Text extracted via OCR from the original document. May contain errors from the scanning process.
PART 2A OF FORM ADV: BROCHURE
Rockefeller & Co., Inc.
As of March 30, 2016
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices
of Rockefeller & Co., Inc. ('Rockefeller & Co."), which is an investment adviser
registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the -SEC'S). If
you have any questions about the cont !its of this brochure, lease contact Timothy J.
McCarthy, Chief Compliance Officer a
or
or
Randi I. Lederman, Compliance Officer, at
or
The information in this brochure has not been approved or ver e
y
e
or y
any state securities authority. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain
level of skill or training.
Additional information about Rockefeller & Co. is available at the SEC's website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
EFTA01079462
Item 2: Material Changes
Rockefeller & Co., Inc.'s ("Rockefeller & Co.") last annual update of this brochure was filed
with the SEC as of March 30, 2015 (the "2015 Annual Update"). The discussion below
includes only material changes made since the 2015 Annual Update. Please review these
changes carefully.
•
Effective as of January 1, 2016, Stephen B. Heintz became a trustee of the
Rockefeller Family Trust filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Antonia M.
Grumbach. The Rockefeller Family Trust controls Rockefeller Financial Services,
Inc., the parent company of Rockefeller & Co.
•
On January 7, 2016, Rockefeller & Co. announced that it has agreed to sell its
wholly-owned subsidiary, Rockit Solutions, LLC ("Rockit Solutions"), to Fi-Tek,
LLC ("Fi-Tek"), a financial technology solutions and service company, effective
February 1, 2016. As part of this transaction, Rockefeller & Co. has entered into a
long-term services agreement with the newly independent Rockit Solutions (under Fi-
Tek's ownership) to provide for continuity of services following the effective date of
the transaction.
•
Information about outside business affiliations involving financial services companies
which was reported by directors, officers and employees of Rockefeller & Co. as of
December 31, 2015, has been added to Item 10 for informational purposes. Neither
Rockefeller & Co. nor its directors, officers or employees receives undisclosed
monetary compensation from these service providers in connection with the use of
such service providers by clients of Rockefeller & Co.
•
Information about investment risk factors in Item 8 has been expanded.
•
Information about Rockefeller & Co.'s processing of class action settlements for
clients has been added to Item 16.
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EFTA01079463
Item 3: Table of Contents
Item
Tit
Page
1
Cover Page
2
Material Changes
2
3
Table of Contents
3
4
Advisory Business
4
5
Fees and Compensation
6
6
Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
11
7
Types of Clients
12
8
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
13
9
Disciplinary Information
18
10
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
20
11
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal
Trading
22
12
Brokerage Practices
27
13
Review of Accounts
34
14
Client Referrals and Other Compensation
36
15
Custody
37
16
Investment Discretion
39
17
Voting Client Securities
40
18
Financial Information
43
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EFTA01079464
Item 4: Advisory Business
Firm Overview
Rockefeller & Co. is an investment management and wealth advisory firm providing services
to high net-worth individuals, families, trusts, family offices, mutual funds, foundations,
endowments and other institutions and accounts. Rockefeller & Co., which is headquartered
in New York City, provides these services on a discretionary, non-discretionary or consulting
basis for domestic and non-U.S. accounts. Rockefeller & Co. and its subsidiaries have
additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. and Wilmington, Delaware.
Rockefeller & Co.'s history dates back to 1882 when John D. Rockefeller established a New
York office to manage the Rockefeller family's investment, personal, and philanthropic
interests. Rockefeller & Co. was incorporated in 1979 and in 1980 registered with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act").
Rockefeller & Co. has two main wholly-owned operating subsidiaries: (1) Rockefeller Trust
Company, N.A. ("RTC") and (2) The Rockefeller Trust Company (Delaware) ("RTC
Delaware"), each of which provides personal trust services acting as trustee or co-trustee or
as a fiduciary or agent for other fiduciary relationships.
Firm Ownership
Rockefeller & Co. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rockefeller Financial Services, Inc. (the
"Parent Company"). The Parent Company is controlled by an independent trust established
for the benefit of members of the Rockefeller family. Non-voting shares of the Parent
Company are held by Rockefeller family members and related accounts, by directors of RTC,
by senior professionals of Rockefeller & Co. through the latter's participation in a stock
incentive plan (the "Rockefeller Stock Incentive Plan"), and by RIT Capital Partners plc, a
London-listed investment trust chaired by Lord (Jacob) Rothschild. RIT has the right to
appoint two representatives to the Boards of the Parent Company and Rockefeller & Co.
The Rockefeller Stock Incentive Plan is long-term in nature and designed to attract and retain
senior professionals and to promote the growth of long-term shareholder value through a
close alignment of interests with the objectives of the firm and clients.
Please refer to Schedule A of Rockefeller & Co.'s Form ADV Part IA for additional
information about the ownership of the firm.
EFTA01079465
Rockefeller & Co. Service Offerings
Rockefeller & Co. is organized around two primary areas of expertise:
•
Rockefeller Wealth Advisors: Objective investment advice and consulting coupled
with an open-architecture wealth management platform, along with trust, fiduciary
and wealth planning services. Tailored advice and portfolios of equities, fixed-
income securities, hedge funds, private equity funds, and other alternative
investments.
•
Rockefeller Asset Management: Internally-managed global, U.S., non-U.S., sector
specific and sustainability and impact investment equity strategies; as well as
balanced (i.e., multi-asset class) strategies.
Rockefeller & Co. offers a variety of investment advisory services, including investment
management, consulting and supervisory services. Investment advisory services can either be
provided on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis, and the scope of services can vary
depending on the needs of the client. Rockefeller & Co. also acts in a sub-investment adviser
or consulting capacity from time to time.
In addition to the above services, Rockefeller & Co. also provides general financial advice
and other services not specifically related to securities. Such advice can include trust and
fiduciary services and advice, information management and reporting services, general
accounting, tax planning and tax compliance services, preparation and filing of tax returns,
personal budget preparation, long-range income and expense projections, advice on private
business ventures and other family office services.
Rockefeller & Co. is not registered as a commodity trading adviser or a commodity pool
operator with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and relies on available
exemptions from registration when providing advice with respect to investments involving
futures and options on futures.
Assets Under Advisement
As of December 31, 2015, Rockefeller & Co. and its subsidiaries had responsibility in
varying degrees for approximately $16.2 billion in client assets, which is comprised of the
following:
•
Regulatory Assets under Management: S10.4 billion
o Discretionary Assets: $10.3 billion
o Non-Discretionary Assets: $0.2 billion
•
Advised Assets: $5.8 billion
Advised assets represent non-managed assets that receive services, such as financial
planning, administration and/or consulting for open architecture programs or other
assignments, consolidated reporting, and accounting and tax return preparation services.
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EFTA01079466
kern 5: Fees and Compensation
Rockefeller & Co.'s investment advisory fees are generally based on a percentage of the
client's assets under management.
Wealth Management Fees
Rockefeller & Co.'s current standard wealth management fee schedule for managed assets
(including cash held for investment and receivable balances) is based on the following annual
rates:
1.00% on the first S25 million of assets
0.75% on the next $25 million of assets
0.50% on assets over $50 million
To the extent a client invests in any mutual funds advised by Rockefeller & Co. ("Affiliated
Mutual Funds") or privately pooled investment vehicles sponsored by Rockefeller & Co.
("Affiliated Private Funds" and, together with Affiliated Mutual Funds, "Affiliated Funds"),
the client will normally bear the investment advisory fees charged by the Affiliated Funds
instead of the fees determined under the fee schedule specified above. Rockefeller & Co.'s
investment advisory fees for Affiliated Funds vary depending on the nature of their
investment strategy and normally range between 0.35% and 1.25% annually, based on the
market value of the assets invested in the particular Affiliated Fund or capital commitments
in the context of Affiliated Funds that invest in private equity, venture capital or other illiquid
investments.
For certain types of services (e.g., a broader package of wealth management services,
investment consulting, tax planning and preparation, etc.), Rockefeller & Co. may establish
an annual fixed fee or hourly rate fee arrangement. These fees would depend on the nature
and scope of Rockefeller & Co.'s responsibilities and may be lower than would be charged if
similar services were acquired separately.
Affiliated Funds
Clients invested in Affiliated Funds bear their proportionate share of the applicable
Rockefeller & Co. investment advisory fees charged to such Affiliated Funds. Affiliated
Funds that hold private equity, venture capital or other illiquid investments are typically
charged fees based upon the capital commitments made by investors rather than the market
value of the Affiliated Fund. Investors in Affiliated Funds also indirectly bear their pro rata
share of the fees and expenses of the Affiliated Funds, which include but are not limited to
the fees charged by third party managers to the extent utilized, as well as custody fees,
brokerage fees, audit fees, legal fees, other operational expenses and, in some cases,
organizational expenses. Rockefeller & Co. provides certain administrative, accounting and
tax services to the Affiliated Private Funds, and receives a fee from such Affiliated Private
Funds as described below under "Information Management Services." Detailed information
about each Affiliated Fund's fees and expenses is available in the fund's prospectus or
- 6 -
EFTA01079467
offering documents. Rockefeller & Co. may, in its sole discretion, waive all or any portion
of its investment advisory fees and/or administration fees due with respect to any investor's
investment in an Affiliated Fund, by rebate or otherwise, for any reason, without notice to or
the consent of any other investor in the Affiliated Fund.
