def14a
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by
the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o
Check the appropriate box:
o |
|
Preliminary Proxy Statement |
|
o |
|
Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
|
þ |
|
Definitive Proxy Statement |
|
o |
|
Definitive Additional Materials |
|
o |
|
Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12 |
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ |
|
No fee required. |
|
o |
|
Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
|
(1) |
|
Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) |
|
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3) |
|
Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange
Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it
was determined): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4) |
|
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5) |
|
Total fee paid: |
|
|
|
|
|
o |
|
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
|
o |
|
Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange
Act Rule 240.0-11 and identify the filing for which the offsetting
fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by
registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the
date of its filing. |
|
(1) |
|
Amount Previously Paid: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) |
|
Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3) |
|
Filing Party: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4) |
|
Date Filed: |
|
|
|
|
|
ING
CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
201 King of Prussia Road,
Suite 600
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF
SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 27,
2010
Notice is hereby given that an Annual Meeting of Shareholders of
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund (the
Trust) will be held at the offices of ING Clarion
Real Estate Securities LLC, 201 King of Prussia Road,
Suite 600, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087 on October 27,
2010 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time (the Annual
Meeting). The Annual Meeting is being held for the purpose
of considering the proposal set forth below and to transact such
other business as may properly be brought before the Annual
Meeting.
|
|
|
|
1.
|
To elect two Trustees for the Trust, each to hold office for the
term indicated in the attached Proxy Statement and until their
successors shall have been elected and qualified.
|
|
|
2.
|
To transact such other business as may properly come before the
Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
|
The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board),
including the independent trustees, unanimously recommend that
you vote FOR the proposal.
We encourage you to contact the Trust toll free at
1-888-711-4272 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time if you have any questions. The Board has fixed the close of
business on September 7, 2010 as the record date for the
determination of shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the Annual Meeting. We urge you to complete, sign, date, and
return the enclosed proxy in the postage-paid envelope provided
so your shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting.
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
By Order of the Board of Trustees
William E. Zitelli, Secretary
September 24, 2010
It is important that your shares be represented at the Annual
Meeting in person or by proxy. Whether or not you plan to attend
the Annual Meeting, please complete, sign, date and return the
enclosed proxy card in the accompanying postage-paid envelope.
If you attend the Annual Meeting and wish to vote in person, you
will be able to do so and your vote at the Annual Meeting will
revoke any proxy you may have previously submitted. Your vote is
extremely important. No matter how many or how few shares you
own, please send in your proxy card today. You may revoke your
proxy at any time prior to the Annual Meeting.
ING
CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF
SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 27,
2010
This proxy statement (Proxy Statement) is furnished
in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of
Trustees (the Board) of ING Clarion Global Real
Estate Income Fund (the Trust) to be voted at the
annual meeting of shareholders of the Trust to be held on
October 27, 2010, and any adjournments or postponements
thereof (the Annual Meeting). The Annual Meeting
will be held at the offices of ING Clarion Real Estate
Securities LLC (ING Clarion RES or the
Advisor), 201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600,
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087. This Proxy Statement and the
enclosed proxy card are first being sent to shareholders on or
about September 24, 2010.
This Proxy Statement will give you the information you need to
vote on the proposal listed on the accompanying Notice of Annual
Meeting of Shareholders (Notice of Annual Meeting).
Much of the information in this Proxy Statement is required by
the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC); some of it is technical. If there is anything
you do not understand, please contact us at our toll-free number
at 1-888-711-4272.
The cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Trust. In
addition, certain officers, directors and employees of the
Trust, the Advisor and the Trusts administrator (none of
whom will receive additional compensation therefor) may solicit
proxies by telephone or mail.
Upon request, the Trust will furnish to shareholders, without
charge, a copy of its annual report or more recent semi-annual
report succeeding the annual report. The annual or semi-annual
report for the Trust may be obtained by calling
1-888-711-4272.
The Trust is registered as a closed-end management investment
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the 1940 Act), and the Trusts shares are
registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Why is a
shareholder meeting being held?
The common shares of the Trust are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE), which requires the Trust to hold an
annual meeting of shareholders.
1
What
proposal will be voted on?
As described in more detail in this Proxy Statement,
shareholders of the Trust are being asked to elect two
Class III Trustees (collectively, the Proposal).
Will my
vote make a difference?
Yes! Your vote is important and will make a difference in the
governance of the Trust, no matter how many shares you own.
Who is
asking for my vote?
The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the Board for use at
the Annual Meeting to be held on October 27, 2010, and, if
the Annual Meeting is adjourned or postponed, at any later
meetings, for the purposes stated in the attached Notice of
Annual Meeting.
How do I
vote?
If you do not expect to be present at the Annual Meeting and
wish to vote your shares, please vote your proxy in accordance
with the instructions included on the enclosed proxy card. If
your proxy is properly returned, shares represented by it will
be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your
instructions. However, if no instructions are specified on the
proxy, the proxy will be voted FOR the Proposal and in
accordance with the judgment of the persons appointed as proxies
upon any other matter that may properly come before the Annual
Meeting. Shareholders may revoke their proxy at any time prior
to the time they are voted by delivering a subsequently dated
proxy.
If you wish to vote your shares or revoke a previous proxy at
the Annual Meeting, and you own your shares through a bank,
broker-dealer or other third party intermediary who holds your
shares of record, you must request a legal proxy from the bank,
broker-dealer or other third party intermediary. Any previously
executed proxy will be revoked, and your vote will not be
counted unless you appear at the Annual Meeting and vote in
person or legally appoint another proxy to vote on your behalf.
How does
the Board recommend that shareholders vote on the
Proposal?
The Board unanimously recommends that you vote for
the Proposal.
Who is
eligible to vote?
Shareholders of record of the Trust at the close of business on
September 7, 2010 (the Record Date) are
entitled to be present and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any
adjournment or postponement thereof. Each share is entitled to
one vote. Shares represented by duly executed proxies will be
voted in accordance with your instructions. If you sign the
proxy, but do not fill in a vote, your shares will be voted in
2
accordance with the Boards recommendation. If any other
business is brought before the Annual Meeting, your shares will
be voted at the discretion of the persons named as proxies
unless you specify otherwise in your proxy.
How many
shares of each Trust were outstanding as of the record
date?
As of the Record Date the Trust had 116,590,494 common shares
outstanding.
THE
PROPOSAL: TO ELECT TRUSTEES
Who are
the nominees for Trustee of the Trust?
The Trustees of the Trust are classified into three classes, as
set forth below.
ING
CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
Class I
Trustees
Mr. T. Ritson Ferguson and Mr. Frederick Hammer are
the Class I Trustees. It is currently anticipated that each
will stand for re-election at the Trusts 2011 annual
meeting of shareholders.
Class II
Trustees
Mr. Jarrett B. Kling and Mr. Asuka Nakahara are the
Class II Trustees. It is currently anticipated that each
will stand for re-election at the Trusts 2012 annual
meeting of shareholders.
Class III
Trustees
Mr. Richard L. Sutton and Mr. John Bartholdson are the
Class III Trustees. Mr. Sutton and
Mr. Bartholdson are standing for re-election at the Annual
Meeting.
