[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1408-1418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00341]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration

[Exemption Application No. D-12080]


Proposed Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transaction 
Restrictions: TT International Asset Management Ltd

AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of proposed exemption.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice of the pendency before the 
Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption 
from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). If this proposed exemption is 
granted, TT International Asset Management Ltd will not be precluded 
from relying on the exemptive relief provided by Prohibited Transaction 
Class Exemption 84-14 (PTE 84-14 or the QPAM Exemption), 
notwithstanding the Conviction (defined in Section I(a)), during the 
Exemption Period (as defined in Section I(c)).

DATES: If granted, the exemption will be in effect for a period of one 
year, beginning on the date of the Conviction. Written comments and 
requests for a public hearing on the proposed exemption should be 
submitted to the Department by February 13, 2023.

ADDRESSES: All written comments and requests for a hearing should be 
submitted to the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), 
Office of Exemption Determinations, Attention: Application No. D-12080 
via email to [email protected] or online through http://www.regulations.gov. Any such comments or requests should be sent by 
the end of the scheduled comment period. The application for exemption 
and the comments received will be available for public inspection in 
the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee Benefits Security 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-1515, 200 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below 
for additional information regarding comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Blessed Chuksorji-Keefe of the 
Department at (202) 693-8567. (This is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

    Persons are encouraged to submit all comments electronically and 
not to follow with paper copies. Comments should state the nature of 
the person's interest in the proposed exemption and how the person 
would be adversely affected by the exemption, if granted. Any person 
who may be adversely affected by an exemption can request a hearing on 
the exemption. A request for a hearing must state: (1) The name, 
address, telephone number, and email address of the person making the 
request; (2) the nature of the person's interest in the exemption and 
the manner in which the person would be adversely affected by the 
exemption; and (3) a statement of the issues to be addressed and a 
general description of the evidence to be presented at the hearing. The 
Department will grant a request for a hearing made in accordance with 
the requirements above where a hearing is necessary to fully explore 
material factual issues identified by the person requesting the 
hearing. A notice of such hearing shall be published by the Department 
in the Federal Register. The Department may decline to hold a hearing 
if: (1) the request for the hearing does not meet the requirements 
above; (2) the only issues identified for exploration at the hearing 
are matters of law; or (3) the factual issues identified can be fully 
explored through the submission of evidence in written (including 
electronic) form.
    Warning: All comments received will be included in the public 
record without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be confidential or 
other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. If you 
submit a comment, EBSA recommends that you include your name and other 
contact information in the body of your comment, but DO NOT submit 
information that you consider to be confidential, or otherwise 
protected (such as a Social Security number or an unlisted phone 
number) or confidential business information that you do not want 
publicly disclosed. However, if EBSA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EBSA 
might not be able to consider your comment.
    Additionally, the http://www.regulations.gov website is an 
``anonymous access'' system, which means EBSA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an email directly to EBSA without going 
through http://www.regulations.gov, your email address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public record and made available on the internet.

Proposed Exemption

    The Department is considering granting an exemption under the 
authority of Section 408(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security 
Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and Section 4975(c)(2) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and in accordance with the 
Department's exemption procedures.\1\ If the proposed exemption is 
granted, TT International Asset Management Ltd (TTI) will not be 
precluded from relying on the exemptive relief provided by Prohibited 
Transaction Class Exemption 84-14 (PTE 84-14 or the QPAM Exemption),\2\ 
notwithstanding the

[[Page 1409]]

impending judgment of conviction against its affiliate, Sumitomo Mitsui 
Banking Corporation Nikko Securities, Inc. (Nikko Tokyo) for attempting 
to peg, fix or stabilize \3\ the prices of certain Japanese equity 
securities that Nikko Tokyo was attempting to place in a block offering 
(the Conviction).\4\ This proposed exemption would be effective for a 
one-year period beginning on the date of the Conviction if the 
exemption's conditions and definitions are satisfied.
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    \1\ 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (75 FR 66637, 66644, October 27, 
2011). For purposes of this proposed exemption, references to 
specific provisions of ERISA Title I, unless otherwise specified, 
should be read to refer as well to the corresponding provisions of 
Code Section 4975. Further, this proposed exemption, if granted, 
does not provide relief from the requirements of, or specific 
sections of, any law not noted above. Accordingly, TTI is 
responsible for ensuring compliance with any other laws applicable 
to the transactions described herein.
    \2\ 49 FR 9494 (March 13, 1984), as corrected at 50 FR 41430 
(October 10, 1985), as amended at 70 FR 49305 (August 23, 2005), and 
as amended at 75 FR 38837 (July 6, 2010).
    \3\ According to the Applicant, the unofficial English-language 
translation of Article 159, paragraph 3 of the FIEA, available on 
the Japanese Financial Services Agency website, provides that no 
person may ``conduct a series of Sales and Purchase of Securities, 
etc. or make offer, Entrustment, etc. or Accepting an Entrustment, 
etc. therefore in violation of a Cabinet Order for the purpose of 
pegging, fixing or stabilizing prices of Listed Financial 
Instruments, etc. in a Financial Instruments Exchange Market or 
prices of Over-the-Counter Traded Securities in an Over-the-Counter 
Securities Market.''
    \4\ Section I(g) of PTE 84-14 generally provides that 
``[n]either the QPAM nor any affiliate thereof . . . nor any owner . 
. . of a 5 percent or more interest in the QPAM is a person who 
within the 10 years immediately preceding the transaction has been 
either convicted or released from imprisonment, whichever is later, 
as a result of'' certain crimes.
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    This proposed exemption would provide relief from certain 
restrictions set forth in ERISA Sections 406 and 407. It would not, 
however, provide relief from any other violation of law. Furthermore, 
the Department cautions that the relief in this proposed exemption 
would terminate immediately if, among other things, TTI or an affiliate 
of TTI (as defined in Section VI(d) of PTE 84-14) \5\ is convicted of a 
crime covered by Section I(g) of PTE 84-14 (other than the Conviction 
as defined in Section I(a)) during the exemption period (as defined in 
Section I(c)). Although TTI could apply for a new exemption in that 
circumstance, the Department would not be obligated to grant the 
exemption.
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    \5\ Section VI(d) of PTE 84-14 defines the term ``affiliate'' 
for purposes of Section I(g) as ``(1) Any person directly or 
indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controlling, 
controlled by, or under common control with the person, (2) Any 
director of, relative of, or partner in, any such person, (3) Any 
corporation, partnership, trust or unincorporated enterprise of 
which such person is an officer, director, or a 5 percent or more 
partner or owner, and (4) Any employee or officer of the person 
who--(A) Is a highly compensated employee (as defined in Section 
4975(e)(2)(H) of the Code) or officer (earning 10 percent or more of 
the yearly wages of such person), or (B) Has direct or indirect 
authority, responsibility or control regarding the custody, 
management or disposition of plan assets.''
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    The terms of this proposed exemption have been specifically 
designed to permit plans to terminate their relationships in an orderly 
and cost-effective fashion in the event of an additional conviction or 
a determination by the plan that it is otherwise prudent to terminate 
its relationship with TTI.

Summary of Facts and Representations 6
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    \6\ The Summary of Facts and Representations is based on TTI's 
representations provided in its exemption application and does not 
reflect factual findings or opinions of the Department unless 
indicated otherwise. The Department notes that the availability of 
this exemption is subject to the express condition that the material 
facts and representations contained in application D-12080 are true 
and complete at all times, and accurately describe all material 
terms of the transactions covered by the exemption. If there is any 
material change in a transaction covered by the exemption, or in a 
material fact or representation described in the application, the 
exemption will cease to apply as of the date of the change.
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Background

