SERVICES TO BE RENDERED BY THE ADVISER TO THE TRUST A. As investment adviser to the Portfolio, the Adviser will coordinate the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Allocated Portion and determine the composition of the assets of the Allocated Portion, subject always to the supervision and control of the Manager and the Trustees of the Trust.
B. As part of the services it will provide hereunder, the Adviser will:
(i) obtain and evaluate pertinent economic, statistical, financial, and other information affecting the economy generally and individual companies or industries, the securities of which are included in the Allocated Portion or are under consideration for inclusion in the Allocated Portion;
(ii) formulate and implement a continuous investment program for the Allocated Portion;
(iii) take whatever steps are necessary to implement the investment program for the Allocated Portion by arranging for the purchase and sale of securities and other investments, including issuing directives to the administrator of the Trust as necessary for the appropriate implementation of the investment program of the Allocated Portion;
(iv) keep the Trustees of the Trust and the Manager fully informed in writing on an ongoing basis as agreed by the Manager and Adviser of all material facts concerning the investment and reinvestment of the assets in the Allocated Portion, the Adviser and its key investment personnel and operations, make regular and periodic special written reports of such additional information concerning the same as may reasonably be requested from time to time by the Manager or the Trustees of the Trust and the Adviser will attend meetings with the Manager and/or the Trustees, as reasonably requested, to discuss the foregoing;
(v) in accordance with procedures and methods established by the Trustees of the Trust, which may be amended from time to time, provide assistance in determining the fair value of all securities and other investments/assets in the Allocated Portion, as necessary, and use reasonable efforts to arrange for the provision of valuation information or a price(s) from a party(ies) independent of the Adviser for each security or other investment/asset in the Allocated Portion for which market prices are not readily available;
(vi) provide any and all material composite performance information, records and supporting documentation about accounts the Adviser manages, if appropriate, which are relevant to the Allocated Portion and that have investment objectives, policies, and strategies substantially similar to those employed by the Adviser in managing the Allocated Portion that may be reasonably necessary, under applicable laws, to allow the Portfolio or its agent to present information concerning Adviser’s prior performance in the Trust’s Prospectus and SAI (as hereinafter defined) and any permissible reports and materials prepared by the Portfolio or its agent; and
(vii) cooperate with and provide reasonable assistance to the Manager, the Trust’s administrator, the Trust’s custodian and foreign custodians, the Trust’s transfer agent and pricing agents and all other agents and representatives of the Trust and the Manager, keep all such persons fully informed as to such matters as they may reasonably deem necessary to the performance of their obligations to the Trust and the Manager, provide prompt responses to reasonable requests made by such persons and maintain any appropriate interfaces with each so as to promote the efficient exchange of information.
C. In furnishing services hereunder, the Adviser shall be subject to, and shall perform in accordance with the following: (i) the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as the same may be hereafter modified and/or amended from time to time (“Trust Declaration”); (ii) the By-Laws of the Trust, as the same may be hereafter modified and/or amended from time to time (“By-Laws”); (iii) the currently effective Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the Trust filed with the SEC and delivered to the Adviser, as the same may be hereafter modified, amended and/or supplemented (“Prospectus and SAI”); (iv) the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act and the rules under each, and all other federal and state laws or regulations applicable to the Trust and the Portfolio; (v) the Trust’s Compliance Manual and other policies and procedures adopted from time to time by the Board of Trustees of the Trust; and (vi) the written instructions of the Manager. Prior to the commencement of the Adviser’s services hereunder, the Manager shall provide the Adviser with current copies of the Trust Declaration, By-Laws, Prospectus, SAI, Compliance Manual and other relevant policies and procedures that are adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Manager undertakes to provide the Adviser with copies or other written notice of any amendments, modifications or supplements to any such above-mentioned document.