The Class III Trustees of the Trust (the
Nominees) will hold office for three years or until
his successors shall have been elected and qualified. The other
Trustees of the Trust will continue to serve under their current
terms and will be elected at subsequent annual meetings of
shareholders as indicated above. Each Nominee is currently a
Trustee of the Trust. Unless authority is withheld, it is the
intention of the persons named in the proxy to vote the proxy
FOR the election of the Nominees. Each Nominee has
indicated that he has consented to serve as a Trustee if elected
at the Annual Meeting. If a Nominee declines or otherwise
becomes unavailable for election, however, the proxy confers
discretionary power on the persons named therein to vote in
favor of a substitute nominee or nominees.
Certain information concerning the Trustees, including the
Nominees, is set forth in the table below. Except as indicated
in the charts below, each individual has held the office shown
or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
The
3
interested Trustees (as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) are indicated by an
asterisk (*). Independent Trustees are those who are not
interested persons of the Trust or ING Clarion RES and comply
with the definition of independent (as defined in
Rule 10A-3
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act)) (the Independent
Trustees). Each Trustee, except Mr. Bartholdson, has
served in such capacity since the Trust commenced operations on
February 18, 2004. Mr. Bartholdson was appointed to
the Board of the Trust on August 23, 2004. After a
Trustees initial term, each Trustee is expected to serve a
three year term concurrent with the class of Trustees for which
he serves. The business address of each Trustee is 201 King of
Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name (Age)
|
|
Positions Held
|
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
|
|
Interested Trustees
|
|
with the Trust
|
|
During the Past 5 Years
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
|
* T. Ritson Ferguson
(51)
|
|
Trustee, President
and Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of ING
Clarion Real Estate Securities LLC (since 1995).
|
|
|
* Jarrett B. Kling
(67)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Managing Director of ING Clarion Real Estate Securities LLC
|
|
Trustee of The Hirtle and Callaghan Trust (since 1995); Board of
Old Mutual Advisor Funds since 2005 and Old Mutual
Funds III
(2008-2009).
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Interested person of the Trust as defined in the
1940 Act. Messrs. Ferguson and Kling are interested persons
due to their employment with the Advisor. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name (Age)
|
|
Position
|
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
|
Other Directorships
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
with the Trust
|
|
During the Past 5 Years
|
|
Held
|
|
Asuka Nakahara
(54)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Associate Director of the Zell-Lurie Real Estate Center at the
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, (since 1999);
Lecturer of Real Estate at the Wharton School, University of
Pennsylvania (since 1999); Partner of Triton Atlantic Partners
(since 2009).
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name (Age)
|
|
Position
|
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
|
Other Directorships
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
with the Trust
|
|
During the Past 5 Years
|
|
Held
|
|
Frederick S. Hammer
(74)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Co-Chairman of Inter-Atlantic Group (since 1994) and a member of
its investment committee.
|
|
Serves on the Boards of Inter-Atlantic Financial, Inc. (since
2007); E-Duction, Inc. (2005-2008), Avalon Insurance Holdings,
Inc. (since 2006) and Homeowners Insurance Corp. (since 2006);
Director of US Fiduciary Corp. (2006-2009); Chairman of the
Board of Annuity and Life Re (Holdings), Ltd. (1998-2005).
|
Richard L. Sutton
(75)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Of Counsel, Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell (since 2000);
Partner, Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnel (1966-2000).
|
|
Board of Directors of ING Global Real Estate Securities Ltd.
(since 2006).
|
John Bartholdson
(66)
|
|
Trustee/Audit Committee Financial Expert
|
|
Senior Vice President, CFO and Treasurer, and a Director of
Triumph Group, Inc. (1993-2007).
|
|
Board of Old Mutual Advisor Funds, Old Mutual Funds, II and
Old Mutual Insurance Series Fund since 2004 and Old Mutual
Funds III (2008-2009).
|
No Nominee is a party adverse to the Trust, or any of its
affiliates, in any material pending legal proceeding, nor does
any Nominee have an interest materially adverse to the Trust.
Who are
the Officers of the Trust?
Information about the Trusts principal executive officers
(the Officers) is set forth below. Mr. Ferguson
has served in such capacity since the Trust commenced
operations. Mr. Blome was appointed Chief Financial Officer
on February 16, 2006. Mr. Zitelli was appointed
Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer on December 5, 2007.
Each of the Trusts officers also serves as an officer of
the Advisor. The business address of each Officer is 201 King of
Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087.
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Name (Age)
|
|
Position
|
|
During the Past 5 Years
|
|
T. Ritson Ferguson(51)
|
|
President and Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of ING
Clarion Real Estate Securities LLC since 1995.
|
Jonathan A. Blome(33)
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
Director and Head of Operations of ING Clarion Real Estate
Securities LLC since 2010; Senior Vice President of ING Clarion
Real Estate Securities LLC (2005-2010); Supervising Senior
Auditor of Ernst & Young LLP (2000- 2005).
|
William E. Zitelli(42)
|
|
Secretary and Chief
Compliance Officer
|
|
Senior Vice President, General Counsel of ING Clarion Real
Estate Securities LLC since 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of
ING Clarion Real Estate Securities LLC (2007-2010); Attorney in
private practice (2006-2007); Vice President and Internal
Counsel of SEI Investments Company (2000-2005).
|
What are
the Committees of the Board?
The Trustees have determined that the efficient conduct of the
Trusts affairs makes it desirable to delegate
responsibility for certain specific matters to committees of the
Board. The committees meet as often as necessary, either in
conjunction with regular meetings of the Board or otherwise.
Audit Committee. The Trust has an audit
committee, established in accordance with
Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act, composed of
Independent Trustees who are independent as that
term is defined in the NYSEs listing standards pertaining
to closed-end funds and as defined in the 1940 Act. The Audit
Committee is charged with (i) oversight of the Trusts
financial statements and the independent audit thereof; and
(ii) selecting and evaluating a firm of independent
accountants for the Trust and reviewing accounting matters with
the accountants. The Audit Committee is governed by a written
charter, which is available on the Trusts website and is
also attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A.
The Audit Committee presents the following report:
The Audit Committee has performed the following functions:
(i) the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the audited
financial statements of the Trust with management of the Trust,
(ii) the Audit Committee discussed with the independent
accountants the matters required to be discussed by the
Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, (iii) the
Audit Committee received the written disclosures and the letter
from the independent auditors required by ISB Standard
No. 1 and has discussed with the accountants the
accountants independence and (iv) the Audit
6
Committee recommended to the Board of Trustees of the Trust that
the financial statements be included in the Trusts Annual
Report for the past fiscal year.
Nominating Committee. The Trust has a
Nominating Committee, which performs the functions set forth in
the Trusts Nominating Committee Charter. The Nominating
Committee is composed of all of the Trusts Independent
Trustees. The Nominating Committee Charter is available on the
Trusts website and is also attached to this Proxy
Statement as Appendix B.
