EX-99.11 OPIN COUNSL 7 shareopinion.htm OPINION AND CONSENT OF STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP DATED JANUARY 10, 2024
EX-99.(11)(a)


Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
2005 Market Street
Suite 2600
Philadelphia, PA  19103
Telephone  215.564.8000
Fax  215.564.8120
www.stradley.com

January 10, 2024

Board of Trustees
Franklin Mutual Series Funds
on behalf of the Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund and
the Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund
101 John F. Kennedy Parkway
Short Hills, NJ  07078

 
Re:
Registration Statement on Form N‑14

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to the Franklin Mutual Series Funds (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, in connection with the preparation and filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a Registration Statement on Form N-14 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The purpose of the Registration Statement is to register shares to be issued by the Trust, in connection with the acquisition of substantially all of the property, assets and goodwill of the Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund, a series of the Trust, by and in exchange solely for full and fractional Class A, Class C, Class R6 and Class Z shares of beneficial interest, without par value (the “Shares”), of the Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund, also a series of the Trust (the “Transaction”).

We have reviewed the Trust’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) and By-Laws, as amended (“By-Laws”); resolutions adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees in connection with the Transaction; the Plan of Reorganization for the Transaction, which was approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Plan”); and such other legal and factual matters as we have deemed appropriate.

This opinion is based exclusively on the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as amended, governing the issuance of shares of the Trust, and does not extend to the securities or “blue sky” laws of the State of Delaware or other states.


Philadelphia, PA • Malvern, PA • Cherry Hill, NJ • Wilmington, DE • Washington, DC • New York, NY • Chicago, IL
A Pennsylvania Limited Liability Partnership

Board of Trustees
Franklin Mutual Series Funds
on behalf of the Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund and
the Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund
January 10, 2024
Page 2


We have assumed the following for purposes of this opinion:


1.
The Shares of the Trust will be issued in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Plan and resolutions of the Trust’s Board of Trustees relating to the creation, authorization and issuance of shares and the Transaction.


2.
The Shares will be issued against payment therefor as described in the Prospectus/Proxy Statement and the Statement of Additional Information relating thereto included in the Registration Statement and the Plan, and that such payment will have been at least equal to the net asset value of such Shares.

On the basis of the foregoing, it is our opinion that, when issued and paid for upon the terms provided in the Registration Statement and the Plan, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Registration Statement will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.


 
Very truly yours,
   
 
/s/ STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP