Proposed Exemptions From Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions, 14505-14516 [2018-06849]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2018 / Notices
revocation of registration) has been
redelegated to the Assistant
Administrator of the DEA Diversion
Control Division (‘‘Assistant
Administrator’’) pursuant to section 7 of
28 CFR part 0, appendix to subpart R.
In accordance with 21 CFR
1301.34(a), this is notice that on January
17, 2018, Catalent Pharma Solutions,
LLC, 3031 Red Lion Road, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19114 applied to be
registered as an importer of Gamma
Hydroxybutyric Acid (2010), a basic
class of controlled substance listed in
schedule I.
The company plans to import finished
dosage unit products containing gammahydroxybutyric acid for clinical trials,
research, and analytical activities.
Approval of permit applications will
occur only when the registrant’s
business activity is consistent with what
is authorized under to 21 U.S.C.
952(a)(2). Authorization will not extend
to the import of FDA approved or nonapproved finished dosage forms for
commercial sale.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Susan A. Gibson,
Deputy Assistant Administrator.
Attn: DEA Federal Register
Representative/DRW, 8701 Morrissette
Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Attorney General has delegated his
authority under the Controlled
Substances Act to the Administrator of
the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), 28 CFR 0.100(b). Authority to
exercise all necessary functions with
respect to the promulgation and
implementation of 21 CFR part 1301,
incident to the registration of
manufacturers, distributors, dispensers,
importers, and exporters of controlled
substances (other than final orders in
connection with suspension, denial, or
revocation of registration) has been
redelegated to the Assistant
Administrator of the DEA Diversion
Control Division (‘‘Assistant
Administrator’’) pursuant to section 7 of
28 CFR part 0, appendix to subpart R.
In accordance with 21 CFR
1301.34(a), this is notice that on
February 6, 2018 Wildlife Laboratroies
Inc., 1230 West Ash, Suite D Windsor,
CO 80550 applied to be registered as an
importer of the following basic classes
of controlled substances:
[FR Doc. 2018–06872 Filed 4–3–18; 8:45 am]
Controlled
substance
BILLING CODE 4410–09–P
Etorphine HCl .......
Thiafentanil ...........
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Drug Enforcement Administration
9059
9729
Schedule
II
II
The company plans to import the
listed controlled substances for
distribution to its customers.
[Docket No. DEA–392]
Importer of Controlled Substances
Application: Wildlife Laboratories Inc.
ACTION:
Drug code
Notice of application.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Susan A. Gibson,
Deputy Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018–06871 Filed 4–3–18; 8:45 am]
Registered bulk manufacturers of
the affected basic classes, and
applicants therefore, may file written
comments on or objections to the
issuance of the proposed registration on
or before May 4, 2018. Such persons
may also file a written request for a
hearing on the application on or before
May 4, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to: Drug Enforcement
Administration, Attention: DEA Federal
Register Representative/DRW, 8701
Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia
22152. All requests for hearing must be
sent to: Drug Enforcement
Administration, Attn: Administrator,
8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield,
Virginia 22152. All request for hearing
should also be sent to: (1) Drug
Enforcement Administration, Attn:
Hearing Clerk/LJ, 8701 Morrissette
Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152; and
(2) Drug Enforcement Administration,
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DATES:
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BILLING CODE 4410–09–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employee Benefits Security
Administration
Proposed Exemptions From Certain
Prohibited Transaction Restrictions
Employee Benefits Security
Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Exemptions.
AGENCY:
This document contains
notices of pendency before the
Department of Labor (the Department) of
proposed exemptions from certain of the
prohibited transaction restrictions of the
Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the
Code). If granted, these proposed
exemptions allow designated parties to
SUMMARY:
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14505
engage in transactions that would
otherwise be prohibited provided the
conditions stated there in are met. This
notice includes the following proposed
exemptions: D–11890, Liberty Media
401(k) Savings Plan; D–11931, CLS
Investments, LLC and Affiliates.
DATES: All interested persons are invited
to submit written comments or requests
for a hearing on the pending
exemptions, unless otherwise stated in
the Notice of Proposed Exemption,
within 45 days from the date of
publication of this Federal Register
Notice.
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for
a hearing should state: (1) The name,
address, and telephone number of the
person making the comment or request,
and (2) the nature of the person’s
interest in the exemption and the
manner in which the person would be
adversely affected by the exemption. A
request for a hearing must also state the
issues to be addressed and include a
general description of the evidence to be
presented at the hearing.
All written comments and requests for
a hearing (at least three copies) should
be sent via mail to the Employee
Benefits Security Administration
(EBSA), Office of Exemption
Determinations, U.S. Department of
Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,
Suite 400, Washington, DC 20210.
Attention: Application No.ll, stated
in each Notice of Proposed Exemption
or via private delivery service or courier
to the Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA), Office of
Exemption Determinations, U.S.
Department of Labor, 122 C St. NW,
Suite 400, Washington, DC 20001.
Attention: Application No.ll, stated
in each Notice of Proposed Exemption.
Interested persons are also invited to
submit comments and/or hearing
requests to EBSA via email or FAX. Any
such comments or requests should be
sent either by email to: e-OED@dol.gov,
by FAX to (202) 693–8474, or online
through https://www.regulations.gov by
the end of the scheduled comment
period. The applications for exemption
and the comments received will be
available for public inspection in the
Public Documents Room of the
Employee Benefits Security
Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor, Room N–1515, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210.
Warning: All comments will be made
available to the public. Do not include
any personally identifiable information
(such as Social Security number, name,
address, or other contact information) or
confidential business information that
you do not want publicly disclosed. All
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comments may be posted on the internet
and can be retrieved by most internet
search engines.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice to Interested Persons
Notice of the proposed exemptions
will be provided to all interested
persons in the manner agreed upon by
the applicant and the Department,
unless otherwise stated in the Notice of
Proposed Exemption, within 15 days of
the date of publication in the Federal
Register. Such notice shall include a
copy of the notice of proposed
exemption as published in the Federal
Register and shall inform interested
persons of their right to comment and to
request a hearing (where appropriate).
The proposed exemptions were
requested in applications filed pursuant
to section 408(a) of the Act and/or
section 4975(c)(2) of the Code, and in
accordance with procedures set forth in
29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76 FR
66637, 66644, October 27, 2011).1
Effective December 31, 1978, section
102 of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of
1978, 5 U.S.C. App. 1 (1996), transferred
the authority of the Secretary of the
Treasury to issue exemptions of the type
requested to the Secretary of Labor.
Therefore, these notices of proposed
exemption are issued solely by the
Department.
The applications contain
representations with regard to the
proposed exemptions which are
summarized below. Interested persons
are referred to the applications on file
with the Department for a complete
statement of the facts and
representations.
Liberty Media 401(k) Savings Plan (the
Plan) Located in Englewood, CO
[Application No. D–11890]
Proposed Exemption
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The Department is considering
granting an exemption under the
authority of section 408(a) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA or the
Act) and in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 29 CFR part
2570, subpart B (76 FR 66637, 66644,
October 27, 2011).2 If the proposed
exemption is granted, the restrictions of
1 The Department has considered exemption
applications received prior to December 27, 2011
under the exemption procedures set forth in 29 CFR
part 2570, subpart B (55 FR 32836, 32847, August
10, 1990).
2 For purposes of this proposed exemption,
references to the provisions of Title I of the Act,
unless otherwise specified, should be read to refer
as well to the corresponding provisions of section
4975 of the Code.
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sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and
407(a)(1)(A) of the Act shall not apply,
for the period beginning May 24, 2016,
and ending June 16, 2016, to:
(1) The acquisition by the Plan of
certain stock subscription rights (the
Rights) to purchase shares of Series C
Liberty Braves common stock (the Series
C Liberty Braves Stock), in connection
with a rights offering (the Rights
Offering) held by Liberty Media
Corporation (LMC), the Plan sponsor
and a party in interest with respect to
the Plan; and
(2) The holding of the Rights by the
Plan during the subscription period of
the Rights Offering, provided that
certain conditions are satisfied.
Summary of Facts and
Representations 3
Background
1. LMC (or the Applicant) is a
Delaware corporation with its principal
place of business in Englewood,
Colorado. LMC is a publicly-traded
corporation primarily engaged in media,
communications and entertainment
operating businesses in North America,
through several subsidiaries that
include: Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (Sirius
XM), Braves Holdings, LLC (Braves
Holdings), and Live Nation
Entertainment, Inc. (Live Nation), an
equity affiliate.
2. LMC sponsors and maintains the
Plan, a defined contribution plan which
enables participating employees of LMC
and its qualifying subsidiaries to direct
the investment of their Plan accounts
across 22 investment alternatives,
including certain employer securities
issued by LMC, as well as employer
securities issued by other participating
employers in the Plan.
Plan Assets are Held in the Liberty
Media 401(k) Savings Plan Trust (the
Trust).
LMC adopted and maintains the Plan
and Trust for the exclusive benefit of
employee-participants and their
beneficiaries. As designed, the Plan is
intended to qualify under sections
401(a) and 401(k) of the Code, and the
Trust is intended to be exempt under
section 501(a) of the Code. As of
December 31, 2016, the Plan had total
assets of $100,814,000 and 784
participants.
Fidelity Management Trust Company
(Fidelity) is the trustee of the Plan, and
acts as the custodian of the Plan assets,
holding legal title to the Plan’s assets,
3 The Summary of Facts and Representations is
based on LMC’s representations and does not reflect
the views of the Department, unless indicated
otherwise.
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and executing investment directions in
accordance with the written instructions
of participants. The Liberty Media
401(k) Savings Plan Administrative
Committee (the Committee) serves as
the Plan Administrator and is the
fiduciary responsible for Plan matters.
The Committee, which was appointed
by LMC’s Board of Directors, has
investment discretion over the Plan’s
investments, except to the extent
participants direct the investment of
their Plan accounts.
Solely with respect to the Rights
described below, the Committee acted
as trustee of a temporary separate trust
(the Rights Trust) established to hold
the Rights, and Fidelity acted as
custodian of those Rights. As of May 16,
2016, The Plan held a total of
$1,550,227.31 in Series C Liberty Braves
Common Stock, which represented
0.595% of total Plan assets.
The Tracking Stock Proposal
3. On April 11, 2016, LMC
shareholders met and approved a
tracking stock proposal (the Tracking
Stock Proposal), which resulted in the
amendment and restatement of LMC’s
certificate of incorporation to exchange
existing shares of LMC’s common stock
(LMC Stock) for newly-issued shares of
three new tracking stocks (collectively,
the Tracking Stocks), to be designated
as: ‘‘Liberty SiriusXM common stock’’
(Liberty SiriusXM Stock); ‘‘Liberty
Braves common stock’’ (Liberty Braves
Stock); and ‘‘Liberty Media common
stock’’ (Liberty Media Stock). The
Tracking Stock structure was designed
to provide LMC with greater operational
and financial flexibility in the execution
of its business strategies by permitting
LMC to bring greater flexibility to its
business and assets, thereby allowing
the stock related to each group to move
in line with the fundamentals of the
businesses and assets attributed to that
group. Therefore, the Tracking Stock
Proposal allowed the businesses, assets,
and liabilities of LMC to be divided
among a new SiriusXM Group, a new
Braves Group, and a new Media Group.
The Applicant represents that Plan
participants were sent a proxy statement
(identical to the proxy statement sent to
all shareholders of LMC stock) prior to
that meeting, so that they could direct
how the shares allocated to their
accounts would be voted at that
meeting.
Description of the Tracking Stocks
4. Liberty SiriusXM Stock is a newlyauthorized and issued series of LMC
Stock intended to track and reflect the
separate economic performance of the
businesses, assets, and liabilities to be
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attributed to the SiriusXM Group, which
would initially include: (a) LMC’s
approximate 60% interest in Sirius XM
Holdings, Inc.; (b) a $250 million margin
loan obligation incurred by a whollyowned special purpose subsidiary of
LMC, which is secured primarily by
shares of Sirius XM Stock; (c) certain
deferred tax liabilities; and (d) $50
million in cash. LMC is authorized to
issue up to 4.075 billion shares of
Liberty SiriusXM Stock, of which 2
billion are designated as Series A
Liberty SiriusXM Stock, 75 million
shares are designated as Series B Liberty
SiriusXM Stock, and 2 billion shares are
designated as Series C Liberty SiriusXM
Stock.
5. Liberty Braves Stock is a newlyauthorized and issued series of LMC
Stock intended to track and reflect the
separate economic performance of the
businesses, assets, and liabilities to be
attributed to the Braves Group, which
would initially include: (a) LMC’s
wholly-owned subsidiary, Braves
Holdings, LLC, which indirectly owns
the Atlanta Braves Major League
Baseball Club; (b) certain assets and
liabilities associated with the Atlanta
Braves’ stadium and mixed use
development project; (c) all liabilities
arising under a note from Braves
Holdings, LLC (Braves Holdings) to
LMC, with total capacity of up to $165
million of borrowings by Braves
Holdings (the Intergroup Note); and (d)
$61 million in cash. LMC is authorized
to issue up to 407.5 million shares of
Liberty Braves Stock, of which 200
million shares are designated as Series
A Liberty Braves Stock, 7.5 million
shares are designated as Series B Liberty
Braves Stock, and 200 million shares are
designated as Series C Liberty Braves
Stock.
6. Liberty Media Stock is a newlyauthorized and issued series of LMC
Stock intended to track and reflect the
separate economic performance of the
businesses, assets, and liabilities to be
attributed to the Media Group, which
would consist of the remainder of
LMC’s businesses, assets and liabilities,
including: (a) LMC’s approximate 27%
interest in Live Nation; (b) LMC’s other
public company minority investments;
(c) all receivables under the Intergroup
Note; (d) an approximately 20% intergroup interest in the Braves Group; (e)
LMC’s interest in any recovery received
in connection with a 2013 judgment
against Vivendi Universal S.A.; (f) $50
million in cash; (g) LMC’s interest in
certain 1.375% cash convertible senior
notes, in the principal amount of $1
billion that are due in 2023, as well as
bond and hedge warrant transactions
that were executed concurrently with
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the issuance of such notes; and (h)
1,018,750,000 shares of LMC Stock.
7. Following the April 11, 2016
shareholder approval of the Tracking
Stock Proposal, each holder of Series A,
B, and C LMC Stock participated in a
reclassification and exchange (the
Reclassification and Exchange), under
which each holder received the
following upon the cancellation of their
existing shares of LMC Stock: (a) One
newly-issued share of the corresponding
series of Liberty SiriusXM Stock; (b) 0.1
of a newly-issued share of the
corresponding series of Liberty Braves
Stock; and (c) 0.25 of a newly-issued
share of the corresponding shares of
LMC Stock. LMC shareholders also
received cash instead of receiving
fractional shares for their interests in
LMC Stock.
The Rights Offering
8. Pursuant to the Reclassification and
Exchange described above, LMC also
conducted a Rights Offering in order to
raise capital to repay the Intergroup
Note referenced above, and for general
corporate purposes. Under the Rights
Offering, each holder of Series A, B, or
C Liberty Braves Stock, held as of May
16, 2016 (the Record Date), received
0.47 of a subscription right, entitling the
holders to purchase one share of Series
C Liberty Braves Stock at a subscription
price of $12.80 per share. The
subscription price represented a 20%
discount to the 20-trading day volume
weighted average trading price of Series
C Liberty Braves Stock, beginning on
April 28, 2016, and ending on May 11,
2016. The Series C Liberty Braves Stock
is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market (the NASDAQ), under the
symbol ‘‘BATRK.’’
9. The Rights Offering commenced on
May 18, 2016 and remained open until
June 16, 2016. The Plan received the
Rights on or about May 24, 2016. The
Applicant states that the Plan’s delayed
receipt of the Rights was attributable to
certain administrative functions
performed by Fidelity; Computershare
Trust Company, N.A. (ComputerShare),
the subscription agent with respect to
the Rights Offering, and Depository
Trust Company.