    1. TTI is a global investment firm headquartered in London, UK that 
currently manages approximately $8.4 billion in assets. TTI and its 
subsidiaries \7\ have operations in the United States, Hong Kong, and 
Japan. TTI was wholly acquired by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. 
(SMFG) on February 28, 2020, and is currently a member of the Sumitomo 
Mitsui Banking Corporation group (the SMBC Group).\8\
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    \7\ TTI subsidiaries include TT International Investment 
Management LLP, TT International (Hong Kong) Ltd, TT Crosby Ltd, and 
TT International Advisors Inc.
    \8\ The SMBC group is a diversified Japanese financial services 
firm that conducts activities across a wide range of financial 
sectors, including banking, asset management, securities trading, 
leasing, credit card lending, and consumer finance.
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    2. The SMBC group is a Japanese financial services firm that 
conducts activities across a wide range of financial sectors, including 
banking, asset management, securities trading, leasing, credit card 
lending, and consumer finance. As currently constituted, SMFG is the 
group's ultimate parent company. The SMBC group provides asset 
management services through two subsidiaries. The first is TTI, which 
is managed independently of the broader SMBC group. The second is 
Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company, Limited, an investment 
manager headquartered in Tokyo. The SMBC group also conducts securities 
market activities through the SMBC Nikko Securities franchise. As 
relevant to this proposed exemption, that includes Nikko Tokyo, a 
Japanese broker-dealer.
    3. TTI is an SEC-registered investment advisor that specializes in 
managing portfolios for institutional investors, including ERISA-
covered Plans (Covered Plans), public retirement plans, and other 
collective investment vehicles through a variety of equity long-only 
and long/short strategies across a broad range of industry sectors and 
geographies.
    4. In offering investment management services, TTI operates as a 
QPAM in reliance on PTE 84-14.\9\ TTI advises four segregated ERISA 
accounts on behalf of the ERISA-covered plans of two major U.S. 
employers \10\ and operates three segregated accounts for public 
pension plans, which currently hold approximately $1.1 billion in 
assets. TTI also manages three funds as ERISA ``plan asset'' funds: the 
TT Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund II Limited, the TT Environmental 
Solutions Equity Master Fund II Limited, and the TT Non-U.S. Equity 
Master Fund Limited.\11\
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    \9\ Currently, TTI is the only member of the SMBC group that is 
relying upon the QPAM Exemption. TTI states that it is possible that 
certain affiliates may seek ERISA business in the future that would 
require reliance on the QPAM Exemption.
    \10\ Together, these two ERISA-covered plans currently hold 
approximately $218 million in assets.
    \11\ TTI is currently in the process of launching the TT 
Environmental Solutions Fund; the TT Non-U.S. Equity Fund is 
operational but does not currently hold any ERISA assets.
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ERISA and Code Prohibited Transactions and PTE 84-14

    5. The rules set forth in ERISA Section 406 and Code Section 
4975(c)(1) proscribe certain ``prohibited transactions'' between plans 
and certain parties in interest with respect to those plans.\12\ ERISA 
Section 3(14) defines parties in interest with respect to a plan to 
include, among others, the plan fiduciary, a sponsoring employer of the 
plan, a union whose members are covered by the plan, service providers 
with respect to the plan, and certain of their affiliates.\13\ The 
prohibited transaction provisions under ERISA Section 406(a) and Code 
Section 4975(c)(1) prohibit, in relevant part, (1) sales, leases, 
loans, or the provision of services between a party in interest and a 
plan (or an entity whose assets are deemed to constitute the assets of 
a plan), (2) the use of plan assets by or for the benefit of a party in 
interest, or (3) a transfer of plan assets to a party in interest.\14\
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    \12\ For purposes of the Summary of Facts and Representations, 
references to specific provisions of Title I of ERISA, unless 
otherwise specified, refer also to the corresponding provisions of 
the Code.
    \13\ Under the Code, such parties, or similar parties, are 
referred to as ``disqualified persons.''
    \14\ The prohibited transaction provisions also include certain 
fiduciary prohibited transactions under ERISA Section 406(b). These 
include transactions involving fiduciary self-dealing, fiduciary 
conflicts of interest, and kickbacks to fiduciaries.
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    6. Under the authority of ERISA Section 408(a) and Code Section 
4975(c)(2), the Department has the

[[Page 1410]]

authority to grant an exemption from such ``prohibited transactions'' 
in accordance with the procedures set forth in its exemption procedure 
regulation if the Department finds an exemption is: (a) 
administratively feasible, (b) in the interests of the plan and of its 
participants and beneficiaries, and (c) protective of the rights of 
participants and beneficiaries of the plan.\15\
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    \15\ The Department's exemption procedure regulation is codified 
at 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76 FR 66637, 66644, October 27, 
2011).
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    7. PTE 84-14 exempts certain prohibited transactions between a 
party in interest and an ``investment fund'' (as defined in Section 
VI(b) of PTE 84-14) in which a plan has an interest if the investment 
manager managing said investment fund satisfies the definition of 
``qualified professional asset manager'' (QPAM) and satisfies 
additional conditions of the exemption. PTE 84-14 was developed and 
granted based on the essential premise that broad relief could be 
afforded for all types of transactions in which a plan engages only if 
the commitments and the investments of plan assets and the negotiations 
leading thereto are the sole responsibility of an independent, 
discretionary manager.\16\
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    \16\ See 75 FR 38837, 38839 (July 6, 2010).
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    8. Section I(g) of PTE 84-14 prevents an entity that may otherwise 
meet the QPAM definition from utilizing the exemptive relief provided 
by the QPAM exemption for itself and its client plans if that entity, 
an ``affiliate'' thereof, or any direct or indirect five percent or 
more owner in the QPAM has been either convicted or released from 
imprisonment, whichever is later, as a result of criminal activity 
described in Section I(g) within the 10 years immediately preceding a 
transaction. Section I(g) was included in PTE 84-14, in part, based on 
the Department's expectation that QPAMs, and those who may be in a 
position to influence the QPAM's policies, must maintain a high 
standard of integrity.

Nikko Tokyo Conviction and PTE 84-14 Disqualification

    9. On March 24, 2022, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office 
charged Nikko Tokyo and four of its officers and employees in Tokyo 
District Court with alleged violations of Japan's Financial Instruments 
and Exchange Act (the FIEA) for allegedly attempting to peg, fix, or 
stabilize the prices of certain Japanese equity securities that Nikko 
Tokyo was attempting to place in a block offering (the Misconduct). 
Specifically, a block offering is a type of limited public offering 
that is common in Japan, whereby a dealer typically applies a spread to 
the price at which it purchased the shares from the seller and the 
price at which it sells them in the block offering.
    10. In connection with the March 24, 2022 charges, the Tokyo Public 
Prosecutor alleged that between December 2019 and November 2020, Nikko 
Tokyo, through the actions of relevant officers, purchased shares of 
five issuers for its own account in an attempt to peg, fix, or 
stabilize the prices of those securities in anticipation of a block 
offer. This activity was intended to ensure that the price of the 
securities being sold through the block offering did not decline 
significantly, which would have potentially harmed Nikko Tokyo's 
interests.\17\
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    \17\ The Tokyo Public Prosecutor alleged that these 
``stabilization transactions'' violated Article 197 Paragraph 1, 
Item 5, Article 159, Paragraph 3, and Article 207, Paragraph 1, Item 
1 of the FIEA and Article 60 of the Penal Code.
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    11. On April 13, 2022, the Tokyo Public Prosecutor filed additional 
charges against Nikko Tokyo and two officers and employees of Nikko 
Tokyo for engaging in similar conduct in connection with five 
additional block offers between October 2020 and April 2021.\18\ The 
March 24, 2022, and April 13, 2022 charges against Nikko Tokyo have 
been consolidated for purposes of the Tokyo District Court proceeding.
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    \18\ Charges were filed under Article 197 Paragraph 1, Item 5, 
Article 159, Paragraph 3, and Article 207, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of 
the FIEA and Article 60 of the Penal Code.
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    12. The trial in Tokyo District Court occurred over three days on 
October 28, 2022, December 1, 2022, and December 26, 2022. TTI 
represents that the Tokyo District Court is expected to issue a final 
decision on February 13, 2023. TTI also states that under Japanese law, 
conviction and judgment occur simultaneously.

Nikko Tokyo Affiliation and Loss of QPAM Status

    13. Both TTI and Nikko Tokyo are direct subsidiaries of SMFG and 
thus are affiliates for the purposes of Section I(g) of the QPAM 
Exemption. Once the Tokyo District Court issues its final decision and 
Nikko Tokyo is sentenced in connection with its Conviction, Section 
I(g) will be triggered and TTI, as well as its Covered Plan clients, 
will be ineligible to rely on the QPAM Exemption, without receiving an 
individual prohibited transaction exemption from the Department.

