CSAM INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
August 9, 2002
Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Dear Sirs:
Credit Suisse Strategic Small Cap Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"), a
corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland,
herewith confirms its agreement with Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC (the
"Adviser") as follows:
1. INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION; APPOINTMENT
The Fund desires to employ the capital of the Fund by investing and
reinvesting in investments of the kind and in accordance with the limitations
specified in its Articles of Incorporation, as may be amended from time to time,
and in the Fund's Prospectus(es) and Statement(s) of Additional Information as
from time to time in effect (the "Prospectus" and "SAI," respectively), and in
such manner and to such extent as may from time to time be approved by the Board
of Directors of the Fund. Copies of the Fund's Prospectus and SAI have been or
will be submitted to the Adviser. The Fund desires to employ and hereby appoints
the Adviser to act as investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser accepts the
appointment and agrees to furnish the services for the compensation set forth
below.
2. SERVICES AS INVESTMENT ADVISER
Subject to the supervision and direction of the Board of Directors of
the Fund, the Adviser will (a) act in strict conformity with the Fund's Articles
of Incorporation, the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as the same may from time to time be amended,
(b) manage the Fund's assets in accordance with the Fund's investment objective
and policies as stated in the Fund's Prospectus and SAI, (c) make investment
decisions for the Fund, (d) place purchase and sale orders for securities on
behalf of the Fund, (e) exercise voting rights in respect of portfolio
securities and other investments for the Fund, and (f) monitor and evaluate the
services provided by the Fund's investment sub-adviser(s), if any, under the
terms of the applicable investment sub-advisory agreement(s). In providing those
services, the Adviser will provide investment research and supervision of the
Fund's investments and conduct a continual program of investment, evaluation
and, if appropriate, sale and reinvestment of the Fund's assets. In addition,
the Adviser will furnish the Fund with whatever statistical information the Fund
may reasonably request with respect to the securities that the Fund may hold or
contemplate purchasing.
Subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the Fund and
where required, the Fund's shareholders, the Adviser may engage an investment
sub-adviser or sub-advisers to provide advisory services in respect of the Fund
and may delegate to such investment sub-
adviser(s) the responsibilities described in subparagraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e)
above. In the event that an investment sub-adviser's engagement has been
terminated, the Adviser shall be responsible for furnishing the Fund with the
services required to be performed by such investment sub-adviser(s) under the
applicable investment sub-advisory agreements or arranging for a successor
investment sub-adviser(s) to provide such services on terms and conditions
acceptable to the Fund and the Fund's Board of Directors and subject to the
requirements of the 1940 Act.
3. BROKERAGE
In executing transactions for the Fund, selecting brokers or dealers
and negotiating any brokerage commission rates, the Adviser will use its best
efforts to seek the best overall terms available. In assessing the best overall
terms available for any portfolio transaction, the Adviser will consider all
factors it deems relevant including, but not limited to, breadth of the market
in the security, the price of the security, the financial condition and
execution capability of the broker or dealer and the reasonableness of any
commission for the specific transaction and for transactions executed through
the broker or dealer in the aggregate. In selecting brokers or dealers to
execute a particular transaction and in evaluating the best overall terms
available, the Adviser may consider the brokerage and research services (as
those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as the same may from time to time be amended) provided to the Fund and/or other
accounts over which the Adviser or an affiliate exercises investment discretion.
4. INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE FUND
The Adviser will keep the Fund informed of developments materially
affecting the Fund, and will, on its own initiative, furnish the Fund from time
to time with whatever information the Adviser believes is appropriate for this
purpose.
5. STANDARD OF CARE
The Adviser shall exercise its best judgment in rendering the services
listed in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 above. The Adviser shall not be liable for any
error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in
connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, provided that
nothing herein shall be deemed to protect or purport to protect the Adviser
against any liability to the Fund or to shareholders of the Fund to which the
Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or by reason of
the Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement.
6. COMPENSATION
In consideration of the services rendered pursuant to this Agreement,
the Fund will pay the Adviser an annual fee calculated at an annual rate of
0.95% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The fee for the period from the
date of this Agreement to the end of the year shall be prorated according to the
proportion that such period bears to the full yearly period. Upon any
termination of this Agreement before the end of a year, the fee for such part of
that year shall be prorated according to the proportion that such period bears
to the full yearly period
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and shall be payable upon the date of termination of this Agreement. For the
purpose of determining fees payable to the Adviser, the value of the Fund's net
assets shall be computed at the times and in the manner specified in the Fund's
Prospectus or SAI.
