DIVIDEND DISBURSING AND TRANSFER AGENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit (h)(2)
THIS DIVIDEND DISBURSING AND TRANSFER AGENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August
3, 2021, by and between VOLT ETF TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Trust"), on behalf of the funds listed on Schedule 1 (the “Funds”) and NOTTINGHAM SHAREHOLDER SERVICES,
LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company (“Transfer Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company of the series type which is registered under
the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Transfer Agent is in the business of providing dividend disbursing, transfer agent, and
shareholder services to investment companies;
WHEREAS, the Funds will ordinarily issue for purchase and redeem shares of the Funds (the “Shares) only in
aggregations of Shares known as “Creation Units” in the amount forth on Schedule 1 (each a “Creation Unit”) principally in kind;
WHEREAS, The Depository Trust Company, a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State
of New York (“DTC”), or its nominee, will be the registered owner (the “Shareholder”) of all outstanding Shares; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to appoint the Transfer Agent as its transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent,
and agent in connection with certain other activities, and the Transfer Agent desires to accept such appointment;
NOW THEREFORE, the Trust and the Transfer Agent do mutually promise and agree as follows:
1. Employment. The Trust hereby employs Transfer Agent to act as dividend disbursing and transfer agent for the authorized and issued Shares of the Funds. Transfer
Agent, at its own expense, shall render the services and assume the obligations herein set forth subject to being compensated therefore as herein provided.
2. Delivery of Documents. The Trust has furnished the Transfer Agent with copies properly certified or authenticated of each of the following:
(a) The Trust's Declaration of Trust and Certificate of Trust, as filed with the State of Delaware (such Trust Instrument, as presently in effect and as it
shall from time to time be amended);
(b) The Trust's By-Laws (such By-Laws, as presently in effect and as they shall from time to time be amended, are herein called the "By-Laws");
(c) Resolutions of the Trust's board of trustees (the "Board of Trustees") authorizing the appointment of the Transfer Agent and
approving this Agreement; and
(d) The Trust's registration statement ("Registration Statement") on Form N-1A under the 1940 Act and under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended (the "1933 Act"), including all
exhibits, relating to Shares of beneficial interest of, and containing the prospectus (the "Prospectus") of the Fund, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and all amendments thereto.
The Trust will also furnish the Transfer Agent with copies, properly certified or authenticated, of all amendments of or supplements to the
foregoing.
3. Duties of the Transfer Agent. Subject to the policies and direction of the Board of Trustees, the Transfer Agent will provide day-to-day supervision for the
dividend disbursing, transfer agent, and shareholder servicing operations of each of the Funds as set forth on Exhibit A hereof. Services to be provided shall be in accordance with the Trust's organizational and registration documents as listed in
paragraph 2 hereof and with the Prospectus of the Fund. The Transfer Agent further agrees that it:
(a) Will conform to all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and will, in addition, conduct its activities under this Agreement in accordance with
regulations of any other federal and state agency that may now or in the future have jurisdiction over its activities,
(b) Will provide, at its expense, the non-executive personnel and data processing equipment and software necessary to perform the shareholder servicing
functions shown on Exhibit A hereof; and
(c) Will provide all office space and general office equipment necessary for the dividend disbursing, transfer agent, and shareholder servicing activities
except as may be provided by third parties pursuant to separate agreements with the Trust.
In addition to the Services set forth on Exhibit A, the following shall be delivered to DTC participants as
identified by DTC as the Shareholder for book-entry only securities: (i) annual and semi-annual reports of the Trust; (ii) Trust proxies, proxy statements, and other proxy soliciting materials; (iii) Trust prospectus and amendments and supplements
thereto, including stickers; and (iv) other communications as the Trust may from time to time identify as required by law or as the Trust may reasonably request.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Transfer Agent (including its
directors, officers, employees, and agents) shall not be required to perform any of the duties of, assume any of the obligations or expenses of, or be liable for any of the acts or omissions of, any investment advisor of the Funds or the Trust or other
third party subject to separate agreements with the Trust. The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible hereunder for the administration of the code of ethics of the Trust (the "Code of Ethics") which shall be under the responsibility of the investment
advisors, except insofar as the Code of Ethics applies to the personnel of the Transfer Agent. It is the express intent of the parties hereto that the Transfer Agent shall not have control over or be responsible for the placement (except as
specifically directed by a shareholder of the Funds), investment or reinvestment of the assets of the Funds or the Trust. The Transfer Agent may from time to time, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, obtain at its own expense the services
of consultants or other third parties to perform part or all of its duties hereunder, and such parties may be affiliates of the Transfer Agent.
4. Services Not Exclusive. The services furnished by the Transfer Agent hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Transfer Agent shall be free to furnish
similar services to others so long as its services under this Agreement are not impaired thereby.