In certain cases, Rockefeller & Co. and a client may agree to credit fees paid by the client to
an Affiliated Fund against an overall advisory fee determined pursuant to the agreed upon fee
schedule.
Institutional Asset Management Fees
For clients that engage Rockefeller & Co. solely for asset management services with respect
to particular investment strategies (i.e., global equity, U.S. small cap, taxable fixed income,
etc.), the investment advisory fee rates vary depending on the asset class, size and nature of
the account, and normally range between 0.35% and 1.25% annually based on the market
value of the assets invested in the particular strategy.
Investment Consulting and Supervisors' Services
In cases where Rockefeller & Co. is advising clients on assets managed by third-party
investment advisors as part of an "open architecture" program, Rockefeller & Co.'s fees are
generally determined based on the following factors:
•
Mix of assets;
•
Number of outside managers; and
•
Nature and scope of Rockefeller & Co.'s responsibilities
General FinanciatAdvice
Rockefeller & Co. also provides clients with financial advice and other services not
specifically related to securities. This advice may include:
•
Accounting, tax planning and tax compliance;
•
Preparation and filing of tax returns;
•
Personal budget preparation;
•
Long-range income and expense projections;
•
Advice on private business ventures; and
•
Other family office services
These fee arrangements are generally based upon time and hourly charges and/or established
as an annual fixed fee depending on the particular scope of services.
Information Management Services
Rockefeller & Co. provides information management and reporting services to its advisory
and to non-advisory clients who engage the firm for professional services, including
EFTA01079468
partnership administration, accounting and tax return preparation services. Rockefeller &
Co. has engaged its fonner affiliate, Rockit Solutions, LLC, to assist in providing these
services. Fee rates for these services depend on the mix of assets and nature and scope of
responsibilities.
Rockefeller & Co. provides certain partnership administration, accounting and tax return
preparation services to Affiliated Private Funds:
•
For Affiliated Private Funds investing primarily in publicly traded equity and fixed
income securities, the annual administration fee is typically determined as a
percentage (currently 0.14%) of the value of the Affiliated Private Fund's net assets
(payable monthly in advance); and
•
For Affiliated Private Funds investing primarily in hedge foods, private equity funds,
venture capital or other illiquid investments, the annual administration fee is typically
included in the management fees Rockefeller & Co. receives from the Affiliated
Private Fund.
Rockefeller & Co. has engaged its former affiliate, Rockit Solutions, LLC, to assist in
providing these services, and pays Rockit Solutions, LLC out of the fees it receives from the
Affiliated Funds for such services.
Trust and Fiduciary Services
RTC and RTC Delaware provide fiduciary services acting either as a trustee, co-trustee, or as
a fiduciary or agent for other fiduciary relationships. As part of these services, RTC and RTC
Delaware typically delegate to Rockefeller & Co., on a discretionary basis, their power and
authority to provide investment management services including investment advice to, and
effecting investment transactions on behalf of, the fiduciary accounts.
For its services as a trustee, or other fiduciary, or as an agent, RTC or RTC Delaware, as the
case may be, receives the fees set forth in their respective fee schedules in effect from time to
time, unless a separate fee is otherwise negotiated with the client. To
Where RTC or RTC Delaware have delegated investment management responsibilities to
Rockefeller & Co., they generally pay a fee to Rockefeller & Co. that is based upon the
market value of the assets held in the fiduciary account so managed.
Historic Fee Schedules: Negotiability
Rockefeller & Co. has employed different fee schedules with clients historically and, in most
cases, these historical fee schedules remain in effect with respect to such clients.
Rockefeller & Co.'s fees are negotiated in certain circumstances depending upon the client's
particular needs and requirements. Factors that would generally be considered in determining
the fee include:
g
EFTA01079469
•
Total size of assets to be managed;
•
Size and number of concentrated holdings in a single stock;
•
Complexity of potential planning, taxation and investment issues;
•
Number of separate or related accounts; and
•
Frequency and scope of financial planning and reporting
Assets of accounts that have a family or business relationship to each other may be
aggregated in some circumstances for purposes of determining the overall fee for the
relationship. In that case, the overall fee generally would be allocated pro rata to each
account in the relationship.
Rockefeller & Co. may agree to, but does not typically enter into most favored nations fee
agreements with respect to certain clients that engage Rockefeller & Co. for asset
management services. In this type of arrangement, the advisory fee that would be charged to
the client will be no less favorable than the fees charged to another similar client for
substantially the same services and investment style. Factors considered when entering into
these types of fee arrangements include size of the investment mandate, potential for
additional assets under management, type of client, client servicing requirements and other
considerations deemed relevant by Rockefeller & Co.
Payment of Fees
Generally, investment advisory fees for Rockefeller & Co. investment management accounts
are paid quarterly in advance and are based on the market value of the assets under
management in the account as of the close of business on the rust business day of each
calendar quarter. Fiduciary accounts administered by RTC or RTC Delaware generally pay
fees monthly in arrears based on the market value of the principal assets under management
determined as of the close of business on the first business day of the given month. In certain
circumstances, arrangements are in place for fees to be calculated and/or paid on different
terms.
An initial asset contribution or significant addition or withdrawal involving the account after
the first business day of any quarter or month is subject to a partial fee based on the value of
the assets and a proration for the number of days applicable to the change. Fees are prorated
to the date of termination and any unearned portion of prepaid fees is refunded to the client.
The advisory fee is generally charged directly to the client's custody account, and an invoice
is sent to the client simultaneously with the transmittal of the payment instructions to the
custodian. Some clients prefer to make direct payment after being issued an invoice.
Affiliated Funds generally pay investment advisory fees to Rockefeller & Co. either quarterly
or monthly in advance based on the net asset value of the Affiliated Fund as of the close of
business on the first business day of each calendar quarter or month or in such other manner
as specified in the Affiliated Fund's offering and organizational documents.
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EFTA01079470
For the other services described above, Rockefeller & Co. generally issues an invoice to the
client for purposes of payment. Depending on the scope of services, such invoices may be
issued monthly, quarterly or at such other times as agreed with the client, and payments may
be due before the start of such services, following the completion of such services or in
periodic installments.
Other Fees and Expenses
Other fees and expenses that clients are responsible for in addition to Rockefeller & Co.'s
fees include:
•
Third-party manager and fund fees and expenses (including incentive fees, if
applicable);
•
Brokerage and trading costs and expenses and commissions;
•
Third-party custody fees (unless the client directly engages RTC or RTC Delaware
for fiduciary or agency services, in which case the third party custody fees are
typically paid directly by RTC or RTC Delaware);
•
Fees and expenses of private funds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds; and
•
Fees and expenses of money market funds that hold cash balances
Neither Rockefeller & Co. nor any of its supervised persons receives placement fees or
commissions from third-parties for the sale of securities or other investment products,
including asset-based charges or service fees from the sale of mutual funds.
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EFTA01079471
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Nlanagement
Performance Based-Fees
Rockefeller & Co. has entered into an arrangement with an institutional asset management
client that provides for the payment of a performance fee if the account's returns exceed
certain benchmarks over a multiple year period. Rockefeller & CO. is eligible to receive
performance-based fees (or a carried interest) in the case of certain Affiliated Private Funds
investing in hedge funds and listed financial sector equities. These fees are based on the
performance of an investor's investment in the Affiliated Private Fund and are generally
payable if the investment has exceeded a specified rate of return as described in the Affiliated
Private Fund's governing documents. From time to time, Rockefeller & Co. may enter into
similar arrangements with additional Affiliated Private Funds or with particular clients.
In the case of a performance-based fee (or a carried interest), Rockefeller & Co. may have an
incentive to make investments that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case in
the absence of the performance-based fee (or the carried interest).
Side-By-Side Management
In limited cases involving certain asset classes (e.g., global equities, hedge funds and listed
financial sector equities), Rockefeller & Co. may manage accounts that pay performance-
based fees and asset-based fees and accounts that pay only asset-based fees. Further,
Rockefeller & Co. also manages assets for its own account and for its directors, officers,
employees and other affiliated persons or entities (collectively, "Affiliated Accounts") from
time to time. In these cases, Rockefeller & Co. and its supervised persons may have an
incentive to favor the performance-fee eligible account or the Affiliated Accounts over the
others when, for example, placing trades, aggregating orders, or allocating limited investment
opportunities. To address these potential conflicts, Rockefeller & Co. has policies and
procedures in place requiring that investment decisions be made:
• In accordance with the fiduciary duties owed to advisory accounts; and
•
Without consideration of Rockefeller & Co.'s or the supervised persons' pecuniary,
investment or other financial interests
Please refer to Item 11 for additional information on Rockefeller & Co.'s Code of Ethics and
Item 12 for additional information on the firm's trade allocation policies and procedures.
