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PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [ ]
Check the Appropriate Box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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[X] |
Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12 |
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Payment of filing fee (check the appropriate box):
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X
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No fee required.
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(a) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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(b) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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(c) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
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(d) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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(e) Total fee paid: |
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Fee paid previously with preliminary material |
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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(a) Amount Previously Paid: ______________ |
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(b) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: ____ |
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(c) Filing Party: ______________________ |
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(d) Date Filed: _______________________ |
Important Notice
Dear Shareholder:
I am pleased to invite you to a special meeting of shareholders of the
Wells Fargo Income
Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”), as detailed in the attached Notice of Special Meeting of
Shareholders and in the attached Proxy Statement to be held at 525 Market Street, 12th Floor,
San Francisco, California 94105 on August 16, 2021 at
11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (the “Meeting”). We
continue to monitor the recommendations of public health officials and governmental
restrictions as the situation continues to evolve in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. If we decide
to hold the meeting at a different time, in a different location, or partially or entirely by means of
remote communication (i.e., a virtual meeting), we will make an announcement, as applicable or
appropriate.
The Meeting is being held to approve matters important to the continuing operations of the Fund.
On February 23, 2021, Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”) announced that it had entered into a
definitive agreement to sell Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”) to a holding company
affiliated with private funds of GTCR LLC and of Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. (the “Transaction”).
WFAM is the trade name used by the asset management businesses of Wells Fargo and includes
Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”), the investment adviser to the Fund,
and Wells Capital Management Incorporated, the sub-adviser to the Fund (“Wells Capital”, and
together with Funds Management, the “Advisers”).
Consummation of the Transaction will result in the automatic termination of the Fund’s investment
advisory agreement with Funds Management and sub-advisory agreement with Wells Capital. The
Board of Trustees of the Fund approved a new investment advisory agreement with Funds
Management and a new sub-advisory agreement with Wells Capital Management, LLC, and the
Fund is now asking Shareholders to approve the new agreements to replace the existing agreements
that will terminate. The Transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2021, subject to
customary closing conditions.
The Board recommends you vote “IN FAVOR OF” each of the proposals applicable to your Fund.
However, before you vote, please read the full text of the Proxy Statement for an explanation of each
of the proposals.
Whether or not you plan to attend the Meeting, please cast your vote by mail, by telephone or over
the Internet, as promptly as possible. Instructions for the proper execution of the proxy card, as well
as instructions on how to vote by telephone or over the Internet, are included at the end of the
accompanying proxy statement. If you have any questions about the proxy materials, the proposals
or about how to vote your shares, you may call the Fund’s proxy solicitor,
Computershare Fund
Services at
1-866-438-4810. Thank you for your participation in this important initiative. Your
vote is important to us, no matter how many shares you own.
Very truly yours,
Andrew Owen
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
(the “Fund”)
525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND
Notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of the
Fund will be held on August 16, 2021 at
11:00 a.m. Pacific time, at the offices of the
Fund, 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105. With respect to
the Fund, the purposes of the Meeting are as follows:
Shareholders of record at the close of business on May 28, 2021 will be entitled to
vote at the Meeting.
You are welcome to attend the Meeting, but if you cannot do so, please complete and
sign the enclosed proxy card and return it in the accompanying envelope as promptly
as possible or vote by telephone or Internet. Any shareholder attending the Meeting
can vote in person even though a proxy may have already been designated by the
shareholder. We intend to hold the Meeting in person. However, we are sensitive to
the public health and travel concerns that shareholders may have and
recommendations that public health officials may issue in light of the evolving
coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. As a result, we may impose additional procedures or
limitations on Meeting attendees or may decide to hold the Meeting in a different
location or solely by means of remote communication. We plan to announce any such
updates on our website (www.wfam.com), and we encourage you to check this
website prior to the Meeting if you plan to attend. Instructions for the proper
execution of the proxy card, as well as instructions on how to vote by telephone and
Internet, are set forth at the end of this proxy statement.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE FUND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU
VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSALS OUTLINED ABOVE.
By Order of the Board of Trustees of the Fund,
Catherine F. Kennedy, Secretary
Table of Contents
Exhibit G – Date of Last Shareholder Approval of Current Sub-Advisory Agreement
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WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies for a
Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) to be held at 525 Market Street, 12th
Floor, San Francisco, California 94105, the address of the principal office of the
Wells
Fargo Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) on August 16, 2021 at
11:00 a.m.
Pacific time. If you wish to participate in the Meeting, you may submit the proxy card
included with this proxy statement by mail, vote by telephone or the Internet, or
attend the Meeting in person. (See “Instructions for Executing Proxy Card” at the end
of this proxy statement for voting instructions.) If you wish to attend the Meeting in
person, please call
1-866-438-4810 for instructions. We intend to hold the Meeting in
person. However, we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns that
shareholders may have and recommendations that public health officials may issue in
light of the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. As a result, we may impose
additional procedures or limitations on Meeting attendees or may decide to hold the
Meeting in a different location or solely by means of remote communication. We plan
to announce any such updates on our website (www.wfam.com), and we encourage
you to check this website prior to the Meeting if you plan to attend.
This proxy statement, the accompanying Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders
and the proxy card will be first sent to Shareholders on or about June 7, 2021.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR
THE MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 16, 2021:
You may obtain a copy of this proxy statement, the accompanying Notice of
Special Meeting of Shareholders and the proxy card without charge by visiting
the website indicated on your proxy card.
Under
Proposal 1
, shareholders in the Fund are being asked to approve a new
investment advisory agreement (the “New Investment Advisory Agreement”) with
Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”).
Under
Proposal 2
, shareholders in the Fund are being asked to approve a new
sub-advisory agreement (the “New Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital
Management, LLC (“Wells Capital”, and together with Funds Management, the
“Advisers”).
As explained in further detail below,
Proposals 1 and 2
relate to a definitive
agreement entered into by Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”) to sell Wells Fargo
Asset Management (“WFAM”) to a holding company (“NewCo”) affiliated with private
funds of GTCR LLC (“GTCR”) and of Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. (“Reverence
Capital”, and such transaction, the “Transaction”). WFAM is the trade name used by the
asset management businesses of Wells Fargo and includes the Advisers. In connection
with the Transaction, Wells Capital Management Incorporated is expected to convert
from a California corporation to a Delaware limited liability company. Throughout this
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proxy statement, references to “Wells Capital” refer to Wells Capital Management
Incorporated for periods before such conversion, and to Wells Capital Management,
LLC for periods after such conversion.
Consummation of the Transaction will result in the automatic termination of the
Fund’s existing investment advisory agreement with Funds Management and
sub-advisory agreement with Wells Capital. As such, shareholders are being asked to
approve the New Investment Advisory Agreement with Funds Management and the
New Sub-Advisory Agreement with Wells Capital to replace the existing agreements
that will terminate.
Holders of shares (the “Shares”) of the Fund at the close of business on
May 28, 2021
(the “Shareholders”) will be entitled to vote at the Meeting on the proposals set forth
in the accompanying notice. Shareholders of the Fund vote separately on each
proposal set forth in such notice. You can vote by returning your properly executed
proxy card in the envelope provided or you may vote by telephone or Internet by
following the instructions at the end of this proxy statement. When you complete and
sign your proxy card, the proxies named will vote on your behalf at the Meeting (or
any adjournments thereof) exactly as you have indicated. If no choice is specified,
your Shares will be voted IN FAVOR OF the New Investment Advisory Agreement and
the New Sub-Advisory Agreement. If any other matters are properly presented at the
Meeting for action, the persons named as proxies will vote in accordance with the
views of management of the Fund. Any Shareholder who has returned a properly
executed proxy card, including a broker who may hold Shares on your behalf, has the
right to revoke it at any time prior to its exercise by attending the Meeting and voting
his or her Shares in person, by submitting a letter of revocation to the Fund at the
above address prior to the date of the Meeting or by submitting a later-dated and
properly executed proxy card to the Fund at the above address prior to the date of the
Meeting.
The Fund’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) provides
that the holders of thirty three and one-third percent (33 1/3%) of the Fund’s Shares
issued and outstanding, entitled to vote in person or by proxy, shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at the Meeting (although a larger percentage
is required for approval of each proposal). Votes may be cast IN FAVOR OF or AGAINST
each proposal or you may ABSTAIN from voting. Abstentions, broker non-votes (i.e.,
Shares for which a broker or nominee returns a proxy but as to which (i) instructions
have not been received from the beneficial owners or other persons entitled to vote
and (ii) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power on a
particular matter), and votes that are withheld will count for purposes of determining
whether a quorum is present and will have the effect of a vote against each proposal.
Please note that broker non-votes are not expected with respect to any proposal
because brokers are required to receive instructions from beneficial owners or
persons entitled to vote in order to submit proxies.
The approval of each proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act
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of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). The 1940 Act defines the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund to mean the affirmative vote of the lesser of
(a) 67% or more of the Shares of the Fund present at the Meeting, if more than 50% of
the outstanding Shares of the Fund are present in person or represented by proxy at
the Meeting, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund.
In the event a quorum is not present at the Meeting or a quorum is present but
sufficient votes to approve one or more proposals are not received with respect to the
Fund, the persons named as proxies may propose one or more adjournments of the
Meeting to permit further solicitation of proxies. The persons named as proxies will
vote in favor of an adjournment those votes that may be voted in favor of the
proposal. The persons named as proxies will vote against any such adjournment those
votes marked against the proposal. The Meeting, whether or not a quorum is present,
may be adjourned from time to time by the vote of a majority of the Shares
represented at the Meeting, either in person or by proxy, or by the chair of the
Meeting, in his or her discretion. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be voted
on a motion to adjourn. Any adjourned Meeting may be held within a reasonable
time after the date of the original Meeting without the necessity of a further notice. At
such adjourned Meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be
transacted which might have been transacted at the Meeting as originally notified.
Any one or more proposals for which sufficient favorable votes have been received by
the time of the Meeting may be acted upon and considered final regardless of
whether the Meeting is adjourned to permit additional solicitation with respect to any
other proposal.
Computershare Fund Services, the Fund’s proxy solicitor, will make proxy solicitations
and will receive compensation for seeking Shareholder votes and answering
Shareholder questions in an amount estimated to be
$62,220 with respect to the
proposals covered by this proxy statement. Funds Management or one of its affiliates
will bear the costs associated with this proxy statement including the costs of
preparing, printing, and mailing this proxy statement, soliciting proxies, and any costs
related to adjournments, whether or not the Proposals are approved by Shareholders.
The Fund will not bear any portion of the costs of the Meeting. Proxy solicitations will
be made primarily by mail, but proxy solicitations may also be made by telephone,
through the Internet or personal solicitations conducted by officers and employees of
Funds Management, its affiliates, or other representatives of the Fund (who will not be
paid for their soliciting activities).
PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF FUND SHARES
Shareholders of record at the close of business on
May 28, 2021 (the “Record Date”)
are entitled to vote at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof to the extent set forth
in this proxy statement. Please see Exhibit A for information regarding the number of
Shares outstanding for the Fund as of the Record Date.
Each Shareholder is entitled to one vote for each Share, and a fractional vote for each
fraction of a Share, as to any matter on which the Share is entitled to vote.
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Please see Exhibit B for a list of persons reflected on the books and records of the
Fund as owning beneficially or of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of the
Fund as of the Record Date.
As of the Record Date, the officers and Trustees of the Fund as a group beneficially
owned in the aggregate less than 1% of Shares of the Fund and less than 1% of the
outstanding securities of Wells Fargo, the parent company of Funds Management and
Wells Capital.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSALS
On February 23, 2021, Wells Fargo announced that it had entered into a definitive
agreement to sell WFAM to GTCR and Reverence Capital. WFAM is the trade name
used by the asset management businesses of Wells Fargo and includes Funds
Management and Wells Capital.
Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth
companies in the Healthcare, Financial Services & Technology, Technology, Media &
Telecommunications, and Growth Business Services Industries. The Chicago-based
firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy™ — finding and partnering with management
leaders in core domains to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies
through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR
has invested more than $20 billion in over 250 companies.
Reverence Capital is a private investment firm focused on thematic investing in
leading global, middle-market financial services businesses through control and
influence-oriented investments in five sectors: (1) Depositories and Finance
Companies, (2) Asset and Wealth Management, (3) Insurance, (4) Capital Markets and
(5) Financial Technology/Payments. The firm was founded in 2013 by Milton Berlinski,
Peter Aberg, and Alex Chulack, who collectively bring over 90 years of advisory and
investing experience across a wide range of financial services sectors.
In connection with the Transaction, GTCR and Reverence Capital created NewCo, a
new portfolio holdings company. In the Transaction, NewCo will acquire all of the
issued and outstanding equity interests of Wells Fargo Asset Management Holdings,
LLC (“WFAM Holdings”), the direct parent company of Funds Management and Wells
Capital. WFAM Holdings’ ownership interest in Wells Capital will be transferred to
NewCo at closing of the Transaction, but NewCo will transfer such ownership back to
WFAM Holdings after the Transaction. The Transaction is not expected to have a
material impact on the advisory business conducted by the Advisers. The current
portfolio manager(s) and investment teams of the Fund are expected to continue to
manage the Fund with the same investment objective, investment strategies and
policies. The Transaction will also not result in any change in investment objective or
principal investment strategy for the Fund, nor will it result in any change to the
services provided to the Fund or to its fees and expenses. In connection with the
Transaction, NewCo expects to announce a new name for each of WFAM Holdings,
Funds Management and Wells Capital. In connection with the name change to the
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legal entities, it is expected that the Fund will also change names. As previously noted,
in connection with the Transaction, Wells Capital Management Incorporated is
expected to convert from a California corporation to a Delaware limited liability
company. The proposed New Sub-Advisory Agreement that you are being asked to
approve is with the converted entity, Wells Capital Management, LLC.
Consummation of the Transaction will constitute a “change of control” under the 1940
Act with respect to the Advisers and will result in the automatic termination of the
Fund’s investment advisory agreement with Funds Management and sub-advisory
agreement with Wells Capital. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”)
approved the New Investment Advisory Agreement with Funds Management and the
New Sub-Advisory Agreement with Wells Capital (the “New Agreements”) to replace
the existing agreements that will terminate upon the consummation of the
Transaction. As such, Shareholders are being asked to approve the New Agreements
to replace the existing agreements that will terminate upon the consummation of the
Transaction. The Transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2021, subject to
customary closing conditions.
The Board also approved interim investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements
(the “Interim Agreements”) to permit continuity of management upon the
consummation of the Transaction while the solicitation of Shareholder approval of the
New Agreements continue. The terms of the Interim Agreements are identical to
those of the Current Investment Advisory Agreement and the Current Sub-Advisory
Agreement (each as defined below) except for a change to the term and the addition
of escrow provisions. Each Interim Agreement will continue in effect for a term ending
on the earlier of 150 days from the closing of the Transaction (the “150-day period”) or
when Shareholders of your Fund approve the corresponding New Agreement. Under
each Interim Agreement, all investment advisory or sub-advisory fees, as applicable,
will be held in an escrow account until Shareholders approve the corresponding New
Agreement. If Shareholders do not approve the New Investment Advisory Agreement
and the New Sub-Advisory Agreement by the close of the Transaction on which date
the Current Investment Advisory Agreement and the Current Sub-Advisory
Agreement terminate, the Interim Agreements may be relied upon to replace the
Current Investment Advisory Agreement and the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement.
Proposal 1: Approval of New Investment Advisory Agreement
At their meeting on May 17-19th, 2021, the Board approved the New Investment
Advisory Agreement. The New Investment Advisory Agreement will become effective
upon the closing of the Transaction, contingent upon Shareholder approval. The key
terms of the New Investment Advisory Agreement are described generally below, and
a Form of New Investment Advisory Agreement is included in Exhibit C. The New
Investment Advisory Agreement is substantially similar to the investment advisory
agreement that is currently in effect (the “Current Investment Advisory Agreement”),
and any key differences between the Current Investment Advisory Agreement and
the New Investment Advisory Agreement are outlined below.
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Duties of Investment Adviser
. As with the Current Investment Advisory Agreement,
under the New Investment Advisory Agreement, subject to the supervision of the
Board, Funds Management manages the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s
assets in conformity with its investment objective and restrictions, selects
broker-dealers for the Fund’s portfolio trades, maintains books and records as
required by applicable law, participates in class actions, votes proxies on behalf of the
Fund, and makes regular reports to the Board regarding the Fund’s performance and
other matters. The key differences between the Current Investment Advisory
Agreement and the New Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to duties are
that the New Investment Advisory Agreement:
Fees
. For providing these services under the New Investment Advisory Agreement,
Funds Management would be entitled to receive an investment advisory fee based on
the Fund’s average daily total assets (defined as net assets of the Fund plus
borrowings or other leverage for investment purposes to the extent excluded in
calculating net assets), computed as of the close of business on each business day by
applying the annual rate indicated on Exhibit C. This fee rate is identical to the
investment advisory fee rate set forth in the Current Investment Advisory Agreement.
As such, the investment advisory fee to be paid by the Fund to Funds Management
under the New Investment Advisory Agreement is the same as the investment
advisory fee paid by the Fund to Funds Management under the Current Investment
Advisory Agreement.
Standard of Care
. As with the Current Investment Advisory Agreement, the New
Investment Advisory Agreement states that Funds Management will give the Fund
the benefit of Funds Management’s best judgment and efforts in rendering its
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services to the Fund, and provides that Funds Management will not liable for any
mistake in judgement and in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence
or reckless disregard of its obligations or duties, shall not be subject to liability to the
Fund or to any shareholders of the Fund for any act or omission in the course of
rendering services, or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or
sale of any security.
Term and Termination
. The term of the New Investment Advisory Agreement has been
updated to be effective for an initial two-year term upon Board and Shareholder
approval, and following this initial two-year term, will continue from year to year
thereafter so long as the continuance is approved by a vote of the Trustees, including
a separate vote of a majority of the independent Trustees. As with the Current
Investment Advisory Agreement, the New Investment Advisory Agreement may be
terminated, without payment of any penalty, by Funds Management, by the Board, or
by a majority vote of the outstanding Shares of the Fund upon 60 days prior written
notice. As with the Current Investment Advisory Agreement, the New Investment
Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment” as
such term is defined in the 1940 Act.
Other Information
. Please refer to Exhibit D for the date on which the Current
Investment Advisory Agreement was last approved by Shareholders of the Fund. The
date on which its continuance was last approved by the Trustees was May 19, 2021.
Please refer to Exhibit E for a list of Funds Management’s current principal executive
officers and directors.
Proposal 2: Approval of New Sub-Advisory Agreement
At their meeting on May 17-19th, 2021, the Board approved the New Sub-Advisory
Agreement with Wells Capital. The New Sub-Advisory Agreement will become
effective upon the closing of the Transaction, contingent upon Shareholder approval.
The key terms of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement are described generally below,
and a Form of New Sub-Advisory Agreement is included in Exhibit F. The New
Sub-Advisory Agreement is substantially similar to the sub-advisory agreement with
Wells Capital that is currently in effect (the “Current Sub-Advisory Agreement”), and
there are no key differences between the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement and the
New Sub-Advisory Agreement other than applicable conforming changes to the New
Sub-Advisory Agreement to match those described in the previous sub-section as key
differences between the Current Investment Advisory Agreement and the New
Investment Advisory Agreement.
Duties of Sub-Adviser
. As with the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement, under the New
Sub-Advisory Agreement, subject to the direction and control of the Board, Wells
Capital shall manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and
shall provide management and other services in such manner and to such extent as
may be directed from time to time by Funds Management, including maintaining
books and records relating to portfolio transactions and allocations of brokerage
orders as required by the 1940 Act, and reporting to the Board at each of its regular
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meetings all material changes in the Fund since the prior report, as well as important
developments affecting the Fund or Wells Capital and any other such information as
Wells Capital believes appropriate. In addition, the New Sub-Advisory Agreement
requires that Wells Capital furnish the Board and Funds Management with statistical
and analytical information regarding securities held by the Fund, on Wells Capital’s
own initiative or upon reasonable request by the Board or Funds Management, which
is the same information that Wells Capital is required to furnish under the Current
Sub-Advisory Agreement.
As with the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement, under the New Sub-Advisory
Agreement Wells Capital would not be responsible for voting proxies or for
participating in class actions or other legal proceedings on behalf of the Fund but
would provide assistance as reasonably requested by Funds Management.
The key differences between the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement and the New
Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to duties are that the New Sub-Advisory
Agreement:
Fees
. For providing these services under the New Sub-Advisory Agreement, Wells
Capital would be entitled to receive a sub-advisory fee based on the Fund’s average
daily total assets (defined as net assets of the Fund plus borrowings or other leverage
for investment purposes to the extent excluded in calculating net assets), computed
as of the close of business on each business day by applying the annual rate indicated
on Exhibit F. This sub-advisory fee rate is identical to the sub-advisory fee rate set forth
in the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement. As such, the sub-advisory fee to be paid by
Funds Management to Wells Capital under the New Sub-Advisory Agreement is the
same as the sub-advisory fee paid by Funds Management to Wells Capital under the
Current Sub-Advisory Agreement. This sub-advisory fee is paid by Funds
Management, not the Fund.
Standard of Care
. As with the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement, the New Sub-Advisory
Agreement states that Wells Capital will give the Fund the benefit of Wells Capital’s
best judgment and efforts in rendering its services to the Fund, and provides that
Wells Capital will not liable for any mistake in judgement and in the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations or duties,
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shall not be subject to liability to the Fund or to any shareholders of the Fund for any
act or omission in the course of rendering services, or for any losses that may be
sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
Term and Termination
. The term of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement has been
updated to be effective for an initial two-year term upon Board and Shareholder
approval, and following this initial two-year term, will continue from year to year
thereafter so long as the continuance is approved by a vote of the Trustees, including
a separate vote of a majority of the independent Trustees. As with the Current
Sub-Advisory Agreement, the New Sub-Advisory Agreement may be terminated,
without payment of any penalty, by Funds Management, by Wells Capital, by the
Board, or by a majority vote of the outstanding Shares of the Fund upon 60 days prior
written notice. As with the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement, the New Sub-Advisory
Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment” as such term
is defined in the 1940 Act.
Other Information
. Please refer to Exhibit F for the date on which the Fund’s Current
Sub-Advisory Agreement was last approved by Shareholders. The date on which its
continuance was last approved by the Trustees was May 19, 2021.
Please refer to Exhibit H for a list of Wells Capital’s current principal executive officers
and directors.
Overview of the Board Evaluation Process
At a meeting held on May 17-19, 2021 (the “Board Meeting”), the Board approved the
continuation of the Fund’s Current Investment Advisory Agreement and the Current
Sub-Advisory Agreement (collectively, the “Current Agreements”). Each Trustee on the
Board is not an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund
(collectively, the “Independent Trustees”). The factors considered and conclusions
reached by the Board in reviewing and approving the continuation of the Fund’s
Current Agreements will be described in the Fund’s next shareholder report.
Shareholders are
not
being asked to approve the Current Agreements at the
upcoming Meeting.
The process followed by the Board in considering and approving
the continuation of the Current Agreements is referred to herein as the “2021 Annual
Approval Process.”