Exemption Request

    14. On October 19, 2022, TTI submitted an exemption request to the 
Department that would permit TTI and its Covered Plan clients to 
continue to utilize the relief in PTE 84-14, notwithstanding the 
anticipated Conviction of Nikko Tokyo. In support of its exemption 
request, TTI asserts that Nikko Tokyo is a remote foreign affiliate of 
TTI with wholly separate businesses, operations, management, systems, 
premises, and legal and compliance personnel; that TTI was not involved 
in any way in the Misconduct; and that the Misconduct did not involve 
any ERISA assets.

Separation of TTI and Nikko Tokyo

    15. TTI states that none of the Misconduct underlying the 
anticipated Nikko Tokyo Conviction involved TTI or the SMBC group's 
asset management businesses. Further, it states that none of TTI's 
personnel was involved in the misconduct and none of the individual 
officers or employees of Nikko Tokyo had any role at TTI. According to 
the Applicant, TTI and Nikko Tokyo have separate businesses, 
operations, management teams, systems, premises, and legal and 
compliance personnel. Since its acquisition by SMFG on February 28, 
2020, TTI has remained a stand-alone business with distinct reporting 
lines, governance structures, and control frameworks. Further, TTI is 
not directly owned by or in the same vertical ownership chain as Nikko 
Tokyo, and TTI and Nikko Tokyo do not share personnel or office space.
    16. The Applicant acknowledges that TTI's seven-member board of 
directors includes four representatives from the SMBC group, but 
additionally represents that TTI's Management Committee provides direct 
oversight of the business.\19\ The Applicant states that the SMBC group 
exercises oversight through representation on TTI's board of directors 
and management committee and TTI receives the benefit of an internal 
audit back-office function provided by the SMBC group. According to the 
Applicant, however, TTI personnel remain fully and independently 
responsible for TTI's material functions, including portfolio and risk 
management activities, investment and trading decisions, compliance, 
marketing, and the provision of client services. In addition, dedicated 
TTI personnel perform all day-to-day functions related to TTI's 
business as an investment adviser, including onboarding customers,

[[Page 1411]]

managing customer accounts, and executing trading decisions.
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    \19\ The board of directors is responsible for, among other 
things, setting strategic objectives, approving major initiatives, 
and ensuring the company has adopted and implemented a compliance 
infrastructure that is reasonably designed to meet its regulatory 
obligations.
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    17. TTI's Management Committee, which includes TTI's Managing 
Director, Chief Financial Officer, three other TTI executives, and a 
single representative from the SMBC group, provides direct oversight of 
the business, including ensuring that TTI implements the strategy set 
by the board. Day-to-day management at TTI is conducted by a dedicated 
management team with support from other TTI committees, including the 
Operations Committee, Product Committee, Valuation Committee, and ESG 
Committee. The Applicant submits that TTI has retained its investment 
autonomy and does not rely on SMBC group personnel for any material 
functions. In addition, TTI has dedicated independent legal, risk, and 
compliance teams, as well as its own control framework and compliance 
infrastructure.\20\
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    \20\ This includes TTI's Code of Ethics, which sets forth TTI's 
expectation that all personnel will ``[o]bserve the highest 
standards of integrity'' and ensure that TTI maintains its ``strong 
reputation for regulatory compliance and high professional 
standards.'' This Code of Ethics also addresses prohibitions on 
market abuse and restrictions on personal trading.
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    18. TTI has detailed policies setting forth its process for 
handling ERISA assets, identifying and addressing conflicts of 
interest, best execution, and compliance with applicable anti-money 
laundering requirements. TTI also has a dedicated Compliance Manual 
that sets forth, among other things, firm policies related to 
whistleblowing, handling internal and external complaints, client 
onboarding, and the process for approving new products or instruments.
    19. In addition to its own compliance and governance frameworks, 
TTI is subject to groupwide oversight as part of the SMBC group. 
Specifically, TTI's U.S. office and U.S. subsidiary are subject to 
oversight as part of SMBC group's combined U.S. operations, including 
by the U.S. Risk Committee. According to the Applicant, this ensures 
that TTI adheres to the SMBC group's global and regional policies and 
compliance expectations and provides a mechanism for escalating 
potential issues to the U.S. chief risk officer or other oversight 
functions as appropriate.
    20. Besides common ownership, the sole connection between TTI and 
Nikko Tokyo is Hideyuki Fred Omokawa, an SMBC group representative on 
TTI's board of directors and Management Committee who was appointed as 
Nikko Tokyo's Managing Executive Officer of Business Strategy and 
Development on April 1, 2021. The Applicant states that Mr. Omokawa was 
not involved in any of the Misconduct.
    21. TTI states that Nikko Tokyo is not a QPAM, does not manage any 
ERISA assets, and that no ERISA assets were involved in the Misconduct 
underlying the anticipated Nikko Tokyo Conviction.
    22. Finally, TTI represents that it has not engaged in trading 
activity with Nikko Tokyo on behalf of ERISA accounts at any point 
since TTI became affiliated with Nikko Tokyo.

Hardship to Covered Plans

    The Applicant represents that Covered Plans would suffer certain 
hardships if the Applicant loses its eligibility to rely on the QPAM 
Exemption. The Applicant's representations regarding these hardships 
are set forth below in paragraphs 23 through 37.
    23. TTI represents that if the Department declines to grant this 
proposed exemption, there would be adverse consequences for Covered 
Plans and public plans. In this regard, loss of the QPAM Exemption 
would severely limit the investment transactions available to the 
accounts that TTI manages on behalf of Covered Plans, hindering TTI's 
ability to efficiently manage the strategies for which TTI contracted 
with Covered Plan clients. Further, if TTI were not QPAM Exemption 
eligible, it could receive less advantageous pricing and certain 
counterparties could, as a blanket policy, refuse to transact with or 
provide services to TTI.
    24. TTI states that it has extensively reviewed its investment 
activity and concluded that, as a practical matter, the QPAM Exemption 
is the only exemption available to provide relief. TTI states that 
counterparties to the swaps and other transactions in which TTI-managed 
accounts engage require compliance with, and a representation as to 
satisfaction of the conditions of, the QPAM Exemption. In light of 
market reliance on QPAM Exemption, the Applicant submits that it would 
not be possible for TTI to effectively manage its strategies for ERISA 
clients, absent the grant of exemptive relief.
    The Applicant states that, particularly given the nature of 
emerging market investments and swap, options, and other derivative 
transactions, there is discomfort and reluctance on both the part of 
Covered Plan clients and counterparties to utilize more recent 
alternative exemptions, such as the service provider exemption under 
ERISA section 408(b)(17), due to uncertainty about the application of 
the adequate consideration requirements and the resulting possibility 
that the use of the exemption is later challenged on those grounds.
    25. TTI states that it relies on the QPAM Exemption to conduct a 
variety of transactions on behalf of Covered Plans, including buying 
and selling equity securities; preferred stock; American Depository 
Receipts, and related options; U.S. and foreign fixed-income 
instruments, including unregistered offerings; various derivatives, 
including futures, options on futures, and swaps; and foreign exchange 
products, including spot currencies, forwards, and swaps. TTI also 
relies upon the QPAM Exemption for the purchase and sale of both 
foreign and domestic equity securities, registered and sold under Rule 
144A or otherwise (e.g., traditional private placement).
    TTI specializes in international and emerging market strategies and 
these strategies depend on TTI's ability to translate and maintain the 
value of Covered Plan investments from the local currency in which the 
investment is made into U.S. dollars, the benchmark currency in which 
the Covered Plan's performance is measured. This creates inherent 
currency risks. To limit the plans' risk exposure to the underlying 
securities without simultaneously exposing them to the risk of currency 
fluctuation, TTI makes substantial use of foreign exchange (FX) hedges 
by using forward transactions and other FX derivatives. If the 
Department does not grant this proposed exemption, nearly $2.07 billion 
in ERISA plans and separately managed accounts for private and public 
employers would likely be affected, either directly or as a result of 
TTI's inability to effectively hedge risk.
    26. For all but one of the ERISA funds that TTI manages, virtually 
all assets are either actively or dynamically hedged based on exposures 
and market conditions.\21\ As of November 3, 2022, approximately 16% of 
the assets under management (AUM) in each of the four segregated ERISA 
accounts that TTI manages on behalf of the ERISA plans of two major 
U.S. employers is hedged with respect to Indian, Taiwanese, and Chinese 
currency, which translates to approximately $35 million in hedges. 
Further, the TT Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund II has over the 
past year hedged risks associated with British, Indian, Taiwanese, 
Chinese, Mexican, and Polish currencies. Without these positions, the 
TT Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund II would have incurred nearly 
$5.5 million

[[Page 1412]]

in losses due to unhedged FX exposures, negatively impacting overall 
returns.
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    \21\ The actual percentage of AUM in each fund that is hedged at 
any given time varies.
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    27. According to the Applicant, TTI's ability to deliver returns 
depends on its ability to limit its customers' exposure to defined 
risks, such as international and emerging market equity risk, without 
introducing additional risk factors such as FX volatility. If TTI loses 
its ability to rely upon the QPAM Exemption, it would no longer be able 
to hedge currency for its private and public plan asset clients, 
preventing it from managing absolute and relative currency risk for 
such clients in such clients' best interests.
    28. Loss of the QPAM Exemption would also impact TTI's agreements 
with the swap dealers it executes these hedges with pursuant to 
International Swaps and Derivatives Association Agreements (ISDA 
Agreements). ISDA agreements require TTI to represent that it meets all 
conditions of the QPAM Exemption, and a breach of this representation 
would entitle the counterparty to terminate the transaction. The 
Applicant states that, as a practical matter, swap dealers would be 
nearly certain to exercise their right to terminate because TTI's loss 
of the QPAM Exemption would increase the swap dealers' exposure to 
risk. Thus, these agreements would be unwound and TTI would no longer 
be able to employ the hedging activities on which its strategies 
depend. If these ISDA Agreements were terminated, TTI stats that it 
would immediately need to unwind approximately $330 million in 
hedges.\22\
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    \22\ The approximate total FX forward exposure of TTI's public 
and private plan asset accounts as of November 10, 2022 is $330 
million.
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    29. TTI submits that if this proposed exemption is not granted, 
Covered Plans could incur significant costs, including transaction 
costs, costs associated with finding and evaluating other managers, and 
costs associated with reinvesting assets with those new managers. TTI 
states that it has longstanding relationships with its ERISA plan 
clients and if this exemption were denied, these plans would need to 
undertake significant work to find an alternative manager.\23\ These 
costs, according to the Applicant include the following: (a) consultant 
fees, legal fees, and other due diligence expenses for identifying new 
managers; (b) transaction costs associated with a change in investment 
manager, including the sale and purchase of portfolio investments to 
accommodate the investment policies and strategy of the new manager, 
and the cost of entering into new custodial arrangements; and (c) lost 
investment opportunities as a result of the change in investment 
managers.
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    \23\ TTI represents that it has managed ERISA assets for a major 
U.S. financial institution since at least 2015. TTI also states that 
it has managed ERISA assets for a large aerospace company since at 
least 2018.
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    30. The Applicant states that, given the sophistication of TTI's 
investment strategies, Covered Plan clients would likely engage in a 
full RFP process which could take several months to complete. TTI 
represents that it is considered a leader in emerging markets 
strategies, and that Covered Plans would have a difficult time finding 
a suitable replacement. TTI states that plans generally incur tens of 
thousands of dollars in consulting and legal fees in connection with a 
search for a new manager and that consultants may charge more for 
searches involving specialized strategies, such as TTI's international, 
emerging markets, and environmentally conscious portfolios.
    31. The Applicant states that terminating management agreements and 
liquidating associated positions can have a significant impact on both 
transaction fees and the market value of the underlying assets. This is 
particularly true for many of TTI's strategies, which focus on 
international and emerging markets and may occasionally involve 
investments in illiquid foreign securities and related derivatives that 
have large bid-ask spreads, infrequent trading, and/or low trading 
volumes.
    32. TTI states that for U.S. Equity Strategies, assuming average 
market conditions, the liquidation costs over a 30-day liquidation 
timeframe might range from 20 to 40 basis points; for significantly 
shorter liquidation periods, and depending on the strategy, the range 
could be 30 to 50 basis points. In addition, commission fees and 
transactions would likely average an additional 4 basis points.
    33. For International and Emerging Markets Equity, TTI relies on 
the QPAM Exemption to buy and sell certain international and emerging 
markets equity securities. International, and particularly emerging, 
equity markets are typically less liquid than their domestic 
counterparts and incur higher transaction costs. Assuming average 
market conditions, the liquidation costs for equity strategies over a 
30-day liquidation timeframe might range from 30 to 50 basis points; 
for significantly shorter liquidation periods, the range could be 40 to 
80 basis points, depending on the strategy. In addition, there would 
also be an additional average of 10 basis points in commission fees on 
the transactions.
    34. For futures, options, and cleared and bilateral swaps, TTI 
relies on the QPAM Exemption to buy and sell these products, which 
certain strategies rely on to hedge risk and obtain certain exposures 
on an economic basis. TTI states that these investments are important 
to plans and commingled funds both as an ongoing risk management matter 
and to hedge various risks. Without the ability to invest in these 
instruments, plans would no longer have access to a tool that managers 
routinely use to protect against losses caused by market volatility. If 
the QPAM Exemption were lost, TTI estimates that its clients could 
incur average weighted liquidation costs of approximately 5 basis 
points of the total market value of these products.
    35. In the case of foreign currency exposure, Plans that invest in 
global strategies would be disadvantaged were they to lose the ability 
to hedge currency risk. If the QPAM Exemption were lost, TTI estimates 
that its clients could incur average weighted liquidation costs of 
approximately 5 basis points of the total market value in fixed income 
products.

Steps Taken To Protect Covered Plans

    36. After becoming aware of Nikko Tokyo's indictment, TTI states 
that it took immediate steps to prevent the trading of all TTI managed 
accounts with or through Nikko Tokyo. Further, TTI inventoried the 
ISDAs to which it is a party and reached out to counsel to begin 
exploring alternative exemptions, none of which were practically 
available to TTI (both as a contractual matter and as a substantive 
matter given the nature and extent of the hedging activities employed 
in the strategies).\24\ TTI further states that it has not onboarded 
any new ERISA clients since becoming aware of Nikko Tokyo's indictment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \24\ TTI represents that, given the nature of emerging market 
investments and swap, options, and other derivative transactions, 
there is discomfort and reluctance on both the part of ERISA clients 
and counterparties to utilize more recent alternative exemptions, 
such as the service provider exemption under ERISA Section 
408(b)(17), due to uncertainty about the application of the adequate 
consideration requirements and the resulting possibility that the 
use of the exemption is later challenged on those grounds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    37. With respect to existing clients, TTI's options are limited. 
Because TTI cannot execute its foreign investment strategies consistent 
with Covered Plans' investment goals absent the QPAM Exemption, TTI 
states that it is unable to adequately protect Covered Plans from loss 
of the QPAM Exemption beyond assisting the funds in

[[Page 1413]]

identifying potential alternative QPAMs.