EFTA01079472
Item 7: Types of Clients
Rockefeller & Co. offers investment advisory services to various types of clients, including:
•
High-net worth individuals, their families, family offices and related entities;
•
Funds organized as domestic or offshore (non-U.S.) companies, limited partnerships,
limited liability companies or other types of legal entities;
•
U.S. registered investment companies;
•
Trusts and other fiduciary accounts (e.g., estates, uniform gift to minor accounts,
plans);
•
Foundations, endowments, charitable and other nonprofit institutions;
•
Taxable and tax-exempt accounts;
•
State pension plans; and
•
Sovereign nations and wealth funds.
Rockefeller & Co.'s usual target dollar value of assets for starting a client relationship is $30
million.
Separately managed account minimums may vary depending on the investment strategy and
the scope of services provided. A $1 million minimum is normally acceptable for an
investment in an Affiliated Private Fund, although lesser investment amounts may be
accepted depending on the scope of the client relationship and other considerations.
The minimum account sizes generally do not apply to new accounts that are related to
existing accounts. Rockefeller & Co. reserves the right to waive or reduce the minimum
account size in its sole discretion.
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EFTA01079473
Item 8: Methods of Analvsis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Rockefeller & Co.'s investment philosophy is focused on seeking to enhance our clients'
financial well-being and building on the value that they have already created. We employ a
comprehensive process that seeks to grow and preserve capital. Our process generally begins
by helping clients define their goals, objectives and risk tolerances. Once these investment
parameters are agreed upon, Rockefeller & Co. would construct an investment portfolio
using internal and, where appropriate, external strategies as agreed upon with the client.
Rockefeller & Co. provides investment management services to clients in three formats: (i)
entirely within a separately managed account and/or Affiliated Funds managed by
Rockefeller & Co. across various strategies; (ii) using a combination of a Rockefeller & Co.
separately managed accounts and Affiliated Funds with select third-party managers and
funds; or (iii) entirely with third-party managers and funds in a "manager of managers"
program. The recommended approach depends on consideration of the size and scope of the
mandate, client preferences and requirements, fee considerations and other factors, and will
be agreed upon with the client prior to implementation. Rockefeller & Co. will typically
recommend the inclusion of its internal asset management strategies to clients for all or a
portion of their asset allocation plan.
A client may generally impose restrictions or limitations on investing in certain securities or
certain types of securities (e.g., legacy or low-cost-basis holdings, sustainability and impact
or mission-based investing, certain specialized sectors of the market or geographic regions).
With the exception of clients focused on a single investment mandate, Rockefeller & Co.
would generally structure each client's particular asset allocation plan and investment
portfolio on a tailored basis.
Asset Allocation Approach
Rockefeller & Co.'s general approach to asset allocation stems from a belief that
diversification of risks, including asset class, style, sector and industry risks, is important in
seeking to achieve strong risk-adjusted returns. In an effort to strike the appropriate balance
between diversifying risk and earning returns, our strategic asset allocation process begins
with long-term forward-looking assumptions about the risks, returns, correlations and
additional statistical measures of risk for various asset classes.
We apply these capital market assumptions using commercial and proprietary quantitative
tools to develop a selection of asset allocations that seek to optimize expected returns and
multiple expected risk factors for the client's portfolio. Using our proprietary model, we
project ranges of potential portfolio returns in an effort to illustrate risk/reward tradeoffs for
different asset allocations. This analysis is based on probabilistic projections; as a result,
better or worse outcomes are possible. Our projections are based on hypothetical modeling
outcomes and do not reflect actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results.
There are limitations inherent in the use of quantitative models that can be reviewed with
clients upon their request. A client's actual investment results may vary substantially from
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EFTA01079474
the projections produced from the models, and a client could lose all or a portion of their
investment capital.
Rockefeller & Co.'s investment philosophy focuses on active portfolio management through
the use of internal and, where appropriate, external strategies. In certain client situations,
Rockefeller & Co. may recommend multi-asset class investment funds in an effort to meet a
client's investment objectives. We believe that customized asset allocation, active risk
management and the creation of portfolios that are tailored to the client's needs have the
potential to add significant value over time, over and above the returns that can be achieved
through passive management. Generally, we would consider a passive strategy in limited
situations. For example, a passive strategy may be used in conjunction with an active
portfolio strategy in order to add diversification to a client's portfolio within a specific asset
class. We may also consider a passive strategy for a small portion of a client's portfolio (with
the use of an exchange-traded fund for example) if the trading costs in a specific country, or
in a basket of securities, are higher than warranted in order to access the investment.
IntemallvManaaecl Eauitv Strategies
Rockefeller Asset Management ("RAM"), a division of Rockefeller & Co. and the "Finn" for
purposes of the Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS®'), offers internally-
managed global, U.S., non-U.S., sector specific and sustainability and impact investment
equity strategies; as well as, balanced (e.g., multi-asset class) strategies.
RAM believes that good long-term equity investments result from understanding a
company's long-term business model, its execution of its strategy over time, and placing an
objective valuation on future cash flows. Because RAM manages core equities, it tends to
prefer well-managed companies, with reasonable valuations, diversified across industries.
Internally managed equity portfolios typically hold between 30 and 80 stocks, depending on
the strategy. Stocks are selected based on their growth potential and their valuations relative
to their peers. A number of factors are assessed in the analysis of a company and its share
price:
•
Its products or services;
•
The potential market size;
•
Its competitive substitutes;
•
Balance sheet quality; and
•
Valuation of cash flows and earnings
Ideas that are purchased in the portfolio are typically larger than benchmark weighting in
order to have a relative performance impact. Position sizes can be limited by an individual
stock's liquidity and volatility as we seek to manage the overall risk profile of the portfolio.
Unless requested by the client and agreed to by Rockefeller & Co., there generally are no
limits to the variation of industries and sectors from the benchmark. Our investment team
focuses on sector weights as well as factors such as growth, and value, but generally we do
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EFTA01079475
not believe a portfolio can be normally improved by timing or neutralizing these factors. In
short, we do not want to overwhelm the contribution made by stock selection with an over-
emphasis on portfolio construction within specific internally managed strategies. Within our
internally managed strategies, our turnover tends to be moderate and we are sensitive to
liquidity and transaction costs.
RAM's equity strategies, which are available through both Affiliated Funds and separately
managed accounts and in a sub-advisory capacity (depending on size), include but are not
limited to:
•
Global Equities;
•
U.S. Equities;
•
Non-U.S. Equities;
•
Global Sustainability & Impact Equities;
•
U.S. Sustainability & Impact Equities;
•
Non-U.S Sustainability & Impact Equities;
•
U.S. Small Cap Equities,
•
Balanced (Multi-Asset Class) Strategies; and
•
Global Equity Sector Specific Strategies
Internally Managed Fixed Income Strategies
Rockefeller & Co.'s taxable and tax-exempt fixed income strategies generally employ a
conservative approach to U.S. fixed income markets and emphasize capital preservation and
current income. Portfolios are constructed utilizing both a top-down focus on macro trends
and sector forecasts and a bottom-up focus on credit, relative valuation and volatility. Fixed
income strategies are offered through Affiliated Mutual Funds and separately managed
accounts. When appropriate, separately managed accounts can be tailored to a client's
specific liquidity, tax, risk and transparency requirements.
Alternative Investment Strategies (e.g.. Hedge Funds and Private EauitvNenture Capital
Funds)
Rockefeller & Co. provides tailored advice on hedge funds, private equity/venture capital
funds and other alternative asset classes for clients who have sufficient capital to support a
diversified alternatives program. Rockefeller & Co. also offers diversified and/or
opportunistic alternatives investments for clients through funds of funds and dedicated access
structures, and provides advice on third party funds of funds.
Third Party Investment Managers
Rockefeller & Co. follows a formal process for selecting third-party managers. Our
evaluation of new managers is a multi-stage process, which includes quantitative and
qualitative factors. Rockefeller & Co. learns about managers from multiple sources including
databases, conferences, industry contacts and clients. We then screen managers by evaluating
investment performance, risk, style-drift and other quantifiable factors. Our qualitative
- 15 -
EFTA01079476
analysis of managers generally includes a review of due-diligence questionnaires, ADV
forms, marketing materials, newsletters and research, as well as interviews with key
personnel and on-site visits of managers' operations, with exceptions for large mutual fund
complexes in which case we have contact with them through their organized seminars,
conferences, "webinars" and phone calls. When we select a manager for client portfolios, we
monitor the manager's performance quarterly in most cases and monthly if warranted. We
generally contact managers at least quarterly to review their results, outlook, strategy, risks
and important developments at their films. Generally, we seek to meet face-to-face with
current managers, except for large mutual fund complexes and private equity and venture
capital funds, in which case we have contact with them through their organized seminars,
conferences, quarterly "webinars" and phone calls, typically at least once per year on site in
their places of business. The process for selecting hedge fund and private equity managers is
similar, but takes into consideration factors specific to those asset classes and includes review
of information about their service providers such as auditors, custodians, administrators and
the like.
Investment Risk Factors
Investing in securities and other assets involves a potential risk of loss due to various market,
economic, political, regulatory, business, currency and other risks. Rockefeller & Co. does
not guarantee the future performance of any client account, investment decision or strategy.
Future results may vary substantially from past performance and no investment strategy can
guarantee profit or protection from loss. Returns on investments can be volatile and an
investor may lose all or a portion of their investment.
Equity and equity-related investments are volatile and will increase or decrease in value
based upon issuer, economic, market and other factors. Small capitalization stocks generally
involve higher risks in some respects than do investments in stocks of larger companies and
may be more volatile. The securities of non-U.S. issuers also involve a high degree of risk
because of, among other factors, the lack of public information with respect to such issuers,
less governmental regulation of stock exchanges and issuers of securities traded on such
exchanges and the absence of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards.
The non-U.S. domicile of such issuers and currency fluctuations may also be factors in the
assessment of financial risk to the investor. Foreign securities markets are often less liquid
than U.S. securities markets, which may make the disposition of non-U.S. securities more
difficult. Emerging markets can be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory, and
political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile.
With respect to internally managed client portfolios, Rockefeller & Co. believes that the
currency component of non-U.S. stock returns is an important part of the diversifying benefit
of international investing and non-U.S. currencies can act as a diversifying tool within a
portfolio to the extent that one currency's depreciation is offset by another's appreciation.
As a result, Rockefeller & Co. generally does not seek to hedge currency exposure in client
accounts but reserves the right to do so under under appropriate circumstances and if deemed
beneficial to a client's portfolio.
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EFTA01079477
Investment strategies that employ positive and/or negative governance, social, environmental
or other screens may cause the strategy to avoid or sell stocks that otherwise meet the
financial criteria for inclusion in the investment strategy. There can be no guarantee that a
suitable replacement stock or a combination of stocks will be identified, or that any
replacement stock or combination of stocks selected will have comparable performance to
screened-out stocks. Screened-out stocks generally will be held in other =screened
investment strategies.
Investments in fixed income securities are subject to interest rate, credit, liquidity,
prepayment, and extension risks, any of which may adversely impact the price of the security
and result in a loss. Interest rates may go up resulting in a decrease in the value of fixed
income securities. Duration is the time that it takes for an investor to be repaid the price for a
bond by the bond's total cash flows. The longer the repayment period, or duration, the
greater the chance that the bond will be exposed to interest rate risk. Generally, securities
with longer maturities carry greater interest rate risk. The historically low interest rate
environment increases the risk associated with rising interest rates. Credit risk is the risk that
an issuer may not make timely payments of principal and interest. There is a risk that an
issuer may "call", or repay, its high yielding bonds before their maturity dates. Fixed income
securities subject to prepayment can offer less potential for gains during a declining interest
rate environment and similar or greater potential for loss in a rising interest rate environment.
Limited trading opportunities for certain fixed income securities may make it more difficult
to sell or buy a security at a favorable price or time. The municipal market is volatile and can
be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative or political changes and the financial
condition of the issuers of municipal securities.
Alternative investments, such as hedge funds and private equity/venture capital funds, are
speculative and involve a high degree of risk. There is no secondary market for alternative
investments and there may be significant restrictions or limitations on withdrawing from or
transferring these types of investments. Private equity funds generally require an investor to
make and fund a commitment over several years. Alternative investments generally have
high fees (including both management and performance based fees) and expenses that offset
returns. Alternative investments are generally subject to less regulation than publicly traded
investments. Rockefeller & Co. will not be able to independently value investments held by
alternative investment fund managers. As a result, Rockefeller & Co. will generally rely on
the values reported to it by alternative investment hind managers.
The use of third party managers in investment programs involves additional risks. The
success of the third party manager depends on the capabilities of its investment management
personnel and infrastructure, all of which may be adversely impacted by the departure of key
employees and other events. The future results of the third party manager may differ
significantly from the third party manager's past performance. While Rockefeller & Co.
intends to employ reasonable diligence in evaluating and monitoring third party managers, no
amount of diligence can eliminate the possibility that a third party manager may provide
misleading, incomplete or false information or representations, or engage in improper or
fraudulent conduct, including unauthorized changes in investment strategy, insider trading,
misappropriation of assets and unsupportable valuations of portfolio securities.
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EFTA01079478
Rockefeller & Co.'s internally managed investment strategies (and some third party manager
strategies) generally will hold a relatively concentrated portfolio of securities in comparison
to their respective benchmarks and broader market indices. In addition, certain of these
strategies focus on particular sectors of broader markets. As a result, the returns of the
strategy may be impacted (adversely or positively) by the performance of one or more
positions in the portfolio or the sectors in which the strategies focus their investments.
There is a risk that Rockefeller & Co.'s asset allocation methodology and assumptions
regarding asset classes and investment strategies may be incorrect in light of actual market
conditions and may result in investment losses. Diversification across asset classes,
investment styles, sectors and industries does not eliminate the risk of experiencing
investment losses. There is also a risk that too much diversification can lead to the indexing
of investment returns.
The investment risks described above represent some but not all of the risks associated with
various types of investments and investment strategies. Clients should carefully evaluate all
applicable risks with any investment or investment strategy, and realize that investing in
securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. Clients should also
refer to the prospectus or private placement memorandum for an Affiliated Fund for
additional information relating to investment risks.
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EFTA01079479
Item 9: Disciplinary Information
Within the last ten years, there have not been any material legal or disciplinary events
involving the advisory business of Rockefeller & Co. or its management persons.
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EFTA01079480
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Neither Rockefeller & Co. nor any of its management persons are registered or have an
application pending to register as a broker-dealer, futures commission merchant, commodity
pool operator, commodity trading adviser, or as a registered representative or an associated
person of any of the foregoing entities.
Directors, officers and employees of Rockefeller & Co. and its subsidiaries may serve as
non-executive directors of for-profit businesses, including financial services companies that
provide services to Rockefeller & Co. and/or to clients of Rockefeller & Co. Reuben Jeffery
III, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rockefeller & Co. serves as a non-executive
director of Barclays PLC, a global financial services provider, and as a member of the Senior
Advisory Board to Tower Brook Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity firm. Rockefeller &
Co. executes client securities transactions through Barclays Capital, Inc. ("Barclays
Capital"), the U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary of Barclays PLC. Use of Barclays Capital is
subject to Rockefeller & Co.'s Best Execution Policy, which is described in Item 12 below.
In addition, Merit E. Janow and Candace K. Beinecke, who are each non-executive directors
of Rockefeller & Co., also serve as a director/ trustee of the American Funds and First Eagle
Funds, respectively. Elizabeth P. Munson, President of RTC and a Senior Client Advisor of
Rockefeller & Co., is a director of CPA® 17 and CPA® 18, which are real estate investment
trusts advised by WP Carey & Co. LLC. Rockefeller & Co. has adopted procedures and
practices to mitigate conflicts of interests that may result from such outside business
affiliations.
Rockefeller & Co. has two wholly-owned trust company subsidiaries, RTC and RTC
Delaware, that provide personal trust services acting as trustee or co-trustee or as a fiduciary
or agent for other fiduciary relationships. As part of these services, RTC and RTC Delaware
typically delegate, on a discretionary basis, their power and authority to provide investment
management services including investment advice to, and investment transactions on behalf
of, the fiduciary accounts to Rockefeller & Co. As discussed in Item 15, Rockefeller & Co.
has engaged its affiliate, RTC, to serve as qualified custodian for the limited purpose of
receiving and depositing into client accounts at third party qualified custodians, checks made
payable to clients in connection with family office services and class action processing
services offered to clients.
RIT has the right to appoint two representatives to Rockefeller & Co.'s and the Parent
Company's Board of Directors. Rockefeller & Co.'s President and Chief Executive Officer
serves on the International Advisory Committee of J. Rothschild Capital Management Ltd.
Consistent with its fiduciary duty to clients, Rockefeller & Co. may also recommend to its
clients investment funds, products and services offered by or through RIT and its affiliates,
when it determines that such investments, funds, products and services are consistent with a
client's objectives. Rockefeller & Co. will disclose its relationship with RIT, at the time it
makes any such recommendation.
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Rockefeller & Co. does not accept placement fees or other monetary compensation from
investment managers, including Rif and firms associated with directors, officers and
employees as noted above, in connection with any recommendations to clients for the use of
such firms.
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EFTA01079482
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
and Personal Trading
Code of Ethics
Rockefeller & Co.'s Code of Ethics (the "Code") is intended to fulfill the firm's obligations
under Rule 204A-1 of the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended, ("Investment Company Act") with respect to Affiliated Mutual Funds,
to set forth standards of conduct and to require compliance with the federal securities laws.
As a registered investment adviser, Rockefeller & Co. owes a duty of loyalty to each of its
clients, which requires that the firm serve the best interests of its clients at all times. The
Code covers:
•
Standards of conduct;
•
Compliance with laws and regulations;
•
Conflicts of interest and outside business affiliations;
•
Personal securities transactions;
•
Compliance training and certifications;
•
Reporting of code violations and sanctions;
•
Reports to Rockefeller & Co.'s Audit Committee and to Affiliated Mutual Funds;
and
•
Recordkeeping requirements
Rockefeller & Co. will provide a copy of the Code to any client or prospective client upon
request.
The Code is supplemented by a number of other published directives, including a policy on
business conduct, a whistleblower policy and an employee handbook. Topics covered in
other policies include, among other things, outside officerships or directorships, acceptance
of gifts, political contributions, confidentiality and privacy, and the prohibition of insider
trading.
