Exhibit 4
FORM OF AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION (the "Agreement") is made as of
this 3rd day of June, 2004, by and between ING Funds Trust, a Delaware statutory
trust (the "Trust"), with its principal place of business at 7337 East
Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-2034, on behalf of ING High
Yield Bond Fund (the "Acquiring Fund"), a separate series of the Trust, and the
Trust, on behalf of ING High Yield Opportunity Fund (the "Acquired Fund"),
another separate series of the Trust.
This Agreement is intended to be and is adopted as a plan of
reorganization and liquidation within the meaning of the regulations under
Section 368(a)(1) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"). The reorganization (the "Reorganization") will consist of the
transfer of all of the assets of the Acquired Fund to the Acquiring Fund in
exchange solely for Class A, Class B and Class C voting shares of beneficial
interest of the Acquiring Fund (the "Acquiring Fund Shares"), the assumption by
the Acquiring Fund of the liabilities of the Acquired Fund described in
paragraph 1.3, and the distribution of the Acquiring Fund Shares to the
shareholders of the Acquired Fund in complete liquidation of the Acquired Fund
as provided herein, all upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in
this Agreement.
WHEREAS, the Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund are each a series of an
open-end, registered investment company of the management type and the Acquired
Fund owns securities which generally are assets of the character in which the
Acquiring Fund is permitted to invest;
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust have determined that the exchange of
all of the assets of the Acquired Fund for Acquiring Fund Shares and the
assumption of the liabilities of the Acquired Fund described in paragraph 1.3 by
the Acquiring Fund is in the best interests of the Acquiring Fund and its
shareholders and that the interests of the existing shareholders of the
Acquiring Fund would not be diluted as a result of this transaction; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust have determined that the exchange of
all of the assets of the Acquired Fund for Acquiring Fund Shares and the
assumption of all liabilities of the Acquired Fund by the Acquiring Fund is in
the best interests of the Acquired Fund and its shareholders and that the
interests of the existing shareholders of the Acquired Fund would not be diluted
as a result of this transaction.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and
agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto covenant and agree as
follows:
1. TRANSFER OF ASSETS OF THE ACQUIRED FUND TO THE ACQUIRING FUND IN
EXCHANGE FOR THE ACQUIRING FUND SHARES, THE ASSUMPTION OF ACQUIRED
FUND LIABILITIES AND THE LIQUIDATION OF THE ACQUIRED FUND
1.1. Subject to the requisite approval of the Acquired Fund shareholders
and the other terms and conditions herein set forth and on the basis of the
representations and warranties contained herein, the Acquired Fund agrees to
transfer all of the Acquired Fund's assets, as set forth in paragraph 1.2, to
the Acquiring Fund, and the Acquiring Fund agrees in exchange therefore: (i) to
deliver to the Acquired Fund the number of full and fractional Class A, Class B
and Class C Acquiring Fund Shares determined by dividing the value of the
Acquired Fund's net assets with respect to each class, computed in the manner
and as of the time and date set forth in paragraph 2.1, by the net asset value
of one Acquiring Fund Share of the same class, computed in the manner and as of
the time and date set forth in paragraph 2.2; (ii) to deliver to the Acquired
Fund the number of full and fractional Class A Acquiring Fund Shares determined
by dividing the value of the Acquired Fund's net assets with respect to Class M
shares, computed in the manner and as of the time and date set forth in
paragraph 2.1, by the net asset value of one Acquiring Fund Share of Class A,
computed in the manner and as of the time and date set forth in paragraph 2.2;
and (iii) to assume all liabilities of the Acquired Fund, as set forth in
paragraph 1.3. Such transactions shall take place at the closing provided for in
paragraph 3.1 (the "Closing").
1.2. The assets of the Acquired Fund to be acquired by the Acquiring Fund
shall consist of all assets and property, including, without limitation, all
cash, securities, commodities and futures interests and dividends or interests
receivable that are owned by the Acquired Fund and any deferred or prepaid
expenses shown as an asset on
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the books of the Acquired Fund on the closing date provided for in paragraph 3.1
(the "Closing Date") (collectively, "Assets").
1.3. The Acquired Fund will endeavor to discharge all of its known
liabilities and obligations prior to the Closing Date. The Acquiring Fund shall
assume the liabilities of the Acquired Fund set forth in the Acquired Fund's
statement of assets and liabilities as of the Closing Date delivered by the
Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, to the Acquiring Fund, pursuant to
paragraph 7.2 hereof. On or as soon as practicable prior to the Closing Date,
the Acquired Fund will declare and pay to its shareholders of record one or more
dividends and/or other distributions so that it will have distributed
substantially all (and in no event less than 98%) of its investment company
taxable income (computed without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and
realized net capital gain, if any, for the current taxable year through the
Closing Date.