Protective Conditions

    38. In its exemption application, TTI requested a five-year 
exemption for TTI and its current and future affiliates and related 
entities. However, given the short time between now and the Conviction 
date and the lack of a record necessary to determine that TTI's full 
request would be in the interest of, and protective of, all affected 
Covered Plans, the Department has determined to propose this one-year 
exemption solely for TTI. With the limited term of relief, the 
Department reserves the right to review TTI's adherence to the 
conditions set out in this exemption before granting a longer term of 
relief.
    39. In developing administrative exemptions under ERISA Section 
408(a), the Department implements its statutory directive to grant only 
exemptions that are appropriately protective and in the interest of 
affected plans and IRAs. The Department is proposing this exemption 
with conditions that would protect Covered Plans (and their 
participants and beneficiaries) and allow them to continue to utilize 
the services of TTI if they determine that it is prudent to do so. If 
this proposed exemption is granted as proposed, it would allow Covered 
Plans to avoid costs and disruption to investment strategies that may 
arise if such Covered Plans are forced, on short notice, to hire a 
different QPAM or asset manager because TTI no longer is able to rely 
on the relief provided by PTE 84-14 due to the Conviction.
    40. This proposed exemption requires TTI to develop, implement, 
maintain, and follow written policies (the Policies) that are 
reasonably designed to ensure that, among other things: (a) the asset 
management decisions of TTI are conducted independently of the 
corporate management and business activities of Nikko Tokyo; (b) TTI 
fully complies with ERISA's fiduciary duties; (c) any filings or 
statements made by TTI to regulators on behalf of Covered Plans are 
materially accurate and complete; and (d) TTI complies with the terms 
of this proposed exemption. Further, any violation of or failure to 
comply with the Policies must be corrected promptly upon discovery, and 
any such violation or compliance failure that is not promptly corrected 
must be reported, in writing to appropriate corporate officers upon the 
discovery of the failure to promptly correct.
    41. This proposed exemption requires TTI to develop and implement a 
training program (the Training) that is conducted by a prudently 
selected independent professional. The Training must cover the 
Policies, ERISA and Code compliance, ethical conduct, the consequences 
for not complying with the conditions of this proposed exemption, and 
the duty to promptly report wrongdoing.
    42. This proposed exemption further requires TTI to be audited for 
the 12-month exemption period by a prudently selected independent 
auditor (the Auditor). The Auditor must evaluate the adequacy of TTI's 
implementation and compliance with the Policies and Training 
requirements of this proposed exemption. The Auditor must also issue a 
written report (the Audit Report) to TTI that describes the procedures 
it performed during the Audit. In its Audit Report, the Auditor must 
further assess the adequacy of the Policies and Training, TTI's 
compliance with the Policies and Training, the need, if any, to 
strengthen the Policies and Training; and any instance(s) of 
noncompliance by TTI.
    43. This proposed exemption also requires that certain TTI senior 
personnel must review the Audit Report, make certain certifications, 
and take corrective actions when necessary. In this regard, a general 
counsel, or one of the three most senior executive officers of TTI must 
certify in writing and under penalty of perjury that the officer has 
reviewed the Audit Report, addressed, corrected, or remedied any 
inadequacy identified in the Audit Report, and determined that the 
Policies and Training comply with the requirements of this proposed 
exemption and applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code.
    44. This proposed exemption requires TTI to agree and warrant to 
their Covered Plan clients that they will: (a) comply with ERISA and 
the Code; (b) refrain from engaging in prohibited transactions that are 
not otherwise exempt (and promptly correct any inadvertent prohibited 
transactions); and (c) comply with the standards of prudence and 
loyalty set forth in ERISA Section 404. This proposed exemption also 
requires TTI to agree and warrant: (a) to indemnify and hold harmless 
Covered Plans for certain damages; and (b) not to require (or otherwise 
cause) Covered Plans to waive, limit, or qualify the liability of TTI 
for violating ERISA or the Code or engaging in prohibited transactions. 
Finally, this proposed exemption requires TTI to agree and warrant not 
to: (a) restrict the ability of Covered Plans to terminate or withdraw 
from their arrangement with TTI except for reasonable restrictions 
disclosed in advance, as defined in this proposed exemption; or (b) 
impose any fees, penalties, or charges for such termination or 
withdrawal, except for reasonable fees.
    45. This proposed exemption contains extensive notice requirements 
that obligate TTI to provide Covered Plans with a notice of the TTI's 
obligations under the exemption, a copy of the notice of the exemption 
as published in the Federal Register, a separate summary describing the 
facts that led to the Conviction (the Summary), and a prominently 
displayed statement (the Statement) that the Conviction results in a 
failure to meet a condition in PTE 84-14.
    46. This proposed exemption also requires TTI to designate a senior 
compliance officer (the Compliance Officer) to conduct a twelve-month 
review to determine the adequacy and effectiveness of the 
implementation of the Policies and Training (the Review). The 
Compliance Officer must prepare a written report for the Review that, 
among other things, summarizes their material activities during the 
preceding year, sets forth any instance of noncompliance discovered 
during the preceding year, and any related corrective action taken.
    47. Finally, the Department notes that relief under this proposed 
exemption is limited solely to TTI and no other affiliates of TTI, SMBC 
or SMFG, as the term affiliate is defined in PTE 84-14. Further, this 
proposed exemption will only apply for a limited period of one year. To 
continue to rely upon the QPAM Exemption beyond the one-year term of 
the exemption, TTI will have to submit another exemption application to 
the Department.

Statutory Findings

    48. Based on the conditions included in this proposed exemption, 
the Department has tentatively determined that the relief sought by TTI 
would satisfy the statutory requirements for an exemption under ERISA 
Section 408(a).
    49. The Proposed Exemption is ``Administratively Feasible.'' The 
Department has tentatively determined that the proposed exemption is 
administratively feasible because, among other things, a qualified 
independent auditor would be required to perform an in-depth audit 
covering TTI's compliance with the terms of the exemption, and a 
corresponding written audit report would be provided to the Department 
and be made available to the public. The Department notes that the 
independent audit will incentivize compliance while reducing the 
immediate need for direct review and oversight by the Department.

[[Page 1414]]

    50. The Proposed Exemption is ``In the Interest of the Covered 
Plans.'' The Department has tentatively determined that the proposed 
exemption would be in the interests of the participants and 
beneficiaries of affected Covered Plans. It is the Department's 
understanding, based on representations from TTI, that if the requested 
exemption is denied, Covered Plans may be forced to find other managers 
at a potentially significant cost. According to TTI, ineligibility 
under the QPAM Exemption would deprive Covered Plans of the investment 
management services that they expected to receive when they appointed 
TTI. In this regard, an exemption denial could result in the 
termination of relationships that the fiduciaries of the Covered Plans 
have determined to be in the best interests of those plans.
    51. The Proposed Exemption Is ``Protective of the Plan.'' The 
Department has tentatively determined that the proposed exemption is 
protective of the interests of the participants and beneficiaries of 
Covered Plans. As described above, the proposed exemption is subject to 
a suite of conditions that include, but are not limited to: (a) the 
development and maintenance of the Policies; (b) the implementation of 
the Training; (c) a robust audit conducted by a qualified independent 
auditor; (d) the provision of certain agreements and warranties on the 
part of TTI; (e) specific notices and disclosures that inform Covered 
Plans of the circumstances necessitating the need for exemptive relief 
and TTI's obligations under this exemption; and (f) the designation of 
a Compliance Officer who must ensure TTI continues to comply with the 
Policies and Training requirements of this exemption.

Summary

    52. This proposed exemption would provide relief from certain of 
the restrictions set forth in ERISA Section 406 and Code Section 
4975(c)(1). No relief or waiver of a violation of any other law would 
be provided by this proposed exemption. The relief set forth in this 
proposed exemption would terminate immediately if, among other things, 
an entity within the TTI corporate structure were convicted of any 
crime covered by Section I(g) of PTE 84-14 (other than the Conviction). 
While such an entity could request a new individual prohibited 
transaction exemption in that event, the Department is not obligated to 
grant such a request. Consistent with this proposed exemption, the 
Department's consideration of additional exemptive relief is subject to 
the findings required under ERISA Section 408(a) and Code Section 
4975(c)(2).
    53. When interpreting and implementing this exemption, TTI should 
resolve any ambiguities in favor of the exemption's protective 
purposes. To the extent additional clarification is necessary, TTI and 
others should contact EBSA's Office of Exemption Determinations at 202-
693-8540.
    54. Based on the conditions that are included in this proposed 
exemption, the Department has tentatively determined that the relief 
sought by TTI would satisfy the statutory requirements for an 
individual exemption under ERISA Section 408(a) and Code Section 
4975(c)(2).

Notice to Interested Persons

    Notice of the proposed exemption will be provided to all interested 
persons within three (3) days of the publication of the notice of 
proposed one-year exemption in the Federal Register. The notice will be 
provided to all interested persons in the manner approved by the 
Department and will contain the documents described therein and a 
supplemental statement, as required pursuant to 29 CFR 2570.43(a)(2). 
The supplemental statement will inform interested persons of their 
right to comment on and to request a hearing with respect to the 
pending exemption. All written comments and/or requests for a hearing 
must be received by the Department within thirty-three (33) days of the 
date of publication of this proposed one-year exemption in the Federal 
Register. All comments will be made available to the public.

Warning

    If you submit a comment, EBSA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment, but DO NOT 
submit information that you consider to be confidential, or otherwise 
protected (such as a Social Security number or an unlisted phone 
number) or confidential business information that you do not want 
publicly disclosed. All comments may be posted on the internet and can 
be retrieved by most internet search engines.

General Information

    The attention of interested persons is directed to the following:
    (1) The fact that a transaction is the subject of an exemption 
under ERISA Section 408(a) and/or Code Section 4975(c)(2) does not 
relieve a fiduciary or other party in interest or disqualified person 
from certain other provisions of ERISA and/or the Code, including any 
prohibited transaction provisions to which the exemption does not apply 
and the general fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA Section 
404, which, among other things, require a fiduciary to discharge their 
duties respecting the plan solely in the interest of the participants 
and beneficiaries of the plan and in a prudent fashion in accordance 
with ERISA Section 404(a)(1)(B); nor does it affect the requirement of 
Code Section 401(a) that the plan must operate for the exclusive 
benefit of the employees of the employer maintaining the plan and their 
beneficiaries;
    (2) Before an exemption may be granted under ERISA Section 408(a) 
and/or Code Section 4975(c)(2), the Department must find that the 
exemption is administratively feasible, in the interests of the plan 
and of its participants and beneficiaries, and protective of the rights 
of participants and beneficiaries of the plan;
    (3) The proposed exemption would be supplemental to, and not in 
derogation of, any other provisions of ERISA and/or the Code, including 
statutory or administrative exemptions and transitional rules. 
Furthermore, the fact that a transaction is subject to an 
administrative or statutory exemption is not dispositive of whether the 
transaction is, in fact, a prohibited transaction; and
    (4) The proposed exemption would be subject to the express 
condition that the material facts and representations contained in the 
application are true and complete at all times and that the application 
accurately describes all material terms of the transactions which are 
the subject of the exemption.
    (5) The Department notes that all of the material facts and 
representations set forth in the Summary of Facts and Representations 
must be true and accurate at all times, and that the relief provided 
herein is conditioned upon the veracity of all material representations 
made by the Applicant.

Proposed Exemption

    The Department is considering granting a one-year exemption under 
the authority of ERISA Section 408(a) and Internal Revenue Code (or 
Code) section 4975(c)(2), and in accordance with the procedures set 
forth in the exemption procedure regulation.\25\
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    \25\ 29 CFR part 2570, subpart B (76 FR 66637, 66644, October 
27, 2011). Effective December 31, 1978, Section 102 of 
Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1978, 5 U.S.C. App. 1 (1996), 
transferred the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 
exemptions of the type requested to the Secretary of Labor. 
Therefore, this notice of proposed exemption is issued solely by the 
Department.

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[[Page 1415]]

Section I. Definitions

    (a) The term ``Conviction'' means the judgment of conviction 
against SMBC Nikko Securities, Inc. (Nikko Tokyo) in Tokyo District 
Court for attempting to peg, fix or stabilize the prices of certain 
Japanese equity securities that Nikko Tokyo was attempting to place in 
a block offering that is expected to occur on February 13, 2023.
    (b) The term ``Covered Plan'' means a plan subject to Part IV of 
Title I of ERISA (an ``ERISA-covered plan'') or a plan subject to Code 
section 4975 (an ``IRA''), in each case, with respect to which TTI 
relies on PTE 84-14, or with respect to which TTI has expressly 
represented that the manager qualifies as a QPAM or relies on the QPAM 
class exemption (PTE 84-14 or the QPAM Exemption). A Covered Plan does 
not include an ERISA-covered plan or IRA to the extent that TTI has 
expressly disclaimed reliance on QPAM status or PTE 84-14 in entering 
into a contract, arrangement, or agreement with the ERISA-covered plan 
or IRA.
    (c) The term ``Exemption Period'' means the one-year period 
beginning on the date of the Conviction.
    (d) The term ``TTI'' means TT International Asset Management Ltd, 
and does not include SMBC Nikko Securities, Inc. (Nikko Tokyo).

Section II. Covered Transactions

    Under this proposed exemption, TTI would not be precluded from 
relying on the exemptive relief provided by Prohibited Transaction 
Class Exemption 84-14 (PTE 84-14 or the QPAM Exemption) notwithstanding 
the Conviction, as defined in Section I(a), during the Exemption 
Period, provided that the conditions set forth in in Section III below 
are satisfied.

Section III. Conditions

    (a) TTI (including its officers, directors, agents other than Nikko 
Tokyo, and employees) did not know of, did not have reason to know of, 
and did not participate in the criminal conduct that is the subject of 
the Conviction. Further, any other party engaged on behalf of TTI who 
had responsibility for or exercised authority in connection with the 
management of plan assets did not know or have reason to know of and 
did not participate in the criminal conduct that is the subject of the 
Conviction. For purposes of this proposed exemption, ``participate in'' 
refers not only to active participation in the criminal conduct of 
Nikko Tokyo that is the subject of the Conviction, but also to knowing 
approval of the criminal conduct or knowledge of such conduct without 
taking active steps to prohibit it, including reporting the conduct to 
such individual's supervisors, and to the Board of Directors;
    (b) TTI (including its officers, directors, employees, and agents, 
other than Nikko Tokyo) did not receive direct compensation, or 
knowingly receive indirect compensation, in connection with the 
criminal conduct that is the subject of the Conviction. Further, any 
other party engaged on behalf of TTI who had responsibility for, or 
exercised authority in connection with the management of plan assets 
did not receive direct compensation, or knowingly receive indirect 
compensation, in connection with the criminal conduct that is the 
subject of the Conviction;
    (c) TTI does not currently and will not in the future employ or 
knowingly engage any of the individuals that participated in the 
criminal conduct that is the subject of the Conviction.
    (d) At all times during the Exemption Period, TTI will not use its 
authority or influence to direct an ``investment fund'' (as defined in 
Section VI(b) of PTE 84-14) that is subject to ERISA or the Code and 
managed by TTI in reliance on PTE 84-14, or with respect to which TTI 
has expressly represented to a Covered Plan that it qualifies as a QPAM 
or relies on the QPAM Exemption, to enter into any transaction with 
Nikko Tokyo, or to engage Nikko Tokyo to provide any service to such 
investment fund, for a direct or indirect fee borne by such investment 
fund, regardless of whether such transaction or service may otherwise 
be within the scope of relief provided by an administrative or 
statutory exemption;
    (e) Any failure of TTI to satisfy Section I(g) of PTE 84-14 arose 
solely from the Conviction;
    (f) TTI did not exercise authority over the assets of any plan 
subject to Part 4 of Title I of ERISA or Code Section 4975 (an IRA) in 
a manner that it knew or should have known would: further the criminal 
conduct that is the subject of the Conviction; or cause TTI or its 
affiliates to directly or indirectly profit from the criminal conduct 
that is the subject of the Conviction;
    (g) Other than with respect to employee benefit plans maintained or 
sponsored for its own employees or the employees of an affiliate, Nikko 
Tokyo will not act as a fiduciary within the meaning of ERISA Section 
3(21)(A)(i) or (iii), or Code Section 4975(e)(3)(A) and (C), with 
respect to Covered Plan assets.
    (h)(1) TTI must develop, implement, maintain, adjust (to the extent 
necessary), and follow the written policies and procedures (the 
Policies). The Policies must require and be reasonably designed to 
ensure that:
    (i) The asset management decisions of TTI are conducted 
independently of the corporate management and business activities of 
Nikko Tokyo;
    (ii) TTI fully complies with ERISA's fiduciary duties and with 
ERISA and the Code's prohibited transaction provisions, as applicable 
with respect to each Covered Plan, and does not knowingly participate 
in any violation of these duties and provisions with respect to Covered 
Plans;
    (iii) TTI does not knowingly participate in any other person's 
violation of ERISA or the Code with respect to Covered Plans;
    (iv) Any filings or statements made by TTI to regulators, 
including, but not limited to, the Department, the Department of the 
Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty 
Corporation, on behalf of or in relation to Covered Plans, are 
materially accurate and complete to the best of such QPAM's knowledge 
at that time;
    (v) To the best of TTI's knowledge at the time, TTI does not make 
material misrepresentations or omit material information in its 
communications with such regulators with respect to Covered Plans or 
make material misrepresentations or omit material information in its 
communications with Covered Plans;
    (vi) TTI complies with the terms of this exemption; and
    (vii) Any violation of or failure to comply with an item in 
subparagraphs (ii) through (vi) is corrected as soon as reasonably 
possible upon discovery or as soon after the TTI reasonably should have 
known of the noncompliance (whichever is earlier), and any such 
violation or compliance failure not so corrected is reported, upon the 
discovery of such failure to so correct, in writing, to the head of 
compliance and the general counsel (or their functional equivalent) of 
TTI, and the independent auditor responsible for reviewing compliance 
with the Policies. TTI will not be treated as having failed to develop, 
implement, maintain, or follow the Policies, provided it corrects any 
instance of noncompliance as soon as reasonably possible upon 
discovery, or as soon as reasonably possible after TTI reasonably 
should have known of the noncompliance (whichever is earlier), and 
provided it adheres to the reporting requirements set forth in this 
subparagraph (vii);
    (2) TTI must implement a training program (the Training) during the

[[Page 1416]]

Exemption Period for all relevant TTI asset/portfolio management, 
trading, legal, compliance, and internal audit personnel. The Training 
required under this exemption may be conducted electronically and must: 
(a) at a minimum, cover the Policies, ERISA and Code compliance 
(including applicable fiduciary duties and the prohibited transaction 
provisions), ethical conduct, the consequences for not complying with 
the conditions of this exemption (including any loss of exemptive 
relief provided herein), and prompt reporting of wrongdoing; and (b) be 
conducted by a professional who has been prudently selected and who has 
appropriate technical training and proficiency with ERISA and the Code 
to perform the tasks required by this exemption;
    (i)(1) TTI must submit to an audit by an independent auditor who 
has been prudently selected and who has appropriate technical training 
and proficiency with ERISA and the Code, to evaluate the adequacy of 
and TTI's compliance with the Policies and Training conditions 
described herein. The audit requirement must be incorporated in the 
Policies. The audit must cover the entire Exemption Period.
    (2) Within the scope of the audit and to the extent necessary for 
the auditor, in its sole opinion, to complete its audit and comply with 
the conditions for relief described herein, TTI will grant the auditor 
unconditional access to its businesses, including, but not limited to: 
its computer systems; business records; transactional data; workplace 
locations; training materials; and personnel. Such access will be 
provided only to the extent that it is not prevented by state or 
federal statute, or involves communications subject to attorney client 
privilege and may be limited to information relevant to the auditor's 
objectives as specified by the terms of this exemption;
    (3) The auditor's engagement must specifically require the auditor 
to determine whether TTI has developed, implemented, maintained, and 
followed the Policies in accordance with the conditions of this 
exemption, and has developed and implemented the Training, as required 
herein;
    (4) The auditor's engagement must specifically require the auditor 
to test TTI's operational compliance with the Policies and Training 
conditions. In this regard, the auditor must test, for TTI, 
transactions involving Covered Plans sufficient in size, number, and 
nature to afford the auditor a reasonable basis to determine TTI's 
operational compliance with the Policies and Training;
    (5) Before the end of the relevant period for completing the audit, 
the auditor must issue a written report (the Audit Report) to TTI that 
describes the procedures performed by the auditor during the course of 
its examination. The Audit Report must include the auditor's specific 
determinations regarding:
    (i) the adequacy of TTI's Policies and Training; TTI's compliance 
with the Policies and Training conditions; the need, if any, to 
strengthen such Policies and Training; and any instance of TTI's 
noncompliance with the written Policies and Training described in 
Section III(h) above. TTI must promptly address any noncompliance and 
promptly address or prepare a written plan of action to address any 
determination by the auditor regarding the adequacy of the Policies and 
Training and the auditor's recommendations (if any) with respect to 
strengthening the Policies and Training. Any action taken, or the plan 
of action to be taken by TTI must be included in an addendum to the 
Audit Report (and such addendum must be completed before the 
certification described in Section III(i)(7) below). In the event such 
a plan of action to address the auditor's recommendation regarding the 
adequacy of the Policies and Training is not completed by the time the 
Audit Report is submitted, the following period's Audit Report must 
state whether the plan was satisfactorily completed. Any determination 
by the auditor that TTI has implemented, maintained, and followed 
sufficient Policies and Training must not be based solely or in 
substantial part on an absence of evidence indicating noncompliance. In 
this last regard, any finding that TTI has complied with the 
requirements under this subparagraph must be based on evidence that TTI 
has actually implemented, maintained, and followed the Policies and 
Training required by this exemption. Furthermore, the auditor must not 
solely rely on the Report created by the compliance officer (the 
Compliance Officer), as described in Section III(m) below, as the basis 
for the auditor's conclusions in lieu of independent determinations and 
testing performed by the auditor, as required by Section III(i)(3) and 
(4) above; and
    (ii) The adequacy of the Review described in Section III(m);
    (6) The auditor must notify TTI of any instance of noncompliance 
identified by the auditor within five (5) business days after such 
noncompliance is identified by the auditor, regardless of whether the 
audit has been completed as of that date;
    (7) With respect to the Audit Report, the joint general manager of 
the Corporate Planning who has a direct reporting line to the highest-
ranking compliance officer of TTI must certify in writing, under 
penalty of perjury, that the officer has reviewed the Audit Report and 
this exemption and that to the best of such officer's knowledge at the 
time, TTI has addressed, corrected or remedied any noncompliance and 
inadequacy, or has an appropriate written plan to address any 
inadequacy regarding the Policies and Training identified in the Audit 
Report. The certification must also include the signatory's 
determination that the Policies and Training in effect at the time of 
signing are adequate to ensure compliance with the conditions of this 
exemption and with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code. 
Notwithstanding the above, no person, including any person identified 
by Japanese authorities, who knew of, or should have known of, or 
participated in, any misconduct underlying the Conviction, by any 
party, may provide the certification required by this exemption, unless 
the person took active documented steps to stop the misconduct 
underlying the Conviction;
    (8) TTI's Board of Directors must be provided a copy of the Audit 
Report and the joint general manager of the Corporate Planning who has 
a direct reporting line to the highest-ranking compliance officer of 
TTI must review the Audit Report for TTI and certify in writing, under 
penalty of perjury, that such officer has reviewed the Audit Report;
    (9) TTI must provide its certified Audit Report, by electronic mail 
to [email protected]. This delivery must take place no later than thirty 
(30) days following completion of the Audit Report. The Audit Report 
will be made part of the public record regarding this exemption. 
Furthermore, TTI must make its Audit Report unconditionally available, 
electronically or otherwise, for examination upon request by any duly 
authorized employee or representative of the Department, other relevant 
regulators, and any fiduciary of a Covered Plan;
    (10) TTI and the auditor must submit to [email protected], any 
engagement agreement(s) entered into pursuant to the engagement of the 
auditor under this exemption no later than two (2) months after the 
execution of any such engagement agreement;
    (11) The auditor must provide the Department, upon request, access 
to all the workpapers it created and utilized in the course of the 
audit for inspection and review, provided such access and

[[Page 1417]]

