Exhibit 99(C)(1)
EXHIBIT C-1
EXPEDITED REVIEW REQUESTED UNDER 17 CFR 270.0-5(d)
File No. 812-[ ]
As filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 4June 11,
2026
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
APPLICATION FOR
AN ORDER OF EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 6(c)
OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940,
AS AMENDED (THE “1940 ACT”),
FROM: (1) CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF SECTION 15(a) OF THE 1940 ACT AND
(2) CERTAIN DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS UNDER
VARIOUS RULES AND FORMS
In the Matter of
MAN
THETF SERIESRBB
FUND TRUST
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-5207
1345 Avenue of the
Americas, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10105
and
MAN
SOLUTIONSMillburn
Ridgefield LLC
55 West 46th Street
1345
Avenue of the Americas, 231st Floor
New York, NY 1010510036
Please direct all communications regarding this Application to:
Jillian L. Bosmann, Esq. (jillian.bosmann@faegredrinker.com)
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
One Logan Square, Suite 2000
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996
Lisa Muñoz
Man ETF Series Trust
1345 Avenue of the
Americas, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10105
Telephone: (212) 649-6600
1
with a copy to:
Millburn Ridgefield LLC
Attn: Steven M. Felsenthal
Clair E. Pagnano, Esq.
K&L Gates LLP
One
Congress55 West 46th Street
Boston, MA 02114-2023
Telephone: (617) 261-3246
31st Floor
New York, NY 10036
This Application
(not including eExhibits)
contains 6023 pages.
2
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
In the Matter of
THE RBB FUND TRUST
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-5207
and
Millburn Ridgefield LLC
55 West 46th Street
31st Floor
New York, NY 10036
Investment Company Act of 1940 File No. 812-[ ]
APPLICATION FOR AN ORDER OF EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 6(c) OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED (THE “1940 ACT”), FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF SECTION 15(a) OF THE 1940 ACT AND FROM CERTAIN DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS UNDER VARIOUS RULES AND FORMS
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I. INTRODUCTION
Man
ETF SeriesThe RBB Fund Trust (the “Trust”), a registered
open-end management investment company that offers multipleone
or more series of shares (each,
including certain series advised by the Adviser (defined below) (each such series advised by the Adviser, a “Fund”
and collectively, the “Funds”), on its own behalf, and on behalf of
each Fund, and Man SolutionsMillburn
Ridgefield LLC (the “Initial Adviser” or the “Adviser”
and together with the Trust, the “Applicants”),1
hereby submit this application (the “Application”) to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”)
for an order of exemption pursuant to Section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Applicants request an order exempting them from Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act to permit the Adviser, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of the Trust (the “Board” or “Trustees”)2, including a majority of those who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or the Adviser, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to take certain actions without obtaining shareholder approval as follows: (i) select investment subadvisers (each a “Subadviser” and collectively, the “Subadvisers”) for all or a portion of the assets of a Fund pursuant to an investment subadvisory agreement with each Subadviser (each a “Subadvisory Agreement” and collectively, the “Subadvisory Agreements”); and (ii) materially amend Subadvisory Agreements with the Subadvisers.
| 1 | The term “Adviser” means (i) |
| 2 | The term “Board” also includes the board of trustees or directors of a future Subadvised Fund (as defined below), if different from the board of trustees of the Trust. |
4
As used herein, a “Subadviser”
for a Fund is any investment adviser that enters into a Subadvisory Agreement with respect to a Fund. Applicants also apply for
an order of the Commission under Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act exempting a Fund from certain disclosure obligations under the following
rules and forms: (i) Item 19(a)(3) of Form N-1A; (ii) Items 22(c)(1)(ii), 22(c)(1)(iii), 22(c)(8), and 22(c)(9) of Schedule 14A
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and (iii) Sections 6-07(2)(a), (b),
and (c) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Similar to the
order the Commission recently granted to Carillon Series Trust, et al.,3,
in addition to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers (both as defined below), the relief described in this Application would
extend to any Subadviser that is an “affiliated person” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act)
of a Fund or the Adviser for reasons other than serving as investment subadviser to one or more Funds (an “Affiliated
Subadviser”).4
| 3 | The Commission issued an order granting the expanded
relief requested by the Application. Carillon Series Trust, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 33464 (May 2, 2019) (Notice)
and 33494 (May 29, 2019) (Order) (the “Carillon Order”). See also Man ETF Series
Trust and Man Solutions LLC, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 36092 (April 17, 2026) (Notice) and 36151 (May 13, 2026) (Order)
(the “Man ETF Series Trust Order”); The RBB Fund Trust and Opal Capital LLC, Investment Company Act Release
Nos. 36090 (April 15, 2026) (Notice) and 36148 (May 12, 2026) (Order) (the “Opal Order”); Pacer Funds Trust
and Pacer Advisors, Inc., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 36031(March 23, 2026) (Notice) and 36095 (April 20, 2026) (Order)
(the “Pacer Order”); The RBB Fund Trust and M.D. Sass, LLC, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 36021 (March
17, 2026) (Notice) and 36085 (April 14, 2026) (Order) (the “M.D. Sass Order”); Advisors Series Trust and Scharf
Investments, LLC, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 36027 (March 19, 2026) (Notice) and 36084 (April 14, 2026) (Order) (the
“Scharf Order”); First Eagle ETF Trust, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 35916 (January 26, 2026)
(Notice) and 35969 (February 23, 2026) (Order) (the “First Eagle ETF Trust Order”); Elevation Series Trust
and Truemark Investments LLC, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 35857 (January 5, 2026) (Notice) and 35932 (February 4, 2026)
(Order) (the “Elevation Series Trust Order”); The RBB Fund Trust and Gladius Capital Management, LP, Investment
Company Act Release Nos. 35845 (December 29, 2025) (Notice) and 35914 (January 26, 2026) (Order) (the “Gladius Order”);
The RBB Fund Trust and Twin Oak ETF Company, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 35836 (December 22, 2025) (Notice) and 35900
(January 20, 2026) (Order) (the “Twin Oak Order”); ARK ETF Trust and ARK Investment Management LLC, Investment
Company Act Release Nos. 35813 (November 25, 2025) (Notice) and 35840 (December 23, 2025) (Order) (the “ARK Order”);
The RBB Fund Trust and Clearbrook Investment Consulting, LLC, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 35811 (November 25, 2025) (Notice)
and 35839 (December 23, 2025) (Order) (the “Clearbrook Order”); Cambria ETF Trust |
| 4 | Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act defines “affiliated person” as follows: “Affiliated person” of another person means (A) any person directly or indirectly owning, controlling, or holding with power to vote, 5 per centum or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other person; (B) any person 5 per centum or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled, or held with power to vote, by such other person; (C) any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such other person; (D) any officer, director, partner, copartner, or employee of such other person; (E) if such other person is an investment company, any investment adviser thereof or any member of an advisory board thereof; and (F) if such other person is an unincorporated investment company not having a board of directors, the depositor thereof. |
5
Applicants request
that the relief sought herein apply to Applicants, as well as to any existing or future registered open-end management investment
company or series thereof that intends to rely on the requested order in the future and (i) is advised by the Adviser; (ii) uses
the multi-manager structure described in this Application; and (iii) complies with the terms and conditions set forth herein (each,
together with any Fund that currently uses or will use the multi-manager
structure described in this Application, a “Subadvised Fund” and collectively, the “Subadvised Funds”).5
Applicants are seeking
this exemption primarily to enhance the ability of the Adviser and the Board to obtain for a Subadvised Fund the services of one
or more Subadvisers believed by the Adviser and the Board to be particularly well suited for all or a portion of the assets of
the Subadvised Fund, and to make material amendments to Subadvisory Agreements believed by the Adviser and the Board to be appropriate,
without the delay and expense of convening special meetings of shareholders to approve the Subadvisory Agreements. Under this structure,
the Adviser, in its capacity as investment adviser, would evaluate, allocate assets to,
and oversee the Subadvisers, and make recommendations about their hiring, termination and replacement to the Board,
at all times subject to the authority of the Board. This structure is commonly referred to as a “multi-manager” structure.