As part of its duties, the Nominating Committee nominates
individuals for Independent Trustee membership on the Board. The
Nominating Committee will consider trustee candidates
recommended by shareholders. In considering candidates submitted
by shareholders, the Nominating Committee will take into
consideration the needs of the Board and the qualifications of
the candidate. The Nominating Committee may also take into
consideration the number of shares held by the recommending
shareholder and the length of time that such shares have been
held. To have a candidate considered by the Nominating
Committee, a shareholder must submit the recommendation in
writing, which must include the following information:
|
|
|
|
|
The name of the shareholder and evidence of the persons
ownership of shares of the Trust, including the number of shares
owned and the length of time of ownership; and
|
|
|
|
The name of the candidate, the candidates resume or a
listing of his or her qualifications to be a Trustee of the
Trust and the nominees consent to be named as a Trustee if
selected by the Nominating Committee and nominated by the Board.
|
The shareholder recommendation and related information described
above must be sent to the Trusts Secretary,
c/o the
Advisor at 201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor,
Pennsylvania 19087 and must be received by the Secretary no less
than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the
Trusts most recent annual meeting of shareholders. The
Nominating Committee believes that the minimum qualifications
for serving as a Trustee of the Trust are that a candidate
demonstrate, by significant accomplishment in his or her field,
an ability to make a meaningful contribution to the Boards
oversight of the business and affairs of the Trust and have an
impeccable record and reputation for honest and ethical conduct
in both his or her professional and personal activities. In
addition, the Nominating Committee examines a candidates
specific experiences and skills, time availability in light of
other commitments, potential conflicts of interest and
independence from management and the Trust. The Nominating
Committee also seeks to have the Board represent a diversity of
backgrounds and experience. The Trust does not pay any third
party a fee to assist in the process of identifying and
evaluating candidates.
7
Does the
Trust have a policy with respect to the attendance of Trustees
at the Annual Meeting?
It is the Trusts policy to encourage Trustees that are
standing for election at an annual meeting to attend such annual
meeting. Mr. Ferguson attended the annual meeting of the
Trust held on November 10, 2009.
How can
shareholders send communications to the Board?
Shareholders and other interested parties may contact the Board
or any member of the Board by mail. To communicate with the
Board or any member of the Board, correspondence should be
addressed to the Board or the Board members with whom you wish
to communicate by either name or title. All such correspondence
should be sent
c/o Secretary
of the Trust at 201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600,
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087.
Do the
Trustees own shares of the Trust?
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities
beneficially owned by each Interested Trustee and each
Independent Trustee as of as of August 31, 2010 or a more
recent date. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are set forth as
established by the SEC. Beneficial ownership is
determined in accordance with
Rule 16a-1(a)(2)
under the Exchange Act.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Range of
|
|
|
Equity Securities
|
Name of Trustee
|
|
in the Trust
|
|
Interested Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
T. Ritson Ferguson
|
|
|
Over $100,000
|
|
Jarrett B. Kling
|
|
|
$50,001-$100,000
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
Asuka Nakahara
|
|
|
$50,001-$100,000
|
|
Frederick S. Hammer
|
|
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
|
Richard L. Sutton
|
|
|
Over $100,000
|
|
John Bartholdson
|
|
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
|
As of August 31, 2010, each Trustee and the Trustees and
officers of the Trust as a group owned less than 1% of the
outstanding shares of the Trust.
As of August 31, 2010, or a more recent date, none of the
Independent Trustees, or their immediate family members, owned
beneficially or of record any securities of ING Clarion RES or
any person controlling, controlled by or under common control
with the Advisor or the Funds distributor.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance
with
Rule 16a-1(a)(2)
under the Exchange Act.
8
How often
do the Trustees meet?
The Board of Trustees of the Trust held five meetings during the
calendar year ended December 31, 2009. Two meetings of the
Audit Committee of the Trust were held during the calendar year
ended December 31, 2009. No meetings of the Nominating
Committee of the Trust were held during the calendar year ended
December 31, 2009. Each Trustee attended at least 75% of
the meetings of the Board (and any committee thereof on which he
serves) held during the calendar year ended December 31,
2009.
What are
the Trustees paid for their services?
The table below sets forth the total compensation paid to each
Interested Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31,
2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate
|
|
|
Pension or
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation
|
|
|
Retirement Benefits
|
|
|
Estimated Annual
|
|
|
|
from the
|
|
|
Accrued as Part of
|
|
|
Benefits upon
|
|
Name of Interested Trustee
|
|
Trust
|
|
|
Company Expenses
|
|
|
Retirement
|
|
|
T. Ritson Ferguson
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
Jarrett B. Kling
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
The table below sets forth the total compensation paid to each
Independent Trustee for the calendar year ended
December 31, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate
|
|
|
Pension or
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation
|
|
|
Retirement Benefits
|
|
|
Estimated Annual
|
|
|
|
from the
|
|
|
Accrued as Part of
|
|
|
Benefits upon
|
|
Name of Independent Trustee
|
|
Trust
|
|
|
Company Expenses
|
|
|
Retirement
|
|
|
Asuka Nakahara
|
|
$
|
31,250
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
Frederick S. Hammer
|
|
$
|
31,250
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
Richard L. Sutton
|
|
$
|
31,250
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
John Bartholdson
|
|
$
|
33,500
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
What are
the Trustees qualifications?
The Board has concluded that, based on each Trustees
experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an
individual basis and in combination with those of the other
Trustees, each Trustee is qualified and should continue to serve
as such. In determining that a particular Trustee was and
continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has
considered a variety of criteria. In addition, the Board has
taken into account the actual service, commitment and
participation of each Trustee during his tenure in concluding
that each Trustee should continue to serve. Information about
the specific experience, skills, attributes and qualifications
of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Boards
conclusion that the Trustee should continue to serve as a
trustee of the Trust, is as follows:
The Board has concluded that Mr. Bartholdson should
continue to serve as a Trustee because of his general financial
acumen, including the experience he gained as the Chief
Financial Officer of a publicly traded company.
Mr. Bartholdson has
9
substantial experience in and knowledge of public company
accounting and auditing. Mr. Bartholdson has gained
additional understanding of the Trusts business by serving
as a Trustee since 2004. Mr. Bartholdson also serves as a
Trustee of other
U.S.-registered
investment companies, which provides him with additional
perspective on operation and management of the Trust.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Hammer should continue to
serve as Trustee given his significant experience as an
executive throughout the financial services industry, including
disciplines such as banking, consumer finance and private
equity, as well as investment management. Mr. Hammer has
gained additional understanding of the Trusts business by
serving as a Trustee since 2004.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Nakahara should continue
to serve as a Trustee because of his background in real estate,
including his academic and industry experience, his knowledge of
the financial services industry and the experience he has gained
serving as a Trustee since 2004.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Sutton should continue to
serve as a Trustee because of his experience as an attorney in
corporate practice, including experience related to corporate
acquisitions and financing and the legal responsibilities of
corporate directors. Mr. Sutton has gained additional
understanding of the Trusts business by serving as a
Trustee since 2004. Mr. Sutton also serves as a Trustee of
another closed-end, listed investment company managed by the
Advisor, which provides him with additional perspective on
operation and management of the Trust.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Ferguson should continue
to serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained in
establishing and leading the business of the Advisor.
