Arbitration Provision Any and all Arbitrable Disputes (except to the extent injunctive relief is sought) shall be resolved through the use of binding arbitration using, in the case of an Arbitrable Dispute involving a dispute of an amount equal to or greater than $1,000,000 or non-monetary relief, three arbitrators, and in the case of an Arbitrable Dispute involving a dispute of an amount less than $1,000,000, one arbitrator, in each case in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association, as supplemented to the extent necessary to determine any procedural appeal questions by the Federal Arbitration Act (Title 9 of the United States Code). If there is any inconsistency between this Article 26 and the Commercial Arbitration Rules or the Federal Arbitration Act, the terms of this Article 26 will control the rights and obligations of the Parties. Arbitration must be initiated within the time limits set forth in this Agreement, or if no such limits apply, then within a reasonable time or the time period allowed by the applicable statute of limitations. Arbitration may be initiated by a Party (“Claimant”) serving written notice on the other Party (“Respondent”) that Claimant elects to refer the Arbitrable Dispute to binding arbitration. Claimant’s notice initiating binding arbitration must identify the arbitrator Claimant has appointed. Respondent shall respond to Claimant within thirty (30) days after receipt of Claimant’s notice, identifying the arbitrator Respondent has appointed. If Respondent fails for any reason to name an arbitrator within the 30-day period, Claimant shall petition the American Arbitration Association for appointment of an arbitrator for Respondent’s account. The two arbitrators so chosen shall select a third arbitrator within thirty (30) days after the second arbitrator has been appointed, and, in the of an Arbitrable Dispute involving a dispute of an amount less than $1,000,000, such third arbitrator shall act as the sole arbitrator, and the sole role of the first two arbitrators shall be to appoint such third arbitrator. Claimant will pay the compensation and expenses of the arbitrator named by or for it, and Respondent will pay the compensation and expenses of the arbitrator named by or for it. The costs of petitioning for the appointment of an arbitrator, if any, shall be paid by Respondent. Claimant and Respondent will each pay one-half of the compensation and expenses of the third arbitrator. All arbitrators must (a) be neutral parties who have never been officers, directors or employees of the Operator, the Company or any of their Affiliates and (b) have not less than seven (7) years’ experience in the energy industry. The hearing will be conducted in the State of Delaware or the Philadelphia Metropolitan area and commence within thirty (30) days after the selection of the third arbitrator. The Company, the Operator and the arbitrators shall proceed diligently and in good faith in order that the award may be made as promptly as possible. Except as provided in the Federal Arbitration Act, the decision of the arbitrators will be binding on and non-appealable by the Parties hereto. The arbitrators shall have no right to grant or award Special Damages. Notwithstanding anything herein the contrary, the Company may not dispute any amounts with respect to an invoice delivered in accordance with Section 3.8 that the Company has not objected to within one hundred twenty (120) days of receipt thereof. No Event of Default shall occur if the subject matter underlying such potential Event of Default is the subject matter of any dispute that is pending resolution or arbitration under this Article 26 until such time that such dispute is resolved in accordance with this Article 26.
Agreement Provisions If the Company, on behalf of any Account, purchases Trust Portfolio shares (“Eligible Shares”) that are subject to a Rule 12b-1 plan adopted under the 1940 Act (the “Plan”), the Company, on behalf of its Distributor, may participate in the Plan. To the extent the Company or its affiliates, agents or designees (collectively “you”) provide any activity or service that is primarily intended to assist in the promotion, distribution or account servicing of Eligible Shares (“Rule 12b-1 Services”) or variable contracts offering Eligible Shares, the Underwriter, the Trust or their affiliates (collectively, “we”) may pay you a Rule 12b-1 fee. “Rule 12b-1 Services” may include, but are not limited to, printing of prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, preparing and distributing sales literature and related expenses, advertisements, education of dealers and their representatives, and similar distribution-related expenses, furnishing personal services to owners of Contracts which may invest in Eligible Shares (“Contract Owners”), education of Contract Owners, answering routine inquiries regarding a Portfolio, coordinating responses to Contract Owner inquiries regarding the Portfolios, maintaining such accounts or providing such other enhanced services as a Trust Portfolio or Contract may require, or providing other services eligible for service fees as defined under FINRA rules. Your acceptance of such compensation is your acknowledgment that eligible services have been rendered. All Rule 12b-1 fees, shall be based on the value of Eligible Shares owned by the Company on behalf of its Accounts, and shall be calculated on the basis and at the rates set forth in the compensation provision stated above. The aggregate annual fees paid pursuant to each Plan shall not exceed the amounts stated as the “annual maximums” in the Portfolio’s prospectus, unless an increase is approved by shareholders as provided in the Plan. These maximums shall be a specified percent of the value of a Portfolio’s net assets attributable to Eligible Shares owned by the Company on behalf of its Accounts (determined in the same manner as the Portfolio uses to compute its net assets as set forth in its effective Prospectus). The Rule 12b-1 fee will be paid to you within thirty (30) days after the end of the three-month periods ending in January, April, July and October. You shall furnish us with such information as shall reasonably be requested by the Trust’s Boards of Trustees (“Trustees”) with respect to the Rule 12b-1 fees paid to you pursuant to the Plans. We shall furnish to the Trustees, for their review on a quarterly basis, a written report of the amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. The Plans and provisions of any agreement relating to such Plans must be approved annually by a vote of the Trustees, including the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and who have no financial interest in the Plans or any related agreement (“Disinterested Trustees”). Each Plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees, or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares as provided in the Plan, on sixty (60) days’ written notice, without payment of any penalty, or as provided in the Plan. Continuation of the Plans is also conditioned on Disinterested Trustees being ultimately responsible for selecting and nominating any new Disinterested Trustees. Under Rule 12b-1, the Trustees have a duty to request and evaluate, and persons who are party to any agreement related to a Plan have a duty to furnish, such information as may reasonably be necessary to an informed determination of whether the Plan or any agreement should be implemented or continued. Under Rule 12b-1, the Trust is permitted to implement or continue Plans or the provisions of any agreement relating to such Plans from year-to-year only if, based on certain legal considerations, the Trustees are able to conclude that the Plans will benefit each affected Trust Portfolio and class. Absent such yearly determination, the Plans must be terminated as set forth above. In the event of the termination of the Plans for any reason, the provisions of this Schedule F relating to the Plans will also terminate. You agree that your selling agreements with persons or entities through whom you intend to distribute Contracts will provide that compensation paid to such persons or entities may be reduced if a Portfolio’s Plan is no longer effective or is no longer applicable to such Portfolio or class of shares available under the Contracts. Any obligation assumed by the Trust pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the assets of the Trust and no person shall seek satisfaction thereof from shareholders of the Trust. You agree to waive payment of any amounts payable to you by Underwriter under a Plan until such time as the Underwriter has received such fee from the Trust. The provisions of the Plans shall control over the provisions of the Participation Agreement, including this Schedule F, in the event of any inconsistency. You agree to provide complete disclosure as required by all applicable statutes, rules and regulations of all rule 12b-1 fees received from us in the prospectus of the Contracts.
