FRANKLIN MUTUAL SERIES FUND INC.
00 Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx
Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx.
Xxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Re: Distribution Agreement - Mutual Financial Services Fund
Gentlemen:
We are a corporation or business trust operating as an open-end management
investment company or "mutual fund", which is registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and whose shares are registered under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"). On behalf of our series MUTUAL
FINANCIAL SERVICES FUND (the "Fund"), we desire to issue one or more classes of
authorized but unissued shares of capital stock or beneficial interest of the
Fund (the "Shares") to authorized persons in accordance with applicable Federal
and State securities laws. The Fund's Shares may have one or more classes.
You have informed us that your company is registered as a broker-dealer under
the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that your company is a
member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. You have
indicated your desire to act as the exclusive selling agent and distributor for
the Shares. We have been authorized to execute and deliver this Distribution
Agreement ("Agreement") to you by a resolution of our Board of Directors or
Trustees ("Board") passed at a meeting at which a majority of Board members,
including a majority who are not otherwise interested persons of the Fund and
who are not interested persons of our investment adviser, its related
organizations or with you or your related organizations, were present and voted
in favor of the said resolution approving this Agreement.
1. APPOINTMENT OF UNDERWRITER. Upon the execution of this Agreement and in
consideration of the agreements on your part herein expressed and upon the terms
and conditions set forth herein, we hereby appoint you as the exclusive sales
agent for the Shares and agree that we will deliver such Shares as you may sell.
You agree to use your best efforts to promote the sale of Shares, but are not
obligated to sell any specific number of Shares.
However, the Fund retains the right to make direct sales of its Shares
without sales charges consistent with the terms of the then current prospectus
and statement of additional information (hereinafter, collectively,
"prospectus") and applicable law, and to engage in other legally authorized
transactions in its Shares which do not involve the sale of Shares to the
general public. Such other transactions may include, without limitation,
transactions between the Fund or any class and its shareholders only,
transactions involving the reorganization of the Fund and transactions involving
the merger or combination of the Fund with another corporation or trust.
2. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. You will undertake and discharge your
obligations hereunder as an independent contractor and shall have no authority
or power to obligate or bind us by your actions, conduct or contracts except
that you are authorized to promote the sale of Shares. You may appoint
sub-agents or distribute through dealers or otherwise as you may determine from
time to time, but this Agreement shall not be construed as authorizing any
dealer or other person to accept orders for sale or repurchase on our behalf or
otherwise act as our agent for any purpose.
3. OFFERING PRICE. Shares shall be offered for sale at a price equivalent
to the net asset value per share of that class plus any applicable percentage of
the public offering price as sales commission or as otherwise set forth in our
then current prospectus. On each business day on which the New York Stock
Exchange is open for business, we will furnish you with the net asset value of
the Shares of each available class which shall be determined in accordance with
our then effective prospectus. All Shares will be sold in the manner set forth
in our then effective prospectus and statement of additional information, and in
compliance with applicable law.
4. COMPENSATION.
A. SALES COMMISSION. You shall be entitled to charge a sales
commission on the sale or redemption, as appropriate, of each class of the
Fund's Shares in the amount of any initial, deferred or contingent deferred
sales charge as set forth in our then effective prospectus. You may allow any
sub-agents or dealers such commissions or discounts from and not exceeding the
total sales commission as you shall deem advisable, so long as any such
commissions or discounts are set forth in our current prospectus to the extent
required by the applicable Federal and State securities laws. You may also make
payments to sub-agents or dealers from your own resources, subject to the
following conditions: (a) any such payments shall not create any obligation for
or recourse against the Fund or any class of Shares, and (b) the terms and
conditions of any such payments are consistent with our prospectus and
applicable federal and state securities laws and are disclosed in our prospectus
or statement of additional information to the extent such laws may require.
B. DISTRIBUTION PLANS. You shall also be entitled to compensation
for your services as provided in any Distribution Plan adopted as to any class
of Shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
5. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALES. Shares shall be offered for sale only in
those jurisdictions where they have been properly registered or are exempt from
registration, and only to those groups of people which the Board may from time
to time determine to be eligible to purchase such shares.
6. ORDERS AND PAYMENT FOR SHARES. Orders for Shares shall be directed to
the Fund's shareholder services agent, for acceptance on behalf of the Fund. At
or prior to the time of delivery of any of the Shares you will pay or cause to
be paid to the custodian of the Fund's assets, for our account, an amount in
cash equal to the net asset value of such Shares. Sales of Shares shall be
deemed to be made when and where accepted by the Fund's shareholder services
agent. The Fund's custodian and shareholder services agent shall be identified
in its prospectus.
7. PURCHASES FOR YOUR OWN ACCOUNT. You shall not purchase the Shares for
your own account for purposes of resale to the public, but you may purchase
Shares for your own investment account upon your written assurance that the
purchase is for investment purposes and that the Shares will not be resold
except through redemption by us.
8. SALE OF SHARES TO AFFILIATES. You may sell the Shares at net asset
value to certain of your and our affiliated persons pursuant to the applicable
provisions of the federal securities statutes and rules or regulations
thereunder (the "Rules and Regulations"), including Rule 22d-1 under the 1940
Act, as amended from time to time.
9. ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES. We will pay the expenses:
(a) Of the preparation of the audited and certified financial
statements of our company to be included in any Post-Effective
Amendments ("Amendments") to our Registration Statement under
the 1933 Act or 1940 Act, including the prospectus, or in
reports to existing shareholders;
(b) Of the preparation, including legal fees, and printing of
all Amendments or supplements filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the copies of the
prospectuses included in the Amendments and the first 10
copies of the definitive prospectuses or supplements
thereto, other than those necessitated by your (including
your "Parent's") activities or Rules and Regulations related
to your activities where such Amendments or supplements
result in expenses which we would not otherwise have
incurred;
(c) Of the preparation, printing and distribution of any reports
or communications which we send to our existing shareholders;
and
(d) Of filing and other fees to Federal and State securities
regulatory authorities necessary to continue offering the
Shares.
You will pay the expenses:
(a) Of printing the copies of the prospectuses and any supplements
thereto which are necessary to continue to offer our Shares;
(b) Of the preparation, excluding legal fees, and printing of all
Amendments and supplements to our prospectuses if the
Amendment or supplement arises from your (including your
"Parent's") activities or Rules and Regulations related to
your activities and those expenses would not otherwise have
been incurred by us;
(c) Of printing additional copies, for use by you as sales
literature, of reports or other communications which we have
prepared for distribution to existing shareholders; and
(d) Incurred by you in advertising, promoting and selling the
Shares.
10. FURNISHING OF INFORMATION. We will furnish to you such information
with respect to each class of Shares, in such form and signed by such of our
officers as you may reasonably request, and we warrant that the statements
therein contained, when so signed, will be true and correct. We will also
furnish you with such information and will take such action as you may
reasonably request in order to qualify the Shares for sale to the public under
the Blue Sky Laws of jurisdictions in which you may wish to offer them. We will
furnish you with annual audited financial statements of our books and accounts
certified by independent public accountants, with semi-annual financial
statements prepared by us, with registration statements and, from time to time,
with such additional information regarding our financial condition as you may
reasonably request.
11. CONDUCT OF BUSINESS. Other than our currently effective prospectus,
you will not issue any sales material or statements except literature or
advertising which conforms to the requirements of Federal and State securities
laws and regulations and which have been filed, where necessary, with the
appropriate regulatory authorities. You will furnish us with copies of all such
materials prior to their use and no such material shall be published if we shall
reasonably and promptly object.
You shall comply with the applicable Federal and State laws and
regulations where the Shares are offered for sale and conduct your affairs with
us and with dealers, brokers or investors in accordance with the Rules of Fair
Practice of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
12. REDEMPTION OR REPURCHASE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. If Shares are tendered to
us for redemption or repurchase by us within seven business days after your
acceptance of the original purchase order for such Shares, you will immediately
refund to us the full sales commission (net of allowances to dealers or brokers)
allowed to you on the original sale, and will promptly, upon receipt thereof,
pay to us any refunds from dealers or brokers of the balance of sales
commissions reallowed by you. We shall notify you of such tender for redemption
within 10 days of the day on which notice of such tender for redemption is
received by us.
13. OTHER ACTIVITIES. Your services pursuant to this Agreement shall not
be deemed to be exclusive, and you may render similar services and act as an
underwriter, distributor or dealer for other investment companies in the
offering of their shares.
14. TERM OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall become effective on the date
of its execution, and shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years. The
Agreement is renewable annually thereafter, with respect to the Fund, for
successive periods not to exceed one year (i) by a vote of (a) a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or (b) by a vote of the Board, AND
(ii) by a vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not parties to
the Agreement or interested persons of any parties to the Agreement (other than
as members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on the Agreement.
This Agreement may at any time be terminated by the Fund without the
payment of any penalty, (i) either by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority
of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on 90 days' written notice to
you; or (ii) by you on 90 days' written notice to the Fund; and shall
immediately terminate with respect to the Fund in the event of its assignment.
15. SUSPENSION OF SALES. We reserve the right at all times to suspend or
limit the public offering of Shares upon two days' written notice to you.
16. MISCELLANEOUS. This Agreement shall be subject to the laws of the
State of California and shall be interpreted and construed to further promote
the operation of the Fund as an open-end investment company. This Agreement
shall supersede all Distribution Agreements and Amendments previously in effect
between the parties, but shall not supersede or revise any Distribution Plan
between the parties adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. As used
herein, the terms "Net Asset Value," "Offering Price," "Investment Company,"
"Open-End Investment Company," "Assignment," "Principal Underwriter,"
"Interested Person," "Parent," "Affiliated Person," and "Majority of the
Outstanding Voting Securities" shall have the meanings set forth in the 1933 Act
or the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations thereunder.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to protect you against any liability to us or to
our securities holders to which you would otherwise be subject by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of your
duties hereunder, or by reason of your reckless disregard of your obligations
and duties hereunder.
If the foregoing meets with your approval, please acknowledge your acceptance by
signing each of the enclosed copies, whereupon this will become a binding
agreement as of the date set forth below.
Very truly yours,
FRANKLIN MUTUAL SERIES FUND INC.
On behalf of Mutual Financial Services Fund
By:/s/Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
--------------------
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Vice President &
Assistant Secretary
Accepted:
Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc.
By:/s/Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
---------------------
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Senior Vice President &
Assistant Secretary
DATED: August 19, 1997