Mr. Ferguson founded the Advisor, along with Mr. Kling
and Mr. Ken Campbell, in 1991, and currently serves as its
Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Ferguson
has substantial experience in the real estate investment
management business and has gained additional understanding of
the Trusts business by serving as a Trustee since 2004.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Kling should continue to
serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained in
establishing and leading the business of the Advisor.
Mr. Kling founded the Advisor, along with Mr. Ferguson
and Mr. Ken Campbell, in 1991, and currently serves as its
Managing Director for Marketing. Mr. Kling has substantial
experience in the real estate investment management business and
has gained additional understanding of the Trusts business
by serving as a Trustee since 2004. Mr. Kling also serves
as a Trustee of other
U.S.-registered
investment companies, which provides him with additional
perspective on the operation and management of the Trust.
The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have the
appropriate experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills,
which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the
Trust and protecting the interests of shareholders. Experience,
qualifications, attributes
and/or
skills common to all Trustees include the ability to critically
review, evaluate and discuss information provided to them and
10
to interact effectively with the other Trustees and with
representatives of the Advisor, other service providers, legal
counsel and the Trusts independent registered public
accounting firm, the capacity to address financial and legal
issues and exercise reasonable business judgment and a
commitment to the representation of the interests of the Trust
and its shareholders.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board,
the Board considers the skills and experience of the individual
Trustees in the broader context of the Boards overall
composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the
appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to
oversee the business of the Trust.
In the future, when the Board determines to add a new Trustee or
replace a departing Trustee, the Board intends to consider not
only a candidates experience, qualifications, attributes,
and skills, but also whether the candidates background
would add to the Boards diversity.
*************************
Mr. Ferguson, the Chairman of the Board, is not an
Independent Trustee. He also serves as the Trusts
President and Chief Executive Officer. As Chairman,
Mr. Fergusons duties include setting the agenda for
each Board meeting in consultation with the Trusts other
officers (who are employed by the Advisor), as well as the
Trusts external legal counsel, counsel to the independent
trustees, auditors and administrator. Mr. Ferguson also
presides at each Board meeting, meets with the Trusts
other officers between Board meetings, and facilitates
communication, coordination and an orderly and efficient flow of
information and input among the Trustees, the Trusts
officers and other employees of the Advisor. The Trust has not
appointed a Lead Independent Trustee. Mr. Bartholdson
serves as Chairman of the Trusts Audit Committee and is
the Audit Committee Financial Expert. The Trustees have
determined that the Boards leadership by
Mr. Ferguson, as Chairman of the Board, and
Mr. Bartholdson, as Chairman of the Audit Committee, is
appropriate because they believe it appropriately reflects the
relationships among the Trustees, the Advisor and the
Trusts other officers. The Trustees exercise their
independent judgment in evaluating and managing the Trusts
relationship with the Advisor, as well as the performance of the
Trusts officers and other service providers.
What are
the Trusts Risk Management procedures?
The Trust is subject to investment, compliance and operational
risks, among others. Like most investment companies, the
day-to-day
business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is
performed by third party service providers, such as the Advisor
and the Trusts administrator. The Trustees are responsible
for overseeing the Trusts service providers and,
accordingly, oversee their respective risk management practices
to the Trust. Each service provider has its own risk management
practices, and its policies and methods of risk management may
differ from the Trusts in the setting of priorities, the
resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.
11
The Advisor is responsible for the mitigation of investment risk
within the parameters of the Trusts investment objectives,
strategies and guidelines. The Advisor provides a detailed
report on investment performance at each quarterly Board
meeting. Among other things, the Board also reviews information
about the Trusts investments, including portfolio
holdings, investment performance and the factors impacting
performance during the period.
Compliance risk derives from the failure (or perceived failure)
to comply with laws, regulations or standards. Under the
guidance of its Chief Compliance Officer, the Trust maintains a
comprehensive compliance program designed to ensure compliance
with laws applicable to its business, thereby mitigating
compliance risk. The Trusts Chief Compliance Officer
reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance
issues and, at least annually, provides the Board with a report
reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trusts
policies and procedures and those of its service providers,
including the Advisor and the Trusts administrator. The
report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of
the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last
report; any material changes to the policies and procedures
since the date of the last report; any recommendations for
material changes to the policies and procedures; and any
material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Trusts administrator and custodian provide the Trust
with reports detailing their respective operating controls and
procedures. The Trusts officers review those reports in
the context of the Trusts
day-to-day
operations, preparation of financial reports and compliance with
applicable regulations. The officers provide the Board with
summary reports relating to operational controls and procedures.
The Trustees also receive reports directly from the
administrator, relating to matters such as valuation, financial
reporting and portfolio compliance, and from the custodian,
relating to the Trusts custody arrangements. The Advisor
provides the Trustees with a quarterly report on fair valuation,
and the Trustees approve the valuation of such securities.
Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm
reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Trusts
financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk
encountered by the Trust and noting any significant deficiencies
or material weaknesses in the Trusts internal controls.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the
Trust can be identified
and/or
quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to
eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to
bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve
the Trusts objectives, and that the processes, procedures
and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in
their effectiveness.
12
Are there
any legal proceedings involving the Trusts Executive
Officers or Trustees?
The following chart sets forth certain legal actions involving
the Trusts Executive Officers, Trustees and nominees for
trustee for the past ten years. Such actions include:
(i) any judicial or administrative proceedings resulting
from involvement in mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection
with any business entity; (ii) any judicial or
administrative proceedings based on violations of federal or
state securities, commodities, banking or insurance laws and
regulations, or any settlement to such actions; and
(iii) any disciplinary sanctions or orders imposed by a
stock, commodities or derivatives exchange or other
self-regulatory organization.
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Action
|
|
Discussion
|
|
John R. Bartholdson
|
|
In re: Alliance, Franklin Templeton, Bank of America, and
Pilgrim Baxter (D. Md. 2004).
|
|
In 2004, Mr. Bartholdson, in his role as a member of the Board
of PBHG Funds, was named as a defendant in a lawsuit that
alleged improper market timing and late trading in the PBHG
Funds. The presiding court has preliminarily approved a
settlement of the case and certified a class for the purposes of
settlement only, pending a final hearing by the court.
|
T. Ritson Ferguson
|
|
None
|
|
|
Frederick S. Hammer
|
|
Schnall et al. v. Annuity and Life Re (Holdings), Ltd.
et al (D. Conn.).
|
|
In 2002, Mr. Hammer, in his role as the Chairman of the Board of
Annuity and Life (Holdings), Ltd., was named as a defendant in a
lawsuit involving violations of the federal securities laws. Mr.
Hammer and certain other officers and directors of Annuity and
Life (Holdings), Ltd. settled the claims with the plaintiffs in
2005.
|
|
|
Dan B. Lain, Trustee of the Search Liquidating Trust v.
George Evans et al. (N.D. Texas).
|
|
In 2000, Mr. Hammer, in his role as trustee of Search Financial
Services, Inc., was named a defendant in a case alleging breach
of fiduciary duty. The case was dismissed in 2000.
|
Jarrett B. Kling
|
|
None
|
|
|
Asuka Nakahara
|
|
None
|
|
|
Richard L. Sutton
|
|
None
|
|
|
13
What is
the vote required for the Proposal?
