investment Adviser

Syntax Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Sub-Adviser

Vantage Consulting Group serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager

The professional primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:

 

Name Start Date
James Thomas Wolfe Since the Fund’s inception.

 

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

 

Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund Shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 25,000 Shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The Fund generally will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Fund specifies each day.

 

TAX INFORMATION

 

The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

 

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another

 

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investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES INFORMATION

 

Please see “Principal Strategy” section under “Fund Summary” above for a complete discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies.

 

The Index was developed and is maintained in accordance with the following criteria: (1) each of the component securities in the Index is a constituent company of the S&P 500® Index; and (2) the Index is calculated by S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) based on methodology proprietary to Syntax, LLC an affiliate of the investment adviser (the “Index Provider”), using a stratification methodology. The Index Provider publishes information regarding the market value of the Index. For more information, please visit the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.

 

Syntax Indices utilize a proprietary functional information system (“FIS”) developed by Syntax, LLC, an affiliate of Syntax Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment adviser, to categorize, group, and stratify constituent securities to create stratified-weighted indices. FIS is a patented technology for mapping economic relationships between the constituent securities of the Index and for managing concentrations of related business risks. Related business risks are not based on companies’ capitalization or past performance, but rather, are based on each company’s current business functions and the functional economic relationships between them. By identifying these underlying business relationships – common suppliers, customers, competitors, products, etc. – FIS identifies shared business risks in a securities portfolio. When financial indices lack tools for identifying these risks, they can become highly exposed to groups of companies that share related business risks.

 

FIS makes it possible to control for risks shared by groups of related companies by: 1) organizing companies that share related business risks into well-defined functional groups; and 2) weighting these groups to spread exposure across these underlying risks. Other commonly used industry and sector classifications like Global Industry Classification Standard (“GICS”) and Standard Industrial Classification (“SIC”) lack codified definitions and instead simply group together companies that “seem similar”. Syntax’s FIS-based industries are engineered to minimize performance distortions caused by the uncontrolled risk exposures that are present in cap-weighted financial indices. FIS-based sectors effectively group and limit weighting in companies that have shared business functions that can make them perform similarly when events happen to change expectations in a given part of the economy.

 

The investment objective of every Syntax Index is to deliver returns consistent with the performance objectives of the underlying companies that make up the index. By using FIS and stratification to control for related business risks, Syntax Indices are designed to improve the tracking of the actual medium-to long-term performance of groups of companies and provide results that are the product of effective diversification, rather than the overweighting of one or more outperforming group. Because FIS defines the functional parts of the economy, Syntax Indices are built as a more stable composite of those functional parts. While the major cap-

 

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weighted indices are designed to be a proxy for the total market, Syntax, LLC believes that the Syntax Indices serve as a better basis for medium-to-long-term investments in index-tracking funds.

 

The Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index as closely as possible (i.e., obtain a high degree of correlation with the Index). A number of factors may affect the Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its Index, and there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation.

 

These situations should be rare in U.S. large and mid-cap companies, but in the event that a bankruptcy or other event occurs making a security illiquid, the Adviser intends to allocate to other similar holdings in the portfolio.

 

The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Syntax ETF Trust may change the Fund's investment strategy and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus or in the SAI. The Board may not change the Fund's investment objective without shareholder approval.

 

ADDITIONAL RISK INFORMATION

 

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund Summary along with additional risk information.

 

Equity Securities Risk : The Fund invests in equity securities, which are subject to changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or to general stock market fluctuations that affect all issuers. Investments in equity securities may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes.

 

Large-Capitalization Securities Risk : Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. Under certain market conditions the capitalization of a large-size company could decline to the extent that it exhibits the characteristics of a mid-capitalization company.

 

Small- And Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk :   Investing in securities of small and mid-sized companies may involve greater volatility than investing in larger and more established companies because small and mid-sized companies can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies, are more vulnerable to adverse business and economic developments, and are more thinly traded relative to those of larger companies.

 

Index Tracking Risk : There is a risk that the performance of the Fund may diverge from performance of its underlying Index as a result of tracking error. Tracking error may occur because of the differences between the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Index. Tracking error may also occur because of pricing differences, transaction costs, the Fund holding uninvested cash, differences in the timing of the accrual of dividends, changes to the Index or the costs of complying with various new or existing regulatory requirements. Additionally, tracking error may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Index does not.

 

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Passive Strategy/Index Risk : The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of its underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund's return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

Market Trading Risk :

 

Absence of Active Market . Although Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, the Fund is a new fund and there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants.

 

Risk of Secondary Listings . The Fund's Shares may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the U.S. stock exchange where the Fund's primary listing is maintained. There can be no assurance that the Fund's Shares will continue to trade on any such stock exchange or in any market or that the Fund's Shares will continue to meet the requirements for listing or trading on any exchange or in any market. The Fund's Shares may be less actively traded in certain markets than in others, and investors are subject to the execution and settlement risks and market standards of the market where they or their broker direct their trades for execution. Certain information available to investors who trade Fund Shares on a U.S. stock exchange during regular U.S. market hours may not be available to investors who trade in other markets, which may result in secondary market prices in such markets being less efficient.

 

Shares are not Individually Redeemable

Shares may be redeemed at NAV by the Fund only in large lot sizes known as “Creation Units”, which are expected to be worth in excess of one million dollars each. The Trust may not redeem Shares in fractional Creation Units. Only certain large institutions that enter into agreements with the Distributor are authorized to transact in Creation Units with the Fund. These entities are referred to as “Authorized Participants.” All other persons or entities transacting in Fund Shares must do so in the secondary market.

 

Additional Non-Principal Risks

Secondary Market Trading Risk . Shares of the Fund may trade in the secondary market at times when the Fund does not accept orders to purchase or redeem Shares. At such times, Fund Shares may trade in the secondary market with more significant premiums or discounts than might be experienced at times when the Fund accepts purchase and redemption orders.

 

Secondary market trading in Fund Shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in Fund Shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to

 

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“circuit breaker” rules on the stock exchange or market. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing or trading of Fund Shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

 

Shares of the Fund, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility associated with short selling.

 

Shares of the Fund may trade at prices other than NAV . Shares of the Fund trade on stock exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund's most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings. The trading price of the Fund's Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on both market supply of and demand for Fund Shares and the underlying value of the Fund's portfolio holdings or NAV. Also, in times of market stress, market makers or Authorized Participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market for Shares of the Fund and in executing purchase or redemption orders. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund's Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. ANY OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, MAY LEAD TO THE FUND'S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV. However, because Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs), Syntax believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of the Fund are not likely to be sustained over the long term. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that the Fund's Shares normally will trade on stock exchanges at prices close to the Fund's next calculated NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Fund's NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers or Authorized Participants, or to market participants or during periods of significant market volatility, may result in trading prices for Shares of the Fund that differ significantly from its NAV.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares . Buying or selling Fund Shares on an exchange involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling Shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “spread,” that is, the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Fund Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund Shares (the “ask” price). Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund Shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Fund Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus

 

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delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into individual Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of Secondary Market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

 

U.S. Tax Risks : To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. If, for any taxable year, the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) for that year would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders, and such distributions would be taxable to its shareholders as dividend income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The tax treatment of certain derivatives is unclear for purpose of determining the Fund’s tax status.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES.   The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and business affairs of the Fund. The Board oversees the operations of the Fund by its officers. The Board also reviews management of the Fund’s assets by the investment adviser and sub-adviser. Information about the Board of Trustees and executive officers of the Fund is contained in the SAI.

 

ADVISER.   Syntax Advisors, LLC (“Syntax” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund and, subject to the supervision of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, executed through the selection of the Sub-Adviser for portfolio management and other agreed upon activities. Syntax has been a registered investment adviser since April 21, 2017. Syntax is owned by Syntax, LLC and is controlled by Rory Riggs. As the Fund’s investment adviser, Syntax provides an investment management program for the Fund and manages the investment of the Fund’s assets through sub-advisory relationships. The Adviser’s principal business address is 110 East 59 th Street, 31 st Floor, New York, NY 10022.

 

For the services provided to the Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund expects to pay the Adviser the annual fee set forth below, which is based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Fund Advisory Fee
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF 0.45%

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser agrees to pay all expenses of the Fund, except (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage

 

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expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund and (xi) fees payable to the Adviser. The payment or assumption by the Adviser of any expense of the Fund that the Adviser is not required by the Investment Advisory Agreement to pay or assume shall not obligate the Adviser to pay or assume the same or any similar expense of the Fund on any subsequent occasion.

 

Contractual arrangements have been made with Syntax, through one year from the effective date of this prospectus, to waive fees and/or reimburse fund expenses to the extent that the Fund’s total operating expenses exceed the rates below, excluding, as applicable, (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund. These arrangements cannot be terminated prior to one year from the effective date of this prospectus, without the approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Syntax is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of fees waived or expenses reduced during any of the previous 36 months if on any day or month the estimated annualized fund operating expenses are less than the cap. The Fund may only make repayments to the Syntax if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed both: (1) the Fund’s net expense ratio in place at the time such amounts were waived; and (2) the Fund’s current net expense ratio (before recoupment).

 

Fund Total Operating Expenses after
Waiver/Reimbursement
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF 0.30%

 

SUB-ADVISER.   Pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement with Syntax, Vantage Consulting Group (“Vantage” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund and performs the day to day management of the Fund and places orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund. For its services to the Fund, the Sub-Adviser is compensated by Syntax. The Sub-Adviser has been a registered investment adviser since June 2, 1986 and is owned by Mark T. Finn. As of December 31, 2017, the Sub-Adviser managed approximately $2.4 billion in assets. The Sub-Adviser’s principal business address is 3500 Pacific Ave. Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

 

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A discussion regarding the Board’s consideration of the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements will be found in the Trust’s next Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders, as applicable.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER.   The Fund is managed by the portfolio manager listed below.

 

Portfolio Manager Business Experience over Past 5 Years
James Thomas Wolfe Mr. Wolfe currently serves as portfolio manager.  He has held a variety of positions since joining Vantage in 1988 including trader, operations manager, and systems developer specializing in quantitative modeling, and he is currently head trader. Mr. Wolfe is an investment professional with over 25 years of experience.  Mr. Wolfe received his BA from Virginia Wesleyan College in 1983 and an MBA from the College of William and Mary in 1989.

 

Additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund is available in the SAI.

 

Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and Trust Company is the Administrator for the Fund, the Transfer Agent to the Fund and the Custodian for the Fund's assets.

 

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) is the distributor of the Fund Shares. The Distributor will not distribute Fund Shares in less than Creation Units, and it does not maintain a secondary market in the Fund Shares. The Distributor may enter into selected dealer agreements with other broker-dealers or other qualified financial institutions for the sale of Creation Units of Fund Shares.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

[    ] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust.

 

Legal Counsel

Chapman and Cutler LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.

 

INDEX/TRADEMARK LICENSES AND DISCLAIMER

 

Syntax, LLC, the Index Provider, is affiliated with the Trust and the Adviser. The Adviser (“Licensee”) has entered into license agreements with the Index Provider pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Index. The Adviser is sub-licensing rights to the Index to the Fund at no charge.

 

The Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index (the “Index”) is the property of Syntax, LLC, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the Index. The Index is not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates

 

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or its third-party licensors, including Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for use by Syntax, LLC. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.

 

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to Syntax, LLC with respect to the Index is the licensing of the S&P 500® Index and its constituents, certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to the Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund may be converted into cash or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within the Index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.

 

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, INCLUDING, ORAL, WRITTEN, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN EXCEPT THOSE ARISING FROM FRAUD OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF S&P. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY SYNTAX, LLC, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.

 

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ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION

 

The Shares are listed for secondary trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Exchange may close early on the business day before certain holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Exchange holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. If you buy or sell Shares in the secondary market, you will pay the secondary market price for Shares. In addition, you may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

 

The trading prices of the Fund’s Shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than the Fund’s net asset value, which is calculated at the end of each business day. The Shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may be above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount), to varying degrees, the daily net asset value of the Shares. The trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from its net asset value during periods of market volatility. Given, however, that Shares can be issued and redeemed daily in Creation Units, the Adviser believes that large discounts and premiums to net asset value should not be sustained over long periods. Information showing the number of days the market price of the Fund’s Shares was greater than the Fund’s net asset value and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s net asset value (i.e., premium or discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.

 

The Exchange will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an indicative optimized portfolio value (“IOPV”) relating to the Fund. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s net asset value per Share using market data converted into U.S. dollars at the current currency rates. The IOPV price is based on quotes and closing prices from the securities’ local market and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the net asset value per Share of the Fund, which is calculated only once a day. Neither the Fund, nor the Adviser or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.

 

The Fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions; however, the Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would occur, for example from an investor’s efforts to take advantage of a potential arbitrage opportunity, and would interfere with the efficient implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Fund Shares are issued and redeemed only in the large quantities of Creation Units available only from the Fund directly, and that most

 

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trading in the Fund occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that (a) market timing would be attempted by the Fund’s shareholders or (b) any attempts to market time the Fund by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

BOOK ENTRY. Shares of the Fund are held in book-entry form and no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), through its nominee Cede & Co., is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.

 

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants.

 

These procedures are the same as those that apply to any securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form for any publicly-traded company. Specifically, in the case of a shareholder meeting of the Fund, DTC assigns applicable Cede & Co. voting rights to its participants that have Shares credited to their accounts on the record date, issues an omnibus proxy and forwards the omnibus proxy to the Fund. The omnibus proxy transfers the voting authority from Cede & Co. to the DTC participant. This gives the DTC participant through whom you own Shares (namely, your broker, dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee) authority to vote the shares, and, in turn, the DTC participant is obligated to follow the voting instructions you provide.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS.  As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the Fund’s income and net realized gains on its investments. The Fund pays out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as “distributions.”

 

The Fund typically earns income dividends from stocks. These amounts, net of expenses and taxes (if applicable), are passed along to Fund shareholders as “income dividend distributions.” The Fund realizes capital gains or losses whenever it sells securities. Net long-term capital gains are distributed to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.”

 

Income dividend distributions, if any, for the Fund are generally distributed to shareholders annually, but may vary significantly from period to period. Net capital gains for the Fund are distributed at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently or at any other times to improve Index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).

 

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Fund Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Distributions

 

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which are reinvested will nevertheless be taxable to the same extent as if such distributions had not been reinvested.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

 

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.

 

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in Shares of the Fund. The summary is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), U.S. Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date of this Prospectus and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. In addition, this summary assumes that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code and does not hold Shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in Shares of the Fund, and does not address the consequences to Fund shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, tax-exempt shareholders, those who hold Fund Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account, and, except to the extent discussed below, “non-U.S. shareholders” (as defined below). This discussion does not discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S., tax law. Furthermore, this discussion is not intended or written to be legal or tax advice to any shareholder in the Fund or other person and is not intended or written to be used or relied on, and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares, based on their particular circumstances.

 

The Fund has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership or disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, locality, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the section in the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”

 

Tax Treatment of the Fund

 

The Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a separate “regulated investment company” (a “RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must meet certain annual income and quarterly asset diversification requirements and must distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its

 

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“investment company taxable income” (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii) certain net tax-exempt income, if any.

 

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed by the Internal Revenue Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund will qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs.

 

The Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from prior years. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S. corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. The Fund intends to make distributions necessary to avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

 

The Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, if the Fund invests in original issue discount obligations (such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest), the Fund will be required to include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the term of the obligation, even if the related cash payment is not received by the Fund until a later year. Under the “wash sale” rules, the Fund may not be able to deduct currently a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a result, the Fund may be required to make an annual income distribution greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the existing cash assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling portfolio securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in which event its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.

 

Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders

 

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States, or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for

 

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U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (2) the trust has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

Fund Distributions. In general, Fund distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether they consist of cash or property, and regardless of whether they are re-invested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month will be deemed to have been received by the Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually paid during January of the following calendar year.

 

Distributions of the Fund’s net investment income (except, as discussed below, qualified dividend income) and net short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. To the extent designated as capital gain dividends by the Fund, distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (“net capital gain”) are taxable at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, regardless of the Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Distributions of qualified dividend income are, to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxed to certain non-corporate Fund shareholders at the rates generally applicable to long-term capital gain, provided that the Fund shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the distributing Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to its dividend-paying stocks. Substitute payments received on Fund Shares that are lent out will be ineligible for being reported as qualified dividend income.

 

The Fund intends to distribute its net capital gain at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end, the Fund may elect to retain some or all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and the Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, the Fund shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S. federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund.

 

Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares of the Fund, and generally as capital gain thereafter.

 

In addition, high-income individuals (and certain trusts and estates) generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net investment income” in addition to otherwise applicable U.S. federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally will include dividends (including capital gain

 

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dividends) received from the Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition of Shares. Please consult your tax advisor regarding this tax.

 

Investors considering buying Shares just prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital).

 

Sales of Shares. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale or exchange of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to the Shares.

 

Creation Unit Issues and Redemptions. On an issue of Shares of the Fund as part of a Creation Unit where the creation is conducted in-kind, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption of Shares as part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert, under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic position, that any loss on creation or redemption of Creation Units cannot be deducted currently.

 

In general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares.

 

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder (as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following discussion is based on current law and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S. federal income taxation.

 

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With respect to non-U.S. shareholders of the Fund, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty), subject to certain exceptions for “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” discussed below. U.S. federal withholding tax generally will not apply to any gain realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of the Fund’s net capital gain. Special rules apply with respect to dividends of the Fund that are attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests.”

 

In general, all “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” (each defined below) will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, provided that the non-U.S. shareholder furnished the Fund with a completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S. shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S. shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related dividends” generally means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends” generally means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable to the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances, the Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for these exemptions from withholding.

 

In general, subject to certain exceptions, non-U.S. shareholders will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of a sale or other disposition of Shares of the Fund.

 

To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any undistributed net capital gain (as discussed above) or any taxes collected through back-up withholding (discussed below), a non-U.S. shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.

 

Back-Up Withholding .

 

The Fund (or a financial intermediary such as a broker through which a shareholder holds Shares in the Fund) may be required to report certain information on the Fund shareholder to the IRS and withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a current rate of 28% from taxable distributions and redemption or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders can qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against the Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

 

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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

 

The U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (defined below) made to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (“FFI”), unless the FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to provide information regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfy certain due diligence and other specified requirements, and (ii) a “non-financial foreign entity” (“NFFE”) unless such NFFE provides certain information about its direct and indirect “substantial U.S. owners” to the withholding agent or certifies that it has no such U.S. owners. The beneficial owner of a withholdable payment may be eligible for a refund or credit of the withheld tax. The U.S. government also has entered into several intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions to provide an alternative, and generally easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA.

 

Withholdable payments generally include, among other items, (i) U.S.-source interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from the sale or disposition, occurring on or after January 1, 2019, of property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends.

 

The Fund may be required to impose a 30% withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information, certifications or documentation required under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund to determine if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information, certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.

 

The requirements of, and exceptions from, FATCA are complex. All prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the potential application of FATCA with respect to their own situation.

 

For a more detailed tax discussion regarding an investment in the Fund, please see the section of the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Syntax ETF Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 27, 2013. If shareholders of the Fund are required to vote on any matters, shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Share they own. Annual meetings of shareholders will not be held except as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable law. See the SAI for more information concerning the Trust’s form of organization.

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, Shares of the Trust are issued by the respective series of the Trust and the acquisition of Shares by investment companies is subject to the restrictions of section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. The Trust has received exemptive relief from Section 12(d)(1) to allow registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions as set forth in an SEC exemptive order

 

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issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.

 

From time to time, the Fund may advertise yield and total return figures. Yield is a historical measure of dividend income, and total return is a measure of past dividend income (assuming that it has been reinvested) plus capital appreciation. Neither yield nor total return should be used to predict the future performance of the Fund.

 

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

 

Information showing the number of days the market price of the Fund’s Shares was greater than the Fund’s NAV per Share (i.e. at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV per Share (i.e. at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act which is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Advisor and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to a code). There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective in preventing such activities. The codes permit personnel subject to them to invest in securities, including securities that may be held or purchased by the Fund. The codes are on file with the SEC and are available to the public.

 

DISTRIBUTION PLAN

 

The Fund has adopted a Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Shares. However, the Board of Trustees has determined not to authorize payment of a 12b-1 Plan fee at this time. The 12b-1 Plan fee may only be imposed or increased when the Board of Trustees determines that it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so. Because Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, and over time, these fees increase the cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Fund to achieve its objectives. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

 

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For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is a registered investment company, and the acquisition of Shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on exemption from registration as investment companies under Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as permitted by an exemptive order that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond those limitations.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Financial Highlights are not included in this Prospectus because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

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WHERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FUND

 

This Prospectus does not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to the Fund’s Shares. An SAI and the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, each of which will be filed with the SEC, provide more information about the Fund. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during the Fund's last fiscal year, as applicable. The SAI and the financial statements included in the Trust's annual report to shareholders are incorporated herein by reference (i.e., they are legally part of this Prospectus). These materials may be obtained without charge, upon request, by writing to the Distributor, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine, 04101 by visiting the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com or by calling the following number: (866) 972-4492.

 

Investor Information:

 

The Registration Statement, including this Prospectus, the SAI, and the exhibits as well as any shareholder reports may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (100 F Street NE, Washington D.C. 20549) or on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). Information on the operation of the public reference room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. You may get copies of this and other information after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

 

Shareholder inquiries may be directed to the Fund in writing to Syntax Advisors, LLC at 110 East 59 th Street, 31 st Floor, New York, NY 10022 or by calling the Investor Information number listed above.

 

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Prospectus in connection with the offer of the Fund's Shares, and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust or the Fund. Neither the delivery of this Prospectus nor any sale of Shares shall under any circumstance imply that the information contained herein is correct as of any date after the date of this Prospectus.

 

Dealers effecting transactions in the Fund’s Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

 

Investment Company Act File No.:

811-23227

 

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SUBJECT TO COMPLETION. THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST (THE “TRUST”)

 

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

August 22, 2018

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Trust dated [    ], 2018, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”).

 

Fund Ticker
SYNTAX STRATIFIED LARGECAP ETF SSPY

 

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine, 04101, by visiting the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com or calling (866) 972-4492.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST 3
   
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION 3
   
INVESTMENT POLICIES 6
   
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS 7
   
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS 9
   
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 11
   
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST 11
   
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS 29
   
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE 30
   
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM 30
   
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS 32
   
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 40
   
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 41
   
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION 42
   
CAPITAL STOCK AND SHAREHOLDER REPORTS 52
   
COUNSEL AND INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 52
   
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 53
   
APPENDIX A 54

 

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST

 

The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), currently consisting of one investment series (the “Fund”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 27, 2013. The offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond to the total return, of a specified market index (the “Index”). Syntax Advisors, LLC (“Syntax” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser for the Fund. Vantage Consulting Group (“Vantage” or the “Sub-Adviser,” and together with the Adviser, “Advisers”) serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Fund.

 

The Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (sometimes referred to herein as “NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in its Index (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The Shares have been approved for listing and secondary trading on a national securities exchange (“Exchange”). The Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the Shares’ net asset values. The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of the Fund consists of 25,000 Shares, as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of all Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). See “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units.” The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. In addition to the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee, an additional transaction fee of up to three times the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee and/or an additional variable charge may apply.

 

ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION

 

The Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index (the “Index”) is the stratified-weight version of the widely used S&P 500® Index. The Index holds the same constituents as the S&P 500, but the weight of each company in the Index is based on Syntax’s patented methodology to control exposure to related business risks (RBRs).

 

The Index was developed and is maintained in accordance with the following criteria: (1) each of the component securities in the Index is a constituent company of the S&P 500® Index; and (2) the Index is calculated by S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) based on methodology proprietary to Syntax, LLC an affiliate of the investment adviser (the “Index

 

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Provider”), using a stratification methodology. The Index Provider publishes information regarding the market value of the Index. For more information, please visit the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.

 

Syntax Stratified-Weight Indices represent a major breakthrough in passive index weighting methodology in that they are designed to control for the negative impacts of related business risks. When two or more companies’ earnings are affected by the same fundamental drivers, we say that they share a related business risk. Syntax Indices utilize a proprietary functional information system (“FIS”) developed by Syntax, LLC, to identify related business risks and implement a patented stratified weighting methodology that controls for the inadvertent overweighting of related business risk that regularly occurs in capitalization-weighted and equal-weighted indices. To learn more about FIS, please visit www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.

 

Stratified-Weight Indices are a new class of passive indexing that mitigates the negative impacts of overweighting related business risks without sacrificing upside performance in normal markets. Stratified-weight indices, together with capitalization-weight and equal-weight indices, form a complementary suite of index weighting methods that each provide a different measure of market performance. Capitalization-weight indices measure aggregate market performance, equal-weight indices measure average company performance, and stratified-weight indices measure diversified business performance. Each are important market benchmarks that offer different perspectives.

 

The investment objective of every Syntax Index is to deliver returns consistent with the performance objectives of the underlying companies that make up the index. By using FIS and stratification to control for exposure to related business risks, Syntax Indices are designed to improve the tracking of the actual medium-to long-term performance of groups of companies and provide results that are the product of effective diversification, rather than the overweighting of one or more outperforming group. Because FIS defines the related business risks, Syntax Indices are built as a more stable composite of those functional parts. While the major cap-weighted indices are designed to be a proxy for the total market, Syntax, LLC believes that the Syntax Indices serve as a better basis for medium-to-long-term investments in index-tracking funds.

 

Disclaimer

 

Syntax, LLC, the Index Provider, is affiliated with the Trust and the Adviser. The Adviser (“Licensee”) has entered into license agreements with the Index Provider pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Index. The Adviser is sub-licensing rights to the Index to the Fund at no charge.

 

The Index is the property of Syntax, LLC, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the Index. The Index is not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third-party licensors, including Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for

 

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use by Syntax, LLC. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.

 

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to Syntax, LLC with respect to the Index is the licensing of the S&P 500® Index and its constituents, certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to the Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund may be converted into cash or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within the Index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.

 

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, INCLUDING, ORAL, WRITTEN, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN EXCEPT THOSE ARISING FROM FRAUD OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF S&P. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY SYNTAX, LLC, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.

 

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INVESTMENT POLICIES

 

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

DIVERSIFICATION STATUS

The Fund is classified as a “diversified” investment company under the 1940 Act.

 

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day – as defined below). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

 

In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and be held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15 percent of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.

 

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.

 

OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS

In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, cash and cash equivalents, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper

 

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rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”), or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS

 

A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

 

GENERAL

Investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.

 

An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed

 

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principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

 

The principal trading market for some of the securities in the Index may be in the over-the-counter market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Fund’s Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

 

TAX RISKS

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares of the Fund will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares of the Fund.

 

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

The method by which Creation Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of Shares are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares of the Fund are reminded that under Securities Act Rule 153, a prospectus-delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Fund’s Prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The

 

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prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund means the vote, at an annual or a special meeting of the security holders of the Trust, of the lesser of (1) 67 percent or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50 percent of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50 percent of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:

 

1. Change its investment objective;

 

2. Lend any funds or other assets except through the purchase of all or a portion of an issue of securities or obligations of the type in which it is permitted to invest (including participation interests in such securities or obligations) and except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets;

 

3. Issue senior securities or borrow money, except borrowings from banks for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount up to 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed), valued at market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) valued at the time the borrowing is made, and the Fund will not purchase securities while borrowings in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets are outstanding, provided, that for purposes of this restriction, short-term credits necessary for the clearance of transactions are not considered borrowings (this limitation on purchases does not apply to acceptance by the Fund of a deposit principally of securities included in the relevant Index for creation of Creation Units);

 

4. Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. (The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin for futures contracts or options contracts will not be deemed to be pledges of the Fund’s assets);

 

5. Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or mineral interests or leases, but the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are issued by companies that invest or deal in such assets;

 

6. Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its portfolio;

 

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7. Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, except that the Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in options, futures and options on futures;

 

8. Sell securities short;

 

9. Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may transact in exchange traded futures contracts on securities, stock indices and options on such futures contracts and make margin deposits in connection with such contracts; or

 

10. Concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in the same industry, except the Fund will concentrate, as necessary to approximate the composition of the Fund’s underlying Index (the SEC Staff considers concentration to involve more than 25 percent of the Fund’s assets to be invested in an industry or group of industries).

 

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without a shareholder vote. The Fund:

 

1. Will not invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, provided that the Trust may vote the investment securities owned by the Fund in accordance with its views.

 

2. Will not hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is any asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.

 

3. Will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 95% of its total assets in common stocks that compose its relevant Index. Prior to any change in the Fund’s 95% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice.

 

4. Will not invest in securities issued by other investment companies so that, as determined immediately after a purchase of such securities is made: (i) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (ii) not more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of investment companies as a group; and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund.

 

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed

 

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its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

 

The Shares of the Fund are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met.

 

The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (2) the value of its underlying Index or portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (3) the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (4) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or the Fund.

 

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the Share price of the Fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

 

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

The base and trading currencies of the Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which the Fund’s net asset value per Share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “MANAGEMENT.”

 

The Board has responsibility for the overall management, operations and business affairs of the Trust, including general supervision and review of its investment activities. The Trustees elect the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund.

 

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The Trustees and executive officers of the Trust, along with their year of birth, principal occupations over the past five years, length of time served, total number of portfolios overseen in the fund complex, public and fund directorships held and other positions and their affiliations, if any, with the Adviser, are listed below:

 

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

 

TRUSTEES

 

NAME, ADDRESS

AND YEAR OF BIRTH

 

POSITION(S)

WITH TRUST  

 

TERM OF OFFICE

AND LENGTH

OF TIME SERVED  

 

PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)

DURING PAST 5 YEARS  

  NUMBER OF
PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN BY
TRUSTEE  
 

OTHER

DIRECTORSHIPS

HELD BY 

TRUSTEE DURING
THE LAST 5 YEARS
 

Independent Trustees                     

Deborah Fuhr

(1959)

 

  Independent Trustee  

Term: Unlimited

Trustee since 2018

  Co-Founder and Managing Partner, ETFGI LLP (research and consulting) (2012 to present);   1  

Co-Founder and Board Member, Women in ETFs (Not for Profit) (2014 to present); Co-founder and Board Member, Women in ETFs Europe Limited (Educational Association) (2015 to present); Director and Board Member, 2 Culfrod Gardens RTM (Property) (200 to present); Director and Board Member (2 Culford Gardens Freehold (Property) (2011 to present)

 

 

12

 

 

George Hornig

(1954)

  Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee  

Term: Unlimited

Trustee since 2018

  Managing Member, George Hornig, LLC (2017 to present) (investments); Chief Executive Officer, Transatlantic Financial Holdings, LLC (financial services) (2016 to present);   1  

Director, Forrester Research, Inc. (technology research company) (1997 to present); Director, Daniel J. Edelman Holding (2016 to present) (communications marketing firm); Director, Xomerty (advanced manufacturing platform business) (2014 to present); Director, KBL Merger Corp IV (2017 to present) (healthcare); Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, PineBridge Investments (investment adviser) (2010 to 2016)

 

 

13

 

 

Richard Lyons

(1961)

  Lead Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee  

Term: Unlimited

Trustee since 2018

 

Dean (since 2008), Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley; Chief Learning

Officer (2006 to 2008), Goldman Sachs (investment banking and investment

management); Executive Associate Dean (2005 to 2006), Acting Dean (2004 to 2005),

Professor (2000 to 2004), Associate Professor (1996 to 2000), Assistant Professor

(1993 to 1996), Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.

 

  1   Director (2013 to 2016), Matthews A Share Selections Fund, LLC (mutual funds)

Stewart Myers

(1940)

 

  Independent Trustee  

Term: Unlimited

Trustee since 2018

 

Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management (since 2015); Principal, The Brattle Group, Inc. (since 1991)

 

  1   Director, Entergy Corp. (2009 to 2015)
Interested Trustees                    

Rory Riggs

(1953)

  Trustee and Chief Executive Officer  

Term: Unlimited

Trustee since 2017

  Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Locus Analytics, LLC (since 2010); Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Syntax Advisors, LLC (Since 2009); and is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Syntax Indices (Since 2009).   1   Managing Member of Balfour, LLC (since 1991); Board Member, Nuredis, Inc. (2016 to present); President, Biomatrix Corporation (1996 to 2000); Director, Biomatrix Corporation (1990 to 2000); Acting President and Chief Executive Officer of RF&P Corporation (1991 to 1995); Managing Director, PaineWebber Incorporated (1981 to 1990); Co-founder and Chairman, RP Management, LLC Chairman and co-founder, Royalty Pharma (1996 to present) (biopharmaceuticals); Chairman and Co-Founder, Cibus Global, Ltd. (2012  to present) (gene editing agriculture); Director GeneNews Limited (2000 to present); Director, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (since 2014); Director, FibroGen, Inc. (1993 to present)

 

14

 

 

Kathy Cuocolo

(Year of Birth: 1952)

  Trustee and President  

Term: Unlimited

Trustee since 2018

  President, Syntax Advisors, LLC (2014 to present); Managing Director, Head of Global ETF Services, BNY Mellon (2008 to 2013); Executive Vice President, State Street (1982 to 2003)   1   Greenbacker Renewable Energy LLC, Audit Chair 2013 to present; Guardian Life Family of Funds 2005 – 2007; Select Sector Trust, Chairman 2000 to 2007; The China Fund, 1999 to 2003

 

OFFICERS

NAME, ADDRESS

AND YEAR OF BIRTH 

  POSITION(S)
WITH TRUST
 

TERM OF

 OFFICE
AND LENGTH
OF TIME SERVED

 

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S)

DURING PAST 5 YEARS

OFFICERS            

Rory Riggs

(1953)

 

  Chief Executive   Since 2018   See Trustee table above

Kathy Cuocolo

(1952)

 

  President and Treasurer   Since 2018   See Trustee table above

Carly Arison

(1990)

  Secretary   Since 2018   Senior Director, Syntax, LLC (2014 to 2017); Director, Locus Analytics (2012 to 2014)

Joseph O’Donnell

(1954)

  Chief Compliance Officer   Since 2018     Director - Outsourced Business Solutions Group -  Foreside LLC October, 2017 - present.  Board Member, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 2015 – present; EVP and CCO RidgeWorth Funds 2011 – 2016.

 

Leadership Structure and Board of Trustees

 

Board Responsibilities . The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described in this SAI, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.

 

Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Distributor and Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or

 

15

 

 

circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., a Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

 

The Trustees’ role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time the Fund’s Adviser presents the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund, as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Fund’s Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophies, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructures. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser and other service providers, such as the Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.

 

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser and Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Advisers’ adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s investments.

 

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

 

The Board receives reports from Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Regular reports are made to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and

 

16

 

 

procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

 

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

 

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Fund’s Adviser, Sub-Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

 

Trustees and Officers . There are 6 members of the Board of Trustees, 4 of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). Mr. Riggs, an Interested Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board to act as liaison with the investment adviser, other service providers, counsel and other Trustees generally between meetings. Mr. Lyons serves as Lead Independent Trustee and is a spokesman for and leader of the Independent Trustees. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a majority of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an Independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from fund management.

 

The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. The Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee are each chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of all of the Independent Trustees.

 

Individual Trustee Qualifications

 

The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his or her ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to him or her by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of his or her duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise his

 

17

 

 

or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

 

Rory Riggs : Rory Riggs is the CEO and Founder of Syntax Indices.

 

Rory’s idea for Syntax Stratified Indices came from his career in healthcare and the industry’s statistical use of population sampling and stratification across sub-populations to control for inadvertent biases in clinical trial results. To address the potential of similar biases in index results, he and his team identified a new risk category called related business risks; developed a new classification system with which to identify and group related business risk; and implemented a stratified weighting methodology to control for the inadvertent over-weighting of related business risks that regularly occur capitalization-weight and equal-weight methodologies. Using this stratified-weight methodology, Syntax operates a family of Syntax Stratified Indices that includes a Stratified Syntax LargeCap and MidCap Index that provide stratified-weight versions of the widely-followed S&P 500 and the S&P 400.

 

Prior to founding Syntax and its parent, Locus Analytics, Rory has been involved in the creation and development of many successful companies in healthcare and bio-technology. These companies include: Royalty Pharma; Fibrogen, Inc.; Cibus, LLC; GeneNews Ltd., Sugen, Inc. and eReceivables Inc. He is currently the chairman and co-founder of Royalty Pharma, the largest investor in revenue-producing intellectual property, principally royalty interests in marketed and late-stage development biopharmaceutical products. In addition, Rory is Chairman and Co-founder of Cibus, the leader in non-transgenic (non-GMO) gene editing in agriculture. He also served as the president and director of Biomatrix Corporation (NYSE: BXM) where he launched Synvisc, an important product in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Rory received a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from Columbia University.

 

Kathy Cuocolo : Kathy Cuocolo is president of Syntax Advisors, LLC, bringing over 30 years of experience in the asset management and ETF industry to Syntax.

 

Prior to Syntax, Kathy was Managing Director, Head of Global ETF Services at BNY Mellon. Before BNY, Kathy spent 22 years at State Street Corporation, where she rose to Executive Vice President. While at State Street, Kathy brought the first ETF to market, the S&P 500 SPDR, as well as several of the other early ETF products such as the Select Sector SPDR, the Dow Diamond, and CountryBaskets. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an audit and consulting manager. She is a Board Member and Audit Chair of Greenbacker Renewable Energy LLC and has been on the Boards of Select Sector SPDRs, The China Fund and Guardian Family of Funds.

 

Kathy received her B.A. in Accounting Summa Cum Laude from Boston College and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.

 

George Hornig : George Hornig has had a career as a senior operating officer in the financial services industry (asset management, investment banking, insurance and fin-tech).

 

From 2010 - 2016, George was a Senior Managing Director of PineBridge Investments. George led the restructuring of the operations of this former division of AIG Insurance to make it an independent company after its divestiture. Prior to joining PineBridge, George spent 11 years at Credit Suisse Asset Management as Global Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Americas, at Deutsche Bank. In 1988, he

 

18

 

 

was a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Wasserstein Perella and Company, following his tenure at The First Boston Corp. George also practiced law for two years at Skadden Arps at the start of his career. In addition, George’s career has spanned investments, management and advisor in industries as diverse as health care, manufacturing and the outsourcing of business services, social media, cybersecurity, augmented reality, and e-waste management. Presently he is managing a portfolio of acquisition transactions and venture capital investments. Also he is the Chairman of KBL Merger Corp IV (healthcare industry SPAC), a Director of Edelman (communications marketing firm), and a Director of Xometry (advanced manufacturing platform business). From 1992 to 2012, he was a Director of Unity Mutual Life and from 1996 to 2018, he was a Director of Forrester Research and Chairman of the Audit Committee.

 

George received his AB in Economics from Harvard College, his MBA from Harvard Business School and his JD from Harvard Law School.

 

Deborah Fuhr : Deborah Fuhr is the managing partner and co-founder of ETFGI. Previously she served as global head of ETF research and implementation strategy and as a managing director at BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors from 2008-2011. Fuhr also worked as a managing director and head of the investment strategy team at Morgan Stanley in London from 1997-2008, and as an associate at Greenwich Associates.

 

Deborah Fuhr is the recipient of the 2014 William F. Sharpe Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding and lasting contributions to the field of index investing, the Nate Most Greatest Contributor to the ETF industry award , and the ETF.com Lifetime achievement award. She has been named as one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Finance” by Financial News in 2014, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008 and 2007. Ms. Fuhr won the award for the Greatest Overall Contribution to the development of the Global ETF industry in the ExchangeTradedFunds.com survey in 2011 and 2008, Ms. Fuhr is one of the founders and on the board of Women in ETFs and is on the board of Cancer Research UK’s ‘Women of Influence’ initiative to support female scientists. Ms. Fuhr is on the editorial board of the Journal of Indexes, and Money Management Executive; the advisory board for the Journal of Index Investing; and the investment panel of experts for Portfolio Adviser, the FTSE ICB Advisory Committee, the NASDAQ listing and hearing review council, the International Advisory Committee for the Egyptian Exchange, and the University of Connecticut School of Business International Advisory Board.

 

She holds a BS degree from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

 

Richard Lyons: Richard Lyons is the dean of the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, and holds the Bank of America Dean’s Chair.

 

Prior to becoming dean in July 2008, he served as the chief learning officer at Goldman Sachs in New York, a position he held since 2006. As chief learning officer, Rich was responsible for leadership development among the firm’s managing directors. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Rich served as acting dean of the Haas School from 2004 to 2005 and as executive associate dean and Sylvan Coleman Professor of Finance from 2005 to 2006.

 

He received his BS with highest honors from UC Berkeley (finance) and his Ph.D. from MIT (economics). Before coming to Haas, Professor Lyons spent six years on the faculty at Columbia Business School. His teaching expertise is in international finance.

 

19

 

 

Stewart Myers : Stewart C. Myers is the Robert C. Merton (1970) Professor of Finance, Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

 

Mr. Myers is past President of the American Finance Association, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a principal of the Brattle Group, Inc. His textbook Principles of Corporate Finance (12th ed., with Richard Brealey and Franklin Allen) is known as the “bible” of financial management. His research focuses on the valuation of real and financial assets, corporate finance and financial aspects of government regulation of business. He introduced both the tradeoff and pecking order theories of capital structure and was the first to recognize the importance of real options in corporate finance. Myers is the author of influential research papers on many topics, including adjusted present value (APV), rate of return regulation, capital allocation and risk management in banking and insurance, real options, payout policy, and moral hazard and information issues in financing decisions. He has served as a director of Entergy Corporation and CAT Ltd. and as a manager of the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance.

 

He holds an AB from Williams College and an MBA and a PhD from Stanford University.

 

References to the experience, attributes and skills of Trustees above are pursuant to requirements of the SEC and do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.

 

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund.

 

REMUNERATION OF THE TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

 

No officer, director or employee of the Adviser, its parent or subsidiaries receives any compensation from the Trust for serving as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. The Trust pays, in the aggregate, each Independent Trustee an annual fee of $25,000. Trustee fees are allocated between the Fund in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration the relative net assets of the series.

 

STANDING COMMITTEES

 

Audit Committee . The Board has an Audit Committee consisting of all Independent Trustees. George Hornig serves as Chair. The Audit Committee meets with the Trust’s independent auditors to review and approve the scope and results of their professional services; to review the procedures for evaluating the adequacy of the Trust’s accounting controls; to consider the range of audit fees; and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors. The Audit Committee was established on March 28, 2018 and met once during the calendar year ending December 31, 2018.

 

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Nominating and Governance Committee . The Board has established a Nominating and Governance Committee consisting of all Independent Trustees. Richard Lyons serves as Chairperson. The responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee are to: (1) nominate Independent Trustees; (2) review on a periodic basis the governance structures and procedures of the Fund; (3) periodically review Trustee compensation, (4) annually review committee and committee chair assignments, (5) annually review the responsibilities and charter of each committee, (6) to plan and administer the Board’s annual self-evaluation, (7) annually consider the structure, operations and effectiveness of the Nominating and Governance Committee, and (8) at least annually evaluate the independence of counsel to the Independent Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee was established on March 28, 2018 and met once during the calendar year ending December 31, 2018.

 

The Trustees adopted the following procedures with respect to the consideration of nominees recommended by security holders.

 

1. The shareholder must submit any such recommendation (a “Shareholder Recommendation”) in writing to the Trust, to the attention of the Trust’s Secretary, at the address of the principal executive offices of the Trust.

 

2. The Shareholder Recommendation must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Trust not less than sixty (60) calendar days nor more than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the date of the Board or shareholder meeting at which the nominee candidate would be considered for election. Shareholder Recommendations will be kept on file for two years after receipt of the Shareholder Recommendation. A Shareholder Recommendation considered by the Committee in connection with the Committee’s nomination of any candidate(s) for appointment or election as an independent Trustee need not be considered again by the Committee in connection with any subsequent nomination(s).

 

3. The Shareholder Recommendation must include: (i) a statement in writing setting forth (A) the name, age, date of birth, business address, residence address and nationality of the person recommended by the shareholder (the “candidate”), and the names and addresses of at least three professional references; (B) the number of all shares of the Trust (including the series and class, if applicable) owned of record or beneficially by the candidate, the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition(s), as reported to such shareholder by the candidate; (C) any other information regarding the candidate called for with respect to director nominees by paragraphs (a), (d), (e) and (f) of Item 401 of Regulation S-K or paragraph (b) of Item 22 of Rule 14a-101 (Schedule 14A) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), adopted by the SEC (or the corresponding provisions of any applicable regulation or rule subsequently adopted by the SEC or any successor agency with jurisdiction related to the Trust); (D) any other information regarding the candidate that would be required to be disclosed if the candidate were a nominee in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitation of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or any other applicable law or regulation; and (E)

 

21

 

 

whether the recommending shareholder believes that the candidate is or will be an “interested person” of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and, if not an “interested person,” information regarding the candidate that will be sufficient, in the discretion of the Board or the Committee, for the Trust to make such determination; (ii) the written and signed consent of the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as a Trustee if elected; (iii) the recommending shareholder’s name as it appears on the Trust’s books; (iv) the number of all shares of the Trust (including the series and class, if applicable) owned beneficially and of record by the recommending shareholder; (v) a complete description of all arrangements or understandings between the recommending shareholder and the candidate and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the recommendation is being made by the recommending shareholder including, without limitation, all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings between the candidate and recommending shareholder during the past three years, and (vi) a brief description of the candidate’s relevant background and experience for membership on the Board, such as qualification as an audit committee financial expert.

 

4. The Committee may require the recommending shareholder to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require or deem necessary to verify any information furnished pursuant to paragraph 3 above or to determine the eligibility of the candidate to serve as a Trustee of the Trust or to satisfy applicable law. If the recommending shareholder fails to provide such other information in writing within seven days of receipt of a written request from the Committee, the recommendation of such candidate as a nominee will be deemed not properly submitted for consideration, and the Committee will not be required to consider such candidate.

 

OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES

 

As of July 31, 2018, neither the Independent Trustees nor their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities in the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Principal Underwriter or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or Principal Underwriter.

 

The following table sets forth information describing the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Trust as of December 31, 2017.

 

Name of Trustee   Fund   Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in
the
Fund
  Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity
Securities in All Funds
Overseen by Trustee in
Family of Investment
Companies
Independent Trustees:            
Deborah Fuhr   None   None   None
George Hornig   None   None   None
Richard Lyons   None   None   None
Stewart Myers   None   None   None

 

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Name of Trustee   Fund   Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in
the
Fund
  Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity
Securities in All Funds
Overseen by Trustee in
Family of Investment
Companies
Interested Trustee:            
Rory Riggs   None   None   None
Kathy Cuocolo   None   None   None

 

CODE OF ETHICS. The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics as required by applicable law, which are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics, filed as an exhibit to the Trust’s registration statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov .

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY. The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated the responsibility to vote such proxies to the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting policy is attached at the end of this SAI as Appendix A. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available: (1) without charge by calling (866) 972-4492; (2) on the Fund’s website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com; and (3) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov .

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS POLICY. The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy. The Fund’s portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Fund shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the “NSCC”). The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Adviser or State Street will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust, except: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-day operations of the Fund or (ii) to any other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception.

 

THE INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Syntax Advisors, LLC (“Syntax” or “Adviser”) acts as investment adviser to the Trust and, subject to the supervision of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of the Fund. The Adviser’s principal address is 110 East 59 th Street, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10022.

 

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The Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (“Investment Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust and the Adviser. The Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to the Fund, continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without penalty, on 60 days’ notice, by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. The Investment Advisory Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Adviser and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of the Fund, manages the investment of the Fund’s assets. The Adviser is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of the Fund. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Adviser for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.

 

For the services provided to the Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Adviser monthly fees based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus. From time to time, the Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser agrees to pay all expenses of the Trust, except (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund.

 

The advisory fees paid to the Adviser for the last three fiscal years have been omitted because the Fund has not commenced investment operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

Syntax has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund to ensure that Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding, as applicable, (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief

 

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compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund.) do not exceed the rates below. Subject to approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, any waiver under the Expense Limitation Agreement is subject to repayment by the Fund within 36 months following the month in which fees are waived or reimbursed, if the Fund is able to make the payment without exceeding the applicable expense limitation. These arrangements cannot be terminated prior to one year from the effective date of this prospectus without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

Fund

Total Operating Expenses after

Waiver/Reimbursement

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF 0.30%

 

A discussion regarding the Board’s consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreement can be found in the Trust’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended December 31, 2018. (when available).

 

SUB-ADVISER

 

Vantage Consulting Group (“Vantage” or the “Sub-Adviser”), 3500 Pacific Ave. Virginia Beach, VA 23451, serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Fund pursuant to an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and Vantage, dated March 2, 2018 (referred to as a “Sub-Advisory Agreement). The Sub-Adviser is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and shall make investment decisions for the Fund, subject to the supervision by the Adviser. For its services, the Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

The Sub-Adviser manages the Fund using a team of investment professionals. The professional primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund is James Thomas Wolfe.

 

The following table lists the number and types of accounts, other than the Fund, managed by Mr. Wolfe and the assets under management in those accounts.

 

Other Accounts Managed as of May 31, 2018

 

Portfolio Manager Registered
Investment
Company
Accounts 
Assets
Managed
(millions) 
Pooled
Investment
Vehicle
Accounts 
Assets
Managed
(millions) 
Other
Accounts 
Assets
Managed
(millions) 
James Thomas Wolfe N/A N/A Syntax Index Series LP and  Syntax Global I, LP $53,429,689 N/A N/A

 

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* Mr. Wolfe serves as the portfolio manager for the Fund’s predecessor private fund. Each predecessor private fund is expected to be merged into its corresponding Fund upon the Fund’s commencement of operations.

 

OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

 

The portfolio manager listed above does not beneficially own any Shares of the Fund as of July 31, 2018.

 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. Because the portfolio manager may manage multiple portfolios for multiple clients, the potential for conflicts of interest exists. The portfolio manager generally manages portfolios having substantially the same investment style as the Fund. However, the portfolios managed by the portfolio manager may not have portfolio compositions identical to those of the Fund due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present in some portfolios or accounts but not others. The portfolio manager may purchase securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, and the performance of securities purchased for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other portfolios. The portfolio manager may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for the Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact the Fund depending on market conditions. For example, the portfolio manager may purchase a security in one portfolio while appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio. In addition, some of these portfolios have fee structures that are or have the potential to be higher than the advisory fees paid by the Fund, which can cause potential conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and the other accounts. However, the compensation structure for portfolio manager does not generally provide incentive to favor one account over another because that part of a manager’s bonus based on performance is not based on the performance of one account to the exclusion of others. There are many other factors considered in determining the portfolio manager’s bonus and there is no formula that is applied to weight the factors listed.


COMPENSATION

 

The Sub-Adviser’s compensation and incentive program varies by professional and discipline. A portfolio manager’s compensation is comprised of a fixed based salary and a bonus. The base salary is not based on the value of the assets managed but rather on the individual portfolio manager’s experience and responsibilities. The bonus also varies by individual and is based upon criteria that incorporate the Sub-Adviser’s assessment of the Fund’s performance as well as a portfolio manager’s corporate citizenship and overall contribution to the Firm.

 

THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), located at State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as Administrator for the Trust pursuant to an administration agreement (“Administration Agreement”). Under the Administration

 

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Agreement, State Street is responsible for certain administrative services associated with day-to-day operations of the Fund.

 

Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the Trust has agreed to a limitation on damages and to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws; provided, however, such indemnity of the Administrator shall not apply in the case of the Administrator’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties. Under the Custodian Agreement and Transfer Agency Agreement, as described below, the Trust has also provided indemnities to State Street for certain liabilities.

 

State Street also serves as Custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custodian agreement (“Custodian Agreement”). As Custodian, State Street holds the Fund’s assets, calculates the net asset value of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. State Street and the Trust will comply with the self-custodian provisions of Rule 17f-2 under the 1940 Act.

 

State Street also serves as Transfer Agent of the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (“Transfer Agency Agreement”).

 

Compensation. As compensation for its services under the Administration Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street shall receive a fee for its services, calculated based on the average aggregate net assets of the Trust as follows:

 

For its services as Administrator, State Street is paid an annual fee based on the net assets of the Fund. As the Fund has not yet commenced operation, the Fund has not paid State Street fees for its services as Administrator.

 

For its services as Custodian and fund accountant, State Street is paid an annual fee based on the net assets of the Fund. It also receives an annual fee for ETF basket creation services. As the Fund has not yet commenced operation, the Fund has not paid State Street fees for its services as Custodian or fund accountant.

 

THE DISTRIBUTOR

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside” or the “Distributor”) is the principal underwriter and Distributor of the Fund’s Creation Units. Its principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine, 04101. Investor information can be obtained by calling (866) 972-4492. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes Creation Units of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below under “PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS.” Shares in numbers less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus to Authorized Participants (as defined below) purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The

 

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Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Trust or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust.

 

The Adviser or Distributor, or an affiliate of the Adviser or Distributor, may directly or indirectly make cash payments to certain broker-dealers for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems.

 

The Fund has adopted a Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Shares. However, the Board of Trustees has determined not to authorize payment of a 12b-1 Plan fee at this time. The 12b-1 Plan fee may only be imposed or increased when the Board of Trustees determines that it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so. Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, and over time, these fees increase the cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, as to the Fund: (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, on at least 60 days written notice to the Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Distributor and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

The continuation of the Distribution Agreement, any Investor Services Agreements and any other related agreements is subject to annual approval of the Board, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees, as described above.

 

Each of the Investor Services Agreements will provide that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the relevant Fund, on at least 60 days’ written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Distributor and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). Each Investor Services Agreement is also terminable by the applicable Investor Service Organization upon 60 days’ notice to the other party thereto.

 

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit aggregations of Fund Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Participating Parties (as defined in the “Book Entry Only System” section below), DTC Participants (as defined below) and/or Investor Services Organizations.

 

Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Distributor, and may indemnify Soliciting Dealers and Authorized Participants (as described below) entering into

 

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agreements with the Distributor, for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement or other agreement, as applicable.

 

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser relies upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of the Fund’s Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 

In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution and does not take the sale of Fund Shares into account. The Sub-Adviser considers the full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction that may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks when appropriate.

 

The Sub-Adviser does not currently use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third party soft dollar arrangements, although the Sub-Adviser may receive proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Sub-Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research.

 

The Sub-Adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Trust for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Trust and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the

 

29

 

 

several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Trust is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Trust. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

 

The Fund will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation. The aggregate dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund for the last three fiscal years have been omitted because the Fund has not commenced investment operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s Shares.

 

Holdings in Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers for the most recent fiscal year have been omitted because the Fund has not commenced investment operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

 

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions and transaction costs is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and transaction costs paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.

 

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”

 

DTC acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co. and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in the limited circumstance provided below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

 

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their

 

30

 

 

representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and the FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

 

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares.