10. With respect to the Rights
allocated to their Plan accounts
(including Rights attributable to 40l(k)
contributions and employer matching
contributions), Plan participants could
either elect to exercise their Rights or
sell the Rights on the open market. To
assist with this decision, the Plan
prepared and provided to participants a
detailed explanation of their alternatives
with respect to the Rights Offering,
including: (a) Questions and answers
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that explained the Rights issuance and
the participants’ option to exercise or
sell their Rights; (b) instructions, which
explained the steps for the participants
to take to exercise or sell their Rights;
and (c) a copy of LMC’s prospectus filed
with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
In order to sell the Rights, a Plan
participant was required to contact a
Fidelity representative and specify the
whole percentage of the Rights such
participant desired to sell between May
26, 2016 and June 7, 2016. Those
participants who initially elected to
exercise only a portion of their Rights
could later elect to exercise additional
Rights to the extent sufficient time
existed prior to June 7, 2016. The
Applicant represents that the June 7th
participant notification deadline was
necessary to ensure that Fidelity could
process and execute all participant
directives with respect to the Rights by
June 16, 2016.
The Plan Administrative Committee
determined that the oversubscription
option, which entitled holders of LMC
stock to subscribe to purchase shares in
excess of the shares reflected by the
Rights, would not be made available to
Plan participants. The Applicant
represents that, to exercise their
oversubscription rights, participants had
to transmit cash from their Plan
accounts to LMC to be held, uninvested
and not through a trust, until such time
as the shares available for the
oversubscription elections could be
determined. The Applicant represents
that, under this scenario, the Plan
sponsor held Plan assets outside of the
Plan’s trust: A scenario which involved
a different set of prohibited transactions
and fiduciary issues that the Plan
Administrative Committee determined
were not feasible to address.
11. Due to securities law restrictions,
certain participants deemed to be
‘‘reporting persons’’ under Rule 16(b) 4
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Rule 16(b)) with respect to LMC did not
have the right to instruct Fidelity to
either sell or exercise the Rights
credited to their Plan Accounts. As
provided by the Plan, and as directed by
the Committee, Fidelity sold the Rights
credited to these 16(b) participant
accounts as soon as administratively
feasible, after the receipt and allocation
of the Rights to the affected Plan
participant accounts.
4 Rule 16(b) requires an officer, director, or any
shareholder holding more than 10% of the
outstanding shares of a publicly-traded company
who makes a profit on a transaction with respect
to the company’s stock during a given six month
period, to pay the difference back to the company.
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Temporary Investment Funds
12. The Plan established two
temporary investment funds to hold the
Rights. The first fund, the ‘‘Braves
Rights Holding Fund,’’ was a separate
fund established under the Rights Trust
to hold the Rights upon issuance. Rights
were credited to Plan participants
accounts based on their respective
holdings of Liberty Braves Stock as of
the Record Date. The second fund, the
‘‘Braves Rights Holding Account Fund,’’
reflected the approximate value of the
Series C Liberty Braves Stock due from
the subscription agent following the
exercise of Rights on or before June 16,
2016, as directed by Plan participants.
13. With the exception of those
reporting persons under Rule 16(b), as
described above, each participant could
elect to exercise any percentage of the
Rights allocated to their account. Under
the Rights Offering, each participant
could elect to exercise the Rights by
speaking to a Fidelity representative at
any time prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time, on June 7, 2016 (the Election
Close-Out Date). Participants also had
the opportunity to revoke or change
instructions to exercise prior to the
Election Close-Out Date by: (a) Electing
a new percentage of Rights to exercise,
(b) placing an order to sell the Rights (as
described below), or (c) a combination
of both.
With respect to each participant, the
dollar amount required to exercise the
Rights was exchanged from other
investments in such participant’s
account into the Braves Rights Holding
Account Fund. The dollar amount
required to exercise the Rights equaled
the percentage of Rights exercised (as
elected by the participant) multiplied by
the number of Rights credited to the
participant’s account and multiplied by
the exercise price for the Rights
Offering.
14. On or before June 16, 2016, the
Rights to be exercised and necessary
funds were submitted by Fidelity to
ComputerShare, which is not affiliated
with either LMC or Fidelity. Each Plan
participant’s balance in the Rights
Holding Fund was reduced by the
number of Rights exercised on such
participant’s behalf. Fidelity attempted
to sell all remaining Rights on the open
market between June 10, 2016 and June
16, 2016, at which time the Rights
expired. Upon receipt of the new shares,
the Braves Rights Holding Account
Fund was closed and the newlyreceived shares were allocated to
participants’ Plan accounts.
The Applicant represents that the
Election Close-Out Date was established
to permit sufficient time for Fidelity to
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liquidate the participants’ other assets
in an orderly manner so that the
necessary cash would be available to
exercise the Rights before the June 16,
2016 Rights Offering expiration date.
Unexercised Rights after June 7, 2016
were offered for sale on the open market
by Fidelity, from on or about June 10,
2016 through June 16, 2016. Rights that
remained unsold at the close of the
market on June 16, 2016 expired.
15. In connection with the Rights
Offering, the Plan received a total of
15,821 Rights. Of the Rights received,
12,334 were sold by Fidelity,5 3,486
were exercised by participants,6 and 1
Right expired. The Rights were sold at
an average price of $1.90 per Right, net
of fees. The Applicant represents that
Fidelity sold 1,921 Rights (rounded to
the nearest whole Right) at the direction
of participants, and 10,413 Rights
(rounded to the nearest whole Right)
after June 7, 2016.
Analysis
16. LMC represents that the
acquisition and holding of the Rights by
the Plan constitute prohibited
transactions in violation of sections
406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and 407(a)(1)(A)
of the Act. Section 406(a)(1)(E) of the
Act provides that a fiduciary with
respect to a plan shall not cause the
plan to engage in a transaction if he or
she knows or should know that such
transaction constitutes the acquisition,
on behalf of the plan, of any employer
security in violation of section 407(a) of
the Act. Section 406(a)(2) of the Act
provides that a fiduciary of a plan shall
not permit the plan to hold any
employer security if he or she knows or
should know that holding such security
violates section 407(a) of the Act. Under
5 The Applicant represents that the brokerage
services and fees received by Fidelity or by
Computershare in connection with the sale of the
Rights held by Plan participants, are exempt under
section 408(b)(2) of the Act. The Department,
herein, is not providing any relief for the receipt of
any commissions, fees, or expenses in connection
with the sale of the Rights in blind transactions to
unrelated third parties on the NASDAQ, beyond
that provided under section 408(b)(2) of the Act. In
this regard, the Department is not opining herein on
whether the conditions set forth in section 408(b)(2)
of the Act and the Department’s regulations,
pursuant to 29 CFR 2550.408(b)(2) have been
satisfied.
6 The Applicant represents that the Plan accounts
relied on the relief provided by the statutory
exemption, pursuant to section 408(e) of the Act for
the exercise of the Rights. The Department is not
providing any relief herein from such prohibited
transaction provisions with respect to the exercise
of the Rights. In addition, the Department is offering
no view on whether the requirements of the
statutory exemption provided in section 408(e) of
the Act and the Department’s regulations, pursuant
to 29 CFR 2550.408(e) were satisfied or whether the
statutory exemption is applicable to the exercise of
the Rights.
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section 407(a)(1)(A) of the Act, a plan
may not acquire or hold any ‘‘employer
security’’ which is not a ‘‘qualifying
employer security.’’ Under section
407(d)(1) of the Act, ‘‘employer
securities’’ are defined, in relevant part,
as securities issued by an employer of
employees covered by the plan, or by an
affiliate of such employer. Section
407(d)(5) of the Act provides, in
relevant part, that ‘‘qualifying employer
securities’’ are stock or marketable
obligations.
The Applicant states that the Plan was
a holder of Series C Liberty Braves Stock
on the date of the Rights Offering. As
such, the grant of the Rights to the Plan
was a grant of ‘‘employer securities’’
under section 407(d)(l) of the Act.
Because the Rights do not constitute
either stock or marketable obligations,
the Rights are not ‘‘qualifying employer
securities.’’ Therefore, the Applicant
requests a retroactive exemption from
sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and
407(a)(1)(A) of the Act with respect to
the acquisition and holding of the
Rights by the Plan in connection with
the Rights Offering. If granted, the
exemption will be effective for the
period May 24, 2016, through June 16,
2016.
Statutory Findings
17. The Applicant represents that the
proposed exemption is administratively
feasible because it involved the
acquisition and short-term holding of
the Rights by the individual accounts of
Plan participants. The Applicant also
represents that all shareholders,
including the Plan participants, were
treated in a like manner with respect to
the acquisition and holding of the
Rights, with two exceptions: (a) The
oversubscription option available under
the Rights Offering was not available to
participants in the Plan; and (b) certain
participants deemed to be reporting
persons under Rule 16(b) with respect to
LMC did not have the right to instruct
Fidelity to sell or exercise the Rights
credited to their Plan Accounts.
The Applicant represents that Plan
participants would suffer a hardship
were the exemption to be denied
because the issuance of the Rights to the
Plan was not within the control of the
Plan or the Plan’s fiduciaries, as LMC
issued subscription rights to all holders
of Liberty Braves Stock, including the
Plan. If the exemption were denied, the
Applicant states that the transactions
would have to be undone and those
participants who elected to use their
Plan accounts to purchase shares of
Series C Liberty Braves Stock at a
discount would be required to return
those shares for the price they paid.
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This, according to the Applicant, would
result in those participants losing
earnings attributable to those shares.
18. The Applicant represents that the
proposed exemption is also in the
interests of the Plan and its participants
and beneficiaries because: (a) Plan
participants were notified of the Rights
Offering and the procedure for
instructing Fidelity regarding their
desire with respect to the exercise or
sale of the Rights; (b) all shareholders of
Liberty Braves Stock, including the
Plan, were treated in a like manner,
with two exceptions, which are noted
above in paragraph 17; (c) the Plan was
treated in the same manner as other
shareholders with respect to the
granting and the exercise or sale of the
Rights; and (d) the pass-through of the
decision to exercise or sell the Rights,
from Fidelity to the Plan participants
allowed each participant to decide
whether to liquidate his or her account
to purchase additional shares of
employer securities at a discount.
19. Finally, the Applicant represents
that the proposed exemption is
protective of the rights of participants
because the Rights were sold by
Fidelity, at the direction of the affected
Plan participants, on the NASDAQ for
their fair market value, in arms’-length
transactions between unrelated parties.
Furthermore, the Applicant represents
that the Plan did not pay any fees or
commissions with respect to the
acquisition or holding of the Rights, and
it did not pay any commissions to any
affiliate of LMC in connection
therewith.
Summary
20. Given the conditions described
below, the Department has tentatively
determined that the relief sought by the
Applicant satisfies the statutory
requirements for an exemption under
section 408(a) of the Act.
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Proposed Exemption Operative
Language
The Department is considering
granting an exemption under the
authority of section 408(a) of the Act (or
ERISA) and in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 29 CFR part
2570, subpart B (76 FR 46637, 66644,
October 27, 2011). If the exemption is
granted, the restrictions of sections
406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and 407(a)(1)(A)
of the Act shall not apply, for the period
May 24, 2016, through June 16, 2016, to:
(1) The acquisition by the Plan of the
Rights in connection with the Rights
Offering; and (2) the holding of the
Rights by the Plan during the
subscription period of the Rights
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Offering, provided that the following
conditions are satisfied:
(a) The Plan’s acquisition of the
Rights resulted solely from an
independent corporate act of LMC;
(b) All holders of Series A, Series B,
or Series C Liberty Braves common
stock (Series A, B, or C Liberty Braves
Stock), including the Plan, were issued
the same proportionate number of
Rights based on the number of shares of
the Series A, B, or C Liberty Braves
Stock held by each such shareholder;
(c) For purposes of the Rights
Offering, all holders of Series A, B, or
C Liberty Braves Stock, including the
Plan, were treated in a like manner,
with two exceptions: (1) The
oversubscription option available under
the Rights Offering was not available to
participants in the Plan; and (2) certain
participants deemed to be reporting
persons under Rule 16(b) with respect to
LMC did not have the right to instruct
Fidelity to either sell or exercise the
Rights credited to their Plan Accounts;
(d) The acquisition of the Rights by
the Plan was made in a manner that was
consistent with provisions of the Plan
for the individually-directed investment
of participant accounts;
(e) The Committee directed the Plan
trustee to sell the Rights on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market (the
NASDAQ), in accordance with Plan
provisions that precluded the Plan from
acquiring additional shares of Series C
Liberty Braves Stock;
(f) The Committee did not exercise
any discretion with respect to the
acquisition and holding of the Rights;
and
(g) The Plan did not pay any fees or
commissions in connection with the
acquisition or holding of the Rights, and
it did not pay any commissions to any
affiliates of LMC in connection with the
sale of the Rights.
Effective Date: This proposed
exemption, if granted, will be effective
from May 24, 2016, the date that the
Plan received the Rights, through June
16, 2016, the last date the Rights were
sold on the NASDAQ.
Notice To Interested Persons
Notice of the proposed exemption
will be given to all Interested Persons
within 7 days of the publication of the
notice of proposed exemption in the
Federal Register, by first class U.S. mail
to the last known address of all such
individuals. Such notice will contain a
copy of the notice of proposed
exemption, as published in the Federal
Register, and a supplemental statement,
as required pursuant to 29 CFR
2570.43(a)(2). The supplemental
statement will inform interested persons
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14509
of their right to comment on the
pending exemption. Written comments
are due within 37 days of the
publication of the notice of proposed
exemption in the Federal Register. All
comments will be made available to the
public.
Warning: If you submit a comment,
EBSA recommends that you include
your name and other contact
information in the body of your
comment, but DO NOT submit
information that you consider to be
confidential, or otherwise protected
(such as Social Security number or an
unlisted phone number) or confidential
business information that you do not
want publicly disclosed. All comments
may be posted on the internet and can
be retrieved by most internet search
engines.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Brennan of the Department,
telephone (202) 693–8456. (This is not
a toll-free number.)
CLS Investments, LLC and Affiliates
(CLS or the Applicant) Located in
Omaha, NE
[Application No. D–11931]
Proposed Exemption
The Department is considering
granting an exemption under the
authority of 408(a) of the Act and
section 4975(c)(2) of the Code, in
accordance with the procedures set
forth in 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76
FR 46637, 66644, October 27, 2011). If
the exemption is granted, the
restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(D) and
406(b) of the Act, and the sanctions
resulting from the application of section
4975 of the Code, by reason of sections
4975(c)(1)(D) through (F) of the Code,7
shall not apply to the receipt of a fee by
CLS from a registered, open-end
investment company for which CLS
serves as an investment advisor (an
Affiliated Fund), in connection with the
investment by an employee benefit plan
in shares of such Affiliated Fund, where
CLS serves as an investment advisor or
investment manager with respect to
such plan (Client Plan), provided the
conditions of this exemption are met.
Summary of Facts and
Representations 8
1. CLS is an investment adviser
registered with the U.S. Securities and
7 For purposes of this proposed exemption
reference to specific provisions of Title I of the Act,
unless otherwise specified, should be read to refer
as well to the corresponding provisions of the Code.
8 The Summary of Facts and Representations is
based on the Applicant’s representations, unless
indicated otherwise.
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Exchange Commission. CLS offers a
variety of financial services and
operates primarily as an Exchange
Traded Funds strategist working with
more than 2,500 financial advisors and
1,300 qualified plan sponsors to manage
more than 35,000 investor portfolios.
