LEGG MASON FUNDS
CODE OF ETHICS
FOR
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE AND FINANCIAL OFFICERS
I. Covered Officers and Purpose of the Code
Legg Mason Funds' code of ethics (the "Code") for the investment companies
within the Legg Mason family of mutual funds (each a "Fund," and collectively,
the "Funds") applies to each Fund's Principal Executive Officer and Principal
Financial Officer (the "Covered Officers" each of whom are set forth in Exhibit
A) for the purpose of promoting:
honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent
conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; full,
fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents
that a registrant files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") and in other public communications made by the Funds;
compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations; the
prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or
persons identified in the Code; and o accountability for adherence to the Code.
Each Covered Officer should adhere to a high standard of business ethics and
should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as
apparent conflicts of interest.
II. Covered Officers Should Handle Ethically Actual and Apparent Conflicts of
Interest
Overview. A "conflict of interest" occurs when a Covered Officer's private
interest interferes with the interests of, or his or her service to, a Fund. For
example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer, or a member of
his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her
position with a Fund.
Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationships between Covered
Officers and a Fund and already are subject to conflict of interest provisions
in the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("Investment Company Act") and the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Investment Advisers Act"). For example,
Covered Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as
the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with a Fund because of
their status as "affiliated persons" of the Fund. The Funds' and the investment
advisers' compliance programs and procedures are designed to prevent, or
identify and correct, violations of these provisions. This Code does not, and is
not intended to, repeat or replace these programs and procedures, and such
conflicts fall outside of the parameters of this Code.
Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit,
conflicts arise from, or as a result of, the contractual relationship between a
Fund and an investment adviser of which the Covered Officers are also officers
or employees. As a result, this Code recognizes that the Covered Officers will,
in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for a Fund or for the
adviser, or for both), be involved in establishing policies and implementing
decisions that will have different effects on the adviser and the Funds. The
participation of the Covered Officers in such activities is inherent in the
contractual relationship between a Fund and an adviser and is consistent with
the performance by the Covered Officers of their duties as officers of the
Funds. Thus, if performed in conformity with the provisions of the Investment
Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, such activities will be deemed to
have been handled ethically. In addition, it is recognized by the Funds' Boards
of Directors/Trustees ("Boards") that the Covered Officers may also be officers
or employees of one or more other investment companies covered by this or other
codes.
Other conflicts of interest are covered by the Code, even if such conflicts of
interest are not subject to provisions in the Investment Company Act and the
Investment Advisers Act. The following list provides examples of conflicts of
interest under the Code, but Covered Officers should keep in mind that these
examples are not exhaustive. The overarching principle is that the personal
interest of a Covered Officer should not be placed improperly before the
interest of a Fund.
* * * * *
Each Covered Officer must:
not use his or her personal influence or personal relationships improperly to
influence financial reporting by a Fund;
not cause a Fund to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual
personal benefit of the Covered Officer rather than the benefit the Fund;
There are some actual or potential conflict of interest situations that, if
material, should always be discussed with a chief legal officer that has been
appointed by the Board of the Funds ("Chief Legal Officer"). Examples of these
include:
service as a director on the board of any public company (other than the Funds
or their investment advisers or any affiliated person thereof);
the receipt of any non-nominal gifts (i.e., in excess of $100);
the receipt of any entertainment from any company with which a Fund has
current or prospective business dealings unless such entertainment is
business-related, reasonable in cost, appropriate as to time and place, and not
so frequent as to raise any question of impropriety;
any ownership interest in, or any consulting or employment relationship with,
any of the Funds' service providers (other than their investment advisers, or
principal underwriter, or any affiliated person thereof);
a direct or indirect financial interest in commissions, transaction charges or
spreads paid by a Fund for effecting portfolio transactions or for selling or
redeeming shares other than an interest arising from the Covered Officer's
employment, such as compensation or equity ownership.