 

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third party service, shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third party service, shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant and/or third party service a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

 

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

 

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

 

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DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

Although the Fund does not have information concerning their beneficial ownership held in the names of DTC Participants, as of July 31, 2018 the names, addresses and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund were as follows:

 

Fund Name Name & Address

% OWNERSHIP (Record or
Beneficial)

 

SYNTAX STRATIFIED LARGECAP ETF

Rory Riggs

110 E. 59th St.

31st Floor

New York, New York 10022

100% (Beneficial)

 

An Authorized Participant (as defined below) may hold of record more than 25% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. From time to time, Authorized Participants may be a beneficial and/or legal owner of the Fund, may be deemed to have control of the Fund and may be able to affect the outcome of matters presented for a vote of the shareholders of the Fund(s). Authorized Participants may execute an irrevocable proxy granting the Distributor, State Street or an affiliate (the “Agent”) power to vote or abstain from voting such Authorized Participant’s beneficially or legally owned Shares of the applicable Fund. In such cases, the Agent shall mirror vote (or abstain from voting) such Shares in the same proportion as all other beneficial owners of the applicable Fund.

 

As of July 31, 2018, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, other than Rory Riggs owned less than 1% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares. As of July 31, 2018, Rory Riggs was the sole shareholder of the Fund and owned 100% of the Fund’s shares.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

The Fund issues and redeems its Shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in a large specified number of Shares called a “Creation Unit,” either principally in-kind for securities included in the relevant Index or in cash for the value of such securities. The value of the Fund is determined once each business day, as described under “Determination of Net Asset Value.” Creation Unit sizes are set forth in the table below:

 

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FUND Creation Unit Size
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF 25,000

 

PURCHASE (CREATION). The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Fund only: in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Principal Underwriter, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per Share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day (as defined below), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is, generally, any day on which the NYSE Arca is open for business.

 

FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities instruments (“Deposit Instruments”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or (ii) the Deposit Cash constituting the cash value of the Deposit Instruments and “Cash Amount,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Instruments that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

 

Together, the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Amount constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund. The “Cash Amount” is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the aggregate market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Amount is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Amount shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Amount is a negative number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Amount shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Amount. The Cash Amount serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Amount excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Instruments, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

 

The Custodian, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required amount of the instruments comprising the Deposit Instruments or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, as well as the estimated amount of the Cash Amount to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Instruments or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

 

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The identity and required amount of each instrument comprising the Deposit Instruments or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Instruments may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index.

 

As noted above, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Instrument which shall be added to the Deposit Instruments, including, without limitation, in situations where such Deposit Instrument: (i) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (ii) in the case of foreign funds holding non-US Deposit Instruments, where such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers , or other similar circumstances; (iii) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (iv) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; or (v) a holder of Shares of a foreign Fund holding non-US instruments would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption proceed “in-kind” (collectively, “non-standard orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Instruments from the basket in anticipation of index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the relevant Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

 

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Principal Underwriter, as facilitated via the Transfer Agent, to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Principal Underwriter and the Transfer Agent, and that has been accepted by the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Deposit Instruments together with the creation transaction fee (described below) and any other applicable fees, taxes and additional variable charge.

 

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund, including non-standard orders, must be placed for one or more whole Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant

 

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Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

 

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

 

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent for (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Instruments, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Instruments. Foreign Deposit Instruments must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the third Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Deposit Instruments must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Amount and the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

 

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in

 

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proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.

 

ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Instruments or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Deposit Instruments has been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Instruments (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Principal Underwriter and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.

 

In instances where the Trust accepts Deposit Instruments for the purchase of a Creation Unit, the Creation Unit may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Instruments as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Instruments, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Deposit Instruments, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Instruments (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a general non-interest bearing collateral account. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Instruments to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Instruments. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Instruments at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income and taxes associated with missing Deposit Instruments, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Instruments exceeds the market value of such Deposit Instruments on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Principal Underwriter plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Instruments have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fees” will be charged and an additional variable charge may also be applied. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted in respect of the Fund at its discretion, including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80 percent or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of

 

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the Deposit Instruments would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Principal Underwriter, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Trust or its agents shall communicate to the Authorized Participant its rejection of an order. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

 

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Instruments and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

REDEMPTION. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN WHOLE CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

 

With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio instruments that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Redemption Instruments”). In certain circumstances, Redemption Instruments received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Instruments.

 

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Redemption Securities – as announced by the

 

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Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Redemption Instruments (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Redemption Instruments have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more redemption Instruments.

 

PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Redemption Instruments and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant by the Settlement Date. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, the calculation of the value of the Redemption Instruments and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under “Determination of Net Asset Value,” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Principal Underwriter by a DTC Participant by the specified time on the Order Placement Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the value of the Redemption Instruments and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by the Custodian on such Order Placement Date. If the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, the Fund will not release the underlying securities for delivery unless collateral is posted in such percentage amount of missing Shares as set forth in the Participant Agreement (marked to market daily).

 

With respect to in kind redemptions of the Fund, in connection with taking delivery of shares of Redemption Instruments upon redemption of Creation Units, an Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Redemption Instruments are customarily traded (or such other arrangements as allowed by the Trust or its agents), to which account such Redemption Instruments will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days of the trade date. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than three business days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. The section below entitled “Local Market Holidays Schedules” identifies the instances where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, in respect of the Fund, the Trust will make delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in the Local Market Holidays section to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds. If the Authorized Participant has not made appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Redemption Instruments in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Instruments in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its

 

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discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the Authorized Participant will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.

 

If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Instruments, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Redemption Instruments). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Redemption Instruments but does not differ in net asset value.

 

An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) the Shares to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement which would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

 

Redemptions of Shares for Redemption Instruments will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Redemption Instruments upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Redemption Instruments under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Redemption Instruments applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”), as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Redemption Instruments that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Redemption Instruments.

 

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The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

CREATION AND REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES. A transaction fee, as set forth in the table below, is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, as applicable. Authorized Participants will be required to pay a fixed creation transaction fee and/or a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, on a given day regardless of the number of Creation Units created or redeemed on that day. The Fund may adjust the transaction fee from time to time. The Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee may be waived for the Fund when the Adviser believes that waiver of such fee is in the best interest of the Fund. When determining whether to waive the Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee, the Adviser considers a number of factors including whether waiving such fee will facilitate the initial launch of the Fund; facilitate portfolio rebalancings in a less costly manner; improve the quality of the secondary trading market for the Fund’s shares; and not result in the Fund bearing additional costs or expenses as a result of such waiver.

 

An additional charge or a variable charge (discussed below) will be applied to certain creation and redemption transactions, including non-standard orders and whole or partial cash purchases or redemptions. With respect to creation orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Instruments to the account of the Trust and with respect to redemption orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the Redemption Instruments from the Trust to their account or on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may also be charged a fee for such services.

 

FUND TRANSACTION
FEE
MAXIMUM
TRANSACTION
FEE
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF  $500 $2000

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the sections in the Prospectus entitled “PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES” and “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”

 

Net asset value per Share for the Fund of the Trust is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of such Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining net asset value. The net asset value of the Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open.

 

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In computing the Fund’s net asset value per Share, the Fund’s securities holdings are based on the market price of the securities, which generally means a valuation obtained from an exchange or other market (or based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange or other market) or a valuation obtained from an independent pricing service. In the case of shares of funds that are not traded on an exchange (e.g., mutual funds), last sale price means such fund’s published net asset value per share. Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available are valued based on fair value as determined in good faith by the Oversight Committee in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. In these cases, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s net asset value and the prices used by the Index. This may result in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “DISTRIBUTIONS.”

 

GENERAL POLICIES. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually for the Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Fund to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Trust intends to distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield on the underlying portfolio securities of the Fund, net of expenses of such Fund, as if such Fund owned such underlying portfolio securities for the entire dividend period. As a result, some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital for tax purposes for shareholders.

 

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

 

The Trust may make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Trust, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Internal Revenue Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

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DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT. Broker dealers, at their own discretion, may also offer a dividend reinvestment service under which Shares are purchased in the secondary market at current market prices. Investors should consult their broker dealer for further information regarding any dividend reinvestment service offered by such broker dealer.

 

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION

 

Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares. It is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), U.S. Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial authorities, and administrative rulings and practices, all as in effect as of the date of this SAI and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”

 

Except to the extent discussed below, this summary assumes that the Fund’s shareholder holds Shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not hold Shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in Shares, and does not address the tax consequences to Fund shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, those who hold Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account, and, except to the extent discussed below, tax-exempt shareholders. This discussion does not discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S., tax law. This discussion is not intended or written to be legal or tax advice to any shareholder in the Fund or other person and is not intended or written to be used or relied on, and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the specific U.S. federal, state, and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares based on their particular circumstances.

 

The Fund has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership or disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction.

 

Tax Treatment of the Fund

 

In General . The Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a separate regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code. As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders.

 

To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must meet certain income, asset and distribution requirements, described in more detail below.

 

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Specifically, the Fund must (i) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”) ( i.e. , partnership that are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive at least 90% of their income from interest, dividends, and other qualifying RIC income described above), and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other RICs, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock of each such issuer is held by the Fund and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or business or in the securities of one or more QPTPs. Furthermore, the Fund must distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii) certain net tax-exempt income, if any.

 

Failure to Maintain RIC Status . If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed by the Internal Revenue Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, possibly eligible for (i) in the case of an individual Fund shareholder, treatment as a qualified dividend (as discussed below) subject to tax at preferential long-term capital gains rates or (ii) in the case of a corporate Fund shareholder, a dividends-received deduction. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund will qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs.

 

Excise Tax . The Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income generally if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from prior years. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S. corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within such calendar year. The Fund intends to make distributions necessary to avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

 

Phantom Income . With respect to some or all of its investments, the Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, under the “wash sale” rules, the Fund may not be able to deduct currently a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a result, the Fund may be required to make an annual income distribution greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from

 

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the existing cash assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling Portfolio Securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in which event the Fund’s shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions. (See also —“Certain Debt Instruments” below.)

 

Certain Debt Instruments . Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund (such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment in-kind interest) may be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of original issue discount is treated as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures.

 

If the Fund acquires debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) in the secondary market, such debt securities may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or original issue discount in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or original issue discount, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition discount, or original issue discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

Non-U.S. Investments . Dividends, interest and proceeds from the direct or indirect sale of non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding tax and other taxes, including financial transaction taxes. Even if the Fund is entitled to seek a refund in respect of such taxes, it may not have sufficient information to do so or may choose not to do so. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Non-U.S. taxes paid by the Fund will reduce the return from the Fund’s investments.

 

Special or Uncertain Tax Consequences . The Fund’s investment or other activities could be subject to special and complex tax rules that may produce differing tax consequences, such as disallowing or limiting the use of losses or deductions, causing the recognition of income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, affecting the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur or altering the characterization of certain complex financial transactions.

 

The Fund may engage in investment or other activities the treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. In particular, the tax treatment of swaps and certain other derivatives and income from foreign currency transactions is unclear for purposes

 

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of determining the Fund’s status as a RIC. If a final determination on the tax treatment of the Fund’s investment or other activities differs from the Fund’s original expectations, the final determination could adversely affect the Fund’s status as a RIC or the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell assets, alter its portfolio or take other action in order to comply with the final determination.

 

Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders

 

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States, or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (a) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (b) the trust has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

Fund Distributions . In general, Fund distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether they consist of cash or property and regardless of whether they are re-invested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month will be deemed to have been received by the Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually paid during January of the following calendar year.

 

Distributions of the Fund’s net investment income and the Fund’s net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses (collectively referred to as “ordinary income dividends”) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (subject to an exception for “qualified dividend income, as discussed below). Corporate shareholders of the Fund may be eligible to take a dividends-received deduction with respect to such distributions, provided the distributions are attributable to dividends received by the Fund on stock of U.S. corporations with respect to which the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements. To the extent designated as “capital gain dividends” by the Fund, distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (“net capital gain”) are taxable at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, regardless of the Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Such dividends will not be eligible for a dividends-received deduction by corporate shareholders.

 

The Fund’s net capital gain is computed by taking into account the Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010,

 

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capital losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 can be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. To the extent that these carryforwards are available to offset future capital gains, it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders. In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject to limitation.

 

Distributions of “qualified dividend income” (defined below) are taxed to certain non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gain to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, provided that the Fund shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the distributing Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stocks. Dividends subject to these special rules, however, are not actually treated as capital gains and, thus, are not included in the computation of a non-corporate shareholder’s net capital gain and generally cannot be used to offset capital losses. The portion of distributions that the Fund may report as qualified dividend income generally is limited to the amount of qualified dividend income received by the Fund, but if for any Fund taxable year 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain from sales of stock and securities) consist of qualified dividend income, all distributions of such income for that taxable year may be reported as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” generally means income from dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations and qualified non-U.S. corporations. Income from dividends received by the Fund from a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) or another RIC generally is qualified dividend income only to the extent that the dividend distributions are made out of qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other RIC.

 

To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by such Fund in lieu of dividends with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (assuming the shareholder holds its Shares of the Fund as capital assets).

 

The Fund intends to distribute its net capital gain at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end, the Fund may elect to retain some or all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and the Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, a shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S. federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Fund Shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such net capital gain may be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of

 

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such taxes paid by the Fund upon timely filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.

 

With respect to non-corporate Fund shareholders ( i.e. , individuals, trusts and estates), ordinary income and short-term capital gain are taxed at a current maximum rate of 39.6% and long-term capital gain is taxed at a current maximum rate of 20%. Corporate shareholders are taxed at a current maximum rate of 35% on their income and gain.

 

In addition, high-income individuals (and certain trusts and estates) generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net investment income,” in addition to otherwise applicable U.S. federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally will include dividends (including capital gain dividends) received from the Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition of Shares. Please consult your tax advisor regarding this tax.

 

Investors considering buying Shares just prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital).

 

Sales of Shares . Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Fund Shares will be disallowed under the “wash sale” rules if substantially identical shares are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the Fund Shares. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

Legislation passed by Congress requires reporting to the IRS and to taxpayers of adjusted cost basis information for “covered securities,” which generally include shares of a RIC acquired on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders should contact their brokers to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and available elections for their accounts.

 

Creation Unit Issues and Redemptions . On an issue of Shares as part of a Creation Unit, made by means of an in-kind deposit, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption of Shares as part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind by a payment of Fund Securities, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert,

 

47

 

 

under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic position, that any loss on an issue or redemption of Creation Units cannot be deducted currently.

 

In general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares.

 

Reportable Transactions . If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Shares of $2 million or more (for an individual Fund shareholder) or $10 million or more (for a corporate shareholder) in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination of years), the Fund shareholder may be required to file a disclosure statement with the IRS. Significant penalties may be imposed upon the failure to comply with these reporting rules. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these rules in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder (as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following discussion is based on current law, and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S. federal income taxation.

 

Dividends . With respect to non-U.S. shareholders of the Fund, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty). However, ordinary income dividends that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” (each as defined below) and capital gain dividends generally will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding (or income tax), provided that the non-U.S. shareholder furnishes the Fund with a completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S. shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S. shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related dividends” generally means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends” generally means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable to the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances,

 

48

 

 

the Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for these exemptions from withholding .

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, special rules apply in certain cases, including as described below. For example, in cases where dividend income from a non-U.S. shareholder’s investment in the Fund is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder conducted in the United States, the non-U.S. shareholder generally will be exempt from withholding tax, but will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders. Such income generally must be reported on a U.S. federal income tax return. Furthermore, such income also may be subject to the 30% branch profits tax in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that is a corporation. In addition, if a non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States, any gain incurred by such shareholder with respect to his or her capital gain dividends and short-term capital gain dividends would be subject to a 30% U.S. federal income tax (which, in the case of short-term capital gain dividends, may, in certain instances, be withheld at source by the Fund). Lastly, special rules apply with respect to dividends that are subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Act (“FIRPTA”), discussed below (see—“Investments in U.S. Real Property”).

 

Sales of Fund Shares . Under current law, gain on a sale or exchange of Shares generally will be exempt from U.S. federal income tax (including withholding at the source) unless (i) the non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who was physically present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States, in which case the non-U.S. shareholder would incur a 30% U.S. federal income tax on his capital gain, (ii) the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. shareholder (in which case the non-U.S. shareholder generally would be taxable on such gain at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders, would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and, in the case of a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax), or (iii) the gain is subject to FIRPTA, as discussed below (see —“Investments in U.S. Real Property”).

 

Credits or Refunds . To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any undistributed long-term capital gains (as discussed above) or any taxes collected through withholding, a non-U.S. Fund shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. Fund shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.

 

Investments in U.S. Real Property . Subject to the exemptions described below, a non-U.S. shareholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax under FIRPTA on any gain from the sale or exchange of Shares if the Fund is a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (as defined below) at any time during the shorter of the period during which the non-U.S. shareholder held such Shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition of those Shares. Any such gain will be taxed in the same manner as for a U.S. Fund shareholder and in certain cases will be collected through withholding at the source in an amount equal to 15% of the sales proceeds. The Fund will be a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if the fair market value of its “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) (which includes shares of U.S. real

 

49

 

 

property holding corporations and certain participating debt securities) equals or exceeds 50% of the fair market value of such interests plus its interests in real property located outside the United States plus any other assets used or held for use in a business.

 

An exemption from FIRPTA applies if either (i) the class of Shares disposed of by the non-U.S. shareholder is regularly traded on an established securities market (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and the non-U.S. shareholder did not actually or constructively hold more than 5% of such class of Shares at any time during the five-year period prior to the disposition, or (ii) the Fund is a “domestically-controlled RIC.” A “domestically-controlled RIC” is any RIC in which at all times during the relevant testing period 50% or more in value of the RIC’s stock is owned by U.S. persons.

 

Furthermore, special rules apply under FIRPTA in respect of distributions attributable to gains from USRPIs. In general, if the Fund is a U.S. real property holding corporation (taking certain special rules into account), distributions by such Fund attributable to gains from USRPIs will be treated as income effectively connected with a trade or business within the United States, subject generally to tax at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders and, in the case of a corporation that is a non-U.S. shareholder, a “branch profits” tax at a rate of 30% (or other applicable lower treaty rate). Such distributions will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and generally will give rise to an obligation on the part of the non-U.S. shareholder to file a U.S. federal income tax return.

 

Even if the Fund is treated as a U.S. real property holding corporation, distributions on the Fund’s Shares will not be treated, under the rule described above, as income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that owns (for the applicable period) 5% or less (by class) of Shares and such class is regularly traded on an established securities market for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but such distribution will be treated as ordinary dividends subject to a 30% withholding tax or lower applicable treaty rate).

 

Non-U.S. shareholders that engage in certain “wash sale” and/or substitute dividend payment transactions the effect of which is to avoid the receipt of distributions from the Fund that would be treated as gain effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business will be treated as having received such distributions.

 

All shareholders of the Fund should consult their tax advisers regarding the application of the rules described above.

 

Back-Up Withholding

 

The Fund (or a financial intermediary such as a broker through which a shareholder holds Shares in the Fund) may be required to report certain information on the Fund shareholder to the IRS and withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a 28% rate from taxable distributions and redemption or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt from

 

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backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders can qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against the Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability .

 

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

 

The U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on "withholdable payments" (defined below) made to (i) a "foreign financial institution" ("FFI"), unless the FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to provide information regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfy certain due diligence and other specified requirements, and (ii) a "non-financial foreign entity" (“NFFE”) unless such NFFE provides certain information to the withholding agent about certain of its direct and indirect “substantial U.S. owners” or certifies that it has no such U.S. owners. The beneficial owner of a "withholdable payment" may be eligible for a refund or credit of the withheld tax. The U.S. government also has entered into several intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions to provide an alternative, and generally easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA.

 

"Withholdable payments" generally include, among other items, (i) U.S.-source interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from the sale or disposition, occurring on or after January 1, 2019, of property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends.

 

The Fund may be required to impose a 30% withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information, certifications or documentation required under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund to determine if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information, certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.

 

The requirements of, and exceptions from, FATCA are complex. All prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the potential application of FATCA with respect to their own situation.

 

Section 351

 

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or any group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, that Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

 

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CAPITAL STOCK AND SHAREHOLDER REPORTS

 

The Fund issues Shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per Share. The Board may designate additional funds.

 

Each Share issued by the Trust has a pro rata interest in the assets of the corresponding series of the Trust. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the Fund, and in the net distributable assets of the Fund on liquidation.

 

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all series of the Trust (i.e., Shares of the Fund) vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All Shares of the Trust (regardless of the fund) have noncumulative voting rights for the election of Trustees. Under Delaware law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.

 

The Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust, requires that Trust obligations include such disclaimer, and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of the Trust’s property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Given the above limitations on shareholder personal liability, and the nature of the Fund’s assets and operations, the risk to shareholders of personal liability is believed to be remote.

 

Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o Syntax Advisors, LLC, 110 East 59th Street, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10022.

 

COUNSEL AND INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Chapman and Cutler LLP serves as counsel to the Trust and Fund. [    ] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust.

 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

No financial statements have been prepared for the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

Background

 

An investment adviser has a duty of care and loyalty to its Clients and Investors with respect to monitoring corporate events and exercising proxy authority in the best interests of such Clients and Investors. VCG will adhere to Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act and all other applicable laws and regulations in regard to the voting of proxies.

 

Policies and Procedures

 

As an investment advisor, VCG may have the authority to vote proxies relating to securities on behalf of clients. In certain circumstances, when permitted by the client VCG may outsource the proxy voting. These policies and procedures are designed to deal with the complexities which may arise in cases where VCG's interests conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of its clients and to communicate to clients the methods and rationale whereby VCG exercises proxy authority. This document is available to any client upon request. VCG will also make available the record of VCG's votes promptly upon request.

 

The CCO of VCG is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of this policy. Unless contractually obligated to vote in a certain manner, VCG will reach its voting decisions independently, after appropriate investigation. It does not generally intend to delegate its decision making or to rely on the recommendations of any third party, although it may take such recommendations into consideration. Where VCG deviates from the guidelines listed below, or depends upon a third party to make the decision, the reasons shall be documented. VCG may consult with such other experts, such as CPA's, investment bankers, attorneys, etc., as it regards necessary to help it reach informed decisions.

 

Non-Voting of Proxies

 

VCG will generally not vote proxies in the following situations:

Proxies are received for equity securities where, at the time of receipt, VCG's position, across all clients that it advises, is less than, or equal to, 1% of the total outstanding voting equity (an "immaterial position").
Proxies are received for equity securities where, at the time of receipt, VCG's Clients and Investors no longer hold that position.

 

Management Proposals

 

Absent good reason to the contrary, VCG will generally give substantial weight to management recommendations regarding voting. This is based on the view that management is usually in the

 

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best position to know which corporate actions are in the best interests of common shareholders as a whole.

 

VCG will generally vote for routine matters proposed by issuer management, such as setting a time or place for an annual meeting, changing the name or fiscal year of the company, or voting for directors in favor of the management proposed slate. Other routine matters in which VCG will generally vote along with company management include: appointment of auditors, fees paid to board members, and change in the board structure. As long as the proposal does not: i) measurably change the structure, management, control or operations of the company; ii) measurably change the terms of, or fees or expenses associated with, an investment in the company; and the proposal is consistent with customary industry standards and practices, as well as the laws of the state of incorporation applicable to the company, VCG will generally vote along with management.

 

Non-Routine Matters

 

Non-routine matters might include such things as:

Amendments to management incentive plans
The authorization of additional common or preferred stock
Initiation or termination of barriers to takeover or acquisition
Mergers or acquisitions
Corporate reorganizations
"Contested" director slates

 

In non-routine matters, VCG will attempt to be generally familiar with the questions at issue. Non- routine matters will be voted on a case-by-case basis, given the complexity of many of these issues.

 

Processing Proxy Votes

 

The CCO will be responsible for determining whether each proxy is for a "routine" matter, as described above, and whether the Policy and Procedures set forth herein actually address the specific issue. For proxies that are not clearly "routine", VCG, in conjunction with the CCO, will determine how to vote each such proxy by applying these policies and procedures. Upon making a decision, the proxy will be executed and returned for submission to the company. VCG's proxy voting record will be updated at the time the proxy is submitted.

 

An independent proxy voting advisory and research firm may be appointed as a "Proxy Service" for voting VCG's proxies after approval by the CCO.

 

Documenting Proxy Voting

 

VCG will maintain copies of each proxy statement received and of each executed proxy; however, VCG may rely on the SEC's EDGAR system for records of proxy statements. VCG

 

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will also maintain records relating to each proxy, including the voting decision on each proxy, and any documents that were material to making the voting decision.

 

VCG will also maintain a record of each written request from a Client or Investor for proxy voting information and VCG's written response to any request from a Client or Investor for proxy voting information. These records shall be maintained in compliance with Rule 204-2.

 

Actual and Apparent Conflicts of Interest

 

Potential conflicts of interest between VCG and its clients may arise when VCG's relationships with an issuer or with a related third party actually conflict, or appear to conflict, with the best interests of the VCG's clients.

 

If the issue is specifically addressed in these policies and procedures, VCG will vote in accordance with these policies. In a situation where the issue is not specifically addressed in these Policies and Procedures and an apparent or actual conflict exists, VCG shall either: i) delegate the voting decision to an independent third party; ii) inform clients of the conflict of interest and obtain advance consent of a majority of such clients for a particular voting decision; or iii) obtain approval of a voting decision from VCG's CCO, who will be responsible for documenting the rationale for the decision made and voted.

 

In all such cases, VCG will make disclosures to clients of all material conflicts and will keep documentation supporting its voting decisions.

 

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Syntax ETF Trust

 

PART C - OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a)   Declaration of Syntax ETF Trust (“Registrant”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a) of the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 18, 2017.
     
(b)   By-Laws of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a) of the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 18, 2017.
     
(c)   Not applicable.
     
(d) (i) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between Registrant and Syntax Advisors, LLC,  is filed herewith.
     
  (ii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement by and between Syntax Advisors, LLC and Vantage Consulting Group, is filed herewith.
     
  (iii) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement by between the Registrant and the Syntax Advisors, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(e)   ETF Distribution Agreement by and between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(f)   Not Applicable.
     
(g)   Master Custodian Agreement by and between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, filed herewith.
     
(h) (i) Administration Agreement by and between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is filed herewith.
     
  (ii) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement by and between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is filed herewith.
     
  (iii) Fund CCO and AMLO Agreement with Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC filed herewith.
     
(i)   Opinion and consent of counsel, to be filed by amendment.
     
(j) (i) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, to be filed by amendment.
     
(k)   Not Applicable.
     
(l)   Not Applicable.
     
(m)   Rule 12b-1 Plan is filed herewith.
     
(n)   Not Applicable.
     
(o)   Reserved.

 

 

 

 

(p) (i) Code of Ethics of the Registrant is filed herewith.
     
  (ii) Code of Ethics of Syntax Advisors, LLC is filed herewith.
     
  (iii) Code of Ethics of Vantage Consulting Group is filed herewith.
     
  (iv) Code of Ethics of Foreside Fund Services, LLC is filed herewith.
     
(q)   Power of Attorney is filed herewith.

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant.

 

No person is directly or indirectly controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.

 

Additionally, see the “Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities” section of the Statement of Additional Information for a list of shareholders who own more than 5% of the fund’s outstanding shares and such information is incorporated by reference to this Item.

 

Item 30. Indemnification

 

Reference is made to Section 8 of the Registrant’s Trust Instrument referenced in Item 28(a)(1) with respect to the indemnification of the Registrant’s trustees and officers, which is set forth below:

 

Section 8.1            General Provisions .

 

Section 8.1.1            General Limitation of Liability . No personal liability for any debt or obligation of the Trust shall attach to any Trustee of the Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, a Trustee shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, investment advisor, subadvisor, principle underwriter or custodian of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible or liable for the act or omission of any other Trustee. Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, Share or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any Trustee in connection with Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to their, his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee and neither such Trustees or Trustee nor the Shareholders shall be personally liable thereon.

 

Section 8.1.2            Notice of Limited Liability . Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officers or officer shall recite that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust by them as Trustees or Trustee or as officers or officer and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust or belonging or attributable to a Series or Class thereof, and may contain such further recitals as they, he or she may deem appropriate, but the omission thereof shall not operate to bind any Trustees or Trustee or officers or officer or Shareholders or Shareholder individually.

 

Section 8.1.3            Liability Limited to Assets of the Trust . All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust shall look only to the assets of the Trust or belonging to a Series or Class thereof, as appropriate, for payment under such credit, contract or claim, and neither the Shareholders nor the Trustees nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.

 

Section 8.2            Liability of Trustee . The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretion hereunder shall be binding upon the Trust, the Shareholders and any other person dealing with the Trust. The liability of this Trustees, however, shall be limited by this Section 8.2 .

 

 

 

 

Section 8.2.1            Liability for Own Actions . A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust or the Shareholders only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law.

 

Section 8.2.2            Liability for Actions of Others . The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, consultant, advisor, administrative distributor, principal underwriter, custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, Shareholder servicing agent or accounting agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for any act or omission of any other Trustee.

 

Section 8.2.3            Advice of Experts and Reports of Others . The Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their duties as Trustees hereunder, and shall be under no liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice. In discharging their duties, the Trustees, when acting in good faith, shall be entitled to rely upon the books of account of the Trust and upon written reports made to the Trustees by any officers appointed by them, any independent public accountant and (with respect to the subject matter of the contract involved) any officer, partner or responsible employee of any other party to any contract entered into hereunder.

 

Section 8.2.4            Bond . Except as provided for in Section 8.5.4 , the Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required.

 

Section 8.2.5            Declaration of Trust Governs Issues of Liability . The provisions of this Declaration of Trust, to the extent that they restrict the duties and liabilities of the Trustees otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Shareholders and all other Persons bound by this Declaration of Trust to replace such other duties and liabilities of the Trustees.

 

Section 8.3            Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees . No person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction made or to be made by the Trustees or to see to the application of any payments made or property transferred to the Trust or upon the order of the Trustees.

 

Section 8.4            Liability of Shareholders . Without limiting the provisions of this Section 8.4 or the DSTA, the Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations organized for profit under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

Section 8.4.1            Limitation of Liability . No personal liability for any debt or obligation of the Trust shall attach to any Shareholder or former Shareholder of the Trust, and neither the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind any Shareholder personally or to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay by way of subscription for any Shares or otherwise.

 

Section 8.4.2            Indemnification of Shareholders . In case any Shareholder or former Shareholder of the Trust shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a Shareholder and not because of such Shareholder’s acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or, in the case of a natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled out of the assets of the Trust to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability; provided , however , there shall be no liability or obligation of the Trust arising hereunder to reimburse any Shareholder for taxes paid by reason of such Shareholder’s ownership of any Shares or for losses suffered by reason of any changes in value of any Trust assets. The Trust shall, upon request by the Shareholder or former Shareholder, assume the defense of any claim made against the Shareholder for any act or obligation of the Trust and satisfy any judgment thereon.

 

Section 8.5            Indemnification .

 

 

 

 

 

Section 8.5.1            Indemnification of Covered Persons . Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 8.5.2 , every person who is or has been a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (each, a “ Covered Person ”), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been such a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in settlement thereof.

 

Section 8.5.2            Exceptions . No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:

 

(a)          for any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders arising out of a final adjudication by the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought that the Covered Persons engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office;

 

(b)          with respect to any matter as to which the Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interests of the Trust; or

 

(c)          in the event of a settlement or other disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 8.5.2 ) and resulting in a payment by a Covered Person, unless there has been either a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition, or a reasonable determination, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that he or she did not engage in such conduct, such determination being made by: (i) a vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees (as such term is defined in Section 8.5.2 ) acting on the matter (provided that a majority of Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter); or (ii) a written opinion of independent legal counsel.

 

Section 8.5.3            Rights of Indemnification . The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, and shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Covered Person, and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

 

Section 8.5.4            Expenses of Indemnification . Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 8.5 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 8.5 , provided that either:

 

(a)          Such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security of the Trust shall be insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or

 

(b)          a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) or independent legal counsel in a written opinion shall determine, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to the facts available upon a full trial), that there is a reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

Section 8.5.5            Certain Defined Terms Relating to Indemnification . As used in this Section 8.5 , the following words shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

 

 

 

(a)          “Claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits, proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals), actual or threatened;

 

(b)          a “Disinterested Trustee” is one (i) who is not an Interested Person of the Trust (including anyone, as such Disinterested Trustee, who has been exempted from being an Interested Person by any rule, regulation or order of the Commission), and (ii) against whom none of such actions, suits or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending; and

 

(c)          “Liability” and “expenses” shall include, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

 

Section 8.6            Jurisdiction, Venue, and Waiver of Jury Trial. In accordance with Section 3804(e) of the DSTA, any suit, action or proceeding brought by or in the right of any Shareholder or any person claiming any interest in any Shares seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of, or in connection with, this Declaration of Trust or the Trust, any Series or Class or any Shares, including any claim of any nature against the Trust, any Series or Class, the Trustees or officers of the Trust, shall be brought exclusively in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware to the extent there is subject matter jurisdiction in such court for the claims asserted or, if not, then in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, and all Shareholders and other such Persons hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of such courts (and the appropriate appellate courts therefrom) in any such suit, action or proceeding and irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection they may make now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in such court or that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum and further, IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION, OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN THE SUPERIOR COURT IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE, ALL SHAREHOLDERS AND ALL OTHER SUCH PERSONS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. All Shareholders and other such persons agree that service of summons, complaint or other process in connection with any proceedings may be made by registered or certified mail or by overnight courier addressed to such person at the address shown on the books and records of the Trust for such person or at the address of the person shown on the books and records of the Trust with respect to the Shares that such person claims an interest in. Service of process in any such suit, action or proceeding against the Trust or any Trustee or officer of the Trust may be made at the address of the Trust’s registered agent in the State of Delaware. Any service so made shall be effective as if personally made in the State of Delaware. 

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

 

Syntax Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant with respect to each of its series.  The principal business address of the Adviser is 110 East 59th Street, 33 rd Floor New York, NY 10022.  With respect to the Adviser, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference to the Adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and dated March 28, 2018.  

 

Vantage Consulting Group (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant with respect to each of its series.  The principal business address of the Sub-Adviser is 3500 Pacific Ave. Virginia Beach, VA 23451.  With respect to the Sub-Adviser, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference to the Sub-Adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and dated March 29, 2018. 

 

The Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s respective Form ADVs may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov .

 

 

 

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriters.

 

(a) Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1. ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
2. Absolute Shares Trust
3. AdvisorShares Trust
4. American Beacon Funds
5. American Beacon Select Funds
6. Archstone Alternative Solutions Fund
7. Ark ETF Trust
8. Avenue Mutual Funds Trust
9. BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
10. BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
11. Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
12. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
13. Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure Fund
14. Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
15. Context Capital Funds
16. CornerCap Group of Funds
17. Corsair Opportunity Fund
18. Direxion Shares ETF Trust
19. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
20. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
21. EIP Investment Trust
22. Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
23. Exchange Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)
24. FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC
25. FlexShares Trust
26. Forum Funds
27. Forum Funds II
28. FQF Trust
29. FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund
30. Guiness Atkinson Funds
31. Henderson Global Funds
32. Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund)
33. Horizons ETF Trust
34. Infinity Core Alternative Fund
35. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
36. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
37. John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
38. Lyons Funds
39. Manor Investment Funds
40. Miller/Howard Funds Trust
41. Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund
42. Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
43. Montage Managers Trust
44. Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
45. PENN Capital Funds Trust
46. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
47. Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund
48. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
49. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

 

 

 

 

50. Quaker Investment Trust
51. Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Feeder Fund
52. Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Fund
53. Recon Capital Series Trust
54. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
55. RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust)
56. Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
57. Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
58. Salient MF Trust
59. SharesPost 100 Fund
60. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
61. Steben Alternative Investment Funds
62. Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund
63. Syntax ETF Trust
64. Strategy Shares
65. The 504 Fund (f/k/a The Pennant 504 Fund)
66. The Community Development Fund
67. Third Avenue Trust
68. Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
69. TIFF Investment Program
70. Turner Funds
71. U.S. Global Investors Funds
72. West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
73. Wintergreen Fund, Inc.
74. WisdomTree Trust

 

(b) The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter

Position with Registrant

 

Richard J. Berthy Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 President, Treasurer and Manager

President, Principal

Executive Officer

Mark A. Fairbanks

 

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101

 

Vice President

None

Jennifer K. DiValerio

899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312

 

Vice President None
Nanette K. Chern Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
Jennifer E. Hoopes Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Secretary None

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

The account books and other documents required to be maintained by Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder will be maintained at the offices of:

 

  (a) Syntax Advisors, LLC, 110 East 59th Street, 33 rd Floor New York, NY 10022 (records as investment adviser);

 

  (b) Vantage Consulting Group, 3500 Pacific Ave. Virginia Beach, VA 23451;

 

  (c) State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111

(records as administrator, custodian and transfer agent); and

 

  (d) Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101 (records as distributor).

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

The Registrant has no management related service contract which is not discussed in Part A or Part B of this form.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not Applicable.

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, and State of New York, on the 22 nd day of August, 2018.

 

  SYNTAX ETF TRUST
     
  By: /s/Rory B. Riggs                                   
    Rory B. Riggs
    Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to its Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Rory B. Riggs   Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Trustee   August 22, 2018
Rory B. Riggs      
         
/s/ Kathy Cuocolo   President, Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) and Trustee   August 22, 2018
Kathy Cuocolo        
         
/s/ Deborah Fuhr*   Trustee   August 22, 2018
Deborah Fuhr        
         
/s/ George Hornig*   Trustee   August 22, 2018
George Hornig        
         
/s/ Richard Lyons*   Trustee   August 22, 2018
Richard Lyons        
         
/s/ Stewart Myers*   Trustee   August 22, 2018
Steward Myers        
         
         
         
* by:  /s/ Kathy Cuocolo        
Kathy Cuocolo (Attorney-in-Fact and pursuant to Power of Attorney)        

 

 

 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit

Document

 

(d)(i) Investment Advisory Agreement
(d)(ii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement
(d)(iii) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement
(e) ETF Distribution Agreement
(g) Master Custodian  Agreement
(h)(i) Administration Agreement
(h)(ii) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement
(h)(iii) Fund CCO and AMLO Agreement
(m) Rule 12b-1 Plan
(p)(i) Code of Ethics of the Registrant
(p)(ii) Code of Ethics of Syntax Advisors, LLC
(p)(iii) Code of Ethics of Vantage Consulting Group
(p)(iv) Code of Ethics of Foreside Fund Services, LLC
(q) Power of Attorney

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

This Investment Advisory Agreement (this "Agreement") is made and entered into on August 1, 2017, to be effective upon the commencement of operations of the portfolios of the Trust listed on Schedule A attached hereto, by and between - Syntax ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust organized on June 27, 2013 ("Trust"), and Syntax Advisors, LLC, a Limited Liability Corporation ("Advisor").

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("1940 Act");

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest in separate series with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;

 

WHEREAS, the Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("Advisers Act"), and engages in the business of asset management;

 

WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Advisor to render certain investment management services to the portfolios of the Trust, each a series of the Trust (each a "Fund" and, collectively, "Funds"), and the Advisor is willing to render such services; and

 

WHEREAS, capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Agreement have the meanings assigned to them in a Fund's most recent prospectus ("Prospectus").

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Obligations of Investment Advisor .

 

(a) Services. The Advisor shall provide a continuous program of investment management for the Funds, subject to the general supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees ("Board") and the provisions of this Agreement. Specifically, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Advisor agrees to perform the following services ("Services") for each Fund, either directly or through any sub-advisor appointed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) below:

 

(1) manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement;

 

(2) continuously review, supervise, and administer the investment program of the Fund;

 

(3) determine, in its discretion, the securities to be purchased, retained or sold (and implement those decisions) with respect to the Fund;

 

  1  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

(4) with the assistance of the Fund's distributor, determine the number of shares of the Fund that will be created or redeemed each Business Day based on the purchase orders submitted by Authorized Participants;

 

(5) provide, in a timely manner, such information as may be reasonably requested by the Trust or its designated agents in connection with, among other things, information about the Fund sufficient for a pricing service or other entity to calculate the Intra-Day Indicative Value of the shares of the Fund every fifteen seconds each Business Day;

 

(6) provide the Trust and the Fund with records concerning the Advisor's activities under this Agreement which the Trust and the Fund are required to maintain;

 

(7) render regular reports to the Trust's trustees and officers concerning the Advisor's discharge of the foregoing responsibilities; and

 

(8) arrange for other necessary services, including custodial, transfer agency and administration.

 

(b) Control of the Trust . The Advisor shall discharge the responsibilities described in subsection (a) above subject to the control of the trustees and officers of the Trust and in compliance with (i) such policies as the trustees may from time to time establish; (ii) each Fund's objectives, policies, and limitations as set forth in its most recent Prospectus and statement of additional information ("SAI"), as the same may be amended from time to time; and (iii) with all applicable laws and regulations.

 

(c) Sub-Advisor and Agents . All Services to be furnished by the Advisor under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any managers, officers or employees of the Advisor or through such other parties (including, without limitation, a sub-advisor) as the Advisor may determine from time to time, including but not limited to those specified in the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated August 1, 2017 by and between Syntax Analytics LLC as Advisor, and Vantage Consulting Group LLC as "Sub-Advisor" ("Sub-Advisory Agreement").

 

(d) Expenses and Personnel. The Advisor agrees, at its own expense or at the expense of one or more of its affiliates, to render the Services and to provide the office space, furnishings, equipment and personnel as may be reasonably required in the judgment of the trustees and officers of the Trust to perform the Services on the terms and for the compensation provided herein. The Advisor shall authorize and permit any of its officers, managers and employees, who may be elected as trustees or officers of the Trust, to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Except to the extent expressly assumed by the Advisor herein and except to the extent required by law to be paid by the Advisor, the Trust shall pay all costs and expenses in connection with its operation.

 

(e) Books and Records . The Advisor hereby undertakes and agrees to maintain all records not maintained by a service provider or sub-adviser pursuant to their agreements

 

  2  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

with the Trust or the Advisor, in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act.

 

All books and records prepared and maintained by the Advisor for the Trust and each Fund under this Agreement shall be the property of the Trust and the Fund and, upon request therefor, the Advisor shall surrender to the Trust and the Fund such of the books and records so requested. The Advisor further agrees that it will not disclose or use any records or information obtained pursuant to this Agreement in any manner whatsoever except as authorized in this Agreement and that it will keep confidential any information obtained pursuant to this Agreement and disclose such information only if the Trust has authorized such disclosure, or if such disclosure is required by federal or state regulatory authorities.

 

(f) Additional Services Provided at the Expense of the Trust. The Advisor agrees, at the expense of the Trust or the Advisor, as determined under Section 3(b) hereof, (i) to prepare all required tax returns of the Trust and each Fund, (ii) to prepare and submit reports to existing shareholders, (iii) to update periodically the Prospectuses and SAIs of the Trust and (iv) to prepare reports to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and other regulatory authorities. In each case, the Advisor may cause the Sub-Advisor or another sub-adviser to perform such duties.

 

2. Fund Transactions .

 

(a) General . The Advisor is authorized to select the brokers or dealers that will execute the purchases and sales of portfolio securities for each Fund. With·respect to brokerage selection, the Advisor shall seek to obtain the best overall execution for fund transactions, which is a combination of price, quality of execution and other factors. As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Section 28(e)"), the Advisor may pay to a broker which provides brokerage and research services (as such services are defined in Section 28(e)) to the Fund an amount of disclosed commission in excess of the commission which another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction. Such practice is subject to a good faith determination that such commission is reasonable in light of the services provided and to such policies as the Trust's trustees may adopt from time to time. Such services of brokers are used by the Advisor in connection with all of its investment activities, and some of such services obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for a Fund may be used in managing other investment accounts.

 

(b) Mixed-Use Services . On occasion, a broker-dealer might furnish the Advisor with a service which has a mixed use (i.e., the service is used both for investment and brokerage activities and for other activities). Where this occurs, the Advisor will reasonably allocate the cost of the service, so that the portion or specific component which assists in investment and brokerage activities is obtained using portfolio commissions from a Fund or other managed accounts, and the portion or specific component which provides other assistance (for example, administrative or non-research assistance) is paid for by the Advisor from its own funds.

 

  3  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

(c) Exclusivity . Where the Advisor deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of a Fund as well as its other customers (including any other fund or other investment company or advisory account for which the Advisor acts as investment adviser), the Advisor, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for a Fund with those to be sold or purchased for such other customers in order to obtain the best net price and most favorable execution under the circumstances. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Advisor, as applicable, in the manner it considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to such Fund and such other customers. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price and size of the position obtainable for the Fund.

 

(d) Affiliated Broker-Dealers . Broker or dealers selected by the Advisor for the purchase and sale of securities or other investment instruments for a Fund may include the Sub-Advisor or any other sub-advisor, or brokers or dealers affiliated with the Sub-Advisor or any other sub-advisor, provided such orders comply with Rules 17e-1 and l7f-3 under the 1940 Act and the Trust's Rule 17e-1 and Rule l7f-3 Procedures, respectively, in all respects, or any other applicable exemptive rules or orders applicable to the Advisor.

 

(e) Reporting . The Advisor will promptly communicate to the officers and the trustees of the Trust such information relating to portfolio transactions as they may reasonably request.

 

(f) Delegation . The Advisor may delegate or share responsibility for Fund transactions and the terms of this Section 2 with the Sub-Advisor or any other sub-advisor, pursuant to the terms of Section l(c).

 

3. Compensation of the Advisor: Expense Allocation .

 

(a) For the services rendered, the facilities furnished and expenses assumed by the Advisor, each Fund shall pay to the Advisor at the end of each calendar month a unitary fee for the Fund calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund at the annual rates set forth in Schedule A of this Agreement. The unitary fee is accrued daily at 1/365th of the applicable annual rate set forth in Schedule A . Schedule A shall be amended from time to time to reflect the addition and/or termination of any Fund as a Fund hereunder and to reflect any change in the advisory fees payable with respect to any Fund duly approved in accordance with Section 8 hereof. For the purpose of the fee accrual, the daily net assets of each Fund are determined in the manner and at the times set forth in the Fund's current Prospectus and, on days on which the net assets are not so determined, the net asset value computation to be used shall be as determined on the immediately preceding day on which the net assets were determined. In the event of termination of this Agreement, all compensation due through the date of termination will be calculated on a pro-rated basis through the date of termination and paid within fifteen business days of the date of termination. The Advisor may waive all or a portion of its fees provided for hereunder and such waiver will be treated as a reduction in the purchase price of its services. The Advisor shall be contractually bound under this Agreement by the terms of

 

  4  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

any publicly-announced waiver of its fee, or any limitation of a Fund's expenses, as if such waiver or limitation were fully set forth in this Agreement. The waiver of any of the Advisor's fee shall not obligate the Advisor to waive any of its fee on a subsequent occasion. The Advisor may delegate that a third party or affiliate may receive payment of all or a part of the Advisor's fee. As of the date of this Agreement, the Advisor has delegated the Sub- Advisor to receive a portion of such Advisor's fee in consideration of the services to be provided and in accordance with the terms set forth under the Sub-Advisory Agreement.

 

(b) The Advisor agrees to pay all expenses of the Trust, except for: (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund and (xi) fees payable to the Advisor.

 

(c) The payment or assumption by the Advisor of any expense of the Trust that the Advisor is not required by this Agreement to pay or assume shall not obligate the Advisor to pay or assume the same or any similar expense of the Trust on any subsequent occasion.

 

4. Status of Investment Advisor . The services of the Advisor to the Trust and each Fund are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Advisor shall be free to render similar services to others so long as its services to the Trust and the Funds are not impaired thereby. The Advisor shall be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or the Funds in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust or the Funds. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager, officer or employee of the Advisor, who may also be a trustee, officer or employee of the Trust, to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar nature or a dissimilar nature.

 

5. Permissible Interests . Trustees, agents, and shareholders of the Trust are or may be interested in the Advisor (or any successor thereof) as managers, officers, members or otherwise; and managers, officers, agents, and members of the Advisor are or may be interested in the Trust as trustees, shareholders or otherwise; and the Advisor (or any successor) is or may be interested in the Trust as a shareholder or otherwise.

 

6. Limits of Liability: Indemnification . The Advisor assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the services called for hereunder. The Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or a Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to receipt of compensation for services (in which case

 

  5  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of, or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under, this Agreement. It is agreed that the Advisor shall have no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the Trust's registration statement under the 1940 Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("1933 Act"), except for information supplied by the Advisor for inclusion therein. The Trust agrees to indemnify the Advisor to the full extent permitted by the Trust's Declaration of Trust.

 

7. Term . This Agreement shall become effective as stated in the Recitals hereto. Unless terminated as provided in this Agreement, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for two years from the date of this Agreement. Subsequent to such initial period of effectiveness, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect for successive periods of one year thereafter provided that such continuance with respect to the Funds is approved at least annually (a) by either the trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds, and (b) in either event, by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such proposal; provided, however, that:

 

(a) the Trust may, at any time and without the payment of any penalty, terminate this Agreement upon sixty (60) days written notice of a decision to terminate this Agreement by (i) the Trust's trustees; or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds;

 

(b) the Agreement shall immediately terminate in the even of its assignment (within the meaning of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder);

 

(c) the Advisor may, at any time and without the payment of any penalty, terminate this Agreement upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Trust and the Funds; and

 

(d) the terms of paragraph 6 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

8. Amendments . No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be effective with respect to a Fund until approved by (a) to the extent required by applicable law, the vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities and (b) a majority of those trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. Additional Funds may be added to Schedule A by written agreement of the Trust and the Advisor.

 

  6  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

9. Applicable Law . This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of New York without regard to the principles of the conflict of laws or the choice of laws.

 

10. Representations and Warranties

 

(a) Representations and Warranties of the Advisor . The Advisor hereby represents and warrants to the Trust as follows:

 

(i) the Advisor is a Limited Liability Corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of New York and is fully authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its duties and obligations hereunder;

 

(ii) the Advisor is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act, shall maintain such registration in effect at all times during the term of this Agreement, and shall notify the Trust immediately if the Advisor ceases to be so registered;

 

(iii) the Advisor has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, and, if it has not already done so, will provide the Trust with a copy of that code, together with evidence of its adoption. Within 20 days of the end of each calendar quarter during which this Agreement remains in effect, the chief compliance officer of the Advisor shall certify to the Trust that the Advisor has complied with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1 (each as amended from time to time) during the previous quarter and that there have been no violations of the Advisor's code of ethics or, if any material violation(s) of the Advisor's code of ethics has occurred, that appropriate action has been taken in response to such violation. Upon written request of the Trust, the Advisor shall permit representatives of the Trust to examine the reports (or summaries of the reports) required to be made to the Advisor by Rule 17j-1(c) (1) and other records evidencing enforcement of the code of ethics;

 

(iv) the Advisor, pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, has adopted written policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act and the rules thereunder, including include policies and procedures designed to minimize potential conflicts of interest among the Funds and any other accounts advised or managed by it or its affiliates, such as cross trading policies, as well as those designed to ensure the equitable allocation of portfolio transactions and brokerage commissions;

 

(v) the Advisor has adopted policies and procedures as required under Section 204A of the Advisers Act, which are reasonably designed in light of the nature of its business to prevent the misuse, in violation of the Advisers Act or the Exchange Act or the rules thereunder, of material non-public information by the Advisor or certain associated persons, and has adopted policies and procedures to monitor and restrict securities trading by certain employees of the Advisor; and

 

(vi) the Advisor shall not receive any incentive fees for outperforming the underlying index of any Fund.

 

  7  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

(b) Representations and Warranties of the Trust . The Trust hereby represents and warrants to the Advisor as follows: (i) the Trust has been duly organized as statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and is authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its terms; (ii) shares of the Fund are (or will be) registered for offer and sale to the public under the 1933 Act; and (iii) such registrations will be kept in effect during the term of this Agreement.

 

11. Liability of Trust and Funds . It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in the Declaration of Trust. This Agreement shall not be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on them personally. With respect to any obligation of the Trust or a Fund arising under this Agreement, the Advisor shall look for payment or satisfaction of such obligation solely to the assets and property of the Fund to which such obligation relates, and under no circumstances shall the Advisor have the right to set off claims relating to such Fund by applying property of any other series of the Trust. The business and contractual relationships created by this Agreement, consideration for entering into this Agreement, and the consequences of such relationship and consideration relate solely to the Trust and the Funds.

 

12. Use of Names . The Trust acknowledges that all rights to the names Syntax, Stratified and Stratified Indices and any derivatives thereof (“Names”), as well as any logos that are now or shall hereafter be associated with Names ("Logos"), belong to the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor, and that the Trust is being granted a limited license to use such Names and Logos in its name, the name of its series and the name of its classes of shares. In the event that this Agreement is terminated and the Advisor no longer acts as investment adviser to the Trust, the Advisor reserves the right to withdraw from the Trust and the Funds the uses of Names and Logos or any name or logo that would imply a continuing relationship between the Trust or the Funds and the Advisor or any of its affiliates.

 

13. Assignment . The Advisor may not assign this Agreement and this Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of an "assignment," as such term is defined in Section 2 (a) (4) of the 1940 Act. The Advisor shall notify the Trust's administrator and Board in writing sufficiently in advance of any proposed change of "control," as defined in Section 2 (a) (9) of the 1940 Act, so as to enable the Trust to: (a) consider whether an assignment will occur, (b) consider whether to enter into a new Advisory Agreement with the Advisor, and (c) prepare, file, and deliver any disclosure document, proxy solicitation or other material related to a proposed "change of control", to a Fund's shareholders as may be required by applicable law.

 

14. Severability . If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be severable.

 

  8  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

15. Notice. Notices of any kind to be given to the Trust pursuant to this Agreement by the Advisor shall be in writing and shall be delivered or mailed to the address listed below of each applicable party in person or by registered or certified mail or a private mail or delivery service providing the sender with notice of receipt or such other address as specified in a notice duly given to the other parties. Notices shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested.

 

For: Syntax Advisors LLC

110 E. 59th St.

31st Floor

New York, New York 10022

Attn: Rory Riggs

Tel: 212-883-2290

Fax: 646-253-5560

 

For: Syntax ETF Trust

c/o Syntax Advisors

LLC

110 E. 59th St.

31st Floor

New York, New York 1022 Attn: Rory Riggs

Tel: 212-883-2290

Fax 212-646-233-5560

 

With a copy to: Chapman & Cutler LLP

1270 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Attn: Kathleen Moriarty, Esq.

(212) 655-2548

 

16. Miscellaneous . The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors (subject to Sections 7(b) and 13 hereof). Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, this Agreement shall not be construed to require, or to impose any duty upon, either of the parties to do anything in violation of any applicable laws or regulations. Any provision in this Agreement requiring compliance with any statute or regulation shall mean such statute or regulation as amended and in effect from time to time.

 

  9  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

17. Governing Law . This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

[Signature Page to Follow]

 

  10  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and the year first writ t en above.