CLS also acts as a sub-advisor and
investment research provider to many
broker-dealer self-clearing platforms,
brokerage custodians, Registered
Investment Advisors (RIAs), and overlay
portfolio management enterprises.
2. CLS acts an investment adviser to
the Affiliated Funds. The Affiliated
Funds are diversified open-end
investment companies registered with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission under the Investment
Company Act, as amended. CLS may
also provide certain ‘‘secondary
services’’ to the Affiliated Funds,
including custodial, accounting,
administrative services and brokerage
services (hereinafter, Secondary
Services).
3. The Applicant seeks an exemption
that would permit the receipt of a fee by
CLS from an Affiliated Fund, in
connection with the investment by a
Client Plan in shares of such Affiliated
Fund, where CLS serves as an
investment advisor or investment
manager with respect to such Client
Plan. Absent an exemption, such
investment may violate several
provisions of the Act. In this regard,
CLS, as investment manager or
investment adviser to the Client Plans,
is a fiduciary with respect to the Client
Plans, pursuant to section 3(21)(A)(i)
and (ii) of the Act. Section 3(21)(A) of
the Act provides, in relevant part, that
a person is a fiduciary with respect to
a plan to the extent that the person: (i)
Exercises any discretionary authority or
control respecting management of the
Plan or any authority or control
respecting management or disposition of
its assets, or (ii) renders investment
advice for a fee or other compensation,
direct or indirect, with respect to any
moneys or other property of a plan or
has any authority or responsibility to do
so.
4. Section 406(a)(l)(D) of the Act
prohibits a fiduciary with respect to a
plan from causing such plan to engage
in a transaction, if such fiduciary knows
or should know, that such transaction
constitutes a transfer to, or use by or for
the benefit of, a party in interest, of any
assets of such plan. Section 406(b) of the
Act provides that a fiduciary with
respect to a plan may not: (1) Deal with
the assets of a plan in his own interest
or for his own account; (2) act, in his
individual or in any other capacity, in
any transaction involving a plan on
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behalf of a party (or represent a party)
whose interests are adverse to the
interests of such plan or the interests of
its participants or beneficiaries; or (3)
receive any consideration for his own
personal account from any party dealing
with a plan in connection with a
transaction involving the assets of such
plan.
5. An arrangement whereby CLS, as
investment adviser or manager to a
Client Plan, invests plan assets in shares
of a mutual fund that is advised by CLS
and receives an advisory or Secondary
Services fee from the Affiliated Fund in
connection therewith, may be viewed as
an impermissible use of Client Plan
assets, in violation of section
406(a)(1)(D) of the Act. In connection
with such investment, the increased
compensation of CLS could be viewed
as a violation of section 406(b)(1) and
(b)(2) of the Act. Further, the receipt by
CLS of compensation from an Affiliated
Fund could also be viewed as a
violation of section 406(b)(3) of the Act.
6. PTE 77–4 provides an exemption
from section 406 of the Act and section
4975 of the Code for the purchase and
for the sale by a plan of shares of a
registered, open-end investment
company, where the investment adviser
of such fund: (a) Is a plan fiduciary or
affiliated with a plan fiduciary; and (b)
is not an employer of employees
covered by the plan. Prior to
implementing any fee increase, an
investment adviser relying on PTE 77–
4 must provide prior disclosures to each
affected second fiduciary, and must
obtain written authorization from each
such second fiduciary. PTE 77–4
prohibits the payment by a plan of
commissions, 12b–1 fees, redemption
fees, and similar fees, as well as the
payment of double investment advisory
fees and similar fees with respect to
plan assets invested in such shares for
the entire period of such investment.
7. CLS states that obtaining advance
written consent from each Second
Fiduciary (which refers, in general
terms, to a Client Plan fiduciary who is
independent of and unrelated to CLS)
prior to any Fee Increase can be
extremely difficult due to both the large
number of Client Plans involved and the
difficulty in obtaining responses from
individual IRA owners. According to
CLS, absent the requested exemptive
relief, CLS’s failure to receive
affirmative written approval on an
individual Client Plan basis could
require CLS to transfer Client Plan
investments out of one or more Funds,
where such Client Plans may not desire
such an outcome.
8. CLS seeks relief that is essentially
the same as that afforded by PTE 77–4,
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
with the exception of the use of a
‘‘negative consent’’ procedure, which
would constitute a Client Plan’s
approval of a Fee Increase.9 For
purposes of the exemption, a Fee
Increase is: (a) Any change by CLS in a
rate of fee; (b) any increase in any fee
that results from the addition of a
service for which a fee is charged; (c)
any increase in fee that results from a
decrease in the number of services; (d)
any increase in any fee that results from
a decrease in the kind of services
provided by CLS for such fee over an
existing rate of fee for each such service
previously authorized by a Second
Fiduciary; (e) any change in fee that
results from CLS changing from one fee
method to another; and (f) any change
in the amount of operating expenses of
a Fund reimbursed or otherwise waived
by CLS or its affiliates to the extent that
such change results in an increase in the
total operating expenses payable by the
Fund.
9. The exemption contains several
conditions that are consistent with the
conditions found in PTE 77–4. For
example, the exemption requires, among
other things, that each Client Plan
which is invested in shares of an
Affiliated Fund, either: Does not pay to
CLS, for the entire period of such
investment, any investment
management fee, or any investment
advisory fee, or any similar fee at the
plan-level, with respect to any of the
assets of such Client Plan which are
invested in shares of such Affiliated
Fund; or pays to CLS a Plan-Level
Management Fee, based on total assets
of such Client Plan under management
by CLS at the plan-level, from which a
credit has been subtracted from such
Plan-Level Management Fee. Further, no
sales commission or no other similar fee
may be paid in connection with any
purchase and in connection with any
sale by a Client Plan in shares of an
Affiliated Fund. The payment of a
redemption fee is permitted only if:
Such redemption fee is paid only to an
Affiliated Fund; and the existence of
such redemption fee is disclosed in the
summary prospectus for such Affiliated
Fund in effect both at the time of any
purchase of shares in such Affiliated
Fund and at the time of any sale of such
shares.
10. Additionally, in general terms, the
combined total of all fees received by
9 The Applicant represents that all of the CLSaffiliated entities to which the exemption would
apply are currently part of the same controlled
group. CLS represents that, if and to the extent that
CLS invests Client Plan assets in Affiliated Funds,
such CLS-affiliated entities can rely on the relief
provided pursuant to PTE 77–4 (42 FR 18732 (April
8, 1977)), except as described below.
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CLS may not be in excess of reasonable
compensation within the meaning of
section 408(b)(2) of the Act. CLS may
not receive any fees payable pursuant to
Rule 12b–1 under the Investment
Company Act in connection with
transactions covered by the exemption.
Further, no Client Plan may be an
employee benefit plan sponsored or
maintained by CLS.
11. This exemption contains extensive
notification requirements. The Second
Fiduciary must receive, in writing, in
advance of any investment by such
Client Plan in shares of such Affiliated
Fund, a full and detailed disclosure of
information concerning such Affiliated
Fund, including: A current summary
prospectus issued by each such
Affiliated Fund; a statement describing
the fees; and the reasons why CLS may
consider investment in shares of such
Affiliated Fund by such Client Plan to
be appropriate for such Client Plan.
12. The Second Fiduciary must
authorize, in writing, among other
things: The investment of the assets of
such Client Plan in shares of an
Affiliated Fund; the Affiliated FundLevel Advisory Fee received by CLS for
investment advisory services and
similar services provided by CLS to
such Affiliated Fund; and the fee
received by CLS for Secondary Services
provided by CLS to such Affiliated
Fund. Any such authorization made by
a Second Fiduciary is terminable at will
by such Second Fiduciary, without
penalty to such Client Plan (including
any fee or charge related to such
penalty). The process for termination
includes the Second Fiduciary’s receipt,
at least annually, of a form (the
Termination Form), which expressly
provides for an election to terminate an
authorization. Notwithstanding this, the
instructions for the Termination Form
must also inform the Second Fiduciary
that, among other things, as of the date
that is at least thirty (30) days from the
date that CLS sent the Termination
Form to such Second Fiduciary, the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to
return such Termination Form or the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to
provide some other written notification
of the Client Plan’s intent to terminate
an authorization that is subject to a
negative consent arrangement covered
by this exemption, will be deemed to be
an approval by such Second Fiduciary.
13. The exemption also requires that
CLS, at least thirty (30) days in advance
of the implementation of a fee increase,
provide to the Second Fiduciary of each
Client Plan, a notice of change in fees
(the Notice of Change in Fees) which
explains the nature and the amount of
such Fee Increase. Such Notice of
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Jkt 244001
Change in Fees must be accompanied by
a Termination Form and by instructions
on the use of such Termination Form.
The notice must explain that, as of the
date that is at least thirty (30) days from
the date that CLS sends the Notice of
Change of Fees and the Termination
Form to such Second Fiduciary, the
failure by such Second to return such
Termination Form or the failure by such
Second Fiduciary to provide some other
written notification of the Client Plan’s
intent to terminate the authorization,
will be deemed to be an approval by
such Second Fiduciary of such Fee
Increase.
14. The exemption contains other
safeguards designed to protect affected
Client Plans. In this regard, in general
terms: CLS must provide reasonably
available information regarding the
covered transactions that the Second
Fiduciary of such Client Plan requests;
all dealings between a Client Plan and
an Affiliated Fund are on a basis no less
favorable to such Client Plan, than
dealings between such Affiliated Fund
and other similar shareholders; in the
event a Client Plan invests in shares of
an Affiliated Fund, if such Affiliated
Fund places brokerage transactions with
CLS, CLS must provide to the Second
Fiduciary of each such Client Plan, so
invested, an annual statement
specifying relevant commission
information; the purchase price paid
and the sales price received by a Client
Plan for shares in an Affiliated Fund
purchased or sold directly must be the
net asset value per share, and must be
the same purchase price that would
have been paid, and the same sales price
that would have been received, for such
shares by any other shareholder of the
same class of shares in such Affiliated
Fund at that time; and CLS, including
any officer and any director of CLS, may
not purchase any shares of an Affiliated
Fund from, and may not sell any shares
of an Affiliated Fund to, any Client Plan
which invests directly in such Affiliated
Fund. The exemption also contains
recordkeeping requirements.
15. Importantly, the conditions of PTE
77–4, as amended and/or restated, must
be met. Further, if CLS is a fiduciary
within the meaning of section
3(21)(A)(i) or (ii) of the Act, or section
4975(e)(3)(A) or (B) of the Code, with
respect to the assets of a Client Plan
involved in the transaction, CLS must
comply with the following conditions
with respect to the transaction: (1) CLS
must act in the Best Interest (as
described below) of the Client Plan; (2)
all compensation received by CLS in
connection with the transaction in
relation to the total services the
fiduciary provides to the Client Plan
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14511
must not exceed reasonable
compensation within the meaning of
section 408(b)(2) of the Act; and (3)
CLS’s statements about recommended
investments, fees, material conflicts of
interest,10 and any other matters
relevant to a Client Plan’s investment
decisions must not be materially
misleading at the time they are made. In
the last regard, CLS acts in the ‘‘Best
Interest’’ of the Client Plan when CLS
acts with the care, skill, prudence, and
diligence under the circumstances then
prevailing that a prudent person would
exercise based on the investment
objectives, risk tolerance, financial
circumstances, and needs of the plan or
IRA, without regard to the financial or
other interests of the fiduciary, any
affiliate or other party.
16. CLS represents that it will
‘‘actively’’ satisfy the various disclosure
requirements of this proposed
exemption by transmitting emails,
rather than relying on ‘‘passive’’
postings on a website. CLS represents
that Client Plans that do not authorize
electronic delivery will receive, in
advance, hard copies of the required
documents, and that hard copies of
required documents will be available to
Client Plans upon request. CLS
represents that the disclosure methods
under this exemption will be consistent
with the Department’s regulations at 29
CFR 2520.104b–1.
17. The Applicant represents that the
proposed exemption is in the interest of
Client Plans because it will allow CLS
to manage Client Plan assets more
efficiently. The Applicant states that the
Affiliated Funds provide certain
advantages to Client Plans, including
access to professional management
services and lower costs, including no
sales commission costs in connection
with the purchase or sale of shares in
any of the Funds and no 12b–1 fees. The
Applicant also represents that the
Affiliated Funds provide a means for
Client Plans with limited assets to
achieve diversification of investment in
a manner that may not be attainable
through direct investment by a plan
participant. For these reasons, CLS
maintains that the availability of the
Funds as investments enables CLS, as
investment manager, to better meet the
investment goals and strategies of a
Client Plan.
10 A ‘‘material conflict of interest’’ exists when a
fiduciary has a financial interest that could affect
the exercise of its best judgment as a fiduciary in
rendering advice to a Client Plan. For this purpose,
the failure of CLS to disclose a material conflict of
interest relevant to the services it is providing to a
Client Plan, or other actions it is taking in relation
to a Client Plan’s investment decisions, is deemed
to be a misleading statement.
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18. The Applicant represents that the
proposed exemption is protective of
Client Plans because it contains
sufficient safeguards for the protection
of the Client Plans invested in the
Funds. In this regard, prior to any
investment by a Client Plan in a Fund,
the investment must be authorized in
writing by the Second Fiduciary of such
Client Plan, based on a full and detailed
written disclosure concerning such
Fund. The Applicant states that, in
addition to the initial disclosures
provided to the Second Fiduciary of a
Client Plan invested in a Fund, CLS
provides such Second Fiduciary with
ongoing disclosures regarding such
Fund and the fee methods. Specifically,
CLS provides the Second Fiduciary with
the current Fund prospectuses, the
annual financial disclosure reports
containing information about the Funds,
and audit findings. The Applicant states
that CLS will respond to inquiries from
a Second Fiduciary and, upon request,
will provide: Copies of the Statements
of Additional Information for the Funds,
a copy of the proposed exemption, and
a copy of the final exemption, if granted,
once such documents are published in
the Federal Register.
Further, the Applicant states that
Client Plan investments in Affiliated
Funds will be subject to the ongoing
ability of the Second Fiduciary of such
Client Plan to terminate the investment
without penalty to such Client Plan, at
any time, upon written notice of
termination. In this regard, the
Applicant states that the Second
Fiduciary will have sufficient
opportunity to terminate a Client Plan’s
investment in a Fund, without penalty
to the Client Plan, and withdraw the
Client Plan’s investment from such
Fund in advance of any such change in
fee. Also in this regard, the Applicant
states that any and all changes in fees
payable to CLS by Affiliated Funds will
be on terms monitored by the Second
Fiduciary who will be prompted by the
Termination Form with a means to
avoid the effect of such changes.
Summary
19. Given the conditions applicable to
the transactions covered by this
exemption, if granted, the Department
has tentatively determined that the
relief sought by the Applicant satisfies
the statutory requirements for an
exemption under section 408(a) of the
Act.
Proposed Exemption Operative
Language
The Department is considering
granting an exemption under the
authority of section 408(a) of the Act (or
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ERISA) and in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 29 CFR part
2570, subpart B (76 FR 46637, 66644,
October 27, 2011).
Section I. Transactions
If the proposed exemption is granted,
the restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(D)
and 406(b) of the Act, and the sanctions
resulting from the application of section
4975 of the Code, by reason of sections
4975(c)(1)(D) through (F) of the Code,11
shall not apply to the receipt of a fee by
CLS, from an open-end investment
company (Affiliated Fund), in
connection with the investment in
shares of any such Affiliated Fund, by
an employee benefit plan (a Client
Plan), as defined in Section IV(b), where
CLS serves as a fiduciary with respect
to such Client Plan, and where CLS: (a)
Provides investment advisory services,
or similar services to any such Affiliated
Fund; and (b) provides to any such
Affiliated Fund any other services
(Secondary Services), as defined below
in Section IV(i).