1.4. Immediately after the transfer of assets provided for in paragraph
1.1, the Acquired Fund will (i) distribute to the Acquired Fund's shareholders
of record with respect to Class A, Class B and Class C shares, determined as of
immediately after the close of business on the Closing Date, on a pro rata basis
within that class, the Acquiring Fund Shares of the same class received by the
Acquired Fund pursuant to paragraph 1.1; (ii) distribute to the Acquired Fund's
shareholders of record with respect to Class M shares, determined as of
immediately after the close of business on the Closing Date, on a pro rata basis
within that class, the Acquiring Fund Shares of Class A received by the Acquired
Fund pursuant to paragraph 1.1; and (iii) completely liquidate. Such
distribution and liquidation will be accomplished, with respect to each Class of
the Acquired Fund's shares, by the transfer of the Acquiring Fund Shares then
credited to the account of the Acquired Fund on the books of the Acquiring Fund
to open accounts on the share records of the Acquiring Fund in the names of the
Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M Acquired Fund shareholders ("Acquired Fund
Shareholders"). The aggregate net asset value of Class A, Class B and Class C
Acquiring Fund Shares to be so credited to Class A, Class B and Class C Acquired
Fund Shareholders shall, with respect to each class, be equal to the aggregate
net asset value of the Acquired Fund shares of that same class owned by such
shareholders on the Closing Date. The aggregate net asset value of Class A
Acquiring Fund Shares to be so credited to Class M Acquired Fund Shareholders
shall be equal to the aggregate net asset value of the Acquired Fund shares of
Class M owned by such shareholders on the Closing Date. All issued and
outstanding Class A, Class B and Class C Acquired Fund shares will
simultaneously be canceled on the books of the Acquired Fund, although share
certificates representing interests in Class A, Class B and Class C shares of
the Acquired Fund will represent a number of the same class of Acquiring Fund
Shares after the Closing Date, as determined in accordance with Section 2.3. All
issued and outstanding Class M Acquired Fund shares will simultaneously be
canceled on the books of the Acquired Fund, although share certificates
representing interests in Class M shares of the Acquired Fund will represent a
number of Class A Acquiring Fund Shares after the Closing Date, as determined in
accordance with Section 2.3. The Acquiring Fund shall not issue certificates
representing the Class A, Class B and Class C Acquiring Fund Shares in
connection with such exchange.
1.5. Ownership of Acquiring Fund Shares will be shown on the books of the
Acquiring Fund's transfer agent, as defined in paragraph 3.3.
1.6. Any reporting responsibility of the Acquired Fund including, but not
limited to, the responsibility for filing of regulatory reports, tax returns, or
other documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission"), any state securities commission, and any federal, state or local
tax authorities or any other relevant regulatory authority, is and shall remain
the responsibility of the Acquired Fund.
2. VALUATION
2.1. The value of the Assets shall be the value computed as of immediately
after the close of business of the New York Stock Exchange and after the
declaration of any dividends on the Closing Date (such time and date being
hereinafter called the "Valuation Date"), using the valuation procedures in the
then-current prospectus and statement of additional information with respect to
the Acquiring Fund, and valuation procedures established by the Acquiring Fund's
Board of Trustees.
2.2. The net asset value of a Class A, Class B and Class C Acquiring Fund
Share shall be the net asset value per share computed with respect to that class
as of the Valuation Date, using the valuation procedures set forth
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in the Acquiring Fund's then-current prospectus and statement of additional and
valuation procedures established by the Acquiring Fund's Board of Trustees.
2.3. The number of the Class A, Class B and Class C Acquiring Fund Shares
to be issued (including fractional shares, if any) in exchange for the Acquired
Fund's assets shall be determined with respect to each such class by dividing
the value of the net assets with respect to the Class A, Class B and Class C
shares of the Acquired Fund, as the case may be, determined using the same
valuation procedures referred to in paragraph 2.1, by the net asset value of an
Acquiring Fund Share of the same Class, determined in accordance with paragraph
2.2. The number of the Class A Acquiring Fund Shares to be issued (including
fractional shares, if any) in exchange for the Acquired Fund's Class M assets
shall be determined with respect to Class M by dividing the value of the net
assets with respect to the Class M shares of the Acquired Fund determined using
the same valuation procedures referred to in paragraph 2.1, by the net asset
value of a Class A Acquiring Fund Share, determined in accordance with paragraph
2.2.
2.4. All computations of value shall be made by the Acquired Fund's
designated record keeping agent and shall be subject to review by Acquiring
Fund's record keeping agent and by each Fund's respective independent
accountants.
3. CLOSING AND CLOSING DATE
3.1. The Closing Date shall be October 23, 2004, or such other date as the
parties may agree. All acts taking place at the Closing shall be deemed to take
place simultaneously as of immediately after the close of business on the
Closing Date unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. The close of business on
the Closing Date shall be as of 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Closing shall be
held at the offices of the Acquiring Fund or at such other time and/or place as
the parties may agree.
3.2. The Acquired Fund shall direct State Street Bank and Trust Company,
as custodian for the Acquired Fund (the "Custodian"), to deliver, at the
Closing, a certificate of an authorized officer stating that (i) the Assets
shall have been delivered in proper form to the Acquiring Fund within two
business days prior to or on the Closing Date, and (ii) all necessary taxes in
connection with the delivery of the Assets, including all applicable federal and
state stock transfer stamps, if any, have been paid or provision for payment has
been made. The Acquired Fund's portfolio securities represented by a certificate
or other written instrument shall be presented for examination by the Acquired
Fund Custodian to the custodian for the Acquiring Fund no later than five
business days preceding the Closing Date, and shall be transferred and delivered
by the Acquired Fund as of the Closing Date for the account of the Acquiring
Fund duly endorsed in proper form for transfer in such condition as to
constitute good delivery thereof. The Custodian shall deliver as of the Closing
Date by book entry, in accordance with the customary practices of the Custodian
and any securities depository (as defined in Rule 17f-4 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act")) in which the Acquired Fund's
Assets are deposited, the Acquired Fund's portfolio securities and instruments
deposited with such depositories. The cash to be transferred by the Acquired
Fund shall be delivered by wire transfer of federal funds on the Closing Date.
3.3. The Acquired Fund shall direct DST Systems, Inc. (the "Transfer
Agent"), on behalf of the Acquired Fund, to deliver at the Closing a certificate
of an authorized officer stating that its records contain the names and
addresses of the Acquired Fund Shareholders and the number and percentage
ownership of outstanding Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M shares owned by
each such shareholder immediately prior to the Closing. The Acquiring Fund shall
issue and deliver a confirmation evidencing the Acquiring Fund Shares to be
credited on the Closing Date to the Secretary of the Acquiring Fund, or provide
evidence satisfactory to the Acquired Fund that such Acquiring Fund Shares have
been credited to the Acquired Fund's account on the books of the Acquiring Fund.
At the Closing each party shall deliver to the other such bills of sale, checks,
assignments, share certificates, if any, receipts or other documents as such
other party or its counsel may reasonably request.
3.4. In the event that on the Valuation Date (a) the New York Stock
Exchange or another primary trading market for portfolio securities of the
Acquiring Fund or the Acquired Fund shall be closed to trading or trading
thereupon shall be restricted, or (b) trading or the reporting of trading on
such Exchange or elsewhere shall be disrupted so that, in the judgment of the
Board of Trustees of the Acquired Fund or the Board of Trustees of the Acquiring
Fund, accurate appraisal of the value of the net assets of the Acquiring Fund or
the Acquired Fund is
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impracticable, the Closing Date shall be postponed until the first business day
after the day when trading shall have been fully resumed and reporting shall
have been restored.