III. Disclosure and Compliance
Each Covered Officer should familiarize him or herself with the disclosure
requirements generally applicable to the Funds;
each Covered Officer should not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to
misrepresent, facts about a Fund to others, whether within or outside the Fund,
including to the Fund's directors and auditors, and to governmental regulators
and self-regulatory organizations;
each Covered Officer should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area
of responsibility, consult with other officers and employees of the Funds and
the advisers with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and
understandable disclosure in the reports and documents the Funds file with, or
submit to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds; and
it is the responsibility of each Covered Officer to promote compliance with
the standards and restrictions imposed by applicable laws, rules and
regulations.
IV. Reporting and Accountability
Each Covered Officer must:
upon adoption of the Code (or thereafter as applicable, upon becoming a
Covered Officer), affirm in writing to the Board that he or she has received,
read, and understands the Code;
annually thereafter affirm to the Board that he or she has complied with the
requirements of the Code;
not retaliate against any other Covered Officer or any employee of the Funds
or their advisers or any affiliated persons thereof or service providers of the
Funds for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith; and
notify the Chief Legal Officer promptly if he or she knows of any violation of
this Code. Failure to do so is itself a violation of this Code.
report at least annually any position held by the Covered Officer or any
immediate family member of a Covered Officer with affiliated persons of the
Funds.
The Chief Legal Officer is responsible for applying this Code to specific
situations in which questions are presented under it and has the authority to
interpret this Code in any particular situation. However, any approvals or
waivers sought by a Covered Officer will be considered by the Code of Ethics
Review Committee (the "Committee") responsible for oversight of the Funds code
of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act. If a Covered
Officer seeking an approval or waiver sits on the Committee, the Covered Person
shall recuse him or herself from any such deliberations. Any approval or waiver
granted by the Committee will be reported promptly to the Chair of the Audit
Committees of the Funds.
The Funds will follow these procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code:
the Chief Legal Officer will take all appropriate action to investigate any
potential violations reported to him;
if, after such investigation, the Chief Legal Officer believes that no
violation has occurred, the Chief Legal Officer is not required to take any
further action;
any matter that the Chief Legal Officer believes is a violation will be
reported to the Committee;
if the Committee concurs that a violation has occurred, it will inform the
Board, which will consider appropriate action, which may include review of, and
appropriate modifications to, applicable policies and procedures; notification
to appropriate personnel of the investment adviser or its board; or a
recommendation to dismiss the Covered Officer;
the Committee will be responsible for granting waivers, as appropriate;
any changes to or waivers of this Code will, to the extent required, be
disclosed as provided by SEC rules; and
a report will be made quarterly to the Board regarding whether or not there
have been any violations of the Code.
V. Other Policies and Procedures
This Code shall be the sole code of ethics adopted by the Funds for purposes of
Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and forms applicable to
registered investment companies thereunder. Insofar as other policies or
procedures of the Funds, the Funds' advisers, principal underwriter, or other
service providers govern or purport to govern the behavior or activities of the
Covered Officers who are subject to this Code, they are superseded by this Code
to the extent that they overlap or conflict with the provisions of this Code.
The Funds' and their investment advisers' and principal underwriter's codes of
ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act are separate
requirements applying to the Covered Officers and others, and are not part of
this Code.
VI. Amendments
Any amendments to this Code, other than amendments to Exhibit A, must be
approved or ratified by a majority vote of the Board.
VII. Confidentiality
All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to this Code will be
considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly.
Except as otherwise required by law or this Code, such matters shall not be
disclosed to anyone other than the appropriate Board and Fund counsel, and the
board of directors and fund counsel of any other investment company for whom a
Covered Officer serves in a similar capacity.
VIII. Internal Use
The Code is intended solely for the internal use by the Funds and does not
constitute an admission, by or on behalf of any Fund, as to any fact,
circumstance, or legal conclusion.
Date: August 6, 2003
LEGG MASON FUNDS
CODE OF ETHICS
Exhibit A
Principal Executive Officer: Mark R. Fetting
Principal Financial Officer: Marie K. Karpinski