FLAG INVESTORS COMMUNICATIONS FUND, INC.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the 4th day of June, 1999 by and
between FLAG INVESTORS COMMUNICATIONS 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,
non-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 Advisers 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 services 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 4, 1988 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 October 21, 1983;
(e) The Fund's Registration Statement on Form N-1
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") (File No.
2-87336) and under the 1940 Act as filed with the SEC on October 21,
1983 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 I 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;
(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 a security transaction will be
execution at the most favorable price. 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 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 BT Alex. Xxxxx
Incorporated ("BT Alex. Xxxxx") to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund
on an agency basis. The commissions paid to BT 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
accounts 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. BT 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 BT Alex. Xxxxx in
any transaction in which the Advisor or BT Alex. Xxxxx acts as a principal with
respect to any part of the Fund's order. If BT 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 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;
(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 state and
federal law.
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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 expenses
of engraving or printing of certificates representing shares of the
Fund; all costs and expenses in connection with the 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 the 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 certified public 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
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
and shareholders of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate to a sub-advisor
certain of its duties enumerated in Section 2 hereof, provided that 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. The Advisor shall not be responsible for any such
sub-advisor's performance under a 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 certified public
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 expenses 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 equal to the sum of the amounts determined by applying the
following annual rates to the Fund's average daily net assets: 0.85% of the
first $100 million of the Fund's average daily net assets, 0.75% of the next
$100 million of the Fund's average daily net assets, 0.70% of the next $100
million of the Fund's average daily net assets, 0.65% of the next $200 million
of the Fund's average daily net assets, 0.58% of the next $500 million of the
Fund's average daily net assets, 0.53% of the next $500 million of the Fund's
average daily net assets, and 0.50% of that portion of the Fund's average daily
net assets in excess of $1.5 billion.
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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 that 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 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. This Agreement shall become effective at 12:01 a.m.
on the date hereof and shall continue in force and effect, subject to Section 13
hereof, for two years from the date hereof.
12. Renewal. 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 of the Fund
(as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 0000 Xxx); and
(b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested persons"
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.
13. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated, without the
payment of any penalty, by the Fund upon a vote of the Fund's Board of Directors
or a vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities (as defined
in Section 2(a)(42) of the 0000 Xxx) or by the Advisor, upon sixty (60) days'
written notice to the other party. The notice provided for herein may be waived
by either party. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of
its assignment (as defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act).
14. 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 this Agreement.
15. 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 the Advisor for this purpose shall be Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000.
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16. 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 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 on the day
and year first above written.
[SEAL] FLAG INVESTORS COMMUNICATIONS FUND, INC.
Attest: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxx
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Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx Name: Xxxxx Xxxxx
Title: President
[SEAL] INVESTMENT COMPANY CAPITAL CORP.
Attest: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
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Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