As noted above, the closing will result in a change of control of Funds Management
and Wells Capital, which will be considered to be an “assignment” of the Fund’s
Current Agreements under the 1940 Act that will result in the automatic termination
of the Fund’s Current Agreements. In light of the expected termination of the Fund’s
Current Agreements upon the closing, at the Board Meeting the Board also
considered and approved the New Agreements, which are: (i) the New Investment
Management Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Funds
Management; and (ii) the New Sub-Advisory Agreement among the Trust, on behalf
of the Fund, Funds Management and Wells Capital (the “Sub-Adviser”), each of which
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10
is intended to go into effect upon the closing.
Shareholders are being asked to
approve the New Agreements at the upcoming Meeting.
The process followed by
the Board in reviewing and approving the New Agreements is referred to herein as
the “New Agreement Approval Process.”
At a series of meetings held in April and May 2021 (collectively, “April and May 2021
Meetings”) and at the Board Meeting, the Trustees conferred extensively among
themselves and with senior representatives of Funds Management, GTCR and
Reverence Capital about the New Agreements and related matters. The Board
reviewed and discussed information furnished by Funds Management, GTCR and
Reverence Capital that the Board considered reasonably necessary to evaluate the
terms of the New Agreements and the services to be provided. At these meetings,
senior representatives from Funds Management, GTCR and Reverence Capital made
presentations to, and responded to questions from, the Board.
In providing information to the Board in connection with the 2021 Annual Approval
Process and the New Agreement Approval Process, Funds Management, GTCR and
Reverence Capital (as applicable) were guided by requests for information submitted
by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees. In considering
and approving the New Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they
believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed herein. The
Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the
April and May 2021 Meetings as well as the Board Meeting, but also the knowledge
gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser
about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviews reports of Funds Management
at each of its regular Board meetings, which includes, among other things, portfolio
reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board confers with
portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board was assisted in its
evaluation of the New Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom the
Independent Trustees received separate legal advice and with whom the
Independent Trustees met separately. The Board did not identify any particular
information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each
individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.
Among other information considered by the Board in connection with the Transaction
was:
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With respect to the New Agreements, the Board considered: (i) a representation that,
after the closing, all of the Fund will continue to be managed and advised by their
current Advisers, and that the same portfolio managers of the Sub-Adviser are
expected to continue to manage the Fund after the Transaction; (ii) information
regarding the terms of the New Agreements, including changes as compared to the
Current Agreements, which are summarized above in the Section titled
Information
about the Proposals
; (iii) information confirming that the fee rates payable under the
New Agreements will not increase as a result of the Transaction as compared to the
rates under the Current Agreements; and (iv) assurances that the Transaction is not
expected to cause any diminution with respect to the nature, extent and quality of
any of the services currently provided to the Fund by the Advisers as a result of the
Transaction.
In addition to considering information furnished specifically to evaluate the impact of
the Transaction on the Fund and their respective shareholders in connection with the
New Agreement Approval Process, the Board considered information furnished at
prior meetings of the Board and its committees, including detailed information
provided in connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process. In this regard, in
connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board received information
about complex-wide and individual Fund performance, fees and expenses, including:
(i) a report from an independent data provider comparing the investment
performance of the Fund to the investment performance of comparable funds and
benchmark indices, over various time periods; (ii) a report from an independent data
provider comparing the Fund’s total expense ratio (and its components) to those of
comparable funds; (iii) comparative information concerning the fees charged and
services provided by the Advisers to the Fund in managing other accounts (which
may include other mutual funds, collective investment funds and institutional
accounts), if any, that employ investment strategies and techniques similar to those
used in managing such Fund(s); and (iv) profitability analyses of Funds Management,
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12
as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo from providing services to
the fund family as a whole.
After its deliberations, the Board unanimously determined that the compensation
payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the New Agreements is
reasonable, approved the New Agreements for a two-year term, and voted to
recommend that Fund shareholders approve the New Agreements at the Meeting.
The Board considered the approval of the New Agreements as part of its
consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were
made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but
not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board received and
considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services
provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory
Agreements. This information included, among other things, a summary of the
background and experience of senior management of WFAM, of which Funds
Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, and a summary of investments made in
the business of WFAM. The Board also received a description of Funds Management’s
and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity plans, including a summary of the
performance of such plans and any changes thereto during the COVID-19 pandemic,
and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity.
The Board considered the additional services provided to the Fund due to the fact
that the Fund is a closed-end fund, including, but not limited to, leverage
management and monitoring, evaluating, and, where appropriate, making
recommendations with respect to the Fund’s trading discount, share repurchase
program, managed distribution program, and distribution rates, as well as
shareholder relations activities
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board also considered the
qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio
managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.
The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract
and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and
supervisory personnel.
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board further considered
the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the
Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services
provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.
In connection with the New Agreement Approval Process, the Board considered,
among other information, the structure of the Transaction and expected impact, if
any, of the Transaction on the operations, facilities, organization and personnel of the
Advisers. The Board received assurances from Funds Managemen that the Fund will
continue to be advised by its current Sub-Adviser after the closing, and that the same
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individual portfolio managers are expected to continue to manage the Fund after the
closing. With respect to the recruitment and retention of key personnel, the Board
noted information from GTCR, Reverence Capital and the Advisers regarding the
potential benefits for employees of joining NewCo. The Board recognized that the
personnel who had been extended offers may not accept such offers and personnel
changes may occur in the future in the ordinary course.
In addition, the Board considered information regarding the infrastructure,
operational capabilities and support staff in place to assist in the portfolio
management and operations of the Fund, including the provision of administrative
services, and the anticipated impact of the Transaction on such matters. The Board
also considered the business-related and other risks to which the Advisers may be
subject in managing the Fund and in connection with the Transaction. The Board also
considered the transition and integration plans as a result of the change in ownership
of the Advisers from Wells Fargo to NewCo. The Board considered the resources and
infrastructure that NewCo intends to devote to its compliance program to ensure
compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as its risk management
program and cybersecurity program. The Board also took into account assurances
received from the Advisers, GTCR and Reverence Capital that the Transaction is not
expected to cause any diminution in the nature, extent and quality of services
provided by the Advisers to the Fund and its shareholders.
Fund Investment Performance and Expenses
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board considered the
investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended
December 31, 2020. The Board considered these results in comparison to the
investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge
Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the
Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an
independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description
of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the
performance Universe. Where applicable, the Board received information concerning,
and discussed factors contributing to, underperformance of Funds relative to the
Universe and benchmark for any underperformance periods.
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board also received and
considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratio and its
various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other
non-management fees. The Board considered this ratio in comparison to the median
ratio of funds in an expense group that was determined by Broadridge to be similar to
the Fund (the “Group”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by
Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Group and an explanation of
how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from
year-to-year.
In connection with the New Agreement Approval Process, the Board received a
commitment that WFAM will maintain fee and expense commitments for at least two
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14
years after the closing. The Board took into account the Fund’s investment
performance and expense information among the factors considered in deciding to
approve the New Agreements.
Investment Advisory and Sub-Advisory Fee Rates
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board reviewed and
considered the contractual fee rate payable by the Fund to Funds Management under
the Current Investment Advisory Agreement, both on a stand-alone basis and on a
combined basis with the Fund’s contractual administration fee rate (the “Management
Rate”).The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment
sub-advisory fee rate that is payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser under
the Current Sub-Advisory Agreement for investment sub-advisory services (the
“Sub-Advisory Fee Rate”).
Among other information reviewed by the Board in connection with the 2021 Annual
Approval Process, was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rate with those of
other funds in the expense Group at a common asset level.
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board also received and
considered information about the portion of the total advisory fee that was retained
by Funds Management after payment of the Sub-Advisory Fee Rate. In assessing the
reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about
the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds
Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds
Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds
Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the
allocation of fees between them.
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board also received and
considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates
charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients, if any,
with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board
received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and
compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary
mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of
clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients
such as institutional separate accounts.
In connection with the New Agreement Approval Process, the Board noted the
assurances received by it that there would be no increases to any of the Management
Rate or the Sub-Advisory Fee Rate as a result of the Transaction. The Board also
considered that the New Agreements do not change the computation method for
calculating such fees, and there is no present intention to reduce expense waiver and
reimbursement arrangements that are currently in effect. Based on its consideration
of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the
Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the
15
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New Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the New Sub-Advisory
Agreement was reasonable.
Profitability
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board received and
considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as
the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo from providing services to the fund
family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information
with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was
subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.
Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in
calculating profitability in connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process,
including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among
other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a
fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age
of fund.
In connection with the New Agreement Approval Process, the Board received certain
information about NewCo’s projected financial condition, and reviewed with senior
representatives of Funds Management, GTCR and Reverence Capital the underlying
assumptions on which such information was based. The Board considered that
NewCo is a newly formed entity, with no historical operations, revenues or expenses,
and that it is difficult to predict with any degree of certainty the future profitability of
NewCo and the Advisers from advisory activities under the New Agreements. The
Board considered that the fee rates payable under the New Agreements will not
increase as a result of the Transaction as compared to the rates under the Current
Agreements, and that the current contractual expense limitations applicable to the
Fund will not increase. The Board noted that if the New Agreements are approved by
shareholders and the Transaction closes, the Board will have the opportunity in the
future to review the profitability of NewCo and the Advisers from advisory activities
under the New Agreements.
Economies of Scale
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board received and
considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience
economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the
difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent
to which potential scale benefits are shared with Fund shareholders. The Board noted
that the Fund is not engaged in a continuous offering that could help its assets grow,
and that, as is typical of closed-end funds, there are no breakpoints in the
Management Rate. Although the Fund would not share in any potential economies of
scale through contractual breakpoints, the Board noted that Funds Management
shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of
ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements,
services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the
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16
outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to
enhance services available to shareholders.
Based upon the information furnished to the Board in connection with the 2021
Annual Approval Process and the New Agreement Approval Process, the Board
concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund
constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the
Fund and its shareholders.
“Fall-Out” Benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board received and
considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by
Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their
relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits
directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially
derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a
result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various current
affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder
servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held
through them and services provided.
In connection with the 2021 Annual Approval Process, the Board also reviewed
information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees
earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private
investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions
earned by an affiliated broker of Wells Fargo from portfolio transactions.
In connection with the New Agreement Approval Process, the Board received
information to the effect that the Transaction is not expected to have a material
impact on the fall-out benefits currently realized by Funds Management and its
affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser. The information reviewed by the Board also
noted that several of the ancillary benefits identified for WFAM would be potential
ancillary benefits for NewCo, including that the scale and reputation of the Fund
might benefit NewCo’s broader reputation, product initiatives, technology investment
and talent acquisition. Based on its consideration of the factors and information it
deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any
ancillary benefits expected to be received by Funds Management and its affiliates,
including NewCo and the Sub-Adviser, under the New Agreements were
unreasonable.
Conclusion
At the Board Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its
deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board
unanimously determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and
the Sub-Adviser under the New Agreements is reasonable, approved the New
Agreements for a two-year term, and voted to recommend that Fund shareholders
approve the New Agreements at the Meeting.
17
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Section 15(f) of the 1940 Act provides a non-exclusive “safe harbor” for an investment
company’s adviser or any affiliated persons of the adviser to receive any amount or
benefit in connection with a change of control of the investment adviser if two
conditions are met. First, for a period of three years after the change of control, at
least 75% of the investment company’s trustees must not be interested persons of the
adviser or of the predecessor adviser. Second, there must not be any “unfair burden”
imposed on the investment company as a result of the transaction or any express or
implied terms, conditions or understandings relating to the transaction.
“Unfair burden” includes any arrangement during the two year period after the
transaction in which the adviser or predecessor adviser (or any interested person of
them) receives or is entitled to receive any compensation, directly or indirectly, from
the investment company or its security holders, other than fees for bona fide
investment advisory or other services, or from any person in connection with the
purchase or sale of securities or other property to, from or on behalf of the investment
company, other than bona fide ordinary compensation as principal underwriter of the
investment company. Funds Management has informed the Board that neither it, nor
GTCR or Reverence Capital, after reasonable inquiry, is aware of any express or implied
term, condition, understanding or any arrangement that would impose an “unfair
burden” on the Fund as a result of the Transaction. Representatives of Funds
Management have committed that the Fund will not bear the burden of expenses
relating to the Transaction, including the costs of this proxy solicitation.
