Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
2600 One Commerce Square
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7098
(215) 564-8000
2600 One Commerce Square
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7098
(215) 564-8000
January 8, 2010
Board of Trustees
AIM Counselor Series Trust
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77046-1173
AIM Counselor Series Trust
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77046-1173
Re: | Registration Statement on Form N-14 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to AIM Counselor Series Trust (“ACST”), a Delaware statutory trust, in connection with the preparation and filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a Registration Statement on Form N-14 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Registration Statement”). Pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Agreement”), each series of ACST identified on Exhibit A hereto (each an “Acquiring Fund”) will assume the assets and liabilities of the corresponding Van Kampen or Morgan Stanley open-end registered investment company, or series thereof, identified on Exhibit A hereto (each an “Acquired Fund”) in exchange for shares of the corresponding Acquiring Fund, as set forth on Exhibit A (each, a “Reorganization” and collectively, the “Reorganizations”).
We have reviewed the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Amended and Restated By-Laws of ACST, in each case as amended to the date hereof, resolutions adopted by ACST in connection with the Reorganizations, the form of Agreement, which has been approved by ACST’s Board of Trustees, the Registration Statement and such other legal and factual matters as we have deemed appropriate.
This opinion is based exclusively on the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act governing the issuance of the shares of ACST and the reported case law thereunder, and does not extend to the securities or “blue sky” laws of the State of Delaware or other States.
We have assumed the following for purposes of this opinion:
1. The shares of each Acquiring Fund will be issued in accordance with ACST’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Trust Agreement”) and Restated By-Laws, each as amended to date, the Agreement, and resolutions of ACST’s Board of Trustees relating to the creation, authorization and issuance of shares and the Reorganizations.
2. The shares of each Acquiring Fund will be issued against payment therefor as described in the Agreement, and that such payment will have been at least equal to the net asset value of such shares.
On the basis of and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the shares of each Acquiring Fund to be issued to the corresponding Acquired Fund shareholders as provided by the
Agreement are duly authorized, and upon delivery will be validly issued and outstanding, and will be fully paid and non-assessable by ACST.
Both the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as amended, and the Trust Agreement provide that shareholders of ACST shall be entitled to the same limitation on personal liability as is extended under the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, to stockholders of private corporations for profit. There is a remote possibility, however, that, under certain circumstances, shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust may be held personally liable for that trust’s obligations to the extent that the courts of another state that does not recognize such limited liability were to apply the laws of such state to a controversy involving such obligations. The Trust Agreement also provides for indemnification out of property of an Acquiring Fund for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of such Fund. Therefore, the risk of any shareholder incurring financial loss beyond his investment due to shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which an Acquiring Fund is unable to meet its obligations and the express limitation of shareholder liabilities is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction not to be effective.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
Sincerely yours, STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP | ||||
By: | /s/ Matthew R. DiClemente | |||
Matthew R. DiClemente, Esq., a Partner | ||||
EXHIBIT A
Acquiring Fund (and share classes) and | Corresponding Acquired Fund (and share | |
Acquiring Entity | classes) and Acquired Entity | |
AIM Counselor Series Trust | ||
Invesco Balanced Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley Balanced Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Invesco California Tax-Free Income Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley California Tax-Free Income Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Invesco Dividend Growth Securities Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley Dividend Growth Securities Inc. | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Invesco Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Class R | Class R | |
Class A | Class W | |
Invesco Fundamental Value Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley Fundamental Value Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I |
A-1
Acquiring Fund (and share classes) | Corresponding Acquired Fund (and share | |
and Acquiring Entity | classes) and Acquired Entity | |
Invesco Large Cap Relative Value Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Large Cap Relative Value Portfolio, a series of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Class A | Class P | |
Invesco New York Tax-Free Income Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley New York Tax-Free Income Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Invesco S&P 500 Index, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Morgan Stanley S&P 500 Index Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Van Kampen American Franchise Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen American Franchise Fund, a series of Van Kampen Equity Trust II | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Van Kampen Core Equity Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen Core Equity Fund, a series of Van Kampen Equity Trust | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Class R | Class R | |
Van Kampen Equity and Income Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen Equity and Income Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Class R | Class R |
A-2
Acquiring Fund (and share classes) | Corresponding Acquired Fund (and share | |
and Acquiring Entity | classes) and Acquired Entity | |
Van Kampen Equity Premium Income Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen Equity Premium Income Fund, a series of Van Kampen Equity Trust II | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Van Kampen Growth and Income Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen Growth and Income Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Class R | Class R | |
Van Kampen Pennsylvania Tax Free Income Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen Pennsylvania Tax Free Income Fund | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I | |
Van Kampen Small Cap Growth Fund, a series of AIM Counselor Series Trust | Van Kampen Small Cap Growth Fund, a series of Van Kampen Equity Trust | |
Class A | Class A | |
Class B | Class B | |
Class C | Class C | |
Class Y | Class I |
A-3