 

 

 

 

Syntax ETF Trust Syntax Advisors LLC

 

 

By: /s/ Rory Riggs   By: /s/ Kathy Cuocolo
Name: Rory Riggs   Name: Kathy Cuocolo
Title: Chairman of the Board of Trustees of   Title: President
  the Syntax ETF Trust      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attest

 

  11  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(i)

 

SCHEDULE A

to

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Name of Fund                                                                          Unitary Fee Rate
 
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF                                                      0.45%

 

 

  12  

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

This Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into on March 2, 2018 by and among Syntax Advisors, LLC a Limited Liability Corporation located at 110 E. 59 th Street, 31 st floor, New York, New York 10022 “ Advisor ”), and Vantage Consulting Group, Inc. a Virginia Corporation, located at Virginia Beach, VA (“ Sub-Advisor ”)

 

WHEREAS , Syntax ETF Trust a Delaware statutory trust located at 110 E. 59 th Street, 31 st floor, New York, New York 10022 (“ Trust ”), is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“ 1940 Act ”); and

 

WHEREAS , each of the Funds named in Appendix A hereto (each, a “ Fund ”, and collectively, “ Funds ”) is a separate series of the Trust having separate assets and liabilities;

 

WHEREAS , the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor are each engaged in the business of rendering investment advice; and

 

WHEREAS , the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor are each registered as investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“ Advisers Act ”); and

 

WHEREAS , the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has retained the Advisor to render investment management services to the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement dated as of August 1, 2017 (“ Investment Advisory Agreement ”); and

 

WHEREAS , the Investment Advisory Agreement allows the Advisor to delegate certain of its responsibilities under the Investment Advisory Agreement to others; and

 

WHEREAS , the Advisor desires to retain the Sub-Advisor to provide discretionary investment advice to the Funds (as defined below) and the Sub-Advisor is willing to do so pursuant to this Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (“ Agreement ”); and

 

WHEREAS , the Advisor has the authority to determine, subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (“ Board ”), the amount of each Fund’s assets as to which the Sub-Advisor is to provide investment advice.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants contained herein, it is agreed among the parties hereto as follows:

 

1. APPOINTMENT OF SUB-ADVISOR.

 

(a) Appointment and Acceptance . The Sub-Advisor is hereby appointed and the Sub-Advisor hereby accepts the appointment, on the terms herein set forth and for the compensation herein provided, to act as a discretionary investment advisor relating to that portion of each Fund’s portfolio designated by the Advisor (“ Services ”), plus all investments, reinvestments and proceeds of the sale thereof, including all interest, dividends and appreciation on investments, less depreciation thereof and withdrawals or

 

  1  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

redemptions therefrom (those assets being referred to as the “ Funds ”). In performing its obligations under this Agreement, the Sub-Advisor may not delegate performance of its duties to any other person or entity, including any one or more of its affiliates without the prior consent of the Advisor.

 

(b) Independent Contractor . The Sub-Advisor shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or be deemed an agent of the Funds.

 

(c) Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Sub-Advisor . The Sub-Advisor represents, warrants, covenants and agrees that it:

 

(i) has all requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize its execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement;

 

(ii) has duly executed and delivered this Agreement, and assuming due approval, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Investment Advisory Agreement by the Advisor and the Funds, this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Sub-Advisor enforceable against the Sub-Advisor in accordance with its terms;

 

(iii) is registered and will maintain its registration as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act;

 

(iv) shall promptly notify the Advisor of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify the Sub-Advisor from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act or under the Advisers Act or otherwise;

 

(v) shall comply with such other requirements of the Advisers Act that apply to Sub-Advisor with regard to the Services;

 

(vii) will maintain each such registration, license or membership in effect at all times during the term of this Agreement and will obtain and maintain such additional governmental, self-regulatory, exchange or other licenses, approvals and/or memberships and file and maintain effective such other registrations as may be required to enable the Sub-Advisor to perform its obligations under this Agreement;

 

(viii) shall cooperate by reasonably assisting the Advisor in fulfilling any disclosure or reporting requirements applicable to the Funds under the Advisers Act relating to the Funds or the Services;

 

(ix) has delivered to the Advisor and the Trust a copy of its Form ADV as most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“ SEC ”) and shall promptly furnish the Advisor and the Trust any material amendments or supplements to its Form ADV;

 

(x) pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, has adopted written policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act and the

 

  2  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

rules thereunder, including policies and procedures designed to minimize potential conflicts of interest among the Funds and any other accounts advised or managed by it or its affiliates, such as cross trading policies, as well as those designed to ensure the equitable allocation of portfolio transactions and brokerage commissions;

 

(xi) has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 204A-1 of the Advisers Act, which will allow the Advisor to comply with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, and, if it has not already done so, will provide the Advisor and the Trust with a copy of such code of ethics upon the execution of this Agreement. On at least an annual basis, the Sub-Advisor will comply with the reporting requirements of Rule 17j-1, which may include: (i) certifying to the Advisor that the Sub-Advisor and its access persons have complied with the Sub-Advisor’s code of ethics with respect to the Funds, and (ii) identifying any material violations of the Sub-Advisor’s code of ethics that has occurred with respect to the Funds;

 

(xii) has adopted policies and procedures as required under Section 204A of the Advisers Act, which are reasonably designed in light of the nature of its business to prevent the misuse, in violation of the Advisers Act or the rules thereunder, of material non-public information by the Sub-Advisor or certain associated persons, and has adopted policies and procedures to monitor and restrict securities trading by certain employees of the Sub-Advisor;

 

(xiii) shall not receive any incentive fees for outperforming the underlying Licensed Index of any Fund;

 

(xiv) to the best of Sub-Advisor’s knowledge, is not currently the subject of, and has not been the subject of during the last (3) years, any enforcement action by the SEC, or other regulatory authority;

 

(xv) shall provide the Trust with the certification required by Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act;

 

(xvi) shall promptly notify the Advisor in the event that the Sub-Advisor becomes aware that the Sub-Advisor (a) is the subject of an administrative proceeding or enforcement action by the SEC or other regulatory authority or (b) is served notice of any action, suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, before or by any court, governmental authority or administrative or self-regulatory agency, involving the Sub-Advisor’s management of the Funds or that may, in the reasonable determination of the Sub-Advisor in respect of the period beginning on the date of determination and the subsequent sixty (60) calendar days, have a material impact on the ability of the Sub-Advisor to provide the Services;  

 

(xvii) maintains errors and omissions insurance coverage in an appropriate scope and amount and shall upon request provide to Advisor a certificate of insurance evidencing same;

 

(xviii) is not a party to any agreement, arrangement, or understanding such as a non-compete that would restrict or limit the ability of the Trust, the Advisor or any of

 

  3  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

their respective affiliates to employ or engage the Sub-Advisor now or in the future, to manage the Funds;

 

(xix) has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures, as required by Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, which are reasonably designed to prevent violations of federal securities laws by the Sub-Advisor, its employees, officers, and agents. Upon reasonable notice to and reasonable request, the Sub-Advisor shall provide the Advisor with access to the Sub-Advisor’s chief compliance officer in order to enable the Funds to comply with Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. The Sub-Advisor will also provide, at the reasonable request of the Advisor, periodic certifications as to the Sub-Advisor’s compliance with the Federal Securities Laws, as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act, in providing the Services and regarding the adequacy of the Sub-Advisor’s compliance policies and procedures as they relate to the Funds, and the effectiveness of their implementation;

 

(xx) acknowledges receipt of the Funds’ most current prospectus and statement of additional information contained in the Trust’s registration statement (collectively, the “ Prospectus ”);

 

(xxi) acknowledges and agrees that it has not received legal or regulatory advice from the Funds, the Advisor or any of their respective employees or representatives, and is not entitled to rely on any statements or omissions by such employees or representatives regarding applicable law or regulation in satisfying its obligations hereunder, including its obligation to comply with all applicable laws and regulations; provided, however, that the Sub-Advisor may rely on statements made in the Funds’ Prospectus and on the Investment Guidelines provided by Advisor, to the extent such documentation sets forth the investment principles and restrictions relating to the management of the Funds;

 

(xxii) shall comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders applicable to the Sub-Advisor with regard to the Services; and

 

(xxiii) will promptly notify the Advisor if any of the above representations in this Section 1(c) are no longer true and accurate.

 

(d) Representations, Warranties and Covenants of Advisor . The Advisor represents, warrants, covenants and agrees that it:

 

(i) has been appointed by the Board to serve as the investment adviser to the Funds pursuant to a duly executed Investment Advisory Agreement that has been approved by the Board and shareholders of the Funds, consistent with the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act;

 

(ii) has all requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize its execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement;

 

(iii) is and will maintain its registration as an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act;

 

  4  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

(iv) has the authority under the Investment Advisory Agreement to appoint the Sub-Advisor, subject to the approval by the Board;

 

(v) will promptly notify the Sub-Advisor of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify the Advisor from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act or otherwise;

 

(vi) to the best of Advisor’s knowledge, is not currently the subject of, and has not been the subject of during the last three (3) years, any enforcement action by the SEC or other regulatory authority;

 

(vii) shall promptly notify the Sub-Advisor in the event that the Advisor becomes aware that the Advisor (a) is the subject of an administrative proceeding or enforcement action by the SEC or other regulatory authority or (b) is served notice of any action, suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, before or by any court, governmental authority or administrative or self-regulatory agency, involving the Advisor’s management of the Funds or that may, in the reasonable determination of the Advisor in respect of the period beginning on the date of determination and the subsequent sixty (60) calendar days, have a material impact on the ability of the Advisor to provide investment advisory services to the Funds or to engage the Sub-Advisor for the services;

 

(viii) has provided the Sub-Advisor with the Funds’ most current Prospectus, with the Investment Guidelines (as defined in Section 4), the Funds’ investment policies and investment restrictions and the instructions, policies and directions of the Trustees and the Advisor pertaining to the Funds. The Advisor shall promptly furnish to the Sub-Advisor copies of all amendments or supplements to the foregoing documents as well as such other information as is reasonably necessary for the Sub-Advisor to carry out its obligations under this Agreement;

 

(ix) except as required by applicable law or in accordance with a regulatory inquiry, will keep confidential any identifiable information in respect of the sub-advisory fees paid to the Sub-Advisor pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(x) shall comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders applicable to the Advisor with regard to the Funds; and

 

(xi) will promptly notify the Sub-Advisor if any of the above representations in this Section 1(d) are no longer true and accurate.

 

2. PROVISION OF INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY SERVICES.

 

Within the framework of the Fundamental policies, investment objectives, and investment restrictions of the Funds as set forth in the Prospectus and the Investment Guidelines, and subject to the supervision of the Advisor and oversight of the Board, the Sub-Advisor shall manage the Funds. The Sub-Advisor shall be responsible to make all decisions to purchase and sell securities and other investments for the Funds and to place all orders for the purchase and disposition of securities, financial instruments and other investments. The Sub-Advisor shall manage the Funds, in accordance with the Funds’

 

  5  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in the Prospectus and in accordance with this Agreement.

 

(a) In providing the Services under this Agreement, the Sub-Advisor acknowledges that the Funds are subject to and should comply with:

 

(i) this Agreement, the 1940 Act, and all other applicable federal laws and regulations, including rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as applicable to registered investment companies, as defined therein), as amended from time to time (collectively, “ Relevant Law ”);

 

(ii) the terms and conditions of all exemptive orders, no–action letters and any other form of regulatory relief granted by the SEC or other regulatory authority to, or on behalf of, the Trust, including but not limited to relief granted in connection with the structure and operation of an “exchange-traded fund”;

 

(iii) the Investment Guidelines of the Funds furnished pursuant to Section 4;

 

(iv) the investment restrictions, objectives, strategies and policies set forth in the Prospectus;

 

(v) the written instructions of the Board as provided to the Sub-Advisor;

 

(vi) the Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, as each may be amended from time to time and as provided to the Sub-Advisor; and

 

(vii) such specific written instructions as the Board or the Advisor may adopt and provide to the Sub-Advisor.

 

All documents, instructions and policies referenced in this Section 2(a), and any changes thereto, shall be provided reasonably in advance in writing to the Sub-Advisor. The Advisor acknowledges and agrees, however, that ultimate responsibility for the Fund’s compliance with the Relevant Law, documents, instructions and policies referenced in this Section 2(a) lies with the Advisor. The Sub-Advisor shall promptly notify the Advisor if it is unable to comply with any of the foregoing in the provision of the Services.

 

(b) For the purpose of complying with Rule 10f-3(a)(6)(ii), Rule 12d3-1(c)(3)(ii) and Rule 17a-10(a)(2) under the 1940 Act, the Sub-Advisor hereby agrees that: (i) it will not consult with any other sub-advisor to the Funds, or with any sub-advisor that is a principal underwriter for the Funds or an affiliated person of such principal underwriter; (ii) it will not consult with any sub-advisor to a separate series of the Trust for which the Advisor serves as investment advisor, or with any sub-advisor to the Funds that is a principal underwriter to the Funds or an affiliated person of such principal underwriter; and (iii) its responsibility in providing investment advisory services shall be limited to the Funds.

 

(c) The Sub-Advisor shall monitor compliance of the Funds with the Investment Guidelines and the Prospectus (as applicable) and shall report to Advisor promptly upon its determination that any transactions or holdings of the Funds may be in non-compliance of the Investment Guidelines or the Prospectus (as applicable), regardless of whether the non-

 

  6  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

compliance was caused by instructions provided by the Sub-Advisor. To the extent that the Sub-Advisor has actual knowledge of any such non-compliance, it shall provide advice to and consult with the Advisor to correct any such non-compliance of the Investment Guidelines or Prospectus.

 

(d) The Sub-Advisor must use reasonable efforts to satisfy promptly any reasonable instruction relating to the Services being provided to the Funds.

 

(e) The Sub-Advisor will, at its own expense:

 

(i) advise the Advisor in connection with investment policy decisions to be made by the Sub-Advisor regarding the Funds;

 

(ii) submit such reports or information as the Advisor or the Funds may reasonably request to assist the custodian, administrator or Funds accounting agent in its or their determination of the market value of securities held in the Funds. Such assistance includes (but is not limited to): (a) designating and providing access to one or more employees or an internal committee of the Sub-Advisor who are knowledgeable about the security/issuer, its financial condition, trading and/or other relevant factors for valuation, which employees shall be reasonably made available for consultation when the Trust’s Valuation Committee convenes; (b) assisting the Advisor or the custodian in obtaining bids and offers or quotes from brokers/dealers or market-makers with respect to securities held by the Funds, upon the reasonable request of the Advisor or custodian; and (c) upon the reasonable request of the Advisor or custodian, providing information to the Advisor or the Trust’s Valuation Committee for purposes of fair valuations. The parties acknowledge that the Sub-Advisor and the custodian or recordkeeping agent of the Funds may use different pricing vendors, which may result in valuation discrepancies;

 

(iii) to the extent applicable, prepare and maintain, or cause to be prepared and maintained, for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act, all records required to be maintained by paragraphs (b)(5), (b)(6), (b)(9), (b)(10) and (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, in each case relating solely to the Services being provided to the Funds pursuant to this Agreement. To the extent required by law, the books and records pertaining to the Funds, which are in possession of the Sub-Advisor, shall be the property of the Trust (although the foregoing will not prohibit the Sub-Advisor from maintain copies of all such records). The Advisor or its representatives, shall have access to such books and records at all times during the Sub-Advisor’s normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Advisor, copies of any such books and records shall be provided promptly by the Sub-Advisor to the Advisor or its representatives. For greater certainty, the Advisor acknowledges that it will not be given access to the Sub-Advisor’s electronic database, email system or internal working files;

 

(iv) reasonably cooperate with the Funds’ independent public accountants and shall take reasonable action to make all reasonable information (as applicable) in the Sub-Advisor’s possession available to the accountants for the performance of the accountants’ duties;

 

  7  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

(v) reasonably assist in the preparation of periodic reports by each Fund to its shareholders and all reports and filings required to maintain the registration and qualification of the Funds’ shares, or to meet other regulatory or tax requirements applicable to the Funds, under federal and state securities and tax laws; provided, however, that the Sub-Advisor shall only be responsible for providing assistance with respect to the portions of such reports or filings that relate to the Funds.

 

(vi) furnish to the Board such information as may reasonably be necessary in order for such Trustees to evaluate this Agreement or any proposed amendments hereto for the purpose of casting a vote pursuant to Section 9 hereof;

 

(vii) notify the Advisor and the Trust of any change of control of the Sub-Advisor, and of any changes to key personnel who are portfolio manager(s) of the Funds and, to the extent reasonably practicable, to provide such notifications in time sufficiently prior to any such change to enable the Advisor and the Trust to comply with any applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, and any other applicable law, rule or regulation with respect to any such change;

 

(viii) report to the Advisor prior to each meeting of the Board, all material developments in the Funds of which the Sub-Advisor is aware since the prior report, and, as reasonably requested by the Advisor, furnish the Board from time to time with such relevant background information as the Sub-Advisor may believe appropriate for this purpose, whether concerning the individual companies whose securities are included in the Funds’ holdings, the industries in which they engage, the economic, social or political conditions prevailing in each country in which the Funds maintains investments, or otherwise;

 

(ix) provide reasonable assistance to the Trust, with respect to the Sub-Advisor’s management of the Funds, in connection with (a) the Trust’s compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder and (b) Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act. With respect to compliance with Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act, such assistance shall include, but not be limited to, (i) upon the reasonable request of the Trust, certify periodically as to the adequacy of the Sub-Advisor’s compliance policies and procedures (“ Sub-Advisor’s Compliance Program ”) and the effectiveness of the implementation of the Sub-Advisor’s Compliance Program, as it relates to the Funds; (ii) reasonably cooperating with third-party audits arranged by the Trust to evaluate the effectiveness of the Funds’ compliance controls; (iii) providing the Trust’s chief compliance officer with direct access to its chief compliance officer; (iv) upon reasonable request, providing the Trust’s chief compliance officer with periodic reports relating to the effectiveness of the implementation of the Sub-Advisor’s Compliance Program as it relates to the Funds; and (v) providing notice of any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1(e)(2)) relating to the Sub-Advisor’s Compliance Program in respect of the Funds; and

 

(x) attend regular business and investment related meetings with the Board and the Advisor, as reasonably requested by the Trust, the Advisor, or both.

 

  8  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

3. PROXY VOTING AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS .

 

Sub-Advisor shall be responsible for voting proxies with respect to investments of the Funds under this Agreement. Sub-Advisor shall vote proxies in accordance with its proxy voting policies. Sub-Advisor will have no obligation to advise, initiate or take any other action on behalf of the Advisor, the Board or the Funds in any legal proceedings (including, without limitation, class actions and bankruptcies) relating to the securities comprising the Funds or any other matter.

 

4. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS .

 

Advisor shall provide the Sub-Advisor with a statement of each Fund’s investment objectives and policies of the Funds and any specific investment restrictions applicable thereto, as amended from time to time (“Investment Guidelines”), and with the Prospectus. Advisor and the Sub-Advisor may modify the Investment Guidelines upon written agreement.

 

5. ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES .

 

Each party to this Agreement shall bear the costs and expenses of performing its obligations hereunder. In this regard, the Advisor specifically agrees that the Funds shall assume the expense of:

 

(a) the Funds’ investments, including cost of securities and other investments purchased by the Funds, brokerage commissions for transactions in the portfolio investments of the Funds and any fees and charges associated with transactions for the acquisition, disposition, lending or borrowing of such portfolio investments;

 

(b) custodian fees and expenses;

 

(c) registration costs;

 

(d) all taxes, including issuance and transfer taxes, and reserves for taxes payable by the Funds to federal, state or other government agencies; and

 

(e) interest payable on any Funds borrowings.

 

(f) legal, audit and distributor expenses

 

The Sub-Advisor shall be responsible for providing the personnel, office space and equipment, including any investment related software or technology resources, reasonably necessary for it to provide the Services to the Funds. The Sub-Advisor will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement, including, without limitation, all costs associated with its personnel attending or otherwise participating in regular or special meetings of the Board or shareholders of the Trust, or with the Advisor, as reasonably requested. The Sub-Advisor shall be responsible for all reasonable costs (including, but not limited to, the legal fees) associated with any special meetings of the Trustees convened solely due to an action that the Trustees must take on account of the

 

  9  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

Sub-Advisor including but not limited to an assignment of this Agreement by the Sub-Advisor. Nothing in this Agreement shall alter the allocation of expenses and costs agreed upon between the Funds and the Advisor in the Investment Advisory Agreement or any other agreement to which they are parties.

 

6. SUB-ADVISORY FEES .

 

For all of the services rendered with respect to the Funds as herein provided, the Advisor shall pay to the Sub-Advisor a management fee at the annual fee set forth on Schedule B (for the payment of which the Funds shall have no obligation or liability) based on the Average Net Assets of the Funds (as defined below). Such fee shall be accrued daily and payable quarterly , within thirty (30) days of each calendar quarter end . In the case of termination of this Agreement with respect to the Funds during any calendar month, the fee with respect to such Funds’ accrued to, but excluding, the date of termination shall be paid promptly following such termination. For purposes of computing the amount of sub-advisory fee accrued for any day, “Average Net Assets” shall mean the Funds’ net assets as of the most recent preceding day for which each Fund’s net assets were computed.

 

7. PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS .

 

(a) Sub-Advisor may place orders for the execution of transactions with or through such brokers, dealers or banks as the Sub-Advisor may select and, subject to Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other applicable law, may pay commissions on transactions in excess of the amount of commissions another broker or dealer would have charged. The Sub-Advisor will seek best execution under the circumstances of the particular transaction taking into consideration the full range and quality of a broker’s services in placing brokerage including, among other things, the value of research provided as well as execution capability, commission rate, financial responsibility and responsiveness to the Manager. In no event shall the Sub-Advisor be under any duty to obtain the lowest commission or best net price for the accounts on any particular transaction. Sub-Advisor is not under any duty to execute transactions for the Funds before or after transactions for other like accounts managed by the Sub-Advisor. Sub-Advisor may aggregate sales and purchase orders of securities or derivatives held in the accounts with similar orders being made simultaneously for other portfolios managed by the Sub-Advisor if, in the Sub-Advisor’s reasonable judgment, such aggregation shall result in an overall economic benefit to the accounts.

 

(b) Sub-Advisor shall have the express authority to negotiate, open, continue and terminate brokerage accounts and other trading arrangements with respect to all portfolio transactions entered into by the Sub-Advisor for the Funds. Sub-Advisor is authorized to direct the Advisor to execute any documentation that may be necessary to establish such brokerage and trading arrangements and accounts.

 

(c) Sub-Advisor shall have the specific power to direct the custodian, in accordance with the custodian’s powers under the custody agreement, to subscribe for any security, to exercise any rights to securities or to sell the same, to exchange, to exercise, to sell or to

 

  10  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

convert any warrants or any securities to any other securities or to take any other action available to the custodian; provided, however, unless permitted by law or administrative rule or Advisor authorization, the Sub-Advisor shall not act (or receive fees, commissions, compensation or other payments for acting), either directly or indirectly, as either a broker, dealer, underwriter or principal to any transaction concerning the assets.

 

(d) Sub-Advisor shall promptly notify the Advisor of each transaction and shall be the sole entity to so notify the Advisor. The form and type of such notice shall be established by agreement by and between the Sub-Advisor and the Advisor. Any action taken for the purposes of this Agreement by the custodian at its discretion, with regard to the placement of securities transactions shall be the custodian’s sole liability and responsibility, including the performance of any broker. In the event a controversy arises between the custodian and any broker or dealer or underwriter with regard to any transaction, custodian or the Funds shall be responsible to institute any proceedings it deems necessary in order to protect the assets or to promptly notify the Advisor of such controversy and to thereafter act upon the directions of the Advisor.

 

8. STANDARD OF CARE; LIABILITY; INDEMNITY .

 

(a) The Sub-Advisor shall exercise due care and diligence and use the same skill and care in providing its services hereunder as it uses in providing services to other investment companies, accounts and customers, but the Sub-Advisor and its partners, officers or employees shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by the Sub-Advisor in the absence of bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, federal securities laws and certain state laws impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who have acted in good faith, and therefore nothing herein shall in any way constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which the Trust, the Funds or any shareholder of the Funds may have under any federal securities law or state law. The Sub-Advisor shall have no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the Trust’s registration statement under the 1940 Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ 1933 Act ”), except for information regarding the Sub-Advisor or the Funds that has been specifically approved by the Sub-Advisor in writing for inclusion therein.

 

(b) Except for such Advisor Disabling Conduct (defined below), the Sub-Advisor shall indemnify the Trust, the Advisor and each of their respective affiliates, agents, control persons, directors, members of the Board, officers, employees and shareholders (“ Advisor Indemnified Parties ”) against, and hold them harmless from, any costs, expense, claim, loss, liability, judgment, fine, settlement or damage (including reasonable legal and other expenses) (collectively, “ Losses ”) arising out of any claim, demands, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) asserted or threatened to be asserted by any third party (collectively, “ Proceedings ”) in so far as such Loss (or actions with respect thereto) (i) arises out of or is based upon or in connection with any material misstatement or omission of a material fact in information regarding the Sub-Advisor furnished in writing to the Advisor by the Sub-Advisor for the purpose of inclusion in the

 

  11  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

Prospectus; (ii) arises out of or is based upon any material breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or obligations of the Sub-Advisor with respect to this Agreement; or (iii) arises out of or is based upon the willful misconduct, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of obligations or duties of the Sub-Advisor in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (collectively, “ Sub-Advisor Disabling Conduct ”).

 

(c) Except for such Sub-Advisor Disabling Conduct, the Advisor shall indemnify the Sub-Advisor and the Sub-Advisor’s officers, directors, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Sub-Advisor (collectively, “ Sub-Advisor Indemnified Parties ”) against, and hold such Sub-Advisor Indemnified Parties harmless from, any and all Losses (or actions with respect thereto) arising from any Proceedings in so far as such Loss (i) arises out of or is based upon any material breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or obligations of the Advisor with respect to this Agreement, or (ii) arises out of or is based upon the Advisor’s bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties under this Agreement (collectively, “ Advisor Disabling Conduct ”).

 

(d) Without limiting the foregoing, the Sub-Advisor shall not have any responsibility for and shall not be liable to the Advisor, its officers, directors, agents, employees, controlling persons or shareholders or to the Trust or its shareholders for (i) any acts of the Advisor or any other sub-advisor to the Funds with respect to the portion of the assets of the Trust not managed by the Sub-Advisor and (ii) acts of the Sub-Advisor which result from or are based upon acts of the Advisor, including, but not limited to, a failure of the Advisor to provide accurate and current information with respect to any records maintained by Advisor or any other sub-advisor to the Funds, which records are not also maintained by the Sub-Advisor or, to the extent such records relate to the portion of the assets managed by the Sub-Advisor, otherwise available to the Sub-Advisor upon reasonable request, provided, in all cases, that the liability was not attributable to the Sub-Advisor’s willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties under this Agreement.

 

(e) The Sub-Advisor shall not be deemed by virtue of this Agreement to have made any representation or warranty that any level of investment performance or level of investment results will be achieved.

 

(f) For the avoidance of doubt, neither the holders of shares of the Funds nor the members of the Board shall be personally liable under this Agreement, except where the Board has acted in bad faith, fraudulently, with willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties to the Funds. Except as provided under this Agreement (including, without limitation, under Section 8(c) above), the Sub-Advisor agrees that, for any claim by it against the Funds in connection with this Agreement or the services rendered under this Agreement, it shall look only to assets of the Funds for satisfaction and that it shall have no claim against the Trust’s trustees or the assets of any other portfolios of the Trust.

 

  12  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

(g) Neither party will be liable to the other for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary or punitive damages.

 

(h) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary contained herein, the Sub-Advisor shall not be responsible or liable for its failure to perform under this Agreement or for any losses to the Funds resulting from any event beyond the reasonable control of the Sub-Advisor or its agents, including but not limited to nationalization, expropriation, devaluation, seizure, or similar action by any governmental authority, de facto or de jure; or enactment, promulgation, imposition or enforcement by any such governmental authority of currency restrictions, exchange controls, levies or other charges affecting the Accounts’ property; or the breakdown, failure or malfunction of any utilities or telecommunications systems; or any order or regulation of any banking or securities industry including changes in market rules and market conditions affecting the execution or settlement of transactions; or acts of war, terrorism, insurrection or revolution; or acts of God, or any other similar event.

 

9. TERM AND TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT; NO ASSIGNMENT .

 

(a) This Agreement shall go into effect with respect to an individual Fund at the time such Fund commences operations pursuant to an effective amendment to the Trust’s registration statement under the 1933 Act and shall remain in effect for two years from the date thereof unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided. This Agreement shall continue in effect thereafter for additional periods not exceeding one (l) year so long as such continuation is approved for each Fund at least annually by (i) the Board or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement nor interested persons thereof, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities” and “interested persons” shall have the meanings as set forth in the 1940 Act;

 

(b) This Agreement may be terminated (i) by the Trust on behalf of any Fund at any time without payment of any penalty, upon ninety (90) days’ written notice to the Sub Advisor (ii) by the Board, by the Advisor, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund without the payment of any penalties, upon ninety (90) days’ written notice to the Sub-Advisor, (iii) by the Sub-Advisor upon ninety (90) days’ written notice to the Funds and the Advisor, or (iv) by the Sub-Advisor, in the event of Advisor Disabling Conduct that is not reasonably able to be cured or has not been cured within ten (10) business days of the Trust’s receipt of written notice from the Sub-Advisor of such Advisor Disabling Conduct, upon fifteen (15) days’ written notice. In the event of a termination with respect to one or more Funds, the Sub-Advisor shall reasonably cooperate in the orderly transfer of the affairs of such Fund(s) and, at the request of the Board or the Advisor, transfer any and all books and records of the Fund(s) maintained by the Sub-Advisor on behalf of the Fund(s) pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(c) This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of any transfer or assignment thereof, as defined in the 1940 Act; and

 

  13  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

(d) This Agreement will also terminate in the event that the Investment Advisory Agreement is terminated. Advisor will promptly notify the Sub-Advisor of any notice the Advisor receives that the Investment Advisory Agreement will be terminated.

 

10. OTHER SERVICES OF THE SUB-ADVISOR .

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the Sub-Advisor is not limited by this Agreement from acting as an investment adviser to any other investment products, whether registered under the 1940 Act or not. It is specifically understood that directors, officers and employees of the Sub-Advisor and of its subsidiaries and affiliates may continue to engage in providing portfolio management services and advice to other investment advisory clients.

 

The Advisor acknowledges that the Sub-Advisor will perform its investment advisory services in accordance with the particular facts unique to particular clients and their assets, such as investment objectives, tax, legal and regulatory considerations and cash availability, and that these factors will affect investment decisions. The Advisor acknowledges that the Sub-Advisor, in its sole discretion, may give advice to and take action with respect to any of its other clients which may differ from the advice given to the Advisor. Furthermore, as the Sub-Advisor has no authority to enter into or effect portfolio transactions on behalf of the Funds, the timing of portfolio transactions effected by the Advisor upon the advice of the Sub-Advisor will differ from the timing of portfolio transactions effected by the Sub-Advisor for its other clients. The Advisor acknowledges that such timing differences may impact the price of the instruments being purchased or sold.

 

11. COOPERATION AND COMPLIANCE.

 

(a) The Sub-Advisor agrees to cooperate with and provide reasonable assistance to the Advisor, the Funds, the Funds’ custodian, accounting agent, administrator, middle office servicer, pricing agents, independent auditors and all other agents, representatives and service providers of the Funds and the Advisor, and to provide the foregoing persons such information with respect to the Funds as they may reasonably request from time to time in the performance of their obligations; provide prompt responses to reasonable requests made by such persons; and establish and maintain appropriate operational programs, procedures and interfaces with such persons so as to promote the efficient exchange of information and compliance with Relevant Law, and the Investment Guidelines and other restrictions and policies of the Funds.

 

(b) The Sub-Advisor shall use its reasonable efforts to provide the Advisor, the Funds or the Board with such information and assurances reasonably requested (including certifications and sub-certifications) and with such reasonable assistance as the Advisor, the Funds or the Board may reasonably request from time to time in order to assist it in complying with applicable laws, rules, regulations and exemptive orders, including requirements in connection with the Advisor’s, the Funds’ or the Board’s fulfillment of its responsibilities under Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act and the preparation and/or filing of periodic and other reports and filings required to maintain the registration and

 

  14  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

qualification of the Funds, or to meet other regulatory or tax requirements applicable to the Funds, under federal and state securities and tax laws and other applicable laws. The Sub-Advisor shall review draft reports to shareholders, registration statements or amendments thereto or portions thereof that specifically relate to the Funds or the Sub-Advisor and other documents provided to the Sub-Advisor that relate specifically to the Funds, provide comments on such drafts on a timely basis, and provide certifications or sub-certifications on a timely basis as to the accuracy of the information provided by the Sub-Advisor and/or contained in such reports or other documents.

 

(c) The Sub-Advisor shall notify the Advisor promptly upon determination of any material error in connection with its management of the Funds, including but not limited to any trade errors, whether the responsibility of the Sub-Advisor in delivery of the investment program of the Funds (such error, a “ Sub-Advisor Error ”) or an error of the Advisor (such error, an “ Advisor Error ”). In the event of a Sub-Advisor Error, the Sub-Advisor shall provide a memorandum to the Advisor that sufficiently describes any such error and the action to be taken to prevent future occurrences of such error or, alternatively, a statement that the Sub-Advisor has reviewed the relevant controls, and has determined those controls are reasonably designed to prevent additional errors in the future (and, to the extent relevant, that such controls are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the federal securities laws), and as such no further action is required. Further, if the Sub-Advisor Error was caused by a breach of the Sub-Advisor’s standard of care set forth in Section 8(a), then the Sub-Advisor shall correct the Sub-Advisor Error to the satisfaction of the Advisor and the Funds, which may include reimbursement to the Funds of costs incurred due to the error. In the event of an Advisor Error, the Sub-Advisor’s sole responsibility shall be to promptly notify the Advisor of such error after the Sub-Advisor has determined that an Advisor Error has occurred.

 

(d) The Sub-Advisor shall notify the Advisor promptly if it becomes aware of any material breach of any of the Investment Guidelines, compliance policies and procedures of the Funds relating to the Funds, and of any violation of any Relevant Law, including the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to the Funds; provided, however, that such duty to report does not create an obligation on the part of the Sub-Advisor to actively investigate or monitor the Funds’ compliance with its compliance program or Relevant Law. The Sub-Advisor shall also notify the Advisor promptly upon detection of any material violations of the Sub-Advisor’s own compliance policies and procedures that relate to its providing investment advice to the Funds.

 

(e) The Sub-Advisor shall provide access to its compliance policies and procedures pertaining to its services provided to the Funds under this Agreement to the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer to permit the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer to conduct review and oversight of such policies and procedures in accordance with Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and shall notify the Advisor, via quarterly certification, of: (1) any material changes to its compliance policies and procedures; (2) any new material policies and procedures that the Sub-Advisor adopts pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act or otherwise as they pertain to activities performed for or on behalf of the Funds; and (3) the retirement of any material policies and procedures previously adopted by the Sub-Advisor pursuant to

 

  15  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act or otherwise as they pertained to activities performed for or on behalf of the Funds. The Funds, the Advisor, or the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer may make any reasonable request for the provision of information or for other cooperation from the Sub-Advisor with respect to the Sub-Advisor’s duties under this Agreement, and the Sub-Advisor shall use its best efforts to promptly comply with such request, including without limitation providing access to the Funds, the Advisor, or the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer with such documents, reports, data and other information as the Funds may reasonably request regarding recommendations made by the Sub-Advisor in respect of the Funds, the Sub-Advisor’s performance hereunder or compliance with the terms hereof, and participating in such meetings (and on-site visits among representatives of the Funds and the Sub-Advisor) as the Funds may reasonably request.

 

12. INSURANCE.

 

The Sub-Advisor shall maintain errors and omissions insurance coverage and commercial general liability insurance coverage, each in a commercially reasonable amount, and from insurance providers that are in the business of regularly providing insurance coverage to investment advisers. Upon request, the Sub-Advisor shall provide to the Advisor certificates of insurance evidencing same.

 

13. NO BORROWING .

 

The Sub-Advisor agrees that neither it nor any of its officers or employees shall borrow from the Funds or pledge or use the Funds’ assets in connection with any borrowing not directly for the Funds’ benefit. For this purpose, failure to pay any amount due and payable to the Funds for a period of more than thirty (30) days shall constitute a borrowing.

 

14. AMENDMENT .

 

No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by all parties.

 

15. SEVERABILITY .

 

If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and shall remain in full force and effect.

 

16. NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION .

 

Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, the Sub-Advisor hereto agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, trustees, shareholders, officers, and employees (1) to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Funds (a) all records and other information relative to the Funds’ prior, present, or potential shareholders (and clients of said shareholders) and (b) any Nonpublic Personal Information, as defined under Section 248.3(t) of Regulation S-P (“ Regulation S-P ”), promulgated under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“ G-L-B Act ”), and (2) except after prior notification to and approval in

 

  16  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

writing by the Trust, not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, or as otherwise permitted by Regulation S-P or the G-L-B Act, and if in compliance therewith, the privacy policies adopted by the Trust and communicated in writing to the Sub-Advisor. Notwithstanding the foregoing and for the avoidance of doubt, such prior notification and written approval shall not be required where the Sub-Advisor has received a request to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities or is required to do so by law.

 

17. ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE .

 

The Sub-Advisor represents, warrants and agrees that, in compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended, the USA PATRIOT Act, and any implementing regulations thereunder (together, “ AML Laws ”) it has adopted an anti-money laundering policy and program (“ Sub-Advisor AML Policy ”). The Sub-Advisor agrees to comply with the Sub-Advisor AML Policy.

 

The Advisor represents, warrants and agrees that, in compliance with AML Laws it has adopted an anti-money laundering policy and program (“ Advisor AML Policy ”). The Advisor agrees to comply with the Advisor AML Policy. The Advisor acknowledges that the Funds, or such service providers as it may engage to perform such services, shall be responsible for compliance with AML Laws with respect to the shareholders of the Funds.

 

18. CONFIDENTIALITY .

 

(a) Each party expressly undertakes to protect and to preserve the confidentiality of all information and know-how made available under or in connection with this Agreement, or the parties’ activities hereunder that is either designated as being confidential, or which, by the nature of the circumstances surrounding the disclosure, ought in good faith be treated as proprietary or confidential (“ Confidential Information ”). The Sub-Advisor understands that the investment program, holdings, performance or any other information regarding the Funds is the property of the Trust and may be used by the Trust, or by the Advisor as its agent, in the Funds’ discretion; provided, however, that the Sub-Advisor may retain and utilize holdings and performance information of the Funds. Each party shall take reasonable security precautions, at least as great as the precautions it takes to protect its own confidential information but in any event using a reasonable standard of care, to keep confidential the Confidential Information. Neither party shall disclose Confidential Information except: (a) to its affiliates, employees, consultants, legal advisors or auditors having a need to know such Confidential Information; (b)(i) in accordance with a judicial or other governmental order; (ii) in accordance with a regulatory audit, inquiry or other regulatory request; or (iii) when such disclosure is required by law, provided that the receiving party shall obtain a confidentiality undertaking where possible.

 

(b) Neither party will make use of any Confidential Information except as expressly authorized in this Agreement or as agreed to in writing between the parties. However, the receiving party shall have no obligation to maintain the confidentiality of information that: (a) it received rightfully from another party prior to its receipt from the disclosing party; (b) the disclosing party discloses generally without any obligation of confidentiality; (c) is

 

  17  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

or subsequently becomes publicly available without the receiving party’s breach of any obligation owed the disclosing party; or (d) is independently developed by the receiving party without reliance upon or use of any Confidential Information. Each party’s obligations under this clause shall survive for a period of three (3) years following the expiration or termination of this Agreement.

 

(c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, each party to this Agreement may disclose any information with respect to the United States federal income tax treatment and tax structure (and any fact that may be relevant to understanding the purported or claimed federal income tax treatment of the transaction) of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

19. USE OF NAMES .

 

(a) The Sub-Advisor from time to time shall make available, without charge to the Advisor or the Trust, any marks or symbols owned by the Sub-Advisor (“Mark”), including marks or symbols containing the Mark or any variation thereof, to use in the Funds’ Prospectus and/or Funds sales literature. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Advisor and the Trust must promptly cease use of the Mark.

 

(b) During the term of this Agreement and after its termination, the Sub-Advisor shall not use the name of the Funds, the Advisor or the Trust (or its affiliates using the Syntax name) or any combination or derivation thereof in any material relating to the Sub-Advisor in any manner not approved prior thereto in writing by the Advisor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sub-Advisor may disclose its relationship with the Advisor in specific marketing materials to prospective accounts and include the Funds’ performance in calculating composites.

 

(c) The Sub-Advisor shall not use the name of the Trust or any Funds on any checks, bank drafts, bank statements or forms for other than internal use in a manner not approved by the Trust prior thereto in writing; provided however, that the approval of the Trust shall not be required for the use of the Trust’s or Funds’ names which merely refers in accurate and factual terms to the Trust or Funds in connection with the Sub-Advisor’s role hereunder or which is required by any appropriate regulatory, governmental or judicial authority; and further provided that in no event shall such approval be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

20. NOTICES .

 

Notices and other communications required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing, shall be deemed to be effectively delivered when actually received, and may be delivered by US mail (first class, postage prepaid), by facsimile transmission, electronic mail, website or other widely-used electronic medium, by hand or by commercial overnight delivery service, addressed as follows:

 

  18  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

Syntax Advisors LLC

110 E 59 th Street, 31 st floor

New York, New York 10022

 

_________________________________

By: Kathleen Cuocolo

President

Date: ___________________________

 

Vantage Consulting Group, LLC

Virginia Beach, VA

 

______________________________________

By: Mark Finn

CEO

Date: ________________________________

 

Syntax ETF Trust
c/o Syntax Advisors, LLC

110 E 59 th Street 31 st floor

New York, New York 10022

 

_______________________________________

By: Kathleen Cuocolo

President

Date:_________________________________

 

By consenting to the electronic delivery of any notice, documentation or other communication in respect of this Agreement or as required pursuant to applicable law, the Advisor authorizes the Sub-Advisor to deliver all communications by email or other electronic means.

 

21. GOVERNING LAW .

 

This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

22. SERIES OF THE SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

  19  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

Each Fund is a series of the Trust, and the parties hereto acknowledge that each series established under the Trust has the power and authority under the Syntax ETF Trust Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) and the Syntax ETF By-Laws (“By-Laws”) of the Trust to enter into contractual arrangements solely in the name of such series and undertake obligations or liabilities separate and apart from the obligations or liabilities of any other series of the Trust or the Trust generally. Accordingly, the parties agree that this Agreement is entered into by, and shall constitute a separate agreement of, such series and shall not be binding on, or create any obligation or liability whatsoever in respect of, any other series of the Trust or the Trust generally.

 

23. ASSIGNMENT .

 

This Agreement may not be assigned by any party, either in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of each other party. IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day first set forth above.

 

 

Syntax Advisors LLC

110 E 59 th Street, 31 st floor

New York, New York 10022

 

/s/ Kathleen Cuocolo

By: Kathleen Cuocolo

President

Date: March 9, 2018

 

Vantage Consulting Group, LLC

Virginia Beach, VA

 

/s/ Mark Finn

By: Mark Finn

CEO

Date: March 9, 2018

 

  20  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(ii)

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

TO INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

NAMES OF FUNDS

 

 

 

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF

 

  21  

Exhibit (d)(iii)

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

EXPENSE LIMITATION AND REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT

 

AGREEMENT made as of March 28, 2018 by and between Syntax ETF Trust (the "Trust"), on behalf of the series listed on Schedule A (the “Fund”), and Syntax Advisors, LLC (the "Advisor"):

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"); and a management investment company; and

 

WHEREAS, the Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and will serve as the investment adviser of the Fund;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.   The Advisor agrees to pay, waive or absorb the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund (except any (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, (x) extraordinary expenses of the Fund (collectively, “Excluded Expenses”)) which exceed the aggregate per annum rate listed on Schedule A of the Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement of the Fund’s average daily net assets (“Expense Cap”). The Advisor agrees to pay, waive or absorb the Excluded Expenses of the Fund which exceed the aggregate per annum rate listed on Schedule A hereof of the Fund’s average daily net assets (“Excluded Expense Cap”).

 

2.    The Expense Limitation will remain in effect until at least December 31, 2019 and is subject to annual approval by the Board unless and until the Board of Trustees of the Trust approves its modification or termination; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Expense Limitation will terminate in the event that the investment advisory agreement in effect between the Trust on behalf of the Fund and the Advisor (or an affiliate of the Advisor) is terminated by the Trust without the consent of the Advisor or in the event such agreement terminates due to an assignment and a new investment advisory agreement with the Advisor (or an affiliate of the Advisor) does not become effective upon such termination.

 

  1  

 

  

Exhibit (d)(iii)

 

3.    The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, agrees to carry forward for a period not to exceed three (3) years from the date such expense is paid, waived or absorbed by the Advisor, and to reimburse the Advisor out of assets belonging to the Fund for, any Operating Expenses of the Fund in excess of the Expense Limitation and any Excluded Expenses in excess of the cap stated on Schedule A hereof that are paid or assumed by the Advisor pursuant to this Agreement. Such reimbursement will be made as promptly as possible, and to the maximum extent permissible, without causing the Operating Expenses of the Fund for any year to exceed the Expense Limitation. This agreement of the Trust to reimburse the Advisor for excess expenses of the Fund paid, waived or absorbed by the Advisor shall terminate in the event the Advisor or any affiliate of the Advisor terminates any agreement now in effect between the Trust on behalf of the Fund and the Advisor (or any affiliate of the Advisor) without the consent of the Trust (other than a termination resulting from an assignment).

 

4.    This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent the applicable law of the State of Delaware, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control.

 

5.    The Declaration of Trust states and notice is hereby given that this Agreement is not executed on behalf of the Trustees of the Trust as individuals, and the obligations of the Trust under this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust individually, but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Fund.

 

6.    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the matters described herein.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

[Signature Page to Follow]

 

  2  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(iii)

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST  
   
By : /s/ Kathleen C. Cuocolo  
     
  Kathleen C. Cuocolo  
Title: President  

 

SYNTAX ADVISORS, LLC  
   
By : /s/ Kathleen C. Cuocolo  
     
  Kathleen C. Cuocolo  
Title: President  

 

  3  

 

 

Exhibit (d)(iii)

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

EXPENSE LIMITATION AND REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT

 

Schedule A
 
 
SERIES EXPENSE CAP
   
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF 0.30%

 

Approved by the Board of Trustees on:

 

March 28, 2018

 

  4  

 

 

Exhibit (e)

 

ETF DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

This Distribution Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made as of July 24, 2017, by and between Syntax ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”) having its principal place of business at 110 East 59th Street, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10022, and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Distributor”) having its principal place of business at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101.

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is a registered open-end management investment company organized under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) with separate and distinct series (each series a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”);

 

WHEREAS, the Trust intends to create and redeem shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) of each Fund on a continuous basis and list the Shares on one or more national securities exchanges (together, the “Listing Exchanges”);

 

WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”);

 

WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Distributor to (i) act as the principal underwriter of the Funds with respect to the creation and redemption of Creation Units of each Fund, and (ii) hold itself available to review and approve orders for such Creation Units in the manner set forth in the Trust’s Prospectus; and

 

WHEREAS, the Distributor desires to provide the services described herein to the Trust subject to the terms and conditions set forth below.

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and undertakings herein contained, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Appointment .

 

The Trust hereby appoints the Distributor to serve as the principal underwriter of the Funds with respect to the creation and redemption of Creation Units of each Fund listed in Exhibit A hereto (as may be amended by the Trust from time to time on written notice to the Distributor) on the terms and for the period set forth in this Agreement and subject to the registration requirements of the federal securities laws and of the laws governing the sale of securities in the various states, and the Distributor hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to act in such capacity hereunder.

 

 

 

 

2. Definitions .

 

Wherever they are used herein, the following terms have the following respective meanings:

 

(a)          “Prospectus” means the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information constituting parts of the Registration Statement of the Trust under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act as such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information may be amended or supplemented and filed with the SEC from time to time;

 

(b)          “Registration Statement” means the registration statement most recently filed from time to time by the Trust with the SEC and effective under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, as such registration statement is amended by any amendments thereto at the time in effect;

 

(c)          All other capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

3. Duties of the Distributor

 

(a)          The Distributor agrees to serve as the principal underwriter of the Funds in connection with the review and approval of all Purchase and Redemption Orders of Creation Units of each Fund by Authorized Participants that have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor and Transfer Agent/ Index Receipt Agent. Nothing herein shall affect or limit the right and ability of the Transfer Agent/ Index Receipt Agent to accept Fund Securities, Deposit Securities, and related Cash Components through or outside the Clearing Process, and as provided in and in accordance with the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Trust acknowledges that the Distributor shall not be obligated to approve any certain number of orders for Creation Units.

 

(b)          The Distributor agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the following services to the Trust with respect to the continuous distribution of Creation Units of each Fund: (i) at the request of the Trust, the Distributor shall enter into Authorized Participant Agreements between and among Authorized Participants, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent/Index Receipt Agent, for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units of the Funds, (ii) the Distributor shall approve and maintain copies of confirmations of Creation Unit purchase and redemption order acceptances; (iii) upon request, the Distributor will make available copies of the Prospectus to purchasers of such Creation Units and, upon request, the Statement of Additional Information; and (iv) the Distributor shall maintain telephonic, facsimile and/or access to direct computer communications links with the Transfer Agent.

 

  2  

 

 

(c)          The Distributor shall ensure that all direct requests to Distributor for Prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, product descriptions and periodic fund reports, as applicable, are fulfilled.

 

(d)          The Distributor agrees to make available, at the Trust’s request, one or more members of its staff to attend, either via telephone or in person, Board meetings of the Trust in order to provide information with regard to the Distributor’s services hereunder and for such other purposes as may be requested by the Board of Trustees of the Trust.

 

(e)          Distributor shall review and approve, prior to use, all Trust marketing materials (“Marketing Materials”) for compliance with FINRA advertising rules, and will file all Marketing Materials required to filed with FINRA.  The Distributor agrees to furnish to the Trust’s investment adviser any comments provided by FINRA with respect to such materials.

 

(f)          The Distributor shall not offer any Shares and shall not approve any creation or redemption order hereunder if and so long as the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect or any necessary amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of the 1933 Act or if and so long as a current prospectus as required by Section 10 of the 1933 Act is not on file with the SEC; provided, however, that nothing contained in this paragraph shall in any way restrict or have any application to or bearing upon the Trust’s obligation to redeem or repurchase any Shares from any shareholder in accordance with provisions of the Prospectus or Registration Statement.

 

(g)          The Distributor shall work with the Index Receipt Agent to review and approve valid orders placed by Authorized Participants and transmitted to the Index Receipt Agent.

 

(h)        The Distributor agrees to maintain, and preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act, such records as are required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1(d) under the 1940 Act. The Distributor agrees that all records which it maintains pursuant to the 1940 Act for the Trust shall at all times remain the property of the Trust, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of the Agreement or otherwise on written request; provided, however, that Distributor may retain all such records required to be maintained by Distributor pursuant to applicable FINRA or SEC rules and regulations.

 

(i)          The Distributor agrees to maintain at all times compliance policies and procedures (a “Compliance Program”) that are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Federal Securities Laws (as defined in Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act) with respect to the Distributor’s services under this Agreement, and to provide any and all information with respect to the Compliance Program, including without limitation, information and certifications with respect to material violations of the Compliance Program and any material deficiencies or changes therein, as may be reasonably requested by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or Board of Trustees.

 

  3  

 

 

(j)        The Distributor shall enter into and shall maintain in effect at all times during the term of this Agreement a business continuity plan, including internal systems or arrangements with appropriate parties making reasonable provision for (i) periodic back-up of the computer files and data with respect to the Trust and (ii) emergency use of electronic data processing equipment to provide services under this Agreement. The Distributor shall take reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions in the event of equipment failure, work stoppage, governmental action, communication disruption or other impossibility of performance beyond the Distributor's control.

 

(k)          Upon the Trust’s reasonable request, which in no event shall be more than quarterly, the Distributor agrees to make its compliance personnel available to the Trust to provide summaries and other relevant materials related to its Compliance Program.

 

4. Duties of the Trust.

 

(a)          The Trust agrees to create, issue, and redeem Creation Units of each Fund in accordance with the procedures described in the Prospectus. Upon reasonable notice to the Distributor and in accordance with the procedures described in the Prospectus, the Trust reserves the right to reject any order for Creation Units or to stop all receipts of such orders at any time.

 

(b)          The Trust agrees that it will take all actions necessary to register an indefinite number of Shares under the 1933 Act.

 

(c)          The Trust will make available to the Distributor such number of copies as Distributor may reasonably request of (i) its then currently effective Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and product description, (ii) copies of semi-annual reports and annual audited reports of the Trust’s books and accounts made by independent public accountants regularly retained by the Trust, and (iii) such other publicly available information for use in connection with the distribution of Creation Units.

 

(d)          The Trust shall inform Distributor of any such jurisdictions in which the Trust has filed notice filings for Shares for sale under the securities laws thereof and shall promptly notify the Distributor of any change in this information. The Distributor shall not be liable for damages resulting from the sale of Shares in authorized jurisdictions where the Distributor had no information from the Trust that such sale or sales were unauthorized at the time of such sale or sales.

 

The Distributor acknowledges and agrees that the Trust reserves the right to suspend sales and Distributor’s authority to review and approve orders for Creation Units on behalf of the Trust. Upon due notice to the Distributor, the Trust shall suspend the Distributor’s authority to review and approve Creation Units if, in the judgment of the

 

  4  

 

 

Trust, it is in the best interests of the Trust to do so. Suspension will continue for such period as may be determined by the Trust.

 

(e)          The Trust shall arrange to provide the Listing Exchanges with copies of Prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, and product descriptions to be provided to purchasers in the secondary market.

 

(f)          The Trust will make it known that Prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information and product descriptions are available by making sure such disclosures are in all marketing and advertising materials prepared by the Trust.

 

5. Fees and Expenses.

 

(a)          The Distributor shall be entitled to no compensation or reimbursement of expenses from the Trust for the services provided by the Distributor pursuant to this Agreement. The Distributor may receive compensation from the Investment Adviser related to its services hereunder or for additional services as may be agreed to between the Investment Adviser and Distributor.

 

(b)          The Trust shall bear the cost and expenses of: (i) the registration of the Shares for sale under the 1933 Act; and (ii) the registration or qualification of the Shares for sale under the securities laws of the various States.

 

(c)          The Distributor shall pay (i) all expenses relating to Distributor’s broker-dealer qualification and registration under the 1934 Act; and (ii) the expenses incurred by the Distributor in connection with routine FINRA filing fees.

 

(d)        Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Distributor and its affiliates may receive compensation or reimbursement from the Trust’s Investment Adviser with respect to any services performed under this Agreement, as may be agreed upon by the parties from time to time.

 

The Trust shall bear any costs associated with printing Prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information and all other such materials.