5. Books and Records. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 3la-3 under the 1940 Act, the Transfer Agent hereby agrees that all records that it maintains for
the Trust are the property of the Trust and further agrees to surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust's request.
6. Expenses. During the term of this Agreement, the Transfer Agent will furnish at its own expense its office space and the executive, supervisory, and clerical
personnel reasonably necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Trust assumes and shall be responsible for all other expenses of the Trust and/or the Funds not otherwise allocated in this Agreement.
7. Compensation. For the services provided and the expenses assumed by the Transfer Agent pursuant to this Agreement, the Trust will pay the Transfer Agent and the
Transfer Agent will accept as full compensation the fees and expenses as set forth on Exhibit B attached hereto. Special projects, not included herein and requested in writing by the Board of Trustees, shall be completed by the Transfer Agent and
invoiced to the Trust on terms mutually agreed upon.
8. Limitation of Liability. The Transfer Agent shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or liability related to or resulting from the placement (except as
specifically directed by a Shareholder of the Funds), investment, or reinvestment of assets in the Funds or the Trust or the acts or omissions of any Fund's investment advisor or any other third-party subject to separate agreements with the Trust.
Further, the Transfer Agent shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss or damage suffered by the Funds in connection with the performance of this Agreement or any agreement with a third party, except a loss
resulting directly from (i) a breach of fiduciary duty on the part of the Transfer Agent with respect to the receipt of compensation for services; or (ii) willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard on the part of the
Transfer Agent in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties under this Agreement.
The provisions contained in this section shall survive the expiration or other termination of this Agreement,
shall be deemed to include and protect the Transfer Agent and its directors, officers, employees, and agents and shall inure to the benefit of its/their respective successors, assigns, and personal representatives.
9. Indemnification of Transfer Agent. Subject to the limitations set forth in this section, and provided the Transfer Agent has exercised reasonable customary care in
the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Funds and the Trust shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless (from the assets of the Funds to which the conduct in question relates) the Transfer Agent against all loss, damage, and liability,
including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants' and counsel fees, incurred by the Transfer Agent in connection with the defense or
disposition of any action, suit, or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, related to or resulting from this Agreement or the performance of services hereunder, except with respect to any
matter as to which it has been determined that the loss, damage, or liability is a direct result of (i) a breach of fiduciary duty on the part of the Transfer Agent with respect to the receipt of compensation for services; or (ii) willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard on the part of the Transfer Agent in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties under this Agreement (either and both of the conduct described in
clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to hereinafter as "Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Transfer Agent is entitled to indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the
proceeding was brought that the Transfer Agent was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal of a court action or an administrative proceeding against the Transfer Agent for insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a
reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the Transfer Agent was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) vote of a majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Trust as the quoted phrase
is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to the action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds that is then or has been pending or threatened (such quorum of such Trustees being referred to hereinafter as the
"Independent Trustees") or (b) an independent legal counsel approved by the Trustees, including a majority of Independent Trustees, (hereinafter referred to as an "independent legal counsel") in a written opinion. Expenses, including accountants' and
counsel fees so incurred by the Transfer Agent (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), shall be paid from time to time by the Fund or Funds to which the conduct in question related in advance
of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding; provided, that the Transfer Agent shall have undertaken to repay the amounts so paid unless it is ultimately determined that it is entitled to indemnification of such expenses under
this section and if (i) the Transfer Agent shall have provided security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of the Independent Trustees, or an independent
legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Transfer Agent ultimately will be entitled to indemnification
hereunder.
As to any matter disposed of by a compromise payment by the Transfer Agent referred to in this section, pursuant to a consent
decree or otherwise, no such indemnification either for said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless such indemnification shall be approved (i) by a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by an independent legal counsel in a
written opinion. Approval by the Independent Trustees pursuant to clause (i) shall not prevent the recovery from the Transfer Agent of any amount paid to the Transfer Agent in accordance with either of such clauses as indemnification of the Transfer
Agent is subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that the Transfer Agent's action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust or to have been liable to the
Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in its conduct under the Agreement.
The right of indemnification provided by this section shall not be exclusive of or affect any of the rights to which the
Transfer Agent may be entitled. Nothing contained in this section shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trustees, officers, or other personnel of the Trust, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the
power of the Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such person.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust shall take all such action as may be necessary and appropriate to authorize the Trust
hereunder to pay the indemnification required by this section including, without limitation, to the extent needed, to determine whether the Transfer Agent is entitled to indemnification hereunder and the reasonable amount of any indemnity
due it hereunder, or employ independent legal counsel for that purpose.
The provisions contained in this section shall survive the expiration or other termination of this Agreement, shall be deemed to
include and protect the Transfer Agent and its directors, officers, employees, and agents and shall inure to the benefit of its/their respective successors, assigns, and personal representatives.