Illegal or improper actions undertaken either for personal benefit or in a misguided effort to
achieve gains on behalf of the firm or its clients are prohibited under the Code. Violations of
the Code may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal. Certain persons associated
with Rockefeller & Co. ("Access Persons") are prohibited under the Code from executing
personal securities transactions which might operate to the detriment of Rockefeller & Co.'s
clients.
An "Access Person" is a person who has access to nonpublic information regarding clients'
purchases or sales of securities (other than as clients or representatives of clients), who is
involved in making securities recommendations to clients or who has access to such
recommendations that are nonpublic. Rockefeller & Co.'s non-employee directors who do
not have access to such information are excluded from this definition of Access Person, but
nevertheless report their personal securities transactions to Rockefeller & Co.'s Compliance
Staff on a quarterly basis.
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EFTA01079483
The principal restrictions under the Code relating to personal trading by Access Persons are
summarized below:
1.
Personal Trading Guidelines and Disclosure Obligations for Access Persons
Access Persons must report their personal securities transactions quarterly and holdings
annually, and are subject to other personal trading restrictions.
Access Persons may not, in connection with the purchase, sale or gift, directly or
indirectly, of a security held or to be acquired by a client defraud or mislead such client in
any manner or engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would
operate as a fraud or deceit upon such client.
Access Persons are permitted to buy and sell securities in accounts established with
brokerage or investment management firms of their own choosing, provided they disclose
any such accounts or arrangements to the Compliance Staff.
2.
Restrictions within Controlled Accounts
Access Persons are generally prohibited from trading in any non-client account which
they control (a "Controlled Account"), shares or interests in any non-exempt security
when:
•
the issuer of the non-exempt security is the subject of, or probable subject of, an
investment recommendation or an active buying or selling program for clients,
•
an open order is pending for that non-exempt security; or
•
the issuer is restricted pursuant to Rockefeller & Co.'s Insider Trading Policy
No security may be purchased or sold in a Controlled Account by an Access Person if the
purchase or sale would be reasonably expected to deprive any client of an investment
opportunity after taking into account the client's other investments and investment
objectives.
No security may be purchased or sold in a Controlled Account by an Access Person if the
sale or purchase is effected with a view to making a profit on an anticipated market action
of the security as a result of being recommended to a client for purchase or sale or after
being purchased or sold by any client.
Access Persons may not invest in IPOs or limited offerings unless such investment has
been approved by the Compliance Officer, Chief Compliance Officer or a member of the
Compliance Committee.
3.
Preclearance of Personal Securities Transactions
Access Persons are required to preclear all securities transactions in Controlled Accounts
with the Trading Desk with certain permitted exceptions, such as transactions in direct
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EFTA01079484
obligations of the U.S. Government, unaffiliated, open-end mutual funds and other
specifically excepted securities. Exchange-traded funds have been exempted from the
preclearance requirement, but remain subject to an Access Person's reporting obligations.
Personal securities transactions by members of the Investment Department and the
Institutional Sales Department receive a heightened level of review.
4.
Small Capitalization Stocks
No Access Person may effect, without the prior approval of Rockefeller & Co.'s Small
Capitalization Portfolio Manager or her designee, a securities transaction in a small
capitalization stock for a Controlled Account if that security is held in an internally
managed small capitalization equity strategy if the proposed transaction is likely to have
any significant impact on the market price of the security.
5.
Reporting of Personal Securities Transactions
All securities transactions effected by Access Persons and Rockefeller & Co.'s officers
and directors (with permitted exceptions for exempt securities as noted above) must be
reported to Rockefeller & Co. quarterly. This reporting requirement applies to all
Controlled Accounts and any other account in which the reporting persons have a direct
or indirect beneficial interest. Each quarter, trades reported by Access Persons arc
compared to all client trades to identify any problematic transaction.
Jnsider Trading Policy
Rockefeller & Co.'s Insider Trading Policy includes procedures to prevent misuse of material
nonpublic information. Rockefeller & Co. and its related persons may, from time to time,
come into possession of material nonpublic and other confidential information which, if
disclosed, might affect an investor's decision to buy, sell, or hold a security. Under
applicable law, Rockefeller & Co. and such persons may be prohibited from improperly
disclosing or using such information for their benefit or for the benefit of any other person,
regardless of whether such person is an advisory client. Accordingly, should Rockefeller &
Co. come into possession of material non-public or other confidential information with
respect to any issuer, it may be prohibited from communicating such information to, or using
such information for the benefit of, its clients, and will have no obligation to do so when
following policies and procedures designed to comply with applicable law, including Section
204A of the Advisers Act.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
In general, Rockefeller & Co. does not buy or sell securities for its own account as principal
when a client is the counterparty to the transaction. In the limited context of correcting an
error with respect to a client account, however, Rockefeller & Co. may deem it appropriate to
purchase or sell securities as principal directly with a client in order to make a fair adjustment
in a client's account. It is Rockefeller & Co.'s policy to disclose and obtain consent in these
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EFTA01079485
circumstances. See response to Item 12, below, for a summary of Rockefeller & Co.'s Trade
Correction Policy and Procedures.
Rockefeller & Co. serves as general partner, managing member, manager, and/or investment
adviser of Affiliated Funds that are recommended to clients for investment. Rockefeller &
Co. makes use of Affiliated Funds as a convenient means to diversify its clients' assets and to
manage them such that eligible and participating clients share fairly in available investment
opportunities. However, because certain types of investments may not be appropriate for all
clients, not all clients will be offered the opportunity to invest and not all of those who are
offered the opportunity to invest will choose to do so. Rockefeller & Co. receives advisory
fees from these Affiliated Funds and in the case of certain Affiliated Private Funds, may also
receive performance compensation or benefit from a carried or owned interest in such
Affiliated Private Funds. Rockefeller & Co. also receives a fee for providing certain
administration, accounting and tax services to Affiliated Private Funds, although in some
cases this fee is paid out of the advisory fees paid to Rockefeller & Co. Given the significant
role Rockefeller & Co. plays with respect to these Affiliated Private Funds, Rockefeller &
Co. has an incentive to recommend them to clients.
Rockefeller & Co. was created by the Rockefeller family, and Rockefeller family members
are indirect beneficial owners of Rockefeller & Co. and sit on its board of directors. As a
matter of policy, Rockefeller & Co. will neither favor nor disfavor any clients, including its
owners and other affiliates. As clients, however, Rockefeller family members and related
entities are subject to Rockefeller & Co.'s policy on allocation of trades which is intended to
assure that all eligible clients participate in recommended securities transactions on an
equitable basis. See also response to Item 12 below.
As mentioned above, Rockefeller & Co. provides investment advice to clients regarding
investment in various types of Affiliated Funds where Rockefeller & Co. and its related
persons have an interest as a general partner, managing member, manager and/or investment
adviser. Eligible officers and employees of Rockefeller & Co. are provided the opportunity to
align their financial interests with those of Rockefeller & Co.'s clients by investing their
personal funds in Affiliated Funds. In addition, Rockefeller & Co. and its affiliates may also
invest their proprietary capital in separate accounts managed by Rockefeller & Co. and in
Affiliated Funds. The services provided by Rockefeller & Co. and related persons to any
Affiliated Fund recommended by Rockefeller & Co. to clients are disclosed to prospective
investors in the Affiliated Fund's prospectus, private placement memorandum, partnership or
operating agreement or otherwise.
Personal Trading
Rockefeller & Co. acts as investment adviser to a number of client accounts and may give
advice and take action with respect to any account it manages, or for its own accounts or for
the account of an Access Person, which differs from action taken by Rockefeller & Co. on
behalf of other accounts. Rockefeller & Co. is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to
refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that Rockefeller & Co. or a
director, officer, employee and affiliate of Rockefeller & Co. buys or sells for its or their own
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EFTA01079486
accounts or for any other account Rockefeller & Co. manages. Additionally, from lime to
time, Rockefeller & Co. and its directors, officers and employees and affiliates will have
interests in securities owned by or recommended to clients. Such interests may also arise
because such persons invest or otherwise have an interest, either directly or indirectly, in
Affiliated Funds or other pooled vehicles which, in turn, invest in securities held in other
accounts managed by Rockefeller & Co. As these situations (as well as personal trading or
other activities engaged in by Rockefeller 84 Co. and its personnel) can lead to potential
conflicts of interest, Rockefeller & Co. has implemented procedures relating to, among other
things, personal securities transactions and insider trading, as described above, that are
designed to identify potential conflicts of interest, to prevent or mitigate actual conflicts of
interest and to resolve conflicts appropriately, if they do occur. Subject to compliance with
Rockefeller & Co.'s Code of Ethics and applicable law, such personnel are permitted to
invest in securities held in client accounts.
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EFTA01079487
Item 12: BrokeraEe Practices
Rockefeller & Co. does not act as a broker or agent by effecting securities transactions for
compensation for any client. Rockefeller & Co. generally determines the broker or dealer to
be used and the commission rates to be paid for client trades. Rockefeller & Co.'s primary
objective in placing orders is to seek prompt execution at the most favorable price and
execution quality readily available to it from broker-dealers at competitive commission rates.
