§ 3806 — Management of statutory trust

Delaware § 3806

• Jurisdiction: Delaware
• Title: 12
• Part: Fiduciary Relations
• Ch. 38: TREATMENT OF DELAWARE STATUTORY TRUSTS
• Subch.: Domestic Statutory Trusts

Text

(a) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, the business and affairs of a statutory trust shall be managed by or under the direction of its trustees. To the extent provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, any person (including a beneficial owner) shall be entitled to direct the trustees or other persons in the management of the statutory trust. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, neither the power to give direction to a trustee or other persons nor the exercise thereof by any person (including a beneficial owner) shall cause such person to be a trustee. To the extent provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, neither the power to give direction to a trustee or other persons nor the exercise thereof by any person (including a beneficial owner) shall cause such person to have duties (including fiduciary duties) or liabilities relating thereto to the statutory trust or to a beneficial owner thereof.

(b) A governing instrument may contain any provision relating to the management of the business and affairs of the statutory trust, and the rights, duties and obligations of the trustees, beneficial owners and other persons, which is not contrary to any provision or requirement of this subchapter and, without limitation:

(1) May provide for classes, groups or series of trustees or beneficial owners, or classes, groups or series of beneficial interests, having such relative rights, powers and duties as the governing instrument may provide, and may make provision for the future creation in the manner provided in the governing instrument of additional classes, groups or series of trustees, beneficial owners or beneficial interests, having such relative rights, powers and duties as may from time to time be established, including rights, powers and duties senior or subordinate to existing classes, groups or series of trustees, beneficial owners or beneficial interests;

(2) May establish or provide for the establishment of designated series of trustees, beneficial owners, assets or beneficial interests having separate rights, powers or duties with respect to specified property or obligations of the statutory trust or profits and losses associated with specified property or obligations, and, to the extent provided in the governing instrument, any such series may have a separate business purpose or investment objective;

(3) May provide for the taking of any action, including the amendment of the governing instrument, the accomplishment of a merger, conversion or consolidation, the appointment of 1 or more trustees, the sale, lease, exchange, transfer, pledge or other disposition of all or any part of the assets of the statutory trust or the assets of any series, or the dissolution of the statutory trust, or may provide for the taking of any action to create under the provisions of the governing instrument a class, group or series of beneficial interests that was not previously outstanding, in any such case without the vote or approval of any particular trustee or beneficial owner, or class, group or series of trustees or beneficial owners;

(4) May grant to (or withhold from) all or certain trustees or beneficial owners, or a specified class, group or series of trustees or beneficial owners, the right to vote, separately or with any or all other classes, groups or series of the trustees or beneficial owners, on any matter, such voting being on a per capita, number, financial interest, class, group, series or any other basis;

(5) May, if and to the extent that voting rights are granted under the governing instrument, set forth provisions relating to notice of the time, place or purpose of any meeting at which any matter is to be voted on, waiver of any such notice, action by consent without a meeting, the establishment of record dates, quorum requirements, voting in person, by proxy or in any other manner, or any other matter with respect to the exercise of any such right to vote;

(6) May provide for the present or future creation of more than 1 statutory trust, including the creation of a future statutory trust to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of any existing statutory trust will be transferred, and for the conversion of beneficial interests in an existing statutory trust, or series thereof, into beneficial interests in the separate statutory trust, or series thereof;

(7) May provide for the appointment, election or engagement, either as agents or independent contractors of the statutory trust or as delegates of the trustees, of officers, employees, managers or other persons who may manage the business and affairs of the statutory trust, which delegation may be made irrespective of whether the trustee, officer, employee, manager or other person who may manage the business and affairs of the statutory trust has a conflict of interest with respect to the matter as to which its rights, powers or duties are being delegated, and the person or person to whom any such rights, powers or duties are being delegated shall not be deemed conflicted solely by reason of the conflict of interest of the trustee, officer, employee, manager or other person who may manage the business and affairs of the statutory trust, and may have such titles and such relative rights, powers and duties as the governing instrument shall provide.