The holders of the Trusts common shares will have equal
voting rights (i.e., one vote per share), and will vote
together as a single class with respect to the election of
Mr. Sutton and Mr. Bartholdson. The affirmative vote
of a plurality of the shares of the Trust present at the Annual
Meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary to approve the
Proposal.
14
THE BOARD, INCLUDING THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES, UNANIMOUSLY
RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE PROPOSAL.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Investment
Advisor
ING Clarion RES acts as the Trusts investment advisor. ING
Clarion RES is responsible for the
day-to-day
management of the Trusts assets. ING Clarion RES is
located at 201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor,
Pennsylvania 19087.
As of December 31, 2009, ING Clarion RES had approximately
$17 billion in assets under management. ING Clarion RES is
an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ING Groep N.V. (ING
Group), a global financial services organization based in
The Netherlands. The operations of ING Group are focused on
banking, insurance and investment management. ING Groups
Real Estate Investment Management Division (ING
REIM) is among the worlds largest global real estate
investment managers with $92 billion in real estate assets
under management as of December 31, 2009. ING REIM is a
global organization with offices in The Netherlands, the
United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, Canada
and Australia.
Administrator
The Bank of New York Mellon, located at One Wall Street, New
York, New York 10286, serves as the Trusts administrator.
Independent
Auditors
Ernst & Young LLP (E&Y) has been
selected as the independent auditor by the Audit Committee of
the Trust and ratified by a majority of the Trusts Board,
including a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote cast in
person, to audit the accounts of the Trust for and during the
Trusts fiscal year ending in 2010. The Trust does not know
of any direct or indirect financial interest of E&Y in the
Trust.
Representatives of E&Y will attend the Annual Meeting, will
have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so
and will be available to answer questions.
Audit
Fees
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Trust for
professional services rendered for the audit of the Trusts
annual financial statements for the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 were $57,500
and $57,500, respectively.
Audit-Related
Fees
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Trust for assurance
and related services reasonably related to the performance of
the audit of the Trusts annual financial
15
statements for the calendar years ended December 31, 2009
and December 31, 2008 were $0 and $0, respectively.
Tax
Fees
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Trust for
professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice,
and tax planning for the calendar years ended December 31,
2009 and December 31, 2008 were $18,250 and $10,400,
respectively.
All Other
Fees
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Trust for services
other than those described above for the calendar years ended
December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 were $0 and
$0, respectively.
Aggregate
Non-Audit Fees
The aggregate non-audit fees billed by E&Y to the Trust,
the Advisor or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under
common control with the Advisor that provides ongoing services
to the Trust (except for any
sub-advisor
whose role is primarily portfolio management and is
subcontracted with or overseen by another investment advisor)
for the calendar year ended December 31, 2009 and
December 31, 2008 were $124,375 and $102,296, respectively.
Audit
Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee of the Trust adopted Pre-Approval Policies
and Procedures, which are contained in the Audit Committee
Charter which appears in Appendix A hereto. The Audit
Committee has pre-approved all audit and non-audit services
provided by E&Y for the Trust, and all non-audit services
provided by E&Y to the Advisor, or any entity controlling,
controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor that
provides ongoing services to the Trust, which are related to the
operations of the Trust. None of the hours expended on the
principal accountants engagement to audit the Trusts
financial statements for the periods set forth above were
attributable to work performed by persons other than the
principal accountants full-time, permanent employees.
Principal
Shareholders
As of the Record Date, to the knowledge of the Trust, no person
beneficially owned more than 5% of the voting securities of any
class of securities of the Trust.
Section 16(a)
Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and Section 30(h) of
the 1940 Act require the Trusts officers and Trustees,
certain officers of the Trusts investment advisor,
affiliated persons of the investment advisor, and persons who
beneficially own more than ten percent of the Trusts
shares to file certain reports of ownership
(Section 16
16
filings) with the SEC and the NYSE. Based upon the
Trusts review of the copies of such forms effecting the
Section 16 filings received by it, the Trust believes that
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, all filings
applicable to such persons were completed and filed.
Deadline
for Shareholder Proposals
Shareholder proposals intended for inclusion in the Trusts
proxy statement in connection with the 2010 annual meeting of
shareholders pursuant to
Rule 14a-8
under the Exchange Act must be received at the Trusts
principal executive offices by August 17, 2010. In order
for proposals made outside of
Rule 14a-8
under the Exchange Act to be considered timely
within the meaning of
Rule 14a-4(c)
under the Exchange Act, such proposals must be received by the
Trust at the Trusts principal executive offices not later
than June 3, 2011.
Privacy
Principles of the Trust
The Trust is committed to maintaining the privacy of
shareholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal
information. The following information is provided to help you
understand what personal information the Trust collects, how the
Trust protects that information and why, in certain cases, the
Trust may share information with select other parties.
Generally, the Trust does not receive any non-public personal
information relating to its shareholders, although certain
non-public personal information of its shareholders may become
available to the Trust. The Trust does not disclose any
non-public personal information about its shareholders or former
shareholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is
necessary in order to service shareholder accounts (for example,
to a transfer agent or third party administrator).
The Trust restricts access to non-public personal information
about the shareholders to employees of the Advisor with a
legitimate business need for the information. The Trust
maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards
designed to protect the non-public personal information of its
shareholders.
Voting
The Board has fixed the close of business on September 7,
2010 as the record date for the determination of shareholders of
the Trust entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual
Meeting. Shareholders of the Trust on that date will be entitled
to one vote on each matter to be voted on by the Trust for each
share held and a fractional vote with respect to fractional
shares with no cumulative voting rights. The presence in person
or by proxy of shareholders owning a majority of the shares
entitled to vote on any matter is necessary to constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.
In the event that a quorum of shareholders is not represented at
the Annual Meeting, the meeting may be adjourned by a majority
of the shareholders present in
17
person or by proxy until a quorum exists. If there are
insufficient votes to approve any Proposal, the persons named as
proxies may propose one or more adjournments of the Annual
Meeting to permit additional time for the solicitation of
proxies, in accordance with applicable law. Adjourned meetings
must be held within a reasonable time after the date originally
set for the meeting (but not more than six months beyond the
originally scheduled meeting date). Solicitation of votes may
continue to be made without any obligation to provide any
additional notice of the adjournment. The persons named as
proxies will vote in favor of such adjournment(s) in their
discretion.
For purposes of determining the presence of a quorum for
transacting business at the Annual Meeting, executed proxies
marked as abstentions and broker non-votes (that is,
proxies from brokers or nominees indicating that such persons
have not received instructions from the beneficial owner or
other persons entitled to vote shares on a particular matter
with respect to which the brokers or nominees do not have
discretionary power) will be treated as shares that are present
for quorum purposes but which have not been voted. Accordingly,
abstentions and broker non-votes will effectively be a vote
against the Proposals.
Other
Matters
No business other than the matter described above is expected to
come before the Annual Meeting, but should any matter incident
to the conduct of the Annual Meeting or any question as to an
adjournment of the Annual Meeting arise, the persons named in
the enclosed proxy will vote thereon according to their best
judgment in the interest of the Trust.
