Exhibit (8) Participation Agreements with Underlying Funds
8
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made this _____ day of ______________ , 1997, by and
among The Xxxxx American Fund (the "Trust"), an open-end management investment
company organized as a Massachusetts business trust, Xxxx Xxxxx Management,
Inc., an investment adviser organized under the laws of the state of New York (
the "Adviser"), Transamerica Life Insurance Company of New York, a life
insurance company organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of New
York, (the "Company"), on its own behalf and on behalf of each segregated asset
account of the Company set forth in Schedule A, as may be amended from time to
time (the "Accounts"), and Xxxx Xxxxx and Company, Incorporated, a Delaware
corporation, the Trust's distributor (the "Distributor").
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") as an open-end management investment company under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and has an
effective registration statement relating to the offer and sale of the various
series of its shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act");
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Distributor desire that Trust shares be used
as an investment vehicle for separate accounts established for variable life
insurance policies and variable annuity contracts to be offered by life
insurance companies which have entered into fund participation agreements with
the Trust (the "Participating Insurance Companies");
WHEREAS, shares of beneficial interest in the Trust are divided into
the following series which are available for purchase by the Company for the
Accounts: Xxxxx American Small Capitalization Portfolio, Xxxxx American Growth
Portfolio, Xxxxx American Income & Growth Portfolio, Xxxxx American Balanced
Portfolio, Xxxxx American MidCap Growth Portfolio, and Xxxxx American Leveraged
AllCap Portfolio;
WHEREAS, the Trust has received an order from the Commission, dated
February 17, 1989 (File No. 812-7076), granting Participating Insurance
Companies and their separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of Sections
9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the 1940 Act, and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and
6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the
Portfolios of the Trust to be sold to and held by variable annuity and variable
life insurance separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated life
insurance companies (the "Shared Funding Exemptive Order");
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register under the 1933 Act
certain variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts to be
issued by the Company under which the Portfolios are to be made available as
investment vehicles (the "Contracts");
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment trust under the 1940 Act unless an exemption from registration
under the 1940 Act is available and the Trust has been so advised;
WHEREAS, the Company may contract with an Administrator to perform
certain services with regard to the Contracts and, therefore, certain
obligations ans services of the Adviser and/or Trust should be directed to the
Administrator, as directed by the Company,
WHEREAS, the Company desires to use shares of the Portfolios
indicated on Schedule A as investment
vehicles for the Accounts;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the parties
agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
Purchase and Redemption of Trust Portfolio Shares
1.1. For purposes of this Article I, the Company or its administrator shall
be the Trust's agent for the receipt from each account of purchase
orders and requests for redemption pursuant to the Contracts relating
to each Portfolio, provided that the Company or its administrator
notifies the Trust of such purchase orders and requests for redemption
by 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on the next following Business Day, as
defined in Section 1.3.
1.2. The Trust shall make shares of the Portfolios available to the
Accounts at the net asset value next computed after receipt of a
purchase order by the Trust (or its agent), as established in
accordance with the provisions of the then current prospectus of the
Trust describing Portfolio purchase procedures. The Company or its
administrator will transmit order from time to time to the Trust for
the purchase and redemption of shares of the Portfolios. The Trustees
of the Trust (the "Trustees") may refuse to sell shares of any
Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of
shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or by
regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or if, in the sole
discretion of the Trustees acting in good faith and in light of their
fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, such
action is deemed in th best interests of the shareholders of such
Portfolio.
1.3. The Company shall pay for the purchase of shares of a Portfolio on
behalf of an Account with federal funds to be transmitted by wire to
the Trust, with the reasonable expectation of receipt by the Trust by
2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the next Business Day after the Trust (or its
agent) receives the purchase order. Upon receipt by the Trust of the
federal funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility
of the Company and shall become the responsibility of the Trust for
this purpose. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading.
1.4. The Trust will redeem for cash any full or fractional shares of any
Portfolio, when requested by the Company on behalf of an Account, at
the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Trust (or its
agent) of the request for redemption, as established in accordance
with the provisions of the then current prospectus of the Trust
describing Portfolio redemption procedures. The Trust shall make
payment for such shares in the manner established from time to time by
the Trust. Proceeds of redemption with respect to a Portfolio will be
paid to the Company for an Account in federal funds transmitted by
wire to the Company by order of the Trust with the reasonable
expectation of receipt by the Company by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the
next Business Day after the receipt by the Trust (or its agent) of the
request for redemption. Such payment may be delayed if, for example,
the Portfolio's cash position so requires or if extraordinary market
conditions exist, but in no event shall payment be delayed for a
greater period than is permitted by the 1940 Act. The Trust reserves
the right to suspend the right of redemption, consistent with Section
22(e) of the 1940 Act and any rules thereunder.
1.5. Payments for the purchase of shares of the Trust's Portfolios by the
Company under Section 1.3 and payments for the redemption of shares of
the Trust's Portfolios under Section 1.4 on any Business Day may be
netted against one another for the purpose of determining the amount of
any wire transfer.
1.6. Issuance and transfer of the Trust's Portfolio shares will be by book
entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or the
Accounts. Portfolio Shares purchased from the Trust will be recorded in
the appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of
each Account.
1.7. The Trust shall furnish, two days before the ex-dividend date, notice
to the Company that an income dividend or capital gain distribution
will be paid on the shares of any Portfolio of the Trust. The Company
hereby elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain
distributions as are payable on a Portfolio's shares in additional
shares of that Portfolio. The Trust shall notify the Company of the
number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions.
1.8. The Trust shall calculate the net asset value of each Portfolio on each
Business Day, as defined in Section 1.3. The Trust shall make the net
asset value per share for each Portfolio available to the Company or
its designated agent on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical
after the net asset value per share is calculated and shall use its
best efforts to make such net asset value per share available to the
Company by 6:30 p.m. Eastern time each Business Day.
1.9. The Trust agrees that its Portfolio shares will be sold only to
Participating Insurance Companies and their segregated asset accounts,
to the Fund Sponsor or its affiliates and to such other entities as may
be permitted by Section 817(h) of the Code, the regulations hereunder,
or judicial or administrative interpretations thereof. No shares of any
Portfolio will be sold directly to the general public. The Company
agrees that it will use Trust shares only for the purposes of funding
the Contracts through the Accounts listed in Schedule A, as amended
from time to time.
1.10. The Trust agrees that all Participating Insurance Companies shall have
the obligations and responsibilities regarding pass-through voting and
conflicts of interest corresponding materially to those contained in
Section 2.9 and Article IV of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II.
Obligations of the Parties
2.1. The Trust shall prepare and be responsible for filing with the
Commission and any state regulators requiring such filing all
shareholder reports, notices, proxy materials (or similar materials
such as voting instruction solicitation materials), prospectuses and
statements of additional information of the Trust. The Trust shall bear
the costs of registration and qualification of shares of the
Portfolios, preparation and filing of the documents listed in this
Section 2.1 and all taxes to which an issuer is subject on the issuance
and transfer of its shares.
2.2. The Company shall distribute such prospectuses, proxy statements and
periodic reports of the Trust to the Contract owners as required to be
distributed to such Contract owners under applicable federal or state
law.
2.3. The Trust shall provide such documentation (including a final copy of
the prospectus(es) of the Portfolios indicated on Schedule A as set in
type or in camera-ready copy) and other assistance as is reasonably
necessary in order for the Company to print together in one document
the current prospectus for the Contracts issued by the Company and the
current prospectus for the Trust. The Trust shall bear the expense of
printing copies of its current prospectus that will be distributed to
existing Contract owners, and the Company shall bear the expense of
printing copies of the Trust's prospectus that are used in connection
with offering the Contracts issued by the Company.
