FLAG INVESTORS EQUITY PARTNERS FUND, INC.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT is made as of the 1st day of
September, 1997 by and between FLAG INVESTORS EQUITY PARTNERS FUND, INC., a
Maryland corporation (the "Fund"), and INVESTMENT COMPANY CAPITAL CORP., a
Maryland corporation (the "Advisor").
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end, diversified
management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Advisor is registered as an investment advisor under
the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as amended, and engages in the business
of acting as an investment advisor; and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Advisor desire to enter into an
agreement to provide investment advisory and administrative services for the
Fund on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt whereof is
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Investment Advisor. The Fund hereby appoints
the Advisor to act as the Fund's investment advisor. The Advisor shall manage
the Fund's affairs and shall supervise all aspects of the Fund's operations
(except as otherwise set forth herein), including the investment and
reinvestment of the cash, securities or other properties comprising the Fund's
assets, subject at all times to the policies and control of the Fund's Board
of Directors. The Advisor shall give the Fund the benefit of its best
judgment, efforts and facilities in rendering its service as Advisor.
2. Delivery of Documents. The Fund has furnished the Advisor with
copies properly certified or authenticated of each of the following:
(a) The Fund's Articles of Incorporation, filed with the
State of Maryland on November 29, 1994 and all amendments thereto (such
Articles of Incorporation, as presently in effect and as they shall from time
to time be amended, are herein called the "Articles of Incorporation");
(b) The Fund's By-laws and all amendments thereto (such
By-laws, as presently in effect and as they shall from time to time be
amended, are herein called the "By-laws");
(c) Resolutions of the Fund's Board of Directors and
shareholders authorizing the appointment of the Advisor and approving this
Agreement;
(d) The Fund's Notification of Registration filed
pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 on Form N-8A
under the 1940 Act as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC") on November 30, 1994;
(e) The Fund's Registration Statement on Form N-1A under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") (File No. 33-86832)
and under the 1940 Act as filed with the SEC on November 30, 1994 relating to
the shares of the Fund, and all amendments thereto; and
(f) The Fund's most recent prospectus (such prospectus,
as presently in effect, and all amendments and supplements thereto are herein
called "Prospectus").
The Fund will furnish the Advisor from time to time with copies,
properly certified or authenticated, of all amendments or supplements to the
foregoing, if any, and all documents, notices and reports filed with the SEC.
3. Duties of Investment Advisor. In carrying out its obligations
under Section 1 hereof, the Advisor shall:
(a) supervise and manage all aspects of the Fund's
operations, except for distribution services;
(b) formulate and implement continuing programs for the
purchases and sales of securities, consistent with the investment objective
and policies of the Fund;
(c) provide the Fund with such executive, administrative
and clerical services as are deemed advisable by the Fund's Board of
Directors;
(d) provide the Fund with, or obtain for it, adequate
office space and all necessary office equipment and services, including
telephone service, utilities, stationery, supplies and similar items for the
Fund's principal office;
(e) obtain and evaluate pertinent information about
significant developments and economic, statistical and financial data,
domestic, foreign or otherwise, whether affecting the economy generally or the
Fund, and whether concerning the individual issuers whose securities are
included in the Fund's portfolio or the activities in which they engage, or
with respect to securities which the Advisor considers desirable for inclusion
in the Fund's portfolio;
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(f) determine which issuers and securities shall be
represented in the Fund's portfolio and regularly report thereon to the Fund's
Board of Directors;
(g) take all actions necessary to carry into effect the
Fund's purchase and sale programs;
(h) supervise the operations of the Fund's transfer and
dividend disbursing agent;
(i) provide the Fund with such administrative and
clerical services for the maintenance of certain shareholder records, as are
deemed advisable by the Fund's Board of Directors; and
(j) arrange, but not pay for, the periodic updating of
prospectuses and supplements thereto, proxy material, tax returns, reports to
the Fund's shareholders and reports to and filings with the SEC and state Blue
Sky authorities.
