Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
Fort Washington has adopted and implemented procedures that we believe are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of clients, in accordance with our fiduciary duties and policies and procedures established by the firm. Our authority to vote proxies on behalf of our clients is established by our advisory contract or by written instructions from our clients. Our firm will retain all proxy voting books and records for the period of time required by law, including a copy of any document created by us that was material to making proxy voting decisions, our proxy policies and procedures, and a copy of each written client request for information on how Fort Washington voted proxies. Our clients always have the right to vote proxies themselves. Clients can exercise this right by instructing us in writing not to vote proxies on their account.
Clients may obtain a copy of our complete proxy voting policies and procedures by contacting Eric Walzer, Vice President, Investment Operations, via email or at 513-361-7951. Clients may also request, in writing, information on how proxies were voted. If any client requests a copy of our complete proxy policies and procedures or how we voted proxies for their account(s), we will promptly provide such information to the client.
With respect to ERISA accounts, we will vote proxies unless the plan documents specifically reserve the plan sponsor’s right to vote proxies. To direct us to vote a proxy in a particular manner, clients should contact Eric Walzer via email or at 513-361-7951.
We vote proxies for some, but not all of our clients. For accounts where we do not vote proxies, clients maintain exclusive responsibility for voting proxies. Clients are responsible for instructing their custodian to forward copies of all proxies and shareholder communications to the client.
Fort Washington will neither advise nor act on behalf of the client in legal proceedings involving companies whose securities are held in the client’s account(s) including, but not limited to, the filing of “Proofs of Claim” in class action settlements. If desired, clients may direct us or their custodian, in writing, to transmit copies of class action notices to the client or a third party. Upon such direction, we will make every reasonable effort to forward such notices in a timely manner.