2.4. The Trust and the Distributor shall provide (1) at the Trust's expense,
one copy of the Trust's current Statement of Additional Information
("SAI") to the Company and to any Contract owner who requests such SAI,
(2) at the Company's expense, such additional copies of the Trust's
current SAI as the Company shall reasonably request and that the
Company shall require in accordance with applicable law in connection
with offering the Contracts issued by the Company.
2.5. The Trust, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of
its proxy material, periodic reports to shareholders and other
communications to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall
reasonably require for purposes of distributing to Contract owners.
The Trust, at the Company's expense, shall provide the Company with
copies of its periodic reports to shareholders and other
communications to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall
reasonably request for use in connection with offering the Contracts
issued by the Company. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof,
the Trust shall provide such documentation (including a final copy of
the Trust's proxy materials, periodic reports to shareholders and
other communications to shareholders, as set in type or in
camera-ready copy) and other assistance as reasonably necessary in
order for the Company to print such shareholder communications for
distribution to Contract owners.
2.6. The Company agrees and acknowledges that the Distributor is the sole
owner of the name and xxxx "Xxxxx" and that all use of any designation
comprised in whole or part of such name or xxxx under this Agreement
shall inure to the benefit of the Distributor. Except as provided in
Section 2.5, the Company shall not use any such name or xxxx on its own
behalf or on behalf of the Accounts or Contracts in any registration
statement, advertisement, sales literature or other materials relating
to the Accounts or Contracts without the prior written consent of the
Distributor. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the
Company shall cease all use of any such name or xxxx as soon as
reasonably practicable.
2.7. The Company shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Trust or
its designee a copy of each Contract prospectus and/or statement of
additional information describing the Contracts, each report to
Contract owners, proxy statement, application for exemption or request
for no-action letter in which the Trust or the Distributor is named
contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the
Commission. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished,
to the Trust or its designee each piece of sales literature or other
promotional material in which the Trust or the Distributor is named,
at least five Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall
be used if the Trust or its designee reasonably objects to such use
within three Business Days after receipt of such material.
2.8. The Company shall not give any information or make any representations
or statements on behalf of the Trust or concerning the Trust or the
Distributor in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than
information or representations contained in and accurately derived
from the registration statement or prospectus for the Trust shares (as
such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time), annual and semi-annual reports of the
Trust, Trust-sponsored proxy statements, or in sales literature or
other promotional material approved by the Trust or its designee,
except as required by legal process or regulatory authorities or with
the prior written permission of the Trust, the Distributor or their
respective designees. The Trust and the Distributor agree to respond
to any request for approval on a prompt and timely basis. The Company
shall adopt and implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure
that "broker only" materials including information therein about the
Trust or the Distributor are not distributed to existing or
prospective Contract owners.
2.9. The Trust shall use its best efforts to provide the Company, on a
timely basis, with such information about the Trust, the Portfolios and
the Distributor, in such form as the Company may reasonably require, as
the Company shall reasonably request in connection with the preparation
of registration statements, prospectuses and annual and semi-annual
reports pertaining to the Contracts.
2.10.The Trust and the Distributor shall not give, and agree that no
affiliate of either of them shall give, any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Company or concerning
the Company, the Accounts or the Contracts other than information or
representations contained in and accurately derived from the
registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts (as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented
from time to time), or in materials approved by the Company for
distribution including sales literature or other promotional
materials, except as required by legal process or regulatory
authorities or with the prior written permission of the Company. The
Company agrees to respond to any request for approval of a prompt and
timely basis.
0.00.Xx long as, and to the extent that, the Commission interprets the
1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges for Contract
owners, the Company will provide pass-through voting privileges to
Contract owners whose cash values are invested, through the registered
Accounts, in shares of one or more Portfolios of the Trust. The Trust
shall require all Participating Insurance Companies to calculate
voting privileges in the same manner and the Company shall be
responsible for assuring that the Accounts calculate voting privileges
in the manner established by the Trust. With respect to each
registered Account, the Company will vote shares of each Portfolio of
the Trust held by a registered Account and for which no timely voting
instructions from Contract owners are received in the same proportion
as those shares for which voting instructions are received. The
Company and its agents will in no way recommend or oppose or interfere
with the solicitation of proxies for Portfolio shares held to fund the
Contacts without the prior written consent of the Trust, which consent
may be withheld in the Trust's sole discretion. The Company reserves
the right, to the extent permitted by law, to vote shares held in any
Account in its sole discretion.
