PIONEER SMALL CO FUND
24F-2NT, 1996-12-27
Previous: SIS MERCATOR FUND INC, 24F-2NT, 1996-12-27
Next: PIONEER SMALL CO FUND, NSAR-B, 1996-12-27




                                             RULE 24F-2 NOTICE



1.   Name and address of issuer:

     Pioneer Small Company Fund
     60 State Street
     Boston, MA 02109-1820

2.   Name of each series or class of funds for which this notice is filed:

      Pioneer Small Company Fund-Class A Shares
      Pioneer Small Company Fund-Class B Shares
      Pioneer Small Company Fund-Class C Shares

3.   Investment Company Act File Number:     811-07339;
     Securities Act File Number:                         33-61869

4.   Last day of fiscal year for which this notice is filed:  October 31, 1996

5.   Check box if this notice is being filed more than 180 days after the close
     of the fiscal year but before termination of the issuer's 24f-2 declar-
     ation. N/A

6.   Date of termination of issuer's declaration under rule 24f-2(a)(1), if
     applicable (see Instruction A.6): N/A

7.   Number and amount of  securities of the same class or series which had been
     registered  under the  Securities  Act of 1933 other than  pursuant to rule
     24f-2 in a prior fiscal year, but which remained unsold at the beginning of
     the fiscal year:-0-

8.   Number and amount of securities registered during the fiscal year other
     than pursuant to rule 24f-2:-0-

9.   Number and aggregate sale price of securities sold during the fiscal year.
     Shares:  40,367,108  Aggregate sale price:  $487,052,916

10.  Number and aggregate sale price of securities sold during the fiscal year
     in reliance upon registration pursuant to rule 24f-2:
     Shares:  40,367,108  Aggregate sale price:  $487,052,916

11   Number and aggregate sale price of securities issued during the fiscal year
     in connection with dividend reinvestment plans, if applicable (see
     Instruction B.7):
     Shares:  12,061  Aggregate sale price:  $128,843

12.  Calculation of registration fee:

     (i)  Aggregate sale price of securities sold during  the fiscal
          year in reliance on rule 24f-2 (from Item 10):`          $487,052,916


     (ii) Aggregate price of shares issued in connection
          with dividend reinvestment plans (from Item 11,
          if applicable):                                 +       $     128,843

     (iii)Aggregate price of shares redeemed or repurchas-
          ed during the fiscal year (if applicable):       -        $53,654,190

     (iv) Aggregate price of shares redeemed or repurchased
          and previously applied as a reduction to filing
          fees pursuant to rule 24e-2 (if applicable):                      -0-

     (v)  Net aggregate  price of securities sold and issued during the
          fiscal year in reliance on rule 24f-2 [line (i), plus line (ii),  less
          line (iii) plus line (iv)] (if applicable):              $433,527,569

     (vi) Multiplier prescribed by Section 6(b) of the
          Securities Act of 1933 or other applicable law or
          regulation (see Instruction C.6):                 1/3300

     (vii)Fee due [line (i) or line (v) multiplied by
          line (vi)]:                                            $      131,372

Instruction:  Issuers should complete line (ii), (iii), and (v) only if the
              form is being filed within 60 days after the close of the issuer's
              fiscal year:  See Instruction C.3.
<PAGE>

13.  Check box if fees are being remitted to the Commission's lockbox depository
     as described in section 3a of the  Commission'  Rules of Informal and Other
     Procedures (17 CFR 202.3a).

     [X]

     Date of mailing or wire transfer of filing fees to the Commission's lock-
     box depository:  December 23, 1996

                                   SIGNATURES

     This report has been signed  below the  following  persons on behalf of the
     issuer and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


     By (Signature and Title)
     /s/Robert P. Nault
     Assistant Secretary

     Date:  December 26, 1996


















                                                 December 23, 1996






Pioneer Small Company Fund
60 State Street
Boston, Massachusetts  02109

                  Re:      Pioneer Small Company Fund

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  We have acted as  special  Delaware  counsel to Pioneer  Small
Company Fund (formerly named Pioneer Small Cap Fund), a Delaware  business trust
(the "Trust"),  in connection with certain  matters  relating to the issuance of
Shares of beneficial  interest in the Trust.  Capitalized  terms used herein and
not  otherwise  herein  defined  are  used  as  defined  in  the  Agreement  and
Declaration  of  Trust  of the  Trust  dated  August  8,  1995  (the  "Governing
Instrument").

                  We  understand   that,   pursuant  to  Rule  24f-2  under  the
Investment  Company Act of 1940, as amended,  the Trust registered an indefinite
number of Shares  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as  amended.  We  further
understand  that the Trust is about to file  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  a notice  pursuant to Rule 24f-2  under the 1940 Act (the  "Notice")
making definite the registration of 40,367,108 Shares sold in reliance upon Rule
24f-2 during the period from November 1, 1995 through October 31, 1996.