The best net result, giving effect to brokerage commissions, spreads and other costs, is
normally an important factor, but a number of other factors are considered.
In making client brokerage decisions, Rockefeller & Co. considers the following factors
categorized below, keeping in mind that each order is unique. As a result, different factors
will generally have varying levels of importance depending on the nature of the transaction
and surrounding circumstances.
Transaction Specific Factors
•
Best Price: The actual price to be paid or received for the securities. The ability of
a broker to obtain the best overall price for a transaction and to sell or buy a
security with minimal disruption of the market price.
•
Commission Rates: A key factor, although commission rates alone ordinarily
should not be determinative in selecting a broker.
•
Trade Settlement (settlement risk): A broker's ability to ensure that the securities
will be delivered on settlement date.
•
Transaction Size: A broker may specialize in block orders, large program trades
or small trades.
•
Willingness to Commit Capital: If an account holds a thinly-traded issue and them
is limited interest in the security, a broker may be selected based on its
willingness to purchase some or all of the securities for its own inventory.
Specific Broker Characteristics
•
Market Familiarity: The broker's knowledge of the market for the particular
security.
•
Reliability: Whether the broker has been able in the past to provide support when
placing a difficult trade in this security or a similar security.
•
Integrity (ability to maintain confidentiality): When executing orders, Rockefeller
& Co. may not want to divulge its interest to the market.
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EFTA01079488
•
Research Capability: Rockefeller & Co. will consider a broker's research
capability when allocating brokerage, when consistent with the duty to seek best
execution and Rockefeller & Co.'s soft dollar policies, as described below.
•
Technology Infrastructure and Operational Capabilities: Rockefeller & Co.
should select a broker only if it knows that a broker has the infrastructure and
operational capabilities to execute and settle the trade.
•
Financial Condition: Rockefeller & Co. should take into account the financial
condition of a broker, and may choose not to utilize a particular broker due to
uncertainty regarding a broker's financial status.
•
Disciplinary History: Rockefeller & Co. should consider risks associated with
using brokers that have a history of regulatory violations or reported client
disputes, with a focus on issues involving institutional services provided to clients
such as Rockefeller & Co.
Other Factors
•
All other relevant factors being equal, soft dollars and access to new offerings will
typically be considered in the making of brokerage decisions since, in the
aggregate, these are likely to confer indirect benefits on Rockefeller & Co.'s
clients.
•
Rockefeller & Co. may not direct transactions to (or otherwise directly or
indirectly remunerate) a broker with the objective of compensating such broker
for the promotion or sale of shares of any mutual funds advised or subadvised by
Rockefeller & Co.
Soft Dollar or Research/Execution Policy
In a "soft dollar" arrangement an investment adviser makes use of client brokerage
commissions to acquire investment research and brokerage services. Rockefeller & Co.'s
receipt of some benefit in exchange for directing brokerage on behalf of client accounts has
the potential to create a conflict of interest because Rockefeller & Co. may have an incentive
to select or recommend a broker-dealer based on its interest in receiving the research and
brokerage services, rather than on the clients' interest in receiving the lowest available
commission rate.
Broker-dealers typically provide a bundle of services in addition to execution. In allocating
brokerage, Rockefeller & Co. generally considers the value of research and brokerage
services provided by a broker-dealer. Such services may include:
•
Direct services such as access to a firm's research reports and research analysts,
admittance to an industry conference and meetings and discussions with research
personnel and company management; or
- 28 -
EFTA01079489
•
Soft dollar payments for third party services such as financial data and systems,
consumer data, proprietary risk modeling and risk management services, brokers
reports, compilations of corporate earnings estimates, public filing reporting services,
books and research publications and consultant services.
These research and brokerage services address themselves to a variety of matters, including
analyses of industries, companies, economic factors, consumer sentiment, business and
market trends and assistance in pricing securities and providing information as to the
availability of securities.
Rockefeller & Co. will use soft dollars to acquire either a broker's proprietary research or
third party research and brokerage services, consistent with the safe harbor, described below.
Rockefeller & Co.'s portfolio managers and analysts collectively designate commission
allocations to various brokers on the basis of the quality or amount of services provided,
although no binding commitments are made to any broker to pay a particular amount.
Nonetheless, certain broker-dealers may state in advance the amount of brokerage
commissions they require for certain services and the applicable cash equivalent. Rockefeller
& Co. maintains an internal allocation procedure to track the broker-dealers who provide
research and the amount of research so provided, and endeavors to direct sufficient
commissions to them to ensure the continued receipt of research Rockefeller & Co. believes
to be particularly useful.
As of December 31, 2015, Rockefeller & Co. maintained active brokerage relationships with
approximately 40 firms, and no single equity broker accounted for more than 20% of all
client commissions for the 2015 calendar year.
Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
provides a "safe harbor" that allows an investment adviser to pay for research and brokerage
services with the commission dollars generated by client transactions. Under SEC
interpretations, client commissions may be used for certain research and brokerage products
and services that assist an investment adviser in meeting its clients' investment objectives or
in managing client accounts. The receipt of these services in exchange for soft dollars
benefits Rockefeller & Co. by allowing Rockefeller & Co., at no direct cost, to:
•
Supplement its own research and analysis activities;
•
Receive the views and information of individuals and research staffs of other
securities firms;
•
Gain access to persons having special expertise on certain companies, industries,
areas of the economy and market factors; and/or
•
Gain insight into consumer preferences
Rockefeller & Co. allocates brokerage commissions to pay for brokerage and research
services, where appropriate and permitted by law, or may elect to pay for these services
directly.
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EFTA01079490
Rockefeller & Co.'s policies with respect to the use of soft dollars are consistent with the safe
harbor provided by Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. Rockefeller & Co. generally selects
broker-dealers based on its assessment of each broker-dealer's ability to provide quality
executions and its belief that the research, information and other services provided by such
broker-dealer may benefit client accounts.
It is often not possible to place a dollar value on the quality of executions or on the brokerage
and/or research services Rockefeller & Co. receives from broker-dealers effecting
transactions in portfolio securities. Accordingly, broker-dealers selected by Rockefeller &
Co. may be paid commissions for effecting portfolio transactions for client accounts in
excess of amounts other broker-dealers would have charged for effecting similar transactions
if Rockefeller & Co. determines in good faith that such amounts are reasonable in relation to
the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided, viewed either in terms of a
particular transaction or Rockefeller & Co.'s overall duty to its clients.
Research obtained with soft dollars will not always be utilized by Rockefeller & Co. for the
specific account that generated the soft dollars. It should be noted that the value of research
and brokerage services cannot be measured precisely and commissions paid for such services
generally cannot be allocated to clients in direct proportion to the value of the services to the
client. Thus, at least in the short term, commissions paid in one account may, in effect,
subsidize services that benefit another account. Rockefeller & Co. believes that any
distortions should balance out over time as various sources of research and brokerage
services should enable Rockefeller & Co. to make better investment decisions and execute
more effective trades. As such, Rockefeller & Co. does not usually attempt to allocate the
relative costs or benefits of research among accounts because it believes that, in the
aggregate, the research it receives benefits clients and assists Rockefeller & Co. in fulfilling
its overall duty to clients.
Certain clients have placed limitations on, or are subject to regulations which restrict,
Rockefeller & Co.'s ability to use their brokerage commissions to generate soft dollars to pay
for the broker's proprietary research and/or third party research. Clients who have these
types of limitations or restrictions will in most cases benefit from research obtained through
soft dollar credits generated by brokerage commissions paid by other clients.
Rockefeller & Co. uses soft dollars to pay for specific research and brokerage services or for
portions of "mixed use" items (research and brokerage services that provide both investment
research and non-research or administrative benefits). In the case of mixed use items,
Rockefeller & Co. may use soft dollars for the research portion and pay cash for the non-
research portion. Although the allocation between soft dollars and cash is not always capable
of precise calculation, Rockefeller & Co. will make a good faith effort to allocate such items
reasonably. Records of any such allocations and payments will be maintained.
For the calendar year ending December 31, 2015, Rockefeller & Co. directed approximately
88.1% of the total commissions paid on client transactions (excluding commissions paid on
transactions directed by clients), to broker-dealers that provided proprietary research or third
party research services to Rockefeller & Co. through soft dollar arrangements.
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EFTA01079491
Batched Transactions
Rockefeller & Co. seeks to allocate transactions in a manner that is fair and equitable, over
time, both in the priority of execution of orders for client accounts, and in the allocation of
the price (and commission or other costs and expenses, if applicable) obtained in execution
of aggregated orders for such accounts. When Rockefeller & Co. believes that the purchase
or sale of the same security is in the best interest of two or more of its accounts, it will
typically seek to aggregate the order to seek a more favorable execution since a large order
may be executed at a lower commission cost on a per-share and a per-dollar basis. The
following summarizes our policies for batching transactions:
•
Rockefeller & Co. may aggregate orders for all its clients, including clients (e.g.,
Affiliated Funds) in which firm employees invest;
• All accounts participating in the aggregated execution will receive the same average
execution price (and commission, if any) as reported by the broker;
•
Where the full amount of the aggregated order is not executed, the partial amount
actually executed shall be allocated among the participating client accounts pro-rata
on the basis of order size, subject to rounding to "round lot" amounts; any shares
remaining shall be randomly allocated to the participating client accounts;
•
Aggregated orders placed in markets outside of the U.S. may be required to be
allocated according to the applicable laws and exchange lutes of those jurisdictions;
and
• In the case of supply-constrained securities, other than IPOs, when Rockefeller &
Co.'s overall allocation is too small for practical pro rata distribution and retention in
all interested accounts, the aggregate allocation will be placed so as to share the
benefit of favorable pricing broadly across as many accounts as practicable,
consistent with the goal of providing fair and equitable treatment over time. In
general, this means that small allocations generally will be placed in widely-held
investment vehicles benefiting as many of Rockefeller & Co.'s clients as possible.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
Neither Rockefeller & Co. nor any of its related persons takes into consideration whether it
receives client referrals from a broker-dealer or third party when selecting or recommending
broker-dealers for client securities transactions.
Client-Directed Brokerage Transactions
At a client's written request, Rockefeller & Co. will direct a client's orders to a broker
designated by the client with the understanding that the broker will pay obligations for which
the client would otherwise be responsible (such as consulting or custodial services). In
addition, in connection with certain sub-advisory relationships, Rockefeller & Co. may
participate in commission recapture programs established by the primary investment adviser.
Rockefeller & Co. directs brokerage in this manner with the client's understanding that the
directed brokerage arrangement means that Rockefeller & Co. is not expected to (and, under
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most circumstances, will not be in a position to), among other things, negotiate commission
rates or spreads, obtain volume discounts or execute over-the-counter stock transactions
directly through the relevant market maker.
Additionally, client-directed brokerage arrangements may require the segregation of a client's
orders from the orders of other clients as that client's trades in a security will generally not be
communicated to the directed firm until after a related batch transaction for other clients has
been communicated to the executing broker-dealer. Thus, in most instances, trading for the
directed account will not commence until after the batch transaction has been fully executed.
Accordingly, directed transactions may be subject to price movements, particularly in
volatile markets, that may result in the directed client receiving a price that is less favorable
than the price obtained for the batched order and the client may also incur somewhat higher
commission costs.
Clients who direct brokerage should understand that best price and execution may not be
achieved. In limited circumstances, Rockefeller & Co. may, but is not required to, utilize the
New York Stock Exchange "step-out" trade mechanism to satisfy client-directed brokerage
requests. A step-out trade allows for the execution of an aggregated order through one broker
and the clearing of a portion of the order through the client-directed broker. The client
directing the brokerage is assessed commission by the confirming broker only, while the
executing broker receives compensation in the form of commission from the other non-
directed orders within the block trade. In this way, all clients benefit from the aggregated
execution while bearing transaction costs no greater than would have been the case in the
absence of a step-out.
Cross-Trading
In certain circumstances, one or more accounts managed by Rockefeller & Co. may seek to
dispose of certain securities that may be desirable for other accounts with available cash or
liquidity.
Where permissible, Rockefeller & Co. may cause an account to purchase or sell securities
from or to, as the case may be, another account in a "cross trade" consistent with Rockefeller
& Co.'s duty to seek best execution and its applicable written policies and procedures
reasonably designed to assure that all participating accounts are treated fairly and that an
appropriate price is assigned to the crossed security.
Participating accounts may pay full, reduced or no commissions in connection with a cross
trade (though, in no case, will such commissions be paid to Rockefeller & Co. or an affiliate).
Such cross trades may reduce execution related costs and/or improve execution quality for
participating accounts.
In the event that a proprietary account, or an Affiliated Fund in which Rockefeller & Co. or
its personnel or affiliates have a significant ownership interest, may participate in a cross
trade with another client account, Rockefeller & Co. will seek the client's consent prior to
completion of the cross trade in accordance with Section 206(3) of the Advisers Act.
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Trade Correction Policy and Procedures
Rockefeller & Co. has adopted a policy and procedures for correcting trade errors.
Rockefeller & Co.'s policy and procedures regarding trade errors are intended to achieve
fairness to clients consistent with Rockefeller & Co.'s fiduciary duty and contractual
obligations to clients, and to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
In general, trade errors are corrected through the use of a separate error account established
by Rockefeller & Co. for this purpose. For errors discovered pre-settlement, the erroneous
trade normally is transferred to, and covered in, Rockefeller & Co.'s error account. Any
profits or losses realized from the correction in the trade error account will be retained by
Rockefeller & Co.
When an error is detected after a trade settles in a client account, the error may be corrected
directly in the client account or transferred to the error account and covered by Rockefeller &
Co. The client generally will be entitled to retain any profits and, subject to a determination
by Rockefeller & Co. that the error resulted in a reimbursable loss to the client, will be
reimbursed for any such amount resulting from the post-settlement correction of an error.
The netting of gains and losses for multiple errors is generally not permissible among clients
or for the same client in the case of multiple trade errors unless the profits and losses result
from the same or a related series of transactions.
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EFTA01079494
Item 13: Review of Accounts
Annual Account Reviews
Each client relationship is generally reviewed at least annually in light of changing
investment objectives and other factors. In some cases, Rockefeller & Co. may also meet
with clients on a quarterly basis, participate in periodic conference calls with clients and/or
respond to client requests for information. The nature of the formal account reviews depends
on the type and complexity of the account, but generally includes a review of:
•
Investment objectives and asset allocation;
•
Account holdings and recent transactions;
•
Account performance, including performance of third-party managers (if applicable);
•
Spending and other requirements and upcoming cash-flow needs;
•
Account specific matters (e.g., excise tax calculations and minimum charitable
distributions for foundations; principal and income distributions for trusts, etc.); and
•
Changes in circumstances affecting the client's long term goals and objectives
The supervised persons involved with a client review generally include the designated Client
Advisor, Portfolio Manager and depending on the scope of services may also include a Trust
Officer, Client Accountant or other client-service professionals assigned to the client
relationship team, including senior management.
Periodic Account Reviews
Conditions that may trigger a review, aside from the periodic, regularly scheduled review,
would include:
•
A material change in investment objectives or risk parameters;
•
A significant account addition or change in cash or spending needs;
•
Tax or estate planning initiatives; and/or
•
Changes in the client's circumstances
Client Reporting
All clients and/or their independent representatives receive a holdings report with current
market values and a transaction report at least quarterly. Reports are available electronically
(in .pdf format) or in hard copy format if preferred.
Certain clients also receive monthly and quarterly performance and investment reporting that
may include:
•
Asset Allocation Pie Chart, Summary and Detailed Statement of Assets
•
Performance, and Benchmark returns (custom and blended benchmarks as
appropriate)
• Portfolio overview summaries at an entity and total relationship level
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EFTA01079495
• Asset allocation reporting using a single standard classification model as well
as other agreed-upon industry standard classifications (such as MSCI Industry or
Geographic Region)
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EFTA01079496
Item 14: Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Officers, directors and employees are encouraged to recommend and refer prospective
clients. When those efforts result in a new client relationship, that fact would normally be
considered in connection with regular performance reviews and promotion, bonus and other
compensation decisions.
Employees other than the Chief Executive Officer or dedicated sales professionals may be
eligible to receive cash referral awards in connection with introductions that result in new
client relationships. With respect to new client relationships introduced by non-employee
Directors or members of the Rockefeller family, Rockefeller & Co. may elect to make a
charitable contribution to one or more charities based on the recommendation of the Board or
Rockefeller family member who introduced the new client.
From time to time, Rockefeller & Co. may enter into referral arrangements with third parties.
In the context of investment advisory referrals, these arrangements would be subject to Rule
206(4)-3 under the Advisers Act and would be disclosed to prospective clients by the
solicitor at the time of the referral.
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EFTA01079497
Item 15: Custod
Clients of Rockefeller & Co. generally have discretion to select the qualified custodian where
their account assets will be maintained. Rockefeller & Co. maintains relationships with
certain qualified custodians with which it has a good working and/or pricing relationship and
can suggest the use of such qualified custodians in response to client inquiries for
recommended service providers. Rockefeller & Co. does not receive monetary reciprocation
for any such referrals.
Rockefeller & Co. will select one or more firms to serve as qualified custodian to hold the
funds and securities of an Affiliated Private Fund. Rockefeller & Co. reserves the right, in its
sole discretion (subject, however, to the relevant Affiliated Private Fund's governing
documents), to change an Affiliated Private Fund's custodial arrangements at any time.
However, Rockefeller & Co. will, to the extent required by Rule 206(4)-2 under the Advisers
Act (the "Custody Rule"), provide appropriate notice upon opening such an account and
upon any material changes to the manner of custody.
Depending on the scope of services provided to a client, Rockefeller & Co. may be deemed
to have "custody" of assets held within a client's account within the meaning of the Custody
Rule because Rockefeller & Co. may have access to or authority over client funds and
securities for purposes other than issuing trading instructions. If Rockefeller & Co. is deemed
to have custody over any client's account, the client's qualified custodian is required to send
directly to such client and/or such client's authorized independent representative a quarterly,
or more frequent, account statement indicating the amounts of any funds or securities held in
such client's account as of the end of the statement period and any transactions in the account
during the statement period. Clients who do not receive account statements from their
qualified custodian on at least a quarterly basis should promptly report this to their
Rockefeller & Co. Client Advisor.