2.12. The Company and the Trust will each provide to the other information
about the results of any regulatory examination relating to the
Contracts or the Trust, including relevant portions of any "deficiency
letter" and any response thereto.
2.13. No compensation shall be paid by the Trust to the Company, or by the
Company to the Trust, under this Agreement (except for specified
expense reimbursements). However, nothing herein shall prevent the
parties hereto from otherwise agreeing to perform, and arranging for
appropriate compensation for, other services relating to the Trust, the
Accounts or both.
ARTICLE III.
Representations and Warranties
3.1. The Company represents and warrants that it is an insurance company
duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the State of New
York and that it has legally and validly established each Account as a
segregated asset account under such law as of the date set forth in
Schedule A, and that _________________________________, the principal
underwriter for the Contracts, is registered as a broker-dealer under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member in good standing of
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
3.2. The Company represents and warrants that it has registered or, prior to
any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a
unit investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act
and cause each Account to remain so registered to serve as a segregated
asset account for the Contracts, unless an exemption from registration
is available.
3.3. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts will be
registered under the 1933 Act unless an exemption from registration is
available prior to any issuance or sale of the Contracts; the Contracts
will be issued and sold in compliance in all material respects with all
applicable federal and state laws; and the sale of the Contracts shall
comply in all material respects with state insurance law suitability
requirements.
3.4. The Trust represents and warrants that it is duly organized and validly
existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that
it does and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder.
3.5. The Trust and the Distributor represent and warrant that the Portfolio
shares offered and sold pursuant to this Agreement will be registered
under the 1933 Act and sold in accordance with all applicable federal
and state laws, and the Trust shall be registered under the 1940 Act
prior to and at the time of any issuance or sale of such shares. The
Trust shall amend its registration statement under the 1933 Act and the
1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect the
continuous offering of its shares. The Trust shall register and qualify
its shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the various states
only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Trust.
3.6. The Trust and Adviser represent and warrant that the investments of
each Portfolio complies and will comply with the diversification
requirements for variable annuity, endowment or life insurance
contracts set forth in Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code"), and the rules and regulations
thereunder, including without limitation Treasury Regulation 1.817-5,
and will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis
for believing any Portfolio has ceased to comply or might not so comply
and will immediately take all reasonable steps to adequately diversify
the Portfolio to achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by
Regulation 1.817-5.
3.7. The Trust and Adviser represent and warrant that each Portfolio is
currently qualified as a "regulated investment company" under
Subchapter M of the Code, that such qualification will be maintained
and the Trust or the Adviser will notify the Company immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing it has ceased to so qualify or
might not so qualify in the future.
3.8. The Trust represents and warrants that it, its directors, officers,
employees and others dealing with the money or securities, or both, of
a Portfolio shall at all times be covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Trust in an amount not less
than the minimum coverage required by Rule 17g-1 or other applicable
regulations under the 1940 Act. Such bond shall include coverage for
larceny and embezzlement and be issued by a reputable bonding company.
3.9. The Distributor represents that it is duly organized and validly
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and that it is
registered, and will remain registered, during the term of this
Agreement, as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc.
ARTICLE IV.
Potential Conflicts
4.1. The parties acknowledge that a Portfolio's shares may be made
available for investment to other Participating Insurance Companies.