Investment Adviser.
Funds Management currently serves as the Fund’s investment
adviser. Funds Management is currently an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Wells
Fargo. The principal business address of Funds Management is 525 Market Street, San
Francisco, California 94105. After the close of the Transaction, Funds Management will
be a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewCo, a holding company affiliated with private
funds of GTCR and of Reverence Capital. Please refer to Exhibit I for the investment
advisory fees paid and waived during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year.
Sub-Adviser.
Wells Capital currently serves as the Fund’s sub-adviser. Wells Capital is an
indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo. The principal business address of
Wells Capital is 525 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105. In connection with
the Transaction, Wells Capital Management Incorporated is expected to convert from
a California corporation to a Delaware limited liability company. After the close of the
Transaction, Wells Capital will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewCo, a holding
company affiliated with private funds of GTCR and of Reverence Capital.
Brokerage Commissions to Affiliates.
For the latest fiscal year, the Fund did not pay any
brokerage commissions to affiliates.
There will be no changes to the Fund’s other service providers in connection with the
Transaction.
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18
As of the date of this proxy statement, neither the Fund’s officers nor Funds
Management are aware of any other business to come before the Meeting other than
as set forth in the Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders. If any other business is
properly brought before the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, the persons
named as proxies in the enclosed proxy card will vote in accordance with the views of
management of the Fund.
REQUIRED VOTE FOR EACH PROPOSAL
With respect to the Fund, approval of each proposal requires the affirmative vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act.
The 1940 Act defines the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Fund to mean the affirmative vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the Shares of the
Fund present at the Meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund
are present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting, or (b) more than 50% of
the outstanding Shares of the Fund.
ANNUAL AND SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports contain additional information about the
Fund and are available upon request, without charge, by writing to Wells Fargo Funds,
P.O. Box 219967, Kansas City, MO 64121-9967, by calling 1.800.222.8222 or by visiting
the Wells Fargo Funds website at www.wfam.com.
The only matters to be considered and voted upon at the Meeting are those discussed
herein. Shareholders may introduce proposals at the Fund’s annual meeting
scheduled to be held in 2022. Proposals intended to be presented by a Shareholder at
the annual meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2021 must be received by the Fund’s
Secretary at the Fund’s principal executive office by March 2, 2021 in order to be
considered for inclusion in the Fund’s proxy statement and proxy card relating to that
meeting pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. If a Shareholder wishes to
present a proposal at the annual meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2021 without
having the proposal included in the Fund’s proxy statement, including a proposal to
nominate any persons for election to the Board, such proposal must be delivered to
the Fund’s Secretary at the Fund’s principal executive office not earlier than the close
of business on March 2, 2021 and not later than the close of business on April 1, 2021.
Timely receipt or delivery of a proposal does not necessarily mean that such proposal
will be included in the Fund’s proxy statement or presented at the meeting, given that
such inclusion and presentation are subject to various conditions and requirements,
including those specified by applicable law and by the Fund’s governing documents.
The Chair of the meeting may refuse to acknowledge a nomination or other proposal
by a Shareholder that is not made in the manner described above.
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THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE NEW
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND THE NEW SUB-ADVISORY
AGREEMENT.
By Order of the Board of Trustees of the Fund,
Catherine F. Kennedy, Secretary
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXECUTING PROXY CARD
The following general rules for signing proxy cards may be of assistance to you and
may help to avoid the time and expense involved in validating your vote if you fail to
sign your proxy card properly.
1. INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS: Sign your name exactly as it appears in the Registration on
the proxy card.
2. JOINT ACCOUNTS: Either party may sign, but the name of the party signing should
conform exactly to a name shown in the Registration on the proxy card.
3. ALL OTHER ACCOUNTS: The capacity of the individual signing the proxy card should
be indicated unless it is reflected in the form of Registration. For example:
CORPORATE ACCOUNTS REGISTRATION
VALID SIGNATURE
(1) ABC Corp.
ABC Corp.
(2) ABC Corp.
John Doe, Treasurer
(3) ABC Corp. c/o John Doe, Treasurer
John Doe
(4) ABC Corp. Profit Sharing Plan
John Doe, Trustee
TRUST ACCOUNTS REGISTRATION
(1) ABC Trust
Jane B. Doe, Trustee
(2) Jane B. Doe, Trustee u/t/d 12/28/78
Jane B. Doe, Trustee
CUSTODIAL OR ESTATE ACCOUNTS
REGISTRATION
(1) John B. Smith, Cust. f/b/o John B. Smith, Jr.
UGMA
John B. Smith
(2) John B. Smith
John B. Smith, Jr., Executor
After completing your proxy card, return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
OTHER WAYS TO VOTE YOUR PROXY
VOTE BY TELEPHONE:
1. Read the prospectus/proxy statement and have your proxy card at hand.
VOTE BY INTERNET:
1. Read the prospectus/proxy statement and have your proxy card at hand.
The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate
Shareholder identities, to allow Shareholders to give their voting instructions, and to
confirm that Shareholders’ instructions have been recorded properly. Please note that,
although there is no charge to you for voting by telephone or electronically through
the Internet associated with this prospectus/proxy statement, there may be costs
21
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associated with electronic access, such as usage charges from Internet service
providers and telephone companies, that must be borne by the Shareholders.
Voting by telephone or Internet is generally available 24 hours a day. Do not mail the
proxy card if you are voting by telephone or Internet. If you have any questions about
voting, please call
Computershare Fund Services
, our proxy solicitor,
at
1-866-438-4810 (toll free).
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22
Number of Shares Outstanding as of the Record Date
Fund
Shares Outstanding
Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund
60,586,214
A-1
|
Principal Holders of Fund Shares
As of
May 28, 2021, the Depository Trust Company owned of record approximately
99.59% of the outstanding Shares. No other person is reflected on the books and
records of the Fund as owning beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of
any class of the Fund as of
May 28, 2021. However, the entities listed below have
made filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) disclosing their
ownership of beneficial interests in the outstanding shares of the Fund in the
amounts set forth opposite their names below. The filings are available at the SEC’s
Web site (www.sec.gov).
Name and Address of
Shareholders
Number of Shares
Percentage of Shares of Class
Income Opportunities Fund
Parametric Portfolio Associates
LLC
3,282,515
5.42%
B-1
|
Form Of New Investment Advisory Agreement
This
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
(this “Agreement”) is made as of this [ ]
day of [ ], 2021, between Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”), a
statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware with its principal
place of business at 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105 and
Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), a limited liability company
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware with its principal place of business
at 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105.
WHEREAS
, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company;
WHEREAS
, the Adviser is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as such under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”); and
WHEREAS
, the Fund desires that the Adviser provide investment advisory services to
the Fund, and the Adviser is willing to provide those services on the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement;
NOW THEREFORE
, the Fund and the Adviser agree as follows:
Section 1. Appointment of the Adviser
. The Fund is engaged in the business of
investing and reinvesting its assets in securities of the type and in accordance with
the limitations specified in its Declaration of Trust, as amended and supplemented
from time to time, By-Laws (if any) and one or more of its Registration Statement(s)
filed with the Commission under the 1940 Act and the Securities Act of 1933 (the
“Securities Act”), including any representations made in the prospectus and
statement of additional information relating to the Fund contained therein and as
may be amended or supplemented from time to time, all in such manner and to such
extent as may from time to time be authorized by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the
“Board”).
The investment authority granted to the Adviser shall include the authority to
exercise whatever powers the Fund may possess with respect to any of its assets held
by the Fund, including, but not limited to, the power to exercise rights, options,
warrants, conversion privileges, redemption privileges, and to tender securities
pursuant to a tender offer, and participate in class actions and other legal proceedings
on behalf of the Fund.
The Fund hereby appoints the Adviser, subject to the direction and control of the
Board, to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets in the Fund and,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide the other services
specified in Section 2 hereof.
Section 2. Duties of the Adviser.
C-1
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(a) The Adviser shall make decisions with respect to all purchases and sales of
securities and other investment assets for the Fund. Among other things, the Adviser
shall make all decisions with respect to the allocation of the Fund’s investments in
various securities or other assets, in investment styles and, if applicable, in other
investment companies or pooled vehicles in which the Fund may invest. To carry out
such decisions, the Adviser is hereby authorized, as agent and attorney-in-fact for the
Fund, for the account of, at the risk of and in the name of the Fund, to place orders
and issue instructions with respect to those transactions of the Fund. In all purchases,
sales and other transactions in securities for the Fund, the Adviser is authorized to
exercise full discretion and act for the Fund in the same manner and with the same
force and effect as the Fund might or could do with respect to such purchases, sales
or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other things necessary or incidental
to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions.
(b) The Adviser will report to the Board at each regular meeting thereof regarding the
investment performance of the Fund since the prior report, and will also keep the
Board informed of important developments affecting the Fund and the Adviser, and
on its own initiative will furnish the Board from time to time with such information as
the Adviser may believe appropriate, whether concerning the individual companies
whose securities are held by the Fund, the industries in which they engage, or the
economic, social or political conditions prevailing in each country in which the Fund
maintains investments. The Adviser will also furnish the Board with such statistical and
analytical information with respect to securities in the Fund as the Adviser may
believe appropriate or as the Board reasonably may request.
The Adviser shall promptly notify the Fund of (i) any changes regarding the Adviser
that would impact disclosure in the Fund’s Registration Statement(s), or (ii) any
material violation of any requirement, provision, policy or restriction that the Adviser
is required to comply with under Section 6 of this Agreement. The Adviser shall
immediately notify the Fund of any legal process served upon it in connection with its
activities hereunder, including any legal process served upon it on behalf of the Fund.
(c) The Adviser may from time to time employ or sub-contract the services to certain
persons as the Adviser believes to be appropriate or necessary to assist in the
execution of the Adviser’s duties hereunder; provided, however, that the employment
or sub-contracting with any such person shall not relieve the Adviser of its
responsibilities or liabilities hereunder and provided further that the Adviser shall not
have the authority to sub-contract advisory responsibilities without the consent of
the Fund. The cost of performance of such duties will be borne and paid by the
Adviser. No obligation may be imposed on the Fund in any such respect.
The Adviser shall supervise and monitor the activities of its representatives, personnel,
sub-contractors, and agents in connection with the execution of its duties and
obligations hereunder. The appropriate personnel of the Adviser will be made
available to consult with the Board at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice
concerning the business of the Fund.
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Section 3. Delivery of Documents to the Adviser
. The Fund has furnished the
Adviser with true, correct and complete copies of the following documents:
(a) The Declaration of Trust, as in effect on the date hereof;
The Fund will furnish the Adviser with all future amendments and supplements to the
foregoing as soon as practicable after such documents become available. The Fund
shall furnish the Adviser with any further documents, materials or information that
the Adviser may reasonably request in connection with the performance of its duties
hereunder.
Section 4. Delegation of Responsibilities
. The Adviser may carry out any of its
obligations under this Agreement by employing, subject to supervision by the
Adviser, one or more sub-adviser(s) who are registered as investment advisers
pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Sub-Advisers”). Each Sub-Adviser’s
employment will be evidenced by a separate written agreement approved by the
Board and if required, receiving any other approvals required under the 1940 Act
(unless the Commission or its staff has given or issued authorization, relief, guidance,
or interpretation dispensing with any such requirement). The Adviser shall not be
liable hereunder for any act or omission of any Sub-Adviser, except for failure to
exercise good faith in the employment of the Sub-Adviser and for failure to exercise
appropriate supervision of such Sub-Adviser, and as may otherwise be agreed in
writing. The Adviser shall be solely responsible for compensating any Sub-Adviser for
services rendered under any Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Adviser may, from time to
time and at any time, terminate any Sub-Advisory Agreement and reassume the
responsibilities assigned to such Sub-Adviser with respect to any Fund without
obtaining the approval of the shareholders of the Fund.