In addition, Applicants are seeking relief from certain disclosure requirements concerning fees paid to Subadvisers.
For purposes of this Application, the term “Subadviser” will also apply to any Subadviser to any wholly-owned subsidiary of a Subadvised Fund (each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). The Adviser will serve as investment adviser to each Subsidiary and may retain one or more Subadvisers to manage the assets of a Subsidiary. Applicants also request relief with respect to any Subadvisers who serve as Subadvisers to a Subsidiary. Where appropriate, Subsidiaries are also included in the term “Subadvised Funds.”
For the reasons discussed below, Applicants believe that the requested relief is appropriate, in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act. Applicants believe that the Subadvised Funds would be negatively impacted without the requested relief because of delays in hiring or replacing Subadvisers and costs associated with the proxy solicitation to approve new or amended Subadvisory Agreements.
| 5 | All registered open-end investment companies that currently intend to rely on the requested order are named as Applicants. All Funds that currently are, or that currently intend to be, Subadvised Funds are identified in this Application. Any entity that relies on the requested order will do so only in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in this Application. |
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II. BACKGROUND
| A. | THE TRUST |
The Trust is registered
under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust. The Adviser serves or
will serve as “investment adviser,” as defined in Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act, to each Fund. The Trust intends
to operate one or more Funds under a multi-manager structure, and shares
of the Funds are orwhich will be offered and sold pursuant to a registration
statement on Form N-1A. The Board consists of threeseven
(37) trustees, allfive
(5) of whom areserve
as an Independent Trustees.
The Trust currently
consists of the following Funds and may introduce new Funds in the future: Man Active Income ETF, Man Active High Yield ETF, Man
Active Emerging Markets Alternative ETF and Man Active Trend Enhanced ETF. The Adviser has retained Subadvisers to provide investment
advisory services to one or more Funds.6
The Trust intends to offer shares of multiple series, each with its own distinct investment objectives, policies, and restrictions. The Adviser has retained a Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to one or more Funds.6
| B. | THE ADVISER |
Man
SolutionsMillburn Ridgefield LLC, with its business address at 1345
Avenue of the Americas,55 West 46th Street, 231st
Floor, New York, NY 1010510036,
is a Delaware limited liability company registered with the Commission as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and serves or will serve as investment adviser to the
Funds. The Adviser serves or will serve as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement
with thethat Fund (each,
an “Investment Advisory Agreement” and, together, the “Investment Advisory Agreements”).
Any future Adviser also will be registered with the Commission as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
| 6 | Each Subadvised Fund discloses or will disclose in its registration statement that it intends to operate pursuant to the order as requested in this Application, if granted. The prospectus for a Subadvised Fund will continue to include the disclosure required by Condition 2 below at all times subsequent to the approval required by Condition 1 below. If a Subadvised Fund has obtained shareholder approval to operate under the multi-manager structure described herein prior to the issuance of an order as requested in this Application, the prospectus for the Subadvised Fund will at all times following such shareholder approval contain appropriate disclosure that the Subadvised Fund has applied for exemptive relief to operate under the multi-manager structure described herein, including the ability to hire new Subadvisers and materially amend an existing Subadvisory Agreement without soliciting further shareholder vote. |
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Consistent with the terms of a Subadvised Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser may, subject to the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, and the shareholders of the applicable Subadvised Fund (if required by applicable law), delegate portfolio management responsibilities of all or a portion of the assets of a Subadvised Fund to a Subadviser. The Adviser retains overall responsibility for the management and investment of the assets of the Subadvised Fund. With respect to each Subadvised Fund, the Adviser’s responsibilities include, for example, recommending the removal or replacement of Subadvisers, and allocating the portion of that Subadvised Fund’s assets to any given Subadviser and reallocating those assets as necessary from time to time. The Adviser evaluates, selects and recommends Subadvisers for the Subadvised Fund, and monitors and reviews each Subadviser and its performance and its compliance with the applicable Subadvised Fund’s investment policies and restrictions.
Each Investment Advisory Agreement has been or will be approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, and by the shareholders of the relevant Fund in the manner required by Sections 15(a) and 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The terms of the Investment Advisory Agreements comply or will comply with Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act. Applicants are not seeking an exemption from the provisions of the 1940 Act with respect to the Investment Advisory Agreements. Pursuant to the terms of each Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has agreed or will agree to (i) provide continuous investment management for each Fund; (ii) determine the securities and other investments to be purchased, retained, sold or loaned by each Fund and the portion of such assets to be invested or held uninvested as cash; and (iii) exercise full discretion and act for each Fund in the same manner and with the same force and effect as such Fund itself might or could do with respect to purchases, sales, or other transactions and with respect to all other things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions. The Adviser also is or will be responsible for effecting transactions for each Fund and selecting brokers or dealers to execute such transactions for each Fund. The Adviser will periodically review each Fund’s investment policies and strategies and, based on the need of a particular Fund, may recommend changes to the investment policies and strategies of the Fund for consideration by the Board.
Each Investment Advisory
Agreement permits or will permit the Adviser to enter into Subadvisory Agreements with one or more Subadvisers. Pursuant to its
authority under the Investment Advisory Agreements, the Adviser has entered or will enter into Subadvisory Agreements as described
below under “The Subadvisers and the Subadvised Funds.” If the name of any Subadvised Fund contains the name of a subadviser,
the name of the Adviser that serves as the primary adviser to the Subadvised Fund, or a trademark or trade name that is owned by
or publicly used to identify that Adviser, will precede the name of the sSubadviser.
For its services to
aeach Fund, the Adviser
receives or will receive an investment advisory fee from that Fund as specified in the applicable Investment Advisory Agreement.
The investment advisory fees are calculated based on the average daily net assets of the particular
Fund, calculated daily as of the close of business on each business day during the month.
8
| C. | THE SUBADVISERS AND THE SUBADVISED FUNDS |
Pursuant to the authority
under the Investment Advisory Agreements, the Adviser may enter into Subadvisory Agreements with various Subadvisers on behalf
of thea Funds.
The Initial Adviser has entered into a Subadvisory
Agreements with GLG
Partners LP, Numeric Investors LLC, and AHL Partners LLP, each which serves as a Subadviser to one or more of the existing Funds,
each a series of the Trust. Each current Subadviser is an affiliate of the Adviser and each of the Adviser and the current Subadvisers
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent company Man Group plcTwin Oak ETF Company
(Twin Oak”), Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”) and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management Americas, Inc.
(“Sumitomo”) to serve as Subadvisers to the Synera Funds Japan Active+ ETF. Each of Twin Oak, ETC and Sumitomo is considered
a Non-Affiliated Subadviser (as defined below). The Adviser also maydoes,
and in the future may, enter into Subadvisory Agreements
with other Subadvisers on behalf of the Synera Funds Japan Active+ ETF and other Subadvised
Funds.