In such event, the Trustees wil monitor the Trust for the existence of
any material irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the
contract owners of all Participating Insurance Companies. A material
irreconcilable conflict may arise for a variety of reasons, including:
(a) an action by any state insurance regulatory authority; (b) a
change in applicable federal or state insurance, tax or securities
laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter ruling,
no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by
insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an
administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d)
the manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are being
managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given by variable
annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f) a
decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of
contract owners. The Trust shall promptly inform the Company of any
determination by the Trustees that a material irreconcilable conflict
exists and of the implications thereof.
4.2. The Company agrees to report promptly any potential or existing
conflicts of which it is aware to the Trustees. The Company will assist
the Trustees in carrying out their responsibilities under the Shared
Funding Exemptive Order by providing the Trustees with all information
reasonably necessary for and requested by the Trustees to consider any
issues raised including, but not limited to, information as to a
decision by the Company to disregard Contract owner voting
instructions. All communications from the Company to the Trustees may
be made in care of the Trust.
4.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Trustees, or a majority of
the disinterested Trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict
exists that affects the interests of contract owners, the Company
shall, in cooperation with other Participating Insurance Companies
whose contract owners are also affected, at its own expense and to the
extent reasonably practicable (as determined by the Trustees) take
whatever steps are necessary to remedy or eliminate the material
irreconcilable conflict, which steps could include: (a) withdrawing
the assets allocable to some or all of the Accounts from the Trust or
any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Trust,
or submitting the question of whether or not such segregation should
be implemented to a vote of all affected Contract owners and, as
appropriate, segregating the assets of any appropriate group (i.e.,
annuity contract owners, life insurance contract owners, or variable
contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that
votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
Contract owners the option of making such a change; and (b)
establishing a new registered management investment company or managed
separate account.
4.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by
the Company to disregard Contract owner voting instructions and that
decision represents a minority position or would preclude a majority
vote, the Company may be required, at the Trust's election, to
withdraw the affected Account's investment in the Trust and terminate
this Agreement with respect to such Account; provided, however that
such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent
required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of the disinterested Trustees. Any such
withdrawal and termination must take place within six (6) months after
the Trust gives written notice that this provision is being
implemented. Until the end of such six (6) month period, the Trust
shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the
purchase and redemption of shares of the Trust.
4.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company
conflicts with the majority of other state regulators, then the
Company will withdraw the affected Account's investment in the Trust
and terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account within six
(6) months after the Trustees inform the Company in writing that the
Trust has determined that such decision has created a material
irreconcilable conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and
termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested Trustees. Until the end of such six (6) month period,
the Trust shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company
for the purchase and redemption of shares of the Trust.
4.6. For purposes of Section 4.3 through 4.6 of this Agreement, a majority
of the disinterested Trustees shall determine whether any proposed
action adequately remedies any material irreconcilable conflict, but
in no event will the Trust be required to establish a new funding
medium for any Contract. The Company shall not be required to
establish a new funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so
has been declined by vote of a majority of Contract owners materially
adversely affected by the material irreconcilable conflict. In the
event that the Trustees determine that any proposed action does not
adequately remedy any material irreconcilable conflict, then the
Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Trust and
terminate this Agreement within six (6 months after the Trustees
inform the Company in writing of the foregoing determination;
provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be
limited to the extent required by any such material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested Trustees.
4.7. The Company shall at least annually submit to the Trustees such
reports, materials or data as the Trustees may reasonably request so
that the Trustees may fully carry out the duties imposed upon them by
the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, and said reports, materials and
data shall be submitted more frequently if reasonably deemed
appropriate by the Trustees.
4.8. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-3(T) is amended, or Rule 6e-3 is
adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the 1940 Act
or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared
funding (as defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and
conditions materially different from those contained in the Shared
Funding Exemptive Order, then the Trust and/or the Participating
Insurance Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be
necessary to comply with Rule 6e-3(T), as amended, or Rule 6e-3, as
adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable.
ARTICLE V.