Rockefeller & Co. generally provides clients with regular reporting packages in addition to
statements that will be sent directly to clients and/or their authorized independent
representatives by the qualified custodian. Clients are encouraged to review and compare
these two sets of account statements and report any discrepancy to their Rockefeller & Co.
Client Advisor immediately. When reviewing and comparing these two sets of statements,
clients should be aware of the following:
•
Most qualified custodians provide information on a settlement date basis, while
Rockefeller & Co. account statements reflect data on a trade date basis;
•
Money market balances held at the qualified custodian are reflected as part of cash
balances on the Rockefeller & Co. account statements; and
•
Investments in Affiliated Private Funds and most private investments are not
separately maintained at the qualified custodian and therefore will not be reflected on
the qualified custodian's statements.
With respect to Affiliated Private Funds for which Rockefeller & Co. or a subsidiary serves
as the general partner, managing member or manager, Rockefeller & Co. is deemed to have
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EFTA01079498
"custody" over the assets of such Affiliated Private Funds within the meaning of the Custody
Rule. To comply with the Custody Rule, Rockefeller & Co. will either
•
Provide each investor in the Affiliated Private Fund audited financial statements
within 120 days (or within 180 days in the case of a fund of funds) following the
Affiliated Private Fund's fiscal year end; or
•
In the case of an unaudited Affiliated Private Fund, cause the Affiliated Private
Fund's qualified custodian to send the Affiliated Private Fund's custody account
statement to each investor at least quarterly.
Investors in Affiliated Private Funds who do not receive audited financial statements or, in
the case of unaudited Affiliated Private Funds, quarterly custody account statements as
described above, should promptly report this to their Rockefeller & Co. Client Advisor.
Rockefeller & Co. is not a qualified custodian. As a consequence, it may not take physical
custody of client funds, including checks made payable to the client, and client securities
(collectively, "Client Funds and Securities"). In accordance with regulatory requirements,
Client Funds and Securities received by Rockefeller & Co. will be returned to the third party
who sent or delivered them within 3 business days of receipt.
Rockefeller & Co. has engaged its affiliate, RTC, to serve as qualified custodian for the
limited purpose of receiving and depositing into client accounts at third party qualified
custodians, checks made payable to clients in connection with family office services and
class action processing services offered to clients. In connection with these services, RTC
obtains and provides to Rockefeller & Co. an internal control report on its custody practices
prepared by an independent public accountant as required under the Custody Rule.
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EFTA01079499
Item 16: Investment Discretion
In relationships where Rockefeller & Co. is given discretionary authority over the investment
management of a client's account, clients are generally required to sign an investment
management agreement appointing Rockefeller & Co. as their discretionary investment
manager and a limited power of attorney. Depending on the client's choice of custodian, the
client may also need to specifically appoint Rockefeller & Co. as the discretionary
investment manager over the assets held in its custody account on the custodian's custody
account application. Rockefeller & Co. has a formal client acceptance process which requires
an officer of the fum to sign each client agreement to evidence Rockefeller & Co.'s
acceptance of its appointment as investment adviser to the client.
A client may elect to designate certain assets (such as legacy, concentrated or low-cost-basis
holdings) as non-discretionary, and this restriction will be reflected in our internal system so
that client consent can be obtained before a decision is made to trade in such securities. In
addition, certain client assets for which Rockefeller & Co. provides reporting services may
also be reflected as non-managed assets on our internal systems.
Rockefeller & Co. will typically file claim forms for class action settlements involving
securities held in managed client accounts, unless another arrangement with respect to the
handling of class action claims is agreed to with the client or the client has subsequently
terminated its investment management relationship with Rockefeller Sc Co. Please refer to
Item 15 for a description of the manner in which Rockefeller & Co. arranges for class action
settlement checks to be deposited into client accounts at third party qualified custodians.
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EFTA01079500
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
Where Rockefeller & Co. has proxy voting authority over client securities, Rockefeller & Co.
seeks to vote proxies in the best interest of its clients in accordance with its Proxy Voting
Policies and Procedures.
A client may, at any time, retain the right to vote proxies or take action relating to securities
held in the client's account, provided the client advises Rockefeller & Co. of such decision in
advance of any proxy vote(s). Upon reasonable notice, Rockefeller & Co. will also adhere to
any specific client direction and/or reasonable guidelines with respect to proxy voting, even
if such direction or guidelines conflict with Rockefeller & Co.'s voting guidelines.
Upon request, Rockefeller & Co. will provide clients with a copy of its policies and
procedures, as well as information on how Rockefeller & Co. voted proxies of securities held
in that client's accounts.
Proxy Voting Administration
Rockefeller & Co. has established a Proxy Voting Committee that, among other things,
establishes guidelines and generally oversees the proxy voting process. The Committee
consists of senior personnel and is chaired by the Chief Investment Officer. The Committee
has designated those who are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the policies
and procedures.
Rockefeller & Co. has engaged Glass, Lewis & Co. LLC ("GL"), an organization unaffiliated
with Rockefeller & Co., to assist with proxy voting. In addition to the execution of proxy
votes in accordance with Rockefeller & Co. guidelines and record-keeping services, GL also
provides Rockefeller & Co. with corporate governance information, due diligence related to
making appropriate proxy voting decisions, and voting recommendations. MSCI Inc.
provides Rockefeller & Co. with research on social issues impacting certain issuers of public
securities.
Overview of Proxy Voting Guidelines
Rockefeller & Co. has adopted and implemented these policies and procedures to ensure that
proxies are voted in the best interest of clients in fulfillment of Rockefeller & Co.'s fiduciary
duties and in accordance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act.
Rockefeller & Co. has established two sets of proxy voting guidelines: (I) a general set that
governs the voting for clients not making a contrary election; and (2) a sustainability and
impact focused set to be applied to specific mandates or upon client request. Both guidelines
share the same philosophy with respect to corporate governance issues and consider the
future appreciation of the investment as a primary concern. The guidelines, however, differ
somewhat on social and environmental issues. For example, the general guidelines set forth
specific governance preferences and a more general approach to social and environmental
issues. The sustainability and impact guidelines take a more specific and proactive stance on
EFTA01079501
social and environmental issues. Nonetheless, environmental, social and governance issues
are receiving more focus generally as a result of Rockefeller & Co.'s asset management
division becoming a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment.
Rockefeller & Co. does not automatically vote for or against any class of resolutions, but
rather follows a list of preferences. On governance issues, the two sets of guidelines share a
preference for resolutions that increase disclosure and reporting and that enhance the
transparency of decision-making without placing an undue burden on the company or
requiring the disclosure of proprietary or competitive information. In addition, both
guidelines favor proposals that seek to:
•
Preserve and enhance the rights of minority shareholders;
•
Increase the Board's skill base; and
•
Increase the accountability of both the Board and management.
The sustainability and impact voting guidelines seek to encourage progress and leadership
from companies in areas such as:
•
Workplace and equality issues;
•
Energy and the environment;
•
Global corporate accountability; and
•
International and public health
These guidelines are based on the assumption that good citizenship is good business and that
encouraging companies to improve their social responsiveness can lead to improved financial
performance.
Proxy Voting Limitations
Rockefeller & Co. will not vote proxies in countries that engage in "share blocking" -- the
practice of prohibiting investors who have exercised voting rights from disposing of their
shares for a defined period of time. Rockefeller & Co. will also not vote in cases where a
proxy is received after the requisite voting date or with respect to specific proposals that are
incoherent or that would entail extensive and uneconomic investigation or research.
Conflicts of Interest
Due to the nature of Rockefeller & Co.'s business and structure, it is unlikely that a material
conflict of interest will arise in voting the proxies of public companies, because Rockefeller
& Co. does not engage in investment banking, or otherwise advise public companies.
However, Rockefeller & Co. has a few affiliated persons who sit on the boards of public
companies. Rockefeller & Co. may also act as an investment manager to registered mutual
funds and/or manage assets for other types of public entities. In the event a material conflict
does arise, it will be resolved in the best interest of the clients. In such a case, the Proxy
Voting Committee will generally vote the proxy based upon the recommendation of GL. If
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EFTA01079502
the Committee determines to resolve the conflict in a different manner, that approach will be
documented.
Client Retained Proxy Voting Authority
In cases where a client has retained proxy voting authority, Rockefeller & Co. may provide
the following assistance to the client, depending upon the client's preferences for the receipt
and processing of proxy voting materials:
•
Rockefeller & Co. will instruct the client's custodian to have all of the proxy voting
materials sent to the client; or
•
Rockefeller & Co. will assume responsibility for
o Receiving the proxy materials
o Confirming the amount of shares held by the client as of the applicable record
date
o Obtaining the client's voting instructions
o Completing the related paperwork according to the client's instructions, and
o Sending the completed proxy materials to the proxy service representing the
issuer or GL for processing, by the voting deadline
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EFTA01079503
Item 18: Financial Information
Rockefeller & Co. does not require or solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in investment
advisory fees per client, six months or more in advance.
. •
Rockefeller & Co. is not aware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair
its ability to meet contractual commitments to its clients.
Rockefeller & Co. has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition at any time during the
past ten years.
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EFTA01079504