Doc re Submission of Docs

SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS Documents on The Throgmorton Trust PLC: Copies of the Annual Report & Accounts for the year ended 30 November 2009 and the Form of Proxy have been submitted to the UK Listing Authority, and will shortly be available for inspection at the UK Listing Authority's Document Viewing Facility, which is situated at: The Financial Services Authority 25 The North Colonnade Canary Wharf London E14 5HS Tel. No. (0)20 7066 1000 The Notice of Annual General Meeting, contained within the Annual Report and Accounts, includes a special resolution to approve the adoption of new Articles of Association, amended primarily to facilitate electronic communication between the Company and its shareholders and to take account of the implementation of the last parts of the Companies Act 2006 ("the Act") and the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009 ("the Directive"). The proposed new Articles of Association (together with a document showing the changes to the existing Articles of Association) are available for inspection at the Company's registered office, 33 King William Street, London EC4R 9AS until the close of the Annual General Meeting. A copy of the proposed new Articles of Association has also been lodged with the UK Listing Authority and will shortly be available for publication through the above document viewing facility. The principal changes introduced in the new Articles proposed to be adopted by the Company are as follows: 1. The Company's objects - The provisions regulating the operations of the Company are currently set out in the Company's memorandum and articles of association. The Company's memorandum contains, among other things, the objects clause which sets out the scope of the activities the Company is authorised to undertake. This is drafted to give a wide scope. The Companies Act 2006 significantly reduces the constitutional significance of a company's memorandum. The Companies Act 2006 provides that a memorandum will record only the names of subscribers and the number of shares each subscriber has agreed to take in the company. Under the Companies Act 2006 the objects clause and all other provisions which are contained in a company's memorandum, for existing companies at 1 October 2009, are deemed to be contained in the company's articles of association but the company can remove these provisions by special resolution. Further the Companies Act 2006 states that, unless a company's articles provide otherwise, a company's objects are unrestricted. This abolishes the need for companies to have objects clauses. For this reason the Company is proposing to remove its objects clause together with all other provisions of its memorandum which, by virtue of the Companies Act 2006, have been treated as forming part of the Company's articles of association. Resolution 15(A) confirms the removal of these provisions for the Company. As the effect of this resolution will be to remove the statement currently in the Company's memorandum of association regarding limited liability, the New Articles also contain an express statement regarding the limited liability of shareholders. 2. Change of name - Under the Companies Act 1985, a company could only change its name by special resolution. Under the Companies Act 2006 a company will be able to change its name by other means provided for by its articles. To take advantage of this provision, the New Articles enable the directors to pass a resolution to change the Company's name. 3. Use of seals - Under the Companies Act 1985, a company required authority in its articles to have an official seal. Under the Companies Act 2006, such authority will no longer be required. Accordingly, the relevant authorisation has been removed in the New Articles. The New Articles provide an alternative option for execution of documents (other than share certificates). Under the New Articles, when the seal is affixed to a document it may be signed by one authorised person in the presence of a witness, whereas previously the requirement was for signature by either a director and the secretary or two directors or such other person or persons as the directors may approve. 4. Vacation of office by directors - The Current Articles specify the circumstances in which a director must vacate office. The New Articles update these provisions to reflect the approach taken on mental and physical incapacity in the model articles for public companies produced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. 5. Voting by proxies on a show of hands - The Shareholders' Rights Regulations have amended the Companies Act 2006 so that it now provides that each proxy appointed by a member has one vote on a show of hands unless the proxy is appointed by more than one member in which case the proxy has one vote for and one vote against if the proxy has been instructed by one or more members to vote for the resolution and by one or more members to vote against the resolution. The Current Articles have been amended to reflect these changes. 6. Electronic conduct of meetings - Amendments made to the Companies Act 2006 by the Shareholders' Rights Regulations specifically provide for the holding and conducting of electronic meetings. The Current Articles have been amended to reflect more closely the relevant provisions. 7. Chairman's casting vote - The New Articles remove the provision giving the chairman a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes as this is no longer permitted under the Companies Act 2006. 