4. Broker-Dealer Relationships. In the event that the Advisor is
responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund,
broker-dealer selection, and negotiation of its brokerage commission rates,
the Advisor's primary consideration in effecting securities transactions will
be to obtain the best price and execution on an overall basis. In performing
this function the Advisor shall comply with applicable policies established by
the Board of Directors and shall provide the Board of Directors with such
reports as the Board of Directors may require in order to monitor the Fund's
portfolio transaction activities. In certain instances the Advisor may make
purchases of underwritten issues at prices which include underwriting fees. In
selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Advisor
will take the following into consideration: the best net price available; the
reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size
of and difficulty in executing the order; and the value of the expected
contribution of the broker-dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on
a continuing basis. Accordingly, the price to the Fund in any transaction may
be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the
difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the portfolio execution
services offered. Subject to such policies as the Board of Directors may
determine, the Advisor shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have
breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of
its having caused the Fund to pay a broker-dealer that provides brokerage and
research services to the Advisor an amount of commission for effecting a
portfolio investment transaction in excess of the amount of commission another
broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the
Advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable
in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by
such broker-dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or
the Advisor's overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund. The Advisor
is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the
Fund to such broker-dealers other than Alex. Xxxxx & Sons
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Incorporated ("Alex. Xxxxx") who also provide research or statistical material
or other services to the Fund or the Advisor. Such allocation shall be in such
amounts and proportions as the Advisor shall determine and the Advisor will
report on said allocation regularly to the Board of Directors of the Fund,
indicating the broker-dealers to whom such allocations have been made and the
basis therefor.
Consistent with the Conduct Rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc., and subject to seeking the most favorable price and
execution available and such other policies as the Directors may determine,
the Advisor may consider services in connection with the sale of shares of the
Fund as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio
transactions for the Fund.
Subject to the policies established by the Board of Directors in
compliance with applicable law, the Advisor may direct Alex. Xxxxx to execute
portfolio transactions for the Fund on an agency basis. The commissions paid
to Alex. Xxxxx must be, as required by Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act,
"reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration
received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable
transactions involving similar securities during a comparable period of time."
If the purchase or sale of securities consistent with the investment policies
of the Fund or one or more other account of the Advisor is considered at or
about the same time, transactions in such securities will be allocated among
the accounts in a manner deemed equitable by the Advisor. Alex. Xxxxx and the
Advisor may combine such transactions, in accordance with applicable laws and
regulations, in order to obtain the best net price and most favorable
execution.
The Fund will not deal with the Advisor or Alex. Xxxxx in any
transaction in which the Advisor or Alex. Xxxxx acts as a principal with
respect to any part of the Fund's order. If Alex. Xxxxx is participating in an
underwriting or selling group, the Fund may not buy portfolio securities from
the group except in accordance with policies established by the Board of
Directors in compliance with the rules of the SEC.
5. Control by Board of Directors. Any management or supervisory
activities undertaken by the Advisor pursuant to this Agreement, as well as
any other activities undertaken by the Advisor on behalf of the Fund pursuant
thereto, shall at all times be subject to any applicable directives of the
Board of Directors of the Fund.
6. Compliance with Applicable Requirements. In carrying out its
obligations under this Agreement, the Advisor shall at all times conform to:
(a) all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and any
rules and regulations adopted thereunder;
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(b) the provisions of the Registration Statement of the
Fund under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act;
(c) the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation;
(d) the provisions of the By-laws; and
(e) any other applicable provisions of Federal and State
law.
7. Expenses. The expenses connected with the Fund shall be
allocable between the Fund and the Advisor as follows:
(a) The Advisor shall, subject to compliance with
applicable banking regulations, furnish, at its expense and without cost to
the Fund, the services of one or more officers of the Fund, to the extent that
such officers may be required by the Fund, for the proper conduct of its
affairs.
(b) The Fund assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid
all other expenses of the Fund, including, without limitation: payments to the
Fund's distributor under the Fund's plan of distribution, the charges and
expenses of any registrar, any custodian or depository appointed by the Fund
for the safekeeping of its cash, portfolio securities and other property, and
any transfer, dividend or accounting agent or agents appointed by the Fund;
brokers' commissions, chargeable to the Fund in connection with portfolio
securities transactions to which the Fund is a party; all taxes, including
securities issuance and transfer taxes, and fees payable by the Fund to
Federal, State or other governmental agencies; the costs and the expenses of
engraving or printing of certificates representing shares of the Fund; all
costs and expenses in connection with registration and maintenance of
registration of the Fund and its shares with the SEC and various states and
other jurisdictions (including filing fees, legal fees and disbursements of
counsel); the costs and expenses of printing, including typesetting, and
distributing prospectuses and statements of additional information of the Fund
and supplements thereto to the Fund's shareholders; all expenses of
shareholders' and Directors' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing
of proxy statements and reports to shareholders; fees and travel expenses of
Directors or Director members of any advisory board or committee; all expenses
incident to the payment of any dividend, distribution, withdrawal or
redemption, whether in shares or in cash; charges and expenses of any outside
service used for pricing of Fund's shares; charges and expenses of legal
counsel, including counsel to the Directors of the Fund who are not
"interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund and of
independent accountants, in connection with any matter relating to the Fund;
membership dues of industry associations; interest payable on Fund borrowings;
postage; insurance premiums on property or personnel (including officers and
Directors) of the Fund which inure to its benefit; extraordinary expenses
(including, but not limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation
costs
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and any indemnification related thereto); and all other charges and costs of
the Fund's operation unless otherwise explicitly provided herein.