 

6. Indemnification.

 

(a)          The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor, its affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers and employees and agents and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (any of the Distributor, its officers, employees, agents and directors or such control persons, for purposes of this paragraph, a “Distributor Indemnitee”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (“Losses”) that a Distributor Indemnitee may incur arising out of or based upon: (i) Distributor serving as distributor for the Trust pursuant to

 

  5  

 

 

this Agreement; (ii) the allegation of any wrongful act of the Trust or any of its directors, officers, employees or affiliates in connection with its duties and responsibilities in this Agreement; (iii) any claim that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, product description, shareholder reports, Marketing Materials and advertisements specifically approved by the Trust and Investment Adviser or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein (and in the case of the Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information and product description, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law; (iv) the breach by the Trust of any obligation, representation or warranty contained in this Agreement; or (v) the Trust’s failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws.

 

(b)          The Distributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each of its Trustees and officers and any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (for purposes of this paragraph, the Trust and each of its Trustees and officers and its controlling persons are collectively referred to as the “Trust Indemnitees”) against any Losses arising out of or based upon (i) the allegation of any wrongful act of the Distributor or any of its directors, officers, employees or affiliates in connection with its activities as Distributor pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) the breach of any obligation, representation or warranty contained in this Agreement by the Distributor; (iii) the Distributor’s failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws, including applicable FINRA regulations; or (iv) any allegation that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, product description, shareholder reports, any information or materials relating to the Funds (as described in section 3(g)) or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading, insofar as such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with information furnished to the Trust, in writing, by the Distributor.

 

In no case (i) is the indemnification provided by an indemnifying party to be deemed to protect against any liability the indemnified party would otherwise be subject to by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the indemnifying party to be liable under this Section with respect to any claim made against any indemnified party unless the indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the indemnified party (or after the indemnified party shall have received notice of service on any designated agent).

 

Failure to notify the indemnifying party of any claim shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to the indemnified party against whom such action is brought, on account of this Section, unless failure or delay to so

 

  6  

 

 

notify the indemnifying party prejudices the indemnifying party’s ability to defend against such claim. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce the claim, but if the indemnifying party elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to the indemnified party. In the event that indemnifying party elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the indemnified party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the indemnifying party does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the indemnified party for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them. The indemnifying party agrees to notify the indemnified party promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or directors in connection with the purchase or redemption of any of the Creation Units or the Shares.

 

(c)          No indemnified party shall settle any claim against it for which it intends to seek indemnification from the indemnifying party, under the terms of section 6(a) or 6(b) above, without prior written notice to and consent from the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No indemnified or indemnifying party shall settle any claim unless the settlement contains a full release of liability with respect to the other party in respect of such action. This section 6 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

(d)          [The Trust acknowledges and agrees that as part of its duties, Distributor will enter into agreements with certain authorized participants (each an “AP” and collectively the “APs”) for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units (each such agreement an “AP Agreement”). The APs may insert and require that Distributor agree to certain provisions in the AP Agreements that contain certain representations, undertakings and indemnification that are not included in the form-of AP Agreement (each such modified AP Agreement a “Non-Standard AP Agreement).

 

To the extent that Distributor is requested or required to make any such representations mentioned above, the Trust shall indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor Indemnitees free and harmless from and against any and all Losses that any Distributor Indemnitee may incur arising out of or relating to (a) the Distributor’s actions or failures to act pursuant to any Non-Standard AP Agreement; (b) any representations made by the Distributor in any Non-Standard AP Agreement to the extent that the Distributor is not required to make such representations in the form-of AP Agreement; or (c) any indemnification provided by the Distributor under a Non-Standard AP Agreement. In no event shall anything contained herein be so construed as to protect the Distributor Indemnitees against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which the Distributor Indemnitees would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of Distributor’s obligations or duties under the Non-Standard AP Agreement or by reason of Distributor’s reckless disregard of its obligations or duties under the Non-Standard AP Agreement.]

 

  7  

 

 

7. Representations.

 

(a) The Distributor represents and warrants that:

 

1. (i) it is duly organized as a Delaware limited liability company and is and at all times will remain duly authorized and licensed under applicable law to carry out its services as contemplated herein; (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement are within its power and have been duly authorized by all necessary action; (iii) its entering into this Agreement or providing the services contemplated hereby does not conflict with or constitute a default or require a consent under or breach of any provision of any agreement or document to which the Distributor is a party or by which it is bound; (iv) it is registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and is a member of FINRA; and (v) it has in place compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Federal Securities Laws as that term is defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

2. All activities by the Distributor and its agents and employees in connection with the services provided in this Agreement shall comply with the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the instructions of the Trust, and all applicable laws, rules and regulations including, without limitation, all rules and regulations made or adopted pursuant to the 1940 Act by the SEC or any securities association registered under the 1934 Act, including FINRA and the Listing Exchanges.

 

(b)          The Distributor and the Trust each individually represent that its anti-money laundering program (“AML Program”), at a minimum, (i) designates a compliance officer to administer and oversee the AML Program, (ii) provides ongoing employee training, (iii) includes an independent audit function to test the effectiveness of the AML Program, (iv) establishes internal policies, procedures, and controls that are tailored to its particular business, (v)  provides for the filing of all necessary anti-money laundering reports including, but not limited to, currency transaction reports and suspicious activity reports, and (vi) allows for appropriate regulators to examine its anti-money laundering books and records. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust acknowledges that the Authorized Participants are not “customers” for the purposes of 31 CFR 103.

 

(c)          The Distributor and the Trust each individually represent and warrant that: (i) it has procedures in place reasonably designed to protect the privacy of non-public personal consumer/customer financial information to the extent required by applicable law, rule and regulation; and (ii) it will comply with all of the applicable terms and provisions of the 1934 Act.

 

  8  

 

 

(d)          The Trust represents and warrants that:

 

1. (i) it is duly organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is and at all times will remain duly authorized to carry out its obligations as contemplated herein; (ii) it is registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act; (iii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement are within its power and have been duly authorized by all necessary action; (iv) its entering into this Agreement does not conflict with or constitute a default or require a consent under or breach of any provision of any agreement or document to which the Trust is a party or by which it is bound; (v) the Registration Statement and each Fund’s Prospectus have been prepared, and all Marketing Materials shall be prepared, in all materials respects, in conformity with the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC (the “Rules and Regulations”); and (vi) the Registration Statement and each Fund’s Prospectus contain, and all Marketing Materials shall contain, all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations; (vii) all statements of fact contained therein, or to be contained in all Marketing Materials, are or will be true and correct in all material respects at the time indicated or the effective date, as the case may be, and none of the Registration Statement, any Fund’s Prospectus, nor any Marketing Materials shall include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the case of each Fund’s Prospectus in light of the circumstances in which made, not misleading; and (viii) except as otherwise noted in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the offering price for all Creation Units will be the aggregate net asset value of the Shares per Creation Unit of the relevant Fund, as determined in the manner described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus;

 

2. it shall file such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and each Fund’s Prospectus as, in the light of future developments, shall, in the opinion of the Trust’s counsel, be necessary in order to have the Registration Statement and each Fund’s Prospectus at all times contain all material facts required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which made, not misleading. The Trust shall not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or each Fund’s Prospectus without giving the Distributor reasonable notice thereof in advance, provided that nothing in this Agreement shall in any way limit the Trust’s right to file at any time such amendments to the Registration Statement or any Fund’s Prospectus as the Trust may deem advisable. The Trust will also notify the Distributor in the event of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust shall not be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to any information or statement provided by the Distributor

  

  9  

 

 

    for inclusion in the Registration Statement or any Fund’s Prospectus; and

 

3. upon delivery of Deposit or Fund Securities to an Authorized Participant in connection with a purchase or redemption of Creation Units, the Authorized Participant will acquire good and unencumbered title to such securities, free and clear of all liens, restrictions, charges and encumbrances, and not subject to any adverse claims and that such Fund and Deposit Securities will not be “restricted securities” as such term is used in Rule 144(a)(3)(i) under the 1933 Act.

 

8. Duration, Termination and Amendment.

 

(a)          This Agreement shall be effective on the date set forth above, and unless terminated as provided herein, shall continue for two years from its effective date, and thereafter from year to year, provided such continuance is approved annually (i) by vote of a majority of the Trustees or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, as to each Fund (i) by vote of a majority of those Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by the Distributor, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice. This Agreement shall automatically terminate without the payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. As used in this paragraph, the terms “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “assignment,” “affiliated person” and “interested person” shall have the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act.

 

(b)          No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated except by an instrument in writing signed by both parties.

 

9. Notice.

 

Any notice or other communication authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to either party shall be in writing and deemed to have been given when delivered in person or by confirmed facsimile, email, or posted by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the following address (or such other address as a party may specify by written notice to the other):

 

(i)   To Foreside: (ii)   To the Trust:
Foreside Fund Services, LLC Syntax ETF Trust
Attn:  Legal Department Attn:  Kathy Cuocolo
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 110 East 59th Street, 31st Floor
Portland, ME  04101 New York, NY 10022

 

  10  

 

 

Telephone:  (207) 553-7110 Phone: 978.886.7747
Facsimile:  (207) 553-7151 Email: kcuocolo@syntax.co
Email:legal@foreside.com  
   
With a copy to:  
etp-services@foreside.com  
   

 

10. Choice of Law.

 

This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of laws provisions thereof.

 

11. Counterparts.

 

This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

12. Severability.

 

If any provisions of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid, in whole or in part, then the other provisions of this Agreement shall remain in force. Invalid provisions shall, in accordance with this Agreement’s intent and purpose, be amended, to the extent legally possible, in order to effectuate the intended results of such invalid provisions.

 

13. Insurance.

 

The Distributor will maintain at its expense an errors and omissions insurance policy adequate to cover services provided by the Distributor hereunder.

 

14. Confidentiality.

 

During the term of this Agreement, the Distributor and the Trust may have access to confidential information relating to such matters as either party’s business, trade secrets, systems, procedures, manuals, products, contracts, personnel, and clients. As used in this Agreement, “Confidential Information” means information belonging to one of the parties that is of value to such party and the disclosure of which could result in a competitive or other disadvantage to such party. Confidential Information includes, without limitation, financial information, proposal and presentations, reports, forecasts, inventions, improvements and other intellectual property; trade secrets; know-how; designs, processes or formulae; software; market or sales information or plans; customer lists; and business plans, prospects and opportunities (such as possible acquisitions or

 

  11  

 

 

dispositions of businesses or facilities). Confidential Information includes information developed by either party in the course of engaging in the activities provided for in this Agreement, unless: (i) the information is or becomes publicly known through lawful means; (ii) the information is disclosed to the other party without a confidential restriction by a third party who rightfully possesses the information and did not obtain it, either directly or indirectly, from one of the parties, as the case may be, or any of their respective principals, employees, affiliated persons, or affiliated entities. The parties understand and agree that all Confidential Information shall be kept confidential by the other both during and after the term of this Agreement. Each party shall maintain commercially reasonable information security policies and procedures for protecting Confidential Information. The parties further agree that they will not, without the prior written approval by the other party, disclose such Confidential Information, or use such Confidential Information in any way, either during the term of this Agreement or at any time thereafter, except as required in the course of this Agreement and as provided by the other party or as required by law. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, or as otherwise requested by the Trust, all Confidential Information held by or on behalf of Trust shall be promptly returned to the Trust, or an authorized officer of the Distributor will certify to the Trust in writing that all such Confidential Information has been destroyed. This section 14 shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a party may disclose the other’s Confidential Information if (i) required by law, regulation or legal process or if requested by the SEC or other governmental regulatory agency with jurisdiction over the parties hereto or (ii) requested to do so by the other party.

 

15. Limitation of Liability.

 

This Agreement is executed by or on behalf of the Trust with respect to each of the Trust Funds and the obligations hereunder are not binding upon any of the trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust individually but are binding only upon the Fund to which such obligations pertain and the assets and property of such Fund. Separate and distinct records are maintained for each Fund and the assets associated with any such Fund are held and accounted for separately from the other assets of the Trust, or any other Fund of the Trust. The debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses incurred, contracted for, or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Fund of the Trust shall be enforceable against the assets of that Fund only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or any other Fund, and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses incurred, contracted for, or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other Fund shall be enforceable against the assets of that Fund. The Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust is on file with the Trust.

 

16. Use of Names; Publicity.

 

The Trust shall not use the Distributor’s name in any offering material, shareholder report, advertisement or other material relating to the Trust, in a manner not approved by the Distributor in writing prior to such use, such approval not to be

 

  12  

 

 

unreasonably withheld. The Distributor hereby consents to all uses of its name required by the SEC, any state securities commission, or any federal or state regulatory authority.

 

The Distributor shall not use the name “Syntax ETF Trust” in any offering material, shareholder report, advertisement or other material relating to the Distributor, other than for the purpose of merely identifying the Trust as a client of Distributor hereunder, in a manner not approved by the Trust in writing prior to such use; provided, however, that the Trust shall consent to all uses of its name required by the SEC, any state securities commission, or any federal or state regulatory authority; and provided, further, that in no case shall such approval be unreasonably withheld.

 

The Distributor will not issue any press releases or make any public announcements regarding the existence of this Agreement without the express written consent of the Trust. Neither the Trust nor the Distributor will disclose any of the economic terms of this Agreement, except as may be required by law.

 

17. Exclusivity

 

Nothing herein contained shall prevent the Distributor from entering into similar distribution arrangements or from providing the services contemplated hereunder to other investment companies or investment vehicles.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the date first set forth above.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC   Syntax ETF Trust
     
     
By: /s/ Mark Fairbanks   By: /s/ Rory Riggs
Mark Fairbanks, Vice President   Name: Rory Riggs
    Title: CEO

 

  13  

 

   

Exhibit (e)

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Funds:

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

Syntax Stratified Core ETF

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF

Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF

Syntax Stratified Financials ETF

Syntax Stratified Energy ETF

Syntax Stratified Industrials ETF

Syntax Stratified Information Tools ETF

Syntax Stratified Information ETF

Syntax Stratified Consumer ETF

Syntax Stratified Food ETF

Syntax Stratified Healthcare ETF

 

  A- 1  

 

 

Exhibit (g)

Execution copy

Master Custodian Agreement

 

This Agreement is made as of July 20, 2017 (this “ Agreement ”), between each management investment company identified on Appendix A and each management investment company which becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof (in each case, a “ Fund ”), including, if applicable, each series of the Fund identified on Appendix A and each series which becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof, and State Street Bank and Trust Company , a Massachusetts trust company (the “ Custodian ”).

 

W itnesseth:

 

Whereas , each Fund desires for the Custodian to provide certain custodial services relating to securities and other assets of the Fund;

 

Whereas , the Custodian is willing to provide the services upon the terms contained in this Agreement; and

 

Whereas , each Fund is an exchange-traded fund and will issue and redeem shares of each Portfolio only in aggregations of Portfolio Interests (as defined in Section 8.1) known as “ Creation Units ,” generally in exchange for a basket of certain equity or fixed income securities and a specified cash payment, as more fully described in the currently effective prospectus and statement of additional information of the Fund related to the Portfolio (collectively, the “ Prospectus ”).

 

Section 1.       Definitions . In addition to terms defined in Section 4.1 (Rule 17f-5 and Rule 17f-7 related definitions) or elsewhere in this Agreement, (a) terms defined in the UCC have the same meanings herein as therein and (b) the following other terms have the following meanings for purposes of this Agreement:

 

1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time.

 

Board ” means, in relation to a Fund, the board of directors, trustees or other governing body of the Fund.

 

Client Publications ” means the general client publications of State Street Bank and Trust Company available from time to time to clients and their investment managers.

 

Deposit Account Agreement ” means the Deposit Account Agreement and Disclosure, as may be amended from time to time, issued by the Custodian and available on the Custodian’s internet customer portal, “my.statestreet.com”.

 

Domestic securities ” means securities held within the United States.

 

Foreign securities ” means securities held primarily outside of the United States.

 

Held outside of the United States ” means not held within the United States.

 

 

 

 

Held within the United States ” means (a) in relation to a security or other financial asset, the security or other financial asset (i) is a certificated security registered in the name of the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee or is endorsed to the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee or in blank and the security certificate is located within the United States, (ii) is an uncertificated security or other financial asset registered in the name of the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee at an office located in the United States, or (iii) has given rise to a security entitlement of which the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee is the entitlement holder against a U.S. Securities System or another securities intermediary for which the securities intermediary’s jurisdiction is within the United States, and (b) in relation to cash, the cash is maintained in a deposit account denominated in U.S. dollars with the banking department of the Custodian or with another bank or trust company’s office located in the United States.

 

Investment Advisor ” means, in relation to a Portfolio, the investment manager or investment advisor of the Fund.

 

On book currency ” means (a) U.S. dollars or (b) a foreign currency that, when credited to a deposit account of a customer maintained in the banking department of the Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian, the Custodian maintains on its books as an amount owing as a liability by the Custodian to the customer.

 

Portfolio ” means (a) in relation to a Fund that is a series organization, a series of the Fund and (b) in relation to a Fund that is not a series organization, the Fund itself.

 

Proper Instructions ” means instructions in accordance with Section 9 received by the Custodian from a Fund, the Fund’s Investment Advisor, or an individual or organization duly authorized by the Fund or the Investment Advisor (“ Authorized Persons ”). The term includes standing instructions.

 

SEC ” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Series organization ” means an organization that, pursuant to the statute under which the organization is organized, has the following characteristics: (a) the organic record of the organization provides for creation by the organization of one or more series (however denominated) with respect to specified property of the organization, and provides for records to be maintained for each series that identify the property of or associated with the series, (b) debt incurred or existing with respect to the activities of, or property of or associated with a particular series is enforceable against the property of or associated with the series only, and not against the property of or associated with the organization or of other series of the organization, and (c) debt incurred or existing with respect to the activities or property of the organization is enforceable against the property of the organization only, and not against the property of or associated with any series of the organization.

 

UCC ” means the Uniform Commercial Code of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as in effect from time to time.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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Underlying Portfolios ” means a group of investment companies as defined in Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act.

 

Underlying Shares ” means shares or other securities, issued by a U.S. issuer, of Underlying Portfolios and other registered “investment companies” (as defined in Section 3(a)(1) of the 1940 Act), whether or not in the same “group of investment companies” (as defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the 1940 Act).

 

Underlying Transfer Agent ” means State Street Bank and Trust Company or such other organization which may from time to time be appointed by the Fund to act as a transfer agent for the Underlying Portfolios and with respect to which the Custodian is provided with Proper Instructions.

 

U.S. Securities System ” means a securities depository or book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury or a “clearing corporation” as defined in Section 8-102 of the UCC.

 

Section 2.      E mployment of Custodian .

 

Section 2.1     General . Each Fund hereby employs the Custodian as a custodian of (a) securities and cash of each of the Portfolios and (b) other assets of each of the Portfolios that the Custodian agrees to treat as financial assets. Each Fund, on behalf of each of its Portfolios, agrees to deliver to the Custodian (i) all securities and cash of the Portfolios, (ii) all other assets of each Portfolio that the Fund desires the Custodian, and the Custodian is willing, to treat as a financial asset and (iii) all cash and other proceeds of the securities and financial assets held in custody under this Agreement. The holding of confirmation statements that identify Underlying Shares as being recorded in the Custodian’s name on behalf of the Portfolios will be custody for purposes of this Section 2.1. This Agreement does not require the Custodian to accept an asset for custody hereunder or to treat any asset that is not a security as a financial asset.

 

Section 2.2     Sub-custodians . Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall on behalf of a Fund appoint one or more banks, trust companies or other entities located in the United States and designated in the Proper Instructions to act as a sub-custodian for the purposes of effecting such transactions as may be designated by the Fund in the Proper Instructions. The Custodian may place and maintain each Fund’s foreign securities with foreign banking institution sub-custodians employed by the Custodian or foreign securities depositories, all in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 4 and 5. An entity acting in the capacity of Underlying Transfer Agent is not an agent or sub-custodian of the Custodian for purposes of this Agreement.

 

Section 2.3     Relationship . With respect to securities and other financial assets, the Custodian is a securities intermediary and the Portfolio is the entitlement holder. With respect to cash maintained in a deposit account and denominated in an “on book” currency, the Custodian is a bank and the Portfolio is the bank’s customer. If cash is maintained in a deposit account with a bank other than the Custodian and the cash is denominated in an “on book” currency, the Custodian is that bank’s customer. The Custodian agrees to treat the claim to the cash as a financial asset for the benefit of the Portfolio . The Custodian does not otherwise agree to treat cash as financial asset. The

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

  - 3 -  

 

 

duties of the Custodian as securities intermediary and bank set forth in the UCC are varied by the terms of this Agreement to the extent that the duties may be varied by agreement under the UCC.

 

Section 3. Activities of the Custodian with Respect to Property Held in the United States .

 

Section 3.1     Holding Securities . The Custodian may deposit and maintain securities or other financial assets of a Portfolio in a U.S. Securities System in compliance with the conditions of Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of the Portfolio and into which account or accounts may be transferred cash or securities and other financial assets, including securities and financial assets maintained in a U.S. Securities System. The Custodian shall hold and physically segregate for the account of each Portfolio all securities and other financial assets held by the Custodian in the United States, including all domestic securities of the Portfolio, other than (a) securities or other financial assets maintained in a U.S. Securities System and (b) Underlying Shares maintained pursuant to Section 3.6 in an account of an Underlying Transfer Agent. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion appoint any other bank or trust company, qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian, as the Custodian’s agent to carry out such of the provisions of this Section as the Custodian may from time to time direct. The appointment of any agent shall not relieve the Custodian of any of its duties hereunder. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion remove the bank or trust company as the Custodian’s agent.

 

Section 3.2     Registration of Securities . Domestic securities or other financial assets held by the Custodian and that are not bearer securities shall be registered in the name of the applicable Portfolio or in the name of any nominee of a Fund on behalf of the Portfolio or of any nominee of the Custodian, or in the name or nominee name of any agent or any sub-custodian permitted hereby. All securities accepted by the Custodian on behalf of the Portfolio under the terms of this Agreement shall be in “street name” or other good delivery form. However, if a Fund directs the Custodian to maintain securities or other financial assets in “street name,” the Custodian shall utilize reasonable efforts only to timely collect income due the Fund on the securities and other financial assets and to notify the Fund of relevant issuer actions including, without limitation, pendency of calls, maturities, tender or exchange offers.

 

Section 3.3     Bank Accounts . The Custodian shall open and maintain upon the terms of the Deposit Account Agreeement a separate deposit account or accounts in the United States in the name of each Portfolio, subject only to draft or order by the Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. The Custodian shall credit to the deposit account or accounts, subject to the provisions hereof, all cash received by the Custodian from or for the account of the Portfolio, other than cash maintained by the Portfolio in a deposit account established and used in accordance with Rule 17f-3 under the 1940 Act. Funds held by the Custodian for a Portfolio may be deposited by the Custodian to its credit as Custodian in the banking department of the Custodian or in such other banks or trust companies as it may in its discretion deem necessary or desirable; provided, however,

 

Information Classification: Limited Access  

 

  - 4 -  

 

 

that (a) every such bank or trust company shall be qualified to act as a custodian under the 1940 Act and (b) each such bank or trust company and the funds to be deposited with each such bank or trust company shall on behalf of each applicable Portfolio of a Fund be approved by vote of a majority of the Fund’s Board. The funds shall be deposited by the Custodian in its capacity as Custodian and shall be withdrawable by the Custodian only in that capacity.

 

Section 3.3A   Determination of Fund Deposit, etc. Subject to and in accordance with the directions of the Investment Advisor, the Custodian shall determine for each Portfolio after the end of each trading day on the New York Stock Exchange (the “ NYSE ”), in accordance with the respective Portfolio’s policies as adopted from time to time by the Board and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Prospectus, (i) the identity and weighting of the securities in the Deposit Securities and the Fund Securities (each as defined in the Prospectus), (ii) the cash component, and (iii) the amount of cash redemption proceeds (all as described in the Prospectus) required for the issuance or redemption, as the case may be, of Portfolio Interests in Creation Unit aggregations of such Portfolio on such date. The Custodian shall provide or cause to be provided this information to the Portfolios’ distributor and other persons as instructed according to the policies established by the Board and shall disseminate such information on each day that the NYSE is open, including through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the “ NSCC ”), prior to the opening of trading on the NYSE.

 

Section 3.3B.    Allocation of Deposit Security Shortfalls . Each Fund acknowledges that the Custodian maintains only one account on the books of the NSCC for the benefit of all exchange traded funds for which the Custodian serves as custodian, including the Fund (collectively, the “ ETF Custody Clients ”). In the event that (a) two or more ETF Custody Clients require delivery of the same Deposit Security in order to purchase a Creation Unit, and (b) the NSCC, pursuant to its Continuous Net Settlement system, delivers to the Custodian’s NSCC account less than the full amount of such Deposit Security necessary to satisfy in full each affected ETF Custody Client’s required amount (a “ Common Deposit Security Shortfall ”), then, until all Common Deposit Security Shortfalls for a given Deposit Security are satisfied in full, the Custodian will allocate to each affected ETF Custody Client, on a pro rata basis, securities and/or cash received in the Custodian’s NSCC account relating to such shortfall, first to satisfy any prior unsatisfied Common Deposit Security Shortfall, and then to satisfy the current Common Deposit Security Shortfall.

 

Section 3.4     Collection of Income . Subject to the domestic securities or other financial assets held in the United States being registered as provided in Section 3.2, the Custodian shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to the securities and other financial assets and to which a Portfolio shall be entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business. The Custodian shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to bearer domestic securities if, on the date of payment by the issuer, the securities are held by the Custodian or its agent, and shall credit such income, as collected, to such Portfolio’s custodian account. The Custodian shall present for payment all income items requiring presentation as and when they become due and shall collect interest when due on securities and other financial assets held hereunder.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access  

  

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Section 3.5     Delivery Out . The Custodian shall release and deliver out domestic securities and other financial assets of a Portfolio held in a U.S. Securities System, or in an account at the Underlying Transfer Agent, only upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, specifying the domestic securities or financial assets held in the United States to be delivered out and the person or persons to whom delivery is to be made. The Custodian shall pay out cash of a Portfolio upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, specifying the amount of the payment and the person or persons to whom the payment is to be made.

 

Section 3.6     Deposit of Fund Assets with the Underlying Transfer Agent . Underlying Shares of a Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, shall be deposited and held in an account or accounts maintained with an Underlying Transfer Agent. The Custodian’s only responsibilities with respect to the Underlying Shares shall be limited to the following:

 

1) Upon receipt of a confirmation or statement from an Underlying Transfer Agent that the Underlying Transfer Agent is holding or maintaining Underlying Shares in the name of the Custodian (or a nominee of the Custodian) for the benefit of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall identify by book-entry that the Underlying Shares are being held by it as custodian for the benefit of the Portfolio.

 

2) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions to purchase Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall pay out cash of the Portfolio as so directed to purchase the Underlying Shares and record the payment from the account of the Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records.

 

3) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions for the sale or redemption of Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall transfer the Underlying Shares as so directed to sell or redeem the Underlying Shares, record the transfer from the account of the Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records and, upon the Custodian’s receipt of the proceeds of the sale or redemption, record the receipt of the proceeds for the account of such Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records.

 

Section 3.7     Proxies . The Custodian shall cause to be promptly executed by the registered holder of domestic securities or other financial assets held in the United States of a Portfolio, if the securities or other financial assets are registered otherwise than in the name of the Portfolio or a nominee of the Portfolio, all proxies, without indication of the manner in which the proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Fund such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials and all notices relating to the securities or other financial assets.

 

Section 3.8     Communications . Subject to the domestic securities or other financial assets held in the United States being registered as provided in Section 3.2, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund for each Portfolio all written information received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities and other financial assets being held for the Portfolio. The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund all written information received by the Custodian

 

Information Classification: Limited Access  

  

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from issuers of the securities and other financial assets whose tender or exchange is sought and from the party or its agent making the tender or exchange offer. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to the applicable Fund for each Portfolio all written information received by the Custodian regarding any class action or other collective litigation relating to Portfolio securities or other financial assets issued in the United States and then held, or previously held, during the relevant class-action period during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian for the account of the Fund for the Portfolio, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. The Custodian does not support class-action participation by a Fund beyond such forwarding of written information received by the Custodian.

 

Section 4.      Provisions Relating to Rules 17f-5 and 17f-7 .

 

Section 4.1.    Definitions . As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

Country Risk ” means all factors reasonably related to the systemic risk of holding Foreign Assets in a particular country. The factors include but are not limited to risks arising from the country’s political environment, economic and financial infrastructure (including any Eligible Securities Depository operating in the country); prevailing or developing custody, tax and settlement practices; nationalization, expropriation or other government actions; currency restrictions, devaluations or fluctuations; market conditions affecting the orderly execution of securities transactions or the value of assets; the regulation of the banking and securities industries, including changes in market rules; and laws and regulations applicable to the safekeeping and recovery of Foreign Assets held in custody in that country.

 

Covered Foreign Country ” means a country listed on Schedule A, which list of countries may be amended from time to time at the request of any Fund and with the agreement of the Foreign Custody Manager.

 

Eligible Foreign Custodian ” has the meaning set forth in Section (a)(1) of Rule 17f-5.

 

Eligible Securities Depository ” has the meaning set forth in section (b)(1) of Rule 17f-7.

 

Foreign Assets ” means, in relation to a Portfolio, any of the Portfolio’s securities or other investments (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States, and any cash and cash equivalents that are reasonably necessary to effect transactions of the Portfolio in those investments.

 

Foreign Custody Manager ” has the meaning set forth in section (a)(3) of Rule 17f-5.

 

Foreign Securities System ” means an Eligible Securities Depository listed on Schedule B.

 

Rule 17f-5 ” means Rule 17f-5 promulgated under the 1940 Act.

 

Rule 17f-7 ” means Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access  

 

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Section 4.2.    The Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager .

 

4.2.1     Delegation . Each Fund, by resolution adopted by its Board, hereby delegates to the Custodian, subject to Section (b) of Rule 17f-5, the responsibilities set forth in this Section 4.2 with respect to Foreign Assets of the Portfolios held outside the United States. The Custodian hereby accepts such delegation. By giving at least 30 days’ prior written notice to the Fund, the Foreign Custody Manager may withdraw its acceptance of the delegated responsibilities generally or with respect to a Covered Foreign Country designated in the notice. Following the withdrawal, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility in its capacity as Foreign Custody Manager to the Fund generally or, as the case may be, with respect to the Covered Foreign Country so designated.

 

4.2.2     Exercise of Care as Foreign Custody Manager . The Foreign Custody Manager shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of the Foreign Assets would exercise in performing the delegated responsibilities.

 

4.2.3     Foreign Custody Arrangements . The Foreign Custody Manager shall be responsible for performing the delegated responsibilities only with respect to Covered Foreign Countries. The Foreign Custody Manager shall list on Schedule A for a Covered Foreign Country each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager to maintain the Foreign Assets of the Portfolios with respect to the Covered Foreign Country. The list of Eligible Foreign Custodians may be amended from time to time upon notice in the sole discretion of the Foreign Custody Manager. This Agreement constitutes a Proper Instruction by a Fund, on behalf of each applicable Portfolio, to open an account, and to place and maintain Foreign Assets, for the Portfolio in each applicable Covered Foreign Country. The Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios, shall satisfy the account opening requirements for the Covered Foreign Country, and the delegation with respect to the Portfolio for the Covered Foreign Country will not be considered to have been accepted by the Custodian until that satisfaction. If the Foreign Custody Manager receives from the Fund Proper Instructions directing the Foreign Custody Manager to close the account, the delegation shall be considered withdrawn, and the Custodian shall immediately cease to be the Foreign Custody Manager with respect to the Portfolio for the Covered Foreign Country.

 

4.2.4     Scope of Delegated Responsibilities : Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.2, the Foreign Custody Manager may place and maintain Foreign Assets in the care of an Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager in each applicable Covered Foreign Country. The Foreign Custody Manager shall determine that (a) the Foreign Assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the country in which the Foreign Assets will be held by the Eligible Foreign Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation the factors specified in Rule 17f-5(c)(1) and (b) the contract between the Foreign Custody Manager and the Eligible Foreign Custodian governing the foreign custody arrangements will satisfy the requirements of Rule 17f-5(c)(2). The Foreign Custody Manager shall establish a system to monitor (i) the appropriateness of

 

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maintaining the Foreign Assets with the Eligible Foreign Custodian and (ii) the performance of the contract governing the custody arrangements. If the Foreign Custody Manager determines that the custody arrangements with an Eligible Foreign Custodian are no longer appropriate, the Foreign Custody Manager shall so notify the Fund.

 

4.2.5     Reporting Requirements . The Foreign Custody Manager shall (a) report the withdrawal of Foreign Assets from an Eligible Foreign Custodian and the placement of Foreign Assets with another Eligible Foreign Custodian by providing to the Fund’s Board an amended Schedule A at the end of the calendar quarter in which the action has occurred, and (b) after the occurrence of any other material change in the foreign custody arrangements of the Portfolios described in this Section 4.2, make a written report to the Board containing a notification of the change.

 

4.2.6     Representations . The Foreign Custody Manager represents to each Fund that it is a U.S. Bank as defined in Section (a)(7) of Rule 17f-5. Each Fund represents to the Custodian that its Board has (a) determined that it is reasonable for the Board to rely on the Custodian to perform the responsibilities delegated pursuant to this Agreement to the Custodian as the Foreign Custody Manager of the Portfolios and (b) considered and determined to accept such Country Risk as is incurred by placing and maintaining the Foreign Assets of each Portfolio in each Covered Foreign Country.

 

4.2.7     Termination by a Portfolio of the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager . By giving at least 30 days’ prior written notice to the Custodian, a Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, may terminate the delegation to the Custodian as the Foreign Custody Manager for the Portfolio. Following the termination, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility in its capacity as Foreign Custody Manager to the Portfolio.

 

Section 4.3     Monitoring of Eligible Securities Depositories . The Custodian shall (a) provide the Fund or its Investment Advisor with an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Eligible Securities Depositories set forth on Schedule B in accordance with Section (a)(1)(i)(A) of Rule 17f-7 and (b) monitor such risks on a continuing basis and promptly notify the Fund or its Investment Advisor of any material change in such risks, in accordance with Section (a)(1)(i)(B) of Rule 17f-7.

 

Section 5. Activities of the Custodian with Respect to Property Held Outside the United States .

 

Section 5.1.     Holding Securities . Foreign securities and other financial assets held outside of the United States shall be maintained in a Foreign Securities System in a Covered Foreign Country through arrangements implemented by the Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian, as applicable, in the Covered Foreign Country. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the Portfolios the foreign securities and other financial assets held by each Eligible Foreign Custodian or Foreign Securities System. The Custodian may hold foreign securities and other financial assets for all of its customers, including the Portfolios, with any Eligible Foreign Custodian in an account that is identified as the Custodian’s account for the benefit of its customers; provided

 

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however, that (a) the records of the Custodian with respect to foreign securities or other financial assets of a Portfolio maintained in the account shall identify those securities and other financial assets as belonging to the Portfolio and (b) to the extent permitted and customary in the market in which the account is maintained, the Custodian shall require that securities and other financial assets so held by the Eligible Foreign Custodian be held separately from any assets of the Eligible Foreign Custodian or of other customers of the Eligible Foreign Custodian.

 

Section 5.2.    Registration of Foreign Securities . Foreign securities and other financial assets held outside of the United States maintained in the custody of an Eligible Foreign Custodian and that are not bearer securities shall be registered in the name of the applicable Portfolio or in the name of the Custodian or in the name of any Eligible Foreign Custodian or in the name of any nominee of any of the foregoing. The Fund on behalf of the Portfolio agrees to hold any such nominee harmless from any liability as a holder of record of the foreign securities or other financial assets. The Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian reserves the right not to accept securities or other financial assets on behalf of a Portfolio under the terms of this Agreement unless the form of the securities or other financial assets and the manner in which they are delivered are in accordance with local market practice.

 

Section 5.3.    Indemnification by Eligible Foreign Custodians . Each contract pursuant to which the Custodian employs an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall, to the extent possible, require the Eligible Foreign Custodian to indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian from and against any loss, cost or expense arising out of or in connection with the Eligible Foreign Custodian’s performance of its obligations. At a Fund’s election, a Portfolio shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claims against an Eligible Foreign Custodian as a consequence of any such loss, cost or expense if and to the extent that the Portfolio has not been made whole for the loss, cost or expense. In no event shall the Custodian be obligated to bring suit in its own name or to allow suit to be brought in its name.

 

Section 5.4     Bank Accounts .

 

5.4.1        General . The Custodian shall identify on its books as for the account of the applicable Portfolio the amount of cash (including cash denominated in foreign currencies) deposited with the Custodian. The Custodian shall maintain cash deposits in on book currencies on its balance sheet. The Custodian shall be liable for such balances. If the Custodian is unable to maintain, or market practice does not facilitate the maintenance for the Portfolio of a cash balance in a currency as an on book currency, a deposit account shall be opened and maintained by the Custodian outside the United States on behalf of the Portfolio with an Eligible Foreign Custodian. The Custodian shall not maintain the cash deposit on its balance sheet. The Eligible Foreign Custodian will be liable for such balance directly to the Portfolio. All deposit accounts referred to in this Section shall be subject only to draft or order by the Custodian or, if applicable, the Eligible Foreign Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Cash maintained in a deposit account and denominated in an “on book” currency will be maintained under and subject to the laws of the Commonwealth of

 

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Massachusetts. The Custodian will not have any deposit liability for deposits in any currency that is not an “on book” currency.

 

5.4.2        Non-U.S. Branch and Non-U.S. Dollar Deposits . In accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Custodian shall not be required to repay any deposit made at a non-U.S. branch of the Custodian or any deposit made with the Custodian and denominated in a non-U.S. dollar currency, if repayment of the deposit or the use of assets denominated in the non-U.S. dollar currency is prevented, prohibited or otherwise blocked due to (a) an act of war, insurrection or civil strife; (b) any action by a non-U.S. government or instrumentality or authority asserting governmental, military or police power of any kind, whether such authority be recognized as a de facto or a de jure government, or by any entity, political or revolutionary movement or otherwise that usurps, supervenes or otherwise materially impairs the normal operation of civil authority; or (c) the closure of a non-U.S. branch in order to prevent, in the reasonable judgment of the Custodian, harm to the employees or property of the Custodian.

 

Section 5.5.    Collection of Income . The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to collect all income and other payments with respect to the Foreign Assets held hereunder to which a Portfolio shall be entitled and shall credit such income, as collected, to the applicable Portfolio. If extraordinary measures are required to collect the income or payment, the Fund and the Custodian shall consult as to such measures and as to the compensation and expenses of the Custodian relating to such measures .

 

Section 5.6.    Transactions in Foreign Custody Account .

 

5.6.1     Delivery Out . The Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall release and deliver foreign securities or other financial assets held outside of the United States owned by a Portfolio and held by the Custodian or such Eligible Foreign Custodian, or in a Foreign Securities System account, only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, s pecifying the foreign securities to be delivered and the person or persons to whom delivery is to be made. The Custodian shall pay out, or direct the respective Eligible Foreign Custodian or the respective Foreign Securities System to pay out, cash of a Portfolio only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the amount of the payment and the person or persons to payment is to be made.

 

5.6.2     Market Conditions . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, settlement and payment for Foreign Assets received for the account of the Portfolios and delivery of Foreign Assets maintained for the account of the Portfolios may be effected in accordance with the customary established securities trading or processing practices and procedures in the country or market in which the transaction occurs, including, without limitation, delivering Foreign Assets to the purchaser thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent for such purchaser or dealer) with the expectation of receiving later payment for the Foreign Assets from such purchaser or dealer.

 

5.6.3     Settlement Practices . The Custodian shall provide to each Board the information with respect to custody and settlement practices in countries in which the Custodian employs an Eligible Foreign Custodian described on Schedule C at the time or times set forth on the

 

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Schedule. The Custodian may revise Schedule C from time to time, but no revision shall result in a Board being provided with substantively less information than had been previously provided on Schedule C.

 

Section 5.7    Shareholder or Bondholder Rights . The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to facilitate the exercise of voting and other shareholder and bondholder rights with respect to foreign securities and other financial assets held outside the United States, subject always to the laws, regulations and practical constraints that may exist in the country where the securities or other financial assets are issued. The Custodian may utilize Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. or another proxy service firm of recognized standing as its delegate to provide proxy services for the exercise of shareholder and bondholder rights. Local conditions, including lack of regulation, onerous procedural obligations, lack of notice and other factors may have the effect of severely limiting the ability of a Fund to exercise shareholder and bondholder rights.

 

Section 5.8.    Communications . The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund written information with respect to materials received by the Custodian through Eligible Foreign Custodians from issuers of the foreign securities and other financial asset assets being held outside the United States for the account of a Portfolio. The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund written information with respect to materials so received by the Custodian from issuers of foreign securities whose tender or exchange is sought or from the party or its agent making the tender or exchange offer. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to the Fund all written information received by the Custodian through Eligible Foreign Custodians from issuers of the foreign securities or other financial assets issued outside of the United States and being held for the account of the Portfolio regarding any class action or other collective litigation relating to the Portfolio’s foreign securities or other financial assets issued outside the United States and then held, or previously held, during the relevant class-action period during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian via an Eligible Foreign Custodian for the account of the Fund for the Portfolio, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. The Custodian does not support class-action participation by a Fund beyond such forwarding of written information received by the Custodian.

 

Section 6.       Foreign Exchange.

 

Section 6.1.    Generally . Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which for purposes of this section may also include security trade advices, the Custodian shall facilitate the processing and settlement of foreign exchange transactions. Such foreign exchange transactions do not constitute part of the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement.

 

Section 6.2.    Fund Elections . Each Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf) may elect to enter into and execute foreign exchange transactions with third parties that are not affiliated with the Custodian, with State Street Global Markets, which is the foreign exchange division of State Street Bank and Trust Company and its affiliated companies (“ SSGM ”), or with a sub-custodian. Where the Fund or its Investment Advisor gives Proper Instructions for the execution

 

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of a foreign exchange transaction using an indirect foreign exchange service described in the Client Publications, the Fund (or its Investment Advisor) instructs the Custodian, on behalf of the Fund, to direct the execution of such foreign exchange transaction to SSGM or, when the relevant currency is not traded by SSGM, to the applicable sub-custodian. The Custodian shall not have any agency (except as contemplated in preceding sentence), trust or fiduciary obligation to the Fund, its Investment Advisor or any other person in connection with the execution of any foreign exchange transaction. The Custodian shall have no responsibility under this Agreement for the selection of the counterparty to, or the method of execution of, any foreign exchange transaction entered into by the Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf) or the reasonableness of the execution rate on any such transaction.

 

Section 6.3.     Fund Acknowledgement Each Fund acknowledges that in connection with all foreign exchange transactions entered into by the Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf) with SSGM or any sub-custodian, SSGM and each such sub-custodian:

 

(i) shall be acting in a principal capacity and not as broker, agent or fiduciary to the Fund or its Investment Advisor;

 

(ii) shall seek to profit from such foreign exchange transactions, and are entitled to retain and not disclose any such profit to the Fund or its Investment Advisor; and

 

(iii) shall enter into such foreign exchange transactions pursuant to the terms and conditions, including pricing or pricing methodology, (a) agreed with the Fund or its Investment Advisor from time to time or (b) in the case of an indirect foreign exchange service, (i) as established by SSGM and set forth in the Client Publications with respect to the particular foreign exchange execution services selected by the Fund or the Investment Advisor or (ii) as established by the sub-custodian from time to time.

 

Section 6.4.    Transactions by State Street . The Custodian or its affiliates, including SSGM, may trade based upon information that is not available to the Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf), and may enter into transactions for its own account or the account of clients in the same or opposite direction to the transactions entered into with the Fund (or its Investment Manager), and shall have no obligation, under this Agreement, to share such information with or consider the interests of their respective counterparties, including, where applicable, the Fund or the Investment Advisor.

 

Section 6A.    Contractual Settlement Services (Purchase/Sales).

 

Section 6A.1     General . The Custodian shall, in accordance with the terms set out in this Section 6A, debit or credit the appropriate deposit account of each Portfolio on a contractual settlement basis in connection with the purchase of securities or other financial assets for the Portfolio or the receipt of the proceeds of the sale or redemption of securities or other financial assets.

 

Section 6A.2     Provision of Services . The services described in Section 6A.1 (the

 

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Contractual Settlement Services ”) shall be provided for the securities and other financial assets and in such markets as the Custodian may advise from time to time. The Custodian may terminate or suspend any part of the provision of the Contractual Settlement Services at its sole discretion immediately upon notice to the applicable Fund on behalf of each Portfolio, including, without limitation, in the event of force majeure events affecting settlement, any disorder in markets, or other changed external business circumstances affecting the markets or the Fund.

 

Section 6A.3     Purchase Consideration . The consideration payable in connection with a purchase transaction shall be debited from the appropriate deposit account of the Portfolio as of the time and date that funds would ordinarily be required to settle the transaction in the applicable market. The Custodian shall promptly recredit the amount at the time that the Portfolio or the Fund notifies the Custodian by Proper Instruction that the transaction has been canceled.

 

Section 6A.4      Sales and Redemptions . A provisional credit of an amount equal to the net sale price for a sale or redemption of securities or other financial assets shall be made to the account of the Portfolio as if the amount had been received as of the close of business on the date on which good funds would ordinarily be immediately available in the applicable market. The provisional credit will be made conditional upon the Custodian having received Proper Instructions with respect to, or reasonable notice of, the transaction, as applicable; and the Custodian or its agent having possession of the securities of other financial assets (excluding financial assets subject to any third party lending arrangement entered into by a Portfolio) associated with the transaction in good deliverable form and not being aware of any facts which would lead the Custodian or its agent to believe that the transaction will not settle in the time period ordinarily applicable to such transactions in the applicable market.

 

Section 6A.5.     Reversals of Provisional Credits or Debits . The Custodian shall have the right to reverse any provisional credit or debit given in connection with the Contractual Settlement Services at any time when the Custodian believes, in its reasonable judgment, that such transaction will not settle in accordance with its terms or amounts due pursuant thereto, will not be collectable or where the Custodian has not been provided Proper Instructions with respect thereto, as applicable. The Portfolio shall be responsible for any costs or liabilities resulting from such reversal. Upon such reversal, a sum equal to the credited or debited amount shall become immediately payable by the Portfolio to the Custodian and may be debited from any deposit or other account held for benefit of the Portfolio.

 

Section 7.     Tax Services.

 

Section 7.1      General . Subject to and to the extent of receipt by the Custodian of relevant and necessary documentation and information with respect to the Funds and Portfolios that the Custodian has requested, the Custodian shall perform the following services: (a) file claims for exemptions, reductions in withholding taxes, or refunds of any tax with respect to withheld foreign (non-U.S.) taxes in instances in which such claims are appropriate; (b) withhold appropriate amounts as required by U.S. tax laws with respect to amounts received on behalf of nonresident aliens; and

 

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(c) provide to the Funds such information actually received by the Custodian that could, in the Custodian’s reasonable belief and sole discretion, assist any of the Funds in their submission of any reports or returns with respect to taxes. It shall be the responsibility of each Fund to notify the Custodian of the obligations imposed on the Fund or the Custodian as custodian by the tax law of countries, states and political subdivisions thereof, including responsibility for withholding and other taxes, assessments or other governmental charges, certifications and governmental reporting. The sole responsibility of the Custodian with regard to such tax law shall be to use reasonable efforts to assist the Fund with respect to any claim for exemption or refund under the tax law of countries for which the Fund has provided sufficient information and documentation.

 

Section 7.2     Ownership Certificates for Tax Purposes . The Custodian shall execute ownership and other certificates and affidavits for all federal and state tax purposes in connection with receipt of income or other payments with respect to domestic securities or other financial assets held within the United States of each Portfolio held by the Custodian and in connection with transfers of securities and other financial assets.

 

Section 7.3     Authorizations . The Custodian is authorized to deduct from any cash received or credited to the account of a Portfolio any taxes or levies required by any tax or other governmental authority having jurisdiction in respect of such Portfolio’s transactions and to disclose any information required by any such tax or other governmental authority in relation to processing any claim for exemption from or reduction or refund of any taxes relating to Portfolio transactions and holdings.

 

Section 7.4     Services Further Limited . Other than the servicing responsibilities provided herein, the Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any obligations now or hereafter imposed on any Fund, any Portfolio or the Custodian as custodian of the assets of the Fund or the Portfolio by the tax law of any country or of any state or political subdivision thereof. The Custodian shall not be considered the Fund’s tax advisor or tax counsel.

 

Section 8 .      Payments for Sales or Redemptions of Portfolio Interests .

 

Section 8.1     Payment for Portfolio Interests Issued . The Custodian shall receive from the distributor of beneficial interests in a Portfolio (“ Portfolio Interests ”) of a Fund or from the Fund’s transfer agent (the “ Transfer Agent ”) and deposit into the account of the Portfolio such payments as are received for Portfolio Interests, in Creation Unit aggregations, issued or sold from time to time by the Fund. The Custodian will provide timely notification to the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio and the Transfer Agent of any receipt of the payments by the Custodian.

 

Section 8.2     Payment for Portfolio Interests Redeemed . Upon receipt of instructions from the Transfer Agent, the Custodian shall set aside funds and securities of a Portfolio to the extent available for payment to, or in accordance with the instructions of, Authorized Participants (as defined in the Prospectus) who have delivered to the Transfer Agent a request for redemption of their Portfolio Interests, in Creation Unit aggregations, which shall have been accepted by the Transfer Agent, the applicable Fund Securities (or such securities in lieu thereof as may be designated by the Investment Advisor in accordance with the Prospectus) for such Portfolio and the

 

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Cash Redemption Amount (as defined in the Prospectus), if applicable, less any applicable Redemption Transaction Fee (as defined in the Prospectus). The Custodian will transfer the applicable Fund Securities to or on the order of the Authorized Participant. Any cash redemption payment (less any applicable Redemption Transaction Fee) due to the Authorized Participant on redemption shall be effected through the DTC system or through wire transfer in the case of redemptions effected outside of the DTC system.

 

Section 9 .        Proper Instructions .

 

Section 9. 1      Form and Security Procedures . Proper Instructions may be in writing signed by the authorized individual or individuals or may be in a tested communication or in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro-mechanical or electronic devices or may be by such other means and utilizing such intermediary systems and utilities as may be agreed to from time to time by the Custodian and the individual or organization giving the instruction, provided that the Fund has followed any security procedures agreed to from time to time by the applicable Fund and the Custodian including, but not limited to, the security procedures selected by the Fund by reference to the form of Funds Transfer Addendum hereto, the terms of which are part of this Agreement. The Custodian may agree to accept oral instructions, and in such case oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions. The Fund shall cause all oral instructions to be confirmed in writing, provided that the Fund’s failure to do so shall not impact the Custodian’s authority to rely on such oral instructions.

 

Section 9.2      Reliance on Officer’s Certificate . Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and from time to time thereafter, as appropriate, each Fund shall deliver to the Custodian an officer’s certificate setting forth the names, titles, signatures and scope of authority of all Authorized Persons. The certificate may be accepted and conclusively relied upon by the Custodian and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of a similar certificate to the contrary and the Custodian has had a reasonable time to act thereon.

 

Section 9.3      Untimely Proper Instructions . If the Custodian is not provided with reasonable time to execute a Proper Instruction (including any Proper Instruction not to execute, or any other modification to, a prior Proper Instruction), the Custodian will use good faith efforts to execute the Proper Instruction but will not be responsible or liable if the Custodian’s efforts are not successful (including any inability to change any actions that the Custodian had taken pursuant to the prior Proper Instruction). The inclusion of a statement of purpose or intent (or any similar notation) in a Proper Instruction shall not impose any additional obligations on the Custodian or condition or qualify its authority to effect the Proper Instruction. The Custodian will not assume a duty to ensure that the stated purpose or intent is fulfilled and will have no responsibility or liability when it follows the Proper Instruction without regard to such purpose or intent.

 

Section 10 .       Actions Permitted without Express Authority .

 

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The Custodian may in its discretion, without express authority from the applicable Fund on behalf of each Portfolio:

 

1) Make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of handling securities or other financial assets relating to its duties under this Agreement; provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio;

 

2) Surrender securities or other financial assets in temporary form for securities or other financial assets in definitive form;

 

3) Endorse for collection, in the name of the Portfolio, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments; and

 

4) In general, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio except as otherwise directed by the applicable Board.

 

Section 11. Duties of Custodian with Respect to the Books of Account and Calculation of Net Asset Value and Net Income .

 

The Custodian shall cooperate with and supply necessary information to any organization appointed by the Board of a Portfolio of a Fund to keep the books of account of the Portfolio and compute the net asset value per Portfolio Interest of the outstanding Portfolio Interests or, if directed in writing to do so by the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, shall itself keep such books of account and compute such net asset value per Portfolio Interest. The Custodian shall transmit the net asset value per share of each Portfolio to the Transfer Agent, the Distributor, the NYSE and such other entities as directed in writing by the Fund. If and as so directed, the Custodian shall also calculate daily the net income of the Portfolio as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and shall advise the Fund and the Transfer Agent daily of the total amounts of such net income and, if instructed in writing by an officer of the Fund to do so, shall advise the Transfer Agent periodically of the division of such net income among its various components. The Custodian shall on each day a Portfolio is open for the purchase or redemption of Portfolio Interests of such Portfolio compute the number of Portfolio Interests of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (as defined in the Prospectus) and the Fund Securities and shall transmit such information to the NSCC. Each Fund acknowledges and agrees that, with respect to investments maintained with the Underlying Transfer Agent, the Underlying Transfer Agent is the sole source of information on the number of Portfolio Interests held by it on behalf of a Portfolio and that the Custodian has the right to rely on holdings information furnished by the Underlying Transfer Agent to the Custodian in performing its duties under this Agreement, including without limitation, the duties set forth in this Section 11 and in Section 12; provided, however, that the Custodian shall be obligated to reconcile information as to purchases and sales of Underlying Shares contained in trade instructions and confirmations received by the Custodian and to report promptly any discrepancies to the Underlying Transfer Agent. If and as so directed, the calculations of the net asset value per Portfolio Interest and the daily income of each Portfolio shall be made at the time or times described from time to time in the Prospectus.

 

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Section 12.      Records .

 

The Custodian shall with respect to each Portfolio create and maintain all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement in such manner as will meet the obligations of each Fund under the 1940 Act, with particular attention to Section 31 thereof and Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 thereunder. All such records shall be the property of the Fund and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Fund and employees and agents of the SEC. The Custodian shall, at the Fund’s request, supply the Fund with a tabulation of securities owned by each Portfolio and held by the Custodian and shall, when requested to do so by the Fund and for such compensation as shall be agreed upon between the Fund and the Custodian, include certificate numbers in such tabulations. In the event that the Custodian is requested or authorized by a Fund, or required by subpoena, administrative order, court order or other legal process, applicable law or regulation, or required in connection with any investigation, examination or inspection of the Fund by state or federal regulatory agencies, to produce the records of the Fund or the Custodian’s personnel as witnesses, the Fund agrees to pay the Custodian for the Custodian’s time and expenses, as well as the fees and expenses of the Custodian’s counsel, incurred in responding to such request, order or requirement.

