EX-99.A.5 2 dex99a5.txt WRITTEN INSTRUMENT ESTABLISHING AND DESIGNATING SHARES WILLIAM BLAIR FUNDS Written Instrument Establishing and Designating Shares of the William Blair International Equity Fund and the William Blair Institutional International Equity Fund The undersigned, the Trustees of the William Blair Funds (the "Trust"), a statutory trust organized pursuant to a Declaration of Trust dated September 3, 1999 (the "Declaration of Trust"), pursuant to Sections 6.2 and 6.3 of Article VI of the Declaration of Trust, do hereby establish and designate two new series of Interests of the Trust to be known as the "William Blair International Equity Fund" and the "William Blair Institutional International Equity Fund" (the "New Series"), and further do hereby establish five classes of the William Blair International Equity Fund designated Class A Shares, Class B Shares, Class C Shares, Class I Shares and Class N Shares (each a "Class"). The relative rights and preferences of the New Series and each Class, as applicable, shall be as set forth in the registration statement registering the shares of the New Series. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have this 18/th/ day of February, 2004 signed these presents, in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall together constitute one and the same document. /s/ J. Grant Beadle /s/ John B. Schwemm -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- J. Grant Beadle John B. Schwemm /s/ Theodore A. Bosler /s/ Donald L. Seeley -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Theodore A. Bosler Donald L. Seeley /s/ Conrad Fischer /s/ Michelle Seitz Musolino -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Conrad Fischer Michelle Seitz Musolino /s/ Ann P. McDermott /s/ Robert E. Wood II -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Ann P. McDermott Robert E. Wood II