(8) May provide rights to any person, including a person who is not a party to the governing instrument, to the extent set forth therein;

(9) May provide for the manner in which it may be amended, including by requiring the approval of a person who is not a party to the governing instrument or the satisfaction of conditions, and to the extent the governing instrument provides for the manner in which it may be amended such governing instrument may be amended only in that manner or as otherwise permitted by law, including as permitted by § 3815(f) of this title (provided that the approval of any person may be waived by such person and that any such conditions may be waived by all persons for whose benefit such conditions were intended). Unless otherwise provided in a governing instrument, a supermajority amendment provision shall only apply to provisions of the governing instrument that are expressly included in the governing instrument. As used in this section, “supermajority amendment provision” means any amendment provision set forth in a governing instrument requiring that an amendment to a provision of the governing instrument be adopted by no less than the vote or consent required to take action under such latter provision. If a governing instrument does not provide for the manner in which it may be amended, the governing instrument may be amended with the approval of all of the beneficial owners and trustees or as otherwise permitted by law, including as permitted by §§ 3815(f) and 3825(f) of this title; or

(10) May provide for specific trustees, a certain number of trustees or a threshold percentage of trustees required to vote in favor of any action in order for such action to be considered approved by the trustees; except that, if the governing instrument is silent as to the specific trustees, number of trustees or threshold percentage of trustees so required, then unless otherwise provided in this chapter or in the governing instrument, the vote of a majority of the trustees (or, in the event that such action requires the approval of a particular class, group, or series of trustees, then a majority of such class, group, or series) shall be sufficient to approve such action.

(c) To the extent that, at law or in equity, a trustee or beneficial owner or other person has duties (including fiduciary duties) to a statutory trust or to another trustee or beneficial owner or to another person that is a party to or is otherwise bound by a governing instrument, the trustee’s or beneficial owner’s or other person’s duties may be expanded or restricted or eliminated by provisions in the governing instrument; provided, that the governing instrument may not eliminate the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

(d) Unless otherwise provided in a governing instrument, a trustee or beneficial owner or other person shall not be liable to a statutory trust or to another trustee or beneficial owner or to another person that is a party to or is otherwise bound by a governing instrument for breach of fiduciary duty for the trustee’s or beneficial owner’s or other person’s good faith reliance on the provisions of the governing instrument.

(e) A governing instrument may provide for the limitation or elimination of any and all liabilities for breach of contract and breach of duties (including fiduciary duties) of a trustee, beneficial owner or other person to a statutory trust or to another trustee or beneficial owner or to another person that is a party to or is otherwise bound by a governing instrument; provided, that a governing instrument may not limit or eliminate liability for any act or omission that constitutes a bad faith violation of the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

(f) Unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, meetings of beneficial owners may be held by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection shall constitute presence in person at the meeting. Unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, on any matter that is to be voted on by the beneficial owners:

(1) The beneficial owners may take such action without a meeting, without a prior notice and without a vote if consented to, in writing, or by electronic transmission by beneficial owners having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all interests in the statutory trust entitled to vote thereon were present and voted; and

(2) The beneficial owners may vote in person or by proxy, and such proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic transmission; or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

Unless otherwise provided in a governing instrument, a consent transmitted by electronic transmission by a beneficial owner or by a person or persons authorized to act for a beneficial owner shall be deemed to be written and signed for purposes of this subsection. Unless otherwise provided in a governing instrument, if a person (whether or not then a beneficial owner) consenting as a beneficial owner to any matter provides that such consent will be effective at a future time (including a time determined upon the happening of an event), then such person shall be deemed to have consented as a beneficial owner at such future time so long as such person is then a beneficial owner.

(g) Unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, meetings of trustees may be held by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection shall constitute presence in person at the meeting. Unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, on any matter that is to be voted on by the trustees:

(1) The trustees may take such action without a meeting, without a prior notice and without a vote if consented to, in writing, or by electronic transmission, by trustees having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all trustees entitled to vote thereon were present and voted; and

(2) The trustee may vote in person or by proxy, and such proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic transmission, or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

Unless otherwise provided in a governing instrument, a consent transmitted by electronic transmission by a trustee or by a person or persons authorized to act for a trustee shall be deemed to be written and signed for purposes of this subsection. Unless otherwise provided in a governing instrument, if a person (whether or not then a trustee) consenting as a trustee to any matter provides that such consent will be effective at a future time (including a time determined upon the happening of an event), then such person shall be deemed to have consented as a trustee at such future time so long as such person is then a trustee.

(h) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, a beneficial owner, trustee, officer, employee or manager may lend money to, borrow money from, act as a surety, guarantor or endorser for, guarantee or assume 1 or more obligations of, provide collateral for, and transact other business with a statutory trust and, subject to other applicable law, has the same rights and obligations with respect to any such matter as a person who is not a beneficial owner, trustee, officer, employee or manager.

(i) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, a trustee of a statutory trust has the power and authority to delegate to 1 or more other persons any or all of the trustee’s rights, powers and duties to manage and control the business and affairs of the statutory trust, which delegation may be made irrespective of whether the trustee has a conflict of interest with respect to the matter as to which its rights, powers or duties are being delegated, and the person or persons to whom any such rights, powers or duties are being delegated shall not be deemed conflicted solely by reason of the conflict of interest of the trustee. Any such delegation may be to agents, officers and employees of the trustee or the statutory trust, and by a management agreement or other agreement with, or otherwise to, other persons, including a committee of 1 or more persons. Unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, such delegation by a trustee of a statutory trust shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, such delegation by a trustee of a statutory trust shall not cause the trustee to cease to be a trustee of the statutory trust or cause the person to whom any such rights, powers or duties have been delegated to be a trustee of the statutory trust. No other provision of this subchapter or other law shall be construed to restrict a trustee’s power and authority to delegate any or all of its rights, powers and duties to manage and control the business and affairs of the statutory trust.

(j) The governing instrument of a statutory trust may provide that:

(1) A beneficial owner who fails to perform in accordance with, or to comply with the terms and conditions of, the governing instrument shall be subject to specified penalties or specified consequences;

(2) At the time or upon the happening of events specified in the governing instrument, a beneficial owner shall be subject to specified penalties or specified consequences; and

(3) The specified penalties or specified consequences under paragraphs (j)(1) and (j)(2) of this section may include and take the form of any penalty or consequence set forth in § 3802(c) of this title.

(k) A trustee, beneficial owner or an officer, employee, manager or other person designated in accordance with paragraph (b)(7) or subsection (i) of this section shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the statutory trust and upon information, opinions, reports or statements presented by another trustee, beneficial owner or officer, employee, manager or other person designated in accordance with paragraph (b)(7) or subsection (i) of this section, or by any other person as to matters the trustee, beneficial owner or officer, employee, manager or other person designated in accordance with paragraph (b)(7) or subsection (i) of this section reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence, including information, opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the statutory trust, or the value and amount of assets or reserves or contracts, agreements or other undertakings that would be sufficient to pay claims and obligations, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from which distributions to beneficial owners or creditors might properly be paid.

(l) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, trustees of a statutory trust that is registered as an investment company or regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 80a-1 et seq.), shall have the same fiduciary duties as directors of private corporations for profit organized under the general corporation law of the State.

(m) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, a trustee shall have no duties or liabilities with respect to the selection, supervision, removal, decisions or actions of, or to exercise or perform the rights, powers or duties of, an officer, employee, manager or other person acting pursuant to paragraph (b)(7) of this section or a delegate acting pursuant to subsection (i) of this section:

(1) To the extent such person is appointed, elected, engaged or made a delegate by an express provision of the governing instrument or another agreement contemplated thereby;

(2) To the extent the trustee is required to appoint, elect or engage, or delegate to, such person by an express provision of the governing instrument or another agreement contemplated thereby and not pursuant to the discretionary authority of the trustee;

(3) To the extent a trustee makes an irrevocable delegation pursuant to subsection (i) of this section and pursuant to the discretionary authority of the trustee, except to exercise the standard of care required of the trustee under the governing instrument or this subchapter in making such decisions when selecting such person and when establishing the scope and terms of the delegation; or

(4) In all other cases, except to exercise the standard of care required of the trustee under the governing instrument or this subchapter in making such decisions when selecting such person, when establishing the scope and terms of the delegation and when reviewing such person’s actions in order to monitor such person’s performance and compliance with the scope and terms of the delegation.