4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
4.1. Except as has been disclosed to the Acquiring Fund in a written
instrument executed by an officer of the Trust, the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquired Fund, represents and warrants to the Acquiring Fund as follows:
(a) The Acquired Fund is duly organized as a series of the Trust,
which is a statutory trust duly organized, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power under the Trust to own all
of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being
conducted;
(b) The Trust is a registered investment company classified as a
management company of the open-end type, and its registration with the
Commission as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and the registration of
shares of the Acquired Fund under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("1933
Act"), is in full force and effect;
(c) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court or
governmental authority is required for the consummation by the Acquired Fund of
the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under
the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act")
and the 1940 Act and such as may be required by state securities laws;
(d) The current prospectus and statement of additional information
of the Acquired Fund and each prospectus and statement of additional information
of the Acquired Fund used during the three years previous to the date of this
Agreement conforms or conformed at the time of its use in all material respects
to the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder and does not or did not at the time
of its use include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
materially misleading;
(e) On the Closing Date, the Acquired Fund will have good and
marketable title to the Assets and full right, power, and authority to sell,
assign, transfer and deliver such Assets hereunder free of any liens or other
encumbrances, and upon delivery and payment for such Assets, the Acquiring Fund
will acquire good and marketable title thereto, subject to no restrictions on
the full transfer thereof, including such restrictions as might arise under the
1933 Act, other than as disclosed to the Acquiring Fund;
(f) The Acquired Fund is not engaged currently, and the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement will not result, in (i) a material
violation of the Trust's Trust Instrument or By-Laws or of any agreement,
indenture, instrument, contract, lease or other undertaking to which the Trust,
on behalf of the Acquired Fund, is a party or by which it is bound, or (ii) the
acceleration of any obligation, or the imposition of any penalty, under any
agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, judgment or decree to which
the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, is a party or by which it is bound;
(g) All material contracts or other commitments of the Acquired Fund
(other than this Agreement and certain investment contracts including options,
futures, and forward contracts) will terminate without liability to the Acquired
Fund prior to the Closing Date;
(h) Except as otherwise disclosed in writing to and accepted by the
Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, no litigation or administrative
proceeding or investigation of or before any court or governmental body is
presently pending or, to its knowledge, threatened against the Acquired Fund or
any of its properties or assets that, if adversely determined, would materially
and adversely affect its financial condition or the conduct of its business. The
Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, knows of no facts which might form the
basis for the institution of such proceedings and is not a party to or subject
to the provisions of any order, decree or judgment of any court or governmental
body which materially and adversely affects its business or its ability to
consummate the transactions herein contemplated;
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(i) The Statement of Assets and Liabilities, Statements of
Operations and Changes in Net Assets, and Schedule of Investments of the
Acquired Fund dated March 31, 2004 have been audited by KPMG LLP, independent
auditors, and are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in
the United States ("GAAP") consistently applied, and such statements (copies of
which have been furnished to the Acquiring Fund) present fairly, in all material
respects, the financial condition of the Acquired Fund as of such date in
accordance with GAAP, and there are no known contingent liabilities of the
Acquired Fund required to be reflected on a balance sheet (including the notes
thereto) in accordance with GAAP as of such date not disclosed therein;
(j) Since March 31, 2004, there has not been any material adverse
change in the Acquired Fund's financial condition, assets, liabilities or
business, other than changes occurring in the ordinary course of business, or
any incurrence by the Acquired Fund of indebtedness maturing more than one year
from the date such indebtedness was incurred, except as otherwise disclosed to
and accepted by the Acquiring Fund. For the purposes of this subparagraph (j), a
decline in net asset value per share of the Acquired Fund due to declines in
market values of securities in the Acquired Fund's portfolio, the discharge of
Acquired Fund liabilities, or the redemption of Acquired Fund Shares by
shareholders of the Acquired Fund shall not constitute a material adverse
change;
(k) On the Closing Date, all Federal and other tax returns, dividend
reporting forms, and other tax-related reports of the Acquired Fund required by
law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been
filed and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all Federal and
other taxes shown as due or required to be shown as due on said returns and
reports shall have been paid or provision shall have been made for the payment
thereof, and to the best of the Acquired Fund's knowledge, no such return is
currently under audit and no assessment has been asserted with respect to such
returns;
(l) For each taxable year of its operation (including the taxable
year ending on the Closing Date), the Acquired Fund has met (or will meet) the
requirements of Subchapter M of the Code for qualification as a regulated
investment company, has been (or will be) eligible to and has computed (or will
compute) its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code, and will have
distributed all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain
(as defined in the Code) that has accrued through the Closing Date, and before
the Closing Date will have declared dividends sufficient to distribute all of
its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for the period ending
on the Closing Date;
(m) All issued and outstanding shares of the Acquired Fund are, and
on the Closing Date will be, duly and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid
and non-assessable and have been offered and sold in every state and the
District of Columbia in compliance in all material respects with applicable
registration requirements of the 1933 Act and state securities laws. All of the
issued and outstanding shares of the Acquired Fund will, at the time of Closing,
be held by the persons and in the amounts set forth in the records of the
Transfer Agent, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, as provided in paragraph 3.3.