                  In rendering  this  opinion,  we have  examined  copies of the
following  documents,  each in the form provided to us: the Certificate of Trust
of the Trust as filed in the  Office of the  Secretary  of State of the State of
Delaware  (the  "Recording  Office") on August 8, 1995 (the  "Certificate"),  as
amended by a Certificate  of Amendment to  Certificate  of Trust as filed in the
Recording Office on October 10, 1995; the Governing  Instrument;  the By-laws of
the  Trust;  certain  resolutions  of the  Trustees  of the Trust;  the  Trust's
Notification  of  Registration  Filed Pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Investment
Company  Act of 1940 on Form  N-8A as filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission on August 16, 1995; the Trust's  Registration  Statement on Form N-1A
as filed with


<PAGE>


Pioneer Small Company Fund
December 23, 1996
Page 2



the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on August 16, 1995;  the Notice;  an
Officer's  Certificate of the Trust dated December 13, 1996; and a certification
of good  standing of the Trust  obtained as of a recent date from the  Recording
Office. In such examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the conformity to original documents of all documents  submitted to us as copies
or drafts of documents to be executed, and the legal capacity of natural persons
to complete the execution of documents.  We have further assumed for the purpose
of this  opinion:  (i) the due  authorization,  execution and delivery by, or on
behalf of,  each of the  parties  thereto of the  above-referenced  instruments,
certificates  and other  documents,  and of all  documents  contemplated  by the
Governing Instrument,  the By-laws and applicable resolutions of the Trustees to
be executed by investors  desiring to become  Shareholders;  (ii) the payment of
consideration for Shares, and the application of such consideration, as provided
in the Governing Instrument, and compliance with the other terms, conditions and
restrictions   set  forth  in  the  Governing   Instrument  and  all  applicable
resolutions  of the  Trustees of the Trust in  connection  with the  issuance of
Shares (including,  without limitation,  the taking of all appropriate action by
the  Trustees  to  designate  Series of Shares and the  rights  and  preferences
attributable  thereto as contemplated by the Governing  Instrument);  (iii) that
appropriate  notation of the names and  addresses  of, the number of Shares held
by,  and the  consideration  paid by,  Shareholders  will be  maintained  in the
appropriate  registers  and other books and  records of the Trust in  connection
with the  issuance,  redemption  or transfer  of Shares;  (iv) that no event has
occurred  subsequent  to the  filing  of the  Certificate  that  would  cause  a
termination  or  reorganization  of the Trust  under  Section 4 or  Section 5 of
Article IX of the  Governing  Instrument;  (v) that the  activities of the Trust
have been and will be conducted in  accordance  with the terms of the  Governing
Instrument and the Delaware  Business Trust Act, 12 Del. C. ss.ss.  3801 et seq.
(the "Delaware Act");  and (vi) that each of the documents  examined by us is in
full force and  effect  and has not been  modified,  supplemented  or  otherwise
amended.  No opinion is expressed herein with respect to the requirements of, or
compliance  with,  federal or state  securities  or blue sky laws.  Further,  we
express  no  opinion on the  sufficiency  or  accuracy  of any  registration  or
offering  documentation  relating  to the Trust or the  Shares.  As to any facts
material  to our  opinion,  other than those  assumed,  we have  relied  without
independent investigation on the above-referenced documents and on the accuracy,
as of the date hereof, of the matters therein contained.

                  Based on and  subject  to the  foregoing,  and  limited in all
respects to matters of Delaware law, it is our opinion that:



<PAGE>


Pioneer Small Company Fund
December 23, 1996
Page 3


                  1.       The Trust is a duly organized and validly existing
business trust in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware.

                  2.       The Shares subject to the Notice constitute legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable Shares of beneficial interest
in the Trust.

                  3.  Under  the  Delaware  Act and the  terms of the  Governing
Instrument, each Shareholder of the Trust, in such capacity, will be entitled to
the same  limitation of personal  liability as that extended to  stockholders of
private  corporations for profit organized under the general  corporation law of
the State of  Delaware;  provided,  however,  that we express  no  opinion  with
respect to the  liability of any  Shareholder  who is, was or may become a named
Trustee of the Trust.  Neither the  existence  nor exercise of the voting rights
granted to Shareholders under the Governing  Instrument will, of itself, cause a
Shareholder  to be  deemed a  trustee  of the  Trust  under  the  Delaware  Act.
Notwithstanding  the foregoing or the opinion expressed in paragraph 2 above, we
note that,  pursuant to Section 2 of Article VIII of the  Governing  Instrument,
the  Trustees  have the  power  to  cause  Shareholders,  or  Shareholders  of a
particular  Series,  to pay certain  custodian,  transfer,  servicing or similar
agent charges by setting off the same against  declared but unpaid  dividends or
by reducing Share ownership (or by both means).

                  We hereby consent to the filing of a copy of this opinion with
the Securities and Exchange  Commission together with the Notice. In giving this
consent,  we do not thereby  admit that we come  within the  category of persons
whose  consent is required  under  Section 7 of the  Securities  Act of 1933, as
amended,  or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
thereunder. Except as provided in this paragraph, the opinion set forth above is
expressed  solely for the benefit of the addressee  hereof and may not be relied
upon by, or filed with,  any other person or entity for any purpose  without our
prior written consent.


                                                         Sincerely,

                                                         MORRIS, NICHOLS, ARSHT
                                                         & TUNNELL



AAB16106.DOC

<PAGE>




© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission