Section 4.20. Sole Discretion; Good Faith; Corporate Opportunities of Adviser.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Declaration of Trust or otherwise applicable law, whenever in this Declaration of Trust the Trustees are permitted or required to make a decision:
(i) in their “discretion” or under a grant of similar authority, the Trustees shall be entitled to consider such interests and factors as they desire, including their own interest, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, shall have no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of or factors affecting the Company or any other Person; or
(ii) in their “good faith” or under another express standard, the Trustees shall act under such express standard and shall not be subject to any other or different standard.
(b) Unless expressly provided otherwise herein or in the Company’s offering document (as may be amended from time to time), the Adviser and any Affiliate of the Adviser may engage in or possess an interest in other profit-seeking or business ventures of any nature or description, independently or with others, whether or not such ventures are competitive with the Company and the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine. To the extent that the Adviser acquires knowledge of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an opportunity for the Company, it shall not have any duty to communicate or offer such opportunity to the Company, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any applicable co-investment order issued by the SEC, and the Adviser shall not be liable to the Company or to the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of the fact that the Adviser pursues or acquires for, or directs such opportunity to, another Person or does not communicate such opportunity or information to the Company. Neither the Company nor any Shareholder shall have any rights or obligations by virtue of this Declaration of Trust or the trust relationship created hereby in or to such independent ventures or the income or profits or losses derived therefrom, and the pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the activities of the Company, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper.
Section 4.21. Trust Only. It is the intention of the Trustees to create only the relationship of Trustee and beneficiary between the Trustees and each Shareholder from time to time. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general partnership, limited partnership, joint stock association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other than a Delaware statutory trust. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.
Section 4.22. Principal Transactions. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law, the Trustees may, on behalf of the Company, buy any securities from or sell any securities to, or lend any assets of the Company to, any Trustee or officer of the Company or any firm of which any such Trustee or officer is a member acting as principal, or have any such dealings with any Affiliate of the Company, investment adviser, investment sub-adviser, distributor or transfer agent for the Company or with any Interested Person of such Affiliate or other person; and the Company may employ any such Affiliate or other person, or firm or company in which such Affiliate or other person is an Interested Person, as broker, legal counsel, registrar, investment advisor, investment sub-advisor, distributor, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, custodian or in any other capacity upon customary terms.
Section 4.23. Subsidiaries. Without approval or vote by Shareholders, the Trustees may cause to be organized or assist in organizing one or more corporations, trusts, partnerships, associations or other organizations to take over all of the Trust Property or to carry on any business in which the Company shall directly or indirectly have any interest and to sell, convey, and transfer all or a portion of the Trust Property to any such corporation, trust, limited liability company, association or organization in exchange for the shares or securities thereof, or otherwise, and to lend money to, subscribe for the shares or securities of and enter into any contracts with any such corporation, trust, limited liability company, partnership, association or organization, or any corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or organization in which the Company holds or is about to acquire shares or any other interests.
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