8. Delegation of Responsibilities.
(a) Subject to the approval of the Board of Directors
including a majority of the Fund's Directors who are not "interested persons"
(as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund and shareholders of the Fund, the
Advisor may delegate to a sub-advisor its duties enumerated in Section 3,
hereof. The Advisor shall continue to supervise the performance of any such
sub-advisor and shall report regularly thereon to the Fund's Board of
Directors, but shall not be responsible for the sub-advisor's performance
under the sub-advisory agreement.
(b) The Advisor may, but shall not be under any duty to,
perform services on behalf of the Fund which are not required by this
Agreement upon the request of the Fund's Board of Directors. Such services
will be performed on behalf of the Fund and the Advisor's charge in rendering
such services may be billed monthly to the Fund, subject to examination by the
Fund's independent accountants. Payment or assumption by the Advisor of any
Fund expense that the Advisor is not required to pay or assume under this
Agreement shall not relieve the Advisor of any of its obligations to the Fund
nor obligate the Advisor to pay or assume any similar Fund expense on any
subsequent occasions.
9. Compensation. For the services to be rendered and the expenses
assumed by the Advisor, the Fund shall pay to the Advisor monthly compensation
at an annual rate of 1.00% of the first $50 million of the Fund's average
daily net assets, .85% of the next $50 million of the Fund's average daily net
assets, .80% of the next $100 million of the Fund's average daily net assets
and .70% of the Fund's average daily net assets exceeding $200 million.
Except as hereinafter set forth, compensation under this
Agreement shall be calculated and accrued daily and the amounts of the daily
accruals shall be paid monthly. If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent
to the first day of a month or shall terminate before the last day of a month,
compensation for the part of the month this Agreement is in effect shall be
prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set forth
above. Payment of the Advisor's compensation for the preceding month shall be
made as promptly as possible.
10. Non-Exclusivity. The services of the Advisor to the Fund are
not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Advisor shall be free to render
investment advisory or other services to others (including other investment
companies) and to engage in other activities, so long as its services under
this Agreement are not impaired thereby. It is understood and agreed that
officers or directors of the Advisor may serve as officers or Directors of the
Fund, and that officers or Directors of the Fund may serve
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as officers or directors of the Advisor to the extent permitted by law; and
that the officers and directors of the Advisor are not prohibited from
engaging in any other business activity or from rendering services to any
other person, or from serving as partners, officers, trustees or directors of
any other firm, trust or corporation, including other investment companies.
11. Term and Renewal. This Agreement shall become effective as of
the date hereof and shall continue in force and effect, subject to Section 12
hereof, for two years from the date hereof. Following the expiration of its
initial two-year term, this Agreement shall continue in force and effect from
year to year, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least
annually:
(a) (i) by the Fund's Board of Directors or (ii) by the
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the
1940 Act); and
(b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested persons" (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of a party to this Agreement (other than as Directors
of the Fund) by votes cast in person at a meeting specifically called for such
purpose.
12. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated without the
payment of any penalty, by the Fund upon vote of the Fund's Board of Directors
or a vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) or by the Advisor, upon sixty (60) days' written
notice to the other party. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the
event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
13. Liability of Advisor. In the performance of its duties
hereunder, the Advisor shall be obligated to exercise care and diligence and
to act in good faith and to use its best efforts within reasonable limits to
ensure the accuracy of all services performed under this Agreement, but the
Advisor shall not be liable for any act or omission which does not constitute
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor
or its officers, directors or employees, or reckless disregard by the Advisor
of its duties under the Agreement.
14. Notices. Any notices under this Agreement shall be in
writing, addressed and delivered or mailed postage paid to the other party at
such address as such other party may designate for the receipt of such notice.
Until further notice to the other party, it is agreed that the address of the
Fund and of the Advisor for this purpose shall be Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000.
15. Questions of Interpretation. Any question of interpretation
of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or
otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act shall be resolved
by reference to such term or
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provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the
United States courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such
court, by rules, regulations or orders of the SEC issued pursuant to the 1940
Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected
in any provision of this Agreement is revised by rule, regulation or order of
the SEC, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such
rule, regulation or order. Otherwise the provisions of this Agreement shall be
interpreted in accordance with the laws of Maryland.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement
to be executed in duplicate by their respective officers as of the day and
year first above written.
[SEAL] FLAG INVESTORS EQUITY PARTNERS
FUND, INC.
Attest: /s/Xxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/Xxxxx Xxxxx
-------------------- ----------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxx
Title: President
[SEAL] INVESTMENT COMPANY CAPITAL CORP.
Attest: /s/ Xxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
-------------------- ----------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
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