The Acquired Fund does not have outstanding any options, warrants or other
rights to subscribe for or purchase any of the shares of the Acquired Fund, nor
is there outstanding any security convertible into any of the Acquired Fund
shares;
(n) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will
have been duly authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action, if
any, on the part of the Trustees of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund,
and, subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Acquired Fund, this
Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Acquired Fund,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or
affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles;
(o) The information to be furnished by the Acquired Fund for use in
registration statements, proxy materials and other documents filed or to be
filed with any federal, state or local regulatory authority (including the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.), which may be necessary in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be accurate and
complete in all material respects and shall comply in all material respects with
Federal securities and other laws and regulations thereunder applicable thereto;
and
(p) The proxy statement of the Acquired Fund (the "Proxy Statement")
to be included in the Registration Statement referred to in paragraph 5.6,
insofar as it relates to the Acquired Fund, will, on the effective date of the
Registration Statement and on the Closing Date (i) not contain 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 light of the
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circumstances under which such statements were made, not materially misleading
provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this subparagraph
(p) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Proxy Statement and
the Registration Statement made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information that was furnished by the Acquiring Fund for use therein; and (ii)
comply in all material respects with the provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934
Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
4.2. Except as has been disclosed to the Acquired Fund in a written
instrument executed by an officer of the Trust, the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquiring Fund, represents and warrants to the Acquired Fund as follows:
(a) The Acquiring Fund is duly organized as a series of the Trust,
which is a statutory trust duly organized, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power under the Trust to own all
of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being
conducted;
(b) The Trust is a registered investment company classified as a
management company of the open-end type, and its registration with the
Commission as an investment company under the 1940 Act and the registration of
the shares of the Acquired Fund under the 1933 Act, is in full force and effect;
(c) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court or
governmental authority is required for the consummation by the Acquiring Fund of
the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under
the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and such as may be required by state
securities laws;
(d) The current prospectus and statement of additional information
of the Acquiring Fund and each prospectus and statement of additional
information of the Acquiring Fund used during the three years previous to the
date of this Agreement conforms or conformed at the time of its use in all
material respects to the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940
Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and does not or
did not at the time of its use include any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not materially misleading;
(e) On the Closing Date, the Acquiring Fund will have good and
marketable title to the Acquiring Fund's assets, free of any liens of other
encumbrances, except those liens or encumbrances as to which the Acquired Fund
has received notice and necessary documentation at or prior to the Closing;
(f) The Acquiring Fund is not engaged currently, and the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement will not result, in (i) a material
violation of the Trust's Trust Instrument or By-Laws or of any agreement,
indenture, instrument, contract, lease or other undertaking to which the Trust,
on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, is a party or by which it is bound, or (ii) the
acceleration of any obligation, or the imposition of any penalty, under any
agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, judgment or decree to which
the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, is a party or by which it is bound;
(g) Except as otherwise disclosed in writing to and accepted by the
Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, no litigation or administrative
proceeding or investigation of or before any court or governmental body is
presently pending or, to its knowledge, threatened against the Trust, on behalf
of the Acquiring Fund, or any of the Acquiring Fund's properties or assets that,
if adversely determined, would materially and adversely affect the Acquiring
Fund's financial condition or the conduct of the Acquiring Fund's business. The
Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, knows of no facts which might form the
basis for the institution of such proceedings and is not a party to or subject
to the provisions of any order, decree or judgment of any court or governmental
body which materially and adversely affects its business or its ability to
consummate the transactions herein contemplated;
(h) The Statement of Assets and Liabilities, Statements of
Operations and Changes in Net Assets and Schedule of Investments of the
Acquiring Fund at March 31, 2004 have been audited by KPMG LLP, independent
auditors, and are in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, and such
statements (copies of which have been furnished to the Acquired Fund) present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition of the Acquiring Fund
as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and there are no known contingent
liabilities of the Acquiring Fund required to be reflected on a balance sheet
(including the notes thereto) in accordance with GAAP as of such date not
disclosed therein;
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(i) Since March 31, 2004 there has not been any material adverse
change in the Acquiring Fund's financial condition, assets, liabilities or
business, other than changes occurring in the ordinary course of business, or
any incurrence by the Acquiring Fund of indebtedness maturing more than one year