inspection is otherwise permitted by law; and
    (12) TTI must notify the Department of a change in the independent 
auditor no later than 60 days after the engagement of a substitute or 
subsequent auditor and must provide an explanation for the substitution 
or change including a description of any material disputes between the 
terminated auditor and TTI;
    (j) Throughout the Exemption Period, with respect to any 
arrangement, agreement, or contract between TTI and a Covered Plan, TTI 
agrees and warrants:
    (1) To comply with ERISA and the Code, as applicable with respect 
to such Covered Plan; refrain from engaging in prohibited transactions 
that are not otherwise exempt (and to promptly correct any prohibited 
transactions); and comply with the standards of prudence and loyalty 
set forth in ERISA Section 404 with respect to each such Covered Plan, 
to the extent that section is applicable;
    (2) To indemnify and hold harmless the Covered Plan for any actual 
losses resulting directly from TTI's violation of ERISA's fiduciary 
duties, as applicable, and of the prohibited transaction provisions of 
ERISA and the Code, as applicable; a breach of contract by TTI; or any 
claim arising out of the failure of TTI to qualify for the exemptive 
relief provided by PTE 84-14 as a result of a violation of Section I(g) 
of PTE 84-14, other than the Conviction. This condition applies only to 
actual losses caused by TTI's violations. Actual losses include losses 
and related costs arising from unwinding transactions with third 
parties and from transitioning Plan assets to an alternative asset 
manager as well as costs associated with any exposure to excise taxes 
under Code Section 4975 because of TTI's inability to rely upon the 
relief in the QPAM Exemption.
    (3) Not to require (or otherwise cause) the Covered Plan to waive, 
limit, or qualify the liability of TTI for violating ERISA or the Code 
or engaging in prohibited transactions;
    (4) Not to restrict the ability of the Covered Plan to terminate or 
withdraw from its arrangement with TTI with respect to any investment 
in a separately managed account or pooled fund subject to ERISA and 
managed by TTI, with the exception of reasonable restrictions, 
appropriately disclosed in advance, that are specifically designed to 
ensure equitable treatment of all investors in a pooled fund in the 
event such withdrawal or termination may have adverse consequences for 
all other investors. In connection with any of these arrangements 
involving investments in pooled funds subject to ERISA entered into 
after the effective date of this exemption, the adverse consequences 
must relate to a lack of liquidity of the underlying assets, valuation 
issues, or regulatory reasons that prevent the fund from promptly 
redeeming a Covered Plan's investment, and the restrictions must be 
applicable to all such investors and effective no longer than 
reasonably necessary to avoid the adverse consequences;
    (5) Not to impose any fees, penalties, or charges for such 
termination or withdrawal with the exception of reasonable fees, 
appropriately disclosed in advance, that are specifically designed to 
prevent generally recognized abusive investment practices or 
specifically designed to ensure equitable treatment of all investors in 
a pooled fund in the event the withdrawal or termination may have 
adverse consequences for all other investors, provided that such fees 
are applied consistently and in like manner to all such investors;
    (6) Not to include exculpatory provisions disclaiming or otherwise 
limiting the liability of TTI for a violation of such agreement's 
terms. To the extent consistent with ERISA Section 410, however, this 
provision does not prohibit disclaimers for liability caused by an 
error, misrepresentation, or misconduct of a plan fiduciary or other 
party hired by the plan fiduciary who is independent of TTI and its 
affiliates, or damages arising from acts outside the control of TTI; 
and
    (7) TTI must provide a notice of its obligations under this Section 
III(j) to each Covered Plan. For all other prospective Covered Plans, 
TTI must agree to its obligations under this Section III(j) in an 
updated investment management agreement between TTI and such clients or 
other written contractual agreement. Notwithstanding the above, TTI 
will not violate this condition solely because a Covered Plan refuses 
to sign an updated investment management agreement;
    (k) Within 60 days after the effective date of this exemption, TTI 
provides notice of the exemption as published in the Federal Register, 
along with a separate summary describing the facts that led to the 
Conviction (the Summary), which has been submitted to the Department, 
and a prominently displayed statement (the Statement) that the 
Conviction results in a failure to meet a condition in PTE 84-14 to 
each sponsor and beneficial owner of a Covered Plan that has entered 
into a written asset or investment management agreement with TTI. All 
prospective Covered Plan clients that enter into a written asset or 
investment management agreement with TTI after a date that is 60 days 
after the effective date of this exemption must receive a copy of the 
notice of the exemption, the Summary, and the Statement before, or 
contemporaneously with, the Covered Plan's receipt of a written asset 
or investment management agreement from TTI. The notices may be 
delivered electronically (including by an email that has a link to the 
exemption). Notwithstanding the above, TTI will not violate the 
condition solely because a Covered Plan refuses to sign an updated 
investment management agreement.
    (l) TTI must comply with each condition of PTE 84-14, as amended, 
with the sole exception of the violation of Section I(g) of PTE 84-14 
that is attributable to the Conviction. If an entity within TTI's 
corporate structure is convicted of a crime described in Section I(g) 
of PTE 84-14 (other than the Conviction) during the Exemption Period, 
relief in this exemption would terminate immediately;
    (m)(1) Within 60 days after the effective date of this exemption, 
TTI must designate a senior compliance officer (the Compliance Officer) 
who will be responsible for compliance with the Policies and Training 
requirements described herein. Notwithstanding the above, no person, 
including any person referenced in the indictment that gave rise to the 
Conviction, who knew of, or should have known of, or participated in, 
any misconduct described in the indictment, by any party, may be 
involved with the designation or responsibilities required by this 
condition, unless the person took active documented steps to stop the 
misconduct. The Compliance Officer must conduct a review of the 
Exemption Period (the Exemption Review), to determine the adequacy and 
effectiveness of the implementation of the Policies and Training. With 
respect to the Compliance Officer, the following conditions must be 
met:
    (i) The Compliance Officer must be a professional who has extensive 
experience with, and knowledge of, the regulation of financial services 
and products, including under ERISA and the Code; and
    (ii) The Compliance Officer must have a direct reporting line to 
the highest-ranking corporate officer in charge of legal compliance for 
asset management.
    (2) With respect to the Exemption Review, the following conditions 
must be met:
    (i) The Exemption Review includes a review of TTI's compliance with 
and

[[Page 1418]]

effectiveness of the Policies and Training and of the following: any 
compliance matter related to the Policies or Training that was 
identified by, or reported to, the Compliance Officer or others within 
the compliance and risk control function (or its equivalent) during the 
previous year; any material change in the relevant business activities 
of TTI; and any change to ERISA, the Code, or regulations related to 
fiduciary duties and the prohibited transaction provisions that may be 
applicable to the activities of TTI;
    (ii) The Compliance Officer prepares a written report for the 
Exemption Review (an Exemption Report) that (A) summarizes their 
material activities during the Exemption Period; (B) sets forth any 
instance of noncompliance discovered during the Exemption Period, and 
any related corrective action; (C) details any change to the Policies 
or Training to guard against any similar instance of noncompliance 
occurring again; and (D) makes recommendations, as necessary, for 
additional training, procedures, monitoring, or additional and/or 
changed processes or systems, and management's actions on such 
recommendations;
    (iii) In the Exemption Report, the Compliance Officer must certify 
in writing that to the best of their knowledge at the time: (A) the 
report is accurate; (B) the Policies and Training are working in a 
manner which is reasonably designed to ensure that the Policies and 
Training requirements described herein are met; (C) any known instance 
of noncompliance during the prior year and any related correction taken 
to date have been identified in the Exemption Report; and (D) TTI 
complied with the Policies and Training, and/or corrected (or are 
correcting) any known instances of noncompliance in accordance with 
Section III(h) above;
    (iv) The Exemption Report must be provided to appropriate corporate 
officers of TTI; the head of compliance and the general counsel (or 
their functional equivalent) of TTI; and must be made unconditionally 
available to the independent auditor described in Section III(i) above;
    (v) The Exemption Review, including the Compliance Officer's 
written Report, must be completed within 90 days following the end of 
the period to which it relates.
    (n) TTI imposes internal procedures, controls, and protocols to 
reduce the likelihood of any recurrence of conduct that is the subject 
of the Convictions;
    (o) Nikko Tokyo complies in all material respects with any 
requirements imposed by a U.S. regulatory authority in connection with 
the Conviction;
    (p) TTI maintains records necessary to demonstrate that the 
conditions of this exemption have been met for six (6) years following 
the date of any transaction for which TTI relies upon the relief in 
this exemption;
    (q) During the Exemption Period, TTI must: (1) immediately disclose 
to the Department any Deferred Prosecution Agreement (a DPA) or Non-
Prosecution Agreement (an NPA) with the U.S. Department of Justice, 
entered into by TTI or any of its affiliates (as defined in Section 
VI(d) of PTE 84-14) in connection with conduct described in Section 
I(g) of PTE 84-14 or ERISA Section 411; and (2) immediately provide the 
Department with any information requested by the Department, as 
permitted by law, regarding the agreement and/or conduct and 
allegations that led to the agreement;
    (r) Within 60 days after the effective date of this exemption, TTI, 
in its agreements with, or in other written disclosures provided to 
Covered Plans, will clearly and prominently inform Covered Plan clients 
of their right to obtain a copy of the Policies or a description 
(Summary Policies) which accurately summarizes key components of TTI's 
written Policies developed in connection with this exemption. If the 
Policies are thereafter changed, each Covered Plan client must receive 
a new disclosure within 180 days following the end of the calendar year 
during which the Policies were changed. If TTI meets this disclosure 
requirement through Summary Policies, changes to the Policies shall not 
result in the requirement for a new disclosure unless, as a result of 
changes to the Policies, the Summary Policies are no longer accurate. 
With respect to this requirement, the description may be continuously 
maintained on a website, provided that such website link to the 
Policies or Summary Policies is clearly and prominently disclosed to 
each Covered Plan; and
    (s) All the material facts and representations set forth in the 
Summary of Facts and Representations are true and accurate.
    Effective date: If granted, the exemption will be in effect for a 
period of one year, beginning on the date of the Conviction.

    Signed at Washington, DC.
George Christopher Cosby,
Director, Office of Exemption Determinations, Employee Benefits 
Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2023-00341 Filed 1-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P