 

Section 13.      Fund’s Independent Accountants; Reports .

 

Section 13.1     Opinions . The Custodian shall take all reasonable action, as a Fund with respect to a Portfolio may from time to time request, to obtain from year to year favorable opinions from the Fund’s independent accountants with respect to its activities hereunder in connection with the preparation of the Fund’s Form N-1A or Form N-2, as applicable, and Form N-SAR or other annual reports to the SEC and with respect to any other requirements thereof.

 

Section 13.2     Reports . Upon reasonable request of a Fund, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with a copy of the Custodian’s Service Organizational Control (SOC) 1 reports prepared in accordance with the requirements of AT section 801, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization (formerly Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 16). The Custodian shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Fund with such reports as the Fund may reasonably request or otherwise reasonably require to fulfill its duties under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act or similar legal and regulatory requirements.

 

Section 14.       Custodian’s Standard of Care; Exculpation .

 

14.1        Standard of Care. In carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, the Custodian shall act in good faith and without negligence and shall be held to the exercise of reasonable care.

 

14.2        Reliance on Proper Instructions . The Custodian shall be entitled conclusively to rely and act upon Proper Instructions until the Custodian has received notice of any change from the Fund and has had a reasonable time to act thereon. The Custodian may act on a Proper Instruction if

 

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it reasonably believes that it contains sufficient information and may refrain from acting on any Proper Instructions until such time that it has determined, in its sole discretion, that is has received any required clarification or authentication of Proper Instructions. The Custodian may rely upon and shall be protected in acting upon any Proper Instruction or any other instruction, notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument or paper believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been properly executed by or on behalf of the applicable Fund.

 

14.3        Other Reliance . The Custodian is authorized and instructed to rely upon the information that the Custodian receives from the Fund or any third party on behalf of the Fund. The Custodian shall have no responsibility to review, confirm or otherwise assume any duty with respect to the accuracy or completeness of any information supplied to it by or on behalf of any Fund. The Custodian shall have no liability in respect of any loss, cost or expense incurred or sustained by the Fund arising from the performance of the Custodian’s duties hereunder in reliance upon records that were maintained for the Fund by any individual or organization, other than the Custodian, prior to the Custodian’s appointment as custodian hereunder. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel (who may be counsel for the Fund) on all matters and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to the advice.

 

14.4        Liability for Foreign Custodians . The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of an Eligible Foreign Custodian to the same extent as if the action or omission were performed by the Custodian itself, taking into account the facts and circumstances and the established local market practices and laws prevailing in the particular jurisdiction in which the Fund elects to invest.

 

14.5        Insolvency and Country Risk . The Custodian shall in no event be liable for (a) the insolvency of any Eligible Foreign Custodian, (b) the insolvency of any depositary bank maintaining in a deposit account cash denominated in any currency other than an “on book” currency, or (c) any loss, cost or expense incurred or sustained by a Fund or Portfolio resulting from or caused by Country Risk.

 

14.6        Force Majeure and Third Party Actions . The Custodian shall be without responsibility or liability to any Fund or Portfolio for: (a) events or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian, including, without limitation, the interruption, suspension or restriction of trading on or the closure of any currency or securities market or system, power or other mechanical or technological failures or interruptions, computer viruses or communications disruptions, work stoppages, natural disasters, acts of war, revolution, riots or terrorism or other similar force majeure events or acts; (b) errors by any Fund, its Investment Advisor or any other duly Authorized Person in their instructions to the Custodian; (c) the insolvency of or acts or omissions by a U.S. Securities System, Foreign Securities System, Underlying Transfer Agent or domestic sub-custodian designated pursuant to Section 2.2; (d) the failure of any Fund, its Investment Advisor, Portfolio or any duly authorized individual or organization to adhere to the Custodian’s operational policies and procedures; (e) any delay or failure of any broker, agent, securities intermediary or other intermediary, central bank or other commercially prevalent payment or clearing system to deliver to the Custodian’s sub-custodian or agent securities or other financial assets purchased or in the remittance or payment made in connection with securities or other financial assets sold; (f) any delay

 

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or failure of any organization in charge of registering or transferring securities or other financial assets in the name of the Custodian, any Fund, any Portfolio, the Custodian’s sub-custodians, nominees or agents including non-receipt of bonus, dividends and rights and other accretions or benefits; (g) delays or inability to perform its duties due to any disorder in market infrastructure with respect to any particular security, other financial asset, U.S. Securities System or Foreign Securities System; and (h) the effect of any provision of any law or regulation or order of the United States of America, or any state thereof, or any other country, or political subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction.

 

14.7        Indirect/Special/Consequential Damages . Notwithstanding any other provision set forth herein, in no event shall the Custodian be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, lost profits) with respect to the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, regardless of whether either party has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

 

14.8        Delivery of Property . The Custodian shall not be responsible for any securities or other assets of a Portfolio which are not received by the Custodian or which are delivered out in accordance with Proper Instructions. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any securities or other assets or evidence of title thereto received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement.

 

14.9        No Investment Advice . The Custodian has no responsibility to monitor or oversee the investment activity undertaken by a Fund or its Investment Advisor or by an Portfolio. The Custodian has no duty to ensure or to inquire whether an Investment Advisor complies with any investment objectives or restrictions agreed upon between a Fund and the Investment Advisor or whether the Investment Advisor complies with its legal obligations under applicable securities laws or other laws, including laws intended to protect the interests of investors. The Custodian shall neither assess nor take any responsibility or liability for the suitability or appropriateness of the investments made by a Fund or a Portfolio or on its behalf.

 

14.10        Communications . The Custodian shall not be liable for any untimely exercise of any tender, exchange or other right or power in connection with securities or other financial assets of a Portfolio at any time held by the Custodian unless (a) the Custodian or the Eligible Foreign Custodian is in actual possession of such foreign securities or other financial assets, (b) the Custodian receives Proper Instructions with regard to the exercise of the right or power, and (c) both of the conditions referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) have been satisfied at least three business days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take action to exercise the right or power.

 

14.11        Loaned Securities . Income due to each Portfolio on securities or other financial assets loaned shall be the responsibility of the applicable Fund. The Custodian will have no duty or responsibility in connection with loaned securities or other financial assets, other than to provide the

 

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Fund with such information or data as may be necessary to assist the Fund in arranging for the timely delivery to the Custodian of the income to which the Portfolio is entitled.

 

14.12        Trade Counterparties . A Fund’s receipt of securities or other financial assets from a counterparty in connection with any of its purchase transactions and its receipt of cash from a counterparty in connection with any sale or redemption of securities or other financial assets will be at the Fund’s sole risk, and the Custodian shall not be obligated to make demands on the Fund’s behalf if the Fund’s counterparty defaults. If a Fund’s counterparty fails to deliver securities, other financial assets or cash, the Custodian will, as its sole responsibility, notify the Fund’s Investment Advisor of the failure within a reasonable time after the Custodian became aware of the failure.

 

14.13        Business Continuity . The Custodian shall enter into and shall maintain in effect, at all times during the term of this Agreement, with appropriate parties one or more agreements making reasonable provision for (i) periodic back-up of the computer files and data with respect to the Funds; and (ii) emergency use of electronic data processing equipment to provide services under this Agreement.

 

Section 15.      Compensation and Indemnification of Custodian; Security Interest .

 

Section. 15.1    Compensation . The Custodian shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as agreed upon from time to time between each Fund on behalf of each applicable Portfolio and the Custodian.

 

Section 15.2    Indemnification . Each Portfolio agrees to indemnify the Custodian and to hold the Custodian harmless from and against any loss, cost or expense sustained or incurred by the Custodian in acting or omitting to act under or in respect of this Agreement in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct, including, without limitation, (a) the Custodian’s compliance with Proper Instructions and (b) in connection with the provision of services to a Fund pursuant to Section 7, any obligations, including taxes, withholding and reporting requirements, claims for exemption and refund, additions for late payment, interest, penalties and other expenses, that may be assessed against the Fund, the Portfolio or the Custodian as custodian of the assets of the Fund or the Portfolio. If a Fund on behalf of a Portfolio instructs the Custodian to take any action with respect to securities or other financial assets, and the action involves the payment of money or may, in the opinion of the Custodian, result in the Custodian or its nominee assigned to the Fund or the Portfolio being liable therefor, the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, as a prerequisite to the Custodian taking the action, shall provide to the Custodian at the Custodian’s request such further indemnification in an amount and form satisfactory to the Custodian.

 

Section 15.3    Security Interest . Each Fund hereby grants to the Custodian, to secure the payment and performance of the Fund’s obligations under this Agreement, whether contingent or otherwise, a security interest in and right of recoupment and setoff against all cash and all securities and other financial assets at any time held for the account of a Portfolio by or through the Custodian. The obligations include, without limitation, the Fund’s obligations to reimburse the Custodian if the Custodian or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents advances cash or securities or other financial assets to the Fund for any purpose (including but not limited to settlements of securities or other

 

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financial assets, foreign exchange contracts and assumed settlement), or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee shall incur or be assessed any taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims or liabilities in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except such as may arise from its or its nominee’s own negligence, as well as the Fund’s obligation to compensate the Custodian pursuant to Section 15.1 or indemnify the Custodian pursuant to Section 15.2. Should the Fund fail to reimburse or otherwise pay the Custodian any obligation under this Agreement promptly, the Custodian shall have the rights and remedies of a secured party under this Agreement, the UCC and other applicable law, including the right to utilize available cash and to sell or otherwise dispose of the Portfolio’s assets to the extent necessary to obtain payment or reimbursement.  The Custodian may at any time decline to follow Proper Instructions to deliver out cash, securities or other financial assets if the Custodian determines in its reasonable discretion that, after giving effect to the Proper Instructions, the cash, securities or other financial assets remaining will not have sufficient value fully to secure the Fund's payment or reimbursement obligations, whether contingent or otherwise.

 

Section 16.      Effective Period and Termination .

 

Section 16.1    Term . This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for an initial term ending July 20, 2020. After the expiration of the Initial Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year terms unless a written notice of non-renewal is delivered by the non-renewing party no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the initial term or any renewal term, as the case may be. A written notice of non-renewal may be given as to a Fund or a Portfolio.

 

Section 16.2    Termination . Either party may terminate this Agreement as to a Fund or a Portfolio: (a) in the event of the other party’s material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the other party has either failed to cure, or failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable to the non-breaching party, within 60 days’ written notice being given by the non-breaching party of the breach, or (b) in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the other party, the commencement by or against the other party of a bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding, or upon the happening of a like event to the other party at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction.

 

Section 16.3    Payments Owing to the Custodian . Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 16.1 or 16.2 with respect to any Fund or Portfolio, the applicable Fund shall pay to the Custodian any compensation then due and shall reimburse the Custodian for its other fees, expenses and charges. In the event of: (a) any Fund's termination of this Agreement with respect to such Fund or a Portfolio of the Fund for any reason other than as set forth in Section 16.1 or 16.2 or (b) a transaction not in the ordinary course of business pursuant to which the Custodian is not retained to continue providing services hereunder to a Fund or Portfolio (or its respective successor), the applicable Fund shall pay to the Custodian any compensation due through the end of the then-current term (based upon the average monthly compensation previously earned by the Custodian with respect to the Fund or Portfolio) and shall reimburse the Custodian for its other fees, expenses

 

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and charges. Upon receipt of such payment and reimbursement, the Custodian will deliver the Fund’s or Portfolio’s cash and its securities and other financial assets as set forth in Section 17.

 

Section 16.4    Exclusions . No payment will be required pursuant to clause (b) of Section 16.3 in the event of any transaction consisting of (a) the liquidation or dissolution of a Fund or a Portfolio and distribution of the Fund’s or Portfolio’s assets as a result of the Board’s determination in its reasonable business judgment that the Fund or Portfolio is no longer viable, (b) a merger of a Fund or Portfolio into, or the consolidation of a Fund or Portfolio with, another organization or series, or (c) the sale by a Fund or Portfolio of all or substantially all of its assets to another organization or series and, in the case of a transaction referred to in the foregoing clause (b) or (c) the Custodian is retained to continue providing services to the Fund or Portfolio (or its respective successor) on substantially the same terms as this Agreement.

 

Section 16.5    Effect of Termination . Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Fund or Portfolio shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to any other Fund or Portfolio. Following termination with respect to a Fund or Portfolio, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility to forward information under Section 3.8 or 5.8. The provisions of Sections 7, 14, 15 and 17 of this Agreement shall survive termination of this Agreement.

 

Section 17.      Successor Custodian .

 

Section 17.1    Successor Appointed . If a successor custodian shall be appointed for a Portfolio by its Board, the Custodian shall, upon termination of this Agreement and receipt of Proper Instructions, deliver to the successor custodian at the office of the Custodian, duly endorsed and in the form for transfer, all cash and all securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio then held by the Custodian hereunder and shall transfer to an account of the successor custodian all of the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio held in a U.S. Securities System or Foreign Securities System or at the Underlying Transfer Agent.

 

Section 17.2    No Successor Appointed . If no such successor custodian shall be appointed, the Custodian shall, in like manner, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, deliver at the office of the Custodian and transfer the cash and the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio in accordance with the Proper Instructions.

 

Section 17.3    No Successor Appointed and No Property Instructions . If no successor custodian has been appointed and no Proper Instructions have been delivered to the Custodian on or before the termination of this Agreement, then the Custodian shall have the right to deliver to a bank or trust company, which is a “bank” as defined in the 1940 Act, doing business in Boston, Massachusetts, or New York, New York, of its own selection, all cash and all securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio then held by the Custodian hereunder, and to transfer to an account of the bank or trust company all of the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio held in any U.S. Securities System or Foreign Securities System or at the Underlying Transfer Agent. The transfer will be on such terms as are contained in this Agreement or as the Custodian may otherwise reasonably negotiate with the bank or trust company. Any compensation payable to the bank or trust

 

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company, and any cost or expense incurred by the Custodian, in connection with the transfer shall be for the account of the Portfolio.

 

Section 17.4    Remaining Property . If any cash or any securities or other financial assets of the Portfolio held by the Custodian hereunder remain held by the Custodian after the termination of this Agreement owing to the failure of the applicable Fund to provide Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall be entitled to fair compensation for its services during such period as the Custodian holds the cash or the securities or other financial assets (the existing agreed-to compensation at the time of termation shall be one indicator of what is considered fair compensation). The provisions of this Agreement relating to the duties, exculpation and indemnification of the Custodian shall apply in favor of the Custodian during such period.

 

Section 17.5    Reserves . Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 17, the Custodian may retain cash or securities or other financial assets of the Fund or Portfolio as a reserve reasonably established by the Custodian to secure the payment or performance of any obligations of the Fund or Portfolio secured by a security interest or right of recoupment or setoff in favor of the Custodian.

 

Section 18. Remote Access Services Addendum . The Custodian and each Fund agree to be bound by the terms of the Remote Access Services Addendum hereto.

 

Section 19. Loan Services Addendum . If a Fund directs the Custodian in writing to perform loan services, the Custodian and the Fund will be bound by the terms of the Loan Services Addendum attached hereto. The Fund shall reimburse Custodian for its fees and expenses related thereto as agreed upon from time to time in writing by the Fund and the Custodian.

 

Section 20 . General .

 

Section 20.1 Governing Law . Any and all matters in dispute between the parties hereto, whether arising from or relating to this Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any conflict of laws rules. Likewise, the law applicable to all issues in Article 2(1) of the Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Certain Rights in respect of Securities Held with an Intermediary is the law in force in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

Section 20.2 [Reserved]

 

Section 20.3 Prior Agreements; Amendments . This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements between each Fund on behalf of each of the Fund’s Portfolios and the Custodian relating to the custody of the Fund’s assets. This Agreement may be amended at any time in writing by mutual agreement of the parties hereto.

 

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Section 20.4 Assignment . This Agreement may not be assigned by (a) any Fund without the written consent of the Custodian or (b) the Custodian without the written consent of each applicable Fund. However, without the consent any Fund or any Portfolio, the Custodian may assign this Agreement to a successor of all or a substantial portion of its business, or to a party controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Custodian. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Custodian may employ, engage, associate or contract with such person or persons, including, without limitation, affiliates and subsidiaries of the Custodian, as the Custodian may deem desirable to assist it in performing certain of its non-custodial obligations under this Agreement without the consent of any Fund; provided, however , that the compensation of such person or persons shall be paid by the Custodian and that the Custodian shall be as fully responsible to the Fund for the acts and omissions of any such person or persons as it is for its own acts and omissions under this Agreement.

 

Section 20.5 Interpretive and Additional Provisions. In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Custodian and each Fund on behalf of each of the Portfolios, may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by all parties, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable laws or regulations or any provision of a Fund’s organic record and Prospectus. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be an amendment of this Agreement.

 

Section 20.6 Additional Funds and Portfolios .

 

20.6.1     Additional Fund . If any management investment company in addition to those listed on Appendix A desires he Custodian to render services as custodian under the terms of this Agreement, the management investment company shall so notify the Custodian in writing. If the Custodian agrees in writing to provide the services, the management investment company shall become a Fund hereunder and be bound by all terms and conditions and provisions hereof including, without limitation, the representations and warranties set forth in Section 20.7 below.

 

20.6.2     Additional Portfolio . If any Fund establishes a series in addition to the Portfolios set forth on Appendix A with respect to which the Fund desires the Custodian to render services as custodian under the terms of this Agreement, the Fund shall so notify the Custodian in writing. If the Custodian agrees in writing to provide the services, the series shall become a Portfolio hereunder.

 

Section 20.7  The Parties; Representations and Warranties . All references in this Agreement to the “Fund” are to each of the management investment companies listed on Appendix A, and each management investment company made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 20.6 above, individually, as if this Agreement were between the individual Fund and the Custodian. In the case of a series organization, all references in this Agreement to the “Portfolio” are to the individual series of the series organization on behalf of the individual series. Any reference in this Agreement to “the parties” shall mean the Custodian and such other individual Fund as to which the matter pertains.

 

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20.7.1     Fund Representations and Warranties . Each Fund hereby represents and warrants that (a) it is duly organized and validly existing in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization; (b) it has the requisite power and authority under applicable law and its organic record to enter into and perform this Agreement; (c) all requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement; (d) no legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would materially impair the Fund’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and (e) its entering into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Fund or any law or regulation applicable to it.

 

20.7.2     Custodian Representations and Warranties . The Custodian hereby represents and warrants that (a) it is a trust company, duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (b) it has the requisite power and authority to carry on its business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (c) all requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement; (d) no legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would materially impair the Custodian’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and (e) its entering into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Custodian or any law or regulation applicable to it.

 

Section 20.8 Notices . Any notice, instruction or other communication required to be given hereunder will, unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, be in writing and may be sent by hand, or by facsimile transmission, or overnight delivery by any recognized delivery service, to the parties at the following addresses or such other addresses as may be notified by any party from time to time.

 

To any Fund: Syntax LLC
  110 E. 59 th Street, 33 rd Floor
  New York, NY  10022
  Attention: Rory Riggs
   
To the Custodian: State Street Bank and Trust Company
  1 Iron Street
  Boston, MA  02110
  Attention: Karen McKenna
  Telephone: 617-662-4325
   
with a copy to: State Street Bank and Trust Company
  Legal Division – Global Services Americas
  One Lincoln Street
  Boston, MA  02111
  Attention:  Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel

 

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Section 20.9 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement . Counterparts may be executed in either original or electronically transmitted form (e.g., faxes or emailed portable document format (PDF) form), and the parties hereby adopt as original any signatures received in electronically transmitted form.

 

Section 20.10 Severability; No Waiver . If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired. The failure of a party hereto to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion or the failure of a party hereto to exercise or any delay in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any the term, right or remedy or a waiver of any other rights or remedies, and no single or partial exercise of any right or remedy under this Agreement shall prevent any further exercise of the right or remedy or the exercise of any other right or remedy.

 

Section 20.11   Confidentiality . All information provided under this Agreement by a party (the “Disclosing Party”) to the other party (the “Receiving Party”) regarding the Disclosing Party’s business and operations shall be treated as confidential. Subject to Section 20.12 below, all confidential information provided under this Agreement by Disclosing Party shall be used, including disclosure to third parties, by the Receiving Party, or its agents or service providers, solely for the purpose of performing or receiving the services and discharging the Receiving Party’s other obligations under the Agreement or managing the business of the Receiving Party and its affiliates, including financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (a) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (b) that is independently derived by the Receiving Party without the use of any information provided by the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement, (c) that is disclosed to comply with any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process, (d) that is disclosed as required by operation of law or regulation or as required to comply with the requirements of any market infrastructure that the Disclosing Party or its agents direct the Custodian or its affiliates to employ (or which is required in connection with the holding or settlement of instruments included in the assets subject to this Agreement, or (e) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld .

 

Section 20.12 Use of Data .

 

(a)       In connection with the provision of the services and the discharge of its other obligations under this Agreement, the Custodian (which term for purposes of this Section 20.12 includes each of its parent company, branches and affiliates (“ Affiliates ”)) may collect and store information regarding a Fund and share such information with its Affiliates, agents and service providers in order and to the extent reasonably necessary (i) to carry out the provision of services contemplated under this Agreement and other agreements between the Fund and the Custodian or any of its Affiliates and (ii) to carry out management of its businesses, including, but not limited to, financial and

 

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operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management.

 

(b)       Subject to paragraph (c) below, the Custodian and/or its Affiliates (except those Affiliates or business divisions principally engaged in the business of asset management) may use any data or other information (“ Data ”) obtained by such entities in the performance of their services under this Agreement or any other agreement between the Fund and the Custodian or one of its Affiliates, including Data regarding transactions and portfolio holdings relating to the Fund, and publish, sell, distribute or otherwise commercialize the Data; provided that, unless the Fund otherwise consents, Data is combined or aggregated with information relating to (i) other customers of the Custodian and/or its Affiliates or (ii) information derived from other sources, in each case such that any published information will be displayed in a manner designed to prevent attribution to or identification of such Data with the Fund. The Fund agrees that Custodian and/or its Affiliates may seek to profit and realize economic benefit from the commercialization and use of the Data, that such benefit will constitute part of the Custodian’s compensation for services under this Agreement or such other agreement, and the Custodian and/or its Affiliates shall be entitled to retain and not be required to disclose the amount of such economic benefit and profit to the Fund.

 

(c)       Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, nothing in this Section 20.12 shall limit the confidentiality and data-protection obligations of the Custodian and its Affiliates under this Agreement and applicable law. The Custodian shall cause any Affiliate, agent or service provider to which it has disclosed Data pursuant to this Section 20.12 to comply at all times with confidentiality and data-protection obligations as if it were a party to this Agreement.

 

Section 20.13 Data Privacy. The Custodian will implement and maintain a written information security program that contains appropriate security measures to safeguard the personal information of the Fund’s shareholders, employees, directors and officers that the Custodian receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise accesses in connection with the provision of services hereunder.  The term, “ personal information ”, as used in this Section, means (a) an individual’s name (first initial and last name or first name and last name), address or telephone number plus (i) Social Security number, (ii) driver’s license number, (iii) state identification card number, (iv) debit or credit card number, (v) financial account number or (vi) personal identification number or password that would permit access to a person’s account, or (b) any combination of any of the foregoing that would allow a person to log onto or access an individual’s account.  The term does not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public.

 

Section 20.14 Reproduction of Documents . This Agreement and all schedules, addenda, exhibits, appendices, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. Any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was

 

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made by a party in the regular course of business, and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.

 

Section 20.15 Regulation GG . Each Fund represents and warrants that it does not engage in an “Internet gambling business,” as such term is defined in Section 233.2(r) of Federal Reserve Regulation GG (12 CFR 233) and covenants that it shall not engage in an Internet gambling business. In accordance with Regulation GG, each Fund is hereby notified that “restricted transactions,” as such term is defined in Section 233.2(y) of Regulation GG, are prohibited in any dealings with the Custodian pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise between or among any party hereto.

 

Section 20.16 Shareholder Communications Election . SEC Rule 14b-2 requires banks that hold securities, as that term is used in federal securities laws, for the account of customers to respond to requests by issuers of securities for the names, addresses and holdings of beneficial owners of securities of that issuer held by the bank unless the beneficial owner has expressly objected to disclosure of this information. In order to comply with the rule, as may be applicable, the Custodian needs each Fund to indicate whether it authorizes the Custodian to provide such Fund’s name, address, and share position to requesting companies whose securities the Fund owns. If a Fund tells the Custodian “no,” the Custodian will not provide this information to requesting companies. If a Fund tells the Custodian “yes” or does not check either “yes” or “no” below, the Custodian is required by the rule, as applicable, to treat the Fund as consenting to disclosure of this information for all securities owned by the Fund or any funds or accounts established by the Fund. For a Fund’s protection, the Rule, as applicable, prohibits the requesting company from using the Fund’s name and address for any purpose other than corporate communications. Please indicate below whether the Fund consents or objects by checking one of the alternatives below.

 

YES ¨ The Custodian is authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions.
   
NO   x The Custodian is not authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions.

 

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Exhibit (g)

Signature Page

 

 

In Witness Whereof , each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative under seal as of the date first above-written.

 

 

EACH OF THE MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND SERIES

SET FORTH ON APPENDIX A HERETO

 

By: /s/ Rory Riggs

Name: Roxy Riggs

Title: CEO

 

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY

 

By: /s/ Andrew Erickson

Name: Andrew Erickson

Title: Executive Vice President

 

 

Master Custodian Agreement

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

to

Master Custodian Agreement

 

 

Management Investment Companies Registered with the SEC and Portfolios thereof, If Any

 

Syntax ETF Trust

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF

 

  A- 1  

 

Exhibit (h)(i)

Execution copy

 

ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

 

This Administration Agreement (“Agreement”) dated and effective as of July 20, 2017, is by and between State Street Bank and Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company (the “Administrator”), and each of the Syntax entities listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Trust”).

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is an exchange-traded fund currently comprised of a single or multiple series (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by means of a registration statement (“Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Administrator to furnish certain administrative services to the Trust, and the Administrator is willing to furnish such services, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Appointment of Administrator

 

The Trust hereby appoints the Administrator to act as administrator to the Trust for purposes of providing certain administrative services for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services stated herein.

 

The Trust will initially consist of the Funds and any respective classes of shares as listed in Schedule A to this Agreement. In the event that the Trust establishes one or more additional Fund(s) with respect to which it wishes to retain the Administrator to act as administrator hereunder, the Trust shall notify the Administrator in writing. Upon written acceptance by the Administrator, the Administrator and such Funds shall become subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as the existing Funds, except to the extent that such provisions (including those relating to compensation and expenses payable) may be modified with respect to such Fund in writing by the Trust and the Administrator at the time of the addition of such Fund.

 

2. Delivery of Documents

 

The Trust will promptly deliver to the Administrator copies of each of the following documents and all future amendments and supplements, if any:

 

a. The Trust’s Declaration of Trust and By-laws (“Governing Documents”);

 

b. The Trust’s currently effective Registration Statement under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and each Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)

 

 

 

 

 

    relating to the Fund(s) and all amendments and supplements thereto as in effect from time to time;

 

c. Copies of the resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) certified by the Trust’s Secretary authorizing (1) the Trust to enter into this Agreement and (2) certain individuals on behalf of the Trust (“Authorized Persons”) to (a) give instructions to the Administrator pursuant to this Agreement and (b) sign checks and pay expenses;

 

d. A copy of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and its investment adviser; and

 

e. Such other certificates, documents or opinions which the Administrator may, in its reasonable discretion, deem necessary or appropriate in the proper performance of its duties.

 

3. Representations and Warranties of the Administrator

 

The Administrator represents and warrants to the Trust that:

 

a. It is a Massachusetts trust company, duly organized and existing under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

 

b. It has the requisite power and authority to carry on its business in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

 

c. All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

d. No legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would materially impair the Administrator’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and

 

e. Its entrance into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Administrator or any law or regulation applicable to it.

 

4. Representations and Warranties of the Trust

 

The Trust represents and warrants to the Administrator that:

 

a. It is a statutory trust, duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of formation;

 

b. It has the requisite power and authority under applicable laws and by its Declaration of Trust and By-laws to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

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c. All requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

d. It is an investment company properly registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act;

 

e. The Registration Statement been filed and will be effective and remain effective during the term of this Agreement. The Trust also warrants to the Administrator that as of the effective date of this Agreement, all necessary filings under the securities laws of the states in which the Trust offers or sells its shares have been made;

 

f. No legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would impair the Trust’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement;

 

g. Its entrance into this Agreement will not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Trust or any law or regulation applicable to it;

 

h. As of the close of business on the date of this Agreement, the Trust is authorized to issue unlimited shares of beneficial interest; and

 

i. Where information provided by the Trust or the Trust’s Investors includes information about an identifiable individual (“Personal Information”), the Trust represents and warrants that it has obtained all consents and approvals, as required by all applicable laws, regulations, by-laws and ordinances that regulate the collection, processing, use or disclosure of Personal Information, necessary to disclose such Personal Information to the Administrator, and as required for the Administrator to use and disclose such Personal Information in connection with the performance of the services hereunder. The Trust acknowledges that the Administrator may perform any of the services, and may use and disclose Personal Information outside of the jurisdiction in which it was initially collected by the Trust, including the United States and that information relating to the Trust, including Personal Information may be accessed by national security authorities, law enforcement and courts.  The Administrator shall be kept indemnified by and be without liability to the Trust for any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon this representation and warranty, including without limitation, any liability or costs in connection with claims or complaints for failure to comply with any applicable law that regulates the collection, processing, use or disclosure of Personal Information.

 

5. Administration Services

 

The Administrator shall provide the services as listed on Schedule B, subject to the authorization and direction of the Trust and, in each case where appropriate, the review and

 

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comment by the Trust’s independent accountants and legal counsel and in accordance with procedures which may be established from time to time between the Trust and the Administrator.

 

The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Trust that are mutually agreed to by the parties from time to time, for which the Trust will pay such fees as may be mutually agreed upon, including the Administrator’s reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. The provision of such services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

The Administrator shall provide the office facilities and the personnel determined by it to perform the services contemplated herein.

 

6. Compensation of Administrator; Expense Reimbursement; Trust Expenses

 

The Administrator shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses, as agreed upon from time to time in writing between the Trust on behalf of each applicable Fund and the Administrator.

 

The Trust agrees promptly to reimburse the Administrator for any equipment and supplies specially ordered by or for the Trust through the Administrator and for any other expenses not contemplated by this Agreement that the Administrator may incur on the Trust’s behalf at the Trust’s request or with the Trust’s consent.

 

The Trust will bear all expenses that are incurred in its operation and not specifically assumed by the Administrator. For the avoidance of doubt, Trust expenses not assumed by the Administrator include, but are not limited to: organizational expenses; cost of services of independent accountants and outside legal and tax counsel (including such counsel’s review of the Registration Statement, Form N-CSR, Form N-Q, Form N-PX, Form N-MFP, Form N-SAR, proxy materials, federal and state tax qualification as a regulated investment company and other notices, registrations, reports, filings and materials prepared by the Administrator under this Agreement); cost of any services contracted for by the Trust directly from parties other than the Administrator; cost of trading operations and brokerage fees, commissions and transfer taxes in connection with the purchase and sale of securities for the Trust; investment advisory fees; taxes, insurance premiums and other fees and expenses applicable to its operation; costs incidental to any meetings of shareholders including, but not limited to, legal and accounting fees, proxy filing fees and the costs of preparation (e.g., typesetting, XBRL-tagging, page changes and all other print vendor and EDGAR charges, collectively referred to herein as “Preparation”), printing, distribution and mailing of any proxy materials; costs incidental to Board meetings, including fees and expenses of Board members; the salary and expenses of any officer, director\trustee or employee of the Trust; costs of Preparation, printing, distribution and mailing, as applicable, of the Trust’s Registration Statements and any amendments and supplements thereto and shareholder reports; cost of Preparation and filing of the Trust’s tax returns, Form N-1A, Form N-CSR, Form N-Q, Form N-PX, Form N-MFP and Form N-SAR, and all notices, registrations and amendments associated with applicable federal and state tax and securities laws; all applicable registration fees and filing fees required under federal and state securities laws; the cost of fidelity bond and D&O/E&O liability insurance; and the cost of independent pricing services used in computing the Fund(s)’ net asset value.

 

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7. Instructions and Advice

 

At any time, the Administrator may apply to the officer(s) of the Trust or the Authorized Persons for instructions or the independent accountants for the Trust, with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Administrator under this Agreement. The Administrator shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel (who may be counsel for the Trust) on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice.

 

The Administrator shall not be liable, and shall be indemnified by the Trust, for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in reliance upon any such instructions or advice or upon any paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons. The Administrator shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person until receipt of written notice thereof from the Fund(s). Nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing upon the Administrator any obligation to seek such instructions or advice, or to act in accordance with such advice when received.

 

8. Liability and Indemnification

 

The Administrator will be liable to the Trust for direct damages to the extent they result from the Administrator’s fraud, negligence or willful misconduct in performing its duties as set out in this Agreement.

 

The Administrator shall be responsible for the performance only of such duties as are set forth in this Agreement and, except as otherwise provided under Section 14, shall have no responsibility for the actions or activities of any other party, including other service providers. The Administrator shall have no liability in respect of any loss, damage or expense suffered by the Trust insofar as such loss, damage or expense arises from the performance of the Administrator’s duties hereunder in reliance upon records that were maintained for the Trust by entities other than the Administrator prior to the Administrator’s appointment as administrator for the Trust. The Administrator shall have no liability for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss or damage resulting from the performance or nonperformance of its duties hereunder unless such error, mistake, loss or damage arises directly from, and then only to the extent of, the failure of the Administrator, its officers or employees to act in good faith and without fraud, negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrator shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, including lost profits, of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) under any provision of this Agreement or for any such damages arising out of any act or failure to act hereunder, each of which is hereby excluded by agreement of the parties regardless of whether such damages were foreseeable or whether either party or any entity had been advised of the possibility of such damages. In any event, except as otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties hereto, the Administrator’s cumulative liability for each calendar year (a “Liability Period”) with respect to the Trust under this Agreement regardless of the form of action or legal theory shall be limited to its total annual compensation earned and fees payable hereunder during the preceding Compensation Period, as defined herein, for any liability or loss suffered by the Trust including, but not limited to, any liability relating to qualification of the Trust

 

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as a regulated investment company or any liability relating to the Trust’s compliance with any federal or state tax or securities statute, regulation or ruling during such Liability Period. “Compensation Period” shall mean the calendar year ending immediately prior to each Liability Period in which the event(s) giving rise to the Administrator’s liability for that period have occurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Compensation Period for purposes of calculating the annual cumulative liability of the Administrator for the Liability Period commencing on the date of this Agreement and terminating on December 31, 2017 shall be the date of this Agreement through December 31, 2017, calculated on an annualized basis, and the Compensation Period for the Liability Period commencing January 1, 2018 and terminating on December 31, 2018 shall be the date of this Agreement through December 31, 2017, calculated on an annualized basis.

 

The Administrator shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, work stoppage, power or other mechanical failure, computer virus, natural disaster, governmental action or communication disruption.

 

The Trust shall indemnify and hold the Administrator and its directors, officers, employees and agents harmless from all loss, cost, damage and expense, including reasonable fees and expenses for counsel, incurred by the Administrator resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit in connection with the Administrator’s acceptance of this Agreement, any action or omission by it in the performance of its duties hereunder, or as a result of acting upon any instructions reasonably believed by it to have been duly authorized by the Trust or upon reasonable reliance on information or records given or made by the Trust or its investment adviser, provided that this indemnification shall not apply to actions or omissions of the Administrator, its officers or employees in cases of its or their own fraud, negligence or willful misconduct.

 

The limitation of liability and indemnification contained herein shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

9. Confidentiality

 

All information provided under this Agreement by a party (the “Disclosing Party”) to the other party (the “Receiving Party”) regarding the Disclosing Party’s business and operations shall be treated as confidential. Subject to Section 10 below, all confidential information provided under this Agreement by Disclosing Party shall be used, including disclosure to third parties, by the Receiving Party, or its agents or service providers, solely for the purpose of performing or receiving the services and discharging the Receiving Party’s other obligations under the Agreement or managing the business of the Receiving Party and its Affiliates (as defined in Section 10 below), including financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (a) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (b) that is independently derived by the Receiving Party without the use of any information provided by the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement, (c) that is disclosed to comply with any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative

 

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demand or other similar process, (d) that is disclosed as required by operation of law or regulation or as required to comply with the requirements of any market infrastructure that the Disclosing Party or its agents direct the Administrator or its Affiliates to employ (or which is required in connection with the holding or settlement of instruments included in the assets subject to this Agreement), or (e) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

10. Use of Data

 

(a)       In connection with the provision of the services and the discharge of its other obligations under this Agreement, the Administrator (which term for purposes of this Section 10 includes each of its parent company, branches and affiliates (“Affiliates”)) may collect and store information regarding the Trust or Fund and share such information with its Affiliates, agents and service providers in order and to the extent reasonably necessary (i) to carry out the provision of services contemplated under this Agreement and other agreements between the Trust and the Administrator or any of its Affiliates and (ii) to carry out management of its businesses, including, but not limited to, financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management.

 (b)       Subject to paragraph (c) below, the Administrator and/or its Affiliates (except those Affiliates or business divisions principally engaged in the business of asset management) may use any data or other information (“Data”) obtained by such entities in the performance of their services under this Agreement or any other agreement between the Trust and the Administrator or one of its Affiliates, including Data regarding transactions and portfolio holdings relating to the Trust/Fund, and publish, sell, distribute or otherwise commercialize the Data; provided that, unless the Trust otherwise consents, Data is combined or aggregated with information relating to (i) other customers of the Administrator and/or its Affiliates or (ii) information derived from other sources, in each case such that any published information will be displayed in a manner designed to prevent attribution to or identification of such Data with the Trust/Fund. The Trust agrees that Administrator and/or its Affiliates may seek to profit and realize economic benefit from the commercialization and use of the Data, that such benefit will constitute part of the Administrator’s compensation for services under this Agreement or such other agreement, and the Administrator and/or its Affiliates shall be entitled to retain and not be required to disclose the amount of such economic benefit and profit to the Trust/Fund.

 

(c)       Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, nothing in this Section 10 shall limit the confidentiality and data-protection obligations of the Administrator and its Affiliates under this Agreement and applicable law. The Administrator shall cause any Affiliate, agent or service provider to which it has disclosed Data pursuant to this Section 10 to comply at all times with confidentiality and data-protection obligations as if it were a party to this Agreement.

 

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11. Compliance with Governmental Rules and Regulations; Records

 

The Trust assumes full responsibility for complying with all securities, tax, commodities and other laws, rules and regulations applicable to it.

 

In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the 1940 Act, the Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust shall at all times remain the property of the Trust, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of the Agreement or otherwise on written request except as otherwise provided in Section 13. The Administrator further agrees that all records that it maintains for the Trust pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act will be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records may be surrendered in either written or machine-readable form, at the option of the Administrator. In the event that the Administrator is requested or authorized by the Trust, or required by subpoena, administrative order, court order or other legal process, applicable law or regulation, or required in connection with any investigation, examination or inspection of the Trust by state or federal regulatory agencies, to produce the records of the Trust or the Administrator’s personnel as witnesses or deponents, the Trust agrees to pay the Administrator for the Administrator’s time and expenses, as well as the fees and expenses of the Administrator’s counsel incurred in such production.

 

12. Services Not Exclusive

 

The services of the Administrator are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Administrator shall be free to render similar services to others. The Administrator shall be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or authorized by the Trust from time to time, have no authority to act or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust.

 

13. Effective Period and Termination

 

This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for an initial term ending July 20, 2020 (the “Initial Term”). After the expiration of the Initial Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year terms (each, a “Renewal Term”) unless a written notice of non-renewal is delivered by the non-renewing party no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal Term, as the case may be. During the Initial Term and thereafter, either party may terminate this Agreement: (i) in the event of the other party’s material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the other party has either (a) failed to cure or (b) failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable, within 60 days’ written notice of such breach, or (ii) in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the other party or upon the happening of a like event to the other party at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph with respect to the Trust or any Fund, the Trust or applicable Fund shall pay Administrator its compensation due and shall reimburse Administrator for its costs, expenses and disbursements.

In the event of: (i) the Trust’s termination of this Agreement with respect to the Trust or its Fund(s) for any reason other than as set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph or (ii) a transaction not in the ordinary course of business pursuant to which the Administrator is not

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retained to continue providing services hereunder to the Trust or a Fund (or its respective successor), the Trust or applicable Fund shall pay the Administrator its compensation due through the end of the then-current term (based upon the average monthly compensation previously earned by Administrator with respect to the Trust or such Fund) and shall reimburse the Administrator for its costs, expenses and disbursements. For the avoidance of doubt, no payment will be required pursuant to clause (ii) of this paragraph in the event of any transaction such (a) the liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or a Fund and distribution of the Trust’s or such Fund’s assets as a result of the Board’s determination in its reasonable business judgment that the Trust or such Fund is no longer viable (b) a merger of the Trust or a Fund into, or the consolidation of the Trust or a Fund with, another entity, or (c) the sale by the Trust or a Fund of all, or substantially all, of the Trust’s or Fund’s assets to another entity, in each of (b) and (c) where the Administrator is retained to continue providing services to the Trust or such Fund (or its respective successor) on substantially the same terms as this Agreement.

 

Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Fund shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to the Trust or any other Fund.

 

14. Employment of Others

 

The Administrator may employ, engage, associate or contract with such person or persons, including, without limitation, affiliates and subsidiaries of the Administrator, as the Administrator may deem desirable to assist it in performing its duties under this Agreement without the consent of the Trust; provided, however, that the compensation of such person or persons shall be paid by the Administrator and that the Administrator shall be as fully responsible to the Trust for the acts and omissions of any such person or persons as it is for its own acts and omissions under this Agreement.

 

15. Interpretive and Additional Provisions

 

In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Administrator and the Trust on behalf of each of the Funds, may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by all parties, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable laws or regulations or any provision of the Trust’s Governing Documents. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be an amendment of the Agreement.

 

16. Notices

 

Any notice, instruction or other instrument required to be given hereunder will be in writing and may be sent by hand, or by facsimile transmission, or overnight delivery by any recognized delivery service, to the parties at the following address or such other address as may be notified by any party from time to time:

 

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If to the Trust:

c/o [ Trust Name ]

110 E. 59 th Street, 33 rd Floor

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Rory Riggs

 

If to the Administrator:

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company

1 Iron Street

Boston, MA 02110

Attention: Karen McKenna

Telephone: 617-662-4325

 

with a copy to:

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company

Legal Division – Global Services Americas

One Lincoln Street

Boston, MA 02110

Attention: Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel

  

17. Amendment

 

This Agreement may be amended at any time in writing by mutual agreement of the parties hereto.

 

18. Assignment

 

This Agreement shall not be assigned by either party hereto without the prior consent in writing of the other party, except that the Administrator may assign this Agreement to a successor of all or a substantial portion of its business, or to a party controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Administrator.

 

19. Successors

 

This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the Trust and the Administrator and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

20. Data Protection

 

The Administrator shall implement and maintain a comprehensive written information security program that contains appropriate security measures to safeguard the personal information of the Trust’s shareholders, employees, directors and/or officers that the Administrator receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise accesses in connection with the provision of services hereunder. For these purposes, “personal information” shall mean ( i) an individual’s name (first

 

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initial and last name or first name and last name), address or telephone number plus (a) social security number, (b) driver’s license number, (c) state identification card number, (d) debit or credit card number, (e) financial account number or (f) personal identification number or password that would permit access to a person’s account or (ii) any combination of the foregoing that would allow a person to log onto or access an individual’s account. Notwithstanding the foregoing “personal information” shall not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public.

 

21. Entire Agreement

 

This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all previous representations, warranties or commitments regarding the services to be performed hereunder whether oral or in writing.

 

22. Waiver

 

The failure of a party to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver nor shall it deprive such party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any term of this Agreement or the failure of a party hereto to exercise or any delay in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any such term, right or remedy or a waiver of any other rights or remedies, and no single or partial exercise of any right or remedy under this Agreement shall prevent any further exercise of the right or remedy or the exercise or any other right or remedy. Any waiver must be in writing signed by the waiving party.

 

23. Severability

 

If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

 

24. Governing Law

 

This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflicts of laws rules.

 

25. Reproduction of Documents

 

This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, xerographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a

 

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party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.

 

26. Counterparts

 

This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Counterparts may be executed in either original or electronically transmitted form (e.g., faxes or emailed portable document format (PDF) form), and the parties hereby adopt as original any signatures received via electronically transmitted form.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the date first written above.

 

EACH ENTITY LISTED ON SCHEDULE A ATTACHED HERETO

 

By: /s/ Rory Riggs
Name:   Rory Riggs
Title: CEO

 

 

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY

 

 

By: /s/ Andrew Erickson
Name:   Andrew Erickson
Title: Executive Vice President

 

Administration Agreement

 

 

 

  

ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

 

SCHEDULE A

Listing of Fund(s)

 

 

Syntax ETF Trust

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF

 

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ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

 

Schedule B

 

LIST OF SERVICES

 

I. Fund Administration Treasury Services as described in Schedule B1 attached hereto;

 

II. Fund Administration Tax Services as described in Schedule B2 attached hereto; and

 

III. Fund Administration Legal Services as described in Schedule B3 attached hereto.

 

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Schedule B1

 

Fund Administration Treasury Services

 

a. Prepare for the review by designated officer(s) of the Trust financial information regarding the Fund(s) that will be included in the Trust’s semi-annual and annual shareholder reports, Form N-Q reports and other quarterly reports (as mutually agreed upon), including tax footnote disclosures where applicable;

 

b. Coordinate the audit of the Trust’s financial statements by the Trust’s independent accountants, including the preparation of supporting audit workpapers and other schedules;

 

c. Prepare for the review by designated officer(s) of the Trust the Trust’s periodic financial reports required to be filed with the SEC on Form N-SAR and financial information required by Form N-1A, proxy statements and such other reports, forms or filings as may be mutually agreed upon;

 

d. Prepare for the review by designated officer(s) of the Trust annual fund expense budgets, perform accrual analyses and roll-forward calculations and recommend changes to fund expense accruals on a quarterly basis, arrange for payment of the Trust’s expenses, review calculations of fees paid to the Trust’s investment adviser, custodian, fund accountant, distributor and transfer agent, and obtain authorization of accrual changes and expense payments;

 

e. Provide periodic testing of the Fund(s) with respect to compliance with the Internal Revenue Code’s mandatory qualification requirements, the requirements of the 1940 Act and limitations for the Fund(s) contained in the Registration Statement for the Fund(s) as may be mutually agreed upon, including quarterly compliance reporting to the designated officer(s) of the Trust as well as preparation of Board compliance materials;

 

f. Prepare and furnish total return performance information for the Fund(s), including such information on an after-tax basis, calculated in accordance with applicable U.S. securities laws and regulations, as may be reasonably requested by Trust management;

 

g. Prepare and disseminate vendor survey information;

 

h. Prepare and coordinate the filing of Rule 24f-2 notices annually, including coordination of payment;

 

i. Provide periodic certifications and reasonable documentation to the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust in connection with Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act with respect to the serviced provided by the Administrator;

 

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j. Provide sub-certificates in connection with the certification requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 with respect to the services provided by the Administrator; and

 

k. Maintain certain books and records of the Trust as required under Rule 31a-1(b) of the 1940 Act, as may be mutually agreed upon.

 

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SCHEDULE B2

 

Fund Administration Tax Services

 

a. Prepare annual tax basis provisions for both excise and income tax purposes, including wash sales and all tax financial statement disclosure;

 

b. Prepare the Funds’ annual federal, state, and local income tax returns and extension requests for review and for execution and filing by the Trust’s independent accountants and execution and filing by the Trust’s treasurer, including Form 1120-RIC, Form 8613 and Form 1099-MISC;

 

c. Prepare annual shareholder reporting information relating to Form 1099-DIV;

 

d. Preparation of financial information relating to Form 1099-DIV, including completion of the ICI Primary and Secondary forms, Qualified Dividend Income, Dividends Received Deduction, Alternative Minimum Tax, Foreign Tax Credit, United States Government obligations;

 

e. Review annual minimum distribution calculations (income and capital gain) for both federal and excise tax purposes prior to their declaration; and

 

f. Participate in discussions of potential tax issues with the Funds and the Funds’ audit firm.

 

Tax services, as described in this Schedule, do not include identification of passive foreign investment companies, qualified interest income securities or Internal Revenue Code Section 1272(a)(6) tax calculations for asset backed securities.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

  B 2 -1  

 

 

SCHEDULE B3

 

Fund Administration Legal Services

 

a. Prepare the agenda and resolutions for all requested Board of Trustees (the “Board”) and committee meetings, make presentations to the Board and committee meetings where appropriate or upon reasonable request, prepare minutes for such Board and committee meetings and attend the Trust’s Board and shareholder meetings and prepare minutes of such meetings;

 

b. Prepare for filing with the SEC the following documents: Form N-CSR, Form N-PX and all amendments to the Registration Statement, including updates of the Prospectus and SAI for the Fund(s) and any supplements to the Prospectus and SAI for the Fund(s);

 

c. Prepare for filing with the SEC proxy statements and provide consultation on proxy solicitation matters;

 

d. Maintain general Board calendars and regulatory filings calendars;

 

e. Maintain copies of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and By-laws;

 

f. Assist in developing guidelines and procedures to improve overall compliance by the Trust;

 

g. Assist the Trust in the handling of routine regulatory examinations of the Trust and work closely with the Trust’s legal counsel in response to any non-routine regulatory matters;

 

h. Maintain awareness of significant emerging regulatory and legislative developments that may affect the Trust, update the Board and the investment adviser on those developments and provide related planning assistance where requested or appropriate; and

 

i. Coordinate with insurance providers, including soliciting bids for Directors & Officers/Errors & Omissions (“D&O/E&O”) insurance and fidelity bond coverage, file fidelity bonds with the SEC and make related Board presentations.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

  B 3 -1  

 

 

Exhibit (h)(ii)

Execution copy

 

TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT

 

THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the 20 th day of July, 2017, by and between STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, Massachusetts trust company having its principal office and place of business at One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 (“State Street” or the “Transfer Agent”), and each of the entities listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Trust).

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) in separate series, with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;

 

WHEREAS, the Trust intends to initially offer Shares in one or more series, each as named in the attached Schedule A , which may be amended by the parties from time to time (such series, together with all other series subsequently established by the Trust and made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 12 of this Agreement, being herein referred to as a “Portfolio,” and collectively as the “Portfolios”);

 

WHEREAS, each Portfolio will issue and redeem Shares only in aggregations of Shares known as “Creation Units” as described in the currently effective prospectus and statement of additional information of the Trust (collectively, the “Prospectus”);

 

WHEREAS, only those entities (“Authorized Participants”) that have entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the distributor of the Trust, currently ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), are eligible to place orders for Creation Units with the Distributor;

 

WHEREAS, the Depository Trust Company, a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York (“DTC”) or its nominee will be the record or registered owner of all outstanding Shares;

 

WHEREAS, Trust desires to appoint Transfer Agent to act as its transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and agent in connection with certain other activities; and Transfer Agent is willing to accept such appointment.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto, agree as follows:

 

1. TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

 

1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Trust and each Portfolio hereby employs and appoints the Transfer Agent to act as, and the Transfer Agent agrees to act as, transfer agent for the Creation Units and dividend disbursing agent of the Trust and each Portfolio.

 

 

 

 

1.2 Transfer Agency Services . In accordance with procedures established from time to time by agreement between the Trust and each Portfolio, as applicable, and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall:

 

(i) establish each Authorized Participant’s account in the applicable Portfolio on the Transfer Agent’s recordkeeping system and maintain such account for the benefit of such Authorized Participant;

 

(ii) receive and process orders for the purchase of Creation Units from the Distributor or the Trust, and promptly deliver payment and appropriate documentation thereof to the custodian of the applicable Portfolio as identified by the Trust (the “Custodian”);

 

(iii) generate or cause to be generated and transmitted confirmation of receipt of such purchase orders to the Authorized Participants and, if applicable, transmit appropriate trade instruction to the National Securities Clearance Corporation (“NSCC”);

 

(iv) receive and process redemption requests and redemption directions from the Distributor or the Trust and deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to the Custodian;

 

(v) with respect to items (i) through (iv) above, the Transfer Agent may execute transactions directly with Authorized Participants;

 

(vi) at the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, pay over or cause to be paid over in the appropriate manner such monies, if any, to the redeeming Authorized Participant as instructed by the Distributor or the Trust ;

 

(vii) prepare and transmit by means of DTC’s book-entry system payments for any dividends and distributions declared by the Trust on behalf of the applicable Portfolio;

 

(viii) record the issuance of Shares of the applicable Portfolio and maintain a record of the total number of Shares of each Portfolio which are issued and outstanding; and provide the Trust on a regular basis with the total number of Shares of each Portfolio which are issued and outstanding but Transfer Agent shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares to determine if there are authorized Shares available for issuance or to take cognizance of any laws relating to, or corporate actions required for, the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Trust and each Portfolio; and, excluding DTC or its nominee as the record or registered owner, the Transfer Agent shall have no obligations or responsibilities to account for, keep records of, or otherwise related to, the beneficial owners of the Shares;

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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(ix) maintain and manage, as agent for the Trust and each Portfolio, such bank accounts as the Transfer Agent shall deem necessary for the performance of its duties under this Agreement, including but not limited to, the processing of Creation Unit purchases and redemptions and the payment of a Portfolio’s dividends and distributions. The Transfer Agent may maintain such accounts at the bank or banks deemed appropriate by the Transfer Agent in accordance with applicable law;

 

(x) process any request from an Authorized Participant to change its account registration;

 

(xi) provide sub-certificates in connection with the certification requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 with respect to the services provided by the Transfer Agent;

 

(xii) provide periodic certifications and reasonable documentation to the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust in connection with Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act with respect to the services provided by the Transfer Agent; and

 

(xiii) except as otherwise instructed by the Trust, the Transfer Agent shall process all transactions in each Portfolio in accordance with the procedures mutually agreed upon by the Trust and the Transfer Agent with respect to the proper net asset value to be applied to purchase orders received in good order by the Transfer Agent or by the Trust or any other person or firm on behalf of such Portfolio or from an Authorized Participant before cut-offs established by the Trust. The Transfer Agent shall report to the Trust any known exceptions to the foregoing.

 

1.3 Additional Services . In addition to, and neither in lieu of nor in contravention of the services set forth in Section 1.2 above, the Transfer Agent shall perform the following services:

 

(i) The Transfer Agent shall perform such other services for the Trust that are mutually agreed to by the parties from time to time, for which the Trust will pay such fees as may be mutually agreed upon, including the Transfer Agent’s reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. The provision of such services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

(ii) DTC and NSCC . The Transfer Agent shall: (a) accept and effectuate the registration and maintenance of accounts, and the purchase and redemption of Creation Units in such accounts, in accordance with instructions transmitted to and received by the Transfer Agent by transmission from DTC or NSCC on behalf of Authorized Participants; and (b) issue instructions to a Portfolio’s banks for the settlement of transactions between the Portfolio and DTC or NSCC (acting on behalf of the applicable Authorized Participant).

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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1.4 Authorized Persons . The Trust and each Portfolio, hereby agrees and acknowledges that the Transfer Agent may rely on the current list of authorized persons, including the Distributor, as provided or agreed to by the Trust and as may be amended from time to time, in receiving instructions to issue or redeem Creation Units (the “Authorized Persons”). The Trust and each Portfolio, agrees and covenants for itself and each such Authorized Person that any order or sale of or transaction in Creation Units received by it after the order cut-off time as set forth in the Prospectus or such earlier time as designated by such Portfolio (the “Order Cut-Off Time”), shall be effectuated at the net asset value determined on the next business day or as otherwise required pursuant to the applicable Portfolio’s then-effective Prospectus, and the Trust or such Authorized Person shall so instruct the Transfer Agent of the proper effective date of the transaction.

 

1.5 Anti-Money Laundering and Client Screening . With respect to the Trust’s or any Portfolio’s offering and sale of Creation Units at any time, and for all subsequent transfers of such interests, the Trust or its delegate shall, to the extent applicable, directly or indirectly and to the extent required by law: (i) conduct know your customer/client identity due diligence with respect to potential investors and transferees in the Shares and Creation Units and shall obtain and retain due diligence records for each investor and transferee; (ii) use its best efforts to ensure that each investor’s and any transferee’s funds used to purchase Creation Units or Shares shall not be derived from, nor the product of, any criminal activity; (iii) if requested, provide periodic written verifications that such investors/transferees have been checked against the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control database for any non-compliance or exceptions; and (iv) perform its obligations under this Section in accordance with all applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations. In the event that the Transfer Agent has received advice from counsel that access to underlying due diligence records pertaining to the investors/transferees is necessary to ensure compliance by the Transfer Agent with relevant anti-money laundering (or other applicable) laws or regulations, the Trust shall, upon receipt of written request from the Transfer Agent, provide the Transfer Agent copies of such due diligence records.

 

1.6 Compliance Program . The Transfer Agent maintains and will continue to maintain a compliance program that is reasonably designed to prevent violations of the applicable Federal Securities Laws which relate to the services to be provided by the Transfer Agent hereunder. The Transfer Agent will provide periodic measurement reports to the Trust with respect to the Transfer Agent’s compliance with its compliance program. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to amend and update its compliance program and the measurement tools and certifications provided thereunder from time to time in order to address changing regulatory and industry developments. The Transfer Agent will provide the Trust with such amendments or updates promptly upon effectiveness.

 

1.7 State Transaction (“Blue Sky”) Reporting . If applicable, the Trust shall be solely responsible for its “blue sky” compliance and state registration requirements.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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1.8 Tax Law . The Transfer Agent shall have no responsibility or liability for any obligations now or hereafter imposed on the Trust, a Portfolio, any Creation Units, any Shares, a beneficial owner thereof, an Authorized Participant or the Transfer Agent in connection with the services provided by the Transfer Agent hereunder by the tax laws of any country or of any state or political subdivision thereof. It shall be the responsibility of the Trust to notify the Transfer Agent of the obligations imposed on the Trust, a Portfolio, the Creation Units, the Shares, or the Transfer Agent in connection with the services provided by the Transfer Agent hereunder by the tax law of countries, states and political subdivisions thereof, including responsibility for withholding and other taxes, assessments or other governmental charges, certifications and governmental reporting.

 

1.9 The Transfer Agent shall provide the office facilities and the personnel determined by it to perform the services contemplated herein.

 

2. FEES AND EXPENSES

 

2.1 Fee Schedule . For the performance by the Transfer Agent of services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the Transfer Agent shall be entitled to receive the fees and expenses set forth in a written fee schedule.

 

2.2 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE TRANSFER AGENT

 

The Transfer Agent represents and warrants to the Trust that:

 

3.1 It is a trust company duly organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

3.2 It is duly registered as a transfer agent under Section 17A(c)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), it will remain so registered for the duration of this Agreement, and it will promptly notify the Trust in the event of any material change in its status as a registered transfer agent.

 

3.3 It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

3.4 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into and perform the services contemplated in this Agreement.

 

3.5 All requisite organizational proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement.

 

3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE TRUST AND THE PORTFOLIOS

 

The Trust and each Portfolio represents and warrants to the Transfer Agent that:

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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4.1 The Trust is a business trust duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its formation.

 

4.2 The Trust is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into and perform this Agreement.

 

4.3 All requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize the Trust to enter into, perform and receive services pursuant to this Agreement.

 

4.4 The Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company.

 

4.5 A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is currently effective and will remain effective, and all appropriate state securities law filings have been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all Shares of the Trust being offered for sale.

 

4.6 Where information provided by the Trust or a Trust’s investors includes information about an identifiable individual (“Personal Information”), the Trust represents and warrants that it has obtained all consents and approvals, as required by all applicable laws, regulations, by-laws and ordinances that regulate the collection, processing, use or disclosure of Personal Information, necessary to disclose such Personal Information to the Transfer Agent, and as required for the Transfer Agent to use and disclose such Personal Information in connection with the performance of the services hereunder. The Trust acknowledges that the Transfer Agent may perform any of the services, and may use and disclose Personal Information outside of the jurisdiction in which it was initially collected by the Trust, including the United States and that information relating to the Trust, including Personal Information of investors may be accessed by national security authorities, law enforcement and courts.  The Transfer Agent shall be kept indemnified by and be without liability to the Trust for any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon this representation and warranty, including without limitation, any liability or costs in connection with claims or complaints for failure to comply with any applicable law that regulates the collection, processing, use or disclosure of Personal Information.

 

4. DATA ACCESS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

 

5.1 The Trust acknowledges that the databases, computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, and documentation manuals furnished to the Trust by the Transfer Agent as part of the Trust’s ability to access certain Trust-related data maintained by the Transfer Agent or another third party on databases under the control and ownership of the Transfer Agent (“Data Access Services”) constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information (collectively, “Proprietary Information”) of substantial value to the Transfer Agent or another third party. In no event shall Proprietary Information be deemed Authorized Participant information or the confidential information of

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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the Trust. The Trust and each Portfolio agrees to treat all Proprietary Information as proprietary to the Transfer Agent and further agrees that it shall not divulge any Proprietary Information to any person or organization except as may be provided hereunder. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trust agrees for itself and its officers and trustees and their agents, to:

 

(i) use such programs and databases solely on the Trust’s, or such agents’ computers, or solely from equipment at the location(s) agreed to between the Trust and the Transfer Agent, and solely in accordance with the Transfer Agent’s applicable user documentation;

 

(ii) refrain from copying or duplicating in any way the Proprietary Information;

 

(iii) refrain from obtaining unauthorized access to any portion of the Proprietary Information, and if such access is inadvertently obtained, to inform the Transfer Agent in a timely manner of such fact and dispose of such information in accordance with the Transfer Agent’s instructions;

 

(iv) refrain from causing or allowing Proprietary Information transmitted from the Transfer Agent’s computers to the Trust’s, or such agents’ computer to be retransmitted to any other computer facility or other location, except with the prior written consent of the Transfer Agent;

 

(v) allow the Trust or such agents to have access only to those authorized transactions agreed upon by the Trust and the Transfer Agent;

 

(vi) honor all reasonable written requests made by the Transfer Agent to protect at the Transfer Agent’s expense the rights of the Transfer Agent in Proprietary Information at common law, under federal copyright law and under other federal or state law.

 

5.2 Proprietary Information shall not include all or any portion of any of the foregoing items that are or become publicly available without breach of this Agreement; that are released for general disclosure by a written release by the Transfer Agent; or that are already in the possession of the receiving party at the time of receipt without obligation of confidentiality or breach of this Agreement.

 

5.3 If the Trust notifies the Transfer Agent that any of the Data Access Services do not operate in material compliance with the most recently issued user documentation for such services, the Transfer Agent shall endeavor in a timely manner to correct such failure. Organizations from which the Transfer Agent may obtain certain data included in the Data Access Services are solely responsible for the contents of such data, and the Trust agrees to make no claim against the Transfer Agent arising out of the contents of such third-party data, including, but not limited to, the accuracy thereof. DATA ACCESS SERVICES AND ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS, AS

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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AVAILABLE” BASIS. THE TRANSFER AGENT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

 

5.4 If the transactions available to the Trust include the ability to originate electronic instructions to the Transfer Agent in order to effect the transfer or movement of cash or Creation Units or transmit Authorized Participant information or other information, then in such event the Transfer Agent shall be entitled to rely on the validity and authenticity of such instruction without undertaking any further inquiry as long as such instruction is undertaken in conformity with security procedures established by the Transfer Agent from time to time.

 

5.5 Each party shall take reasonable efforts to advise its employees of their obligations pursuant to this Section. The obligations of this Section shall survive any earlier termination of this Agreement.

 

6. RESERVED

 

7. STANDARD OF CARE / LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

7.1 The Transfer Agent shall at all times act in good faith in its performance of all services performed under this Agreement, but assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for loss or damage due to errors, including encoding and payment processing errors, unless said errors are caused by its gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct or that of its employees or agents. The parties agree that any encoding or payment processing errors shall be governed by this standard of care, and that Section 4-209 of the Uniform Commercial Code is superseded by this Section.

 

7.2 In any event, except as otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties hereto, the Transfer Agent’s cumulative liability for each calendar year (a “Liability Period”) with respect to the Trust under this Agreement regardless of the form of action or legal theory shall be limited to its total annual compensation earned and fees payable hereunder during the preceding Compensation Period, as defined herein, for any liability or loss suffered by the Trust including, but not limited to, any liability relating to qualification of the Trust as a regulated investment company or any liability relating to the Trust’s compliance with any federal or state tax or securities statute, regulation or ruling during such Liability Period. “Compensation Period” shall mean the calendar year ending immediately prior to each Liability Period in which the event(s) giving rise to the Transfer Agent’s liability for that period have occurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Compensation Period for purposes of calculating the annual cumulative liability of the Transfer Agent for the Liability Period commencing on the date of this Agreement and terminating on December 31, 2017 shall be the date of this Agreement through December 31,

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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2017, calculated on an annualized basis, and the Compensation Period for the Liability Period commencing January 1, 2018 and terminating on December 31, 2018 shall be the date of this Agreement through December 31, 2017, calculated on an annualized basis. In no event shall the Transfer Agent be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, punitive or consequential damages, regardless of the form of action and even if the same were foreseeable.

 

8. INDEMNIFICATION

 

8.1 The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for, and the Trust and each Portfolio shall indemnify and hold the Transfer Agent harmless from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees (including the defense of any lawsuit in which the Transfer Agent or affiliate is a named party), payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to:

 

(i) all actions of the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that such actions are taken in good faith and without gross negligence or willful misconduct;

 

(ii) the Trust’s breach of any representation, warranty or covenant of the Trust hereunder;

 

(iii) the Trust’s lack of good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct;

 

(iv) reliance upon, and any subsequent use of or action taken or omitted, by the Transfer Agent, or its agents or subcontractors on: (a) any information, records, documents, data, stock certificates or services, which are received by the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors by machine readable input, facsimile, electronic data entry, electronic instructions or other similar means authorized by the Trust, and which have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Trust or any other person or firm on behalf of the Trust, including but not limited to any broker-dealer, third party administrator or previous transfer agent; (b) any instructions or requests of the Trust or its officers or the Trust’s agents or subcontractors or their officers or employees; (c) any instructions or opinions of legal counsel to the Trust or any Portfolio with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent under this Agreement which are provided to the Transfer Agent after consultation with such legal counsel; or (d) any paper or document, reasonably believed to be genuine, authentic, or signed by the proper person or persons;

 

(v) the offer or sale of Creation Units in violation of any requirement under federal or state securities laws or regulations requiring that such Creation Units be registered, or in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal or state agency with respect to the offer or sale of such Creation Units;

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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(vi) the negotiation and processing of any checks, wires and ACH transmissions, including without limitation, for deposit into, or credit to, the Trust’s demand deposit accounts maintained by the Transfer Agent;

 

(vii) all actions relating to the transmission of Trust, Creation Unit or Authorized Participant data through the NSCC clearing systems, if applicable; and

 

(viii) any tax obligations under the tax laws of any country or of any state or political subdivision thereof, including taxes, withholding and reporting requirements, claims for exemption and refund, additions for late payment, interest, penalties and other expenses (including legal expenses) that may be assessed, imposed or charged against the Transfer Agent as transfer agent hereunder.

 

8.2 At any time the Transfer Agent may apply to any Authorized Person for instructions, and may consult with legal counsel (which may be Trust counsel) with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent under this Agreement, and the Transfer Agent and its agents or subcontractors shall not be liable and shall be indemnified by the Trust and the applicable Portfolio for any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon such instructions or upon the opinion of such counsel. The Transfer Agent, its agents and subcontractors shall be protected and indemnified in acting upon any paper or document furnished by or on behalf of the Trust or the applicable Portfolio, reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons, or upon any instruction, information, data, records or documents provided the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors by machine readable input, electronic data entry or other similar means authorized by the Trust and the Portfolios, and shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Trust.

 

8.3 In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Section shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which the Trust may be required to indemnify the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall notify the Trust of such assertion, and shall keep the Trust advised with respect to all material developments concerning such claim. The Trust shall have the option to participate with the Transfer Agent in the defense of such claim or to defend against said claim in its own name. The Transfer Agent shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the Trust may be required to indemnify the Transfer Agent except with the Trust’s prior written consent which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

9. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS OF THE TRUST AND THE TRANSFER AGENT

 

9.1 Delivery of Documents . The Trust shall promptly furnish to the Transfer Agent the following:

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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(i) A copy of the resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Trust certified by the Trust’s Secretary authorizing the appointment of the Transfer Agent and the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

(ii) A copy of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Trust and all amendments thereto.

 

9.2 Certificates, Checks, Facsimile Signature Devices . The Transfer Agent hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities and procedures for safekeeping of any stock certificates, check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices; and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such certificates, forms and devices.

 

9.3 Records . The Transfer Agent shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable. To the extent required by Section 31 of the 1940 Act and the Rules thereunder, the Transfer Agent agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by the Transfer Agent relating to the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent hereunder are the property of the Trust and will be preserved, maintained and made available in accordance with such Section and Rules, and will be surrendered promptly to the Trust on and in accordance with its request. Records may be surrendered in either written or machine-readable form, at the option of the Transfer Agent. In the event that the Transfer Agent is requested or authorized by the Trust, or required by subpoena, administrative order, court order or other legal process, applicable law or regulation, or required in connection with any investigation, examination or inspection of the Trust by state or federal regulatory agencies, to produce the records of the Trust or the Transfer Agent’s personnel as witnesses or deponents, the Trust agrees to pay the Transfer Agent for the Transfer Agent’s time and expenses, as well as the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent’s counsel, incurred in such production.

 

10. CONFIDENTIALITY AND USE OF DATA

 

10.1 All information provided under this Agreement by a party (the “Disclosing Party”) to the other party (the “Receiving Party”) regarding the Disclosing Party’s business and operations shall be treated as confidential. Subject to Section 10.2 below, all confidential information provided under this Agreement by Disclosing Party shall be used, including disclosure to third parties, by the Receiving Party, or its agents or service providers, solely for the purpose of performing or receiving the services and discharging the Receiving Party’s other obligations under the Agreement or managing the business of the Receiving Party and its Affiliates (as defined in Section 10.2 below), including financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (a) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (b) that is independently derived by the Receiving Party without the use of any information

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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provided by the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement, (c) that is disclosed to comply with any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process, (d) that is disclosed as required by operation of law or regulation or as required to comply with the requirements of any market infrastructure that the Disclosing Party or its agents direct the Transfer Agent or its Affiliates to employ (or which is required in connection with the holding or settlement of instruments included in the assets subject to this Agreement), or (e) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld .

 

10.2 (i)      In connection with the provision of the services and the discharge of its other obligations under this Agreement, the Transfer Agent (which term for purposes of this Section 10.2 includes each of its parent company, branches and affiliates (“ Affiliates ”)) may collect and store information regarding the Trust or Fund and share such information with its Affiliates, agents and service providers in order and to the extent reasonably necessary (i) to carry out the provision of services contemplated under this Agreement and other agreements between the Trust and the Transfer Agent or any of its Affiliates and (ii) to carry out management of its businesses, including, but not limited to, financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management.

 

(ii)       Subject to paragraph (iii) below, the Transfer Agent and/or its Affiliates (except those Affiliates or business divisions principally engaged in the business of asset management) may use any data or other information (“ Data ”) obtained by such entities in the performance of their services under this Agreement or any other agreement between the Trust and the Transfer Agent or one of its Affiliates, including Data regarding transactions and portfolio holdings relating to the Trust/Fund, and publish, sell, distribute or otherwise commercialize the Data; provided that, unless the Trust otherwise consents, Data is combined or aggregated with information relating to (i) other customers of the Transfer Agent and/or its Affiliates or (ii) information derived from other sources, in each case such that any published information will be displayed in a manner designed to prevent attribution to or identification of such Data with the Trust/Fund. The Trust agrees that the Transfer Agent and/or its Affiliates may seek to profit and realize economic benefit from the commercialization and use of the Data, that such benefit will constitute part of the Transfer Agent’s compensation for services under this Agreement or such other agreement, and the Transfer Agent and/or its Affiliates shall be entitled to retain and not be required to disclose the amount of such economic benefit and profit to the Trust/Fund.

 

(iii)       Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, nothing in this Section 10.2 shall limit the confidentiality and data-protection obligations of the Transfer Agent and its Affiliates under this Agreement and applicable law. The Transfer Agent shall cause any Affiliate, agent or service provider to which it has disclosed Data pursuant to this section 10.2 to comply at all times with

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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confidentiality and data-protection obligations as if it were a party to this Agreement.

 

10.3 The Transfer Agent affirms that it has, and will continue to have throughout the term of this Agreement, procedures in place that are reasonably designed to protect the privacy of non-public personal consumer/customer financial information to the extent required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

 

11. Effective Period and Termination

 

This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for an initial term ending July 20, 2020 (the “Initial Term”). After the expiration of the Initial Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year terms (each, a “Renewal Term”) unless a written notice of non-renewal is delivered by the non-renewing party no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal Term, as the case may be. During the Initial Term and thereafter, either party may terminate this Agreement: (i) in the event of the other party’s material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the other party has either (a) failed to cure or (b) failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable, within 60 days’ written notice of such breach, or (ii) in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the other party or upon the happening of a like event to the other party at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph with respect to the Trust or any Portfolio, the Trust or applicable Portfolio shall pay Transfer Agent its compensation due and shall reimburse Transfer Agent for its costs, expenses and disbursements.

 

In the event of: (i) the Trust’s termination of this Agreement with respect to the Trust or its Portfolio(s) for any reason other than as set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph or (ii) a transaction not in the ordinary course of business pursuant to which the Transfer Agent is not retained to continue providing services hereunder to the Trust or a Portfolio (or its respective successor), the Trust or applicable Portfolio shall pay the Transfer Agent its compensation due through the end of the then-current term (based upon the average monthly compensation previously earned by Transfer Agent with respect to the Trust or such Portfolio) and shall reimburse the Transfer Agent for its costs, expenses and disbursements. Upon receipt of such payment and reimbursement, the Transfer Agent will deliver the Trust’s or such Portfolio’s records as set forth herein. For the avoidance of doubt, no payment will be required pursuant to clause (ii) of this paragraph in the event of any transaction such as (a) the liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or a Portfolio and distribution of the Trust’s or Portfolio’s assets as a result of the Board’s determination in its reasonable business judgment that the Trust or such Portfolio is no longer viable, (b) a merger of the Trust or a Portfolio into, or the consolidation of the Trust of a Portfolio with, another entity, or (c) the sale by the Trust or a Portfolio of all, or substantially all, of its assets to another entity, in each of (b) and (c) where the Transfer Agent is retained to continue providing services to the Trust or such Portfolio (or its respective successor) on substantially the same terms as this Agreement.

 

Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Portfolio shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to the Trust or any other Portfolio.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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12. Additional portfolios

 

In the event that the Trust establishes one or more series of Shares in addition to the Portfolios listed on the attached Schedule A , with respect to which the Trust desires to have the Transfer Agent render services as transfer agent under the terms hereof, it shall so notify the Transfer Agent in writing, and if the Transfer Agent agrees in writing to provide such services, such series of Shares shall become a Portfolio hereunder.

 

13. assignment

 

13.1 Except as provided in Section 14.1 below, neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either party without the written consent of the other party.

 

13.2 Except as explicitly stated elsewhere in this Agreement, nothing under this Agreement shall be construed to give any rights or benefits in this Agreement to anyone other than the Transfer Agent and the Trust and the Portfolios, and the duties and responsibilities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Transfer Agent and the Trust and the Portfolios. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.

 

13.3 This Agreement does not constitute an agreement for a partnership or joint venture between the Transfer Agent and the Trust. Other than as provided in Section 14.1, neither party shall make any commitments with third parties that are binding on the other party without the other party’s prior written consent.

 

14. subcontractors

 

The Transfer Agent may, without further consent on the part of the Trust, subcontract for the performance hereof with a transfer agent which is duly registered pursuant to Section 17A(c)(2) of the 1934 Act, including, but not limited to: (i) Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (“BFDS”); (ii) a BFDS subsidiary; (iii) a BFDS affiliate; or (iv) another affiliated or unaffiliated third party duly registered as a transfer agent; provided, however, that the Transfer Agent shall remain liable to the Trust for the acts and omissions of any subcontractor under this Section as it is for its own acts and omissions under this Agreement.

 

15. miscellaneous

 

15.1 Amendment . This Agreement may be amended by a written agreement executed by both parties.

 

15.2 Massachusetts Law to Apply . This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts without giving effect to any conflicts of law rules thereof.

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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15.3 Force Majeure . The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, work stoppage, power or other mechanical failure, computer virus, natural disaster, governmental action or communication disruption.

 

15.4 Data Protection . The Transfer Agent will implement and maintain a comprehensive written information security program that contains appropriate security measures to safeguard the personal information of the Trust’s shareholders, employees, directors and/or officers that the Transfer Agent receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise accesses in connection with the provision of services hereunder. For these purposes, “personal information” shall mean (i) an individual’s name (first initial and last name or first name and last name), address or telephone number plus (a) social security number, (b) drivers license number, (c) state identification card number, (d) debit or credit card number, (e) financial account number or (f) personal identification number or password that would permit access to a person’s account or (ii) any combination of the foregoing that would allow a person to log onto or access an individual’s account. Notwithstanding the foregoing “personal information” shall not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public.

 

15.5 Survival . All provisions regarding indemnification, warranty, liability, and limits thereon, and confidentiality and/or protections of proprietary rights and trade secrets shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

15.6 Severability . If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

 

15.7 Priorities Clause . In the event of any conflict, discrepancy or ambiguity between the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and any schedules or attachments hereto, the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement shall take precedence.

 

15.8 Waiver. The failure of a party to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver nor shall it deprive such party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any term of this Agreement or the failure of a party hereto to exercise or any delay in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any such term, right or remedy or a waiver of any other rights or remedies, and no single or partial exercise of any right or remedy under this Agreement shall prevent any further exercise of the right or remedy or the exercise of any other right or remedy. Any waiver must be in writing signed by the waiving party.

 

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15.9 Entire Agreement . This Agreement and any schedules, exhibits, attachments or amendments hereto constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written.

 

15.10 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement . Counterparts may be executed in either original or electronically transmitted form (e.g., faxes or emailed portable document format (PDF) form), and the parties hereby adopt as original any signatures received via electronically transmitted form.

 

15.11 Reproduction of Documents . This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.

 

15.12 Notices . Any notice instruction or other instrument required to be given hereunder will be in writing and may be sent by hand, or by facsimile transmission, or overnight delivery by any recognized delivery service, to the parties at the following address or such other address as may be notified by any party from time to time:

 

(a)       If to Transfer Agent, to:

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company

200 Clarendon Street, 16th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Attention: Sheila McClorey, Transfer Agent Vice President

Telephone: (617) 662-9681

Facsimile: (617) 956-5648

 

With a copy to:

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company

Legal Division – Global Services Americas

One Lincoln Street

Boston, MA 02110

Attention: Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel

 

(b)       If to the Trust, to:

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

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c/o [Fund Name]

110 E. 59 th Street, 33 rd Floor

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Rory Riggs

 

15.13 Interpretive and Other Provisions . In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Transfer Agent and the Trust on behalf of each of the Portfolios, may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by all parties, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable laws or regulations or any provision of the Trust’s governing documents. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Agreement.

 

15.14 Employment of Others . The Transfer Agent may employ, engage, associate or contract with such person or persons, including, without limitation, affiliates and subsidiaries of the Transfer Agent, as the Transfer Agent may deem desirable to assist it in performing its duties under this Agreement without the consent of the Trust; provided, however, that the compensation of such person or persons shall be paid by the Transfer Agent and that the Transfer Agent shall be as fully responsible to the Trust for the acts and omissions of any such person or persons as it is for its own acts and omissions under this Agreement.

 

15.15 Regulation GG . The Trust represents and warrants that it does not engage in an “Internet gambling business,” as such term is defined in Section 233.2(r) of Federal Reserve Regulation GG (12 CFR 233) and covenants that it shall not engage in an Internet gambling business. In accordance with Regulation GG, the Trust is hereby notified that “restricted transactions,” as such term is defined in Section 233.2(y) of Regulation GG, are prohibited in any dealings with the Transfer Agent pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise between or among any party hereto.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company

 

 

 

By: /s/ Andrew Erickson  
     
  Name: Andrew Erickson  
       
  Title: Executive Vice President  

 

 

 

each of the entities listed on Schedule A

attached hereto

 

 

 

By: /s/ Rory Riggs  
     
  Name: Rory Riggs  
       
  Title: CEO  

 

Transfer Agency and Service Agreement

 

 

 

 

Schedule A

 

LIST OF TRUSTS/PORTFOLIOS

 

Syntax ETF Trust

Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF

 

 

Information Classification: Limited Access

 

  A- 1  

 

Exhibit (h)(iii)

 

FUND CCO AND AMLO AGREEMENT

 

THIS AGREEMENT is made as of July 24, 2017, by and between Syntax ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust with its principal office and place of business at 110 East 59th Street, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10022 (the “Fund Company”), and Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC , a Delaware limited liability company, with its principal office and place of business at Three Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine 04101 (“Foreside”).

 

WHEREAS , the Fund Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company and has created and issued shares in one or more series (each such series a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”); and

 

WHEREAS , the Fund Company desires that Foreside perform certain compliance services and Foreside is willing to provide those services on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

NOW THEREFORE , for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Fund Company and Foreside hereby agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1. PROVISION OF CCO AND AMLO; DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS

 

(a)       Foreside hereby agrees to provide a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), as described in Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act (“Rule 38a-1”), and an Anti-Money Laundering Officer (“AMLO”) to the Fund Company for the period and on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

(b)       In connection therewith, the Fund Company has delivered to Foreside copies of, and shall promptly furnish Foreside with all amendments of or supplements to: (i) the Fund Company’s Declaration of Trust and Bylaws (collectively, as amended from time to time, “Organizational Documents”); (ii) the Fund Company’s current Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and/or the 1940 Act (the “Registration Statement”); (iii) the current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (collectively, as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented, the “Prospectus”) in place for each of the Funds covered by this Agreement; (iv) each plan of distribution or similar document that may be adopted by the Fund Company under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act and each current shareholder service plan or similar document adopted by the Fund Company with respect to any or all of its Funds; (v) copies of the Fund Company’s current annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders; and (vi) all compliance and risk management policies, programs and procedures adopted by the Fund Company with respect to the Funds. The Fund Company shall deliver to Foreside a certified copy of the resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Fund Company (the “Board”) appointing the CCO and AMLO and authorizing

 

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the execution and delivery of this Agreement. In addition, the Fund Company shall deliver, or cause to deliver, to Foreside upon Foreside’s reasonable request any other documents that would enable Foreside to perform the services described in this Agreement.

 

SECTION 2. DUTIES OF FORESIDE

 

(a)       Subject to the approval of the Board, Foreside shall make available a qualified person who is competent and knowledgeable regarding the federal securities laws to act as the Fund Company’s CCO. Foreside’s responsibility for the activities of the CCO are limited to the extent that the Board shall make all decisions regarding the designation and termination of the CCO and shall review and approve the compensation of the CCO as provided by Rule 38a-1 .

 

(b)       With respect to the Fund Company, the CCO shall:

 

(i)       report directly to the Board;

 

(ii)      review and administer the Fund Company’s compliance program policies and procedures and review and oversee those policies and procedures of the adviser(s), sub-adviser(s), administrator, principal underwriter and transfer agent (collectively, “Service Providers”) that relate to the Fund Company or its Funds;

 

(iii)     conduct periodic reviews of the Fund Company’s compliance program and incorporate any new or changed regulations, best practice recommendations or other guidelines that may be appropriate;

 

(iv)     review, no less frequently than annually, the adequacy of the policies and procedures of the Fund Company and its Service Providers and the effectiveness of their implementation;

 

(v)      design testing methods for the Fund Company’s compliance program policies and procedures;

 

(vi)     perform and document periodic testing of certain key control procedures (as appropriate to the circumstances), including reviewing reports, investigating exceptions, and making inquiries of Fund Company management and Service Providers;

 

(vii)    conduct periodic site visits to the adviser(s), sub-adviser(s) and other Service Providers, as necessary;

 

(viii)   prepare CCO Reports for the Board and attend Board meetings quarterly and as requested; and

 

(ix)    no less than annually, meet separately with those members of the Board that are not “interested persons” of the Fund Company.

 

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(c)       Subject to the approval of the Board, Foreside shall make available a qualified person, who is competent and knowledgeable regarding the anti-money laundering rules and regulations applicable to mutual funds, to act as the Fund Company’s AMLO.

 

(d)       With respect to the Fund Company, the AMLO shall:

 

(i) review the adequacy of the Fund Company’s AML policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation;
(ii) perform testing of certain control procedures, including collecting and organizing relevant data and reviewing reports, investigating exceptions, and making inquiries of Fund Company personnel and relevant Service Providers;
(iii) monitor and review AML responsibilities that have been delegated to Service Providers;
(iv) conduct site visits to appropriate Service Providers as necessary; and
(v) provide AML consulting and training services.

 

(e)      Foreside may provide other services and assistance relating to the affairs of the Fund Company as the Fund Company may, from time to time, request subject to mutually acceptable compensation and implementation agreements.

 

(f)       Foreside shall maintain records relating to its services, such as compliance policies and procedures, relevant Board presentations, annual reviews, and other records, as are required to be maintained under the 1940 Act and Rule 38a-1 thereunder (collectively, the “Records”). Such Records shall be maintained in the manner and for the periods as are required under such laws and regulations. The Records shall be the property of the Fund Company. The Fund Company, or the Fund Company’s authorized representatives, shall have access to the Records at all times during Foreside’s normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Fund Company, copies of any of the Records shall be provided promptly by Foreside to the Fund Company or its authorized representatives at the Fund Company’s expense.

 

(g)       Nothing contained herein shall be construed to require Foreside to perform any service that could cause Foreside to be deemed an investment adviser for purposes of the 1940 Act or the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or that could cause any Fund to act in contravention of such Fund’s Prospectus or any provision of the 1940 Act. Further, while Foreside will provide consulting and other services under this Agreement to assist the Fund Company with respect to the Fund Company’s obligations under and compliance with various laws and regulations, Fund Company understands and agrees that Foreside is not a law firm and that nothing contained herein shall be construed to create an attorney-client relationship between Foreside and Fund Company or to require Foreside to render legal advice or otherwise engage in the practice of law in any jurisdiction. Thus, except with respect to Foreside’s duties as set forth in this Section 2 and, except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Fund Company assumes all responsibility for ensuring that the Fund Company and each of its Funds complies with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), the 1940 Act and any laws, rules and regulations of governmental authorities with jurisdiction over the Fund Company or the Funds. All references to any law in this

 

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Agreement shall be deemed to include reference to the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under authority of the law and all official interpretations of such law or rules or regulations.

 

(h)      Foreside does not offer legal or accounting services and does not provide substitute services for the services provided by legal counsel or that of a certified public accountant. Foreside will make every reasonable effort to provide the services described in this Agreement; however, Foreside does not guarantee that work performed by Foreside or the CCO or AMLO for the Fund Company would be favorably received by any regulatory agency.

 

(i)       In order for Foreside to perform the services required by this Section 2, the Fund Company shall (1) instruct all Service Providers to furnish any and all information to Foreside as reasonably requested by Foreside, and assist Foreside as may be required and (2) ensure that Foreside has access to all records and documents maintained by the Fund Company or any Service Provider.

 

SECTION 3. STANDARD OF CARE; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION

 

(a)      Foreside shall be under no duty to take any action except as specifically set forth herein or as may be specifically agreed to by Foreside in writing. Foreside shall use its best judgment and efforts in rendering the services described in this Agreement and shall not be liable to the Fund Company, any Fund or any of the Funds’ shareholders for any action or inaction of Foreside or the CCO or AMLO relating to any event whatsoever in the absence of bad faith, reckless disregard, gross negligence or willful misfeasance. Further, neither Foreside nor the CCO or AMLO shall be liable to the Fund Company, any Fund or any of the Funds’ shareholders for any action taken, or failure to act, in good faith reliance upon: (i) the advice and opinion of Fund Company counsel; and/or (ii) any certified copy of any resolution of the Board. Neither Foreside nor the CCO or AMLO shall be under any duty or obligation to inquire into the validity or invalidity or authority or lack thereof of any statement, oral or written instruction, resolution, signature, request, letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of counsel, instrument, report, notice, consent, order, or any other document or instrument which Foreside and/or the CCO and/or the AMLO reasonably believe(s) in good faith to be genuine.

 

(b)      The Fund Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Foreside, its affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers, employees and agents and any person who controls Foreside within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (any of Foreside, its affiliates, their respective officers, employees, agents and directors or such control persons, for purposes of this paragraph, a “Foreside Indemnitee”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon (i) Foreside’s performance of its duties under this Agreement, or (ii) the breach of any obligation, representation or warranty under this Agreement by the Fund Company.

 

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In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Fund Company in favor of any Foreside Indemnitee to be deemed to protect the Foreside Indemnitee against any liability to which the Foreside Indemnitee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the Fund Company to be liable with respect to any claim made against any Foreside Indemnitee unless the Foreside Indemnitee notifies the Fund Company in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim are served upon the Foreside Indemnitee (or after the Foreside Indemnitee receives notice of service on any designated agent).

 

Failure to notify the Fund Company of any claim shall not relieve the Fund Company from any liability that it may have to any Foreside Indemnitee unless failure or delay to so notify the Fund Company prejudices the Fund Company’s ability to defend against such claim. The Fund Company shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims, but if the Fund Company elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to the Foreside Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event the Fund Company elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Foreside Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Fund Company does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Foreside Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.

 

(c)      Foreside agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund Company and each of its trustees and officers and any person who controls the Fund Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (for purposes of this paragraph, the Fund Company and each of its trustees and officers and its controlling persons are collectively referred to as the “Fund Indemnitees”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon (i) the breach of any obligation, representation or warranty under this Agreement by Foreside, or (ii) Foreside’s failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws.

 

In no case (i) is the indemnity of Foreside in favor of any Fund Indemnitee to be deemed to protect any Fund Indemnitee against any liability to which such Fund Indemnitee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is Foreside to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against any Fund Indemnitee unless the Fund Indemnitee notifies Foreside in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim are served upon the Fund Indemnitee (or after the Fund Indemnitee has received notice of service on any designated agent).

 

Failure to notify Foreside of any claim shall not relieve Foreside from any liability that it may have to the Fund Indemnitee against whom such action is brought unless failure or delay to

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so notify Foreside prejudices Foreside’s ability to defend against such claim. Foreside shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce the claim, but if Foreside elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to the Fund Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event that Foreside elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Fund Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If Foreside does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Fund Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.

 

(d)       No indemnified party shall settle any claim against it for which it intends to seek indemnification from the indemnifying party, under the terms of Section 3(b) or 3(c) above, without prior written notice to and consent from the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No indemnified or indemnifying party shall settle any claim unless the settlement contains a full release of liability with respect to the other party in respect of such action.

 

(e)       The Fund Company, and not Foreside, shall be solely responsible for approval of the designation of the CCO and the AMLO, as well as for removing the CCO and/or AMLO, as the case may be, from his or her responsibilities related to the Funds in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations (e.g., Rule 38a-1). Therefore, notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3, the Fund Company shall supervise the activities of the CCO and the AMLO with regard to such activities.

 

(f)       The Fund Company agrees that Foreside, its employees, officers and directors shall not be liable to the Fund Company for any actions, damages, claims, liabilities, costs, expenses or losses in any way arising out of or relating to the services described in this Agreement for an aggregate amount in excess of the total fees paid to Foreside in performing services hereunder. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply regardless of the form of action, damage, claim, liability, cost, expense or loss, whether in contract, statute, tort (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise.

 

In no event shall either party or their respective employees, officers, trustees and directors be liable for consequential, special, indirect, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, costs, expenses or losses (including, without limitation, lost profits and opportunity costs or fines).

 

(g)       Foreside shall not be liable for the errors of Service Providers to the Fund Company or their systems.

 

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SECTION 4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

(a)      Foreside covenants, represents and warrants to the Fund Company that:

 

(i)       it is a limited liability company duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware;

 

(ii)      it is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of Maine;

 

(iii)     it is empowered under applicable laws and by its Operating Agreement to enter into this Agreement and perform its duties under this Agreement;

 

(iv)     all requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into this Agreement and perform its duties under this Agreement;

 

(v)      it has access to the necessary facilities, equipment, and personnel with the requisite knowledge and experience to assist the CCO and the AMLO in the performance of their duties and obligations under this Agreement;

 

(vi)     this Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of Foreside, enforceable against Foreside in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties;

 

(vii)    it shall make available a person who is competent and knowledgeable regarding the federal securities laws and is otherwise reasonably qualified to act as a CCO and who will, in the exercise of his or her duties to the Fund Company, act in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed by him or her to be in the best interests of the Funds;

 

(viii)    it shall make available a person who is competent and knowledgeable regarding the federal securities laws and is otherwise reasonably qualified to act as an AMLO;

 

(ix)     it shall compensate the CCO fairly, subject to the Board’s right under any applicable regulation (e.g., Rule 38a-1) to approve the designation, termination and level of compensation of the CCO. In addition, it shall not retaliate against the CCO should the CCO inform the Board of a compliance failure or take aggressive action to ensure compliance with the federal securities laws by the Fund Company or a Service Provider;

 

(x)      it shall report to the Board promptly if it learns of CCO or AMLO malfeasance or in the event the CCO or AMLO is terminated as a CCO or AMLO, as the case may be, by another fund company for cause or if the CCO or AMLO is terminated by Foreside; and

 

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(xi)     it shall report to the Board if at any time the CCO or the AMLO, as the case may be, is/are subject to the disqualifications set forth in Section 15(b)(4) of the Exchange Act or Section 9 of the 1940 Act.

 

(b)       The Fund Company covenants, represents and warrants to Foreside that:

 

(i)       it is a statutory trust duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware;

 

(ii)      it is empowered under applicable laws and by its Organizational Documents to enter into this Agreement and perform its duties under this Agreement;

 

(iii)      all requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into this Agreement and perform its duties under this Agreement;

 

(iv)     it is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act;

 

(v)      this Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Fund Company, enforceable against the Fund Company in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties;

 

(vi)     a registration statement under the Securities Act and the 1940 Act is effective and will remain effective and appropriate State securities law filings have been made and will continue to be made with respect to the Funds;

 

(vii)    The CCO and AMLO shall be covered by the Fund Company’s Directors & Officers Liability Insurance Policy (the “Policy”), and the Fund Company shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that such coverage be (a) reinstated should the Policy be cancelled; (b) continued after the CCO or AMLO ceases to serve as an officer of the Fund Company on substantially the same terms as such coverage is provided for all other Fund Company officers after such persons are no longer officers of the Fund Company; and (c) continued in the event the Fund Company merges or terminates, on substantially the same terms as such coverage is provided for all other Fund Company officers (and for a period of no less than six years). The Fund Company shall provide Foreside with proof of current coverage, including a copy of the Policy, and shall notify Foreside immediately should the Policy be cancelled or terminated; and

 

(viii)       the CCO and AMLO are named officers in the Fund Company’s corporate resolutions and subject to the provisions of the Fund Company’s Organizational Documents regarding indemnification of its officers .

 

  8  

 

 

SECTION 5. COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES

 

(a)      In consideration of the compliance services provided by Foreside pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund Company shall pay Foreside the fees and expenses set forth in Appendix A hereto.

 

Except as otherwise set forth in Appendix A hereto, all fees payable hereunder shall be accrued daily by the Fund Company and shall be payable monthly in arrears on the first business day of each calendar month for services performed during the prior calendar month. All out-of-pocket charges incurred by Foreside shall be paid as incurred. If fees begin to accrue in the middle of a month or if this Agreement terminates before the end of any month, all fees for the period from that date to the end of that month or from the beginning of that month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that the period bears to the full month in which the effectiveness or termination occurs. Upon the termination of this Agreement, the Fund Company shall pay to Foreside such compensation as shall be due and payable as of the effective date of termination.

 

(b)      Foreside may, with respect to questions of law relating to its services hereunder, apply to and obtain the advice and opinion of Fund Company counsel. The costs of any such advice or opinion shall be borne by the Fund Company.

 

(c)      The CCO and AMLO are serving solely as officers of the Fund Company and neither Foreside nor the CCO or AMLO shall be responsible for, or have any obligation to pay, any of the expenses of the Fund Company or any of its Funds. All Fund Company expenses shall be the sole obligation of the Fund Company, which shall pay or cause to be paid all Fund expenses.

 

SECTION 6. EFFECTIVENESS, DURATION, TERMINATION AND ASSIGNMENT

 

(a)       This Agreement shall become effective on the date indicated above or at such time as Foreside commences providing services under this Agreement, whichever is later (the “Effective Date”). Upon the Effective Date, this Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties and shall supersede all previous agreements between the parties, whether oral or written, relating to the Fund Company.

 

(b)       This Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated in accordance with the provisions hereof.

 

(c)       This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty (i) by the Board on sixty (60) days’ written notice to Foreside or (ii) by Foreside on sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Fund Company, provided, however, that the Board will have the right and authority to remove the individual designated by Foreside as the Fund Company’s CCO or the individual designated by Foreside as the Fund Company’s AMLO at any time, with or without cause, or for no cause, without payment of any penalty. In this case, Foreside will designate another employee of Foreside, subject to approval of the Board and the disinterested

 

  9  

 

 

trustees, to serve as temporary CCO or as temporary AMLO until the earlier of: (i) the designation of a new permanent CCO or a new permanent AMLO; or (ii) the termination of this Agreement.

 

(d)       Should the employment of the individual designated by Foreside to serve as the Fund Company’s CCO or the individual designated by Foreside to serve as the Fund Company’s AMLO be terminated for any reason, Foreside will immediately designate another qualified individual, subject to ratification by the Board and the disinterested trustees, to serve as temporary CCO or as temporary AMLO until the earlier of: (i) the designation, and approval by the Board, of a new permanent CCO or a new permanent AMLO; or (ii) the termination of this Agreement.

 

(e)       The provisions of Sections 3, 6(e), 7, 10, 11, and 12 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

 

(f)       This Agreement and the rights and duties under this Agreement shall not be assignable by either Foreside or the Fund Company except by the specific written consent of the other party. All terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the respective successors and permitted assigns of the parties hereto.

 

SECTION 7. CONFIDENTIALITY

 

Each party shall comply with the laws and regulations applicable to it in connection with its use of confidential information, including, without limitation, Regulation S-P (if applicable). Foreside agrees to treat all records and other information related to the Fund Company as proprietary information of the Fund Company and, on behalf of itself and its employees, to keep confidential all such information, except that Foreside may release such other information (a) as approved in writing by the Fund Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where Foreside is advised by counsel that it may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to release the information (provided, however, that Foreside shall seek the approval of the Fund Company as promptly as possible so as to enable the Fund Company to pursue such legal or other action as it may desire to prevent the release of such information) or (b) when so requested by the Fund Company.

 

SECTION 8. FORCE MAJEURE

 

Foreside shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails, transportation, communication system or power supply. In addition, to the extent Foreside’s obligations hereunder are to oversee or monitor the activities of third parties, Foreside shall not be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of Foreside’s duties caused, directly or indirectly, by the failure or delay of such

 

  10  

 

 

 

third parties in performing their respective duties or cooperating reasonably and in a timely manner with Foreside.

 

SECTION 9. ACTIVITIES OF FORESIDE

 

(a)       Except to the extent necessary to perform Foreside’s obligations under this Agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict Foreside’s right, or the right of any of Foreside’s managers, officers or employees who also may be a director, trustee, officer or employee of the Fund Company (including, without limitation, the CCO and AMLO) , or who are otherwise affiliated persons of the Fund Company, to engage in any other business or to devote time and attention to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, trust, firm, individual or association.

 

(b)       Upon prior approval by the Fund Company, Foreside may subcontract any or all of its functions or responsibilities pursuant to this Agreement to one or more persons, which may be affiliated persons of Foreside who agree to comply with the terms of this Agreement; provided, that any such subcontracting shall not relieve Foreside of its responsibilities hereunder. Foreside may pay those persons for their services, but no such payment will increase Foreside’s compensation or reimbursement of expenses from the Fund Company.

 

SECTION 10. COOPERATION WITH INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

 

Foreside shall cooperate with the Fund Company’s independent public accountants and shall take reasonable action to make all necessary information available to the accountants for the performance of such accountants’ duties.

 

SECTION 11. LIMITATION OF SHAREHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY

 

The trustees of the Fund Company and the shareholders of the Funds shall not be liable for any obligations of the Fund Company under this Agreement, and Foreside agrees that, in asserting any rights or claims under this Agreement, it shall look only to the assets and property of the Fund Company and the Funds.

 

SECTION 12. MISCELLANEOUS

 

(a)       This Agreement shall be governed by, and the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted under and in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.

 

(b)       This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, and all of the counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.

 

  11  

 

 

(c)       If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal or invalid. This Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by both Foreside and Fund Company and no presumptions shall arise favoring any party by virtue of authorship of any provision of this Agreement.

 

(d)       Section headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.

 

(e)       Any notice required or permitted to be given hereunder by either party to the other shall be deemed sufficiently given if in writing and personally delivered or sent by electronic mail, facsimile, or registered, certified or overnight mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving such notice to the other party at the address furnished below unless and until changed by Foreside or the Fund Company, as the case may be. Notice shall be given to each party at the following address:

 

(i)   To Foreside: (ii)   To Fund Company:
Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC Syntax ETF Trust
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Attn:  Kathy Cuocolo
Portland, ME 04101 110 East 59th Street, 31st Floor
Attention: Legal Department New York, NY 10022
Phone: 207.553.7110 Phone: 978.886.7747
Fax:     207.553.7151 Email: kcuocolo@syntax.co
Email: legal@foreside.com
   

 

(f)       Invoices for fees and expenses due to Foreside hereunder and as set forth in Appendix A hereto shall be sent by Foreside to the address furnished below unless and until changed by the Fund Company (Fund Company to provide reasonable advance notice of any change of billing address to Foreside):

 

To Fund Company:
Syntax ETF Trust
Attn:  Kathy Cuocolo
110 East 59th Street, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 978.886.7747
Email: kcuocolo@syntax.co
 

 

(g)       Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to or shall require Foreside, in any capacity hereunder, to perform any functions or duties on any day other than a Fund Company business day. Functions or duties normally scheduled to be performed on any day

 

  12  

 

 

which is not a Fund Company business day shall be performed on, and as of, the next Fund Company business day, unless otherwise required by law.

 

(h)       The term “affiliate” and all forms thereof used herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the 1940 Act.

 

(i)       No amendment to this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and executed by all parties hereto.

 

(j) This Agreement constitutes the complete agreement of the parties hereto as to the subject matter covered by this Agreement, and supersedes all prior negotiations, understandings and agreements bearing upon the subject matter covered by this Agreement.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

  13  

 

  

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.

 

  SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

  By: /s/ Rory Riggs  
  Name: Rory Riggs  
  Title: CEO  

 

  FORESIDE FUND OFFICER SERVICES, LLC

 

  By: /s/ Charles S. Todd  
    Charles S. Todd, President  

 

  14  

 

 

Exhibit (h)(iii) 

Appendix A

 

Compensation

     

(1)

Compliance Services

 

(2) Out-Of-Pocket and Related Expenses: The Fund Company shall also reimburse Foreside for reasonable out-of-pocket and ancillary expenses incurred in the provision of services pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to the following:

 

(i) communications;
(ii) postage and delivery services;
(iii) record storage and retention;
(iv) reproduction;
(v) reasonable travel expenses incurred in connection with the provision of the services pursuant to this Agreement;
(vi) reasonable travel expenses incurred in connection with travel requested by the Board; and
(vii) any other expenses incurred in connection with the provision of the services pursuant to this Agreement.

 

  A- 1  

 

Exhibit (m)

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan

 

1.              The Trust . Syntax ETF Trust (the "Trust") is an open-end management investment company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and organized as a series trust (each such series is referred to herein as a "Fund").

 

2.              The Plan . The Trust desires to adopt a plan of distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-l under the 1940 Act with respect to the shares of beneficial interest ("Shares") of each Fund, and the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board of Trustees") has determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that adoption of this Distribution and Service Plan (the "Plan") will benefit the Funds listed on Appendix A (each a "Designated Fund") and their holders of Shares. Accordingly, each Designated Fund hereby adopts this Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-l under the 1940 Act on the following terms and conditions (capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned thereto in the Funds' registration statement under the 1940 Act and under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as such registration statement is amended by any amendments thereto at the time in effect).

 

3.              The Distributor . The Trust has entered into a written Distribution Agreement with Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the "Distributor"), pursuant to which the Distributor will act as the exclusive distributor with respect to the creation and distribution of Creation Unit size aggregations of Shares as described in the Funds' registration statement ("Creation Units") of each Fund.

 

4.              Payments . The Designated Fund will pay fees, in the amounts and on the terms as may hereafter be determined by the Board of Trustees, that collectively will not exceed, on an annualized basis, 0.25% of the Designated Fund's average daily net assets for purposes permitted by Rule 12b-l.

 

Any agreement between the Trust and the Distributor or the Distributor and any other party referred to above shall be approved by the Board of Trustees as a related agreement under this Plan. All agreements related to this Plan (including the Distribution Agreement and each Investor Services Agreement (ISO)) shall be in writing and shall provide:

 

(A) that such agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Designated Fund, on not more than 60 days' written notice to any other party to the agreement, and

 

(B) that such agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Investor Services Agreement shall require the ISO to provide the Distributor with such information as is reasonably necessary to permit the Distributor to comply with the reporting requirements set forth therein. Each Investor Services Agreement shall provide that the ISO claiming Investor Services Fees under this Plan must represent in writing in connection with the reports and information to be provided to the Distributor: (i) that it has been engaged in the requisite activities enumerated in subparagraph (c)(i) of this Plan and the respective Investor Services Agreement, and (ii) that the positions reported as representing its holdings of Shares at each of the three month ends in any quarterly period hereunder are true, accurate and complete.

 

  1  

 

 

Exhibit (m)

 

Distribution expenses incurred in any one year in excess of 0.25% of each Fund's average daily net assets may be reimbursed in subsequent years subject to the annual 0.25% limit and subject further to the approval of the Board of Trustees including a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or in any agreement related to this Plan (the "Independent Trustees").

 

5.             Effective Date . This Plan shall become effective upon approval by a vote of both a majority of the Board of Trustees and a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan. The plan will not be implemented until such time as the Fund is no longer in reimbursement, at which point notification and more details will be provided to the Trustees for their review.

 

6.             Term . This Plan shall, unless terminated as hereinafter provided, remain in effect with respect to the Designated Fund for one year from its effective date and shall continue thereafter, provided that its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of both a majority of the Trustees and a majority of Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan.

 

7.             Amendment . This Plan may be amended at any time by the Board of Trustees, provided that (a) any amendment to increase materially the amount to be spent for the services provided for in paragraph 4 hereof shall be effective only upon approval by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Designated Fund, and (b) any material amendment of this Plan shall be effective only upon approval by a vote of both a majority of the Board of Trustees and a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such amendment.

 

8.              Termination . This Plan may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Designated Fund. In the event of termination or non-continuance of this Plan, the Trust may reimburse any expense which it incurred prior to such termination or non-continuance, provided that such reimbursement is specifically approved by both a majority of the Board of Trustees and a majority of the Independent Trustees.

 

9.              Reports . While this Plan is in effect, the Distributor shall provide to the Trustees, and the Trustees shall review, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts expended pursuant to the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.

 

10.           Records . The Trust shall preserve copies of this Plan, each agreement related hereto and each report referred to in paragraph 9 hereof for a period of at least six years from the date of the Plan, agreement and report, the first two years in an easily accessible place.

 

11.           Independent Trustees . While this Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of Independent Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

  2  

 

 

Exhibit (m)

 

12.           Severability . If any provision of the Plan shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Plan shall not be affected thereby.

 

Plan adopted March 28, 2018

 

  3  

 

 

Exhibit (m)

 

APPENDIX A

 

Designated Funds:
 
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF
 
 

 

   

Exhibit (p)(i)

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

(the “Trust”)

 

Code of Ethics Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940

 

A. Definitions

 

1.          “1940 Act” shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

2.          “Access Person” shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Rule 17j-1(a)(1) of the 1940 Act.

 

3.          “Adviser” shall mean Syntax, LLC (the “Adviser”).

 

4.          “Adviser Access Person” shall mean a supervised person, as defined in the Adviser’s Act, (i) who has access to nonpublic information regarding the purchase or sale of the Trust’s securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of the Trust, or (ii) is involved in making securities recommendations to the Trust, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic. All directors, officers and partners of the Adviser shall be considered Adviser Access Persons so long as the Adviser provides investment advice as its primary business.

 

5.          “Advisers Act” shall mean the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

 

6.          “Adviser’s Code of Ethics” shall mean the Code of Ethics of the Adviser with respect to personal securities transactions adopted by the Adviser in compliance with Rule 204A-1 of the Advisers Act.

 

7.          “Beneficial Ownership” shall be interpreted in the manner as it would be in determining whether a person is subject to the provisions of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

8.          “Board” shall mean the Board of Trustees of the Trust.

 

9.          A Security is being “considered for purchase or sale” by a Fund when a recommendation that such Fund purchase or sell the Security has been made by the Adviser or an Access Person of the Adviser or the Trust.

