EXHIBIT NO. 99.9(a)
MASSACHUSETTS INVESTORS TRUST
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Date: August 1, 1985
Massachusetts Financial Service Center, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Shareholder Servicing Agent Agreement
Dear Sirs:
Massachusetts Investors Trust (the "Fund") is an open-end registered
investment company. The Fund has selected you to act as the Shareholder
Servicing Agent and you hereby agree to act as such Agent and perform the duties
and functions thereof in the manner and on the conditions hereinafter set forth.
Accordingly, the Fund hereby agrees with you as follows:
1. The Facility. You represent that you have the necessary computer
equipment, software and other office equipment ("Facility") adequate to perform
the services contemplated hereby as well as for other investment companies (such
investment companies, together with the Fund, are herein collectively referred
to as the "MFS Funds") for which Massachusetts Financial Services Company
("MFS") acts as investment adviser. The Facility is presently located at 00 Xxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx, and is to be dedicated solely to the performance
of services for the MFS Funds, provided that the Facility may be utilized to
perform services for others with the prior written permission of the MFS Funds.
2. Name. Unless otherwise directed in writing by MFS, you shall perform
the services contemplated hereby under the name "Massachusetts Financial Service
Center, Inc.", which name, any similar names and any logos of which shall remain
the property and under the control of MFS. Upon termination of this Agreement,
you shall cease to use such name or any similar name within a reasonable period
of time.
3. Services to be Performed. As Shareholder Servicing Agent ("Agent"),
you shall be responsible for administering and performing transfer and dividend
and distribution disbursing and plan agent functions in connection with the
issuance, transfer and redemption of the shares of beneficial interest
("Shares"). The details of the operating standards and procedures to be followed
by you shall be determined from time to time by agreement between you and the
Fund.
4. Standard of Service. As Agent for the Fund, you agree to provide
service equal to or better than that provided by you or others furnishing
shareholder services to other open-end investment companies ("Standard") at a
fee comparable to the fee paid you for your services hereunder. The Standard
shall include at least the following:
(a) Prompt reconciliation of any differences as to the number
of outstanding shares between various Facility records or between Facility
records and records of an MFS Fund's Custodian;
(b) Prompt processing of shareholder correspondence and
of other matters requiring action by you;
(c) Prompt clearance of any daily volume backlog;
(d) Providing innovative services and technological
improvements;
(e) Meeting the requirements of any governmental
authority having jurisdiction over you or the Fund; and
(f) Prompt reconciliation of all bank accounts under
your control belonging to the Fund or MFS.
If any MFS Fund serviced by you is reasonably of the view that the
service provided by you does not meet the Standard, it shall give you written
notice specifying the particulars, and you then shall have 120 days in which to
restore the service so that it meets the Standard, except that such period shall
be 180 days with respect to meeting that portion of the Standard described above
in item (d) of this paragraph 4. If at the end of such period the Fund remains
reasonably of the view that the service provided by you, in the particulars
specified, does not meet the Standard, then the MFS Fund or Funds having a
majority of the accounts for which you are then Agent may, by appropriate action
(including the concurrence of a majority of the Trustees or Directors, as the
case may be, of such MFS Fund or Funds who are not interested persons of MFS),
elect to terminate this Agreement for cause as to all such Funds upon 90 days
notice to you. Upon termination hereof, the Fund shall pay you such compensation
as may be due to you as of the date of such termination, and shall likewise
reimburse you for any costs, expenses, and disbursements reasonably incurred by
you to such date in the performance of your duties hereunder.