10. Assignment and Subcontracting.
a. Assignment. The Parties hereby mutually consent that:
i.
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Without the express written consent of both parties, any assignment or attempted assignment of this Agreement constitutes a breach of the Agreement.
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ii.
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Any such assignment or attempted assignment is void; and
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iii.
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Any such assignment or attempted assignment will immediately terminate this Agreement.
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However, to the extent that such express written consent is sought, the parties also agree that such consent will not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed.
In the event that this Agreement is successfully assigned, either by express written consent of the parties or in any way
otherwise, this Agreement shall be binding upon the respective assigns.
b.
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Subcontracting. The parties hereby mutually consent that
the Transfer Agent may, at its expense unless otherwise provided in the Agreement, subcontract with any entity or person concerning the provision of the services contemplated hereunder. The Transfer Agent shall not, however, be relieved of
any of its obligations under this Agreement by the appointment of such subcontractor and shall be responsible for the performance of such subcontractor. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors
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11. Confidentiality. The Transfer Agent agrees on behalf of itself and its officers, directors, agents, and employees, to treat as confidential all records and other
information relating to the Trust and its prior, present, and future shareholders ("Confidential Information") and to not use or disclose the Confidential Information for any purpose other than in performance of its responsibilities and duties under
the Agreement. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Transfer Agent may divulge the Confidential Information (i) with the prior written consent of the Trust; (ii) when the Transfer Agent, in good faith, believes it may be exposed to civil or criminal
contempt proceedings for failure to comply with court orders or when requested by duly constituted governmental authorities or the National Association of Securities Dealers pursuant to their respective legal authority, upon prior written notice to
the Trust, unless prohibited by the court order or governmental authority; (iii) to the Trust's investment adviser(s), administrator, distributor, custodian, outside legal counsel, or independent public accountants, in the ordinary course of
business, to the extent necessary for those service providers to perform their respective services to the Trust; (iv) to the Trust, when requested by the Trust; or (v) when requested by a shareholder, but only with respect to Confidential Information
that specifically relates to such shareholder and the shareholder's account. For purposes of this section, the following records and other information shall not be considered Confidential Information: any record or other information relating to the
Trust and its prior, present, and future shareholders (a) which is or becomes publicly available through no negligent or unauthorized act or omission by the Transfer Agent; (b) which is disseminated by the Trust in a public filing with the SEC or
posted on the website of the Trust, the Fund, the Fund's investment adviser, or any of the Fund's other service providers for general public review; (c) which is lawfully obtained from third parties who are not under an obligation of confidentiality
to the Trust or its prior, present, and future shareholders; or (d) previously known by the Transfer Agent prior to the date of the Agreement.
12. Duration and Termination. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof and shall thereafter continue in effect unless terminated as herein provided.
This Agreement may be terminated by either party hereto (without penalty) at any time by giving not less than 60 days' prior written notice to the other party hereto. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Trust shall pay to the Transfer Agent such
compensation as may be due as of the date of such termination and shall likewise reimburse the Transfer Agent for any out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements reasonably incurred by the Transfer Agent to such date.
13. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended by mutual written consent of the parties. If, at any time during the existence of this Agreement, the Trust deems it
necessary or advisable in the best interests of the Trust that any amendment of this Agreement be made in order to comply with the recommendations or requirements of the SEC or state regulatory agencies or other governmental authority, or to obtain
any advantage under state or federal laws, and shall notify the Transfer Agent of the form of amendment which it deems necessary or advisable and the reasons therefore, and if the Transfer Agent declines to assent to such amendment, the Trust may
terminate this Agreement forthwith.
14. Notice. Any notice that is required to be given by the parties to each other under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and will be deemed sufficient if
personally delivered or sent by registered or certified mailed, postage prepaid, address to the other party at the principal place of business of such party. Notices shall be effective upon delivery.
15. Construction. This Agreement shall be governed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina without regard to the principles of the
conflict of laws or the choice of laws. If any provision of this Agreement, or portion thereof, shall be determined to be void or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, then such determination shall not affect any other provision of
this Agreement, or portion thereof, all of which other provisions and portions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. If any provision of this Agreement, or portion thereof, is capable of two interpretations, one of which would render the
provision, or portion thereof, void and the other of which would render the provision, or portion thereof, valid, then the provision, or portion thereof, shall have the meaning that renders it valid.
[signatures on next page]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be signed by their duly authorized officers effective as of
the date indicated above.
VOLT ETF TRUST | ||
By:
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/s/ Xxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, President |
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THE NOTTINGHAM COMPANY |
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Managing Member
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SCHEDULE 1
List of Funds
Fund Name
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Ticker
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# of Shares per
Creation Unit
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Volt Crypto Industry Revolution and Tech ETF
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BTCR
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10,000
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