 

10.        “Control” shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. Generally it means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company.

 

11.        “Compliance Officer” shall mean (i) with respect to the Adviser, a person designated by the Adviser to receive reports and take certain actions, as provided in the Adviser’s Code of Ethics, and (ii) with respect to the Trust, the Trust’s Chief Compliance

 

  1  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

Officer shall serve as the Compliance Officer of the Code of Ethics to receive reports and take certain actions, as provided in this Code of Ethics.

 

12.        “Fund” or “Funds” shall mean the portfolio series of the Trust.

 

13.        “Interested Person” shall have the meaning as considered in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

 

14.        “Independent Trustee” shall mean any trustee of the Trust who is not an Interested Person of the Trust.

 

15.        “Investment Company Access Person” shall mean a trustee, officer or advisory person, as defined in Rule 17j-1(a)(2) under the 1940 Act, of the Trust other than an Independent Trustee or an Adviser Access Person.

 

16.        “Investment Personnel” shall mean the portfolio managers and other employees of the Trust or the Adviser who participate in making investment recommendations to the Trust, and persons in a control relationship to the Trust who obtain information about investment recommendations made to the Trust.

 

17.        “Purchase” or “sale” of a Security includes, among other things, any option to purchase or sell a Security, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for a Security.

 

18.        “Security” shall have the same meanings as that set forth in Section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act (generally, all securities) and shall include exchange traded funds and securities that operate in a substantially similar manner as traditional exchange traded funds except that it shall not include securities issued by the Government of the United States or an agency or instrumentality thereof (including all short-term debt securities which are “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the 1940 Act), bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and shares of registered open-end investment companies (other than open end exchange traded funds and the Funds).

 

B.         Code Provisions Applicable to all Access Persons

 

No Access Person of the Trust, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by such Access Person of a Security held or to be acquired by the Trust (within the meaning of Rule 17j-1(a)(10), shall:

 

1.         Employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Trust;

 

2.         Make to the Trust any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to the Trust a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

3.         Engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Trust; or

 

  2  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

4. Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Trust.

 

C.         Code Provisions Applicable Only to Adviser Access Persons

 

1.          Code of Ethics. The provisions of the Adviser’s Code of Ethics are hereby adopted as the Code of Ethics of the Trust applicable to Adviser Access Persons. A violation of the Adviser’s Code of Ethics by any Adviser Access Person shall also constitute a violation of this Code of Ethics.

 

2.          Reports.  Adviser Access Persons shall file the reports required by the Adviser’s Code of Ethics. Such filings shall be deemed to be filings with the Trust under this Code of Ethics, and shall at all times be available to the Trust.

 

3.          Annual Issues and Certification Report. At periodic intervals established by the Board, but no less frequently than annually, the Compliance Officer of the Adviser shall provide a written report to the Board of all issues raised by Adviser Access Persons of the Adviser’s Code of Ethics during such period, including but not limited to, information about material code or procedure violations and sanctions imposed in response to those material violations. Additionally, the Adviser will provide the Board a written certification which certifies to the Board that the Adviser has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent its Access Persons from violating its Code of Ethics.

 

D.        Code Provisions Applicable Only to Independent Trustees

 

1.          Prohibited Purchases and Sales.    No Independent Trustee of the Trust shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Security in which such Independent Trustee has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership and which to such Independent Trustee’s actual knowledge at the time of such purchase or sale:

 

(a) is being considered for purchase or sale by a Fund; or

 

(b) is being purchased or sold by a Fund.

 

2.          Exempted Transactions.     The prohibitions of the immediately preceding paragraph of this Code shall not apply to:

 

(a)       purchases or sales effected in any account over which the Independent Trustee has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

(b)       purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of the Independent Trustee;

 

(c)       purchases or sales which are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically

 

  3  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation (e.g., a dividend reinvestment plan);

 

(d)       purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;

 

(e)       sales of securities held in a margin account to the extent necessary in order to meet margin requirements;

 

(f)        purchases or sales other than those exempted in (a) through (e) above, (i) which will not cause the Independent Trustee to gain improperly a personal profit as a result of such Independent Trustee’s relationship with the Trust, or (ii) which, because of the circumstances of the proposed transaction, are not related economically to the Securities purchased or sold or to be purchased or sold by a Fund, and in each case which are previously approved by the Compliance Officer of the Trust, which approval shall be confirmed in writing.

 

3.          Reporting.

 

(a)       Each Independent Trustee shall file with the Compliance Officer of the Trust a written report with respect to each transaction in any Security in which such Independent Trustee has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, if such Independent Trustee, at the time the transaction was entered into, actually knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling official duties as a trustee of the Trust should have known , that during the 15-day period immediately preceding or after the date of that transaction:

 

(i)          such Security was or is to be purchased or sold by a Fund, or

 

(ii)         such Security was or is being considered for purchase or sale by a Fund;

 

provided, however, that such Independent Trustee shall not be required to make a report with respect to any transaction effected (x) for any account over which such Independent Trustee does not have any direct or indirect influence or control, or (y) as part of an automatic investment plan. Each such report shall be deemed to be filed with the Trust for purposes of this Code, and may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the Independent Trustee that such Independent Trustee has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Security to which the report relates;

 

(b)       Such report shall be made not later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected, and shall contain the following information:

 

  4  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

(i)          the date of the transaction, exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (if applicable), the title of and the number of shares, interest rate and maturity (if applicable) and the principal amount of each Security involved;

 

(ii)         the nature of the transaction ( i.e. , purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

(iii)        the price at which the transaction was effected;

 

(iv)        the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

(v)         the date of submission of the report.

 

Any report concerning a purchase or sale prohibited under sub-section 1 of this Section with respect to which the Independent Trustee relies upon one of the exemptions provided in sub-section 2 of this Section shall contain a brief statement of the exemption relied upon and the circumstances of the transaction.

 

4.          Review.     The Compliance Officer of the Trust shall review or supervise the review of the personal securities transactions reported pursuant to sub-section 3 of this Section. As part of that review, each such reported securities transaction shall be compared against completed and contemplated portfolio transactions of the Trust to determine whether a violation of this Code may have occurred. If the Compliance Officer of the Trust determines that a violation may have occurred, the Compliance Officer of the Trust shall submit the pertinent information regarding the transaction to the Board. The Board shall evaluate whether a violation of this Code has occurred, taking into account all the exemptions provided under sub-section 2 of this Section. Before making any determination that a violation has occurred, the Board shall give the person involved an opportunity to supply additional information regarding the transaction in question and shall consult with counsel as appropriate.

 

5.          Sanctions. If the Board determines that a violation of this Code has occurred, the Board may take such action and impose such sanctions as the Board deems appropriate.

 

E.         Code Provisions Applicable Only to Investment Company Access Persons

 

1.          Prohibited Purchases and Sales. No Investment Company Access Person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Security in which such Investment Company Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership and which to such Investment Company Access Person’s actual knowledge as the time of such purchase or sale:

 

(a) is being considered for purchase or sale by a Fund; or

 

(b) is being purchased or sold by a Fund.

 

  5  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

2.          Exempted Transactions. The prohibitions of the immediately preceding paragraph of this Code shall not apply to:

 

(a)       purchases or sales effected in any account over which the Investment Company Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

(b)       purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of the Investment Company Access Person;

 

(c)        purchases or sales which are part of an automatic investment plan;

 

(d)       purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;

 

(e)       sales of securities held in a margin account to the extent necessary in order to meet margin requirements;

 

(f)       purchases or sales other than those exempted in (a) through (e) above, (i) which will not cause the Investment Company Access Person to gain improperly a personal profit as a result of such Investment Company Access Person’s relationship with the Trust, or (ii) which, because of the circumstances of the proposed transaction, are not related economically to the Securities purchased or sold or to be purchased or sold by a Fund, and in each case which are previously approved by the Compliance Officer of the Trust, which approval shall be confirmed in writing.

 

3.         Reporting. Whether or not one of the exemptions listed in sub-section 2 of this Section applies, each Investment Company Access Person shall file with the Compliance Officer of the Trust:

 

(a) Within 10 days of becoming an Investment Company Access Person, an initial holdings report which must include information current as of a date no more than 45 days from the date of becoming an Investment Company Access Person. Such report shall be dated and must contain the title of, the number of shares of, and the principal amount of each security Beneficially Owned by the Investment Company Access Person and the name of the broker with which the account is maintained. A copy of the initial holdings report form is attached as Exhibit A;

 

(c) An annual holdings report which updates the information provided in the initial holdings report which must include information current as of a date no more than 45 days from the date of the end of the calendar year. A copy of the annual holdings report form is attached as Exhibit B;

 

  6  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

(d) A quarterly transaction report containing the information described below with respect to each transaction in any Security in which such Investment Company Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership; provided, however, that such Investment Company Access Person shall not be required to make a report with respect to any transaction effected (x) for any account over which such Investment Company Access Person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control, or (y) as part of an automatic investment plan. A copy of the quarterly transaction report form is attached as Exhibit C. Each such report shall be deemed to be filed with the Trust for purposes of this Code, and may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the Investment Company Access Person that such person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Security to which the report relates. Such report shall be made not later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected, and shall contain the following information:

 

(i)          the date of the transaction, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (if applicable), the title of and the number of shares, interest rate and maturity (if applicable), and the principal amount of each Security involved;

 

(ii)         the nature of the transaction ( i.e. , purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

(iii)        the price at which the transaction was effected;

 

(iv)        the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

(v)         date of submission of the report.

 

Any report concerning a purchase or sale prohibited under sub-section 1 of this Section with respect to which the Investment Company Access Person relies upon one of the exemptions provided in sub-section 2 of this Section shall contain a brief statement of the exemption relied upon and the circumstances of the transaction.

 

4.          Review.     The Compliance Officer of the Trust shall review or supervise the review of the personal securities transactions reported pursuant to sub-section 3 of this Section. As part of that review, each such reported securities transaction shall be compared against completed and contemplated portfolio transactions of the Trust to determine whether a violation of this Code may have occurred. If the Compliance Officer of the Trust determines that a violation may have occurred, the Compliance Officer of the Trust shall submit the pertinent information regarding the transaction to the Board. The Board shall evaluate whether a violation of this Code has occurred, taking into account all the exemptions provided under sub-section 2 of

 

  7  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

this Section. Before making any determination that a violation has occurred, the Board shall give the person involved an opportunity to supply additional information regarding the transaction in question and shall consult with counsel as appropriate.

 

5.          Sanctions. If the Board determines that a violation of this Code has occurred, the Board may take such action and impose such sanctions as the Board deems appropriate.

 

F.          Code Provisions Applicable Only to Investment Personnel

 

Investments in IPOs and Private Placements. In addition to the applicable provisions for Investment Company Access Persons and Adviser Access Person noted above, Investment Personnel must pre-clear all investments in initial public offerings and private placements with the Compliance Officer.

 

G.         Annual Issues and Certification Report

 

At periodic intervals established by the Board, but no less frequently than annually, the Compliance Officer shall provide a written report to the Board of all issues raised by Access Persons of the Code of Ethics during such period, including but not limited to, information about material code or procedure violations and sanctions imposed in response to those material violations. Additionally, the Compliance Officer will provide the Board a written certification which certifies to the Board that the Trust has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent its Access Persons from violating its Code of Ethics.

 

H.         Miscellaneous Provisions

 

1.          Amendment or Revision of Adviser’s Code of Ethics. Any amendment or revision of the Adviser’s Code of Ethics shall be deemed to be an amendment or revision of the Section of this Code entitled “Code Provisions Applicable Only to Adviser Access Persons and such amendment or revision shall be promptly furnished to the Independent Trustees.

 

2.         Records. The Trust shall maintain records in the manner and to the extent set forth below, and shall make such records available for examination by representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission at any time and from time to time for reasonable examination:

 

(a)       A copy of this Code and any other code which is, or at any time within the past five years has been, in effect shall be preserved in an easily accessible place;

 

(b)       A record of any violation of this Code and of any action taken as a result of such violation shall be preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;

 

  8  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

(c)       A copy of each report made pursuant to this Code shall be preserved for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year in which its is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place;

 

(d)       A list of persons who are, or within the past five years have been, required to make reports pursuant to this Code shall be maintained in an easily accessible place;

 

(e)       A record of each report required by Section G hereof shall be maintained for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report was made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; and

 

(f)       A record of all IPO and private placement investments permitted and the reasons therefor shall be preserved for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.

 

3.          Confidentiality. All reports of securities transactions and any other information filed with the Trust or furnished to any person pursuant to this Code shall be treated as confidential, but are subject to review as provided herein and by representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

4.          Interpretation of Provisions. The Board may from time to time adopt such interpretation of this Code as they deem appropriate.

 

5.          Effect of Violation of this Code. In adopting Rule 17j-1, the Securities and Exchange Commission specifically noted in Investment Company Act Release No. 11421 that a violation of any provision of a particular code of ethics, such as this Code, would not be considered a per se unlawful act prohibited by the general anti-fraud provisions of the Rule. In adopting this Code of Ethics, it is not intended that a violation of this Code is or should be considered to be a violation of Rule 17j-1.

 

6.         Annual Certification. Each Access Person will be required to certify annually that he/she has read and understood the provisions of this Code and will abide by them. Each Access Person will further certify that he/she has disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions required to be reported under the Code. A copy of the certification form is attached to this Code as Exhibit D.

 

Adopted: March 28, 2018

 

  9  

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

Exhibit A

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

INITIAL REPORT OF SECURITIES HOLDINGS AND
ACCOUNTS

Date on which I become an Access Person ____________________

  

  Name of Broker Check Type of Account
Amount and Title of Security: Dealer or Bank Pers. Immediate Fam. Fiduciary
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         

 

The above is a record of (i) every Security in which I had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership on the date I became an Access Person as more fully described in the Trust’s Code of Ethics; and (ii) the name of each broker, dealer or bank with whom I maintained an account in which any Securities were held for my direct or indirect benefit as of the date I became an Access Person.

 

Date:     Signature:    

 

Note 1. This report shall not be construed as an admission by me that I have any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Securities reported, which have been marked by me with an asterisk(*). Such Securities holdings are reported solely to meet the standards imposed by Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

Note 2. Copies of brokerage statements are attached to this signed report in lieu of the above

 

Note 3. Report must be submitted within 10 days after becoming an Access Person. The information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

Exhibit B

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

ANNUAL REPORT OF SECURITIES HOLDINGS AND ACCOUNTS

For Calendar Year Ending December 31, 20__

 

  Name of Broker Check Type of Account
Amount and Title of Security: Dealer or Bank Pers. Immediate Fam. Fiduciary
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         

 

The above is a record of (i) every Security in which I had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership on the above calendar year end date as more fully described in the Trust’s Code of Ethics; and (ii) the name of each broker, dealer or bank with whom I maintained an account in which any Securities were held for my direct or indirect benefit.

 

Date:     Signature:    

 

 

Note 1. This report shall not be construed as an admission by me that I have any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Securities reported, which have been marked by me with an asterisk(*). Such Securities holdings are reported solely to meet the standards imposed by Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

Note 2. Copies of brokerage statements are attached to this signed report in lieu of the above

 

Note 3. Report must be submitted within 45 days after the calendar year end.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

Exhibit C

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

QUARTERLY REPORT OF SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS AND

ACCOUNTS

For Calendar Quarter Ending ____________

 

                Approved by:
Amount and Title of Date Name of Broker   Check Type of Account (if applicable)
Security: Bought Sold Price Dealer or Bank Pers. Immed. Fam. Fiduciary  
                 
                 
                 
                 

 

The above is a record of (i) every transaction during the quarter in a Security in which I had or by reason of which I acquired any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership as more fully described in the Trust’s Code of Ethics; and (ii) each account established by me with a broker, dealer or bank in which any Securities were held during the quarter for my direct or indirect benefit.

 

Date:     Signature:    

 

Note 1. If the transaction is other than a sale or purchase, please explain the transaction below.

 

Note 2. In the case of debt securities, include principal amount, interest rate and maturity date.

 

Note 3. This report shall not be construed as an admission by me that I have acquired any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Securities involved in the transaction reported, which have been marked by me with an asterisk(*). Such transactions are reported solely to meet the standards imposed by Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

Note 4. Copies of brokerage statements are attached to this signed report in lieu of the above.

 

Note 5. Report must be submitted within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(i)

 

Appendix D

 

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST ANNUAL
CERTIFICATION FORM

 

This is to certify that I have read and understand the Code of Ethics of Syntax ETF Trust dated [______] and that I recognize that I am subject to the provisions thereof and will comply with its provisions.

 

This is to further certify that I have complied with the requirements of the Code of Ethics and that I have reported all personal securities transactions, holdings and securities accounts required to be disclosed or reported pursuant to the Code of Ethics.

 

Please sign your name here:_______________________________

 

Please print your name here:_______________________________

 

Please date here:________________________________________

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(ii)

APPENDIX C

 

Syntax Advisor, LLC and Syntax ETF Trust

 

Joint Code of Ethics

 

Section I: Statement of General Fiduciary Principles

 

This Joint Code of Ethics (the "Code") has been adopted by Syntax ETF Trust (the “Trust”) 1 and Syntax Advisor, LLC, the investment Advisor of the Trust ("Syntax”). 2 The purpose of the Code is to establish standards and procedures to prevent and detect activities by which persons with knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of an Advisor could abuse their fiduciary duties to clients (including the Trust) and to deal with other types of conflicts of interest.

 

The Code is based upon the principle that the trustees and officers of the Trust owe a fiduciary duty to the Trust and its shareholders, and the officers, managers and personnel of each Advisor owe a fiduciary duty to its respective Clients (as defined below) to conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner that does not interfere with any Client's transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of their relationship with the Trust or any other Client. All such trustees, officers, managers, employees and other personnel of the Trust and the Advisors are expected to fully understand and adhere to this general principle as well as comply with all of the provisions of this Code that apply to them.

 

Technical compliance with the Code will not automatically insulate any person from scrutiny of transactions that may show a pattern of compromise or abuse of the individual's fiduciary duties to the Trust or any other Client. Accordingly, all Supervised Persons (as defined below) must seek to identify and mitigate, and where practical avoid, any conflicts between their personal interests and the interests of the Trust, its shareholders, or any other Client. In sum, all Supervised Persons shall place the interests of Clients before their own personal interests.

 

Every Supervised Person must read and retain this Code, recognize that he or she is subject to its provisions, and comply with all applicable Federal Securities Laws. If you have any questions about this Code, you should discuss them with the Chief Compliance Officer (or his or her designee) or General Counsel.

 

Although the Code is intended to provide every Supervised Person with guidance and certainty as to whether certain actions or practices are permissible, it does not cover every potential conflict you may face. In this regard, the Advisor and the Trust also maintain other compliance policies and procedures that may apply to a Supervised Person’s specific responsibilities and duties (including, among others, Policies and Procedures to Prevent and Detect Misuse of Material Non-Public Information, Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings, and Trade Error Procedures). These other policies and procedures are available to all Supervised Persons on the network shared drive. In the event that any provision of this Code conflicts with any other policy or procedure, the provisions of this Code shall control. The Trust and the Advisor shall use reasonable diligence and institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of this Code.

 

 

1 The Code has been approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Independent Trustees under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), in compliance with Rule 17j-1 ("Rule 17j-1") under the 1940 Act.

 

2 The Advisor has adopted the Code in compliance with Rule 204A-1 ("Rule 204A-1") under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act").

 

Page 1 of 16

 

 

Exhibit (p)(ii)

APPENDIX C

 

Section II: Covered Person

 

Subject to their general duty to place Clients’ interests before their own personal interest, individuals may have different obligations under this Code, depending upon their respective roles and access to sensitive information.

 

Personnel of the Trust and Advisor fall into three categories, each with its own set of responsibilities:

 

(A) "Supervised Persons” 3 are

 

(1) the trustees, officers, managers, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) and employees of (a) the Trust or the Advisor, or (b) of a company in a control relationship to the Advisor who regularly perform services for the Trust or an Advisor; and

 

(2) any other person who is subject to the Advisor's supervision and control.

 

(B) “Access Persons" 4 are

 

Supervised Persons

 

(i) who have access to nonpublic information regarding any Client's purchase or sale of Securities (including, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Security) or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable Fund (as defined below), Model Portfolio (as defined below) or Client account;

 

(ii) who are involved in making Securities recommendations, or have access to such recommendations, that are nonpublic.

 

(C) "Investment Personnel" 5 are:

 

(1) Supervised Persons who in connection with their regular functions or duties make, participate in, or obtain information regarding an open or intended order for the purchase or sale of any Security on behalf of a Client, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and

 

(2) any natural persons in a control relationship to the Trust or an Advisor who obtain nonpublic information concerning a pending order or intended recommendation for a Client with regard to the purchase or sale of any Security.

 

(D) The Chief Compliance Officer of each entity, in consultation with its General Counsel, shall maintain lists of individuals whose duties make them Supervised Persons, Access Persons, and Investment Personnel and shall periodically inform them of their respective applicable statuses. The Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel (or their designees) shall promptly notify an individual upon any change in that person’s status. In addition, all Supervised Persons have an obligation to provide notice to the Chief

 

 

3 The specific obligations of Supervised Persons are described in Section IV

 

4 The specific obligations of Access Persons are described in Section V(A) (subject to the exceptions of V(C)), VI, and VII.

 

5 The specific obligations of Investment Personnel are described in Section V(A) and V(B) (subject to the exceptions of V(C)), VI, and VII.

 

Page 2 of 16

 

 

Exhibit (p)(ii)

APPENDIX C

 

Compliance Officer on a timely basis if there is a change to their duties, responsibilities or title that they believe may affect their reporting status under this Code.

 

(E)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, personnel of the Trust, the Advisor, or any of their affiliates shall not be considered to be Access Persons or Investment Personnel by virtue of receiving information about their respective personal portfolios, or recommendations regarding Securities, as part of an ordinary relationship with the Advisor as a Client.

 

Section III: Definitions

 

(A) "Automatic Investment Plan" means a program in which periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. 6

 

(B) "Beneficial Ownership" has the meaning set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 16a-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") and for purposes of this Code shall be deemed to include, without limitation, any interest by which an Access Person or any member of his or her immediate family ( i.e. , a person who is related by blood or marriage to, and who is living in the same household as, the Access Person) can directly or indirectly derive a monetary or other economic benefit from the purchase, sale (or other acquisition or disposition) or ownership of a Security, including (among other things) any such interest that arises as a result of:

 

(1) a general partnership interest in a general or limited partnership, or a manager/member interest in a limited liability company;

 

(2) an interest in a trust (either a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust);

 

(3) an interest as a member of an “investment club” or an organization that is formed for the purpose of investing a pool of monies in Securities;

 

(4) a right to dividends that is separated or separable from the underlying Security;

 

(5) a right to acquire equity Securities through the exercise or conversion of any derivative Security (whether or not presently exercisable); and

 

(6) a performance related advisory fee (other than an asset based fee). 7

 

You do not have Beneficial Ownership of Securities held by a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other entity in which you hold an equity interest unless you control (as defined below) the entity or you have or share investment control over the Securities held by the entity.

 

 

6 A dividend reinvestment plan ("DRIP") is considered to be an Automatic Investment Plan to the extent that transactions are made automatically in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation.

 

7 Beneficial Ownership will not be deemed to exist solely as a result of any indirect interest a person may have in the investment performance of an account managed by such person, or over which such person has supervisory responsibility, which arises from such person’s compensation arrangement with the Advisor or any affiliate of the Advisor under which the performance of the account, or the profits derived from its management, is a factor in the determination of such person’s compensation.

 

Page 3 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(C) "Chief Compliance Officer" means the chief compliance officer of the Advisor and the Trust or, in his or her absence, the General Counsel of the Advisor.

 

(D) "Client" means any person for whom or which the Advisor serves as an "investment Advisor" within the meaning of Section 202(a)(11) of the Advisers Act, including the Trust.

 

(E) "Control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company, within the meaning of Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act.

 

(F) "Covered Security" means any Security (as defined below) other than:

 

(1)       a direct obligation of the Government of the United States;

 

(2)       a banker’s acceptance, bank certificate of deposit, commercial paper, and high quality short-term debt instruments, including a repurchase agreement;

 

(3)       shares issued by money market funds; or

 

(4)       shares of open-end investment companies (other than exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") or Reportable Funds) registered under the 1940 Act.

 

(G) “Discretionary Account” means an account over which the Access Person does not directly or indirectly exercise any influence or control. For example, a Discretionary Account may include a trust account over which a trustee has management authority, or a separately managed account over which a third party investment manager has discretionary investment authority. In order for these types of accounts to qualify as Discretionary Accounts, the Access Person may not direct or suggest purchases or sales of any investments, or consult with the trustee or third-party investment manager (on an ongoing basis beyond the initial account set- up) as to the particular allocation of investments. 8

 

(H) "Federal Securities Laws" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), the 1934 Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment Advisors, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

 

(I) "Fund" means an investment company registered under the 1940 Act.

 

(J) "Independent Trustee" means a trustee of the Trust who is not an "interested person" of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

 

 
8 An Access Person will not be deemed to exercise direct or indirect influence or control over a Discretionary Account because: (i) the Access Person engages in discussions in which a trustee or investment managers summarizes, describes or explains account activity to the Access Person; or (ii) the Access Person may place certain securities on (or remove them from) a restricted list.

 

Page 4 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(K) "Initial Public Offering" means an offering of securities registered under the 1933 Act the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

 

(L) "Limited Offering" means an offering of Securities that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) thereof or Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 thereunder. For the avoidance of doubt, “Limited Offering” may include, but is not limited to, hedge fund, private equity fund and other similar investment fund offerings.

 

(M) “Model Portfolio” means a model equity portfolio maintained and used by the Advisor to create separately managed accounts for its Clients.

 

(N) “Personal Account” means any account owned by, or in the name of, an Access Person (including Investment Personnel) in which Covered Securities may be held or any such account in which an Access Person (including Investment Personnel) has a Beneficial Interest in Covered Securities.

 

(O) "Reportable Fund" means: (1) any Fund for which Syntax Advisors, LLC serves as an investment Advisor or sub-Advisor; or (2) any Fund whose investment Advisor controls the Advisor, is controlled by the Advisor, or is under control with the Advisor.

 

(P) "Security" includes all stock, debt obligations and other securities and similar instruments of whatever kind (whether publicly or privately traded), including any warrant or option to acquire or sell a security, listed depository receipts (e.g., ADRs), and Reportable Funds. References to a Security in this Code (e.g., a prohibition or requirement applicable to the purchase or sale of a Security) shall be deemed to refer to and to include any warrant for, option in, or Security immediately convertible into that Security, and shall also include any instrument (whether or not such instrument itself is a Security) which has an investment return or value that is based, in whole or part, on that Security or index of Securities (collectively, "Derivatives"). Therefore, except as otherwise specifically provided by this Code: (1) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Security shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative relating to that Security; and (2) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Security relating to that Derivative.

 

(Q) A Security is "being considered for purchase or sale" when a recommendation to purchase or sell that Security has been made or communicated and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person seriously considers making such a recommendation.

 

Any questions regarding the application of these terms should be referred to, and addressed by, the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Section IV: Objective and General Prohibitions for Supervised Persons

 

(A) Although certain provisions of this Code apply only to Access Persons or Investment Personnel, all Supervised Persons must conduct their personal activities in accordance with the standards set forth in Sections I, IV and VIII of this Code.

 

Page 5 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

i. A Supervised Person may not engage in any investment transaction under circumstances where the Supervised Person benefits from or interferes with the purchase or sale of investments made on behalf of a Client.

 

ii. Supervised Persons may not use information concerning the investments or investment intentions of an Advisor, or their ability to influence such investment intentions, for personal gain or in a manner detrimental to the interests of a Client.

 

iii. Disclosure by a Supervised Person of such information to any person outside of the course or scope of the responsibilities of the Supervised Person to the Trust, a Client, or an Advisor (and, with respect to the Trust, in violation of the policy on Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings) will be deemed to be a violation of this prohibition.

 

(B) Supervised Persons may not engage in conduct that is deceitful, fraudulent, or manipulative, or that involves false or misleading statements, in connection with the purchase or sale of investments by or for the Trust or a Client. In this regard, Supervised Persons should recognize that applicable law generally provides that it is unlawful for an Advisor or any Supervised Person in connection with the purchase or sale of a Security held or to be acquired by the Trust or another Client to:

 

(i) employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a Client;

 

(ii) make any untrue statement of a material fact to a Client or omit to state to a Client a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

(iii) engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a Client; or

 

(iv) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a Client.

 

(C) Employees of the Trust or Advisors should also recognize that violating this Code (or the underlying applicable law) may result in: (1) sanctions as provided by Section X below; or (2) administrative, civil, and, in certain cases, criminal fines, sanctions or penalties.

 

Section V: Prohibited Transactions and Pre-clearance for Access Persons and Investment Personnel 9

 

(A) Access Persons (including Investment Personnel)

 

1. Unless one of the exceptions set out in Section V(C) below applies, Access Persons must pre-clear all transactions that would result in them acquiring or selling a direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership

 

 

 

9 The prohibitions of this Section V apply to Covered Securities acquired or disposed of in any type of transaction, including but not limited to non-brokered transactions, such as purchases and sales of privately placed Covered Securities and Covered Securities acquired directly from an issuer, except to the extent that one of the exceptions from the prohibitions set forth in Section V(C) is applicable.

 

Page 6 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

a. in an Initial Public Offering;

 

b. in a Limited Offering/Private Placement; in any Covered Security (including Reportable Funds):

 

i. when the Access Person knows or should know that an Advisor has an open order to purchase or sell the security; or

 

ii. when the Access Person knows or should know that an Advisor intends to purchase or sell the security.

 

2. Access Persons must report to the Trust or Advisor (as appropriate) any transactions pre-cleared (or required to be pre-cleared) according to the rules laid out in Section VI.

 

(B) Investment Personnel

 

(1)        All Investment Personnel shall obtain pre-clearance of all transactions in Covered Securities in accordance with this Section V(B) except where one of the exceptions from pre- clearance set forth in Section V(C) below applies.

 

(2)       For purposes of this Code, Investment Personnel shall be presumed to have sufficient knowledge of a Client’s transactions and Covered Securities being considered for purchase or sale so as to require pre-clearance, regardless of whether they actually have such knowledge.

 

(C) Exceptions :

 

The prohibitions of this Section V do not apply to:

 

(1) Purchases that are made via an Automatic Investment Plan (however, this exception does not apply to optional cash purchases pursuant to a DRIP);

 

(2) Purchases of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Covered Securities (if such rights are acquired from such issuer), and the exercise of such rights;

 

(3) Involuntary ( i.e. , non-volitional) purchases, sales and transfers of Covered Securities;

 

(4) Transactions in Discretionary Accounts in which the Access Person (or an immediate family member of the Access Person who lives in the same household as the Access Person) has Beneficial Ownership. Please note, however, that an Access Person will be presumed to influence or control an account of an immediate family member who lives in the same household as the Access Person that is not a - Discretionary Account (and, thus, subject trading in those accounts to pre-clearance under the Code) absent a written determination by the Chief Compliance Officer to the contrary; and

 

(5) Transactions by or on behalf of an Independent Trustee, unless, in the case of the prohibition set forth in Section IV (B), the Independent Trustee has actual knowledge of the matters described in Section IV (B) and no exception of this Section V(C) applies.

 

Page 7 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

Section VI: Pre-clearance Procedures

 

(A) Obtaining Pre-Clearance .

 

Any person seeking pre-clearance of a personal transaction in a Covered Security required to be approved pursuant to Section V above must obtain such pre-clearance from the Chief Compliance Officer or a person who has been authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer to pre-clear transactions (each a "Clearing Officer"). A Clearing Officer seeking pre-clearance with respect to his or her own transaction shall obtain such pre-clearance from another Clearing Officer (or, if that person is not available, from the Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel).

 

(i) Prior to requesting pre-clearance from a Clearing Officer, each Access Person shall ask the applicable Advisor’s Trade Restriction Officer and/or his or her designate whether the applicable Security is eligible for pre- clearance under this Code.

 

(ii) Upon receipt of the inquiry, the Advisor’s Trade Restriction Officer or his or her designee will determine if:

 

a. The Advisor or the Trust has any open orders for a Covered Security; or

 

b. The Advisor has changed the allocation of a Covered Security in a Model Portfolio and has not yet received notice that the transactions necessary to implement that change have been executed;

 

c. The Covered Security is on the restricted list maintained by the Trust or the Advisor.

 

If any of the preceding criteria applies, the Access Person must disclose such on the Pre-Clearance form and may be ineligible for pre-clearance, unless the Chief Compliance Officer determines otherwise .

 

(B) Time of Clearance .

 

(1) An Access Person may pre-clear trades only where such person has a present intention to effect a transaction in the Security for which pre-clearance is sought.

 

(a)       It is not appropriate for an Access Person to obtain a general or open- ended pre-clearance to cover the eventuality that he or she may buy or sell a Security at some future time depending upon market developments.

 

(b)       Consistent with the foregoing, an Access Person may not simultaneously request pre-clearance to buy and sell the same Security.

 

Page 8 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(2) Pre-clearance of a trade shall be valid and in effect through the close of business the day following the day upon which pre-clearance was granted (if the security is thinly traded, pre-clearance is good for seven days);

 

(a)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, a pre-clearance expires upon the person becoming aware of facts or circumstances that would prevent a proposed trade from being pre-cleared. Accordingly, if an Access Person becomes aware of new or changed facts or circumstances that give rise to a question as to whether pre-clearance could be obtained if a Clearing Officer was aware of such facts or circumstances, the person shall be required to so advise a Clearing Officer (and receive new pre-clearance) before proceeding with such transaction.

 

(b)       The Chief Compliance Officer has discretion to either extend or reduce the time period that pre-clearance is valid, and the Chief Compliance Officer will document any exception to the pre-clearance period, including (among other things) a description of the relevant facts and circumstances for any exception

 

(C) Form .

 

Pre-clearance must be obtained in writing by (i) completing and signing (including using a typed or electronic signature) the form for Pre-clearance for Personal Securities Transactions, attached as Schedule A, which form shall set forth the details of the proposed transaction, and (ii) obtaining the written approval (including by email) of a Clearing Officer.

 

(D) Filing .

 

Copies of all completed pre-clearance forms, with the required signatures, shall be retained electronically at http://www.complysci.com or in such other location that the Chief Compliance Officer shall designate.

 

(E) Factors Considered in Pre-Clearance of Personal Transactions .

 

A Clearing Officer may refuse to grant pre-clearance of a personal transaction in his or her sole discretion without being required to specify any reason for the refusal. Generally, a Clearing Officer will consider the following factors in determining whether or not to pre-clear a proposed transaction:

 

(1) Whether the amount or nature of the transaction, or the identity of the person making it, is likely to affect the price or market for the Covered Security;

 

(2) Whether the person making the proposed purchase or sale is likely to benefit from purchases or sales being made or being considered on behalf of a Client;

 

(3) Whether the transaction is likely to adversely affect a Client; and

 

(4) Whether the transaction may otherwise create an appearance of impropriety.

 

Page 9 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(F) Monitoring of Personal Transactions After Pre-Clearance .

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee shall periodically monitor each Access Person's transactions to ascertain whether pre-cleared transactions have been executed within the time period for pre-clearance and whether such transactions were executed in the specified amounts.

 

(G) Requirements for All Personal Accounts

 

Generally, an Access Person may maintain a Personal Account with the financial firm of his or her choice, provided the firm is able to provide copies of the Access Person’s account statements to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee and such statements are being provided. However, the Chief Compliance Officer (in consultation with the General Counsel) may require any Access Person to maintain Personal Accounts with specified firms or prohibit any Access Person from maintaining a Personal Account with a specified firm.

 

(H) Alternative Mechanisms

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may establish alternative mechanisms for the pre-clearance set out in this Section VI.

 

Section VII: Certifications and Reports by Access Persons 10

 

(A) Initial Certifications and Initial Holdings Reports .

 

Within ten (10) days after a person becomes an Access Person, except as provided in Section VII (D), such person shall complete and submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee an Initial Certification and Holdings Report on the form attached as Schedule C. The information contained therein must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

 

(B) Quarterly Transaction Reports .

 

(1) Within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, each Access Person shall make a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee of all transactions in Covered Securities occurring in the quarter in which he or she had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership. Such report is hereinafter called a "Quarterly Transaction Report."

 

(2) Except as provided in Section VII (D), a Quarterly Transaction Report shall be on the form attached as Schedule B and must contain the following information with respect to each reportable transaction:

 

(i) Date and nature of the transaction (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

 

10 The reporting requirements of this Section VII apply to Covered Securities acquired or disposed of in all types of transactions, including but not limited to non-brokered transactions, such as purchases and sales of Covered Securities in a Limited Offering and Covered Securities acquired directly from an issuer, and short sales of Covered Securities, except to the extent that one of the exceptions from the reporting requirements applies.

 

Page 10 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(ii) Title (and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number), number of shares or principal amount of each Covered Security and the price at which the transaction was effected; and

 

(iii) Name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

(iv) Date that the Access Person submitted the Quarterly Transaction Report.

 

(v) A copy of the confirmation statement issued for the transaction or a copy of the brokerage statement showing the transaction attached to the Quarterly Transaction Report.

 

(3) A Quarterly Transaction Report may contain a statement that the report is not to be construed as an admission that the person making it has or had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Security to which the report relates.

 

(C) Annual Certifications and Annual Holdings Reports .

 

Annually, by January 30 of each year, except as provided in Section VII (D), each Access Person shall complete and submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee an Annual Certification and Holdings Report on the form attached as Schedule D. The information contained therein must be current as of a date no more than 45 days before the Annual Certification and Holding Report is submitted.

 

(D) Exceptions from Reporting Requirements .

 

(1) Notwithstanding the quarterly reporting requirement set forth in Section VII (B), an Independent Trustee is not required to file a Quarterly Transaction Report unless he or she was actually aware of the Trust's trading activity at any time during the fifteen day period immediately preceding or after such Independent Trustee engaged in a Securities transaction.

 

(2) Independent Trustees are not required to file Initial Holdings Reports or Annual Holdings Reports.

 

(3) An Access Person need not submit an Initial Holdings Report, a Quarterly Transaction Report or an Annual Holdings Report with respect to any Covered Securities held in an account over which the Access Person does not have, directly or indirectly, Beneficial Ownership.

 

(4) An Access Person need not Report Covered Securities held in a Trust managed by a third-party Trustee or held in an account(s) in which a third-party manager has discretionary investment authority (hereafter “Discretionary Accounts”). . However, the Chief Compliance Officer may periodically request (in his or her sole discretion) that an Access Person provide transaction or holding reports. An Access Person relying on this exception must provide the Chief Compliance Officer with a certification in the form of Schedule F.

 

(5) An Access Person need not submit a Quarterly Transaction Report with respect to any transaction effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan.

 

Page 11 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(6) Statements.

 

(a)       In lieu of submitting a Quarterly Transaction Report, an Access Person may arrange for the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee to be sent duplicate statements for all Personal Accounts through which transactions in Covered Securities in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership are effected, so long as the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee receives the account statements no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the calendar quarter.

 

(b)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Access Person must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report for any quarter during which the Access Person has acquired or disposed of direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Covered Security if such transaction was not in a Personal Account for which duplicate statements are being sent.

 

(c)       Access Persons who provide duplicate statements to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee for their Personal Accounts will be deemed to satisfy the requirement to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report if such statements reflect all transactions in Covered Securities required to be reported by them hereunder. The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will review these statements to ascertain compliance with this Code.

 

(E) Any Access Person relying on this Section VI(D)(6) shall be required to certify as to the identity of all Personal Accounts through which Covered Securities in which they have direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership are purchased, sold and held. In addition, it is the responsibility of the Access Person to confirm that all duplicate statements have been delivered to the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee in a timely manner.

 

(F) The Chief Compliance Officer may establish alternative mechanisms for the reporting set out in this Section VII.

 

(G) Each Access Person must take the initiative to comply with the requirements of this Section

VII. Any effort by the Trust, or by an Advisor, to facilitate the reporting process does not change or alter that responsibility.

 

Section VIII: Additional Prohibitions

 

(A) Confidentiality of Trust and Client Transactions .

 

1.       Trust. Until disclosed in a public communication to shareholders, to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the policies on Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings, all information concerning the Securities held by or being considered for purchase or sale by the Trust shall be kept confidential by all Supervised Persons.

 

2.       Model Portfolios and Clients. All information concerning the Securities held by or being considered for purchase or sale for the Model Portfolios or any Client shall be kept confidential by all Supervised Persons, or, with respect to the Model Portfolios, until publicly

 

Page 12 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

disclosed. 11 In addition to portfolio information, all non-public personal information about Clients and potential clients shall be kept confidential in accordance with Syntax’s Privacy Policy and Procedures. For the avoidance of doubt, “Client” includes all employees of the Advisors or their affiliates that are clients of Syntax.

 

(B) Outside Business Activities, Relationships and Directorships .

 

Access Persons may not engage in any outside business activities or maintain a business relationship with any person or company that may give rise to conflicts of interest or jeopardize the integrity or reputation of the Trust, the Advisor or any Client. Similarly, no such outside business activities or relationships may be inconsistent with the interests of the Trust, the Advisor, or any Client. Access Persons who are officers or employees of the Advisor may not serve as a director of any public or private company, except with the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer (in consultation with the General Counsel), and all directorships held by such Access Persons shall be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer. Access Persons who are employees must complete a Conflicts Questionnaire (which is attached hereto as Schedule E) at least annually.

 

(C) Gratuities .

 

Supervised Persons shall not, directly or indirectly, take, accept, receive or give gifts or other consideration in merchandise, services or otherwise in excess of $250, except: (1) customary business gratuities such as meals, refreshments, beverages and entertainment that are associated with a legitimate business purpose, reasonable in cost, appropriate as to time and place, where the giver or a representative is present, do not influence or give the appearance of influencing the recipient and cannot reasonably be viewed as a bribe, kickback or payoff; and (2) business-related gifts of nominal value.

 

(D) Relationship with Affiliates

 

To protect the reality and appearance of integrity, neither a Supervised Person, the Trust, nor an Advisor may:

 

1. Seek information about securities or investments from an affiliate that has not been made publicly available;

 

2. Use or pass on Information for the benefit of the Trust, the Advisor, its Clients, its Access Persons, or its investors;

 

3. Seek to influence an affiliate, its employees, agents, affiliates, contractors, directors, or stockholders (“Affiliated Persons”) to publish information or analysis for the purpose of influencing the market for any security;

 

4. Disclose any material nonpublic information of the Trust, the Advisor, or their Clients, especially including Client holdings or Securities being considered for purchase or sale, an affiliate, or shareholders of the Trust, except as part of a public disclosure

 

 

11 Of course, nothing in this Joint Code of Ethics shall prevent an Advisor or any Supervised Persons from disclosing a Client’s holdings to that Client in the ordinary course of business and discussing with the Advisor personnel as part of the Advisor’s business.

 

Page 13 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

authorized by the President, General Counsel, or Chief Compliance Officer (e.g., as part of a public disclosure of mutual fund holdings); but

 

5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Advisor and its employees may disclose Trust or Client information to affiliated persons for the purpose of having them perform services on the Advisor's or the Trust’s behalf, so long as such affiliated persons are under an obligation to protect the confidentiality of the Trust's information and not disclose it to others or use it on behalf of the affiliates or themselves. In addition, nothing in this Code shall prevent the Advisor, its employees, or its agents from disclosing to a Client who is an affiliated person any of such Client’s portfolio information.

 

Section IX: Certification by Access Persons

 

The certifications of each Access Person required pursuant to Section VII shall include certifications that the Access Person has read and understands this Code and recognizes that he or she is subject to it. Access Persons shall also be required to certify in their annual certifications that they have complied with the requirements of this Code.

 

Supervised Persons who are not Access Persons shall be provided with a copy of the Code (and any amendments) and shall provide the Advisor with a written acknowledgment of the receipt of the Code and any amendment.

 

Section X: Sanctions

 

Any violation of this Code shall be subject to such sanctions by the Trust or an Advisor as may be deemed appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of Rule 17j-1, Rule 204A-1, and this Code. The sanctions for Trust personnel shall be determined by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees; provided, however , that with respect to violations by personnel of an Advisor (or of a company which controls the Advisor), the sanctions to be imposed shall be determined by the Advisor (or the controlling person thereof), as applicable. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension or termination of employment, a letter of censure, disgorgement of any profits stemming from any violation, and/or restitution of an amount equal to the difference between the price paid or received by the Trust or a Client and the more advantageous price paid or received by the offending person.

 

Section XI: Reporting of Violations

 

Every Supervised Person must immediately report any violation of this Code to the Chief Compliance Officer or, in the Chief Compliance Officer's absence, the General Counsel of the Advisor. All reports will be treated confidentially and investigated promptly and appropriately. The Advisor will not retaliate against any Supervised Person who reports a violation of this Code in good faith and any retaliation constitutes a further violation of this Code. For additional information regarding the Advisor’s “whistleblower” protections, please see the Syntax Whistleblower Policy. The Chief Compliance Officer will keep records of any violation of this Code, and of any action taken as a result of the violation.

 

Section XII: Administration and Construction

 

(A)       The Chief Compliance Officer shall be responsible for the administration of this Code.

 

(B) The duties of the Chief Compliance Officer are as follows:

 

Page 14 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

(1) Continuous maintenance of current lists of the names of all Supervised Persons, Access Persons, and Investment Personnel with an appropriate description of their title or employment, including a notation of any directorships held by Access Persons who are partners, members, officers, or employees of an Advisor or of any company that controls the Advisor, and the date each such person became an Access Person;

 

(2) On an annual basis, providing each Supervised Person of the Trust or an Advisor with a copy of this Code and informing such persons of their duties and obligations hereunder;

 

(3) Obtaining the certifications and reports required to be submitted by Access Persons under this Code (except that the Chief Compliance Officer may presume that Quarterly Transaction Reports need not be filed by Independent Trustees in the absence of facts indicating that a report must be filed), and reviewing the reports submitted by Access Persons;

 

(4) Maintaining or supervising the maintenance of all records and reports required by this Code;

 

(5) Preparing listings of all securities transactions reported by Access Persons and reviewing such transactions against a listing of transactions effected by the Advisor on behalf of Clients;

 

(6) Issuance, either personally or with the assistance of counsel as may be appropriate, of any interpretation of this Code which may appear consistent with the objectives of Rule 17j-1, Rule 204A-1 and this Code;

 

(7) Conduct of such inspections or investigations as shall reasonably be required to detect and report, with recommendations, any apparent violations of this Code to the Board of Trustees of the Trust and to the applicable Advisor; and

 

(8) Report a material violation of this Code as part of the Quarterly Compliance Report to the Board.

 

The above acts may also be completed by compliance personnel acting at the direction of the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

(C) The Chief Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in an easily accessible place, the following records:

 

(1) A copy of this Code and any other codes of ethics adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1 by the Trust and the Advisor for a period of five (5) years;

 

(2) A record of each violation of this Code and any other code specified in (C)(1) above, and of any action taken as a result of such violation for a period of not less than five

(5) years following the end of the fiscal year of the Trust or Advisor, as applicable, in which the violation occurred;

 

(3) A copy of each report made pursuant to this Code and any other code specified in XII(C)(1) above, by an Access Person or the Chief Compliance Officer, for a period

 

Page 15 of 16

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

of not less than five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year of the Trust or Advisor in which such report or interpretation was made or issued, the most recent two (2) years of which shall be kept in a place that is easily accessible;

 

(4) A list of all persons, currently or within the past five (5) years, who are or were required to make reports pursuant to Rule 17j-1, Rule 204A-1 and this Code or any other code specified in (C)(1) above, or who are or were responsible for reviewing such reports; and

 

(5) A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve any investment in an Initial Public Offering or a Limited Offering by Access Persons or to make a permitted exception to any provision of this Code, for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval was granted.

 

(D) Review of Code by Board of Trustees .

 

(1) On an annual basis, and at such other time as deemed to be necessary or appropriate by the Trustees, the Trustees shall review operation of this Code and shall adopt such amendments thereto as may be necessary to assure that the provisions of the Code establish standards and procedures that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent activities that would constitute violations of Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1.

 

(2) In connection with the annual review of the Code by the Trustees, the Trust and Advisor shall each provide to the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Trustees shall consider, a written report (which may be a joint report on behalf of the Trust and the Advisor) that:

 

(i) Describes any issues arising under the Code or related procedures during the past year, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code or any procedures adopted in connection therewith and that describes the sanctions imposed in response to material violations; and

 

(ii) Certifies that the Trust and the Advisor have each adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code.

 

(E) This Code may not be amended or modified except in a written form that is specifically approved by majority vote of the Independent Trustees within six months after such amendment or modification. In connection with any such amendment or modification, the Trust and the Advisor shall each provide a certification that procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code, as proposed to be amended or modified, have been adopted.

 

 

 

This Code was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust at a meeting held on _______.

 

This Code, as amended, was approved by the Advisor on __________.

 

Page 16 of 16

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vantage Consulting Group, Inc.

 

Code of Ethics and Insider Trading

 

Adopted February 23, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Definitions

 

The following defined terms are used throughout this Manual and Code of Ethics. Other terms are defined within specific sections of the Manual or Code.

 

Access Person - An Access Person is an Employee who has access to non-public information regarding trading or any Reportable Fund's holdings who is involved in making Securities recommendations to Clients, or who has access to non-public Securities recommendations. All persons performing advisory functions on behalf of VCG and those who have access to client transactions or recommendations are considered Access Persons.

 

Advisers Act - The Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Beneficial Interest - An individual has a Beneficial Interest in a Security if he or she can directly or indirectly profit from the Security. An individual generally has a Beneficial Interest in all Securities held directly or indirectly, as well as those owned directly or indirectly by family members sharing the same household.

 

Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) - Mark T. Finn.

 

CFTC - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

 

Client - The person or entity to whom VCG provides investment advisory services. For Funds to which VCG provides investment advise, the underlying Investors in the Fund advised by VCG are not Clients.

 

Employee - VCG's officers, directors, partners, members, independent contractors, employees or any other person who provides investment advice on the Company's behalf and is subject to the Company's supervision or control. Independent contractors are considered Employees for purposes of this manual but for no other legal purpose.

 

Exchange Act - The Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

Federal Securities Laws - The Federal Securities Laws include the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the IC Act, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the SEC under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to investment companies and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

 

Front-Running - Trading a favored account ahead of other accounts.

 

Fund - An investment company or private fund managed by VCG.

 

IC Act - The Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

Insider Trading - Trading personally or on behalf of others on the basis of Material Non-Public Information, or improperly communicating Material Non-Public Information to others.

 

Investor - A limited partner in a Fund.

 

IPO - An initial public offering. An IPO is an offering of Securities registered under the Securities

 

2

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

  Act where the issuer, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

Material Non-Public Information - Information that (i) has not been made generally available to the public, and that (ii) a reasonable investor would likely consider important in making an investment decision.

 

Nonpublic Personal Information - Regulation S-P defines "Nonpublic Personal Information" to include personally identifiable financial information that is not publicly available, as well as any list, description, or other grouping of consumers derived from nonpublic personally identifiable financial information.

 

PCAOB - The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

PPM - A private placement memorandum, also known as an offering memorandum.

 

Private Placement - Also known as a "Limited Offering." An offering that is exempt from registration pursuant to sections 4(2) or 4(6) of the Securities Act, or pursuant to Rules 504, 505, or 506 of Regulation D.

 

Qualified Custodian - Financial institutions that clients and advisers customarily turn to for custodial services. These include banks and savings associations and registered broker- dealers.

 

RIC - Registered Investment Company

 

Security - The SEC defines the term "Security" broadly to include stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, options, interests in Private Placements, futures contracts on other Securities, participations in profit-sharing agreements, and interests in oil, gas, or other mineral royalties or leases, among other things. "Security" is also defined to include any instrument commonly known as a Security.

 

SEC - The Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act - The Securities Act of 1933.

 

Treasurer - Ruth Cole.

 

Vice President/CIO - Jonathan Finn.

 

3

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Code of Ethics

 

Background

 

Investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe their undivided loyalty to their clients. Investment advisers are trusted to represent clients' interests in many matters, and advisers must hold themselves to the highest standard of fairness in all such matters.

Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser to adopt and implement a written code of ethics that contains provisions regarding:

 

The adviser's fiduciary duty to its clients;
Compliance with all applicable Federal Securities Laws;
Reporting and review of personal Securities transactions and holdings;
Reporting of violations of the code; and
Delivery of the code to all Employees.

 

Policies and Procedures

 

Fiduciary Standards and Compliance with the Federal Securities Laws

 

At all times, VCG and its Employees must comply with the spirit and the letter of the Federal Securities Laws and the rules governing the capital markets. All questions regarding the Code should be directed to the CCO. You must cooperate to the fullest extent reasonably requested by the CCO and/or Treasurer to enable (i) VCG to comply with all applicable Federal Securities Laws and (ii) the CCO to discharge duties under the Code of Ethics.

 

All Employees will act with competence, dignity, integrity, and in an ethical manner, when dealing with Clients, Investors, the public, prospects, third-party service providers and fellow Employees. You must use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment when conducting investment analysis, making investment recommendations, trading, promoting VCG's services, and engaging in other professional activities.

 

We expect all Employees to adhere to the highest standards with respect to any potential conflicts of interest with Clients. As a fiduciary, VCG must act in its Clients' best interests. Neither VCG, nor any Employee should ever benefit at the expense of any Client. Notify the CCO promptly if you become aware of any practice that creates, or gives the appearance of, a material conflict of interest.

 

Employees are generally expected to discuss any perceived risks or concerns about VCG's business practices with their direct supervisor. However, if an Employee is uncomfortable discussing an issue with their supervisor, or if they believe that an issue has not been appropriately addressed, the Employee should bring the matter to the CCO's attention, or if the supervisor is the CCO, then to the attention of the Treasurer.

 

4

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Reporting Violations of the Code

 

Employees must promptly report any suspected violations of the Code of Ethics to the CCO. To the extent practicable, VCG will protect the identity of an Employee who reports a suspected violation. However, the Company remains responsible for satisfying the regulatory reporting and other obligations that may follow the reporting of a potential violation. The CCO shall be responsible for ensuring a thorough investigation of all suspected violations of the Code and shall prepare a report of all violations.

 

Retaliation against any Employee who reports a violation of the Code of Ethics is strictly prohibited and will be cause for corrective action, up to and including, dismissal.

 

Violations of this Code of Ethics, or the other policies and procedures set forth in the Manual, may warrant sanctions including, without limitation, requiring that personal trades be reversed, requiring the disgorgement of profits or gifts, issuing a letter of caution or warning, suspending personal trading rights, imposing a fine, suspending employment (with or without compensation), making a civil referral to the SEC, making a criminal referral, terminating employment for cause, and/or a combination of the foregoing. Violations may also subject an Employee to civil, regulatory or criminal sanctions. No Employee will determine whether he or she committed a violation of the Code of Ethics, or impose any sanction against himself or herself. All sanctions and other actions taken will be in accordance with applicable employment laws and regulations.