Section 5. Control by Board
. Any investment advisory activities undertaken by the
Adviser pursuant to this Agreement, as well as any other activities undertaken by the
Adviser on behalf of the Fund, shall at all times be subject to the direction and control
of the Board.
Section 6. Compliance with Applicable Requirements
. In carrying out its
obligations under this Agreement, the Adviser shall at all times comply with:
(a) all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act and any rules and
regulations adopted thereunder;
(b) the Registration Statement(s) of the Fund, as it or they may be amended from time
to time (including any information transmitted to shareholders pursuant to Rule
8b-16 under the 1940 Act), filed with the Commission under the Securities Act and
the 1940 Act;
(c) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust of the Fund, as it may be amended from
time to time;
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(d) the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to
the Fund, and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder; and
(e) any other applicable provisions of state or federal law, and any rules and
regulations adopted thereunder.
Section 7. Proxies
. The Adviser shall have responsibility to vote proxies solicited with
respect to issuers of securities in which assets of the Fund are invested in accordance
with the Fund’s policies on proxy voting.
Section 8. Broker-Dealer Relationships
. In connection with the purchase and sale of
securities for the Fund, the Adviser is responsible for broker-dealer selection and
negotiation of brokerage commission rates. The Adviser’s primary consideration in
effecting a security transaction will be to seek the best price and execution. In
selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction for the Fund, the
Adviser will consider among other things: the best net price available, the reliability,
integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size of and difficulty in
executing the order; the value of the expected contribution of the broker-dealer to
the Fund on a continuing basis; and any applicable policies and procedures approved
by the Board. Accordingly, the price to the Fund in any transaction may be less
favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is
reasonably justified by other aspects of the portfolio execution services offered.
Subject to such policies as the Board may from time to time determine, the Adviser
shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty created
by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of having caused the Fund to pay a
broker or dealer that provides brokerage and research services to the Adviser an
amount of commission for effecting a portfolio investment transaction in excess of
the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting
that transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of
commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage, research and
other services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that
particular transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Adviser with respect to the
Fund and to other clients of the Adviser. The Adviser is further authorized to allocate
the orders placed by it on behalf of the Fund to brokers and dealers who also provide
brokerage and research services within the meaning of Section 28(e) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and in compliance therewith. Such allocation shall be in such
amounts and proportions as the Adviser shall determine and the Adviser will report
on said allocations regularly to the Board, indicating the brokers to whom such
allocations have been made and the basis therefore.
Section 9. Expenses
. All of the ordinary business expenses incurred in the operations
of the Fund and the offering of its securities shall be borne by the Fund unless
specifically provided otherwise in this Agreement or otherwise agreed by the Adviser
and the Fund. The expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not limited to,
brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, auditing or governmental fees, the cost of
preparing share certificates, custodian, transfer agent and registrar costs, all stock
exchange listing expenses, expense of issue, sale, and repurchase of securities,
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expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, expenses relating to trustees
and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports, notices to
Fund shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by the Fund in connection
with membership in investment company organizations and the cost of making
prospectuses and statements of additional information available to the Fund’s
shareholders.
The Adviser shall pay its own expenses in connection with the services to be provided
by it pursuant to this Agreement and shall, at its own expense, provide its own office
space, facilities and equipment. In addition, the Adviser shall be responsible for
reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by the Fund: (a) to prepare
press releases or to amend the Fund’s registration statement or supplement the
Fund’s prospectus, and circulate the same, to reflect a change in the personnel of the
Adviser responsible for making investment decisions in relation to the Fund; (b) to
obtain approval required by the 1940 Act of a new sub-advisory agreement as a result
of a “change in control” (as such term in defined in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act) of
the Adviser, if required pursuant to the 1940 Act, the Securities Act, or any other
applicable statute, law, rule or regulation, as a result of such change; or (c) to meet
other legal or regulatory obligations caused by actions of the Adviser.
Section 10. Compensation
. As compensation for the advisory services provided
under this Agreement, the Fund shall pay the Adviser fees at the annual rates
indicated on Schedule A hereto, as such Schedule may be amended or supplemented
from time to time.
Section 11. Standard of Care
. The Fund will expect of the Adviser, and the Adviser
will give the Fund the benefit of, the Adviser’s best judgment and efforts in rendering
its services to the Fund, and the Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake
in judgment. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless
disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Adviser or any of its
officers, directors, employees or agents, the Adviser shall not be subject to liability to
the Fund or to any other person for any act or omission in the course of, or connected
with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the
purchase, holding or sale of any security.
Section 12. Non-Exclusivity
. The services of the Adviser to the Fund are not to be
deemed to be exclusive, and the Adviser shall be free to render investment advisory
or other services to others (including other investment companies) and to engage in
other activities. It is understood and agreed that officers or directors of the Adviser
may serve as officers and directors of the Fund, and that officers or directors of the
Fund may serve as officers or directors of the Adviser, to the extent that such services
may be permitted by law, and that the officers and directors of the Adviser are not
prohibited from engaging in any other business activity or from rendering services to
any other person, or from serving as partners, officers, directors or trustees of any
other firm or trust, including other investment advisory companies.
The Adviser may include the Fund in its representative client list.
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Section 13. Records
. The Adviser shall prepare and maintain, or cause to be prepared
and maintained, in such form, for such periods and in such locations as may be
required by applicable law, all documents and records relating to the services
provided by the Adviser pursuant to this Agreement required to be prepared and
maintained by the Fund pursuant to the rules and regulations of any national, state, or
local government entity with jurisdiction over the Fund, including the Commission
and the Internal Revenue Service. The Adviser shall maintain records relating to
portfolio transactions and the placing and allocation of brokerage orders, including
with respect to orders the Adviser places for the purchase and sale of portfolio
securities of the Fund, as are required to be maintained by the Fund under the 1940
Act as well as such records as the Fund’s administrator reasonably requests to be
maintained, including, but not limited to, trade tickets and confirmations for portfolio
trades. All such records shall be maintained in a form acceptable to the Fund and in
compliance with the provisions of Rule 31a-1 or any successor rule. The books and
records pertaining to the Fund which are in possession of the Adviser shall be the
property of the Fund. The Fund, or the Fund’s authorized representative, shall have
access to such books and records at all times during the Adviser’s normal business
hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Fund, copies of any such books and
records shall be provided promptly by the Adviser to the Fund or the Fund’s
authorized representatives.
Section 14. Term and Approval
. This Agreement shall become effective with respect
to the Fund for an initial two-year term after being approved in accordance with the
requirements of the 1940 Act, and executed by the Adviser and the Fund, and shall
thereafter continue from year to year, provided that the continuation of the
Agreement is specifically approved in accordance with the requirements of the 1940
Act, which currently requires that the continuation be approved at least annually:
(a) by the Board, or by the vote of “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of
the Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act), and
(b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund’s Trustees who are not parties to
this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a party to this
Agreement (other than as Trustees of the Fund), by votes cast in person at a meeting
specifically called for such purpose.
Section 15. Termination
. As required under the 1940 Act, this Agreement may be
terminated with respect to the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty,
by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting
securities, or by the Adviser, on sixty (60) days’ written notice to the other party. The
notice provided for herein may be waived by the party entitled to receipt thereof. This
Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, the term
“assignment” for purposes of this paragraph having the meaning defined in Section
2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act, as it may be interpreted by the Commission or its staff in
interpretive releases, or by the Commission staff in no-action letters issued under the
1940 Act.
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This Agreement may also be terminated immediately by the Fund or the Adviser in
the event that either party (i) breaches a material term of this Agreement; or (ii)
commits a material violation of any governing law or regulation; or (iii) engages in
conduct that would have a material adverse effect upon the reputation or business
prospects of such other party.
Section 16. Indemnification by the Adviser
. The Fund shall not be responsible for,
and the Adviser shall indemnify and hold the Fund or any Fund harmless from and
against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, counsel fees, payments, expenses
and liability arising out of or attributable to the willful misfeasance, bad faith,
negligent acts or reckless disregard of obligations or duties on the part of the Adviser
or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents.
Section 17. Indemnification by the Fund
. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, negligence or reckless disregard of duties hereunder on the part of the Adviser
or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents, the Fund hereby agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Adviser against all claims, actions, suits or
proceedings at law or in equity whether brought by a private party or a governmental
department, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality of any kind,
arising from the advertising, solicitation, sale, purchase or pledge of securities,
whether of the Fund or other securities, undertaken by the Fund, its officers, directors,
employees or affiliates, resulting from any violations of the securities laws, rules,
regulations, statutes and codes, whether federal or of any state, by the Fund, its
officers, directors, employees or affiliates.
If to the Trust:
525 Market Street, 12th Floor
If to the Adviser:
525 Market Street, 12th Floor
Section 19. Questions of Interpretation
. Any question of interpretation of any term
or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a
term or provision of the 1940 Act shall be resolved by reference to such terms or
provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States
Courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules,
regulations or orders of the Commission, interpretations of the Commission or its
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staff, or Commission staff no-action letters, issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In
addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any provision
of this Agreement is modified or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the
Commission or any rules or regulations adopted by, or interpretative releases of, the
Commission thereunder, such provision will be deemed to incorporate the effect of
such order, rule, regulation or interpretative release. The duties and obligations of the
parties under this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Delaware to the extent that state law is not preempted by the
provisions of any law of the United States heretofore or hereafter enacted.
Section 20. Amendment of this Agreement
. No provision of this Agreement may be
amended, changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an
instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the change,
waiver, discharge or termination is sought. No amendment shall become effective
until approved in accordance with applicable requirements under the 1940 Act.
Section 21. Risk Acknowledgement
. The Adviser does not guarantee the future
performance of the Fund or any specific level of performance, the success of any
investment decision or strategy that the Adviser may use, or the success of the
Adviser’s overall management of the Fund. The Fund understands that investment
decisions made for the Fund by the Adviser are subject to various market, currency,
economic and business risks, and that those investment decisions will not always be
profitable. The Adviser will manage only the securities, cash and other investments for
which management responsibility is delegated to it and which are held in the Fund’s
account(s) and, in making investment decisions for the Fund, the Adviser will not
consider any other securities, cash or other investments owned by the Fund.
Section 22. No Third Party Beneficiaries
. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
deemed to confer on any person other than the parties hereto any benefits, rights,
remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement. No person
shall be deemed to be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
Section 23. Miscellaneous.
(a) If any term or provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any person
or circumstance is held to be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of
this Agreement or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances
shall not be affected thereby and shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by
law.
(b) This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of
counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to
constitute one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
in duplicate by their respective officers on the day and year first written above.
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
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By:
SCHEDULE A
As compensation for the Adviser’s services to the Fund during the period of this
Agreement, the Fund will pay to the Adviser a fee at the annual rate of 0.60% of its
average daily total assets (defined as net assets of the Fund plus borrowings or other
leverage for investment purposes to the extent excluded in calculating net assets).
The Adviser’s fee is computed as of the close of business on each business day.
Approved as of [ ], 2021
The foregoing fee schedule is agreed to as of [ ], 2021 and shall remain in effect until
changed in writing by the parties.
By:
By:
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Date of Last Shareholder Approval of Current Investment Management
Agreement
Fund
Date of Last
Shareholder
Approval
Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund
July 9, 2010
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Current Funds Management Officers and Directors
The name and principal occupation of Funds Management’s principal executive
officers and directors as of the date of this proxy statement are set forth below. The
business address of each such officer and/or director is 525 Market Street, San
Francisco, California 94105.