D. In furnishing services hereunder, the Adviser will not consult with any other adviser to (i) the Portfolio, (ii) any other Portfolio of the Trust or (iii) any other investment company under common control with the Trust concerning transactions of the Portfolio in securities or other assets. (This shall not be deemed to prohibit the Adviser from consulting with any of its affiliated persons concerning transactions in securities or other assets. This shall also not be deemed to prohibit the Adviser from consulting with any of the other covered advisers concerning compliance with paragraphs a and b of rule 12d3-1.)
E. The Adviser, at its expense, will furnish: (i) all necessary facilities and personnel, including salaries, expenses and fees of any personnel required for them to faithfully perform their duties under this Agreement; and (ii) administrative facilities, including bookkeeping, and all equipment necessary for the efficient conduct of the Adviser’s duties under this Agreement.
F. The Adviser will select brokers and dealers to effect all portfolio transactions subject to the conditions set forth herein. The Adviser will place all necessary orders with brokers, dealers, or issuers, and will negotiate brokerage commissions, if applicable. The Adviser is directed at all times to seek to execute transactions for the Allocated Portion (i) in accordance with any written policies, practices or procedures that may be established by the Board of Trustees or the Manager from time to time and which have been provided to the Adviser or (ii) as described in the Trust’s Prospectus and SAI. In placing any orders for the purchase or sale of investments for the Portfolio, in the name of the Allocated Portion or its nominees, the Adviser shall use its best efforts to obtain for the Allocated Portion best execution, considering all of the circumstances, and shall maintain records adequate to demonstrate compliance with this requirement. In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased from or sold to the Adviser, or any affiliated person thereof, except in accordance with the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act and the rules under each, and all other federal and state laws or regulations applicable to the Trust and the Portfolio.
G. Subject to the appropriate policies and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, Adviser may, to the extent authorized by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) cause the Allocated Portion to pay a broker or dealer that provides brokerage or research services to the Manager, the Adviser and the Allocated Portion an amount of commission for effecting a Portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if the Adviser determines, in good faith, that such amount of commission is reasonable in relationship to the value of such brokerage or research services provided viewed in terms of that particular transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities to the Portfolio or its other advisory clients. To the extent authorized by Section 28(e) and the Trust’s Board of Trustees, the Adviser shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of such action. Subject to seeking best execution, the Board of Trustees or the Manager may direct the Adviser to effect transactions in portfolio securities through broker-dealers in a manner that will help generate resources to pay the cost of certain expenses that the Trust is required to pay or for which the Trust is required to arrange payment.
H. On occasions when the Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of the Allocated Portion as well as other clients of the Adviser, the Adviser to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities to be purchased or sold to attempt to obtain a more favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. Allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Adviser in the manner which the Adviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Allocated Portion and to its other clients over time. The Manager agrees that Adviser and its affiliates may give advice and take action in the performance of their duties with respect to any of their other clients that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of actions taken, with respect to the Allocated Portion. The Manager also acknowledges that Adviser and its affiliates are fiduciaries to other entities, some of which have the same or similar investment objectives (and will hold the same or similar investments) as the Allocated Portion, and that Adviser will carry out its duties hereunder together with its duties under such relationships. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to confer upon Adviser any obligation to purchase or to sell or to recommend for purchase or sale for the Allocated Portion any investment that Adviser, its affiliates, officers or employees may purchase or sell for its or their own account or for the account of any client, if in the sole and absolute discretion of Adviser it is for any reason impractical or undesirable to take such action or make such recommendation for the Allocated Portion.
I. The Adviser will maintain all accounts, books and records with respect to the Allocated Portion as are required of an investment adviser of a registered investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act and Advisers Act and the rules thereunder and shall file with the SEC all forms pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act, with respect to its duties as are set forth herein.
J. The Adviser will, unless and until otherwise directed by the Manager or the Board of Trustees, vote proxies with respect to the Allocated Portion’s securities and exercise rights in corporate actions or otherwise in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines, as amended from time to time, which shall be provided to the Trust and the Manager.