A list of shareholders entitled to be present and to vote at the
Annual Meeting will be available at the offices of the Advisor,
201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor, Pennsylvania
19087, for inspection by any shareholder during regular business
hours beginning ten days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
By Order of the Board of Trustees
T. Ritson Ferguson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dated: September 24, 2010
18
APPENDIX A
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
AUDIT COMMITTEE
CHARTER1
OF
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
I. PURPOSE
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The purpose of the Audit Committee (the Audit
Committee) of the Board of Trustees (hereinafter, the
Board) of ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
(hereinafter, the Trust) is to oversee the
accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and
oversee the audits of the Trusts financial statements. In
particular, and as more fully set forth in Sections IV, V
and IX of this Audit Committee Charter (Charter),
the Audit Committee will:
(a) assist in the Boards oversight of:
(i) the integrity of the Trusts financial statements;
(ii) the Trusts compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements;
(iii) the qualifications and independence of the
Trusts independent auditor (the Independent
Auditor); and
(iv) the performance of the Trusts internal audit
function and the Independent Auditor;
(b) prepare an Audit Committee report in accordance with
the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) for inclusion in the Trusts annual proxy
statement;
(c) be directly responsible for the approval, compensation,
retention and oversight of the work of the Independent Auditor
and ensuring that the Independent Auditor reports directly to
the Audit Committee. The Board and the Trusts shareholders
shall have such rights to approve, ratify and replace the
Independent Auditor as required by applicable law; and
(d) assist the Board with respect to its obligation to
ensure that the Audit Committee functions in a manner consistent
with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
(Sarbanes-Oxley), the rules and regulations
promulgated by the SEC pursuant to that Act and the listing
standards (NYSE Company Guide) promulgated by the
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
1 This
Amended and Restated Audit Committee Charter was first ratified
and approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees of
the named Trust on August 30, 2006 and amended on
February 15, 2007.
A-1
II. COMPOSITION
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee shall be comprised of three or more trustees
as determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. Each
member of the Audit Committee shall be:
(a) a trustee (Independent Trustee) who is not
an interested person of the Trust as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the 1940 Act); and
(b) a trustee whom the Board has affirmatively determined
does not have a material relationship with the Trust that would
interfere with the exercise of independent judgment.
Service by a trustee on the board of directors/trustees of any
other public company (or companies) shall not be an impediment
to the qualification of such trustee to serve on the Audit
Committee unless the Board determines that such service will
impair the ability of such trustee to serve effectively on the
Audit Committee, or unless such service would otherwise render
such trustee unable to meet the qualification standards set
forth in this charter.
Each member of the Audit Committee must be able to read and
understand fundamental financial statements, including the
Trusts balance sheets, income statements and cash flow
statements. Further, at least one member of the Audit Committee
must be determined to be an audit committee financial
expert (as such term is defined in the rules and
regulations promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Act) by the
Board.
The chairperson of the Audit Committee shall be designated by
the Board by a majority vote.
Any vacancy on the Audit Committee shall be filled by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Board at
the next meeting of the Audit Committee following the occurrence
of the vacancy. No member of the Audit Committee shall be
removed except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
members of the Board.
III. MEETINGS
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee shall fix its own rules of procedure, which
shall be consistent with the Declaration of Trust of the Trust
(or other charter document of the Trust), the By-Laws of the
Trust and this Audit Committee Charter. The Audit Committee
shall meet on a regular basis and special meetings shall be
called, as circumstances require and at the discretion of the
Audit Committee chair or by majority vote of the members of the
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee, in its discretion, may ask
members of management or others to attend its meetings (or
portions thereof) and to provide pertinent information as
necessary.
The Audit Committee shall periodically, and at least annually,
meet separately with the Independent Auditor. The Audit
Committee shall, at the discretion of the
A-2
Audit Committee and in accordance with its authority under this
Charter, meet with (a) the chief financial officer of the
Trust and those officers (collectively, Financial
Officers) of the Trust
and/or the
Trusts investment adviser who are responsible for the
Trusts internal audit function
and/or for
assisting with the preparation of the Trusts financial
statements. Such meetings shall also, at the discretion of the
Audit Committee, be periodically conducted separately and
outside the presence of any or all other representatives of
management and will be conducted separately in the event that
the Independent Auditor or Financial Officer(s) desire to
discuss any matter privately with the Audit Committee.
A majority of the members of the Audit Committee present in
person or by means of a conference telephone or other
communication equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can communicate with each other
shall constitute a quorum. The Audit Committee may also take
action by the written consent of a majority of its members,
except to the extent an in-person meeting is required by the
1940 Act.
The Audit Committee shall cause to be maintained minutes of all
meetings and records relating to those meetings and provide
copies of such minutes to the Board and the Trust.
IV. AUTHORITY
The Audit Committee shall have the authority to carry out its
duties and responsibilities, as set forth in this Audit
Committee Charter, to institute investigations of suspected
improprieties and to retain independent counsel or seek
assistance from such experts and consultants as the Audit
Committee may deem appropriate. Such authority includes, without
limitation, the authority to cause the Trust to provide the
necessary funding, as determined by the Audit Committee
(i) to compensate the Independent Auditor and any advisers,
experts or consultants employed by or at the direction of the
Audit Committee and (ii) to pay such other administrative
expenses of the Audit Committee that are necessary or
appropriate, in the judgment of the Audit Committee, to carry
out the duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee.
V. DUTIES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
In carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the Audit
Committees policies and procedures will remain flexible,
so that it may be in a position to best react or respond to
changing circumstances or conditions. The following are the
duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee:
|
|
(a)
|
Oversight
of the Auditors Engagement/Independence
|
(i) Approve the selection and retention (subject to
ratification by a majority of the Independent Trustees),
termination and compensation of the Independent Auditor
A-3
to audit the books and accounts of the Trust and their
subsidiaries, if any, for each fiscal year;
(ii) Review and, in its sole discretion, approve the
Independent Auditors annual engagement letters as related
to any audit or permitted non-audit services, including the
proposed fees contained therein, prior to the commencement of
the audit or delivery of non-audit services;
(iii) Pre-approve
(A) all engagements for audit services to be provided by
the Independent Auditor to the Trust; and
(B) all engagements (Covered Non-Audit
Engagements) for non-audit services to be provided by the
Independent Auditor
(i) to the Trust; and/or
(ii) to the Trusts investment adviser or any entity
(Related Entity) controlling, controlled by
or under common control with an investment adviser;
provided
1. that such pre-approval shall be required only with
respect to non-audit services (i) related directly to the
operations and financial reporting of the Trust and
(ii) provided to a Related Entity that furnishes ongoing
services to the Trust;
2. that such pre-approval shall not apply to non-audit
services provided to any sub-adviser whose role is primarily
portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by
another investment adviser;
3. that pre-approval by the Audit Committee of such
non-audit services shall be effected pursuant to the
pre-approval procedures described in Section VI; and
4. this Charter shall not be violated if pre-approval of
any such non-audit service is not obtained in circumstances in
which the pre-approval requirement is waived under applicable
rules promulgated by the SEC or the NYSE, in accordance with the
Sarbanes Oxley Act.
(iv) Ensure receipt of a formal written statement
delineating all relationships between the Independent Auditor
and the Trust, as consistent with applicable standards adopted
by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCOAB
Standards);
(v) RESERVED
(vi) In connection with the pre-approval of audit services
to be provided to the Trust by the Independent Auditor, review
the qualifications, performance and independence of the
Independent Auditor with a view to forming a basis for decisions
A-4
regarding the retention, replacement or termination of the
Independent Auditor when circumstances warrant;
(vii) Oversee the independence of the Independent Auditor
by, among other things:
(A) actively engaging in a dialogue with the Independent
Auditor with respect to any disclosed relationships or services
that may impact the objectivity and independence of the
Independent Auditor, and taking appropriate action to satisfy
itself of the Independent Auditors independence;
(B) monitoring compliance by the Independent Auditor with
the audit partner rotation requirements contained in the Act and
the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder;
(C) setting clear hiring policies for compliance by the
Trust, their investment adviser and the Independent Auditor with
the employee conflict of interest requirements contained in the
Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC
thereunder; and
(D) considering whether there should be a regular rotation
of the Independent Auditor; and
(viii) Instruct the Independent Auditor that the
Independent Auditor is ultimately accountable to the Audit
Committee, and that the Audit Committee is responsible for the
retention, compensation, and termination of the Independent
Auditor.
|
|
(b)
|
Oversight
of the Audit
|
(i) Review the annual audit plan of the Independent
Auditor, including the scope of audit activities, monitor such
plans progress, changes thereto and results, periodically
during the year and review the results of the year-end audit of
the Trust, including any comments or recommendations of the
Independent Auditor;
(ii) Obtain, at least annually, from the Independent
Auditor and review a report describing:
(A) all critical accounting policies and practices used for
the Trust;
(B) the Independent Auditors internal quality-control
procedures;
(C) any material issues raised by the most recent internal
quality-control review, or peer review of the Independent
Auditor;
(D) any inquiry or investigation by governmental or
professional authorities within the preceding five years
respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the
Independent Auditor and any steps taken to deal with any such
issues;
A-5
(E) (to assess the Independent Auditors independence)
all relationships between the Independent Auditor and the Trust;
(F) all alternative treatments within United States
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for policies and
practices related to material items that have been discussed
with management of the Trust, including (1) ramifications
of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments, and
(2) the treatment preferred by the Independent
Auditor; and
(G) other material written communications between the
Independent Auditor and management of the Trust, such as any
management letter or schedule of unadjusted differences;
(iii) Review, as the Audit Committee may deem appropriate
to carry out its oversight functions, with the Independent
Auditor, the chief financial officer of the Trust and such other
officers of the Trust or its investment adviser as may be
responsible for the Trusts internal audit function and for
assisting with the preparation of the Trusts financial
statements:
(A) the Trusts annual audited financial statements
and interim financial statements, and any major issues related
thereto;
(B) critical accounting policies and such other accounting
policies of the Trust as are deemed appropriate for review by
the Audit Committee prior to any interim or year-end filings
with the SEC or other regulatory body, including any financial
reporting issues which could have a material impact on the
Trusts financial statements;
(C) the effect of regulatory, accounting and financial
reporting initiatives on the financial statements of the
Trust; and
(iv) Review on a regular basis with the Independent Auditor
any problems or difficulties encountered by the Independent
Auditor in the course of any audit work, including
managements response with respect thereto, any
restrictions on the scope of the Independent Auditors
activities or on access to requested information, and any
significant disagreements with management. In connection
therewith, the Audit Committee will review with the Independent
Auditor the following:
(A) any accounting adjustments that were noted or proposed
by the Independent Auditor but were rejected by management (as
immaterial or otherwise);
(B) any communications between the audit team and the
Independent Auditors national office respecting auditing
or accounting issues presented by the engagement; and
(C) any management or internal
control letter issued, or proposed to be issued, by the
Independent Auditor to the Trust;
A-6
(v) Attempt to resolve all disagreements between the
Independent Auditor and management regarding financial
reporting; and
(vi) Review information obtained from the Independent
Auditor pursuant to Section 10A of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended.
|
|
(c)
|
Oversight
of Internal Audit Function and Controls and
Procedures
|
(i) To the extent, and at such times, as deemed appropriate
by the Audit Committee in light of its oversight functions,
review periodically with the Trusts chief executive
officer, chief financial officer and Independent Auditor the
following:
(A) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation
of internal controls relating to financial reporting of the
Trust and any Related Entity, or, to the knowledge of such
persons, other service providers, which could adversely affect
the Trusts ability to record, process, summarize, and
report financial data, including any material weaknesses in
internal controls identified by the Independent Auditor;
(B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees of the Trust, Related Entities,
or, to the knowledge of such persons, other service providers to
the Trust who have a significant role in the Trusts
internal controls; and
(C) any significant changes in internal controls relating
to financial reporting or in other factors that could
significantly affect such internal controls over financial
reporting, including any corrective actions with regard to
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses related to the
Trust, the Related Entities, or, to the knowledge of such
persons, other service providers to the Trust.
(i) Establish and maintain free and open means of
communication between and among the Board, the Audit Committee,
the Independent Auditor and the Trusts management
(including the chief financial officer, management of the
Trusts investment adviser and management of other relevant
service providers of the Trust) and ensure that such procedures
afford such parties with appropriate opportunities to meet
separately and privately with the Audit Committee on a periodic
basis and as the Audit Committee may deem necessary or
appropriate;
(ii) Establish procedures for
(A) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints
received by the Trust regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls or auditing matters, and
(B) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of
the Trusts investment adviser and other service providers
responsible for such services, or
A-7
other persons, of concerns regarding questionable accounting or
auditing matters;
(iii) Consistent with the Audit Committees authority
as set forth in Section IV of this Charter, secure
independent expert advice to the extent the Audit Committee
determines it to be appropriate, including retaining, with or
without further approval of the Board, independent counsel,
accountants, consultants or others, to assist the Audit
Committee in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, the
cost of such independent expert advisors to be borne by the
Trust.
(iv) Discuss policies with respect to risk assessment and
risk management; and
(v) Discuss generally the Trusts dividends press
releases, as well as related financial information and guidance
provided to analysts and rating agencies, if any.
The Audit Committee shall:
(i) Report regularly to the Board on its activities, as
appropriate;
(ii) Perform such additional activities, and consider such
other matters, within the scope of its duties and
responsibilities, as the Audit Committee or the Board deems
necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) Perform an annual performance evaluation of the Audit
Committee.
VI. PRE-APPROVAL
POLICY/PROCEDURES
All audit and non-audit services shall be specifically
pre-approved by the Audit Committee to be provided to the Trust
or, to the extent set forth in Section V of this charter,
to its investment adviser
and/or any
Related Entity.
Requests for pre-approval of Covered Non-Audit Engagements
should be submitted to the Audit Committee by the Independent
Auditor and by the chief financial officer of the Related Entity
for which the non-audit services are to be performed. Such
requests should include a statement as to whether, in the view
of the Independent Auditor and such officer, (a) the
request is consistent with the SECs rules on auditor
independence and (b) the requested service is or is not a
non-audit service prohibited by the SEC. A request submitted
between scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee should state
the reason that approval is being sought prior to the next
regularly scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee.