Robert Guerin, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer
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Form Of New Sub-Advisory Agreement
This
SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
(the “Agreement”) is made as of this [ ] day of [ ],
2021, by and among Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”), a statutory
trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware with its principal place of
business at 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105, Wells Fargo
Funds Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), a limited liability company organized under
the laws of the State of Delaware with its principal place of business at 525 Market
Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105, and Wells Capital Management, LLC
(the “Sub-Adviser”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State
of Delaware with its principal place of business at 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San
Francisco, California 94105.
WHEREAS
, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser are registered investment advisers under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”); and
WHEREAS
, the Fund is engaged in business as an closed-end investment company
and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940
Act”); and
WHEREAS
, the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has engaged the Adviser to
perform investment advisory services for the Fund under the terms of an investment
advisory agreement, dated [ ], 2021, between the Adviser and the Fund (the “Advisory
Agreement”); and
WHEREAS
, the Adviser, acting pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, wishes to retain
the Sub-Adviser, and the Fund’s Board has approved the retention of the Sub-Adviser,
to provide investment advisory services to the Fund, and the Sub-Adviser is willing to
provide those services on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement;
NOW THEREFORE
, the Fund, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser agree as follows:
Section 1. Appointment of Sub-Adviser
. The Fund is engaged in the business of
investing and reinvesting its assets in securities of the type and in accordance with
the limitations specified in its Declaration of Trust, as amended or supplemented from
time to time, By-Laws (if any) and Registration Statement(s) filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the 1940 Act and the Securities
Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), including any representations made in the
prospectus and statement of additional information relating to the Fund contained
therein and as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, all in such
manner and to such extent as may from time to time be authorized by the Board.
Subject to the direction and control of the Board, the Adviser manages the
investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and provides for certain
management and other services as specified in the Advisory Agreement.
Subject to the direction and control of the Board and the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser
shall manage the investment and reinvestment of that portion of the assets of the
Fund identified from time to time by the Board or the Adviser (the “WCM Portion”) as
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specified in this Agreement, and shall provide the management and other services
specified below in Section 2(a), all in such manner and to such extent as may be
directed in writing from time to time by the Adviser. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, the Adviser shall be responsible for compliance with any
statute, rule, regulation, guideline or investment restriction that applies to the Fund’s
investment portfolio as a whole and the Sub-Adviser’s responsibility and liability shall
be limited to following any written instruction the Sub-Adviser receives from the
Adviser.
The investment authority granted to the Sub-Adviser shall include the authority to
exercise whatever powers the Fund may possess with respect to any of the assets of
the Fund’s WCM Portion, including, but not limited to, the power to exercise rights,
options, warrants, conversion privileges, redemption privileges, and to tender
securities pursuant to a tender offer. The Sub-Adviser shall not, however, be
responsible for voting proxies, for participating in class actions and/or other legal
proceedings on behalf of the Fund, but will provide such assistance as is reasonably
requested in writing by the Adviser.
Section 2. Duties, Representations and Warranties of the Sub-Adviser
.
(a) The Sub-Adviser shall make decisions with respect to all purchases and sales of
securities and other investment assets for the WCM Portion. To carry out such
decisions, the Sub-Adviser is hereby authorized, as agent and attorney-in-fact for the
Fund, for the account of, at the risk of and in the name of the Fund, to place orders
and issue instructions with respect to those transactions of the Fund. In all purchases,
sales and other transactions in securities and other assets for the Fund, the
Sub-Adviser is authorized to exercise full discretion and act for the Fund and instruct
the Fund’s custodian (the “Custodian”) in the same manner and with the same force
and effect as the Fund might or could do with respect to such purchases, sales or
other transactions, as well as with respect to all other things necessary or incidental to
the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions.
The Sub-Adviser acknowledges that the Fund and other mutual funds advised by the
Adviser (collectively, the “fund complex”) may engage in transactions with certain
sub-advisers in the fund complex (and their affiliated persons) in reliance on
exemptions under Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1, Rule 17a-10 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940
Act. Accordingly, the Sub-Adviser hereby agrees that it will not consult with any other
sub-adviser of a fund in the fund complex, or an affiliated person of a sub-adviser,
concerning transactions for a fund in securities or other fund assets. The Sub-Adviser
shall be limited to managing only the WCM Portion, and shall not consult with the
sub-adviser as to any other portion of the Fund’s portfolio concerning transactions for
the Fund in securities or other Fund assets.
(b) Following the close of each calendar quarter, the Sub-Adviser will report to the
Board regarding the investment performance of the WCM Portion since the prior
report, and will also keep the Board informed of important developments known by it
to affect the WCM Portion and the Sub-Adviser, and on its own initiative will furnish
the Board and the Adviser from time to time with such information as the
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Sub-Adviser, in its sole discretion, believes appropriate, whether concerning the
individual companies whose securities are held by the Fund in the WCM Portion, the
industries in which they engage, or the economic, social or political conditions
prevailing in each country in which the Fund maintains investments. The Sub-Adviser
will also furnish the Board and the Adviser with such statistical and analytical
information with respect to securities held by the Fund as the Sub-Adviser, in its sole
discretion, believes appropriate or as the Board or the Adviser may reasonably request
in writing.
The Sub-Adviser shall promptly notify the Adviser of (i) any material changes
regarding the Sub-Adviser that would impact disclosure in the Fund’s Registration
Statement(s), or (ii) any material violation of any requirement, provision, policy or
restriction that the Sub-Adviser is required to comply with under Section 6 of this
Agreement. The Sub-Adviser shall, within two business days, notify both the Adviser
and the Fund of any legal process served upon it in connection with its activities
hereunder, including any legal process served upon it on behalf of the Adviser or the
Fund. The Sub-Adviser, upon the written request of the Custodian, shall reasonably
cooperate with the Custodian in the Custodian’s processing of class actions or other
legal proceedings relating to the holdings (historical and/or current) of the WCM
Portion.
(c) The Sub-Adviser may from time to time employ or sub-contract the services of
certain persons as the Sub-Adviser believes to be appropriate or necessary to assist in
the execution of the Sub-Adviser’s duties hereunder; provided, however, that the
employment of or sub-contracting to any such person shall not relieve the
Sub-Adviser of its responsibilities or liabilities hereunder. The cost of performance of
such duties shall be borne and paid by the Sub-Adviser. No obligation may be
imposed on the Fund in any such respect.
The Sub-Adviser shall supervise and monitor the activities of its representatives,
personnel and agents in connection with the execution of its duties and obligations
hereunder. The appropriate personnel of the Sub-Adviser will be made available to
consult with the Adviser, the Fund and the Board at reasonable times and upon
reasonable notice concerning the business of the Fund.
(d) The Sub-Adviser shall maintain records relating to portfolio transactions and the
placing and allocation of brokerage orders as are required to be maintained by the
Fund under the 1940 Act. Upon the Fund’s reasonable request, the Sub-Adviser also
shall prepare and maintain, or cause to be prepared and maintained, in such form, for
such periods and in such locations as may be required by applicable law, all other
documents and records relating to the services provided by the Sub-Adviser pursuant
to this Agreement required to be prepared and maintained by the Fund. The books
and records required to be maintained by the Fund which are in the possession of the
Sub-Adviser shall be the property of the Fund; provided, however, that if the
Sub-Adviser also is required to prepare and maintain any such books and records to
satisfy its own recordkeeping requirements, such books and records shall constitute
the property of each of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser. The Fund, or the Fund’s
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authorized representatives (including the Adviser), shall have access to such books
and records at all times during the Sub-Adviser’s normal business hours. Upon the
reasonable written request of the Fund, copies of any such books and records shall be
provided promptly by the Sub-Adviser to the Fund or the Fund’s authorized
representatives.
(e) The Sub-Adviser represents and warrants to the Adviser and the Fund that: (i) the
retention of the Sub-Adviser as contemplated by this Agreement is authorized by the
Sub-Adviser’s governing documents; (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of
this Agreement does not violate any obligation by which the Sub-Adviser or its
property is bound, whether arising by contract, operation of law or otherwise; (iii) this
Agreement has been duly authorized by appropriate action of the Sub-Adviser and
when executed and delivered by the Sub-Adviser will be the legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Sub-Adviser, enforceable against the Sub-Adviser in accordance with
the terms hereof, subject, as to enforcement, to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency
and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable
principles (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or
law); (iv) if Sub-Adviser furnishes to Adviser or the Trust the Sub-Adviser’s composite
performance record for inclusion in Fund documents, (A) any composite performance
record of the Sub-Adviser’s executive officers furnished to the Adviser and the Fund in
writing prior to the date hereof (the “Data”) is true and correct, and has been prepared
in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, interpretations and in
accordance with industry guidelines and standards with respect to standardized
performance information; (B) there is no information material to an understanding of
the Data which the Sub-Adviser has not provided in writing to the Adviser prior to the
date hereof; (C) the accounts included in the Data include all fully discretionary
accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser’s executive officers designated to act as
portfolio managers of the Fund over the period covered that have investment
objectives, policies and strategies that are substantially similar to those that will be
followed by the WCM Portion as approved by the Board; (D) the Sub-Adviser has the
right, free from any legal or contractual restrictions thereon, to the use, reproduction,
and incorporation of the Data in the public disclosure or marketing materials of the
Fund, including the prospectus and the statement of additional information and
proxy statements (the “Public Disclosure”); and (E) the Sub-Adviser is legally entitled
to grant, and hereby grants, such rights to the Adviser and/or the Fund with respect to
the use of the Data in the Public Disclosure, including with respect to any Public
Disclosure filed with the Commission prior to the date hereof.
Section 3. Delivery of Documents to the Sub-Adviser
. The Adviser has furnished
the Sub-Adviser with true, correct and complete copies of the following documents:
(a) The Declaration of Trust, as in effect on the date hereof;
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F-4
The Adviser will furnish the Sub-Adviser with all future amendments and supplements
to the foregoing as soon as practicable after such documents become available. The
Adviser shall furnish the Sub-Adviser with any further documents, materials or
information that the Sub-Adviser may reasonably request in connection with the
performance of its duties hereunder.
Sub-Adviser shall not be responsible for compliance with any document, materials,
instruction or other information not provided to Sub-Adviser in a timely manner until
a reasonable time after receipt of same by Sub-Adviser.
The Sub-Adviser shall furnish the Adviser with written certifications, in such form as
the Adviser shall reasonably request in writing, that it has received and reviewed the
most recent version of the foregoing documents provided by the Adviser and that it
will comply with such documents in the performance of its obligations under this
Agreement.
Section 4. Delivery of Documents to the Adviser
. The Sub-Adviser has furnished,
and in the future will furnish, the Adviser with true, correct and complete copies of
each of the following documents:
(a) The Sub-Adviser’s most recent Form ADV;
In addition, the Sub-Adviser will furnish the Adviser with (i) a summary of the results
of any future examination of the Sub-Adviser by the Commission or other regulatory
agency with respect to the Sub-Adviser’s activities hereunder; and (ii) copies of its
policies and procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act.
The Sub-Adviser will furnish the Adviser with all such documents as soon as
practicable after such documents become available to the Sub-Adviser, to the extent
that such documents have been changed materially. The Sub-Adviser shall furnish the
Adviser with any further documents, materials or information as the Adviser may
reasonably request in connection with Sub-Adviser’s performance of its duties under
this Agreement, including, but not limited to, information regarding the Sub-Adviser’s
financial condition, level of insurance coverage and any certifications or
sub-certifications which may reasonably be requested in connection with Fund
registration statements, Form N-CSR filings or other regulatory filings, and which are
appropriately limited to Sub-Adviser’s responsibilities under this Agreement.
Section 5. Control by Board
. As is the case with respect to the Adviser under the
Advisory Agreement, any investment activities undertaken by the Sub-Adviser
pursuant to this Agreement, as well as any other activities undertaken by the
Sub-Adviser on behalf of the Fund, shall at all times be subject to the direction and
control of the Fund’s Board.