8. Notice of general meetings - The Shareholders' Rights Regulations amend the Companies Act 2006 to require the company to give 21 clear days' notice of general meetings unless the company offers members an electronic voting facility and a special resolution reducing the period of notice to not less than 14 clear days has been passed. Annual general meetings must be held on 21 clear days' notice. The New Articles amend the provisions of the Current Articles to be consistent with the new requirements. 9. Adjournments for lack of quorum - Under the Companies Act 2006 as amended by the Shareholders' Rights Regulations, general meetings adjourned for lack of quorum must be held at least 10 clear days after the original meeting. The Current Articles have been changed to reflect this requirement. 10. Electronic communications - Provisions of the Companies Act 2006 which came into force in January 2007 enable companies to communicate with members by electronic and/or website communications. The New Articles allow communications to members in electronic form and, in addition, they also permit the Company to take advantage of the new provisions relating to website communications. Before the Company can communicate with a member by means of website communication, the relevant member must be asked individually by the Company to agree that the Company may send or supply documents or information to him by means of a website. The New Articles allow proxies to be sent or supplied in electronic form and, where the Company gives an electronic address in a form of proxy, shareholders may send the appointment of proxy to that electronic address, subject to any conditions or limitations specified in the relevant notice of meeting. The Company may ask each member for his or her consent to receive communications from the Company via its website. If the member does not respond to the request for consent within 28 days, the Company may take that as consent by the member to receive communications in this way. If the Company sends or supplies any notice, document or information to members by making it available on the Company's website, it must notify each member who has consented (or is deemed to have consented) to receive documents via the website, either by post or by email (if the member has specifically agreed to receive communications in electronic form), that the notice, document or information has been placed on the website. A member who has consented or is deemed to have consented to receive communications via the website can request a hard copy of any document at any time. Members can also revoke their consent to receive electronic communications at any time. In relation to joint holders of shares, the New Articles provide that the agreement of the first-named holder on the register of members to accept notices, documents or information electronically or via a website shall be binding on the other joint holders. The New Articles also deal with notices, documents or information sent by the Company to a member which have been returned undelivered on three consecutive occasions. The member will only be entitled to be sent further communications upon provision of a new postal or electronic address to the Company. 11. Form of resolution - The Current Articles contain a provision that, in certain circumstances, an extraordinary resolution is required. This provision is being amended as the concept of extraordinary resolutions has not been retained under the Companies Act 2006. 12. Directors' indemnification - Under Article 169(A) of the Current Articles, the Company provides the directors and officers of the Company, subject to the provisions of UK legislation, with an indemnity in respect of liabilities which they may sustain or incur in relation or about the execution of their office or otherwise in relation thereto. From 6 April 2005, the Companies (Audit Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 introduced certain relaxations to the previous company law prohibitions on companies indemnifying their directors against, and on advancing funds to directors to meet the costs of defending proceedings in relation to, liabilities incurred in the course of their duty. Although Article 169 as presently drafted grants a wide indemnity, it is proposed that it be amended to make it clear that the Directors have the power to grant indemnities of the type contemplated by the new legislation. 13. Authority to allot and disapply pre-emption rights - The authority to allot shares and disapply pre-emption rights contained in the Current Articles have been deleted in the New Articles due to expected regular changes to Investor Protection Committee guidelines on such matters and the fact that Investor Protection Committee guidelines currently require annual resolutions for such matters. 14. Suspension of transfers of shares - Articles enabling the Company to suspend transfers of shares have been removed in the New Articles due to inconsistency with section 771 of the Companies Act 2006. 15. Retirement of Directors - A new article (Article 116) has been incorporated into the New Articles which requires: (i) a non-executive director that has been in office for nine years or more; or (ii) a director, partner, officer or employee of, or professional adviser to, the investment manager; to retire by rotation at every annual general meeting of the Company. The amendment proposed in (i) is in response to guidance set out in the Combined Code in relation to maintaining the independence of the Board. The amendment suggested in (ii) is a requirement imposed by the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority. 10 February 2010
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