Between regularly scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee, the
Committee Chairman or Audit Committee financial expert shall
have the authority to pre-approve Covered Non-Audit Engagements,
provided that fees associated with such engagement do not exceed
$10,000 and the services to be provided do not involve provision
of any of the following services by the Independent Auditor:
(i) bookkeeping or other services related to the accounting
records or financial statements of the
A-8
audit client; (ii) financial information systems design and
implementation; (iii) appraisal or valuation services,
fairness opinions, or
contribution-in-kind
reports; (iv) actuarial services; (v) internal audit
outsourcing services; (vi) management functions;
(vii) human resources; (vii) broker dealer, investment
advisor or investment banking services; (ix) legal
services; or (x) expert services unrelated to the audit.
VII. REPORTING
The Audit Committee shall report its activities to the Board on
a regular basis, so that the Board is kept informed of its
activities on a current basis. In connection therewith, the
Audit Committee will review with the Board any issues that arise
with respect to the quality or integrity of the Trusts
financial statements, the Trusts compliance with related
legal or regulatory requirements, the performance and
independence of the Independent Auditor, or the performance of
the Trusts internal audit function. In particular, the
Audit Committee will also report to the Board its conclusions
with respect to matters the Audit Committee considers to be of
interest or the Board requests. Reports to the Board may take
the form of an oral report by the chairperson of the Audit
Committee or any other member of the Audit Committee designed by
the Audit Committee to make this report.
The Audit Committee shall approve the Audit Committee
Statement required by the rules of the SEC to be included
in the Trusts annual proxy statement and determine to its
satisfaction that the Audit Committee has: (a) reviewed and
discussed the audited financial statements with management of
the Trust; (b) discussed with the Independent Auditor the
matters required to be discussed under applicable PCOAB
Standards; (c) received the written disclosures and the
letter from the Independent Auditor required under applicable
PCOAB Standards and have discussed with the Independent Auditor
the auditors independence; and (d) made a
recommendation to the Board as to whether the financial
statements should be included in the Trusts annual report
for the past fiscal year, as filed with the SEC.
VIII. RESOURCES
The Board shall ensure that the Audit Committee has adequate
resources, as determined by the Audit Committee, with which to
discharge its responsibilities, including for the payment of
(a) compensation (i) to any firm of Independent
Auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit
report or performing other audit, review or attest services for
the Trust, and (ii) to any advisors employed by the Audit
Committee, including independent counsel, consultants or other
advisors, as the Audit Committee determines necessary to carry
out its duties, and (b) ordinary administrative expenses of
the Audit Committee that are necessary or appropriate in
carrying out its duties.
A-9
IX. LIMITS
ON ROLE OF AUDIT COMMITTEE
The function of the Committee is oversight; it is
managements responsibility to maintain appropriate systems
for accounting and internal control over financial reporting,
and the Independent Auditors responsibility to plan and
carry out a proper audit. Specifically, management is
responsible for: (1) the preparation, presentation and
integrity of the Trusts financial statements; (2) the
maintenance of appropriate accounting and financial reporting
principles and policies; and (3) the maintenance of
internal controls over financial reporting and other procedures
designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and
related laws and regulations. The Independent Auditor is
responsible for planning and carrying out an audit consistent
with applicable legal and professional standards and the terms
of its engagement letter. Nothing in this Charter shall be
construed to reduce the responsibilities or liabilities of the
Trusts service providers, including the Independent
Auditor.
The review of the Trusts financial statements by the
Committee is not an audit, nor does the Committees review
substitute for the responsibilities of management for preparing,
or the Independent Auditor for auditing, the financial
statements. Members of the Committee are not full-time employees
of the Trust and, in serving on the Committee, are not, and do
not hold themselves out to be, acting as accountants or
auditors. As such, it is not the duty or responsibility of the
Committee or its members to conduct field work or
other types of auditing or accounting reviews or procedures.
In discharging their duties, the members of the Committee are
entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports or
statements, including financial statements and other financial
data, if prepared or presented by: (1) one or more officers
of the Trust whom the Committee members reasonably believe to be
reliable and competent in the matters presented; (2) legal
counsel, public accountants or other persons as to matters the
Committee member reasonably believes are within the
persons professional or expert competence; or (3) a
Board committee of which the Committee member is not a member.
A-10
APPENDIX B
ING
CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
NOMINATING
COMMITTEE CHARTER
There shall be a nominating committee of the Board of Trustees
which shall be composed of all of the Trustees (the
Independent Trustees) who are not interested persons
of the investment advisor to the investment company named above.
The function of the nominating committee is to search for
appropriate candidates for nomination as independent trustees to
the Board of Trustees when vacancies occur or the Board is
seeking to increase the size of the Board, to review the
qualifications of individuals recommended as potential nominees
and to develop procedures and policies regarding minimum
qualifications of Trustees, sources of recommendations and
processes for considering recommendations.
The nominating committee may, if it so chooses, also review
periodically the functioning of the Board and Trustees subject
to re-election.
The nominating committee shall act by majority of its members
present at a meeting at which at least half of its members are
present or by written consent of a majority of its members.
The nominating committee is authorized to consult independent
counsel and other service providers and to subscribe for or
otherwise obtain information it considers useful in performing
its responsibilities.
The committee shall review and reassess the adequacy of this
charter on an annual basis and propose any changes for approval
by the Independent Trustees.
B-1
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
PROXY SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The undersigned holder of the above-referenced Fund, a Delaware statutory trust (the Fund),
hereby appoints Jonathan A. Blome and William E. Zitelli, attorneys and proxies for the
undersigned, with full powers of substitution and revocation to represent the undersigned and to
vote on behalf of the undersigned shares that the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund (the Meeting) to be held at the offices of ING Clarion Real
Estate Securities LLC, 201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087 on October
27, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time), and any adjournments thereof. The undersigned hereby
acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and hereby instructs said
attorneys and proxies to vote said shares as indicated hereon. In their discretion, the proxies are
authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the Meeting. A majority of
the proxies present and acting at the Meeting in person or by substitute (or, if only one shall be
so present, then that one) shall have and may exercise all of the power and authority of said
proxies hereunder. The undersigned hereby revokes any proxy previously given.
THIS CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
This proxy, if properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed by the undersigned
shareholder. If NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES AS
TRUSTEES. Please refer to the Proxy Statement for a discussion of the Proposal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WITHHOLD |
|
|
FOR ALL |
|
PROPOSAL |
|
FOR ALL |
|
|
ALL |
|
|
EXCEPT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To elect Trustees: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global Real Estate Income Fund Class III Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(01) Richard L. Sutton |
|
o |
|
o |
|
o |
(02) John Bartholdson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark For All Except and write the
number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below.
Your signature(s) on this proxy should be exactly as your name or names appear on this proxy. If
signing is by attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please print your full title
below your signature.
Dated:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Signature |
|
Signature (Joint Owners) |
PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED, POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.