(n) Any officer, employee, manager or other person acting pursuant to paragraph (b)(7) of this section or any delegate acting pursuant to subsection (i) of this section shall comply with the scope and terms of the appointment, election, engagement or delegation and, except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust or the terms of such appointment, election, engagement or delegation, shall:

(1) Exercise the rights, powers and duties subject to the standard of care required of the trustee under the governing instrument or this subchapter; and

(2) Be liable for failure to do so.

(o) Any act or transaction that may be taken by or in respect of a statutory trust under this subchapter or the governing instrument of the statutory trust, but that is void or voidable when taken, may be ratified (or the failure to comply with any requirements of the governing instrument making such act or transaction void or voidable may be waived) by the beneficial owners, trustees or other persons whose approval would be required under the governing instrument:

(1) For such act or transaction to be validly taken; or

(2) To amend the governing instrument in a manner that would permit such act or transaction to be validly taken, in each case at the time of such ratification or waiver;

provided, that if the void or voidable act or transaction was the issuance or assignment of any beneficial interests, the beneficial interests purportedly issued or assigned shall be deemed not to have been issued or assigned for purposes of determining whether the void or voidable act or transaction was ratified or waived pursuant to this subsection. Any act or transaction ratified, or with respect to which the failure to comply with any requirements of the governing instrument is waived, pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed validly taken at the time of such act or transaction. If an amendment to the governing instrument to permit any such act or transaction to be validly taken would require notice to any beneficial owners, trustees or other persons under the governing instrument and the ratification or waiver of such act or transaction is effectuated pursuant to this subsection by the beneficial owners, trustees or other persons whose approval would be required to amend the governing instrument, notice of such ratification or waiver shall be given following such ratification or waiver to the beneficial owners, trustees or other persons who would have been entitled to notice of such an amendment and who have not otherwise received notice of, or participated in, such ratification or waiver. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to limit the accomplishment of a ratification or waiver of a void or voidable act by other means permitted by law. Upon application of the statutory trust, any beneficial owner, any trustee or any person claiming to be substantially and adversely affected by a ratification or waiver pursuant to this subsection (excluding any harm that would have resulted if such act or transaction had been valid when taken), the Court of Chancery may hear and determine the validity and effectiveness of the ratification of, or waiver with respect to, any void or voidable act or transaction effectuated pursuant to this subsection, and in any such application, the statutory trust shall be named as a party and service of the application upon the Delaware trustee or registered agent of the statutory trust required by § 3807 of this title shall be deemed to be service upon the statutory trust, and no other party need be joined in order for the Court to adjudicate the validity and effectiveness of the ratification or waiver, and the Court may make such order respecting further or other notice of such application as it deems proper under these circumstances; provided, that nothing herein limits or affects the right to serve process in any other manner now or hereafter provided by law, and this sentence is an extension of and not a limitation upon the right otherwise existing of service of legal process upon nonresidents.

(p) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, the trustees of a statutory trust may authorize any of the beneficial owners of the statutory trust to direct how any securities held, directly or indirectly, by the statutory trust shall be voted on any matter, and a trustee shall have no duties or liabilities with respect to the voting of such securities if the trustees have exercised the standard of care required of the trustees under the governing instrument or this subchapter in connection with authorizing the beneficial owners to direct how such securities will be voted.

Legislative History

66 Del. Laws, c. 279, § 1 ; 67 Del. Laws, c. 297, § 4 ; 68 Del. Laws, c. 404, § 9 ; 69 Del. Laws, c. 265, §§ 3-5 ; 71 Del. Laws, c. 335, § 5 ; 72 Del. Laws, c. 387, § 5 ; 73 Del. Laws, c. 328, §§ 9-12 ; 73 Del. Laws, c. 329, § 1 ; 74 Del. Laws, c. 353, §§ 2-4 ; 75 Del. Laws, c. 418, §§ 5-10 ; 77 Del. Laws, c. 403, §§ 3, 4 ; 78 Del. Laws, c. 280, §§ 4-6 ; 79 Del. Laws, c. 355, §§ 2-4 ; 80 Del. Laws, c. 304, §§ 3, 4 ; 81 Del. Laws, c. 352, §§ 5-10 ; 82 Del. Laws, c. 264, § 4 ; 83 Del. Laws, c. 381, §§ 4-7 ; 84 Del. Laws, c. 268, §§ 2-4