Section 6. Compliance with Applicable Requirements
. In carrying out its
obligations under this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall at all times comply with:
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(a) investment guidelines, policies and restrictions established by the Board that have
been communicated in writing to the Sub-Adviser;
(b) all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act, and any rules and
regulations adopted thereunder;
(c) the Registration Statement(s) of the Fund, as it may be amended from time to time
(including any information transmitted to Shareholders pursuant to Rule 8b-16 under
the 1940 Act), filed with the Commission under the Securities Act and the 1940 Act
and delivered to the Sub-Adviser;
(d) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust of the Fund, as it may be amended or
supplemented from time to time and delivered to the Sub-Adviser;
(e) the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to
the Fund, and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder; and
(f) any other applicable provisions of state or federal law, and any rules and
regulations adopted thereunder.
Section 7. Proxies
. The Adviser shall have responsibility to vote proxies solicited with
respect to issuers of securities in which assets of the Fund are invested from time to
time in accordance with the Fund’s policies on proxy voting. The Sub-Adviser will
provide, when requested in writing by the Adviser, information on a particular issuer
to assist the Adviser in the voting of a proxy.
Section 8. Expenses
. All of the ordinary business expenses incurred in the operations
of the Fund and the offering of its shares shall be borne by the Fund unless specifically
provided otherwise in this Agreement or otherwise agreed by the Fund and the
Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser. The expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not
limited to, brokerage commissions, taxes, legal, auditing or governmental fees, the
cost of preparing share certificates, custodian, transfer agent and registrar costs, all
stock exchange listing expenses, expense of issue, sale, redemption and repurchase of
shares, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, expenses relating to
Board and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing and distributing reports and
notices to shareholders, the fees and other expenses incurred by the Fund in
connection with membership in investment company organizations and the cost of
printing copies of prospectuses and statements of additional information distributed
to the Fund’s shareholders.
The Sub-Adviser shall pay its own expenses in connection with the services to be
provided by it pursuant to this Agreement. In addition, the Sub-Adviser shall be
responsible for reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by the Adviser
or the Fund: (a) to prepare press releases or to amend the Fund’s registration
statement or supplement the Fund’s prospectus, and circulate the same, solely to
reflect a change in the personnel of the Sub-Adviser responsible for making
investment decisions in relation to the Fund; (b) to obtain shareholder approval of a
new sub-advisory agreement as a result of a “change in control” (as such term in
defined in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act) of the Sub-Adviser, or to otherwise comply
|
F-6
with the 1940 Act, the Securities Act, or any other applicable statute, law, rule or
regulation, as a result of such change; or (c) to meet other legal or regulatory
obligations caused by activities of the Sub-Adviser.
Section 9. Compensation
. As compensation for the sub-advisory services provided
under this Agreement, the Adviser shall pay the Sub-Adviser fees, payable monthly, at
the annual rates indicated on Appendix A hereto, as such Schedule may be amended
or supplemented as agreed to in writing by the parties from time to time. It is
understood that the Adviser shall be responsible for the Sub-Adviser’s fee for its
services hereunder, and the Sub-Adviser agrees that it shall have no claim against the
Fund with respect to compensation under this Agreement.
Section 10. Standard of Care
. The Fund and the Adviser will expect of the
Sub-Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser will give the Fund and the Adviser the benefit of,
the Sub-Adviser’s best judgment and efforts in rendering its services to the Fund, and
the Sub-Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake in judgment. In the
absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Sub-Adviser or any of its officers,
directors, employees or agents, the Sub-Adviser shall not be subject to liability to the
Adviser, to the Fund or to any shareholders in the Fund for any act or omission in the
course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may
be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Sub-Adviser shall be responsible for the accuracy and completeness
(and liable for the lack thereof) of the statements and Data (only if Sub-Adviser
furnishes to Adviser or the Fund any such Data for inclusion in Fund documents)
furnished by the Sub-Adviser for use by the Adviser in the Fund’s offering materials
(including the prospectus, the statement of additional information, advertising and
sales materials) and any proxy statements that pertain to the Sub-Adviser, the
portfolio managers of the Fund and the investment of the WCM Portion.
Nothing in this Agreement (including Sections 10, 15 or 16 of this Agreement) shall be
construed to relieve either the Sub-Adviser or the Adviser of any claims or liability
arising under federal securities laws or any non-waivable provisions of any other
federal or state laws.
Section 11. Non-Exclusivity
. The services of the Sub-Adviser to the Adviser and the
Fund are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Sub-Adviser shall be free to
render investment advisory and administrative or other services to others (including
other investment companies) and to engage in other activities. It is understood and
agreed that officers or directors of the Sub-Adviser are not prohibited from engaging
in any other business activity or from rendering services to any other person, or from
serving as partners, officers, directors or trustees of any other firm or trust, including
other investment advisory companies.
It is understood that the Sub-Adviser performs investment advisory services for
various clients, including accounts of clients in which the Sub-Adviser or associated
persons have a beneficial interest. The Sub-Adviser may give advice and take action in
the performance of its duties with respect to any of its other clients, which may differ
F-7
|
from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, with respect to the
assets of the Fund. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to impose upon the
Sub-Adviser any obligation to purchase or sell for the Fund any security or other
property that the Sub-Adviser purchases or sells for its own accounts or for the
account of any other client.
Any information or recommendations supplied by the Sub-Adviser to the Adviser or
the Fund in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder shall be
treated as confidential and for use by the Adviser, the Fund or such persons as they
may designate, solely in connection with the WCM Portion, except as required by
applicable law or as otherwise provided hereunder, it being understood and agreed
that the Adviser and the Fund may disclose Fund portfolio holdings information in
accordance with the Fund’s policies and procedures governing the disclosure of Fund
portfolio holdings, as amended or supplemented from time to time. Information
supplied by the Adviser or the Fund to the Sub-Adviser in connection with
performing its obligations under this Agreement shall be treated by the Sub-Adviser
as confidential and for use by the Sub-Adviser solely in connection with the WCM
Portion and the performance of the Sub-Adviser’s obligations hereunder.
The Sub-Adviser may include the Fund in its representative client list.
Section 12. Records
. The Sub-Adviser shall, with respect to orders the Sub-Adviser
places for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities of the WCM Portion, maintain
or arrange for the maintenance of the documents and records required pursuant to
Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, as well as trade tickets and confirmations of portfolio
trades, and such other records as the Adviser reasonably requests to be maintained.
All such records shall be maintained in a form reasonably acceptable to the Adviser
and the Fund and in compliance with the provisions of Rule 31a-1 or any successor
rule. All such records will be the property of the Fund, and will be made available for
inspection by the Fund and its authorized representatives (including the Adviser). The
Sub-Adviser shall promptly, upon the Fund’s written request, surrender to the Fund
those records that are the property of the Fund; provided, however, that the
Sub-Adviser may retain copies of such records.
Section 13. Term and Approval
. This Agreement shall become effective with respect
to the Fund for an initial two-year term after it is approved in accordance with the
express requirements of the 1940 Act, and executed by the Fund, Adviser and
Sub-Adviser and shall thereafter continue from year to year, provided that the
continuation of the Agreement is approved in accordance with the requirements of
the 1940 Act, which currently requires that the continuation be approved at least
annually:
(a) (i) by the Fund’s Board of Trustees or (ii) by the vote of “a majority of the
outstanding voting securities” of the Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940
Act, and
|
F-8
Agreement (other than as Trustees of the Fund), by votes cast in person at a meeting
specifically called for such purpose.
Section 14. Termination
. This Agreement may be terminated with respect to the
Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of the Board or by vote
of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, or by the Adviser or
Sub-Adviser upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the other parties. The notice
provided for herein may be waived by the party entitled to receipt thereof. This
Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, the term
“assignment” for purposes of this paragraph having the meaning defined in Section
2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act, as it may be interpreted by the Commission or its staff in
interpretive releases, or applied by the Commission staff in no-action letters, issued
under the 1940 Act.
This Agreement may also be terminated immediately by the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser
or the Fund in the event that another party: (i) breaches a material term of this
Agreement; or (ii) commits a material violation of any governing law or regulation; or
(iii) engages in conduct that would have a material adverse effect upon the reputation
or business prospects of the terminating party.
Section 15. Indemnification by the Sub-Adviser
. In the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties
hereunder on the part of the Fund or the Adviser, or any of their respective officers,
directors, employees, affiliates or agents, the Fund and the Adviser, respectively, shall
not be responsible for, and the Sub-Adviser hereby agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Fund and the Adviser and their respective officers, directors, employees,
affiliates and agents (severally, but not jointly) against any and all losses, damages,
costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, expenses, liability, claims, actions,
suits or proceedings at law or in equity whether brought by a private party or a
governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality of
any kind, arising out of or attributable to the willful misfeasance, bad faith, grossly
negligent acts or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder or the breach
of any representation and warranty hereunder on the part of the Sub-Adviser or any
of its officers, directors, employees affiliates or agents. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Sub-Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any losses or damages resulting from
the Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Adviser’s written instructions, or for any action or
inaction by the Sub-Adviser consistent with the Standard of Care described in Section
10 of this Agreement.
Section 16. Indemnification by the Adviser
. Provided that the conduct of the
Sub-Adviser, its partners, employees, affiliates and agents is consistent with the
Standard of Care described in Section 10 of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall not
be responsible for, and the Adviser hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Sub-Adviser, its partners, employees, affiliates and agents against any and all losses,
damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and expenses, payments, expenses,
liability, claims, actions, suits or proceedings at law or in equity whether brought by a
private party or a governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or
F-9
|
instrumentality of any kind, relating to the Sub-Adviser’s act(s) or omission(s) in the
course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may
be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security, or arising out of or
attributable to conduct of the Adviser relating to: (i) the advertising, solicitation, sale,
purchase or pledge of securities, whether of the Fund or other securities, undertaken
by the Fund, its officers, directors, employees, affiliates or agents, (ii) any violations of
the securities laws, rules, regulations, statutes and codes, whether federal or of any
state, by the Fund or the Adviser, respectively, or their respective officers, directors,
employees, affiliates or agents, or (iii) the willful misfeasance, bad faith, grossly
negligent acts or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of
the Fund or the Adviser, respectively, or their respective officers, directors, employees,
affiliates or agents.
Section 17. Notices
. Any notices under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed
and delivered or mailed postage paid to the other party at such address as such other
party may designate for the receipt of such notice. Until further notice to the other
party, it is agreed that the address of the Fund shall be 525 Market Street, 12th Floor,
San Francisco, California 94105, and that of the Adviser shall be 525 Market Street,
12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105, and that of the Sub-Adviser shall be 525
Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105.
Section 19. Amendment
. No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived,
discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the
party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is
sought. If shareholder approval of an amendment is required under the 1940 Act, no
such amendment shall become effective until approved by a vote of the majority of
the outstanding shares of the Fund. Otherwise, a written amendment of this
Agreement is effective upon the approval of the Board, the Adviser and the
Sub-Adviser.
|
F-10
Sub-Adviser may use, or the success of the Sub-Adviser’s overall management of the
WCM Portion. Each of the Fund and the Adviser understand that investment decisions
made for the Fund by the Sub-Adviser are subject to various market, currency,
economic and business risks, and that those investment decisions will not always be
profitable. The Sub-Adviser will manage the WCM portion and, in making investment
decisions for the Fund, the Sub-Adviser will not consider any other securities, cash or
other investments covered by the Fund.
Section 21. Authority to Execute Agreement
. Each of the individuals whose
signature appears below represents and warrants that he or she has full authority to
execute this Agreement on behalf of the party on whose behalf he or she has affixed
his or her signature to this Agreement. The Fund and the Adviser will deliver to the
Sub-Adviser such evidence of its authority with respect to this Agreement as
Sub-Adviser may reasonably require. The Sub-Adviser will deliver to the Fund and the
Adviser such evidence of its authority with respect to this Agreement as the Fund or
the Adviser may reasonably require.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
in triplicate by their respective officers on the day and year first written above.