 

Distribution of the Code and Acknowledgement of Receipt

 

VCG will distribute the Company's Code of Ethics to each Employee upon the commencement of employment and upon any amendment to the Code of Ethics.

 

All Employees must acknowledge that they have received, read, understand, and agree to comply with VCG's Code of Ethics. Please complete the Compliance Manual Acknowledgement Form , which includes acknowledgment of the Code of Ethics, and submit the completed form to the CCO or Treasurer upon commencement of employment. All Employees will be required to acknowledge in writing receipt of any amendments made to this Code of Ethics.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Conflicts of interest may exist between various individuals and entities, including VCG, its Employees, and the interests of its Clients. Any failure to identify or properly address a conflict can have negative repercussions for VCG, its Employees, and/or its Clients. In some cases the improper handling of a conflict could result in litigation and/or disciplinary action.

 

VCG's policies and procedures have been designed to identify and properly disclose, mitigate, and/or eliminate applicable conflicts of interest. Employees must use good judgment in identifying and responding appropriately to actual or apparent conflicts. Conflicts of interest that involve VCG and/or its Employees on one hand and Clients on the other hand will generally be fully disclosed and/or resolved in a way that favors the interests of the Clients over the interests of VCG and its Employees. If an Employee believes that a conflict of interest has not been identified or appropriately addressed, that Employee should promptly bring the issue to the CCO's attention.

 

5

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Personal Securities Transactions

 

Personal trading activity conducted by VCG's Access Persons should be executed in a manner consistent with our fiduciary obligations to our Clients: trades should avoid actual improprieties, as well as the appearance of impropriety. Access Person trades should not involve trading activity so excessive as to conflict with the one's ability to fulfill daily job responsibilities or to otherwise violate anti-manipulative or insider trading regulations.

 

Accounts Covered by the Code

 

VCG's Code of Ethics applies to all accounts holding any Reportable Securities over which Access Persons have any Beneficial Interest, which typically includes accounts held by immediate family members sharing the same household. Immediate family members include children, step-children, grandchildren, parents, step-parents, grandparents, spouses, domestic partners, siblings, parents-in- law, and children-in-law, as well as adoptive relationships that meet the above criteria.

 

It may be possible for Access Persons to exclude accounts held personally or by immediate family members sharing the same household if the Access Person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control over the accounts. Access Persons should consult with the CCO before excluding any accounts held by immediate family members sharing the same household.

 

Reportable Securities

 

VCG requires Access Persons to provide periodic reports regarding transactions and holdings in all "Reportable Securities," which include any Security, except :

 

Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;
Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high-quality short- term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
Shares issued by money market funds;
Shares issued by open-end investment companies registered in the U.S.;
Interests in 529 college savings plans; and
Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end registered investment companies, none of which are advised or underwritten by VCG or an affiliate.

 

Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are somewhat similar to open-end registered investment companies. However, ETFs are Reportable Securities and are subject to the reporting requirements contained in VCG's Code of Ethics.

 

Pre-clearance Procedures

 

All Access Persons must have written clearance for IPOs and Private Placements before completing the transactions. VCG may disapprove any proposed transaction, particularly if the transaction appears to pose a conflict of interest or otherwise appears improper. Requests to conduct any securities transactions requiring pre-clearance must be submitted to the CCO or Treasurer using the Pre- Clearance Form for Private Placements and IPOs .

 

6

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

VCG or its Employees may receive information that may be deemed to be Material Non-Public Information. Consequently, VCG may choose to restrict personal trading in a security of a company or issuer by placing the company or issuer on a Restricted List. Please refer to the Company's Insider Trading Policy in this manual for further information and requirements.

 

Reporting

 

VCG must collect information regarding the personal trading activities and holdings of all Access Persons. Access Persons must promptly report to the Company the opening of any new accounts, submit quarterly reports regarding Reportable Securities transactions, and report holdings on an annual basis.

 

List of Accounts - Initial

Within 10 days of an individual becoming an Access Person, the Access Person must report to the Company all personal accounts and those in which they have Beneficial Interest by completing the Initial Accounts Reporting Form. This form must be completed by all new Access Persons and must include the reporting of all accounts that are permitted to hold Reportable Securities, regardless of whether or not the account(s) currently holds Reportable Securities.

Initial Accounts Reporting Forms should be signed, dated, and submitted to the CCO or within 10 days of becoming an Access Person.

 

List of Accounts - Annual

All Access Persons are responsible for promptly reporting to the Company the opening of any new personal and Beneficial Interest accounts. In addition, on an annual basis, Access Persons must report to the Company all personal accounts and those in which they have Beneficial Interest by completing the Accounts Reporting Form. This form must be completed for all accounts that are permitted to hold Reportable Securities, regardless of whether or not the account(s) currently holds Reportable Securities. If you do not have any accounts to report, this should be indicated on the Accounts Reporting Form. Accounts Reporting Forms must be submitted to the CCO on or before August 14 of each year.

 

List of Accounts - Upon New Account Establishment

Access Persons must promptly report the opening or establishment of any accounts that are permitted to hold Reportable Securities during the Access Person's affiliation with VCG, even if the Access Person does not expect that the account will hold Reportable Securities.

Reports regarding newly opened accounts should be submitted to the CCO or Treasurer within 30 days of account establishment. The Access Person is responsible for ensuring that VCG is aware of all holdings in the account, as well as of any transactions that may have taken place in the account since the account's inception.

 

Holdings Reports - Initial

Within 10 days of an individual first becoming an Access Person, the Access Person must report all holdings of Reportable Securities in which they have a Beneficial Interest by completing the Initial Holdings Reporting Form .

If you do not have any holdings to report, this should be indicated on the Initial Holdings Report Form. Initial Holdings Reporting Forms must be signed, dated, and submitted to the CCO or Treasurer within 10 days of becoming an Access Person and must be current as of no more than 45 days prior to the date the individual first becomes an Access Person.

 

Holdings Reports - Annual

 

7

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

On an annual basis, Access Persons are required to report all holdings of Reportable Securities in which they have a Beneficial Interest by completing the Annual Holdings Reporting Form . If you do not have any holdings to report, this should be indicated on the Annual Holdings Report Form. Annual Holdings Reporting Forms must be submitted to the CCO or Treasurer on or before August 14 of each year and the holdings reported on the form must be current as of no more than 45 days prior to the submission of such reports.

 

Transaction Reports - Quarterly

Each quarter, Access Persons must report all Reportable Securities transactions in accounts in which they have a Beneficial Interest.

 

You may utilize the Quarterly Transactions Reporting Form to fulfill your quarterly reporting obligations. Alternately, for transactions placed through a broker-dealer, you may provide the duplicate account statements. Any trades in Reportable Securities that did not occur through a broker-dealer, such as the purchase of a private fund or direct purchase through an issuer's transfer agent, must be reported on the Quarterly Transactions Reporting Form .

 

If you did not have any transactions or account openings to report, this should be indicated on the Quarterly Transactions Reporting Form . Signed and dated Quarterly Transactions Reporting Forms and/or duplicate account statements must be submitted to the CCO or Treasurer within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Exceptions from Reporting Requirements

There are limited exceptions from certain reporting requirements. Specifically, Access Persons are not required to submit:

 

Quarterly reports for any transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan; or

 

Any reports with respect to Securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control, such as a blind trust, wherein the Access Person has no knowledge of the specific management actions taken by the trustee and no right to intervene in the trustee's management.

 

Any investment plans or accounts for which an Access Person claims an exception based on "no direct or indirect influence or control" must be brought to the attention of the CCO who will, on a case-by- case basis, determine whether the plan or account qualifies for an exception and make record of such determination. Unless and until such exception is granted, all applicable reporting requirements shall apply.

 

"No direct or indirect influence or control" with respect to an account shall mean that the Access Person has 1) no knowledge of the specific management actions taken by the trustee or third party manager, 2) no right to intervene in the management of the account by the trustee or third party manager, 3) no discussions with the trustee or third party manager concerning account holdings which could reflect control or influence, and 4) no discussions with the trustee or third party manager wherein the Access Person provides investment directions or suggestions.

 

In making a determination of whether or not the Access Person has direct or indirect influence or control, the CCO, with assistance of Treasurer, will ask for information about the Access Person's relationship with the party responsible for making the investment decisions regarding the account (i.e., independent professional versus friend or relative; unaffiliated versus affiliated firm).

 

8

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

The Company requires that all Access Persons seeking a reporting exception for an account based on "no direct or indirect influence or control" complete the Code of Ethics Reporting Exception Certification Form initially when the exception is first sought and no less than annually thereafter.

 

The CCO, with assistance of Treasurer, may periodically request information or a certification from a party responsible for managing the account and may also periodically request reporting on the account to identify transactions that would have been prohibited pursuant to this Code of Ethics, absent the exception granted.

 

Personal Trading and Holdings Reviews

 

VCG's Code of Ethics is designed to mitigate material conflicts of interest associated with Access Persons' personal trading activities. Accordingly, the CCO will closely monitor Access Persons' investment patterns to detect the following potentially abusive behavior:

 

Trading in securities appearing on the Restricted List;
Frequent and/or short-term trades in any Security;
Front-Running and other trading in conflict with Client interests; and
Trading that appears to be based on Material Non-Public Information.

 

The CCO with assistance of Treasurer will review all reports submitted pursuant to the Code of Ethicsfor potentially abusive behavior. The CCO's trades are reviewed by the Treasurer. Upon review, the CCO/Treasurer will initial and date each report received, and will attach a written description of any issues noted. Any personal trading that appears abusive may result in further inquiry by the CCO/Treasurer and/or sanctions, up to and including, dismissal.

 

Disclosure of the Code of Ethics

 

VCG will describe its Code of Ethics in Part 2 of Form ADV and, upon request, furnish Clients with a copy of the Code of Ethics. All Client requests for VCG's Code of Ethics should be directed to the CCO or Treasurer.

 

9

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Insider Trading

 

Background

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to establish, maintain, and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed, taking into consideration the nature of such investment adviser's business, to prevent the misuse of Material Non-Public Information by such investment adviser or any associated person. Federal Securities Laws have been interpreted to prohibit the following activities:

 

Trading by an insider while in possession of Material Non-Public Information;
Trading by a non-insider while in possession of Material Non-Public Information, where the information was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider's duty to keep it confidential;
Trading by a non-insider who obtained Material Non-Public Information through unlawful means such as computer hacking;
Communicating Material Non-Public Information to others in breach of a fiduciary duty; and
Trading or tipping Material Non-Public Information regarding an unannounced tender offer.

 

What Information is Material?

 

Information is considered to be "material information" if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important when making an investment decision, or if the information is reasonably likely to affect the price of a company's securities. Material information can be positive or negative and may relate to uncertain events.

 

Many types of information may be considered material, including, without limitation, advance knowledge of:

 

Dividend or earnings announcements;
Asset write-downs or write-offs;
Additions to reserves for bad debts or contingent liabilities;
Expansion or curtailment of company or major division operations;
Merger, joint venture announcements;
New product/service announcements;
Discovery or research developments;
Criminal, civil and government investigations and indictments;
Pending labor disputes;
Debt service or liquidity problems;
Bankruptcy or insolvency problems;
Tender offers and stock repurchase plans; and
Recapitalization plans.

 

Information provided by a company could be material because of its expected effect on a particular class of Securities, all of a company's Securities, the Securities of another company, or the Securities of several companies. The prohibition against misusing Material Non-Public Information applies to all types of financial instruments including, but not limited to, stocks, bonds, warrants, options, futures, forwards, swaps, commercial paper, and government-issued Securities. Material information need not relate to a company's business. For example, information about the contents of an upcoming newspaper column may affect the price of a Security, and therefore be considered material.

 

10

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Employees should consult with the CCO if there is any question as to whether non-public information is material.

 

What Information is Non-Public?

 

Once information has been effectively distributed to the investing public, it is no longer non-public. However, the distribution of Material Non-Public Information must occur through commonly recognized channels for the classification to change. In addition, there must be adequate time for the public to receive and digest the information. Non-public information does not change to public information solely by selective dissemination. Examples of the ways in which non-public information might be transmitted include, but are not limited to: in person, in writing, by telephone, during a presentation, by email, instant messaging, text message, or through social networking sites.

 

Employees must be aware that even where there is no expectation of confidentiality, a person may become an insider upon receiving Material Non-Public Information. Employees should consult with the CCO if there is any question as to whether material information is non-public.

 

Penalties for Trading on Material Non-Public Information

 

Severe penalties exist for firms and individuals that engage in Insider Trading, including civil injunctions, disgorgement of profits and jail sentences. Further, fines for Insider Trading may be levied against individuals and companies in amounts up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided (and up to $1,000,000 for companies).

 

Policies and Procedures

 

VCG's Insider Trading Policies and Procedures apply to all Employees, as well as any transactions in any Securities by family members, trusts, or corporations, directly or indirectly controlled by such persons. The policy also applies to transactions by corporations in which the Employee is a 10% or greater stockholder, as well as transactions by partnerships of which the Employee is a partner unless the Employee has no direct or indirect control over the partnership.

 

Prohibited Use or Disclosure of Material Non-Public Information

 

Employees are strictly forbidden from engaging in Insider Trading, either personally or on behalf of VCG or its clients. VCG will not protect Employees found guilty of Insider Trading. Employees must notify the CCO as soon as practicable after receiving Material Non-Public Information and are prohibited from using this information for their own interests. Employees may disclose Material Non- Public Information only to VCG Employees and outside parties who have a valid business reason for receiving the information, and only in accordance with any confidentiality agreement or information barriers that apply.

 

11

 

  

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Selective Disclosure

 

Non-public information about VCG's investment strategies and Fund holdings may not be shared with third parties except as is necessary to implement investment decisions and conduct other legitimate business. Employees must never disclose proposed or pending investment activities or other sensitive information to any third party without the prior approval of the CCO. Federal Securities Laws may prohibit the dissemination of such information, and doing so may be considered a violation of the fiduciary duty that VCG owes to its Clients.

 

Restricted List

 

The Company has adopted a Restricted List which includes companies and issuers in whose securities Employees are prohibited from trading without first receiving written clearance from the CCO. Employees may use the Pre-Clearance Form for Securities Transactions for this purpose.

 

The CCO maintains the Restricted List and will distribute the Restricted List to Employees annually or as deemed necessary.

 

Issuers are placed on the Restricted List due to one or more of the following reasons:

 

The issuer is a Client, or an affiliate of a Client of VCG;
One or more of the Company's Clients holds concentrated positions in securities of the issuer;
The Company or one or more of its Employees has inside information about the issuer;
The CCO believes that trading in a specific company or issuer may present a conflict of interest to the Company or its Clients.

 

Relationships with Potential Insiders

 

Third parties with whom VCG has a relationship, such as VCG's custodians, brokers, 3rd party asset managers, or private fund managers, may possess Material Non-Public Information. Access to such information could come as a result of, among other things:

 

Being employed or previously employed by an issuer (or sitting on the issuer's board of directors);
Working for an investment bank, consulting firm, supplier, or customer of an issuer;
Sitting on an issuer's creditors committee;
Personal relationships with connected individuals; and
A spouse's involvement in any of the preceding activities.

 

Individuals associated with a third-party who have access to Material Non-Public Information may have an incentive to disclose the information to VCG due to the potential for personal gain. Employees should be extremely cautious about investment recommendations, or information about issuers that they receive from third parties. Employees should inquire about the basis for any such recommendations or information, and should consult with the CCO if there is any appearance that the recommendations or information are based on Material Non-Public Information.

 

12

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

Rumors

 

Creating or passing false rumors with the intent to manipulate Securities prices or markets may violate the antifraud provisions of Federal Securities Laws. Such conduct is contradictory to VCG's Code of Ethics, as well as the Company's expectations regarding appropriate behavior of its Employees.

Employees are prohibited from knowingly circulating false rumors or sensational information, which could impact market conditions for one or more Securities, sectors, or markets, or improperly influence any person or entity.

 

This policy is not intended to discourage or prohibit appropriate communications between Employees of VCG and other market participants and trading counterparties. Please consult with the CCO if you have questions about the appropriateness of any communications.

 

13

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Pre-clearance Form for Private Placements and IPOs

 

Name of Issuer:

 

Type of Security:

 

Public Offering Date (IPOs only):

 

Investment Strategy (Privately offered pooled investment vehicles only):

 

By signing below, I certify and acknowledge the following:

 

1. I do not possess any Material Non-Public Information or other knowledge pertaining to this proposed transaction that constitutes a violation of VCG's policy, confidentiality agreements or securities laws.

 

2. The investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of my activities on behalf of VCG.

 

3. To the best of my knowledge, the Company and the Fund(s) have no foreseeable interest in purchasing this Security.

 

4. I have read the Code of Ethics and believe that the proposed trade fully complies with the requirements of this policy. VCG reserves the right to direct me to rescind a trade even if approval is initially granted. Violation of the Code of Ethics will be grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal and may also be a violation of federal and/or state securities laws.

 

5. Upon request, I will provide all offering materials related to the proposed investment to the CCO or Treasurer.

 

Signature:_

 

Date:_

 

Print Name:_

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Approved                  Not Approved

 

Reviewed by: _

 

Title: _

 

Date: _

 

Additional Notes (if needed):

 

14

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Pre-clearance Form for Securities Transactions

 

Pre-clearance must be obtained prior to placing a trade, and is only good for the time period specified on this form.

 

Transaction Type: Buy / Sell / Short / Cover Short / Other (describe):

 

Security Name:

 

Security Type: Common Stock / Option / Debt / Other (describe):

 

Symbol or Identifier:

 

Number of Shares / Contracts / Principal Amount:

 

Broker / Custodian:

 

Pre-clearance sought through (date):

 

By signing below, I certify and acknowledge the following:

 

1. I do not possess any Material Non-Public Information or other knowledge pertaining to this proposed transaction that constitutes a violation of Company policy, confidentiality agreements or securities laws.

 

2. I am not an officer, director or principal shareholder of the issuer and am not required to file reports required by Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

3. The investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of my activities on behalf of VCG.

 

4. To the best of my knowledge, the Company and the Fund(s) have no foreseeable interest in purchasing this Security.

 

5. I have read the Code of Ethics and believe that the proposed trade fully complies with the requirements of this policy. VCG reserves the right to direct me to rescind a trade even if approval is initially granted. Violation of the Code of Ethics will be grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal and may also be a violation of federal and/or state securities laws.

 

Signature:_

 

Date:_

 

Print Name:_

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Approved                          Not Approved

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title: _

 

15

 

  

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Date: _

 

Additional Notes (if needed):

 

16

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Initial Accounts Reporting Form (for New Access Persons)

 

Name of Broker-Dealer or
Bank
Account
Title
Account
Number
Date Account was
Established
       
       
       
       

 

Please initial the applicable statement below:

 

_          I certify that this form fully discloses all accounts that may hold Reportable Securities in which I have a Beneficial Interest. I understand that I am presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in accounts of immediate family members living in the same household.

 

_          I certify that I have no Beneficial Interest accounts to report.

 

Deliver to the CCO within 10 days of becoming an access person. 

 

       
Signature Signature   Date  
       
       
Print Name   Access Person Effective Date  

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title: _

 

Date: _

 

17

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Accounts Reporting Form

 

As of _

 

Name of Broker-Dealer or Bank Account Title Account Number Date Account was Established
       
       
       
       
       

 

Please initial the applicable statement below:

 

_            I certify that this form fully discloses all accounts that may hold Reportable Securities in which I have a Beneficial Interest. I understand that I am presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in accounts of immediate family members living in the same household.

 

_            I certify that I have no Beneficial Interest accounts to report.

 

Deliver to the CCO.

 

 

       
Signature Signature   Date  
       
       
Print Name      

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title: _

 

Date: _

 

18

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Initial Holdings Reporting Form (for New Access Persons)

 

Security
Name
Ticker or CUSIP (As
Applicable)
Type
(Common Stock,
Bond, etc.)
Number of Shares or Principal Amount
(As Applicable)
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

 

Please initial the applicable statement below:

 

_            I certify that this form fully discloses all Reportable Securities in which I have a personal or Beneficial Interest. I understand that I am presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in Reportable Securities of immediate family members living in the same household.

 

_            I certify that I have no personal or Beneficial Interest Reportable Securities to report.

 

Deliver to the CCO within 10 days of becoming an access person.

 

       
Signature Signature   Date  
       
       
Print Name   Access Person Effective Date  

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title: _

 

Date: _

 

19

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Annual Holdings Reporting Form

 

As of

 

Security
Name
Ticker or CUSIP (As
Applicable)
Type
(Common Stock,
Bond, etc.)
Number of Shares or Principal Amount
(As Applicable)
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

 

Please initial the applicable statement below:

 

_            I certify that this form fully discloses all Reportable Securities in which I have a personal or Beneficial Interest as of the date specified above. I understand that I am presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in Reportable Securities of immediate family members living in the same household.

 

_            I certify that I have no personal or Beneficial Interest Reportable Securities to report.

 

Deliver to the CCO no later than Feb 14 following the date specified above.

 

       
Signature   Date  
       
       
Print Name      

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title: _

 

Date: _

 

20

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Quarterly Transactions Reporting Form - Quarter Ended:

 

Complete chart below or attach brokerage account statements:

 

Number of
Shares
Security
Name
Type (common
stock, bond, etc.)
Ticker or
CUSIP
Buy /
Sell
Principal
Amount
Interest
Rate/Maturity
Price  Date Executed By
BD or Bank)
                   
                   
                   
                   

 

The following Securities account(s) in which I have a Beneficial Interest were opened during the prior calendar quarter:

 

Broker-Dealer/Bank: _

 

Title:_

 

Account#:                                      Date Est:_

 

Certification - Please initial the applicable statement below:

 

_            I certify that this form fully discloses all transactions in Reportable Securities in which I have a personal or Beneficial Interest for the most recent calendar quarter. I understand that I am presumed to have a Beneficial Interest in Reportable Securities of immediate family members living in the same household.

 

_            I certify that I have no transactions to report.

 

       
Signature   Print Name  
       
       
Date      

 

Deliver to the CCO within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter. Use additional sheets if necessary.

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title:_

 

Date:_

 

21

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iii)

 

Code of Ethics Reporting Exception Certification

 

This is (check one):   Initial Request   Annual Certification for year-ended: 12/31/

 

Account(s) for which a Reporting Exemption has been granted:

 

Name of Broker-Dealer or Bank Account Title Account Number
     
     
     
     

 

With respect to the Account(s) listed above, during the past year, have you:

 

1. Suggested that the third-party discretionary manager or trustee make any particular purchases or sales of securities in the Account(s)?

 

Yes      No

 

2. Directed the third-party discretionary manager or trustee to make any particular purchases or sales of securities in the Account(s)?

 

Yes      No

 

3. Consulted with the third-party manager or trustee as to the particular allocation of investments to be made in management of the Account(s)?

 

Yes      No  

 

       
Signature   Date  
       
       
Print Name      

 

Reviewer Use Only

 

Reviewed by:_

 

Title: _

 

Date: _

 

Describe any necessary follow up:

 

22

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

 

 

 

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

INTRODUCTION 1
     
1. STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT 2
     
  (a) Fiduciary Duties 2
  (b) Compliance with Laws 2
  (c) Corporate Culture 2
  (d) Professional Misconduct 3
  (e) Disclosure of Conflicts 3
  (f) Undue Influence 3
  (g) Confidentiality and Protection of Material Nonpublic Information 3
  (h) Personal Securities Transactions 4
  (i) Gifts 4
  (j) Service on Boards 4
  (k) Prohibition Against Market Timing 4
       
2. WHO IS COVERED BY THIS CODE 4
     
3. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS 5
     
  (a) Blackout Period 5
  (b) Requirement for Pre-clearance 5
  (c) Fund Officer Prohibition 5
       
4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF ACCESS PERSONS 6
     
  (a) Reporting 6
  (b) Exceptions from Reporting Requirement of Section 4 6
  (c) Initial Holdings Reports 6
  (d) Quarterly Transaction Reports 6
  (e) New Account Opening; Quarterly New Account Report 7
  (f) Annual Holdings Reports 7
  (g) Alternative Reporting 7
  (h) Report Qualification 8
  (i) Providing Access to Account Information 8
  (j) Confidentiality of Reports 8
       
5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE 8
     
6. REPORTING VIOLATIONS 9
     
7. TRAINING 9
     
8. REVIEW OFFICER 9
     
  (a) Duties of Review Officer 9

 

i

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

  (b) Potential Trade Conflict 10
  (c) Required Records 10
  (d) Post-Trade Review Process 11
  (e) Submission to Fund Board 11
  (f) Report to the Risk Committee 12
       
       
Appendix A - Foreside Companies 13
   
Appendix B - Definitions 14
   
   
Attachment A – Access Person Acknowledgement 16
   
Attachment B – Pre-Clearance Request Form 17

 

ii

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This Code of Ethics (the “Code”) has been adopted by Foreside Financial Group, LLC (“Foreside”) and each of its affiliated entities and direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries as listed in Appendix A (each, a “Company” and collectively, the “Companies”). This Code pertains to the Companies’ distribution services to registered management investment companies or series thereof, as well as those funds for which certain employees of the Companies (or an affiliate thereof) serve as an officer or director of a registered investment company (“Fund Officer”) or have been designated an Access Person by the Review Officer 1 (each a “Fund” and as set forth in the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds). This Code:

 

1. establishes standards of professional conduct;
2. establishes standards and procedures for the detection and prevention of activities by which persons having knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of a Fund may abuse their fiduciary duties to the Fund; and
3. addresses other types of conflict of interest situations.

 

Definitions of underlined terms are included in Appendix B.

 

Each Company, through its President, may impose internal sanctions should Access Persons of any Company (as identified on the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer) violate these policies or procedures. A registered broker-dealer and its personnel may be subject to various regulatory sanctions, including censure, suspension, fines, expulsion or revocation of registration for violations of securities rules, industry regulations and the Company’s internal policies and procedures. In addition, negative publicity associated with regulatory investigations and private lawsuits can negatively impact and severely damage business reputation.

 

Furthermore, failure to comply with this Code is a very serious matter and may result in internal disciplinary action being taken. Such action may include, among other things, warnings, reprimands, restrictions on activities and/or suspension or termination of employment. Violations also may result in referral to regulatory, civil or criminal authorities where appropriate.

 

Should Access Persons require additional information about this Code or have ethics-related questions, please contact the Review Officer, as defined under Section 8 below, directly.

 

 

1 Each Company is adopting this Code pursuant to Rule 17j-1 with respect to certain funds that it distributes or for which an employee of the Company serves as a Fund Officer or has been designated as an Access Person. Pursuant to the exception noted under Rule 17j-1(c)(3), adopting and approving a Rule 17j-1 code of ethics with respect to a Fund, as well as the Code’s administration, by a principal underwriter is not required unless:

Ø the principal underwriter is an affiliated person of the Fund or of the Fund’s adviser, or
Ø an officer, director or general partner of the principal underwriter serves as an officer, director or general partner of the Fund or of the Fund’s investment adviser.

 

A Fund Officer is permitted to report as an Access Person under this Code with respect to the Funds listed on the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer.

 

1

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

1. STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

 

Each Company forbids any Access Person from engaging in any conduct that is contrary to this Code. Furthermore, certain persons subject to the Code are also subject to other restrictions or requirements that affect their ability to open securities accounts, effect securities transactions, report securities transactions, maintain information and documents in a confidential manner and other matters relating to the proper discharge of their obligations to the Company or to a Fund.

 

Each Company has always held itself and its employees to the highest ethical standards. Although this Code is only one manifestation of those standards, compliance with its provisions is essential. Each Company adheres to the following standards of professional conduct, as well as those specific policies and procedures discussed throughout this Code:

 

(a)       Fiduciary Duties . Each Company and its Access Persons are fiduciaries and at all times shall:

 

Ø act solely for the benefit of the Funds; and
Ø place each Fund’s interests above their own.

 

(b)       Compliance with Laws . Access Persons shall maintain knowledge of and comply with all applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations, and shall not knowingly participate or assist in any violation of such laws, rules or regulations.

 

It is unlawful for Access Persons to use any information concerning a security held or to be acquired by a Fund, or their ability to influence any investment decisions, for personal gain or in a manner detrimental to the interests of a Fund.

 

Access Persons shall not, directly or indirectly, in connection with the trading of a Fund’s shares or the purchase or sale of a security held or to be acquired by a Fund for which they are an Access Person:

 

(i) employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a Fund or engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a Fund;
(ii) make to a Fund any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to a Fund a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
(iii) engage in any act, practice, or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a Fund; or
(iv) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price manipulation.

 

(c)       Corporate Culture . Access Persons, through their words and actions, shall act with integrity, encourage honest and ethical conduct and adhere to a high standard of business ethics.

 

2

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

(d)       Professional Misconduct . Access Persons shall not engage in any professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, or commit any act that reflects adversely on their honesty, trustworthiness or professional competence. Access Persons shall not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about a Company to a Fund, a Fund’s shareholders, regulators or any member of the public. Disclosure in reports and documents should be fair and accurate.

 

(e)       Disclosure of Conflicts . As a fiduciary, each Company and Access Person has an affirmative duty of care, loyalty, honesty and good faith to act in the best interests of a Fund. Compliance with this duty can be achieved by trying to avoid conflicts of interest and by fully disclosing all material facts concerning any conflict that does arise with respect to any Fund. Access Persons must try to avoid situations that have even the appearance of conflict or impropriety.

 

This Code prohibits inappropriate favoritism of one Fund over another that would constitute a breach of fiduciary duty. Access Persons shall support an environment that fosters the ethical resolution of, and appropriate disclosure of, conflicts of interest, and shall comply with any prohibition on activities imposed by a Company if a conflict of interest exists. If any Access Person is (or becomes) aware of a personal interest that is, or might be, in conflict with the interest of a Fund, that Access Person must promptly disclose the situation or transaction and the nature of the conflict to the Review Officer for appropriate consideration.

 

(f)       Undue Influence . Access Persons shall not cause or attempt to cause any Fund to purchase, sell or hold any security in a manner calculated to create any personal benefit to them or others whose accounts they hold a beneficial ownership interest (i.e., their spouse or domestic partner, minor children or relatives who reside in the Access Person’s household) or over which they have direct or indirect influence or control.

 

(g)       Confidentiality and Protection of Material Nonpublic Information. The term “Material Nonpublic Information” refers to information that is both material information and nonpublic information, and also may be referred to as “Inside Information.” Information is considered to be “Nonpublic Information” unless it has been publicly disclosed, for example, through public filing with a securities regulator, issuance of a press release or the issuance of a prospectus. The term “Material Information” has no specific definition, but, for the purposes of this Code, it shall refer to any information that might have an effect on the market for a security generally or any information that a reasonable person would consider important in a decision to buy, hold or sell a security. Examples of material nonpublic information may include, but are not limited to: sales results; earnings (or loss) estimates (including significant changes to previously released information); dividend actions; strategic plans; new products, discoveries or services; significant personnel changes; acquisition, merger and divestiture plans; liquidity issues; proposed securities offerings; major pending or threatened litigation or potential claims; restructurings and recapitalizations; and the negotiation or termination of major contracts or relationships.

 

Information concerning the identity of portfolio holdings and financial circumstances of a Fund is confidential. Access Persons are responsible for safeguarding such material nonpublic

 

3

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

information about a Fund, including portfolio recommendations and fund holdings. Except as required in the normal course of carrying out their business responsibilities and as permitted by a Fund’s policies and procedures, Access Persons shall not reveal information relating to the investment intentions or activities of any Fund, or securities that are being considered for purchase or sale on behalf of any Fund.

 

Access Persons in possession of material nonpublic information must maintain the confidentiality of such information, and each Company shall be bound by a Fund’s policies and procedures with regard to disclosure of an investment company’s identity, affairs and portfolio holdings. The obligation to safeguard such Fund information would not preclude Access Persons from providing necessary information to, for example, persons providing services to a Company or a Fund’s account such as brokers, accountants, custodians and fund transfer agents, or in other circumstances when the Fund consents, as long as such disclosure conforms to the Fund’s portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.

 

In any case, Access Persons shall not:

 

Ø trade based upon inside information, especially where Fund trades are likely to be pending or imminent; or
Ø use or share knowledge of any material nonpublic information of a Fund for personal gain or benefit or for the personal gain or benefit of others.

 

(h)       Personal Securities Transactions . All personal securities transactions shall be conducted in such a manner as to be consistent with this Code and to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of any Access Person’s position of trust and responsibility.

 

(i)       Gifts . Access Persons shall not accept or provide anything in excess of $100.00 (per individual per year) or any other preferential treatment, in each case as a gift, to or from any broker-dealer or other entity with which a Company or a Fund does business.

 

(j)       Service on Boards . Access Persons shall not serve on the boards of trustees (or directors) of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization based upon a determination by the Review Officer that the board service would be consistent with the interests of the Company, a Fund and its shareholders.

 

(k)       Prohibition Against Market Timing . Access Persons shall not engage in market timing of shares of Reportable Funds (a list of which are provided in the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer). For purposes of this section, an Access Person’s trades shall be considered ‘market timing’ if made in violation of any stated policy in the Fund’s prospectus.

 

2. WHO IS COVERED BY THIS CODE

 

All Access Persons, in each case only with respect to the Reportable Funds as listed on the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer, shall abide by

 

4

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

this Code. Access Persons are required to comply with specific reporting requirements as set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of this Code.

 

3. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS

 

(a)         Blackout Period . Access Persons shall not purchase or sell a Reportable Security in an account in their name, or in the name of others in which they hold a beneficial ownership interest or over which they have direct or indirect influence or control, if they had actual knowledge at the time of the transaction that, during the 24 hour period immediately preceding or following the transaction, the security was purchased or sold or was considered for purchase or sale by a Fund.

 

(b)         Requirement for Pre-clearance . Access Persons must obtain prior written approval from the Review Officer before:

 

(i) directly or indirectly acquiring beneficial ownership in securities in an initial public offering for which no public market in the same or similar securities of the issue has previously existed;
(ii) directly or indirectly acquiring beneficial ownership in securities in a private placement; and
(iii) directly or indirectly purchasing, selling or acquiring shares of a Reportable Fund for which they are an Access Person.

 

All requests for pre-clearance of securities transactions must be submitted to the Review Officer for review using the Pre-Clearance Request Form, in the form of Attachment B .

 

In determining whether to pre-clear the transaction, the Review Officer shall consider, among other factors, whether such opportunity is being offered to the Access Person by virtue of his or her position with the Fund or would result in a conflict of interest. Other factors to be considered may include: discussion with the Access Person concerning the reason for the requested transaction and how he or she became aware of the investment; the Access Person’s work role; the size and holding period of the proposed investment; the market capitalization of the issuer; the liquidity of the security; and other relevant factors. The Review Officer granting or denying the request must document the basis for the decision and notify the requesting person whether the trading request is approved or denied.

 

A pre-clearance request should not be submitted for a transaction that the requesting person does not intend to execute. Pre-clearance trading authorization is valid only from the time when approval is granted through the next business day. If the transaction is not executed within this period, an explanation of why the pre-cleared transaction was not completed must be submitted to the Review Officer within five (5) days. With respect to any effected transaction, the Access Person must provide the Review Officer with a transaction report evidencing the transaction consistent with the reporting requirements of Section 4.

 

(c)         Fund Officer Prohibition . No Fund Officer shall directly or indirectly seek to obtain information (other than that necessary to accomplish the functions of the office) from any

 

5

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

Fund portfolio manager regarding (i) the status of any pending securities transaction for a Fund or (ii) the merits of any securities transaction contemplated by the Fund Officer.

 

4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF ACCESS PERSONS

 

(a)         Reporting . Access Persons must report the information described in this Section with respect to transactions in any Reportable Security in which they have, or by reason of such transaction acquire, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership . Access Persons must submit the appropriate reports to the Review Officer, unless they are otherwise required by a Fund, pursuant to a Code of Ethics adopted by the Fund, to report to the Fund or another entity.

 

(b)       Exceptions from Reporting Requirement of Section 4 . Access Persons need not submit:

 

(i) any report with respect to securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control;
(ii) a quarterly transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan. However, any transaction that overrides the pre-set schedule or allocations of the automatic investment plan must be included in a quarterly transaction report;
(iii) a quarterly transaction report with respect to transactions effected which were non-volitional on the part of the Access Person, including acquisitions of Reportable Securities by gift or inheritance; or
(iv) a quarterly transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in broker trade confirmations or account statements that the Company holds in its records so long as the Company receives the confirmations or statements no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter.

 

(c)         Initial Holdings Reports . No later than ten (10) days after a person becomes an Access Person, the person must report the following information:

 

(i) the title, type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security (whether or not publicly traded) in which the person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership as of the date the person became an Access Person;
(ii) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the person maintains an account in which any securities were held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit as of the date the person became an Access Person; and
(iii) the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

The information contained in the initial holdings report must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

 

(d)       Quarterly Transaction Reports . No later than thirty (30) days after the end of a calendar quarter, each Access Person must submit a quarterly transaction report which includes, at a minimum, the following information with respect to any transaction during the quarter in a

 

6

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

Reportable Security (whether or not publicly traded) in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

 

(i) the date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;
(ii) the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
(iii) the price of the Reportable Security at which the transaction was effected;
(iv) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and
(v) the date that the report is submitted.

 

(e)       New Account Opening; Quarterly New Account Report . Each Access Person shall provide written notice to the Review Officer prior to opening any new account with any entity through which a Reportable Securities (whether or not publicly traded) transaction may be effected for which the Access Person has direct or indirect beneficial ownership.

 

In addition, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of a calendar quarter, each Access Person must submit a Quarterly New Account Report with respect to any account established by such a person in which any Reportable Securities (whether or not publicly traded) were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person. The Quarterly New Account Report shall cover, at a minimum, all accounts at a broker-dealer, bank or other institution opened during the quarter and provide the following information:

 

(1) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person has established the account;
(2) the date the account was established; and
(3) the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

(f)       Annual Holdings Reports . Annually, each Access Person must report the following information (which information must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the report is submitted):

 

(i) the title, type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security (whether or not publicly traded) in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;
(ii) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintained an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit; and
(iii) the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

(g)       Alternative Reporting . The submission to the Review Officer of duplicate broker trade confirmations and account statements on all securities transactions required to be reported under this Section shall satisfy the reporting requirements of Section 4. The annual

 

7

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

holdings report may be satisfied by confirming annually, in writing, the accuracy of the information delivered by, or on behalf of, the Access Person to the Review Officer and recording the date of the confirmation.

 

(h)         Report Qualification . Any report may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making the report that he or she has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Reportable Securities to which the report relates.

 

(i)       Providing Access to Account Information . Access Persons will promptly:

 

(i) provide full access to a Fund, its agents and attorneys to any and all records and documents which a Fund considers relevant to any securities transactions or other matters subject to the Code;
(ii) cooperate with a Fund, or its agents and attorneys, in investigating any securities transactions or other matter subject to the Code;
(iii) provide a Fund, its agents and attorneys with an explanation (in writing if requested) of the facts and circumstances surrounding any securities transaction or other matter subject to the Code; and
(iv) promptly notify the Review Officer or such other individual as a Fund may direct, in writing, from time to time, of any incident of noncompliance with the Code by anyone subject to this Code.

 

(j)         Confidentiality of Reports . Transaction and holdings reports will be maintained in confidence, except to the extent necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of this Code or to comply with requests for information from regulatory or government agencies or law enforcement where applicable.

 

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

 

Each Access Person is required to acknowledge in writing, initially and annually (in the form of Attachment A ), that the person has received, read and understands the Code (and in the case of any amendments thereto, shall similarly acknowledge such amendment) and recognizes that he or she is subject to the Code. Further, each such person is required to certify annually that he or she has:

 

Ø read, understood and complied with all the requirements of the Code;
Ø disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions pursuant to the requirements of the Code; and
Ø not engaged in any prohibited conduct.

 

If an Access Person is unable to make the above representations, he or she shall report any violations of this Code to the Review Officer.

 

8

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

6. REPORTING VIOLATIONS

 

Access Persons shall report any violations of this Code promptly to the Review Officer, unless the violations implicate the Review Officer, in which case the individual shall report the violations to the Chief Risk Officer or Chief Executive Officer of Foreside, as appropriate. Such reports will be confidential, to the extent permitted by law, and investigated promptly and appropriately. Retaliation against an individual who reports a violation is prohibited and constitutes a further violation of this Code.

 

Reported violations of the Code will be investigated and appropriate actions will be taken. Types of reporting that are required include, but are not limited to:

 

Ø Noncompliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;
Ø Fraud or illegal acts involving any aspect of the Company’s business;
Ø Material misstatements in regulatory filings, internal books and records, Fund records or reports;
Ø Activity that is harmful to a Fund, including Fund shareholders; and
Ø Deviations from required controls and procedures that safeguard a Fund or a Company.

 

Access Persons should seek advice from the Review Officer with respect to any action or transaction that may violate this Code, and refrain from any action or transaction that might lead to the appearance of a violation. Access Persons should promptly report any apparent or suspected violations in addition to actual or known violations of this Code to the Review Officer.

 

7. TRAINING

 

Training with respect to the Code will occur periodically and all Access Persons are required to attend any training sessions or read any applicable materials. Training may include, among other things, (1) periodic orientation or training sessions with new and existing personnel to remind them of their obligations under the Code and/or (2) certifications that Access Persons have read and understood the Code, and require re-certification that they have re-read, understand and have complied with the Code.

 

8. REVIEW OFFICER

 

(a)       Duties of Review Officer . The President of Foreside has been appointed by the President of each Company as the Review Officer to:

 

(i) review all securities transaction and holdings reports and maintain the names of persons responsible for reviewing these reports;
(ii) identify all persons of each Company who are Access Persons subject to this Code, promptly inform each Access Person of the requirements of this Code and provide them with a copy of the Code and any amendments;

 

9

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

(iii) compare, on a quarterly basis, all Reportable Securities transactions with each Fund’s completed portfolio transactions to determine whether a Code violation may have occurred;
(iv) maintain signed acknowledgments and certifications by each Access Person who is then subject to this Code, in the form of Attachment A ;
(v) inform all Access Persons of their requirements to obtain prior written approval from the Review Officer prior to directly or indirectly acquiring beneficial ownership of a security in any private placement, initial public offering or Reportable Fund;
(vi) ensure that Access Persons receive adequate training on the principles and procedures of this Code;
(vii) review, at least annually, the adequacy of this Code and the effectiveness of its implementation; and
(viii) submit a written report to a Fund’s Board and Foreside’s Risk Committee as described in Section 8(e) and (f), respectively.

 

The Chief Risk Officer of Foreside shall review any reportable securities transactions of the Review Officer, and shall assume the responsibilities of the Review Officer in his or her absence. The Review Officer may delegate responsibilities described herein to an appropriate Foreside representative.

 

( b)       Potential Trade Conflict . When there appears to be a Reportable Securities transaction that conflicts with the Code, the Review Officer shall request a written explanation from the Access Person with regard to the transaction. If, after post-trade review, it is determined that there has been a material violation of the Code, a report will be made by the Review Officer with a recommendation of appropriate action to be taken to the Risk Committee of Foreside, the President of each Company, where applicable, the Chief Compliance Officer of each Company’s Broker-Dealer, where applicable, and a Fund’s Board of Trustees (or Directors), where applicable.

 

(c)       Required Records . The Review Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained:

 

(i) a copy of any code of ethics adopted by each Company that is in effect, or at any time within the past five (5) years was in effect, in an easily accessible place;
(ii) a record of any violation of any code of ethics, and of any action taken as a result of such violation, in an easily accessible place for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the last entry was made on any such report, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place;
(iii) a copy of each holdings and transaction report (including duplicate confirmations and statements) made by anyone subject to this Code as required by Section 4 for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place;
(iv) a record of all written acknowledgements and certifications by each Access Person who is currently, or within the past five (5) years was, an Access Person

 

10

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

(records must be kept for 5 years after individual ceases to be a Access Person under the Code);

(v) a list of all persons who are currently, or within the past five years were , required to make reports or who were responsible for reviewing these reports pursuant to any code of ethics adopted by each Company, in an easily accessible place;
(vi) a copy of each written report and certification required pursuant to Section 8(e) of this Code for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place;
(vii) a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, approving the acquisition of securities by Access Persons under Section 3(b) of this Code, for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted; and
(viii) a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, granting an Access Person a waiver from, or exception to, the Code for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the waiver is granted.

 

(d)       Post-Trade Review Process . Following receipt of trade confirms and statements, transactions will be screened by the Review Officer (or his or her designee) for the following:

 

(i) same day trades : transactions by Access Persons occurring on the same day as the purchase or sale of the same security by a Fund for which they are an Access Person.
(ii) blackout period trades : transactions by Access Persons occurring within 24 hours before or after the time as the purchase or sale of the same security by a Fund for which they are an Access Person.
(iii) fraudulent conduct : transaction by Access Persons which, within the most recent fifteen (15) days, is or has been held by a Fund or is being or has been considered by a Fund for purchase by a Fund.
(iv) market timing of Reportable Funds : transactions by Access Persons that appear to be market timing of Reportable Funds.
(v) other activities : transactions which may give the appearance that an Access Person has executed transactions not in accordance with this Code or otherwise reflect patterns of abuse.

 

(e)       Submission to Fund Board .

 

(i) The Review Officer shall, at a minimum, annually prepare a written report to the Board of Trustees (or Directors) of a Fund listed in the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer that:

 

A. describes any issues under this Code or its procedures since the last report to the Trustees (or Directors), including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and
B. certifies that each Company has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code.

 

11

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

(ii) The Review Officer shall ensure that this Code and any material amendments are submitted to the Board of Trustees (or Directors) for approval for those funds listed in the List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer.

 

(f) Report to the Risk Committee . The Review Officer shall prepare a written report to the Risk Committee of Foreside (and the President of each Company, where applicable, and the Chief Compliance Officer of each Company’s Broker-Dealer, where applicable) regarding any material issues that arose during the year under the Code, including, but not limited to, material violations of and sanctions under the Code.

 

Adopted:   May 1, 2009
Amended:   October 14, 2009 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   September 29, 2011 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   March 15, 2012 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   April 4, 2012 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   July 5, 2012 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   November 30, 2012 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   December 24, 2013 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   March 26, 2014
Amended:   July 11, 2014 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   June 10, 2015 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   October 16, 2015 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   December 30, 2015
Amended:   April 26, 2016 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   August 1, 2016 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   August 31, 2017 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   December 31, 2017 (updated Appendix A )
Amended:   February 28, 2018 (updated Appendices A and B )

 

12

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

  

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

APPENDIX A

FORESIDE COMPANIES

 

 

The following affiliated entities and direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Foreside are subject to the Code of Ethics:

 

Compass Distributors, LLC (f/k/a Foreside Securities, LLC) *

Fairholme Distributors, LLC*

Foreside Associates, LLC*

Foreside Consulting Services, LLC

Foreside Distribution Services, L.P.*

Foreside Distributors, LLC

Foreside Financial Services, LLC (f/k/a BHIL Distributors, LLC) *

Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC

Foreside Fund Partners LLC*

Foreside Fund Services, LLC*

Foreside Funds Distributors LLC*

Foreside Global Services Limited

Foreside Global Services, LLC*

Foreside Investment Services, LLC*

Foreside Management Services, LLC

Funds Distributor, LLC*

IMST Distributors, LLC*

IVA Funds Distributors, LLC*

MGI Funds Distributors, LLC*

Northern Funds Distributors, LLC*

Orbis Investments (U.S.), LLC*

PNC Funds Distributor, LLC*

Sterling Capital Distributors, LLC*

VT Distributors LLC*

 

*      FINRA-registered broker-dealer

 

 

 

The companies listed on this Appendix A may be amended from time to time, as required.

 

13

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

APPENDIX B

DEFINITIONS

 

(a) Access Person :

 

(i)(1) of a Company means each director or officer of the Companies who in the ordinary course of business makes, participates in or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of Reportable Securities for a Fund or whose functions or duties as part of the ordinary course of business relate to the making of any recommendation to a Fund regarding the purchase or sale of Reportable Securities.

 

(ii)(2) of a Fund, whereby an employee or agent of a Company serves as an officer of a Fund (“ Fund Officer ”). Such Fund Officer is an Access Person of a Fund and is permitted to report under this Code unless otherwise required by a Fund’s Code of Ethics.

 

(iii)(3) of a Company includes anyone else specifically designated by the Review Officer.

 

(b) Beneficial Owner shall have the meaning as that set forth in Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except that the determination of direct or indirect beneficial ownership shall apply to all Reportable Securities that an Access Person owns or acquires. A beneficial owner of a security is any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest (the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the subject securities) in a security. An Access Person is presumed to be a beneficial owner of securities that are held by his or her immediate family members sharing the Access Person’s household.

 

(c) Indirect pecuniary interest in a security includes securities held by a person’s immediate family sharing the same household. Immediate family means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law (including adoptive relationships).

 

(d) Control means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of an entity, unless this power is solely the result of an official position with the company. Ownership of 25% or more of a company’s outstanding voting securities is presumed to give the holder thereof control over the company. This presumption may be rebutted by the Review Officer based upon the facts and circumstances of a given situation.

 

14

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

(e) Purchase or sale includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Reportable Security.

 

(f) Reportable Fund (see List of Access Persons & Reportable Funds maintained by the Review Officer) means any fund that triggers the Company’s compliance with a Rule 17j-1 Code of Ethics or any fund for which an employee or agent of the Company serves as a Fund Officer.

 

(g) Reportable Security means any security such as a stock, bond, future, investment contract or any other instrument that is considered a ‘security’ under Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, except:

 

(i) direct obligations of the Government of the United States;
(ii) bankers’ acceptances and bank certificates of deposits;
(iii) commercial paper and debt instruments with a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that are rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization;
(iv) repurchase agreements covering any of the foregoing;
(v) shares issued by money market mutual funds;
(vi) shares of SEC registered open-end investment companies ( other than exchange-traded funds or Reportable Funds ); and
(vii) shares of unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, none of which are exchange-traded funds or Reportable Funds.

 

Included in the definition of Reportable Security are:

 

Ø Shares of a Reportable Fund;
Ø Options on securities, on indexes, and on currencies;
Ø All kinds of limited partnerships;
Ø Foreign unit trusts, UCITs, SICAVs and foreign mutual funds; and
Ø Private investment funds, hedge funds and investment clubs.

 

(h) Security held or to be acquired by the Fund means

 

(i) any Reportable Security which, within the most recent fifteen (15) days (x) is or has been held by the applicable Fund or (y) is being or has been considered by the applicable Fund or its investment adviser for purchase by the applicable Fund; and
(ii) and any option to purchase or sell, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for, a Reportable Security.

 

15

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

ATTACHMENT A

ACCESS PERSON ACKNOWLEDGMENT

 

 

I understand that I am an Access Person subject to the Foreside Code of Ethics (the “Code”) adopted by each Foreside Company. I hereby certify that I have read and understand the current Code, and will comply with it in all respects. In addition, I certify that I have complied with the requirements of the Code, and that I have disclosed or reported all personal securities accounts and transactions required to be disclosed or reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code.

 

 

 

     
Signature   Date
     
     
     
Printed Name    

 

 

This form must be completed and returned to the Risk Management:

 

           Foreside Financial Group, LLC

           ATTN: Review Officer (or his or her designee)

           Three Canal Plaza, Third Floor

           Portland, ME 04101

 

 

Received By: _________________________________________

 

Date: _______________________________________________

 

16

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

  

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

ATTACHMENT B

PRE-CLEARANCE REQUEST FORM

 

As an Access Person subject to the Code of Ethics (the “Code”) adopted by Foreside Financial Group, LLC (“Foreside”), I hereby request approval to purchase an initial public offering, private placement or shares of a Reportable Fund for which I am an Access Person. Pursuant to my request, I provide the following information concerning the security where applicable.

 

1. Name of security/investment:__________________________________________________________

 

2. Type of security/interest:_____________________________________________________________

 

3. Name of brokerage firm/other entity:____________________________________________________

 

4. Account number:___________________________________________________________________

 

5. Type of transaction (buy/sell/other-specify):______________________________________________

 

6. Number of shares/interest:____________________________________________________________

 

7. Price of each security/interest:_________________________________________________________

 

8. Name of firm offering the investment opportunity:_________________________________________

 

9. Please describe how you became aware of this investment opportunity:_________________________

 

 

 

I understand that it is a violation of the Code to purchase an initial public offering, private placement or shares of a Reportable Fund for which I am an Access Person without receiving prior written approval from Foreside’s Review Officer. I further understand that (i) any pre-clearance trading authorization is valid only from the time when approval is granted through the next business day and (ii) an explanation of why the pre-cleared transaction was not completed must be submitted to the Review Officer within five (5) days if the transaction is not executed within the period. I also agree to provide the Review Officer with a transaction report evidencing the pre-cleared transaction consistent with the reporting requirements of Section 4. of the Code.

 

 

_______________________________________ ______________________
Signature Date
   
____________________________________ ______________________
Print Name Job Title

 

17

 

 

Exhibit (p)(iv)

 

To be completed by Foreside’s Review Officer and returned to the Access Person.

Approval request granted:

 

Yes: ______        No: ______

 

The following criteria were considered in assessing the Access Person’s pre-clearance request ( use back of page if necessary ):___________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________ ______________________
Authorized Signature Date

 

18

Exhibit (q)

 

SYNTAX ETF TRUST

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each of the undersigned Trustees and Officers of Syntax ETF Trust (the "Trust") hereby constitutes and appoints Kathleen Cuocolo and Carly Arison, each of them with full powers of substitution, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to execute in his or her name and on his or her behalf in any and all capacities the Registration Statements on Form N-lA, and any and all amendments thereto, and all other documents, filed by the Trust or its affiliates with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and (as applicable) the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any and all instruments which such attorneys and agents, or any of them, deem necessary or advisable to enable the Trust or its affiliates to comply with such Acts, the rules, regulations and requirements of the SEC, the securities, Blue Sky law and/or corporate/trust laws of any state or other jurisdiction, the Commodities Future Trading Commission, and the regulatory authorities of any foreign jurisdiction, including all documents necessary to ensure the Trust has insurance and fidelity bond coverage, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC and such other jurisdictions, and the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms as his or her own act and deed any and all acts that such attorneys and agents, or any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Any one of such attorneys and agents has, and may exercise, all of the powers hereby conferred. The undersigned hereby revokes any Powers of Attorney previously granted with respect to the Trust concerning the filings and actions described herein.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have hereunto set their hands as of the 28 th day of March 2018.

 

SIGNATURE TITLE

/s/ Deborah Fuhr

Deborah Fuhr

Trustee

/s/ George Hornig

George Hornig

Trustee

/s/ Richards Lyons

Richards Lyons

Trustee

/s/ Stewart Myers

Stewart Myers

Trustee

/s/ Rory Riggs

Rory Riggs

Trustee and Chief Executive Officer

/s/ Kathleen Cuocolo

Kathleen Cuocolo

Trustee, President and Treasurer