Section II. Specific Conditions
(a) Each Client Plan which is invested
in shares of an Affiliated Fund either:
(1) Does not pay to CLS, for the entire
period of such investment, any
investment management fee, or any
investment advisory fee, or any similar
fee at the plan-level (the Plan-Level
Management Fee), as defined below in
Section IV(l), with respect to any of the
assets of such Client Plan which are
invested in shares of such Affiliated
Fund; or
(2) Pays to CLS a Plan-Level
Management Fee, based on total assets
of such Client Plan under management
by CLS at the plan-level, from which a
credit has been subtracted from such
Plan-Level Management Fee, where the
amount subtracted represents such
Client Plan’s pro rata share of any
investment advisory fee and any similar
fee (the Affiliated Fund Level Advisory
Fee), as defined below in Section IV(m),
paid by such Affiliated Fund to CLS.
If, during any fee period, in the case
of a Client Plan invested in shares of an
Affiliated Fund, such Client Plan has
prepaid its Plan Level Management Fee,
and such Client Plan purchases shares
of an Affiliated Fund, the requirement
of this Section II(a)(2) shall be deemed
met with respect to such prepaid PlanLevel Management Fee, if, by a method
reasonably designed to accomplish the
same, the amount of the prepaid PlanLevel Management Fee that constitutes
11 For purposes of this proposed exemption
reference to specific provisions of Title I of the Act,
unless otherwise specified, should be read to refer
as well to the corresponding provisions of the Code.
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the fee with respect to the assets of such
Client Plan invested in shares of an
Affiliated Fund:
(i) Is anticipated and subtracted from
the prepaid Plan-Level Management Fee
at the time of the payment of such fee;
or
(ii) Is returned to such Client Plan, no
later than during the immediately
following fee period; or
(iii) Is offset against the Plan-Level
Management Fee for the immediately
following fee period or for the fee period
immediately following thereafter.
For purposes of Section II(a)(2), a
Plan-Level Management Fee shall be
deemed to be prepaid for any fee period,
if the amount of such Plan-Level
Management Fee is calculated as of a
date not later than the first day of such
period.
(b) No sales commissions, no
redemption fees, and no other similar
fees are paid in connection with any
purchase and in connection with any
sale by a Client Plan in shares of an
Affiliated Fund. However, this Section
II(b) does not prohibit the payment of a
redemption fee, if:
(1) Such redemption fee is paid only
to an Affiliated Fund; and
(2) The existence of such redemption
fee is disclosed in the summary
prospectus for such Affiliated Fund in
effect both at the time of any purchase
of shares in such Affiliated Fund and at
the time of any sale of such shares.
(c) The combined total of all fees
received by CLS is not in excess of
reasonable compensation within the
meaning of section 408(b)(2) of the Act,
for services provided:
(1) By CLS to each Client Plan; and
(2) By CLS to each Affiliated Fund in
which a Client Plan invests in shares of
such Affiliated Fund;
(d) CLS does not receive any fees
payable pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under
the Investment Company Act in
connection with the transactions
covered by this proposed exemption;
(e) No Client Plan is an employee
benefit plan sponsored or maintained by
CLS;
(f) In the case of a Client Plan
investing in shares of an Affiliated
Fund, the Second Fiduciary, as defined
below in Section IV(h), acting on behalf
of such Client Plan, receives, in writing,
in advance of any investment by such
Client Plan in shares of such Affiliated
Fund, a full and detailed disclosure via
first class mail or via personal delivery
of (or, if the Second Fiduciary consents
to such means of delivery, through
electronic email, in accordance with
Section II(n), as set forth below)
information concerning such Affiliated
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Fund, including but not limited to the
items listed below:
(1) A current summary prospectus
issued by each such Affiliated Fund;
(2) A statement describing the fees,
including the nature and extent of any
differential between the rates of such
fees for:
(i) Investment advisory and similar
services to be paid to CLS by each
Affiliated Fund;
(ii) Secondary Services to be paid to
CLS by each such Affiliated Fund; and
(iii) All other fees to be charged by
CLS to such Client Plan and to each
such Affiliated Fund and all other fees
to be paid to CLS by each such Client
Plan and by each such Affiliated Fund;
(3) The reasons why CLS may
consider investment in shares of such
Affiliated Fund by such Client Plan to
be appropriate for such Client Plan;
(4) A statement describing whether
there are any limitations applicable to
CLS with respect to which assets of
such Client Plan may be invested in
shares of such Affiliated Fund, and if so,
the nature of such limitations; and
(5) Upon the request of the Second
Fiduciary acting on behalf of such
Client Plan, a copy of the Notice of
Proposed Exemption (the Notice), a
copy of the final exemption, if granted,
and any other reasonably available
information regarding the transactions
which are the subject of this proposed
exemption;
(g) On the basis of the information
described above in Section II(f), a
Second Fiduciary acting on behalf of a
Client Plan authorizes, in writing:
(1) The investment of the assets of
such Client Plan in shares of an
Affiliated Fund;
(2) The Affiliated Fund-Level
Advisory Fee received by CLS for
investment advisory services and
similar services provided by CLS to
such Affiliated Fund;
(3) The fee received by CLS for
Secondary Services provided by CLS to
such Affiliated Fund;
(4) The Plan-Level Management Fee
received by CLS for investment
management and similar services
provided by CLS to such Client Plan at
the plan-level; and
(5) The selection, by CLS, of the
applicable fee method, as described
above in Section II(a)(1)–(2);
All authorizations made by a Second
Fiduciary pursuant to this Section II(g)
must be consistent with the
responsibilities, obligations, and duties
imposed on fiduciaries by Part 4 of Title
I of the Act;
(h)(1) Any authorization, described
above in Section II(g), and any
authorization made pursuant to negative
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consent, as described below in Section
II(i), made by a Second Fiduciary, acting
on behalf of a Client Plan, shall be
terminable at will by such Second
Fiduciary, without penalty to such
Client Plan (including any fee or charge
related to such penalty), upon receipt by
CLS via first class mail, via personal
delivery, or via electronic email of a
written notification of the intent of such
Second Fiduciary to terminate any such
authorization;
(2) A form (the Termination Form),
expressly providing an election to
terminate any authorization, described
above in Section II(g), or to terminate
any authorization made pursuant to
negative consent, as described below in
Section II(i), with instructions on the
use of such Termination Form, must be
provided to such Second Fiduciary at
least annually, either in writing via first
class mail or via personal delivery (or if
such Second Fiduciary consents to such
means of delivery, through electronic
email, in accordance with Section II(n),
as set forth below). However, if a
Termination Form has been provided to
such Second Fiduciary pursuant to
Section II(i), then a Termination Form
need not be provided pursuant to this
Section II(h), until at least six (6)
months, but no more than twelve (12)
months, have elapsed, since the prior
Termination Form was provided;
(3) The instructions for the
Termination Form must include the
following statements:
(i) Any authorization, described above
in Section II(g), and any authorization
made pursuant to negative consent, as
described below in Section II(i), is
terminable at will by a Second
Fiduciary, acting on behalf of a Client
Plan, without penalty to such Client
Plan, upon receipt by CLS, via first class
mail or via personal delivery or via
electronic email, of the Termination
Form, or some other written notification
of the intent of such Second Fiduciary
to terminate such authorization; and
(ii) As of the date that is at least thirty
(30) days from the date that CLS sends
the Termination Form to such Second
Fiduciary, the failure by such Second
Fiduciary to return such Termination
Form or the failure by such Second
Fiduciary to provide some other written
notification of the Client Plan’s intent to
terminate any authorization, described
in Section II(g), or intent to terminate
any authorization made pursuant to
negative consent, as described below in
Section II(i), will be deemed to be an
approval by such Second Fiduciary;
(4) In the event that a Second
Fiduciary, acting on behalf of a Client
Plan, at any time returns a Termination
Form or returns some other written
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notification of intent to terminate any
authorization, as described above in
Section II(g), or intent to terminate any
authorization made pursuant to negative
consent, as described below in Section
II(i), the termination will be
implemented by the withdrawal of all
investments made by such Client Plan
in the affected Affiliated Fund, and such
withdrawal will be implemented by CLS
within one (1) business day of the date
that CLS receives such Termination
Form or receives from the Second
Fiduciary, acting on behalf of such
Client Plan, some other written
notification of intent to terminate any
such authorization;
(5) From the date a Second Fiduciary,
acting on behalf of a Client Plan that
invests in shares of an Affiliated Fund,
returns a Termination Form or returns
some other written notification of intent
to terminate such Client Plan’s
investment in such Affiliated Fund,
such Client Plan will not be subject to
pay a pro rata share of any Affiliated
Fund-Level Advisory Fee and will not
be subject to pay any fees for Secondary
Services paid to CLS by such Affiliated
Fund, or any other fees or charges;
(i)(1) CLS, at least thirty (30) days in
advance of the implementation of each
fee increase (Fee Increase(s)), as defined
below in Section IV(k), must provide in
writing via first class mail or via
personal delivery (or if the Second
Fiduciary consents to such means of
delivery through electronic email, in
accordance with Section II(n), as set
forth below), a notice of change in fees
(the Notice of Change in Fees) (which
may take the form of a proxy statement,
letter, or similar communication which
is separate from the summary
prospectus of such Affiliated Fund) and
which explains the nature and the
amount of such Fee Increase to the
Second Fiduciary of each affected Client
Plan. Such Notice of Change in Fees
shall be accompanied by a Termination
Form and by instructions on the use of
such Termination Form, as described
above in Section II(h); and
(2) As of the date that is at least thirty
(30) days from the date that CLS sends
the Notice of Change of Fees and the
Termination Form to such Second
Fiduciary, the failure by such Second to
return such Termination Form and the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to
provide some other written notification
of the Client Plan’s intent to terminate
the authorization, described in Section
II(g), or to terminate the negative
consent authorization, as described in
Section II(i), will be deemed to be an
approval by such Second Fiduciary of
such Fee Increase.
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(j) CLS is subject to the requirement
to provide within a reasonable period of
time any reasonably available
information regarding the covered
transactions that the Second Fiduciary
of such Client Plan requests CLS to
provide.
(k) All dealings between a Client Plan
and an Affiliated Fund are on a basis no
less favorable to such Client Plan, than
dealings between such Affiliated Fund
and other shareholders of the same class
of shares in such Affiliated Fund.
(l) In the event a Client Plan invests
in shares of an Affiliated Fund, if such
Affiliated Fund places brokerage
transactions with CLS, CLS will provide
to the Second Fiduciary of each such
Client Plan, so invested, at least
annually a statement specifying:
(1) The total, expressed in dollars, of
brokerage commissions that are paid to
CLS by each such Affiliated Fund;
(2) The total, expressed in dollars, of
brokerage commissions that are paid by
each such Affiliated Fund to brokerage
firms unrelated to CLS;
(3) The average brokerage
commissions per share, expressed as
cents per share, paid to CLS by each
such Affiliated Fund; and
(4) The average brokerage
commissions per share, expressed as
cents per share, paid by each such
Affiliated Fund to brokerage firms
unrelated to CLS;
(m)(1) CLS provides to the Second
Fiduciary of each Client Plan invested
in shares of an Affiliated Fund with the
disclosures, as set forth below, and at
the times set forth below in Section
II(m)(1)(i)-(v), either in writing via first
class mail or via personal delivery (or if
the Second Fiduciary consents to such
means of delivery, through electronic
email, in accordance with Section II(q)
as set forth below):
(i) Annually, with a copy of the
current summary prospectus for each
Affiliated Fund in which such Client
Plan invests in shares of such Affiliated
Fund;
(ii) Upon the request of such Second
Fiduciary, a copy of the statement of
additional information for each
Affiliated Fund in which such Client
Plan invests in shares of such Affiliated
Fund which contains a description of all
fees paid by such Affiliated Fund to
CLS;
(iii) Oral or written responses to the
inquiries posed by the Second Fiduciary
of such Client Plan, as such inquiries
arise; and
(iv) Annually, with a Termination
form, as described in Section II(h)(1),
and instructions on the use of such
form, as described in Section II(h)(3),
except that if a Termination Form has
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been provided to such Second Fiduciary
pursuant to Section II(i), then a
Termination Form need not be provided
again pursuant to this Section II(m)(1)(v)
until at least six (6) months but no more
than twelve (12) months have elapsed
since a Termination Form was provided;
(n) Any disclosure required herein to
be made by CLS to a Second Fiduciary
may be delivered by electronic email
containing direct hyperlinks to the
location of each such document
required to be disclosed, which are
maintained on a website by CLS,
provided:
(1) CLS obtains from such Second
Fiduciary prior consent in writing to the
receipt by such Second Fiduciary of
such disclosure via electronic email;
(2) Such Second Fiduciary has
provided to CLS a valid email address;
and
(3) The delivery of such electronic
email to such Second Fiduciary is
provided by CLS in a manner consistent
with the relevant provisions of the
Department’s regulations at 29 CFR
2520.104b–1(c) (substituting the word
‘‘CLS’’ for the word ‘‘administrator’’ as
set forth therein, and substituting the
phrase ‘‘Second Fiduciary’’ for the
phrase ‘‘the participant, beneficiary or
other individual’’ as set forth therein).
(o) The authorizations described in
Section II(i) may be made affirmatively,
in writing, by a Second Fiduciary, in a
manner that is otherwise consistent
with the requirements of those sections;
(p) All of the conditions of PTE 77–
4, as amended and/or restated, are met.
Notwithstanding this, if PTE 77–4 is
amended and/or restated, the
requirements of paragraph (e) therein
will be deemed to be met with respect
to authorizations described in Section
II(i) above, but only to the extent the
requirements of Section II(i) are met.
Similarly, if PTE 77–4 is amended and/
or restated, the requirements of
paragraph (d) therein will be deemed to
be met with respect to authorizations
described in Section II(i) above, if the
requirements of Section II(i) are met;
(q) Standards of Impartial Conduct. If
CLS is a fiduciary within the meaning
of section 3(21)(A)(i) or (ii) of the Act,
or section 4975(e)(3)(A) or (B) of the
Code, with respect to the assets of a
Client Plan involved in the transaction,
CLS must comply with the following
conditions with respect to the
transaction: (1) CLS acts in the Best
Interest (as defined below, in Section
IV(o)) of the Client Plan; (2) all
compensation received by CLS in
connection with the transaction in
relation to the total services the
fiduciary provides to the Client Plan
does not exceed reasonable
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compensation within the meaning of
section 408(b)(2) of the Act; and (3)
CLS’s statements about recommended
investments, fees, material conflicts of
interest,12 and any other matters
relevant to a Client Plan’s investment
decisions are not materially misleading
at the time they are made.
For purposes of this paragraph, CLS
acts in the ‘‘Best Interest’’ of the Client
Plan when CLS acts with the care, skill,
prudence, and diligence under the
circumstances then prevailing that a
prudent person would exercise based on
the investment objectives, risk
tolerance, financial circumstances, and
needs of the plan or IRA, without regard
to the financial or other interests of the
fiduciary, any affiliate or other party;
(r) The purchase price paid and the
sales price received by a Client Plan for
shares in an Affiliated Fund purchased
or sold directly is the net asset value per
share (NAV), as defined below in
Section IV(f), at the time of the
transaction, and is the same purchase
price that would have been paid, and
the same sales price that would have
been received, for such shares by any
other shareholder of the same class of
shares in such Affiliated Fund at that
time; and
(s) CLS, including any officer and any
director of CLS, does not purchase any
shares of an Affiliated Fund from, and
does not sell any shares of an Affiliated
Fund to, any Client Plan which invests
directly in such Affiliated Fund.
Section III. General Conditions
(a) CLS maintains for a period of six
(6) years the records necessary to enable
the persons, described below in Section
III(b), to determine whether the
conditions of this proposed exemption
have been met, except that:
(1) A prohibited transaction will not
be considered to have occurred, if solely
because of circumstances beyond the
control of CLS, the records are lost or
destroyed prior to the end of the sixyear period; and
(2) No party in interest other than CLS
shall be subject to the civil penalty that
may be assessed under section 502(i) of
the Act or to the taxes imposed by
section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code, if
the records are not maintained or are
not available for examination, as
required below by Section III(b).
12 A ‘‘material conflict of interest’’ exists when a
fiduciary has a financial interest that could affect
the exercise of its best judgment as a fiduciary in
rendering advice to a Client Plan. For this purpose,
the failure of CLS to disclose a material conflict of
interest relevant to the services it is providing to a
Client Plan, or other actions it is taking in relation
to a Client Plan’s investment decisions, is deemed
to be a misleading statement.
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(b)(1) Except as provided in Section
III(b)(2) and notwithstanding any
provisions of section 504(a)(2) of the
Act, the records referred to in Section
III(a) are unconditionally available at
their customary location for
examination during normal business
hours by:
(i) Any duly authorized employee or
representative of the Department or the
Internal Revenue Service, or the
Securities & Exchange Commission;
(ii) Any fiduciary of a Client Plan
invested in shares of an Affiliated Fund
and any duly authorized employee or
representative of such fiduciary; and
(iii) Any participant or beneficiary of
a Client Plan invested in shares of an
Affiliated Fund and any representative
of such participant or beneficiary;
(2) None of the persons described in
Section III(b)(1)(ii) and (iii) shall be
authorized to examine trade secrets of
CLS, or commercial or financial
information which is privileged or
confidential.
Section IV. Definitions
For purposes of this proposed
exemption:
(a) The term ‘‘CLS’’ means CLS
Investments, LLC and any affiliate
thereof, as defined below, in Section
IV(c).
(b) The term ‘‘Client Plan(s)’’ means a
401(k) plan(s), an individual retirement
account(s), other tax-qualified plan(s),
and other plan(s) as defined in the Act
and Code, but does not include any
employee benefit plan sponsored or
maintained by CLS, as defined above in
Section IV(a).
(c) An ‘‘affiliate’’ of a person includes:
(1) Any person directly or indirectly,
through one or more intermediaries,
controlling, controlled by, or under
common control with the person;
(2) Any officer, director, employee,
relative, or partner in any such person;
and
(3) Any corporation or partnership of
which such person is an officer,
director, partner, or employee.
(d) The term ‘‘control’’ means the
power to exercise a controlling
influence over the management or
policies of a person other than an
individual.
(e) The term ‘‘Affiliated Fund’’ means
a diversified open-end investment
company registered with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Investment Company Act, as
amended, for which CLS serves as an
investment adviser.
(f) The term ‘‘net asset value per
share’’ and the term ‘‘NAV’’ mean the
amount for purposes of pricing all
purchases and sales of shares of an
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Affiliated Fund, calculated by dividing
the value of all securities, determined
by a method as set forth in the summary
prospectus for such Affiliated Fund and
in the statement of additional
information, and other assets belonging
to such Affiliated Fund or portfolio of
such Affiliated Fund, less the liabilities
charged to each such portfolio or each
such Affiliated Fund, by the number of
outstanding shares.
(g) The term ‘‘relative’’ means a
relative as that term is defined in
section 3(15) of the Act (or a member of
the family as that term is defined in
section 4975(e)(6) of the Code), or a
brother, a sister, or a spouse of a brother
or a sister.
(h) The term ‘‘Second Fiduciary’’
means the fiduciary of a Client Plan
who is independent of and unrelated to
CLS. For purposes of this proposed
exemption, the Second Fiduciary will
not be deemed to be independent of and
unrelated to CLS if:
(1) Such Second Fiduciary, directly or
indirectly, through one or more
intermediaries, controls, is controlled
by, or is under common control with
CLS;
(2) Such Second Fiduciary, or any
officer, director, partner, employee, or
relative of such Second Fiduciary, is an
officer, director, partner, or employee of
CLS (or is a relative of such person); or
(3) Such Second Fiduciary, directly or
indirectly, receives any compensation or
other consideration for his or her
personal account in connection with
any transaction described in this
proposed exemption.
If an officer, director, partner, or
employee of CLS (or relative of such
person) is a director of such Second
Fiduciary, and if he or she abstains from
participation in:
(i) The decision of a Client Plan to
invest in and to remain invested in
shares of an Affiliated Fund;
(ii) Any authorization in accordance
with Section II(g), and any
authorization, pursuant to negative
consent, as described in Section II(i);
and
(iii) The choice of such Client Plan’s
investment adviser, then Section
IV(h)(2) above shall not apply.
(i) The term ‘‘Secondary Service(s)’’
means a service or services other than
an investment management service,
investment advisory service, and any
similar service which is provided by
CLS to an Affiliated Fund, including,
but not limited to, custodial,
accounting, administrative services, and
brokerage services. CLS may also serve
as a dividend disbursing agent,
shareholder servicing agent, transfer
agent, fund accountant, or provider of
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14515
some other Secondary Service, as
defined in this Section IV(i).
(j) The term ‘‘business day’’ means
any day that:
(1) CLS is open for conducting all or
substantially all of its business; and
(2) The New York Stock Exchange (or
any successor exchange) is open for
trading.
(k) The term ‘‘Fee Increase(s)’’
includes any increase by CLS in a rate
of a fee previously authorized in writing
by the Second Fiduciary of each affected
Client Plan pursuant to Section II(g)
above, and in addition includes, but is
not limited to:
(1) Any fee increase that results from
the addition of a service;
(2) Any increase in any fee that results
from a decrease in the number of
services and any increase in any fee that
results from a decrease in the kind of
service(s) performed by CLS for such fee
over an existing rate of fee for each such
service previously authorized by the
Second Fiduciary, in accordance with
Section II(g) above;
(3) Any increase in any fee that results
from CLS changing from one of the fee
methods, as described above in Section
II(a)(1)–(4), to another of the fee
methods, as described above in Section
II(a)(1)–(4); and
(4) Any change in the amount of
operating expenses of a Fund that is
reimbursed or otherwise waived by CLS
or its affiliates to the extent that such
change results in an increase in the total
operating payable by the Fund.
(l) The term ‘‘Plan-Level Management
Fee’’ includes any investment
management fee, investment advisory
fee, and any similar fee paid by a Client
Plan to CLS for any investment
management services, investment
advisory services, and similar services
provided by CLS to such Client Plan at
the plan-level. The term ‘‘Plan-Level
Management Fee’’ does not include a
separate fee paid by a Client Plan to CLS
for asset allocation service(s) (Asset
Allocation Service(s)), as defined below
in Section IV(n), provided by CLS to
such Client Plan at the plan-level.
(m) The term ‘‘Affiliated Fund-Level
Advisory Fee’’ includes any investment
advisory fee and any similar fee paid by
an Affiliated Fund to CLS under the
terms of an investment advisory
agreement adopted in accordance with
section 15 of the Investment Company
Act.
(n) The term ‘‘Asset Allocation
Service(s)’’ means a service or services
to a Client Plan relating to the selection
of appropriate asset classes or targetdate ‘‘glidepath’’ and the allocation or
reallocation (including rebalancing) of
the assets of a Client Plan among the
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selected asset classes. Such services do
not include the management of the
underlying assets of a Client Plan, the
selection of specific funds or manager,
and the management of the selected
Affiliated Funds.
(o) The term ‘‘Best Interest’’ means
acting with the care, skill, prudence,
and diligence under the circumstances
then prevailing that a prudent person
acting in a like capacity and familiar
with such matters would use in the
conduct of an enterprise of a like
character and with like aims, based on
the investment objectives, risk
tolerance, financial circumstances, and
needs of the plan or IRA, without regard
to the financial or other interests of CLS,
any affiliate or other party.
Effective Date: If granted, this
proposed exemption will be effective as
of the date the notice granting the final
exemption is published in the Federal
Register.
Notice to Interested Persons
Those persons who may be interested
in the publication in the Federal
Register of the Notice include each
Client Plan invested in shares of an
Affiliated Fund and each plan for which
CLS provides discretionary management
services at the time the proposed
exemption is published in the Federal
Register.
It is represented that notification will
be provided to each of these interested
persons by first class mail, within
fifteen (15) calendar days of the date of
the publication of the Notice in the
Federal Register. Such mailing will
contain a copy of the Notice, as it
appears in the Federal Register on the
date of publication, plus a copy of the
Supplemental Statement, as required,
pursuant to 29 CFR 2570.43(b)(2), which
will advise such interested persons of
their right to comment and to request a
hearing.
The Department must receive all
written comments and requests for a
hearing no later than forty-five (45) days
from the date of the publication of the
Notice in the Federal Register.
All comments will be made available
to the public.
Warning: Do not include any
personally identifiable information
(such as name, address, or other contact
information) or confidential business
information that you do not want
publicly disclosed. All comments may
be posted on the internet and can be
retrieved by most internet search
engines.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Joseph Brennan of the Department,
telephone (202) 693–8456. (This is not
a toll-free number.)
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General Information
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
The attention of interested persons is
directed to the following:
(1) The fact that a transaction is the
subject of an exemption under section
408(a) of the Act and/or section
4975(c)(2) of the Code does not relieve
a fiduciary or other party in interest or
disqualified person from certain other
provisions of the Act and/or the Code,
including any prohibited transaction
provisions to which the exemption does
not apply and the general fiduciary
responsibility provisions of section 404
of the Act, which, among other things,
require a fiduciary to discharge his
duties respecting the plan solely in the
interest of the participants and
beneficiaries of the plan and in a
prudent fashion in accordance with
section 404(a)(1)(b) of the Act; nor does
it affect the requirement of section
401(a) of the Code that the plan must
operate for the exclusive benefit of the
employees of the employer maintaining
the plan and their beneficiaries;
(2) Before an exemption may be
granted under section 408(a) of the Act
and/or section 4975(c)(2) of the Code,
the Department must find that the
exemption is administratively feasible,
in the interests of the plan and of its
participants and beneficiaries, and
protective of the rights of participants
and beneficiaries of the plan;
(3) The proposed exemptions, if
granted, will be supplemental to, and
not in derogation of, any other
provisions of the Act and/or the Code,
including statutory or administrative
exemptions and transitional rules.
Furthermore, the fact that a transaction
is subject to an administrative or
statutory exemption is not dispositive of
whether the transaction is in fact a
prohibited transaction; and
(4) The proposed exemptions, if
granted, will be subject to the express
condition that the material facts and
representations contained in each
application are true and complete, and
that each application accurately
describes all material terms of the
transaction which is the subject of the
exemption.
Office of the Secretary
Signed at Washington, DC, this 30th day of
March, 2018.
Lyssa Hall,
Director, Office of Exemption Determinations,
Employee Benefits Security Administration,
U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2018–06849 Filed 4–3–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–29–P
PO 00000
Frm 00107
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; DOL-Only
Performance Accountability,
Information, and Reporting System
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
ACTION:
The Department of Labor
(DOL) is submitting the Employment
and Training Administration (ETA)
sponsored information collection
request (ICR) revision titled, ‘‘DOL-Only
Performance Accountability,
Information, and Reporting System,’’ to
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval for use
in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public
comments on the ICR are invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all
written comments that agency receives
on or before May 4, 2018.
ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with
applicable supporting documentation;
including a description of the likely
respondents, proposed frequency of
response, and estimated total burden
may be obtained free of charge from the
RegInfo.gov website at https://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201802-1205-003
(this link will only become active on the
day following publication of this notice)
or by contacting Michel Smyth by
telephone at 202–693–4129, TTY 202–
693–8064, (these are not toll-free
numbers) or sending an email to DOL_
PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
Submit comments about this request
by mail to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk
Officer for DOL–ETA, Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235,
725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC
20503; by Fax: 202–395–5806 (this is
not a toll-free number); or by email:
OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Commenters are encouraged, but not
required, to send a courtesy copy of any
comments by mail or courier to the U.S.
Department of Labor—OASAM, Office
of the Chief Information Officer, Attn:
Departmental Information Compliance
Management Program, Room N1301,
200 Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20210; or by email:
DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michel Smyth by telephone at 202–693–
4129, TTY 202–693–8064, (these are not
toll-free numbers) or sending an email
to DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
04APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14505-14516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06849]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employee Benefits Security Administration
Proposed Exemptions From Certain Prohibited Transaction
Restrictions
AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Exemptions.
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SUMMARY: This document contains notices of pendency before the
Department of Labor (the Department) of proposed exemptions from
certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). If granted, these proposed
exemptions allow designated parties to engage in transactions that
would otherwise be prohibited provided the conditions stated there in
are met. This notice includes the following proposed exemptions: D-
11890, Liberty Media 401(k) Savings Plan; D-11931, CLS Investments, LLC
and Affiliates.
DATES: All interested persons are invited to submit written comments or
requests for a hearing on the pending exemptions, unless otherwise
stated in the Notice of Proposed Exemption, within 45 days from the
date of publication of this Federal Register Notice.
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for a hearing should state: (1) The
name, address, and telephone number of the person making the comment or
request, and (2) the nature of the person's interest in the exemption
and the manner in which the person would be adversely affected by the
exemption. A request for a hearing must also state the issues to be
addressed and include a general description of the evidence to be
presented at the hearing.
All written comments and requests for a hearing (at least three
copies) should be sent via mail to the Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA), Office of Exemption Determinations, U.S.
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington,
DC 20210. Attention: Application No.__, stated in each Notice of
Proposed Exemption or via private delivery service or courier to the
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Office of Exemption
Determinations, U.S. Department of Labor, 122 C St. NW, Suite 400,
Washington, DC 20001. Attention: Application No.__, stated in each
Notice of Proposed Exemption. Interested persons are also invited to
submit comments and/or hearing requests to EBSA via email or FAX. Any
such comments or requests should be sent either by email to: [email protected], by FAX to (202) 693-8474, or online through https://www.regulations.gov by the end of the scheduled comment period. The
applications for exemption and the comments received will be available
for public inspection in the Public Documents Room of the Employee
Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-
1515, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210.
Warning: All comments will be made available to the public. Do not
include any personally identifiable information (such as Social
Security number, name, address, or other contact information) or
confidential business information that you do not want publicly
disclosed. All
[[Page 14506]]
comments may be posted on the internet and can be retrieved by most
internet search engines.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice to Interested Persons
Notice of the proposed exemptions will be provided to all
interested persons in the manner agreed upon by the applicant and the
Department, unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Proposed
Exemption, within 15 days of the date of publication in the Federal
Register. Such notice shall include a copy of the notice of proposed
exemption as published in the Federal Register and shall inform
interested persons of their right to comment and to request a hearing
(where appropriate).
The proposed exemptions were requested in applications filed
pursuant to section 408(a) of the Act and/or section 4975(c)(2) of the
Code, and in accordance with procedures set forth in 29 CFR part 2570,
subpart B (76 FR 66637, 66644, October 27, 2011).\1\ Effective December
31, 1978, section 102 of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1978, 5 U.S.C.
App. 1 (1996), transferred the authority of the Secretary of the
Treasury to issue exemptions of the type requested to the Secretary of
Labor. Therefore, these notices of proposed exemption are issued solely
by the Department.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Department has considered exemption applications
received prior to December 27, 2011 under the exemption procedures
set forth in 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (55 FR 32836, 32847, August
10, 1990).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The applications contain representations with regard to the
proposed exemptions which are summarized below. Interested persons are
referred to the applications on file with the Department for a complete
statement of the facts and representations.
Liberty Media 401(k) Savings Plan (the Plan) Located in Englewood, CO
[Application No. D-11890]
Proposed Exemption
The Department is considering granting an exemption under the
authority of section 408(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA or the Act) and in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76 FR 66637,
66644, October 27, 2011).\2\ If the proposed exemption is granted, the
restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and 407(a)(1)(A) of
the Act shall not apply, for the period beginning May 24, 2016, and
ending June 16, 2016, to:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ For purposes of this proposed exemption, references to the
provisions of Title I of the Act, unless otherwise specified, should
be read to refer as well to the corresponding provisions of section
4975 of the Code.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) The acquisition by the Plan of certain stock subscription
rights (the Rights) to purchase shares of Series C Liberty Braves
common stock (the Series C Liberty Braves Stock), in connection with a
rights offering (the Rights Offering) held by Liberty Media Corporation
(LMC), the Plan sponsor and a party in interest with respect to the
Plan; and
(2) The holding of the Rights by the Plan during the subscription
period of the Rights Offering, provided that certain conditions are
satisfied.
Summary of Facts and Representations \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Summary of Facts and Representations is based on LMC's
representations and does not reflect the views of the Department,
unless indicated otherwise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background
1. LMC (or the Applicant) is a Delaware corporation with its
principal place of business in Englewood, Colorado. LMC is a publicly-
traded corporation primarily engaged in media, communications and
entertainment operating businesses in North America, through several
subsidiaries that include: Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (Sirius XM), Braves
Holdings, LLC (Braves Holdings), and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
(Live Nation), an equity affiliate.
2. LMC sponsors and maintains the Plan, a defined contribution plan
which enables participating employees of LMC and its qualifying
subsidiaries to direct the investment of their Plan accounts across 22
investment alternatives, including certain employer securities issued
by LMC, as well as employer securities issued by other participating
employers in the Plan.
Plan Assets are Held in the Liberty Media 401(k) Savings Plan Trust
(the Trust).
LMC adopted and maintains the Plan and Trust for the exclusive
benefit of employee-participants and their beneficiaries. As designed,
the Plan is intended to qualify under sections 401(a) and 401(k) of the
Code, and the Trust is intended to be exempt under section 501(a) of
the Code. As of December 31, 2016, the Plan had total assets of
$100,814,000 and 784 participants.
Fidelity Management Trust Company (Fidelity) is the trustee of the
Plan, and acts as the custodian of the Plan assets, holding legal title
to the Plan's assets, and executing investment directions in accordance
with the written instructions of participants. The Liberty Media 401(k)
Savings Plan Administrative Committee (the Committee) serves as the
Plan Administrator and is the fiduciary responsible for Plan matters.
The Committee, which was appointed by LMC's Board of Directors, has
investment discretion over the Plan's investments, except to the extent
participants direct the investment of their Plan accounts.
Solely with respect to the Rights described below, the Committee
acted as trustee of a temporary separate trust (the Rights Trust)
established to hold the Rights, and Fidelity acted as custodian of
those Rights. As of May 16, 2016, The Plan held a total of
$1,550,227.31 in Series C Liberty Braves Common Stock, which
represented 0.595% of total Plan assets.
The Tracking Stock Proposal
3. On April 11, 2016, LMC shareholders met and approved a tracking
stock proposal (the Tracking Stock Proposal), which resulted in the
amendment and restatement of LMC's certificate of incorporation to
exchange existing shares of LMC's common stock (LMC Stock) for newly-
issued shares of three new tracking stocks (collectively, the Tracking
Stocks), to be designated as: ``Liberty SiriusXM common stock''
(Liberty SiriusXM Stock); ``Liberty Braves common stock'' (Liberty
Braves Stock); and ``Liberty Media common stock'' (Liberty Media
Stock). The Tracking Stock structure was designed to provide LMC with
greater operational and financial flexibility in the execution of its
business strategies by permitting LMC to bring greater flexibility to
its business and assets, thereby allowing the stock related to each
group to move in line with the fundamentals of the businesses and
assets attributed to that group. Therefore, the Tracking Stock Proposal
allowed the businesses, assets, and liabilities of LMC to be divided
among a new SiriusXM Group, a new Braves Group, and a new Media Group.
The Applicant represents that Plan participants were sent a proxy
statement (identical to the proxy statement sent to all shareholders of
LMC stock) prior to that meeting, so that they could direct how the
shares allocated to their accounts would be voted at that meeting.
Description of the Tracking Stocks
4. Liberty SiriusXM Stock is a newly-authorized and issued series
of LMC Stock intended to track and reflect the separate economic
performance of the businesses, assets, and liabilities to be
[[Page 14507]]
attributed to the SiriusXM Group, which would initially include: (a)
LMC's approximate 60% interest in Sirius XM Holdings, Inc.; (b) a $250
million margin loan obligation incurred by a wholly-owned special
purpose subsidiary of LMC, which is secured primarily by shares of
Sirius XM Stock; (c) certain deferred tax liabilities; and (d) $50
million in cash. LMC is authorized to issue up to 4.075 billion shares
of Liberty SiriusXM Stock, of which 2 billion are designated as Series
A Liberty SiriusXM Stock, 75 million shares are designated as Series B
Liberty SiriusXM Stock, and 2 billion shares are designated as Series C
Liberty SiriusXM Stock.
5. Liberty Braves Stock is a newly-authorized and issued series of
LMC Stock intended to track and reflect the separate economic
performance of the businesses, assets, and liabilities to be attributed
to the Braves Group, which would initially include: (a) LMC's wholly-
owned subsidiary, Braves Holdings, LLC, which indirectly owns the
Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball Club; (b) certain assets and
liabilities associated with the Atlanta Braves' stadium and mixed use
development project; (c) all liabilities arising under a note from
Braves Holdings, LLC (Braves Holdings) to LMC, with total capacity of
up to $165 million of borrowings by Braves Holdings (the Intergroup
Note); and (d) $61 million in cash. LMC is authorized to issue up to
407.5 million shares of Liberty Braves Stock, of which 200 million
shares are designated as Series A Liberty Braves Stock, 7.5 million
shares are designated as Series B Liberty Braves Stock, and 200 million
shares are designated as Series C Liberty Braves Stock.
6. Liberty Media Stock is a newly-authorized and issued series of
LMC Stock intended to track and reflect the separate economic
performance of the businesses, assets, and liabilities to be attributed
to the Media Group, which would consist of the remainder of LMC's
businesses, assets and liabilities, including: (a) LMC's approximate
27% interest in Live Nation; (b) LMC's other public company minority
investments; (c) all receivables under the Intergroup Note; (d) an
approximately 20% inter-group interest in the Braves Group; (e) LMC's
interest in any recovery received in connection with a 2013 judgment
against Vivendi Universal S.A.; (f) $50 million in cash; (g) LMC's
interest in certain 1.375% cash convertible senior notes, in the
principal amount of $1 billion that are due in 2023, as well as bond
and hedge warrant transactions that were executed concurrently with the
issuance of such notes; and (h) 1,018,750,000 shares of LMC Stock.
7. Following the April 11, 2016 shareholder approval of the
Tracking Stock Proposal, each holder of Series A, B, and C LMC Stock
participated in a reclassification and exchange (the Reclassification
and Exchange), under which each holder received the following upon the
cancellation of their existing shares of LMC Stock: (a) One newly-
issued share of the corresponding series of Liberty SiriusXM Stock; (b)
0.1 of a newly-issued share of the corresponding series of Liberty
Braves Stock; and (c) 0.25 of a newly-issued share of the corresponding
shares of LMC Stock. LMC shareholders also received cash instead of
receiving fractional shares for their interests in LMC Stock.
The Rights Offering
8. Pursuant to the Reclassification and Exchange described above,
LMC also conducted a Rights Offering in order to raise capital to repay
the Intergroup Note referenced above, and for general corporate
purposes. Under the Rights Offering, each holder of Series A, B, or C
Liberty Braves Stock, held as of May 16, 2016 (the Record Date),
received 0.47 of a subscription right, entitling the holders to
purchase one share of Series C Liberty Braves Stock at a subscription
price of $12.80 per share. The subscription price represented a 20%
discount to the 20-trading day volume weighted average trading price of
Series C Liberty Braves Stock, beginning on April 28, 2016, and ending
on May 11, 2016. The Series C Liberty Braves Stock is traded on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market (the NASDAQ), under the symbol ``BATRK.''
9. The Rights Offering commenced on May 18, 2016 and remained open
until June 16, 2016. The Plan received the Rights on or about May 24,
2016. The Applicant states that the Plan's delayed receipt of the
Rights was attributable to certain administrative functions performed
by Fidelity; Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (ComputerShare), the
subscription agent with respect to the Rights Offering, and Depository
Trust Company.
10. With respect to the Rights allocated to their Plan accounts
(including Rights attributable to 40l(k) contributions and employer
matching contributions), Plan participants could either elect to
exercise their Rights or sell the Rights on the open market. To assist
with this decision, the Plan prepared and provided to participants a
detailed explanation of their alternatives with respect to the Rights
Offering, including: (a) Questions and answers that explained the
Rights issuance and the participants' option to exercise or sell their
Rights; (b) instructions, which explained the steps for the
participants to take to exercise or sell their Rights; and (c) a copy
of LMC's prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In order to sell the Rights, a Plan participant was required to
contact a Fidelity representative and specify the whole percentage of
the Rights such participant desired to sell between May 26, 2016 and
June 7, 2016. Those participants who initially elected to exercise only
a portion of their Rights could later elect to exercise additional
Rights to the extent sufficient time existed prior to June 7, 2016. The
Applicant represents that the June 7th participant notification
deadline was necessary to ensure that Fidelity could process and
execute all participant directives with respect to the Rights by June
16, 2016.
The Plan Administrative Committee determined that the
oversubscription option, which entitled holders of LMC stock to
subscribe to purchase shares in excess of the shares reflected by the
Rights, would not be made available to Plan participants. The Applicant
represents that, to exercise their oversubscription rights,
participants had to transmit cash from their Plan accounts to LMC to be
held, uninvested and not through a trust, until such time as the shares
available for the oversubscription elections could be determined. The
Applicant represents that, under this scenario, the Plan sponsor held
Plan assets outside of the Plan's trust: A scenario which involved a
different set of prohibited transactions and fiduciary issues that the
Plan Administrative Committee determined were not feasible to address.
11. Due to securities law restrictions, certain participants deemed
to be ``reporting persons'' under Rule 16(b) \4\ of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Rule 16(b)) with respect to LMC did not have the
right to instruct Fidelity to either sell or exercise the Rights
credited to their Plan Accounts. As provided by the Plan, and as
directed by the Committee, Fidelity sold the Rights credited to these
16(b) participant accounts as soon as administratively feasible, after
the receipt and allocation of the Rights to the affected Plan
participant accounts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Rule 16(b) requires an officer, director, or any shareholder
holding more than 10% of the outstanding shares of a publicly-traded
company who makes a profit on a transaction with respect to the
company's stock during a given six month period, to pay the
difference back to the company.
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[[Page 14508]]
Temporary Investment Funds
12. The Plan established two temporary investment funds to hold the
Rights. The first fund, the ``Braves Rights Holding Fund,'' was a
separate fund established under the Rights Trust to hold the Rights
upon issuance. Rights were credited to Plan participants accounts based
on their respective holdings of Liberty Braves Stock as of the Record
Date. The second fund, the ``Braves Rights Holding Account Fund,''
reflected the approximate value of the Series C Liberty Braves Stock
due from the subscription agent following the exercise of Rights on or
before June 16, 2016, as directed by Plan participants.
13. With the exception of those reporting persons under Rule 16(b),
as described above, each participant could elect to exercise any
percentage of the Rights allocated to their account. Under the Rights
Offering, each participant could elect to exercise the Rights by
speaking to a Fidelity representative at any time prior to 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time, on June 7, 2016 (the Election Close-Out Date).
Participants also had the opportunity to revoke or change instructions
to exercise prior to the Election Close-Out Date by: (a) Electing a new
percentage of Rights to exercise, (b) placing an order to sell the
Rights (as described below), or (c) a combination of both.
With respect to each participant, the dollar amount required to
exercise the Rights was exchanged from other investments in such
participant's account into the Braves Rights Holding Account Fund. The
dollar amount required to exercise the Rights equaled the percentage of
Rights exercised (as elected by the participant) multiplied by the
number of Rights credited to the participant's account and multiplied
by the exercise price for the Rights Offering.
14. On or before June 16, 2016, the Rights to be exercised and
necessary funds were submitted by Fidelity to ComputerShare, which is
not affiliated with either LMC or Fidelity. Each Plan participant's
balance in the Rights Holding Fund was reduced by the number of Rights
exercised on such participant's behalf. Fidelity attempted to sell all
remaining Rights on the open market between June 10, 2016 and June 16,
2016, at which time the Rights expired. Upon receipt of the new shares,
the Braves Rights Holding Account Fund was closed and the newly-
received shares were allocated to participants' Plan accounts.
The Applicant represents that the Election Close-Out Date was
established to permit sufficient time for Fidelity to liquidate the
participants' other assets in an orderly manner so that the necessary
cash would be available to exercise the Rights before the June 16, 2016
Rights Offering expiration date. Unexercised Rights after June 7, 2016
were offered for sale on the open market by Fidelity, from on or about
June 10, 2016 through June 16, 2016. Rights that remained unsold at the
close of the market on June 16, 2016 expired.
15. In connection with the Rights Offering, the Plan received a
total of 15,821 Rights. Of the Rights received, 12,334 were sold by
Fidelity,\5\ 3,486 were exercised by participants,\6\ and 1 Right
expired. The Rights were sold at an average price of $1.90 per Right,
net of fees. The Applicant represents that Fidelity sold 1,921 Rights
(rounded to the nearest whole Right) at the direction of participants,
and 10,413 Rights (rounded to the nearest whole Right) after June 7,
2016.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The Applicant represents that the brokerage services and
fees received by Fidelity or by Computershare in connection with the
sale of the Rights held by Plan participants, are exempt under
section 408(b)(2) of the Act. The Department, herein, is not
providing any relief for the receipt of any commissions, fees, or
expenses in connection with the sale of the Rights in blind
transactions to unrelated third parties on the NASDAQ, beyond that
provided under section 408(b)(2) of the Act. In this regard, the
Department is not opining herein on whether the conditions set forth
in section 408(b)(2) of the Act and the Department's regulations,
pursuant to 29 CFR 2550.408(b)(2) have been satisfied.
\6\ The Applicant represents that the Plan accounts relied on
the relief provided by the statutory exemption, pursuant to section
408(e) of the Act for the exercise of the Rights. The Department is
not providing any relief herein from such prohibited transaction
provisions with respect to the exercise of the Rights. In addition,
the Department is offering no view on whether the requirements of
the statutory exemption provided in section 408(e) of the Act and
the Department's regulations, pursuant to 29 CFR 2550.408(e) were
satisfied or whether the statutory exemption is applicable to the
exercise of the Rights.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis
16. LMC represents that the acquisition and holding of the Rights
by the Plan constitute prohibited transactions in violation of sections
406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and 407(a)(1)(A) of the Act. Section
406(a)(1)(E) of the Act provides that a fiduciary with respect to a
plan shall not cause the plan to engage in a transaction if he or she
knows or should know that such transaction constitutes the acquisition,
on behalf of the plan, of any employer security in violation of section
407(a) of the Act. Section 406(a)(2) of the Act provides that a
fiduciary of a plan shall not permit the plan to hold any employer
security if he or she knows or should know that holding such security
violates section 407(a) of the Act. Under section 407(a)(1)(A) of the
Act, a plan may not acquire or hold any ``employer security'' which is
not a ``qualifying employer security.'' Under section 407(d)(1) of the
Act, ``employer securities'' are defined, in relevant part, as
securities issued by an employer of employees covered by the plan, or
by an affiliate of such employer. Section 407(d)(5) of the Act
provides, in relevant part, that ``qualifying employer securities'' are
stock or marketable obligations.