7
With respect to such existing orany
future Subadviser that is wholly owned by the Adviser or the Adviser’s parent company, the Adviser will have overall responsibility
for the affairs of such Subadviser, and generally will approve certain actions by that Subadviser that could materially affect
the operations of the Adviser and its subsidiaries as a group. Any Subadviser,
includingTwin Oak, ETC and Sumitomo have and any future Subadviser,
has, or will have, itstheir
own employees who provide, or would provide,
investment services to a Subadvised Fund.
The existing
Subadvisers are, and any future Subadvisers will be, “investment advisers” to the Subadvised Funds
within the meaning of Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act and provide, or will provide, investment management services to the Subadvised
Funds subject to, without limitation, the requirements of Sections 15(c) and 36(b) of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Subadvisers
are, and any future Subadvisers will be, registered with the Commission as an investment
advisers under the Advisers Act or not subject to such registration.
The Adviser selects Subadvisers based on the Adviser’s evaluation of the Subadvisers’ skills in managing assets pursuant
to particular investment styles, and recommends their hiring to the Board. The
Adviser may inIn the future, the Adviser may
employ multiple Subadvisers for one or more of any Subadvised Funds. In those instances, the Adviser would allocate and, as appropriate,
reallocate a Subadvised Fund’s assets among the Subadvisers.
The Adviser engages,
or will engage, in an ongoing analysis of the
continued advisability of retaining a Subadvisers
and makes, or will make,
recommendations to the Board as needed. The Adviser also negotiates and renegotiates, or will negotiate and renegotiate,
the terms of the Subadvisory Agreements with thea
Subadvisers, including the fees paid to the Subadvisers,
and makes, or will make,
recommendations to the Board as needed.
The Subadvisers, subject
to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board, determine, or
will determine, the securities and other instruments to be purchased,
sold or entered into by a Subadvised Fund’s portfolio or a portion thereof, and place,
or will place, orders with brokers or dealers
that they select.78
The Subadvisers keep, or will keep,
certain records required by the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act to be maintained on behalf of the relevant Subadvised
Fund, and assist, or will assist,
the Adviser to maintain the Subadvised Fund’s compliance with the relevant requirements of the 1940 Act.
The Subadvisers monitor, or will monitor,
the respective Subadvised Fund’s investments and provide,
or will provide, periodic reports to the Board
and the Adviser. The Subadvisers also make, or will make,
their officers and employees available to the Adviser and the Board to review the investment performance and investment
policies of the Subadvised Fund.
7 The Trust has filed Amendments to Form N-1A with respect to the Synera Funds Japan Active+ ETF; which has not yet commenced operations and currently intends to be a Subadvised Fund. The Adviser also may, in the future, enter into Subadvisory Agreements with other Subadvisers on behalf of the foregoing Fund.
7
8 For the purposes
of this Application, a “Subadviser” also includes an investment subadviser that provides,
or will provide, the Adviser with a model portfolio
reflecting a specific strategy, style or focus with respect to the investment of all or a portion of a Subadvised Fund’s
assets. The Adviser or another Subadviser may use the model portfolio
to determine the securities and other instruments to be purchased, sold, or entered into by a Subadvised Fund’s portfolio
or a portion thereof, and place orders with brokers or dealers that it selects.
9
The Subadvisory Agreements
were, or will be,
approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, in accordance with Sections 15(a) and
15(c) of the 1940 Act.
The terms of each Subadvisory
Agreement comply, or will comply,
fully with the requirements of Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act. Each Subadvisory Agreement will set forth the duties
of the Subadviser and precisely describe the compensation paid to the Subadviser.
After an initial two-year
period, the terms of the Subadvisory Agreements will be reviewed and renewed on an annual basis by the Board, including a majority
of the Independent Trustees in accordance with Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Board dedicates,
or will dedicate, substantial time to review
contract matters, including matters relating to Investment Advisory Agreements and Subadvisory Agreements. With respect to each
Subadvised Fund, the Board reviews, or will review,
comprehensive materials received from the Adviser, the Subadviser, independent third parties and independent counsel.
Applicants will continue this annual review and renewal process for Subadvisory Agreements in accordance with the 1940 Act if the
relief requested herein is granted by the Commission.
The Board reviews,
or will review, information provided by the
Adviser and Subadvisers when it is asked to approve or renew Subadvisory Agreements. Each Subadvised Fund discloses,
or will disclose, in its statutory prospectus
that a discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval and renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreements and any
applicable Subadvisory Agreements is available in the Subadvised Fund’s annual or semi-annual
reports filed on Form N-CSRto
shareholders for the relevant period in accordance with Item 10(a)(1)(iii) of Form N-1A. The information provided to
the Board is or will be maintained as part of the records of the respective Subadvised Fund pursuant to Rule 31a-1(b)(4) and Rule
31a-2 under the 1940 Act.
Pursuant to each Subadvisory
Agreement, the Adviser has agreed, or will agree,
to pay each Subadviser a fee, based on athe
percentage of the assets of a Subadvised Fund, from the fee received by the Adviser from thea
Subadvised Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement.89
Each Subadviser will bear its own expenses of providing investment management services to a Subadvised Fund.
8
9 A Subadvised
Fund also may pay advisory fees directly to a Subadviser.
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III. REQUEST FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF
Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security, or transaction or any class or classes of persons, securities, or transactions from any provisions of the 1940 Act, or any rule thereunder, if such relief is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act. Applicants believe that the requested relief described in this Application meets this standard.
IV. APPLICABLE LAW AND DISCUSSION
| A. | SHAREHOLDER VOTE |
| 1. | Regulatory Background |
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act states, in part, that it is unlawful for any person to act as an investment adviser to a registered investment company “except pursuant to a written contract, which contract, whether with such registered company or with an investment adviser of such registered company, has been approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such registered company.”
Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act defines an “investment adviser” as any person who, pursuant to an agreement with such registered investment company or with an investment adviser of such registered investment company, is empowered to determine what securities or other property shall be purchased or sold by such registered investment company. Consequently, the Subadvisers are deemed to be within the definition of an “investment adviser” and, therefore, the Subadvisory Agreements are each subject to Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act to the same extent as the Investment Advisory Agreements.
Therefore, Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Subadvised Fund to approve Subadvisory Agreements whenever the Adviser proposes to the Board to hire new Subadvisers for a Subadvised Fund. This provision would also require shareholder approval by a majority vote for any material amendment to Subadvisory Agreements.
EachThe
Subadvisory Agreements isare
required to terminate automatically and immediately upon itstheir
“assignment,” which could occur upon a change in control of the applicable
Subadvisers.9.10
Rule 2a-6 under the 1940 Act provides that certain transactions that do not result in a “change in actual control or management of the investment adviser” to a registered investment company are not assignments for purposes of Section 15(a)(4) of the 1940 Act, thereby effectively providing an exemption from the shareholder voting requirements in Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act. Applicants do not believe that Rule 2a-6 under the 1940 Act provides a safe harbor to recommend, hire and terminate Subadvisers. Each Subadviser is expected to run its own day-to-day operations and each will have its own investment personnel. Therefore, in certain instances appointing certain Subadvisers could be viewed as a change in management and, as a result, an “assignment” within the meaning of the 1940 Act.
9
10 See
Section 15(a)(4) of the 1940 Act. Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act defines “assignment” as any direct or indirect transfer
or hypothecation of a contract.
11
| 2. | Requested Relief |
Applicants seek relief
to (i) select Subadvisers, including Affiliated Subadvisers, for all or a portion of the assets of a Subadvised Fund and enter
into Subadvisory Agreements and (ii) materially amend Subadvisory Agreements with such Subadvisers, each subject to the approval
of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, without obtaining shareholder approval required under Section 15(a)
of the 1940 Act. Such relief would include, without limitation, the replacement or reinstatement of any Subadviser with respect
to which a Subadvisory Agreement has automatically terminated as a result of an “assignment,” within the meaning of
Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act. Applicants believe that the relief sought should be granted by the Commission because (1) the
Adviser either will operate a Subadvised Fund, or may operate athe
Subadvised Fund, in a manner that is different from conventional investment companies; (2) the relief will benefit shareholders
by enabling athe Subadvised
Fund to operate in a less costly and more efficient manner; and (3) Applicants will consent to a number of conditions that adequately
address the policy concerns of Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act, including conditions designed to ensure that shareholder interests
are adequately protected through Board oversight.
| (a) | Operations of the Trust |
Section 15(a) was designed
to protect the interests and expectations of a registered investment company’s shareholders by requiring they approve investment
advisory contracts, including subadvisory contracts.1011
Section 15(a) is predicated on the belief that if a registered investment company is to be managed by an investment adviser different
from the investment adviser selected by shareholders at the time of the investment, the new investment adviser should be approved
by shareholders.1112
The relief sought in this Application is consistent with this public policy.
In the case of a traditional investment company, the investment adviser is a single entity that employs one or more individuals as portfolio managers to make the day-to-day investment decisions. The investment adviser may terminate or hire portfolio managers without board or shareholder approval and has sole discretion to set the compensation it pays to the portfolio managers. Alternatively, for subadvised funds, the investment adviser is not normally responsible for the day-to-day investment decisions and instead, the investment adviser selects, oversees, and evaluates subadvisers who ultimately are responsible for the day-to-day investment decisions.
10
11
See Section 1(b)(6) of the 1940 Act.
11
12 Hearings on
S. 3580 before a Subcomm. of the Senate Comm. on Banking and Currency, 76th Cong., 3d Sess. 253 (1940) (statement of David Schenker).
12
Primary responsibility for management of a Subadvised Fund’s assets, including the selection and oversight of the Subadvisers, is vested in the Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board.
Applicants believe
that it is consistent with the protection of investors to vest the selection and oversight of the Subadvisers in the Adviser in
light of Applicants’ multi-manager structure, as well as the shareholders’ expectation that the Adviser is in possession
of information necessary to select the most capable Subadvisers. The Adviser has the requisite expertise to evaluate, select and
oversee the Subadvisers. The Adviser will not normally make day-to-day
investment decisions for a Subadvised Fund.12
13
From the perspective of the shareholder, the role of the Subadvisers is substantially equivalent to the role of the individual
portfolio managers employed by an investment adviser to a traditional investment company. The individual portfolio managers and
the Subadvisers are each charged with the selection of portfolio investments in accordance with a Subadvised Fund’s investment
objectives and policies and have no broad supervisory or,
management or administrative responsibilities with respect to a Subadvised Fund. Shareholders
expect the Adviser, subject to review and approval of the Board, to select a Subadviser who is in the best position to achieve
a Subadvised Fund’s investment objective. Shareholders also rely on the Adviser for the overall management of a Subadvised
Fund and a Subadvised Fund’s total investment performance.
Whenever required by Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act, the Board will request and the Adviser and each Subadviser will furnish such information as may be reasonably necessary for the Board to evaluate the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreements and the Subadvisory Agreements. The information that is provided to the Board will be maintained as part of the records of the Subadvised Funds in accordance with the applicable recordkeeping requirements under the 1940 Act and made available to the Commission in the manner prescribed by the 1940 Act.
In addition, the Adviser
and the Board will consider the reasonableness of the Subadviser’s compensation with respect to each Subadvised Fund for
which the Subadviser will provide portfolio management services. Although only the Adviser’s fee is payable directly by a
Subadvised Fund, and the Subadviser’s fee is payable by the Adviser,1314
the Subadviser’s fee directly bears on the amount and reasonableness of the Adviser’s fee payable by a Subadvised Fund.
Accordingly, the Adviser and the Board will analyze the fees paid to Subadvisers in evaluating the reasonableness of the overall
arrangements.
With respect to oversight, Applicants note that the Adviser performs and will perform substantially identical oversight of all Subadvisers, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the Adviser. Such oversight is similar in many respects to how the Adviser would oversee its own internal portfolio management teams.
12
13
Although the Adviser will not normally make such day-to-day
investment decisions, it may manage all or a portion of a Subadvised Fund.
13
14 A Subadvised
Fund also may pay advisory fees directly to a Subadviser.
13
| (b) | Lack of Economic Incentives |
In allocating the management of Subadvised Fund assets between itself and one or more Subadvisers, Applicants acknowledge that the Adviser has an incentive to consider the benefit it will receive, directly or indirectly, from the fee paid for the management of those assets. However, Applicants believe that the protections afforded by the conditions set forth in this Application would prevent the Adviser from acting to the detriment of a Subadvised Fund and its shareholders. Applicants assert that the proposed conditions are designed to provide the Board with sufficient independence and the resources and information it needs to monitor and address conflicts of interest. In particular, the Adviser will provide the Board with any information that may be relevant to the Board’s evaluation of material conflicts of interest present in any subadvisory arrangement when the Board is considering, with respect to a Subadvised Fund, a change in Subadviser or an existing Subadvisory Agreement as part of its annual review process. The Board will also have to make a separate finding, reflected in the Board minutes, that any change in Subadvisers or any renewal of an existing Subadvisory Agreement is in the best interests of the Subadvised Fund and its shareholders and, based on the information provided to it, does not involve a conflict of interest from which the Adviser, a Subadviser, or any officer or Trustee of the Subadvised Fund or any officer or board member of the Adviser derives an inappropriate advantage.
Applicants note that
the relief they are requesting would not be subject to two conditions that have been customary in previous exemptive orders for
similar relief, including (i) restrictions on the ownership of interest in Subadvisers by trustees and officers of the Subadvised
Funds and the Adviser, and (ii) a requirement that the Adviser provide the Board with profitability reports each quarter. Applicants
believe eliminating these conditions is appropriate with respect to the requested relief. As to the condition on ownership, Applicants
assert that restricting ownership of interests in a Subadviser by trustees and officers would not be meaningful where the Adviser
may itself own an interest in the Subadviser and the Subadviser may be selected for a Subadvised Fund under the requested relief.1415
As to the condition requiring quarterly profitability reports, Applicants note that the Board reviews and will continue to review
profitability information at the time of any proposed Subadviser change (see condition 7) and as part of its annual review of each
Subadvisory Agreement pursuant to Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act.
Until the Carillon Order, the Commission has granted the requested relief solely with respect to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers through numerous exemptive orders. That relief has been premised on the fact that such a Subadviser serves in the same limited capacity as an individual portfolio manager. Applicants believe this same rationale supports extending the requested relief to Affiliated Subadvisers. Moreover, Applicants note that, while the Adviser’s judgment in recommending a Subadviser can be affected by certain conflicts of interest or economic incentives, they do not warrant denying the extension of the requested relief to Affiliated Subadvisers. For one, the Adviser faces those conflicts and incentives in allocating fund assets between itself and a Subadviser, and across Subadvisers, as it has an interest in considering the benefit it will receive, directly or indirectly, from the fee the fund pays for the management of those assets. Moreover, the Adviser has employed and will continue to employ the same methodology to evaluate potential conflicts of interest, regardless of the affiliation between the Adviser and Subadviser. While the selection and retention of Affiliated Subadvisers by the Adviser potentially presents different or additional conflicts of interest than may be the case with Non-Affiliated or Wholly-Owned Subadvisers, the proposed terms and conditions of the requested relief are designed to address the potential conflicts of interest with respect to both those common to all types of Subadvisers and specific to Affiliated Subadvisers. In particular, Applicants believe that the proposed conditions are protective of shareholder interests by ensuring the Board’s independence and providing the Board with the appropriate resources and information to monitor and address conflicts.
