Investment Services The Sub-Adviser will formulate and implement a continuous investment program for the Fund conforming to the investment objective, investment policies and restrictions of the Fund as set forth in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the Company as in effect from time to time (together, the "Registration Statement"), the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company, and any investment guidelines or other instructions received by the Sub-Adviser in writing from the Investment Manager from time to time. Any amendments to the foregoing documents will not be deemed effective with respect to the Sub-Adviser until the Sub-Adviser's receipt thereof. The appropriate officers and employees of the Sub-Adviser will be available to consult with the Investment Manager, the Company and the Directors at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice concerning the business of the Company, including valuations of securities which are not registered for public sale, not traded on any securities market or otherwise may be deemed illiquid for purposes of the ICA; provided it is understood that the Sub-Adviser is not responsible for daily pricing of the Fund's assets. Subject to the supervision and control of the Investment Manager, which in turn is subject to the supervision and control of the Directors, the Sub-Adviser in its discretion will determine which issuers and securities will be purchased, held, sold or exchanged by the Fund or otherwise represented in the Fund's investment portfolio from time to time and, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Agreement, will place orders with and give instructions to brokers, dealers and others for all such transactions and cause such transactions to be executed. Custody of the Fund will be maintained by a custodian bank (the "Custodian") and the Investment Manager will authorize the Custodian to honor orders and instructions by employees of the Sub-Adviser designated by the Sub-Adviser to settle transactions in respect of the Fund. No assets may be withdrawn from the Fund other than for settlement of transactions on behalf of the Fund except upon the written authorization of appropriate officers of the Company who shall have been certified as such by proper authorities of the Company prior to the withdrawal. The Sub-Adviser will not be responsible for the provision of administrative, bookkeeping or accounting services to the Fund except as specifically provided herein, as required by the ICA or the Advisers Act or as may be necessary for the Sub-Adviser to supply to the Investment Manager, the Fund or the Fund's shareholders the information required to be provided by the Sub-Adviser hereunder. Any records maintained hereunder shall be the property of the Fund and surrendered promptly upon request. In furnishing the services under this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser will comply with and use its best efforts to enable the Fund to conform to the requirements of: (i) the ICA and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (ii) Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (iii) other applicable provisions of state or federal law; (iv) the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company; (v) policies and determinations of the Company and the Investment Manager provided to the Sub-Adviser in writing; (vi) the fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies and restrictions applicable to the Fund, as set out in the Registration Statement of the Company in effect, or as such investment policies and restrictions from time to time may be amended by the Fund's shareholders or the Directors and communicated to the Sub-Adviser in writing; (vii) the Registration Statement; and (viii) investment guidelines or other instructions received in writing from the Investment Manager. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sub-Adviser shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance with limitations or restrictions for which information from the Investment Manager or its authorized agents is required to enable the Sub-Adviser to monitor compliance with such limitations or restrictions unless such information is provided to the Sub-adviser in writing. The Sub-Adviser shall supervise and monitor the activities of its representatives, personnel and agents in connection with the investment program of the Fund. Nothing in this Agreement shall be implied to prevent the Investment Manager from engaging other sub-advisers to provide investment advice and other services to the Fund or to series or portfolios of the Company for which the Sub-Adviser does not provide such services, or to prevent the Investment Manager from providing such services itself in relation to the Fund or such other series or portfolios. The Sub-Adviser shall be responsible for the preparation and filing of Schedule 13-G and Form 13-F on behalf of the Fund. The Sub-Adviser shall not be responsible for the preparation or filing of any other reports required of the Fund by any governmental or regulatory agency, except as expressly agreed in writing.
Investment Management Services (a) The Manager shall manage the Fund’s assets subject to and in accordance with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund and any directions which the Trust’s Board of Trustees may issue from time to time. In pursuance of the foregoing, the Manager shall make all determinations with respect to the investment of the Fund’s assets and the purchase and sale of its investment securities, and shall take such steps as may be necessary to implement the same. Such determinations and services shall include determining the manner in which any voting rights, rights to consent to corporate action and any other rights pertaining to the Fund’s investment securities shall be exercised. The Manager shall render or cause to be rendered regular reports to the Trust, at regular meetings of its Board of Trustees and at such other times as may be reasonably requested by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, of (i) the decisions made with respect to the investment of the Fund’s assets and the purchase and sale of its investment securities, (ii) the reasons for such decisions and (iii) the extent to which those decisions have been implemented.
(b) The Manager, subject to and in accordance with any directions which the Trust’s Board of Trustees may issue from time to time, shall place, in the name of the Fund, orders for the execution of the Fund’s securities transactions. When placing such orders, the Manager shall seek to obtain the best net price and execution for the Fund, but this requirement shall not be deemed to obligate the Manager to place any order solely on the basis of obtaining the lowest commission rate if the other standards set forth in this section have been satisfied. The parties recognize that there are likely to be many cases in which different brokers are equally able to provide such best price and execution and that, in selecting among such brokers with respect to particular trades, it is desirable to choose those brokers who furnish research, statistical, quotations and other information to the Fund and the Manager in accordance with the standards set forth below. Moreover, to the extent that it continues to be lawful to do so and so long as the Board of Trustees determines that the Fund will benefit, directly or indirectly, by doing so, the Manager may place orders with a broker who charges a commission for that transaction which is in excess of the amount of commission that another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction, provided that the excess commission is reasonable in relation to the value of “brokerage and research services” (as defined in Section 28(e)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) provided by that broker. Accordingly, the Trust and the Manager agree that the Manager shall select brokers for the execution of the Fund’s transactions from among:
(i) Those brokers and dealers who provide quotations and other services to the Fund, specifically including the quotations necessary to determine the Fund’s net assets, in such amount of total brokerage as may reasonably be required in light of such services; and
(ii) Those brokers and dealers who supply research, statistical and other data to the Manager or its affiliates which the Manager or its affiliates may lawfully and appropriately use in their investment management capacities, which relate directly to securities, actual or potential, of the Fund, or which place the Manager in a better position to make decisions in connection with the management of the Fund’s assets and securities, whether or not such data may also be useful to the Manager and its affiliates in managing other portfolios or advising other clients, in such amount of total brokerage as may reasonably be required.
(c) The Manager shall render regular reports to the Trust, not more frequently than quarterly, of how much total brokerage business has been placed by the Manager, on behalf of the Fund, with brokers falling into each of the categories referred to above and the manner in which the allocation has been accomplished.
(d) The Manager agrees that no investment decision will be made or influenced by a desire to provide brokerage for allocation in accordance with the foregoing, and that the right to make such allocation of brokerage shall not interfere with the Manager’s paramount duty to obtain the best net price and execution for the Fund.
(e) Decisions on proxy voting shall be made by the Manager unless the Board of Trustees determines otherwise. Pursuant to its authority, the Manager shall have the power to vote, either in person or by proxy, all securities in which the Fund may be invested from time to time, and shall not be required to seek or take instructions from the Fund with respect thereto. The Manager shall not be expected or required to take any action other than the rendering of investment-related advice with respect to lawsuits involving securities presently or formerly held in the Fund, or the issuers thereof, including actions involving bankruptcy. In the case of class action suits involving issuers held in the Fund, the Manager may include information about the Fund for purposes of participating in any settlements.