The Applicant states that the Plan was a holder of Series C Liberty
Braves Stock on the date of the Rights Offering. As such, the grant of
the Rights to the Plan was a grant of ``employer securities'' under
section 407(d)(l) of the Act. Because the Rights do not constitute
either stock or marketable obligations, the Rights are not ``qualifying
employer securities.'' Therefore, the Applicant requests a retroactive
exemption from sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and 407(a)(1)(A) of
the Act with respect to the acquisition and holding of the Rights by
the Plan in connection with the Rights Offering. If granted, the
exemption will be effective for the period May 24, 2016, through June
16, 2016.
Statutory Findings
17. The Applicant represents that the proposed exemption is
administratively feasible because it involved the acquisition and
short-term holding of the Rights by the individual accounts of Plan
participants. The Applicant also represents that all shareholders,
including the Plan participants, were treated in a like manner with
respect to the acquisition and holding of the Rights, with two
exceptions: (a) The oversubscription option available under the Rights
Offering was not available to participants in the Plan; and (b) certain
participants deemed to be reporting persons under Rule 16(b) with
respect to LMC did not have the right to instruct Fidelity to sell or
exercise the Rights credited to their Plan Accounts.
The Applicant represents that Plan participants would suffer a
hardship were the exemption to be denied because the issuance of the
Rights to the Plan was not within the control of the Plan or the Plan's
fiduciaries, as LMC issued subscription rights to all holders of
Liberty Braves Stock, including the Plan. If the exemption were denied,
the Applicant states that the transactions would have to be undone and
those participants who elected to use their Plan accounts to purchase
shares of Series C Liberty Braves Stock at a discount would be required
to return those shares for the price they paid.
[[Page 14509]]
This, according to the Applicant, would result in those participants
losing earnings attributable to those shares.
18. The Applicant represents that the proposed exemption is also in
the interests of the Plan and its participants and beneficiaries
because: (a) Plan participants were notified of the Rights Offering and
the procedure for instructing Fidelity regarding their desire with
respect to the exercise or sale of the Rights; (b) all shareholders of
Liberty Braves Stock, including the Plan, were treated in a like
manner, with two exceptions, which are noted above in paragraph 17; (c)
the Plan was treated in the same manner as other shareholders with
respect to the granting and the exercise or sale of the Rights; and (d)
the pass-through of the decision to exercise or sell the Rights, from
Fidelity to the Plan participants allowed each participant to decide
whether to liquidate his or her account to purchase additional shares
of employer securities at a discount.
19. Finally, the Applicant represents that the proposed exemption
is protective of the rights of participants because the Rights were
sold by Fidelity, at the direction of the affected Plan participants,
on the NASDAQ for their fair market value, in arms'-length transactions
between unrelated parties. Furthermore, the Applicant represents that
the Plan did not pay any fees or commissions with respect to the
acquisition or holding of the Rights, and it did not pay any
commissions to any affiliate of LMC in connection therewith.
Summary
20. Given the conditions described below, the Department has
tentatively determined that the relief sought by the Applicant
satisfies the statutory requirements for an exemption under section
408(a) of the Act.
Proposed Exemption Operative Language
The Department is considering granting an exemption under the
authority of section 408(a) of the Act (or ERISA) and in accordance
with the procedures set forth in 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76 FR
46637, 66644, October 27, 2011). If the exemption is granted, the
restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2), and 407(a)(1)(A) of
the Act shall not apply, for the period May 24, 2016, through June 16,
2016, to: (1) The acquisition by the Plan of the Rights in connection
with the Rights Offering; and (2) the holding of the Rights by the Plan
during the subscription period of the Rights Offering, provided that
the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) The Plan's acquisition of the Rights resulted solely from an
independent corporate act of LMC;
(b) All holders of Series A, Series B, or Series C Liberty Braves
common stock (Series A, B, or C Liberty Braves Stock), including the
Plan, were issued the same proportionate number of Rights based on the
number of shares of the Series A, B, or C Liberty Braves Stock held by
each such shareholder;
(c) For purposes of the Rights Offering, all holders of Series A,
B, or C Liberty Braves Stock, including the Plan, were treated in a
like manner, with two exceptions: (1) The oversubscription option
available under the Rights Offering was not available to participants
in the Plan; and (2) certain participants deemed to be reporting
persons under Rule 16(b) with respect to LMC did not have the right to
instruct Fidelity to either sell or exercise the Rights credited to
their Plan Accounts;
(d) The acquisition of the Rights by the Plan was made in a manner
that was consistent with provisions of the Plan for the individually-
directed investment of participant accounts;
(e) The Committee directed the Plan trustee to sell the Rights on
the NASDAQ Global Select Market (the NASDAQ), in accordance with Plan
provisions that precluded the Plan from acquiring additional shares of
Series C Liberty Braves Stock;
(f) The Committee did not exercise any discretion with respect to
the acquisition and holding of the Rights; and
(g) The Plan did not pay any fees or commissions in connection with
the acquisition or holding of the Rights, and it did not pay any
commissions to any affiliates of LMC in connection with the sale of the
Rights.
Effective Date: This proposed exemption, if granted, will be
effective from May 24, 2016, the date that the Plan received the
Rights, through June 16, 2016, the last date the Rights were sold on
the NASDAQ.
Notice To Interested Persons
Notice of the proposed exemption will be given to all Interested
Persons within 7 days of the publication of the notice of proposed
exemption in the Federal Register, by first class U.S. mail to the last
known address of all such individuals. Such notice will contain a copy
of the notice of proposed exemption, as published in the Federal
Register, and a supplemental statement, as required pursuant to 29 CFR
2570.43(a)(2). The supplemental statement will inform interested
persons of their right to comment on the pending exemption. Written
comments are due within 37 days of the publication of the notice of
proposed exemption in the Federal Register. All comments will be made
available to the public.
Warning: If you submit a comment, EBSA recommends that you include
your name and other contact information in the body of your comment,
but DO NOT submit information that you consider to be confidential, or
otherwise protected (such as Social Security number or an unlisted
phone number) or confidential business information that you do not want
publicly disclosed. All comments may be posted on the internet and can
be retrieved by most internet search engines.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Brennan of the Department,
telephone (202) 693-8456. (This is not a toll-free number.)
CLS Investments, LLC and Affiliates (CLS or the Applicant) Located in
Omaha, NE
[Application No. D-11931]
Proposed Exemption
The Department is considering granting an exemption under the
authority of 408(a) of the Act and section 4975(c)(2) of the Code, in
accordance with the procedures set forth in 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B
(76 FR 46637, 66644, October 27, 2011). If the exemption is granted,
the restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(D) and 406(b) of the Act, and
the sanctions resulting from the application of section 4975 of the
Code, by reason of sections 4975(c)(1)(D) through (F) of the Code,\7\
shall not apply to the receipt of a fee by CLS from a registered, open-
end investment company for which CLS serves as an investment advisor
(an Affiliated Fund), in connection with the investment by an employee
benefit plan in shares of such Affiliated Fund, where CLS serves as an
investment advisor or investment manager with respect to such plan
(Client Plan), provided the conditions of this exemption are met.
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\7\ For purposes of this proposed exemption reference to
specific provisions of Title I of the Act, unless otherwise
specified, should be read to refer as well to the corresponding
provisions of the Code.
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Summary of Facts and Representations \8\
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\8\ The Summary of Facts and Representations is based on the
Applicant's representations, unless indicated otherwise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. CLS is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities
and
[[Page 14510]]
Exchange Commission. CLS offers a variety of financial services and
operates primarily as an Exchange Traded Funds strategist working with
more than 2,500 financial advisors and 1,300 qualified plan sponsors to
manage more than 35,000 investor portfolios. CLS also acts as a sub-
advisor and investment research provider to many broker-dealer self-
clearing platforms, brokerage custodians, Registered Investment
Advisors (RIAs), and overlay portfolio management enterprises.
2. CLS acts an investment adviser to the Affiliated Funds. The
Affiliated Funds are diversified open-end investment companies
registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the
Investment Company Act, as amended. CLS may also provide certain
``secondary services'' to the Affiliated Funds, including custodial,
accounting, administrative services and brokerage services
(hereinafter, Secondary Services).
3. The Applicant seeks an exemption that would permit the receipt
of a fee by CLS from an Affiliated Fund, in connection with the
investment by a Client Plan in shares of such Affiliated Fund, where
CLS serves as an investment advisor or investment manager with respect
to such Client Plan. Absent an exemption, such investment may violate
several provisions of the Act. In this regard, CLS, as investment
manager or investment adviser to the Client Plans, is a fiduciary with
respect to the Client Plans, pursuant to section 3(21)(A)(i) and (ii)
of the Act. Section 3(21)(A) of the Act provides, in relevant part,
that a person is a fiduciary with respect to a plan to the extent that
the person: (i) Exercises any discretionary authority or control
respecting management of the Plan or any authority or control
respecting management or disposition of its assets, or (ii) renders
investment advice for a fee or other compensation, direct or indirect,
with respect to any moneys or other property of a plan or has any
authority or responsibility to do so.
4. Section 406(a)(l)(D) of the Act prohibits a fiduciary with
respect to a plan from causing such plan to engage in a transaction, if
such fiduciary knows or should know, that such transaction constitutes
a transfer to, or use by or for the benefit of, a party in interest, of
any assets of such plan. Section 406(b) of the Act provides that a
fiduciary with respect to a plan may not: (1) Deal with the assets of a
plan in his own interest or for his own account; (2) act, in his
individual or in any other capacity, in any transaction involving a
plan on behalf of a party (or represent a party) whose interests are
adverse to the interests of such plan or the interests of its
participants or beneficiaries; or (3) receive any consideration for his
own personal account from any party dealing with a plan in connection
with a transaction involving the assets of such plan.
5. An arrangement whereby CLS, as investment adviser or manager to
a Client Plan, invests plan assets in shares of a mutual fund that is
advised by CLS and receives an advisory or Secondary Services fee from
the Affiliated Fund in connection therewith, may be viewed as an
impermissible use of Client Plan assets, in violation of section
406(a)(1)(D) of the Act. In connection with such investment, the
increased compensation of CLS could be viewed as a violation of section
406(b)(1) and (b)(2) of the Act. Further, the receipt by CLS of
compensation from an Affiliated Fund could also be viewed as a
violation of section 406(b)(3) of the Act.
6. PTE 77-4 provides an exemption from section 406 of the Act and
section 4975 of the Code for the purchase and for the sale by a plan of
shares of a registered, open-end investment company, where the
investment adviser of such fund: (a) Is a plan fiduciary or affiliated
with a plan fiduciary; and (b) is not an employer of employees covered
by the plan. Prior to implementing any fee increase, an investment
adviser relying on PTE 77-4 must provide prior disclosures to each
affected second fiduciary, and must obtain written authorization from
each such second fiduciary. PTE 77-4 prohibits the payment by a plan of
commissions, 12b-1 fees, redemption fees, and similar fees, as well as
the payment of double investment advisory fees and similar fees with
respect to plan assets invested in such shares for the entire period of
such investment.
7. CLS states that obtaining advance written consent from each
Second Fiduciary (which refers, in general terms, to a Client Plan
fiduciary who is independent of and unrelated to CLS) prior to any Fee
Increase can be extremely difficult due to both the large number of
Client Plans involved and the difficulty in obtaining responses from
individual IRA owners. According to CLS, absent the requested exemptive
relief, CLS's failure to receive affirmative written approval on an
individual Client Plan basis could require CLS to transfer Client Plan
investments out of one or more Funds, where such Client Plans may not
desire such an outcome.
8. CLS seeks relief that is essentially the same as that afforded
by PTE 77-4, with the exception of the use of a ``negative consent''
procedure, which would constitute a Client Plan's approval of a Fee
Increase.\9\ For purposes of the exemption, a Fee Increase is: (a) Any
change by CLS in a rate of fee; (b) any increase in any fee that
results from the addition of a service for which a fee is charged; (c)
any increase in fee that results from a decrease in the number of
services; (d) any increase in any fee that results from a decrease in
the kind of services provided by CLS for such fee over an existing rate
of fee for each such service previously authorized by a Second
Fiduciary; (e) any change in fee that results from CLS changing from
one fee method to another; and (f) any change in the amount of
operating expenses of a Fund reimbursed or otherwise waived by CLS or
its affiliates to the extent that such change results in an increase in
the total operating expenses payable by the Fund.
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\9\ The Applicant represents that all of the CLS-affiliated
entities to which the exemption would apply are currently part of
the same controlled group. CLS represents that, if and to the extent
that CLS invests Client Plan assets in Affiliated Funds, such CLS-
affiliated entities can rely on the relief provided pursuant to PTE
77-4 (42 FR 18732 (April 8, 1977)), except as described below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. The exemption contains several conditions that are consistent
with the conditions found in PTE 77-4. For example, the exemption
requires, among other things, that each Client Plan which is invested
in shares of an Affiliated Fund, either: Does not pay to CLS, for the
entire period of such investment, any investment management fee, or any
investment advisory fee, or any similar fee at the plan-level, with
respect to any of the assets of such Client Plan which are invested in
shares of such Affiliated Fund; or pays to CLS a Plan-Level Management
Fee, based on total assets of such Client Plan under management by CLS
at the plan-level, from which a credit has been subtracted from such
Plan-Level Management Fee. Further, no sales commission or no other
similar fee may be paid in connection with any purchase and in
connection with any sale by a Client Plan in shares of an Affiliated
Fund. The payment of a redemption fee is permitted only if: Such
redemption fee is paid only to an Affiliated Fund; and the existence of
such redemption fee is disclosed in the summary prospectus for such
Affiliated Fund in effect both at the time of any purchase of shares in
such Affiliated Fund and at the time of any sale of such shares.
10. Additionally, in general terms, the combined total of all fees
received by
[[Page 14511]]
CLS may not be in excess of reasonable compensation within the meaning
of section 408(b)(2) of the Act. CLS may not receive any fees payable
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act in connection
with transactions covered by the exemption. Further, no Client Plan may
be an employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by CLS.
11. This exemption contains extensive notification requirements.
The Second Fiduciary must receive, in writing, in advance of any
investment by such Client Plan in shares of such Affiliated Fund, a
full and detailed disclosure of information concerning such Affiliated
Fund, including: A current summary prospectus issued by each such
Affiliated Fund; a statement describing the fees; and the reasons why
CLS may consider investment in shares of such Affiliated Fund by such
Client Plan to be appropriate for such Client Plan.
12. The Second Fiduciary must authorize, in writing, among other
things: The investment of the assets of such Client Plan in shares of
an Affiliated Fund; the Affiliated Fund-Level Advisory Fee received by
CLS for investment advisory services and similar services provided by
CLS to such Affiliated Fund; and the fee received by CLS for Secondary
Services provided by CLS to such Affiliated Fund. Any such
authorization made by a Second Fiduciary is terminable at will by such
Second Fiduciary, without penalty to such Client Plan (including any
fee or charge related to such penalty). The process for termination
includes the Second Fiduciary's receipt, at least annually, of a form
(the Termination Form), which expressly provides for an election to
terminate an authorization. Notwithstanding this, the instructions for
the Termination Form must also inform the Second Fiduciary that, among
other things, as of the date that is at least thirty (30) days from the
date that CLS sent the Termination Form to such Second Fiduciary, the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to return such Termination Form or the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to provide some other written
notification of the Client Plan's intent to terminate an authorization
that is subject to a negative consent arrangement covered by this
exemption, will be deemed to be an approval by such Second Fiduciary.
13. The exemption also requires that CLS, at least thirty (30) days
in advance of the implementation of a fee increase, provide to the
Second Fiduciary of each Client Plan, a notice of change in fees (the
Notice of Change in Fees) which explains the nature and the amount of
such Fee Increase. Such Notice of Change in Fees must be accompanied by
a Termination Form and by instructions on the use of such Termination
Form. The notice must explain that, as of the date that is at least
thirty (30) days from the date that CLS sends the Notice of Change of
Fees and the Termination Form to such Second Fiduciary, the failure by
such Second to return such Termination Form or the failure by such
Second Fiduciary to provide some other written notification of the
Client Plan's intent to terminate the authorization, will be deemed to
be an approval by such Second Fiduciary of such Fee Increase.
14. The exemption contains other safeguards designed to protect
affected Client Plans. In this regard, in general terms: CLS must
provide reasonably available information regarding the covered
transactions that the Second Fiduciary of such Client Plan requests;
all dealings between a Client Plan and an Affiliated Fund are on a
basis no less favorable to such Client Plan, than dealings between such
Affiliated Fund and other similar shareholders; in the event a Client
Plan invests in shares of an Affiliated Fund, if such Affiliated Fund
places brokerage transactions with CLS, CLS must provide to the Second
Fiduciary of each such Client Plan, so invested, an annual statement
specifying relevant commission information; the purchase price paid and
the sales price received by a Client Plan for shares in an Affiliated
Fund purchased or sold directly must be the net asset value per share,
and must be the same purchase price that would have been paid, and the
same sales price that would have been received, for such shares by any
other shareholder of the same class of shares in such Affiliated Fund
at that time; and CLS, including any officer and any director of CLS,
may not purchase any shares of an Affiliated Fund from, and may not
sell any shares of an Affiliated Fund to, any Client Plan which invests
directly in such Affiliated Fund. The exemption also contains
recordkeeping requirements.
15. Importantly, the conditions of PTE 77-4, as amended and/or
restated, must be met. Further, if CLS is a fiduciary within the
meaning of section 3(21)(A)(i) or (ii) of the Act, or section
4975(e)(3)(A) or (B) of the Code, with respect to the assets of a
Client Plan involved in the transaction, CLS must comply with the
following conditions with respect to the transaction: (1) CLS must act
in the Best Interest (as described below) of the Client Plan; (2) all
compensation received by CLS in connection with the transaction in
relation to the total services the fiduciary provides to the Client
Plan must not exceed reasonable compensation within the meaning of
section 408(b)(2) of the Act; and (3) CLS's statements about
recommended investments, fees, material conflicts of interest,\10\ and
any other matters relevant to a Client Plan's investment decisions must
not be materially misleading at the time they are made. In the last
regard, CLS acts in the ``Best Interest'' of the Client Plan when CLS
acts with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the
circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person would exercise
based on the investment objectives, risk tolerance, financial
circumstances, and needs of the plan or IRA, without regard to the
financial or other interests of the fiduciary, any affiliate or other
party.
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\10\ A ``material conflict of interest'' exists when a fiduciary
has a financial interest that could affect the exercise of its best
judgment as a fiduciary in rendering advice to a Client Plan. For
this purpose, the failure of CLS to disclose a material conflict of
interest relevant to the services it is providing to a Client Plan,
or other actions it is taking in relation to a Client Plan's
investment decisions, is deemed to be a misleading statement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. CLS represents that it will ``actively'' satisfy the various
disclosure requirements of this proposed exemption by transmitting
emails, rather than relying on ``passive'' postings on a website. CLS
represents that Client Plans that do not authorize electronic delivery
will receive, in advance, hard copies of the required documents, and
that hard copies of required documents will be available to Client
Plans upon request. CLS represents that the disclosure methods under
this exemption will be consistent with the Department's regulations at
29 CFR 2520.104b-1.
17. The Applicant represents that the proposed exemption is in the
interest of Client Plans because it will allow CLS to manage Client
Plan assets more efficiently. The Applicant states that the Affiliated
Funds provide certain advantages to Client Plans, including access to
professional management services and lower costs, including no sales
commission costs in connection with the purchase or sale of shares in
any of the Funds and no 12b-1 fees. The Applicant also represents that
the Affiliated Funds provide a means for Client Plans with limited
assets to achieve diversification of investment in a manner that may
not be attainable through direct investment by a plan participant. For
these reasons, CLS maintains that the availability of the Funds as
investments enables CLS, as investment manager, to better meet the
investment goals and strategies of a Client Plan.
[[Page 14512]]
18. The Applicant represents that the proposed exemption is
protective of Client Plans because it contains sufficient safeguards
for the protection of the Client Plans invested in the Funds. In this
regard, prior to any investment by a Client Plan in a Fund, the
investment must be authorized in writing by the Second Fiduciary of
such Client Plan, based on a full and detailed written disclosure
concerning such Fund. The Applicant states that, in addition to the
initial disclosures provided to the Second Fiduciary of a Client Plan
invested in a Fund, CLS provides such Second Fiduciary with ongoing
disclosures regarding such Fund and the fee methods. Specifically, CLS
provides the Second Fiduciary with the current Fund prospectuses, the
annual financial disclosure reports containing information about the
Funds, and audit findings. The Applicant states that CLS will respond
to inquiries from a Second Fiduciary and, upon request, will provide:
Copies of the Statements of Additional Information for the Funds, a
copy of the proposed exemption, and a copy of the final exemption, if
granted, once such documents are published in the Federal Register.
Further, the Applicant states that Client Plan investments in
Affiliated Funds will be subject to the ongoing ability of the Second
Fiduciary of such Client Plan to terminate the investment without
penalty to such Client Plan, at any time, upon written notice of
termination. In this regard, the Applicant states that the Second
Fiduciary will have sufficient opportunity to terminate a Client Plan's
investment in a Fund, without penalty to the Client Plan, and withdraw
the Client Plan's investment from such Fund in advance of any such
change in fee. Also in this regard, the Applicant states that any and
all changes in fees payable to CLS by Affiliated Funds will be on terms
monitored by the Second Fiduciary who will be prompted by the
Termination Form with a means to avoid the effect of such changes.
Summary
19. Given the conditions applicable to the transactions covered by
this exemption, if granted, the Department has tentatively determined
that the relief sought by the Applicant satisfies the statutory
requirements for an exemption under section 408(a) of the Act.
Proposed Exemption Operative Language
The Department is considering granting an exemption under the
authority of section 408(a) of the Act (or ERISA) and in accordance
with the procedures set forth in 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76 FR
46637, 66644, October 27, 2011).
Section I. Transactions
If the proposed exemption is granted, the restrictions of sections
406(a)(1)(D) and 406(b) of the Act, and the sanctions resulting from
the application of section 4975 of the Code, by reason of sections
4975(c)(1)(D) through (F) of the Code,\11\ shall not apply to the
receipt of a fee by CLS, from an open-end investment company
(Affiliated Fund), in connection with the investment in shares of any
such Affiliated Fund, by an employee benefit plan (a Client Plan), as
defined in Section IV(b), where CLS serves as a fiduciary with respect
to such Client Plan, and where CLS: (a) Provides investment advisory
services, or similar services to any such Affiliated Fund; and (b)
provides to any such Affiliated Fund any other services (Secondary
Services), as defined below in Section IV(i).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ For purposes of this proposed exemption reference to
specific provisions of Title I of the Act, unless otherwise
specified, should be read to refer as well to the corresponding
provisions of the Code.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section II. Specific Conditions
(a) Each Client Plan which is invested in shares of an Affiliated
Fund either:
(1) Does not pay to CLS, for the entire period of such investment,
any investment management fee, or any investment advisory fee, or any
similar fee at the plan-level (the Plan-Level Management Fee), as
defined below in Section IV(l), with respect to any of the assets of
such Client Plan which are invested in shares of such Affiliated Fund;
or
(2) Pays to CLS a Plan-Level Management Fee, based on total assets
of such Client Plan under management by CLS at the plan-level, from
which a credit has been subtracted from such Plan-Level Management Fee,
where the amount subtracted represents such Client Plan's pro rata
share of any investment advisory fee and any similar fee (the
Affiliated Fund Level Advisory Fee), as defined below in Section IV(m),
paid by such Affiliated Fund to CLS.
If, during any fee period, in the case of a Client Plan invested in
shares of an Affiliated Fund, such Client Plan has prepaid its Plan
Level Management Fee, and such Client Plan purchases shares of an
Affiliated Fund, the requirement of this Section II(a)(2) shall be
deemed met with respect to such prepaid Plan-Level Management Fee, if,
by a method reasonably designed to accomplish the same, the amount of
the prepaid Plan-Level Management Fee that constitutes the fee with
respect to the assets of such Client Plan invested in shares of an
Affiliated Fund:
(i) Is anticipated and subtracted from the prepaid Plan-Level
Management Fee at the time of the payment of such fee; or
(ii) Is returned to such Client Plan, no later than during the
immediately following fee period; or
(iii) Is offset against the Plan-Level Management Fee for the
immediately following fee period or for the fee period immediately
following thereafter.
For purposes of Section II(a)(2), a Plan-Level Management Fee shall
be deemed to be prepaid for any fee period, if the amount of such Plan-
Level Management Fee is calculated as of a date not later than the
first day of such period.
(b) No sales commissions, no redemption fees, and no other similar
fees are paid in connection with any purchase and in connection with
any sale by a Client Plan in shares of an Affiliated Fund. However,
this Section II(b) does not prohibit the payment of a redemption fee,
if:
(1) Such redemption fee is paid only to an Affiliated Fund; and
(2) The existence of such redemption fee is disclosed in the
summary prospectus for such Affiliated Fund in effect both at the time
of any purchase of shares in such Affiliated Fund and at the time of
any sale of such shares.
(c) The combined total of all fees received by CLS is not in excess
of reasonable compensation within the meaning of section 408(b)(2) of
the Act, for services provided:
(1) By CLS to each Client Plan; and
(2) By CLS to each Affiliated Fund in which a Client Plan invests
in shares of such Affiliated Fund;
(d) CLS does not receive any fees payable pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the Investment Company Act in connection with the transactions
covered by this proposed exemption;
(e) No Client Plan is an employee benefit plan sponsored or
maintained by CLS;
(f) In the case of a Client Plan investing in shares of an
Affiliated Fund, the Second Fiduciary, as defined below in Section
IV(h), acting on behalf of such Client Plan, receives, in writing, in
advance of any investment by such Client Plan in shares of such
Affiliated Fund, a full and detailed disclosure via first class mail or
via personal delivery of (or, if the Second Fiduciary consents to such
means of delivery, through electronic email, in accordance with Section
II(n), as set forth below) information concerning such Affiliated
[[Page 14513]]
Fund, including but not limited to the items listed below:
(1) A current summary prospectus issued by each such Affiliated
Fund;
(2) A statement describing the fees, including the nature and
extent of any differential between the rates of such fees for:
(i) Investment advisory and similar services to be paid to CLS by
each Affiliated Fund;
(ii) Secondary Services to be paid to CLS by each such Affiliated
Fund; and
(iii) All other fees to be charged by CLS to such Client Plan and
to each such Affiliated Fund and all other fees to be paid to CLS by
each such Client Plan and by each such Affiliated Fund;
(3) The reasons why CLS may consider investment in shares of such
Affiliated Fund by such Client Plan to be appropriate for such Client
Plan;
(4) A statement describing whether there are any limitations
applicable to CLS with respect to which assets of such Client Plan may
be invested in shares of such Affiliated Fund, and if so, the nature of
such limitations; and
(5) Upon the request of the Second Fiduciary acting on behalf of
such Client Plan, a copy of the Notice of Proposed Exemption (the
Notice), a copy of the final exemption, if granted, and any other
reasonably available information regarding the transactions which are
the subject of this proposed exemption;
(g) On the basis of the information described above in Section
II(f), a Second Fiduciary acting on behalf of a Client Plan authorizes,
in writing:
(1) The investment of the assets of such Client Plan in shares of
an Affiliated Fund;
(2) The Affiliated Fund-Level Advisory Fee received by CLS for
investment advisory services and similar services provided by CLS to
such Affiliated Fund;
(3) The fee received by CLS for Secondary Services provided by CLS
to such Affiliated Fund;
(4) The Plan-Level Management Fee received by CLS for investment
management and similar services provided by CLS to such Client Plan at
the plan-level; and
(5) The selection, by CLS, of the applicable fee method, as
described above in Section II(a)(1)-(2);
All authorizations made by a Second Fiduciary pursuant to this
Section II(g) must be consistent with the responsibilities,
obligations, and duties imposed on fiduciaries by Part 4 of Title I of
the Act;
(h)(1) Any authorization, described above in Section II(g), and any
authorization made pursuant to negative consent, as described below in
Section II(i), made by a Second Fiduciary, acting on behalf of a Client
Plan, shall be terminable at will by such Second Fiduciary, without
penalty to such Client Plan (including any fee or charge related to
such penalty), upon receipt by CLS via first class mail, via personal
delivery, or via electronic email of a written notification of the
intent of such Second Fiduciary to terminate any such authorization;
(2) A form (the Termination Form), expressly providing an election
to terminate any authorization, described above in Section II(g), or to
terminate any authorization made pursuant to negative consent, as
described below in Section II(i), with instructions on the use of such
Termination Form, must be provided to such Second Fiduciary at least
annually, either in writing via first class mail or via personal
delivery (or if such Second Fiduciary consents to such means of
delivery, through electronic email, in accordance with Section II(n),
as set forth below). However, if a Termination Form has been provided
to such Second Fiduciary pursuant to Section II(i), then a Termination
Form need not be provided pursuant to this Section II(h), until at
least six (6) months, but no more than twelve (12) months, have
elapsed, since the prior Termination Form was provided;
(3) The instructions for the Termination Form must include the
following statements:
(i) Any authorization, described above in Section II(g), and any
authorization made pursuant to negative consent, as described below in
Section II(i), is terminable at will by a Second Fiduciary, acting on
behalf of a Client Plan, without penalty to such Client Plan, upon
receipt by CLS, via first class mail or via personal delivery or via
electronic email, of the Termination Form, or some other written
notification of the intent of such Second Fiduciary to terminate such
authorization; and
(ii) As of the date that is at least thirty (30) days from the date
that CLS sends the Termination Form to such Second Fiduciary, the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to return such Termination Form or the
failure by such Second Fiduciary to provide some other written
notification of the Client Plan's intent to terminate any
authorization, described in Section II(g), or intent to terminate any
authorization made pursuant to negative consent, as described below in
Section II(i), will be deemed to be an approval by such Second
Fiduciary;
(4) In the event that a Second Fiduciary, acting on behalf of a
Client Plan, at any time returns a Termination Form or returns some
other written notification of intent to terminate any authorization, as
described above in Section II(g), or intent to terminate any
authorization made pursuant to negative consent, as described below in
Section II(i), the termination will be implemented by the withdrawal of
all investments made by such Client Plan in the affected Affiliated
Fund, and such withdrawal will be implemented by CLS within one (1)
business day of the date that CLS receives such Termination Form or
receives from the Second Fiduciary, acting on behalf of such Client
Plan, some other written notification of intent to terminate any such
authorization;
(5) From the date a Second Fiduciary, acting on behalf of a Client
Plan that invests in shares of an Affiliated Fund, returns a
Termination Form or returns some other written notification of intent
to terminate such Client Plan's investment in such Affiliated Fund,
such Client Plan will not be subject to pay a pro rata share of any
Affiliated Fund-Level Advisory Fee and will not be subject to pay any
fees for Secondary Services paid to CLS by such Affiliated Fund, or any
other fees or charges;
(i)(1) CLS, at least thirty (30) days in advance of the
implementation of each fee increase (Fee Increase(s)), as defined below
in Section IV(k), must provide in writing via first class mail or via
personal delivery (or if the Second Fiduciary consents to such means of
deliver