14
15 Any Trustee
of the Board that has an ownership interest in a Subadviser would not be deemed an Independent Trustee under Section 2(a)(19) of
the 1940 Act.
14
| (c) |
Without the requested
relief, when a new Affiliated Subadviser is retained by the Adviser on behalf of a Subadvised
Fund, the shareholders of the Subadvised Fund are required to approve the Subadvisory Agreement. Similarly, if an existing Subadvisory
Agreement with aan Affiliated
Subadviser is amended in any material respect, approval by the shareholders of the affected Subadvised Fund is required. Moreover,
if a Subadvisory Agreement with aan
Affiliated Subadviser is “assigned” as a result of a change in control of the Subadviser, the shareholders
of the affected Subadvised Fund will be required to approve retaining the existing Subadviser. In all these instances the need
for shareholder approval requires a Subadvised Fund to call and hold a shareholder meeting, create and distribute proxy materials,
and solicit votes from shareholders on behalf of the Subadvised Fund, and generally necessitates the retention of a proxy solicitor.
This process is time-intensive, expensive and slow, and, in the case of a poorly performing Subadviser or one whose management
team has parted ways with the Subadviser, potentially harmful to a Subadvised Fund and its shareholders.
As noted above, shareholders
investing in a Fund that has a Subadviser are effectively hiring the Adviser to manage a Subadvised Fund’s assets by overseeing,
monitoring and evaluating the Subadviser rather than by the Adviser hiring its own employees to oversee the Subadvised Fund. Applicants
believe that permitting the Adviser to perform the duties for which the shareholders of a Subadvised Fund are paying the Adviser
the selection, oversight and evaluation of Subadvisers, including Affiliated Subadvisers-withoutSubadvisers
– without incurring unnecessary delays or expenses is appropriate and in the interest of a Subadvised Fund’s
shareholders and will allow such Subadvised Fund to operate more efficiently. Within this structure, the Adviser is in the better
position to make an informed selection and evaluation of a Subadviser than are individual shareholders. Without the delay inherent
in holding shareholder meetings (and the attendant difficulty in obtaining the necessary quorums), a Subadvised Fund will be able
to hire or replace Affiliated Subadvisers more quickly and at less cost, when the Board,
including a majority of the Independent Trustees, and the Adviser believe that a change would benefit a Subadvised Fund and its
shareholders.
Until the Carillon
Order, the Commission has previously granted the requested relief solely with respect to certain Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated
Subadvisers through numerous exemptive orders. That relief has permitted sSubadvised
fFunds to avoid the time-intensive
and expensive shareholder solicitation process with respect to hiring or making a material amendment to a Subadvisory Agreement
with respect to such subadvisers. As discussed above, Applicants believe the same rationale supports extending the requested relief
to Affiliated Subadvisers as well, and while Affiliated Subadvisers may give rise to different or additional conflicts of interests,
the proposed terms and conditions, including the enhanced oversight by the Board, address such potential conflicts. Moreover, treating
all Subadvisers equally under the requested relief might help avoid the selection of Subadvisers potentially being influenced by
considerations regarding the applicable regulatory requirements (i.e., whether a shareholder vote is required) and the associated
costs and delays.1516
15
16 The Adviser
is responsible for selecting Subadvisers in the best interests of a Subadvised Fund, regardless of the costs or timing constraints
that may be associated with the process of seeking shareholder approval of Subadvisory Agreements and material amendments thereto.
15
If the relief requested is granted, each Investment Advisory Agreement will continue to be fully subject to Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act. Moreover, the relevant Board will consider the Investment Advisory Agreements and Subadvisory Agreements in connection with its annual contract renewal process under Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act, and the standards of Section 36(b) of the 1940 Act will be applied to the fees paid to each Subadviser.
| 3. | Shareholder Notification |
With the exception of the relief requested in connection with Aggregate Fee Disclosure (as defined below), the prospectus and statement of additional information for each Subadvised Fund will include all information required by Form N-1A concerning the Subadvisers, including Affiliated Subadvisers, if the requested relief is granted. If a new Subadviser is retained, an existing Subadviser is terminated, or a Subadvisory Agreement is materially amended, a Subadvised Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information will be supplemented promptly pursuant to Rule 497(e) under the Securities Act.
If new Subadvisers
are hired, the Subadvised Funds will inform shareholders of the hiring of a new Subadviser pursuant to the following procedures
(“Modified Notice and Access Procedures”): (a) within 90 days after a new Subadviser is hired
for any Subadvised Fund, that Subadvised Fund will send its shareholders either a Multi-manager Notice or a Multi-manager Notice
and Multi-manager Information Statement;1617
and (b) a Subadvised Fund will make the Multi-manager Information Statement available on the website identified in the Multi-manager
Notice no later than when the Multi-manager Notice (or Multi-manager Notice and Multi-manager Information Statement) is first sent
to shareholders, and will maintain it on that website for at least 90 days. Under the requested relief, a Subadvised Fund would
not furnish a Multi-manager Information Statement to shareholders when an existing Subadvisory Agreement is materially modified.
In the circumstances described in this Application, a proxy solicitation to approve the appointment of new Subadvisers provides
no more meaningful information to shareholders than the proposed Multi-manager Information Statement. Moreover, as indicated above,
the Board would comply with the requirements of Sections 15(a) and 15(c) of the 1940 Act before entering into or amending Subadvisory
Agreements.
16
17 A “Multi-manager
Notice” will be modeled on a Notice of Internet Availability as defined in Rule 14a-16 under the Exchange Act, and specifically
will, among other things: (a) summarize the relevant information regarding the new Subadviser (except as modified to permit Aggregate
Fee Disclosure as defined in this Application); (b) inform shareholders that the Multi-manager Information Statement is available
on a website; (c) provide the website address; (d) state the time period during which the Multi-manager Information Statement will
remain available on that website; (e) provide instructions for accessing and printing the Multi-manager Information Statement;
and (f) instruct the shareholder that a paper or email copy of the Multi-manager Information Statement may be obtained, without
charge, by contacting the applicablea
Subadvised Fund.
A “Multi-manager Information Statement” will meet the requirements of Regulation 14C, Schedule 14C and Item 22 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act for an information statement, except as modified by the requested order to permit Aggregate Fee Disclosure. Multi-manager Information Statements will be filed with the Commission via the EDGAR system.
16
Prior to any Subadvised
Fund relying on the requested relief in this Application, the Board, including its Independent Trustees, will have approved its
operations as described herein. Additionally, the shareholders of the applicable Subadvised Fund have approved, or will approve,
its operation as described herein by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, within the meaning of the 1940
Act, or by the sole shareholder prior to a Subadvised Fund offering its shares.1718
| B. | FEE DISCLOSURE |
| 1. | Regulatory Background |
Form N-lA is the registration statement used by open-end investment companies. Item 19(a)(3) of Form N-lA requires a registered investment company to disclose in its statement of additional information the method of computing the “advisory fee payable” by the investment company with respect to each investment adviser, including the total dollar amounts that the investment company “paid to the adviser (aggregated with amounts paid to affiliated advisers, if any), and any advisers who are not affiliated persons of the adviser, under the investment advisory contract for the last three fiscal years.”
Rule 20a-1 under the 1940 Act requires proxies solicited with respect to a registered investment company to comply with Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act. Item 22 of Schedule 14A sets forth the information that must be included in a registered investment company’s proxy statement. Item 22(c)(1)(ii) requires a proxy statement for a shareholder meeting at which action will be taken on an investment advisory agreement to describe the terms of the advisory contract, “including the rate of compensation of the investment adviser.” Item 22(c)(1)(iii) requires a description of the “aggregate amount of the investment adviser’s fees and the amount and purpose of any other material payments” by the investment company to the investment adviser, or any affiliated person of the investment adviser during the fiscal year. Item 22(c)(8) requires a description of “the terms of the contract to be acted upon, and, if the action is an amendment to, or a replacement of, an investment advisory contract, the material differences between the current and proposed contract.” Finally, Item 22(c)(9) requires a proxy statement for a shareholder meeting at which a change in the advisory fee will be sought to state (i) the aggregate amount of the investment adviser’s fee during the last year; (ii) the amount that the adviser would have received had the proposed fee been in effect; and (iii) the difference between (i) and (ii) stated as a percentage of the amount in (i). Together, these provisions may require a Subadvised Fund to disclose the fees paid to a Subadviser in connection with shareholder action with respect to entering into, or materially amending, an advisory agreement or establishing, or increasing, advisory fees.
17
18 If a Subadvised
Fund has obtained shareholder approval to operate pursuant to an exemptive order that would permit it to operate in a multi-manager
structure where the Adviser would enter into or amend Subadvisory Agreements only with respect to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated
Subadvisers subject to Board approval but without obtaining shareholder approval and has met all other terms and conditions of
the requested order, the Subadvised Fund may rely on the applicable part of the order requested in this Application (i.e., hiring,
amending Subadvisory Agreements with, and including Aggregate Fee Disclosure (as defined below) in response to the disclosure requirements
discussed herein with respect to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers).
17
Regulation S-X sets forth the requirements for financial statements required to be included as part of a registered investment company’s registration statement and shareholder reports filed with the Commission. Sections 6-07(2)(a), (b) and (c) of Regulation S-X require a registered investment company to include in its financial statement information about the investment advisory fees. These provisions could require a Subadvised Fund’s financial statements to disclose information concerning fees paid to a Subadviser. The exemption from Regulation S-X requested below would permit a Subadvised Fund to include only the Aggregate Fee Disclosure (as defined below); all other items required by Sections 6-07(2)(a), (b) and (c) of Regulation S-X will be disclosed.
| 2. | Requested Relief |
Applicants seek relief
to permit each Subadvised Fund to disclose (as a dollar amount and a percentage of the Subadvised Fund’s net assets) (a)
the aggregate fees paid to the Adviser and any Wholly-Owned Subadvisers; and (b) the aggregate fees paid to Affiliated and Non-Affiliated
Subadvisers (collectively, the “Aggregate Fee Disclosure”) in lieu of disclosing the fees that may be
required by Item 19(a)(3) of Form N-IA, Items 22(c)(1)(ii), 22(c)(1)(iii), 22(c)(8) and 22(c)(9) of Schedule 14A, and Section 6-07(2)(a),
(b) and (c) of Regulation S-X.1819
The Aggregate Fee Disclosure would be presented as both a dollar amount and as a percentage of the Subadvised Fund’s net
assets. Applicants believe that the relief sought in this Application should be granted because the Adviser intends to operate
the Subadvised Funds under a multi-manager structure. As a result, disclosure of the individual fees that the Adviser pays to the
Subadvisers would not serve any meaningful purpose.
As noted above, the
Adviser may operate a Subadvised Fund in a manner different from a traditional investment company. By investing in a Subadvised
Fund, shareholders are hiring the Adviser to manage the Subadvised Fund’s assets by overseeing, evaluating, monitoring, and
recommending Subadvisers rather than by hiring its own employees to manage the assets directly. The Adviser, under the oversight
of the Board, is responsible for overseeing the Subadvisers and recommending their hiring and replacement. In return, the Adviser
receives an advisory fee from each Subadvised Fund. Pursuant to each Subadvisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed,
or will agree, to pay each Subadviser a fee,
based on athe percentage
of the assets of a Subadvised Fund, from the fee received by the Adviser from a Subadvised
Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement.19 Each
Subadviser will bear its own expenses of providing investment management services to a Subadvised Fund.20
Disclosure of the individual fees that the Adviser would pay to the Subadvisers does not serve any meaningful purpose since investors
pay the Adviser to oversee, monitor, evaluate and compensate the Subadvisers. Applicants contend that the primary reasons for requiring
disclosure of individual fees paid to Subadvisers are to inform shareholders of expenses to be charged by a particular Subadvised
Fund and to enable shareholders to compare the fees to those of other comparable investment companies. Applicants believe that
the requested relief satisfies these objectives because eachthe
Subadvised Fund’s overall advisory fee will be fully disclosed and, therefore, shareholders will know what a Subadvised Fund’s
fees and expenses are and will be able to compare the advisory fees a Subadvised Fund is charged to those of other investment companies.
18
19
As used herein, a “Wholly-Owned Subadviser” is any investment adviser that is (1) an indirect or direct “wholly-owned
subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(43) of the 1940 Act) of the Adviser, (2) a “sister company”
of the Adviser that is an indirect or direct “wholly-owned subsidiary” of the same company that indirectly or directly
wholly owns the Adviser (the Adviser’s “parent company”), or (3) a parent company of the Adviser. A “Non-Affiliated
Subadviser” is any investment adviser that is not an “affiliated person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund
or the Adviser, except to the extent that an affiliation arises solely because the Subadviser serves as a subadviser to one or
more Funds. Section 2(a)(43) of the 1940 Act defines “wholly-owned subsidiary” of a person as a company 95 per centum
or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are, directly or indirectly, owned by such a person.
19
20 A Subadvised
Fund also may pay advisory fees directly to a Subadviser.
18
Indeed, in a more conventional
arrangement, requiring the Subadvised Funds to disclose the fees negotiated between the Adviser and the Subadvisers would be the
functional equivalent of requiring single adviser investment companies to disclose the salaries of individual portfolio managers
employed by that investment adviser. In the case of a traditional investment company, disclosure is made of the compensation paid
to the investment adviser, but shareholders are not told or asked to vote on the salary paid by the investment adviser to individual
portfolio managers. Similarly, in the case of the Subadvised Funds, the shareholders will have chosen to employ the Adviser and
to rely upon the Adviser’s expertise in monitoring the Subadvisers, recommending the Subadvisers’ selection and termination
(if necessary), and negotiating the compensation of the Subadvisers. There are no policy reasons that require shareholders of the
Subadvised Funds to be informed of the individual Subadviser’s fees any more than shareholders of a traditional investment
company (single investment adviser) would be informed of the particular investment adviser’s portfolio managers’ salaries.2021
The requested relief would benefit shareholders of the Subadvised Funds because it would improve the Adviser’s ability to
negotiate the fees paid to Subadvisers, including Affiliated Subadvisers. The Adviser’s ability to negotiate with the various
Subadvisers would be adversely affected by public disclosure of fees paid to each Subadviser. If the Adviser is not required to
disclose the Subadvisers’ fees to the public, the Adviser may be able to negotiate rates that are below a Subadviser’s
“posted” amounts as the rate would not be disclosed to the Subadviser’s other clients. Moreover, if one Subadviser
is aware of the advisory fee paid to another Subadviser, the Subadviser would likely take it into account in negotiating its own
fee.