7. EXPENSES
The Adviser will bear all expenses in connection with the performance
of its services under this Agreement, including the fees payable to any
investment sub-adviser engaged pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Agreement. The
Fund will bear its proportionate share of certain other expenses to be incurred
in its operation, including: investment advisory and administration fees; taxes,
interest, brokerage fees and commissions, if any; fees of Directors of the Fund
who are not officers, directors, or employees of the Adviser, any sub-adviser or
any of their affiliates; fees of any pricing service employed to value shares of
the Fund; Securities and Exchange Commission fees and state blue sky
qualification fees; charges of custodians and transfer and dividend disbursing
agents; the Fund's proportionate share of insurance premiums; outside auditing
and legal expenses; costs of maintenance of the Fund's existence; costs
attributable to investor services, including, without limitation, telephone and
personnel expenses; costs of preparing and printing prospectuses and statements
of additional information for regulatory purposes and for distribution to
existing shareholders; costs of shareholders' reports and meetings of the
shareholders of the Fund and of the officers or Board of Directors of the Fund;
and any extraordinary expenses.
The Fund will be responsible for nonrecurring expenses which may
arise, including costs of litigation to which the Fund is a party and of
indemnifying officers and Directors of the Fund with respect to such litigation
and other expenses as determined by the Directors.
8. SERVICES TO OTHER COMPANIES OR ACCOUNTS
The Fund understands that the Adviser now acts, will continue to act
and may act in the future as investment adviser to fiduciary and other managed
accounts and to one or more other investment companies or series of investment
companies, and the Fund has no objection to the Adviser so acting, provided that
whenever the Fund and one or more other accounts or investment companies or
portfolios advised by the Adviser have available funds for investment,
investments suitable and appropriate for each will be allocated in accordance
with a formula believed to be equitable to each entity. The Fund recognizes that
in some cases this procedure may adversely affect the size of the position
obtainable for the Fund. In addition, the Fund understands that the persons
employed by the Adviser to assist in the performance of the Adviser's duties
hereunder will not devote their full time to such service and nothing contained
herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right of the Adviser or any
affiliate of the Adviser to engage in and devote time and attention to other
businesses or to render services of whatever kind or nature, provided that doing
so does not adversely affect the ability of the adviser to perform its services
under this Agreement.
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9. TERM OF AGREEMENT
This Agreement shall continue for an initial two-year period
commencing on the date first written above, and thereafter shall continue
automatically for successive annual periods, provided such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by (a) the Board of Directors of the
Fund or (b) a vote of a "majority" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund's
outstanding voting securities, provided that in either event the continuance is
also approved by a majority of the Board of Directors who are not "interested
persons" (as defined in said Act) of any party to this Agreement, by vote cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. This
Agreement is terminable, without penalty, on 60 days' written notice, by the
Board of Directors of the Fund or by vote of holders of a majority of the Fund's
shares, or upon 90 days' written notice, by the Adviser. This Agreement will
also terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in said
Act).
10. REPRESENTATION BY THE FUND
The Fund represents that a copy of its Articles of Incorporation,
dated June 26, 2001, together with all amendments thereto, is on file in the
Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland.
11. MISCELLANEOUS
The Fund recognizes that directors, officers and employees of the
Adviser may from time to time serve as directors, trustees, officers and
employees of corporations and business trusts (including other investment
companies) and that such other corporations and trusts may include the name
"Warburg", "Warburg Pincus", "CS", "CSFB", "CSAM", "Credit Suisse" or "Credit
Suisse Warburg Pincus" (or any combination thereof) as part of their names, and
that the Adviser or its affiliates may enter into advisory or other agreements
with such other corporations and trusts. If the Adviser ceases to act as the
investment adviser of the Fund's shares, the Fund agrees that, at the Adviser's
request, the Fund's license to use the words "Warburg" , "Warburg Pincus" "CS",
"CSFB", "CSAM", "Credit Suisse" or "Credit Suisse Warburg Pincus" (or any
combination thereof) will terminate and that the Fund will take all necessary
action to change the name of the Fund to names not including the words "Warburg"
"Warburg Pincus", "CS", "CSFB", "CSAM", "Credit Suisse" or "Credit Suisse
Warburg Pincus" (or any combination thereof).
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Please confirm that the foregoing is in accordance with your
understanding by indicating your acceptance hereof at the place below indicated,
whereupon it shall become a binding agreement between us.
Very truly yours,
CREDIT SUISSE STRATEGIC SMALL
CAP FUND, INC.
By: /s/Xxx Xxxxxx
Name: Xxx Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President and Secretary
Accepted:
CREDIT SUISSE ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
By: /s/Xxx Xxxxxx
Name: Xxx Xxxxxx
Title: Managing Director and General Counsel
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