from the date such indebtedness was incurred, except as otherwise disclosed to
and accepted by the Acquired Fund. For purposes of this subparagraph (i), a
decline in net asset value per share of the Acquiring Fund due to declines in
market values of securities in the Acquiring Fund's portfolio, the discharge of
Acquiring Fund liabilities, or the redemption of Acquiring Fund Shares by
shareholders of the Acquiring Fund, shall not constitute a material adverse
change;
(j) On the Closing Date, all Federal and other tax returns, dividend
reporting forms, and other tax-related reports of the Acquiring Fund required by
law to have been filed by such date (including any extensions) shall have been
filed and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all Federal and
other taxes shown as due or required to be shown as due on said returns and
reports shall have been paid or provision shall have been made for the payment
thereof, and to the best of the Acquiring Fund's knowledge no such return is
currently under audit and no assessment has been asserted with respect to such
returns;
(k) For each taxable year of its operation (including the taxable
year that includes the Closing Date), the Acquiring Fund has met (or will meet)
the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code for qualification as a regulated
investment company, has been eligible to (or will be eligible to) and has
computed (or will compute) its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code,
and has distributed all of its investment company taxable income and net capital
gain (as defined in the Code) for periods ending prior to the Closing Date;
(l) All issued and outstanding Acquiring Fund Shares are, and on the
Closing Date will be, duly and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and
non-assessable by the Trust and have been offered and sold in every state and
the District of Columbia in compliance in all material respects with applicable
registration requirements of the 1933 Act and state securities laws. The
Acquiring Fund does not have outstanding any options, warrants or other rights
to subscribe for or purchase any Acquiring Fund Shares, nor is there outstanding
any security convertible into any Acquiring Fund Shares;
(m) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will
have been fully authorized prior to the Closing Date by all necessary action, if
any, on the part of the Trustees of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund,
and this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the
Acquiring Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to
enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other
laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity
principles;
(n) The Class A, Class B and Class C Acquiring Fund Shares to be
issued and delivered to the Acquired Fund, for the account of the Acquired Fund
Shareholders, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, will on the Closing Date
have been duly authorized and, when so issued and delivered, will be duly and
validly issued Acquiring Fund Shares, and will be fully paid and non-assessable;
(o) The information to be furnished by the Trust for use in the
registration statements, proxy materials and other documents that may be
necessary in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall be
accurate and complete in all material respects and shall comply in all material
respects with Federal securities and other laws and regulations applicable
thereto; and
(p) That insofar as it relates to the Acquiring Fund, the
Registration Statement relating to the Acquiring Fund Shares issuable hereunder,
and the proxy materials of the Acquired Fund to be included in the Registration
Statement, and any amendment or supplement to the foregoing, will, from the
effective date of the Registration Statement through the date of the meeting of
shareholders of the Acquired Fund contemplated therein (i) not contain 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 light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading, provided,
however, that the representations and warranties in this subparagraph (p) shall
not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information that was furnished by the
Acquired Fund for use therein, and (ii) comply in all material respects with the
provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
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5. COVENANTS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE ACQUIRED FUND
5.1. The Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund each will operate its
business in the ordinary course between the date hereof and the Closing Date, it
being understood that such ordinary course of business will include the
declaration and payment of customary dividends and distributions, and any other
distribution that may be advisable.
5.2. The Acquired Fund will call a meeting of the shareholders of the
Acquired Fund to consider and act upon this Agreement and to take all other
action necessary to obtain approval of the transactions contemplated herein.
5.3. The Acquired Fund covenants that the Class A, Class B and Class C
Acquiring Fund Shares to be issued hereunder are not being acquired for the
purpose of making any distribution thereof, other than in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement.
5.4. The Acquired Fund will assist the Acquiring Fund in obtaining such
information as the Acquiring Fund reasonably requests concerning the beneficial
ownership of the Acquired Fund shares.
5.5. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund and
the Acquired Fund will each take, or cause to be taken, all action, and do or
cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to
consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
5.6. The Acquired Fund will provide the Acquiring Fund with information
reasonably necessary for the preparation of a prospectus (the "Prospectus")
which will include the Proxy Statement referred to in paragraph 4.1(p), all to
be included in a Registration Statement on Form N-14 of the Acquiring Fund (the
"Registration Statement"), in compliance with the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the
1940 Act, in connection with the meeting of the shareholders of the Acquired
Fund to consider approval of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
herein.
5.7. As soon as is reasonably practicable after the Closing, the Acquired
Fund will make a liquidating distribution to its shareholders consisting of the
Class A, Class B and Class Acquiring Fund Shares received at the Closing.
5.8. The Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund shall each use its
reasonable best efforts to fulfill or obtain the fulfillment of the conditions
precedent to effect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as promptly
as practicable.
5.9. The Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, covenants that the Trust
will, from time to time, as and when reasonably requested by the Acquiring Fund,
execute and deliver or cause to be executed and delivered all such assignments
and other instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such further action as
the Acquiring Fund may reasonably deem necessary or desirable in order to vest
in and confirm (a) the Trust's, on behalf of the Acquired Fund's, title to and
possession of the Acquiring Fund's Shares to be delivered hereunder, and (b) the
Trust's, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund's, title to and possession of all the
assets and otherwise to carry out the intent and purpose of this Agreement.
5.10. The Acquiring Fund will use all reasonable efforts to obtain the
approvals and authorizations required by the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and such of
the state blue sky or securities laws as may be necessary in order to continue
its operations after the Closing Date.
6. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRED FUND
The obligations of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, to
consummate the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Trust's
election, to the performance by the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, of
all the obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing
Date, and, in addition thereto, the following further conditions:
6.1. All representations and warranties of the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquiring Fund, contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected
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by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing Date, with
the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date;
6.2. The Trust shall have delivered to the Acquired Fund a certificate
executed in its name by its President or Vice President and its Treasurer or
Assistant Treasurer, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Acquired Fund and
dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the representations and
warranties of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, made in this Agreement
are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date, except as they may be
affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and as to such other
matters as the Acquired Fund shall reasonably request;
6.3. The Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, shall have performed all
of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this
Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquiring Fund, on or before the Closing Date; and
6.4. The Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund shall have agreed on the
number of full and fractional Acquiring Fund Shares of each Class to be issued
in connection with the Reorganization after such number has been calculated in
accordance with paragraph 1.1.
7. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND
The obligations of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, to complete
the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Trust's election,
to the performance by the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, of all of the
obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing Date and,
in addition thereto, the following conditions:
7.1. All representations and warranties of the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquired Fund, contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing Date, with
the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date;
7.2. The Trust shall have delivered to the Acquiring Fund a statement of
the Acquired Fund's assets and liabilities, as of the Closing Date, certified by
the Treasurer of the Trust;
7.3. The Trust shall have delivered to the Acquiring Fund on the Closing
Date a certificate executed in its name by its President or Vice President and
its Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Acquiring Fund and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the
representations and warranties of the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund,
made in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date,
except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and as to such other matters as the Trust shall reasonably request;
7.4. The Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, shall have performed all
of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this
Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Trust, on behalf of the
Acquired Fund, on or before the Closing Date;
7.5. The Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund shall have agreed on the
number of full and fractional Acquiring Fund Shares of each class to be issued
in connection with the Reorganization after such number has been calculated in
accordance with paragraph 1.1; and
7.6. The Acquired Fund shall have declared and paid a distribution or
distributions prior to the Closing that, together with all previous
distributions, shall have the effect of distributing to its shareholders (i) all
of its investment company taxable income and all of its net realized capital
gains, if any, for the period from the close of its last fiscal year to 4:00
p.m. Eastern time on the Closing; and (ii) any undistributed investment company
taxable income and net realized capital gains from any period to the extent not
otherwise already distributed.
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8. FURTHER CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE
ACQUIRED FUND
If any of the conditions set forth below have not been satisfied on or
before the Closing Date with respect to the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired
Fund, or the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, the other party to this
Agreement shall, at its option, not be required to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement:
8.1. The Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein shall have
been approved by the requisite vote of the holders of the outstanding shares of
the Acquired Fund in accordance with the provisions of the Trust's Trust
Instrument, By-Laws, applicable Delaware law and the 1940 Act, and certified
copies of the resolutions evidencing such approval shall have been delivered to
the Acquiring Fund. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, neither the
Acquired Fund nor the Acquiring Fund may waive the conditions set forth in this
paragraph 8.1;
8.2. On the Closing Date, no action, suit or other proceeding shall be
pending or, to its knowledge, threatened before any court or governmental agency
in which it is sought to restrain or prohibit, or obtain damages or other relief
in connection with, this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein;
8.3. All consents of other parties and all other consents, orders and
permits of Federal, state and local regulatory authorities deemed necessary by
the Trust to permit consummation, in all material respects, of the transactions
contemplated hereby shall have been obtained, except where failure to obtain any
such consent, order or permit would not involve a risk of a material adverse
effect on the assets or properties of the Acquiring Fund or the Acquired Fund,
provided that either party hereto may for itself waive any of such conditions;
8.4. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the 1933
Act and no stop orders suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been
issued and, to the best knowledge of the parties hereto, no investigation or
proceeding for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending, threatened
or contemplated under the 1933 Act; and
8.5. The parties shall have received the opinion of Dechert LLP addressed
to the Trust substantially to the effect that, based upon certain facts,
assumptions, and representations, the transaction contemplated by this Agreement
shall constitute a tax-free reorganization for Federal income tax purposes. The
delivery of such opinion is conditioned upon receipt by Dechert LLP of
representations it shall request of the Trust. Notwithstanding anything herein
to the contrary, neither the Acquired Fund nor the Acquiring Fund may waive the
condition set forth in this paragraph 8.5.