20
21 The relief
would be consistent with the Commission’s disclosure requirements applicable to fund portfolio managers that were previously
adopted. See Investment Company Act Release No. 26533 (Aug. 23, 2004). Under these disclosure requirements, a fund is required
to include in its statement of additional information, among other matters, a description of the structure of and the method used
to determine the compensation structure of its “portfolio managers.” Applicants state that with respect to each Subadvised
Fund, the statement of additional information will describe the structure of, and method used to determine, the compensation received
by each portfolio manager employed by any Subadviser. In addition to this disclosure with respect to portfolio managers, Applicants
state that with respect to each Subadvised Fund, the statement of additional information will describe the structure of, and method
used to determine, the compensation received by each Subadviser.
19
Until the Carillon Order, the Commission has previously granted the requested relief solely with respect to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers through numerous exemptive orders. That relief only permitted the disclosure of aggregate fees paid to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers and required disclosure of individual fees paid to Affiliated Subadvisers. If the requested relief under Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act is granted to extend to Affiliated Subadvisers, Applicants believe it is appropriate to permit each Subadvised Fund to disclose only aggregate fees paid to Affiliated Subadvisers for the same reasons that similar relief has been granted to Wholly-Owned and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers, as discussed above.
| C. | PRECEDENT |
Applicants note that substantially identical
relief was granted by the Commission in the Carillon Order and more recently in
the Cambria ETF TrustMan
ETF Series Trust Order, the Opal Order, the Pacer Order, the M.D. Sass Order, the Scharf Order, First Eagle ETF Trust Order, Elevation
Series Trust Order, Gladius Order, Twin Oak Order, Ark Order, Clearbrook Order, Cambria Order, Morgan Stanley Order,
the Wedbush Order, the
Advisors Series Trust Order, the Venerable Order,
the RBBTweedy Order,
the First Eagle Order, the Roundhill Order, the BondBloxx Order, the RM Opportunity Order,
the Advisors Trust Order, the New Age Alpha Trust Order, and the LFT Order. Applicants note that substantially the same exemptions
requested herein with respect to relief from Section 15(a) and relief from the disclosure requirements of the rules and forms discussed
herein for Subadvisers, including Affiliated Subadvisers, have been granted previously by the Commission with respect to Wholly-Owned
and Non-Affiliated Subadvisers. See, e.g., Natixis Funds Trust I, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 33265 (October
5, 2018) (notice) and 33287 (October 31, 2018) (order); Advisors Asset Management, Inc. and ETF Series Solutions, Investment
Company Act Release Nos. 33169 (July 24, 2018) (notice) and 33207 (August 21, 2018) (order); TriLine Index Solutions, LLC and
ETF Series Solutions, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 33159 (July 11, 2018) (notice) and 33192 (August 6, 2018) (order);
SL Advisors, LLC and ETF Series Solutions, Investment Company Act Release Nos. 33158 (July 11, 2018) (notice) and 33193
(August 6, 2018) (order); DMS ETF Trust I, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 33156 (July 10, 2018) (notice) and
33196 (August 7, 2018) (order).
For the reasons set forth above, Applicants believe that the relief sought would be appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act.
20
V. CONDITIONS
Applicants agree that
reliance on any order of the Commission granting the requested
relief will be subject to the following conditions:
(1) Before a Subadvised Fund may rely on the order requested herein, the operation of the Subadvised Fund in the manner described in this Application will be, or has been, approved by a majority of the Subadvised Fund’s outstanding voting securities as defined in the 1940 Act, or, in the case of a Subadvised Fund whose public shareholders purchase shares on the basis of a prospectus containing the disclosure contemplated by condition 2 below, by the initial shareholder before such Subadvised Fund’s shares are offered to the public.
(2) The prospectus for each Subadvised Fund will disclose the existence, substance and effect of any order granted pursuant to the Application. In addition, each Subadvised Fund will hold itself out to the public as employing the multi-manager structure described in this Application. The prospectus will prominently disclose that the Adviser has the ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, to oversee the Subadvisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement.
(3) The Adviser will provide general management services to each Subadvised Fund, including overall supervisory responsibility for the general management and investment of the Subadvised Fund’s assets, and subject to review and oversight of the Board, will (i) set the Subadvised Fund’s overall investment strategies, (ii) evaluate, select, and recommend Subadvisers for all or a portion of the Subadvised Fund’s assets, (iii) allocate and, when appropriate, reallocate the Subadvised Fund’s assets among Subadvisers, (iv) monitor and evaluate the Subadvisers’ performance, and (v) implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that Subadvisers comply with the Subadvised Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions.
(4) Subadvised Funds will inform shareholders of the hiring of a new Subadviser within 90 days after the hiring of the new Subadviser pursuant to the Modified Notice and Access Procedures.
(5) At all times, at least a majority of the Board will be Independent Trustees, and the selection and nomination of new or additional Independent Trustees will be placed within the discretion of the then-existing Independent Trustees.
(6) Independent Legal Counsel, as defined in Rule 0-1(a)(6) under the 1940 Act, will be engaged to represent the Independent Trustees. The selection of such counsel will be within the discretion of the then-existing Independent Trustees.
(7) Whenever a Subadviser is hired or terminated, the Adviser will provide the Board with information showing the expected impact on the profitability of the Adviser.
(8) The Board must evaluate any material conflicts that may be present in a subadvisory arrangement. Specifically, whenever a subadviser change is proposed for a Subadvised Fund (“Subadviser Change”) or the Board considers an existing Subadvisory Agreement as part of its annual review process (“Subadviser Review”):
(a) the Adviser will provide the Board, to the extent not already being provided pursuant to Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act, with all relevant information concerning:
21
(i) any material interest in the proposed new Subadviser, in the case of a Subadviser Change, or the Subadviser in the case of a Subadviser Review, held directly or indirectly by the Adviser or a parent or sister company of the Adviser, and any material impact the proposed Subadvisory Agreement may have on that interest;
(ii) any arrangement or understanding in which the Adviser or any parent or sister company of the Adviser is a participant that (A) may have had a material effect on the proposed Subadviser Change or Subadviser Review, or (B) may be materially affected by the proposed Subadviser Change or Subadviser Review;
(iii) any material interest in a Subadviser held directly or indirectly by an officer or Trustee of the Subadvised Fund, or an officer or board member of the Adviser (other than through a pooled investment vehicle not controlled by such person); and
(iv) any other information that may be relevant to the Board in evaluating any potential material conflicts of interest in the proposed Subadviser Change or Subadviser Review.
(b) the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, will make a separate finding, reflected in the Board minutes, that the Subadviser Change or continuation after Subadviser Review is in the best interests of the Subadvised Fund and its shareholders and, based on the information provided to the Board, does not involve a conflict of interest from which the Adviser, a Subadviser, any officer or Trustee of the Subadvised Fund, or any officer or board member of the Adviser derives an inappropriate advantage.
(9) Each Subadvised Fund will disclose in its registration statement the Aggregate Fee Disclosure.
(10) In the event that the Commission adopts a rule under the 1940 Act providing substantially similar relief to that in the order requested in the Application, the requested order will expire on the effective date of that rule.
(11)
Any new Subadvisory Agreement or any amendment to an existing Investment Advisory Agreement or Subadvisory Agreement
that directly or indirectly results in an increase in the aggregate advisory fee rate payable by athe
Subadvised Fund will be submitted to the Subadvised Fund’s shareholders for approval.
VI. PROCEDURAL MATTERS
All of the requirements
for execution and filing of this Application on behalf of Applicants have been complied with in accordance with the applicable
organizational documents of Applicants, and the undersigned officers of Applicants are fully authorized to execute this Application
and any amendments hereto. The authorizations to fileresolutions
of the Board are attached as Exhibits A-1 and
A-2 to this Application in accordance with the requirements of Rule 0-2(c)(1) under the 1940 Act and the verifications
required by Rule 0-2(d) under the 1940 Act are attached as Exhibits B-1 and B-2 to this Application. Marked copies of the Application
are included as Exhibits C-1 and C-2 to this Application in accordance with the requirements of Rule 0-5(e) under the 1940 Act.
22
Pursuant to Rule 0-2(f)
under the 1940 Act, the Trust states that its address is 1345 Avenue of the Americas,
21st Floor, New York, NY 10105615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-5207
and the Adviser states that its address is 1345 Avenue of the Americas,55
West 46th Street, 231st
Floor, New York, NY 1010510036,
and that all written communications regarding this Application should be directed to the individuals and addresses indicated on
the first page of this Application.
Applicants desire that the Commission issue the requested order pursuant to Rule 0-5 under the 1940 Act without conducting a hearing.
VII. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, Applicants respectfully request that the Commission issue an order under Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act granting the relief requested in the Application.
Applicants submit that the requested exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, consistent with the protection of investors and consistent with the purpose fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 1940 Act.
[Signature Page Follows]
23
Respectfully submitted,
Man ETF Series Trust
THE RBB FUND TRUST
| By: | /s/ |
|
| Name: |
||
| Title: |
Man
SolutionsMILLBURN RIDGEFIELD LLC
| By: | /s/ |
|
| Name: |
||
| Title: | ||
March
4June 11, 2026
Exhibit
IndexEXHIBIT INDEX
| Authoriz |
Exhibit A-1 |
| Verification of |
Exhibit B-1 |
| Verification of |
Exhibit B-2 |
| Marked Copies of the Application Pursuant to Rule 0-5(e) | Exhibits C-1 and C-2 |
25
ExhibitEXHIBIT
A-1
THE RBB FUND TRUST
AUTHORIZATION TO FILE
EXEMPTIVE ORDER
APPLICATION RELATING TO THE FUNDS
Man ETF Series Trust
Authorizatin to File
Exemptive Application
The undersigned, Lisa
MuñozJames G. Shaw, hereby certifies that she
is the duly appointed Secretary of Man ETF SeriesThe
RBB Fund Trust (the “Trust”); that, with respect to the attached application for exemption
from the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the rules and forms thereunder
and any amendments thereto (such application along with any future amendments, the “Application”),
all actions necessary to authorize the execution and filing of the Application under the Amended and Restated Agreement and
Declaration of Trust and Byl-Laws
of the Trust have been taken and the person signing and filing the Application on behalf of the Trust is fully authorized to do
so; and that the following is a complete, true and correct copy of the resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Trustees of the
Trust on March 3May 12-13,
2026, and that such resolutions have not been revoked, modified, rescinded, or amended and are in full force and effect:
WHEREAS,
the Board deems it to be in the best interests of the Trust to permit the Adviser, subject to certain terms and conditions required
by the SEC in an exemptive application (“Application”), to enter
into and materially amend investment sub-advisory agreements with sub-advisers, for any series
of the Trust (the “Funds”) advised by the Adviser, or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control
with the Adviser or its successors, that uses the multi-manager structure described in the Application, and any amendments thereto,
subject to review and approval by the Board, including the Independent Trustees, but not the shareholders of the Funds;
WHEREAS,
the Board deems it to be in the best interests of the Trust to permit the Funds to disclose to shareholders only the aggregate
fees paid to sub-advisers; and
WHEREAS,
the Board has determined that it is appropriate and necessary to file with the SEC the Application which will accomplish the objectives
described above.
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT
RESOLVED, that
the filing with the SEC of the Application for exemptive relief for the Trust
under Section 6(c) for exemptions from Section 15 of the 1940 Act and from certain disclosure requirements, and of any amendments
thereto, to operate in a multi-manager structure as described in the Application, as it may be amended, be and it hereby is, officers
of The RBB Fund Trust (the “Trust”) be, and each hereby is, authorized to prepare or cause to be prepared, execute,
and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, an application, and any amendments thereto, for an order pursuant to Sections
6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), for exemptions from various sections of the
1940 Act, including, but not limited to, Sections 15(a) of the 1940 Act, to permit its series advised by Millburn Ridgefield LLC,
subject to the Board of Trustees of the Trust’s approval,
to enter into and materially amend investment sub-advisory agreements without obtaining shareholder
approvedal;
and be it is
26
FURTHER RESOLVED,
that the officers of the Trust be, and each hereby is, authorized and directed
to take any and all actions that each of them, in his or her sole discretion, deems
necessary orand
appropriate to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes
of the foregoing resolution.
Man
Solutions LLC
| By: | /s/
|
Name: Lisa
Muñoz James G. Shaw
Title: Secretary
March
4Dated: June 11, 2026
Exhibit A-2
Man Solutions LLC
Authorization to File
Exemptive Application
The
undersigned, Lisa Muñoz, hereby certifies that she is the duly elected Secretary of Man Solutions LLC; that, with respect
to the attached application for exemption from the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, rules and forms thereunder
and any amendments thereto (such application along with any amendments, the “Application”), all actions necessary to
authorize the execution and filing of the Application under the governing documents of Man Solutions LLC have been taken; and that
the person signing and filing the Application by Man Solutions LLC is fully authorized to do so.
| /s/ Lisa Muñoz |
Name: Lisa Muñoz
Title: Secretary
March 4, 2026
28
ExhibitEXHIBIT
B-1
Man ETF Series Trust
THE RBB FUND TRUST
Verification
Pursuant to RuleVERIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 0-2(d)
The undersigned states
she has duly executed the attached Application dated
March 4, 2026, for and on behalf of Man ETF SeriesThe
RBB Fund Trust; that she is the
SecretaryPresident of such trust; and that all action by shareholders,
trustees and other bodies necessary to authorize the undersigned to execute and file such instrument has been taken. The undersigned
further says that she is familiar with such instrument, and the
contents thereof, and that the facts therein set forth are true to the best of herhis
knowledge, information and belief.
Man
ETF Series Trust
| By: | /s/
|
Name: Lisa
Muñoz Steven Plump
Title: Secretary President
March
4Dated: June 11, 2026
29
ExhibitEXHIBIT
B-2
Man
SolutionsMILLBURN RIDGEFIELD LLC
Verification
Pursuant to RuleVERIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 0-2(d)
The undersigned states
sheSteven M. Felsenthal
has duly executed the attached Application dated March 4, 2026, for
and on behalf of Man Solutions LLC; that she is the Secretary of suchMillburn
Ridgefield LLC; that Steven M. Felsenthal is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of such limited liability
company; and that all action by partners, officers, directorsmanagers
and other bodies necessary to authorize the undersigned to execute and file such instrument has been taken. The undersigned further
says that sheSteven M. Felsenthal
is familiar with such instrument, and the contents thereof, and that the facts therein set forth are true to the best of his knowledge,
information and belief.
Man
SolutionsMillburn Ridgefield LLC
| By: | /s/
|
Name: Lisa
Muñoz Steven M. Felsenthal
Title: Secretary General
Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer
March
4Dated: June 11, 2026