By:
By:
By:
APPENDIX A
WELLS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
This fee agreement is effective as of the [ ] day of [ ], 2021, by and between Wells Fargo
Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”), Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (the
“Adviser”) and Wells Capital Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”).
F-11
|
WHEREAS
, the parties have entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement (“Sub-Advisory
Agreement”) whereby the Sub-Adviser provides management and other services to
the Fund; and
WHEREAS
, the Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the fees to be paid to the
Sub-Adviser are to be as indicated on this Appendix A;
The Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee at an annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s total
assets.
If the Sub-Adviser shall provide management and other services for less than the
whole of a month, the foregoing compensation shall be prorated based on the
number of days in the month that such Sub-Adviser provided management and other
services to the Fund.
The foregoing fee schedule is agreed to as of this [ ] day of [ ], 2021, and shall remain
in effect until agreed and changed in writing by the parties.
By:
By:
By:
|
F-12
Date of Last Shareholder Approval of Current Sub-Advisory Agreement
Fund
Date of Last
Shareholder
Approval
Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund
July 9, 2010
G-1
|
Current Wells Capital Officers and Directors
The name and principal occupation of Wells Capital’s principal executive officers and
directors as of the date of this proxy statement are set forth below. The business
address of each such officer and/or director is 525 Market Street, San Francisco,
California 94105.
Jon Baranko, Director, President and Chief Investment Officer – Global Fundamental
Investments
H-1
|
Investment Advisory Fees Paid
Fund
Advisory Fees
Paid
Advisory Fees
Waived
Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund
$4,547,141
$0
I-1
|
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(EAD-PXS-0721)
EVERY SHAREHOLDER’S VOTE IS IMPORTANT
EASY VOTING OPTIONS:
VOTE ON THE INTERNET
VOTE BY PHONE
VOTE BY MAIL
VOTE IN PERSON
Please detach at perforation before mailing.
PROXY
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
This Proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the
Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund (the
“Fund”) for the Special Meeting of Shareholders.
The undersigned, revoking any previously executed proxies, hereby
appoints Catherine F. Kennedy, Maureen E. Towle and Johanne F. Castro, or each of them acting individually, as proxies of
the undersigned, each with full power of substitution, to represent and vote all of the shares of the Fund that the
undersigned would be entitled to vote at the 2021 Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund to be held at the
principal office of the Fund, 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105 on August 16, 2021, at
11:00
a.m., Pacific time, and at any and all adjournments thereof.
Receipt of the Notice of Meeting and the accompanying Proxy Statement, which describes the matters to be considered
and voted on, is hereby acknowledged.
VOTE VIA THE INTERNET:
www.proxy-direct.com
EAD_32183_052521
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx code
EVERY SHAREHOLDER’S VOTE IS IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR
You may obtain a copy of this proxy statement, the accompanying Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders and
the proxy card without charge by visiting the following Website: https://www.proxy-direct.com/wfa-32183
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN YOUR
Please detach at perforation before mailing.
The Shares represented by this proxy will be voted as specified in the Proposals, but if you return a signed proxy
card and no choice is specified, they will be voted FOR the Proposals. If any other matters about which the Fund
did not have timely notice properly come before the meeting, authorization is given to the proxy holders to vote
in accordance with the views of management of the Fund.
TO VOTE MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN IN THIS Example: X
A Proposal THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE FUND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE
PROPOSALS.
FOR
AGAINST
ABSTAIN
1. To consider and approve a new investment advisory agreement with Wells Fargo
Funds Management, LLC
2. To consider and approve a new investment sub-advisory agreement with Wells Capital
Management, LLC
3. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any
adjournments thereof
B Authorized Signatures This section must be completed for your vote to be counted. Sign and Date Below
Note:
Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) on this proxy card, and date it. When shares are held jointly, each
holder should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, officer of corporation or other entity or in
another representative capacity, please give the full title under the signature.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Scanner bar code
President
Wells Fargo Income Opportunities Fund
AUGUST 16, 2021
(1) To consider and approve a new investment advisory agreement with Wells
Fargo Funds Management, LLC;
(2) To consider and approve a new investment sub-advisory agreement with Wells
Capital Management, LLC;
(3) To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or
any adjournments thereof.
June 7, 2021
PROXY STATEMENT
■
streamlines the provisions outlining the requirement that Funds Management
maintain certain books and records, although there are no changes to Funds
Management’s substantive responsibilities;
■
removes references to Wells Fargo and certain banking laws and regulations
applicable to Wells Fargo, and removes a provision permitting the use of the Wells
Fargo name, as references to “Wells Fargo” in the name of the Fund and the
Advisers will be removed in connection with the Transaction;
■
clarifies that, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any
provision of the New Investment Advisory Agreement is modified or interpreted by
any applicable order or orders of the SEC or any rules or regulations adopted by, or
interpretative releases of, the SEC thereunder, such provision will be deemed to
incorporate the effect of such order, rule, regulation or interpretative release;
■
obligates Funds Management to promptly notify the Trust of any material violation
of its contractual obligation to comply with certain requirements, provisions,
policies and restrictions under the New Investment Management Agreement, while
the Current Investment Management Agreement obligates Funds Management to
promptly notify the Trust of all such violations, not just material violations; and
■
provides that Funds Management may delegate to sub-advisers, while the Current
Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Funds Management will
delegate to sub-advisers.
■
streamlines the provisions outlining the requirement that Wells Capital maintain
certain books and records, although there are no changes to Wells Capital’s
substantive responsibilities;
■
removes references to Wells Fargo and certain banking laws and regulations
applicable to Wells Fargo, and removes the provision permitting the use of the
Wells Fargo name, as references to “Wells Fargo” in the name of the Fund and the
Advisers will be removed in connection with the Transaction; and
■
clarifies that, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any
provision of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement is modified or interpreted by any
applicable order or orders of the SEC or any rules or regulations adopted by, or
interpretative releases of, the SEC thereunder, such provision will be deemed to
incorporate the effect of such order, rule, regulation or interpretative release.
■
Information regarding NewCo, GTCR and Reverence Capital
: (i) information about
NewCo, including information about its expected financial condition and access to
capital, and senior leadership team; (ii) the experience of senior management at
GTCR and Reverence Capital in acquiring portfolio companies; (iii) the plan to
operationalize NewCo, including the transition of necessary infrastructure services
through a transition services agreement with Wells Fargo under which Wells Fargo
will continue to provide NewCo with certain services for a specified period of time
after the closing; and (iv) information regarding regulatory matters, compliance,
and risk management functions at NewCo, including resources to be dedicated
thereto.
■
Impact of the Transaction on WFAM and Service Providers
: (i) information regarding
any changes to personnel and/or other resources of the Advisers as a result of the
Transaction, including assurances regarding comparable and competitive
compensation arrangements to attract and retain highly qualified personnel; and
(ii) information about the organizational and operating structure with respect to
NewCo, the Advisers and the Fund.
■
Impact of the Transaction on the Fund and its Shareholders
: (i) information regarding
anticipated benefits to the Fund as a result of the Transaction; (ii) a commitment
that the Fund would not bear any expenses, directly or indirectly, in connection
with the Transaction; (iii) confirmation that the Advisers intend to continue to
manage the Fund in a manner consistent with the Fund’s current investment
objectives and principal investments strategies; and (iv) a commitment that neither
NewCo nor WFAM will take any steps that would impose any “unfair burden” (as
that term is used in section 15(f)(1)(B) of the 1940 Act) on the Fund as a result of the
Transaction.
June 7, 2021
(Certain of the options outlined below may not be available to all Shareholders.
Please consult your proxy card for a list of the voting methods that are available
to you).
2. Call the toll-free number on your proxy card.
2. Go to the Web site indicated on your proxy card and follow the voting instructions.
Fund Level
800 Fifth Avenue Suite 2800
Seattle WA 98104
(b) The Registration Statement(s) filed with the Commission under the 1940 Act and
the Securities Act; and
(c) Written guidelines, policies and procedures adopted by the Fund.
Section 18. Notices
. Each party giving or making any notice, request, demand or
other communication (each, a “Notice”) pursuant to this Agreement must give the
Notice in writing and use one of the following methods of delivery: personal delivery,
U.S. mail, internationally recognized overnight courier (with all fees prepaid), facsimile
or e-mail. Any party giving a Notice shall address the Notice to the appropriate Person
at the receiving party at the address listed below or to another address as designated
by a party in a Notice pursuant to this Clause:
San Francisco, California 94105
San Francisco, California 94105
By:
Name:
Title:
WELLS FARGO FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
Name:
Title:
WELLS FARGO FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
Name:
Title:
WELLS FARGO FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
Name:
Title:
Paul Haast, Senior Vice President, Head of Product Development and External
Investments, and Manager
Molly McMillin, Chief Financial Officer
Andrew Owen, President, CEO and Manager
Michelle Rhee, Secretary
(b) The Registration Statement(s) filed with the Commission under the 1940 Act,
including the form of prospectus related to the Fund included therein;
(c) The Advisory Agreement; and
(d) Written guidelines, policies and procedures adopted by the Fund.
(b) The Sub-Adviser’s most recent balance sheet; and
(c) The current Code of Ethics of the Sub-Adviser, adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1
under the 1940 Act, and annual certifications regarding compliance with such Code.
(b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund’s Trustees who are not parties to
this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a party to this
Section 18. Questions of Interpretation
. Any question of interpretation of any term
or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a
term or provision of the 1940 Act shall be resolved by reference to such terms or
provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States
Courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules,
regulations or orders of the Commission, or interpretations of the Commission or its
staff, or Commission staff no-action letters, issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In
addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act
reflected in any provision of this Agreement is revised by rule, regulation or order of
the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such
rule, regulation or order. The duties and obligations of the parties under this
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Delaware to the extent that state law is not preempted by the provisions of
any law of the United States heretofore or hereafter enacted.
Section 20. Risk Acknowledgement. The Sub-Adviser does not guarantee the future
performance of the Fund, the success of any investment decision or strategy that the
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
Name:
Title:
WELLS FARGO FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
Name:
Title:
WELLS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
Name:
Title:
SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
FEE AGREEMENT
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
WELLS FARGO INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
Name:
Title:
WELLS FARGO FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
Name:
Title:
WELLS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
Name:
Title:
Siobhan Foy, Director and Senior Vice President
Randy Mangelsen, Director
Daniel Mavico, Chief Compliance Officer
Ann Miletti, Director
Sally Squire, Director and Chief Administrative Officer
Log on to:
www.proxy-direct.com
or scan the QR code
Follow the on-screen instructions
Available 24 hours
Call 1-800-337-3503
Follow the recorded instructions
available 24 hours
Vote, sign and date this Proxy Card
and return in the postage-paid
envelope
Attend Shareholder Meeting
525 Market Street, 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
on August 16, 2021
PROXY FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 16, 2021
VOTE VIA THE TELEPHONE: 1-800-337-3503
UNLESS VOTING BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET, PLEASE SIGN, DATE ON THE REVERSE SIDE AND MAIL THIS PROXY
CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
THE MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 16, 2021:
PROXY TODAY
Date (mm/dd/yyyy) Please print date below
Signature 1 Please keep signature within the box
Signature 2 Please keep signature within the box
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
EAD 32183 xxxxxxxx
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* THE VALUE IS THE MARKET VALUE AS OF THE LAST DAY OF THE QUARTER FOR WHICH THE 13F WAS FILED.
| FUND | NUMBER OF SHARES | VALUE ($) | PUT OR CALL |
|---|
| DIRECTORS | AGE | BIO | OTHER DIRECTOR MEMBERSHIPS |
|---|
No information found
No Customers Found
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Price
Yield
| Owner | Position | Direct Shares | Indirect Shares |
|---|