9. BROKERAGE FEES AND EXPENSES
9.1. The Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund, represent and warrant to
each other that there are no brokers or finders entitled to receive any payments
in connection with the transactions provided for herein.
9.2. The expenses relating to the proposed Reorganization will be shared
so that (1) half of such costs are borne by the investment adviser to the
Acquiring Fund, and (2) half are borne by the Acquired and Acquiring Funds and
will be paid by the Acquired Fund and Acquiring Fund pro rata based upon the
relative net assets of the Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund as of the close
of business on the Closing Date. The costs of the Reorganization shall include,
but not be limited to, costs associated with obtaining any necessary order of
exemption from the 1940 Act, preparation of the Registration Statement, printing
and distributing the Acquiring Fund's prospectus and the Acquired Fund's proxy
materials, legal fees, accounting fees, securities registration fees, and
expenses of holding shareholders' meetings. Notwithstanding any of the
foregoing, expenses will in any event be paid by the party directly incurring
such expenses if and to the extent that the payment by another person of such
expenses would result in the disqualification of such party as a "regulated
investment company" within the meaning of Section 851 of the Code.
10. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; SURVIVAL OF WARRANTIES
10.1. The Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund agree that neither party
has made any representation, warranty or covenant not set forth herein and that
this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.
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10.2. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in this
Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith
shall survive the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereunder. The
covenants to be performed after the Closing shall survive the Closing.
11. TERMINATION
This Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby
may be abandoned by either party by (i) mutual agreement of the parties, or (ii)
by either party if the Closing shall not have occurred on or before October 23,
2004, unless such date is extended by mutual agreement of the parties, or (iii)
by either party if the other party shall have materially breached its
obligations under this Agreement or made a material and intentional
misrepresentation herein or in connection herewith. In the event of any such
termination, this Agreement shall become void and there shall be no liability
hereunder on the part of any party or their respective Trustees or officers,
except for any such material breach or intentional misrepresentation, as to each
of which all remedies at law or in equity of the party adversely affected shall
survive.
12. AMENDMENTS
This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented in such manner as
may be deemed necessary or advisable by the authorized officers of the Trust;
provided, however, that following the meeting of the shareholders of the
Acquired Fund called by the Trust pursuant to paragraph 5.2 of this Agreement,
no such amendment may have the effect of changing the provisions for determining
the number of the Class A, Class B and Class C Acquiring Fund Shares to be
issued to the Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M Acquired Fund Shareholders
under this Agreement to the detriment of such shareholders without their further
approval.
13. NOTICES
Any notice, report, statement or demand required or permitted by any
provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by
facsimile, personal service or prepaid or certified mail addressed to the Trust,
on behalf of the Acquired Fund, or the Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund,
at 7337 East Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-2034, attn: Huey
Falgout, in each case with a copy to Dechert LLP, 1775 I Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20006, attn: Jeffrey S. Puretz.
14. HEADINGS; COUNTERPARTS; GOVERNING LAW; ASSIGNMENT; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
14.1. The Article and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are
for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement.
14.2. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each
of which shall be deemed an original.
14.3. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its principles of conflicts
of laws.
14.4. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment or
transfer hereof or of any rights or obligations hereunder shall be made by any
party without the written consent of the other party. Nothing herein expressed
or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any person,
firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns, any rights or remedies under or by reason of this
Agreement.
14.5. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the parties 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 Acquired Fund, as provided in the Trust Instrument. The
execution and delivery by such officers shall not be deemed to have been made by
any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally,
but shall bind only the trust property of such party.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be
executed by its President or Vice President and its seal to be affixed thereto
and attested by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary.
ING FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of its
ING HIGH YIELD BOND FUND series
Attest:
By:
--------------------------------
- ---------------------------------
Secretary
Title:
--------------------------------
ING FUNDS TRUST, on behalf of its
ING HIGH YIELD OPPORTUNITY FUND series
Attest:
By:
--------------------------------
- ---------------------------------
Secretary
Title:
--------------------------------
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