5. Purchase of Facility. In the event that notice of termination of
this Agreement has been given pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 14 hereof,
for cause as defined in paragraph 4 hereof, the MFS Funds have the right, but
shall not be required (a) to purchase the Facility and assume the unexpired
portion of any leases of equipment or real estate relating to the Facility from
you at a price equal to your unrecovered acquisition value (as supported by the
schedules and records used in determining monthly xxxxxxxx) of the machinery,
equipment, software, furniture, fixtures and leasehold improvements included in
the Facility, and (b) to negotiate with persons then employed by you in the
operation of the Facility and to hire all of them in connection with the
purchase of the Facility from you by the MFS Funds. You agree to release each
such employee from any contractual obligations such person may have to you that
may interfere with such person's being hired at such time by the MFS Funds and
agree not to interfere with the negotiation and hiring of any such persons at
such time. In the event that the MFS Funds have given notice of termination of
this Agreement pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 14 hereof for reasons
other than cause as defined in paragraph 4 hereof, the MFS Funds shall purchase
the Facility under the terms and conditions set forth in subsections (a) and (b)
of this paragraph 5.
You shall effect the transfer of the Facility pursuant to this
paragraph 5 upon the termination date specified in the notice, or at such other
time as shall be agreed upon by the parties hereto.
6. Rights in Data and Confidentiality. You agree that all records, data,
files, input materials, reports, forms and other data received, computed or
stored in the performance of this Agreement are the exclusive property of the
Fund and that all such records and other data shall be furnished without
additional charge, except for actual processing costs, to the Fund in machine
readable as well as printed form immediately upon termination of this Agreement
or at the Fund's request. You shall safeguard and maintain the confidentiality
of the Fund's data and information supplied to you by the Fund and you shall not
transfer or disclose the Fund's data to any third party without the Fund's prior
written consent unless compelled to do so by order of a court or regulatory
authority.
7. Fees. The fee per Fund shareholder account for your shareholder
services hereunder shall not be in excess of such amount as shall be agreed in
writing between us. Such fee shall be payable in monthly installments of
one-twelfth of the annual fee. Such fee shall be subject to review at least
annually and fixed by the parties in good faith negotiation on the basis of a
statement of the expenses of the Facility prepared by you, which either you or
the Fund may require to be certified by a major accounting firm acceptable to
the parties. The party or parties requesting such certification shall bear all
expenses thereof. In addition to the foregoing fee, you will be reimbursed by
the Fund for out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by you on behalf of the
Fund, including but not limited to expenses for stationery (including business
forms and checks), postage, telephone and telegraph line and toll charges, and
premiums for negotiable instrument insurance and similar items.
8. Record Keeping. You will maintain records in a form acceptable to
the Fund and in compliance with the rules and regulation of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, records required to be
maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules
thereunder, which at all times will be the property of the Fund and will be
available for inspection and use by the Fund.
9. Duty of Care and Indemnification. You will at all times act in good
faith in performing your duties hereunder. You will not be liable or responsible
for delays or errors by reason of circumstances beyond your control, including
acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties,
fire, mechanical breakdown beyond your control, flood or catastrophe, acts of
God, insurrection, war, riots or failure beyond your control of transportation,
communication or power supply. The Fund will indemnify you against and hold you
harmless from any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
(including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any claim,
demand, action or suit not resulting from your bad faith or negligence, and
arising out of, or in connection with, your duties on behalf of the Fund
hereunder. In addition, the Fund will indemnify you against and hold you
harmless from any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
(including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any claim,
demand, action or suit as a result of your acting in accordance with any
instructions reasonably believed by you to have been executed or orally
communicated by any person duly authorized by the Fund or its Principal
Underwriter, or as a result of acting in accordance with written or oral advice
reasonably believed by you to have been given by counsel for the Fund, or as a
result of acting in accordance with any instrument or share certificate
reasonably believed by you to have been genuine and signed, countersigned or
executed by any person or persons authorized to sign, countersign or execute the
same (unless contributed to by your gross negligence or bad faith). In any case
in which the Fund may be asked to indemnify you or hold you harmless, the Fund
shall be advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question and
you will use reasonable care to identify and notify the Fund promptly concerning
any situation which presents or appears likely to present a claim for
indemnification against the Fund. The Fund shall have the option to defend you
against any claim which may be the subject of this indemnification, and in the
event that the Fund so elects such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen
by the Fund and satisfactory to you and it will so notify you, and thereupon the
Fund shall take over complete defense of the claim and you shall sustain no
further legal or other expenses in such situation for which you seek
indemnification under this paragraph, except the expense of any additional
counsel retained by you. You will in no case confess any claim or make any
compromise in any case in which the Fund will be asked to indemnify you except
with the Fund's prior written consent. The obligations of the parties hereto
under this paragraph shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
If any officer of the Fund shall no longer be vested with authority to
sign for the Fund, written notice thereof shall forthwith be given to you by the
Fund and until receipt of such notice by it, you shall be fully indemnified and
held harmless by the Fund in recognizing and acting upon certificates or other
instruments bearing the signatures or facsimile signatures of such officer.
10. Insurance. You will notify the Fund should any of your
insurance coverage, as set forth on Exhibit A hereto, be changed for any
reason, such notification to include the date of change and reason or reasons
therefor.
11. Notices. All notices or other communications hereunder
shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficient if mailed to either party
at the addresses set forth in this Agreement, or at such other addresses as
the parties hereto may designate by notice to each other.
12. Further Assurances. Each party agrees to perform such
further acts and execute such further documents as are necessary to effectuate
the purposes hereof.
13. Use of a Sub- or Co-Transfer Agent. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, it is expressly understood and agreed that you are
authorized in the performance of your duties hereunder to employ, from time to
time, one or more Sub-Transfer Agents and/or Co-Transfer Agents.
14. Termination. Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be
changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in
writing, which, except in the case of termination, shall be signed by the party
against which enforcement of such change waiver or discharge is sought. Except
as otherwise provided in paragraph 4 hereof, this Agreement shall continue
indefinitely until terminated by 90 days' written notice given by the Fund to
you or by you to the Fund, provided that the Fund may terminate this Agreement
upon 15 days' written notice of termination and election of the right to
purchase the Facility pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 5 hereof. Upon
termination hereof, the Fund shall pay you such compensation as may be due to
you as of the date of such termination, and shall likewise reimburse you for any
costs, expenses, and disbursements reasonably incurred by you to such date in
the performance of your duties hereunder. You agree to cooperate with the Fund
and provide all necessary assistance in effectuating an orderly transition upon
termination of this Agreement.
15. Successor. In the event that in connection with termination a successor
to any of your duties or responsibilities hereunder is designated by the Fund by
written notice to you, you will, promptly upon such termination and at the
expense of the Fund, transfer to such successor a certified list of the
shareholders of the Fund (with name, address and tax identification or Social
Security number) an historical record of the account of each shareholder and the
status thereof, and all other relevant books, records, correspondence, and other
data established or maintained by you under this Agreement in form reasonably
acceptable to the Fund (if such form differs
from the form in which you have maintained the same, the Fund shall pay any
expenses associated with transferring the same to such form), and will cooperate
in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provision for
assistance from your cognizant personnel in the establishment of books, records
and other data by such successor.
16. Miscellaneous. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in
accordance with and governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only
and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect
their construction or effect. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in
two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of
which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This
Agreement has been executed on behalf of the Fund by the undersigned not
individually, but in the capacity indicated, and the obligations of this
Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trustees or shareholders of the Fund
individually, but bind only the trust estate.
If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of
acceptance on the accompanying two counterparts of this letter and return such
counterparts to the Fund whereupon this letter shall become a binding contract
among the Fund, you and MFS, MFS having already executed this letter.
Very truly yours,
MASSACHUSETTS INVESTORS
TRUST
By: XXXXXXX X. XXXXXX
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Chairman
The foregoing is hereby accepted as of the date thereof.
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL
SERVICES COMPANY
By: H. XXXXX XXXXXXX
H. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title: President
The foregoing is hereby accepted as of the date thereof.
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL
SERVICE CENTER, INC.
By: XXXXX X. XXXXX
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: President