Indemnification
5.1. Indemnification By the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Adviser, ---------------------------------
Distributor, the Trust and each of its Trustees, officers, employee
and agents and each person, if any, who controls the Trust within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified
Parties" for purposes of this Section 5.1) against any and all losses,
claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement
with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld) or expenses (including the reasonable costs of
investigating or defending any alleged loss, claim, damage, liability
or expense and reasonable legal counsel fees incurred in connection
therewith) (collectively, "Losses"), to which the Indemnified Parties
may become subject under any statute or regulation, or at common law
or otherwise, insofar as such Losses are related to the sale or
acquisition of the Contracts or Trust shares and:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged untrue
statements of any material fact contained in a registration statement
o prospectus for the Contracts or in the Contracts themselves or in
sales literature generated or approved by the Company on behalf of the
Contracts or Accounts (or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing) (collectively, "Company Documents" for the purposes of this
Article V), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this indemnity shall not apply as to any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and was accurately
derived from written information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of the Trust for use in Company Documents or otherwise for use
in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
(b) arise out of or result from statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in and
accurately derived from Trust Documents as defined in Section
5.2(a)) or wrongful conduct of the Company or persons under
its control, with respect to the sale or acquisition of the
Contracts or Trust shares; or
(c) arise out of or result from any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in Trust
Documents as defined in Section 5.2(a) or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading if such statement or omission was made in
reliance upon and accurately derived from written information
furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Company; or
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Company or
administrator to provide the services or furnish the materials
required under the terms of this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company or
administrator in this Agreement or arise out of or result from
any other material breach of this Agreement by the Company or
administrator; or
(f) arise out of or result from the provision by the Company or
administrator to the Trust of insufficient or incorrect
information regarding the purchase or sale of shares of any
Portfolio, or the failure of the Company or administrator to
provide such information on a timely basis.
5.2. Indemnification by the Distributor. The Distributor, Adviser and Trust
each jointly and severally agree ------------------------------------
to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its directors,
officers, employees, and agents and each person, if any, who controls
the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for the purposes of this
Section 5.2) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the
Distributor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) or
expenses (including the reasonable costs of investigating or defending
any alleged loss, claim, damage, liability or expense and reasonable
legal counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (collectively,
"Losses"), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under
any statute or regulation, or at common law or otherwise, insofar as
such Losses are related to the sale or acquisition of the Contracts or
Trust shares and: (a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue
statements or alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained
in the registration statement or prospectus for the Trust (or any
amendment or supplement thereto) (collectively, "Trust Documents" for
the purposes of this Article V), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this indemnity shall not apply
as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and was
accurately derived from written information furnished to the Adviser,
Distributor or the Trust by or on behalf of the Company for use in
Trust Documents or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of
the Contracts or Trust shares and; or
(b) arise out of or result from statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in and
accurately derived form Company Documents) or wrongful conduct
of the Adviser, Distributor or persons under their control,
with respect to the sale or acquisition of the Contracts or
Portfolio shares; or
(c) arise out of or result from any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in Company
Documents or the omission or alleged omission to state therein
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading if such statement
or omission was made in reliance upon and accurately derived
from written information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of the Trust, Adviser or Distributor; or
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Adviser,
Distributor or the Trust to provide the services or furnish
the materials required under the terms of this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Adviser,
Distributor or the Trust in this Agreement ( including a
failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise,
to comply with the diversification and subchapter M
requirements specified in Article III ) or arise out of or
result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the
Adviser Distributor or the Trust; or
(f) arise out of or result from the materially incorrect or materially
untimely calculation or reporting of the daily net asset value per share or
dividend or capital gain distribution rate.
5.3. None of the Company, the Adviser, the Trust or the Distributor shall be
liable under the indemnification provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2, as
applicable, with respect to any Losses incurred or assessed against an
Indemnified Party that arise from such Indemnified Party's willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such
Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's
reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement.
5.4. None of the Company, the Adviser, Trust or the Distributor shall be
liable under the indemnification provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2, as
applicable, with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the other
party in writing within a reasonable time after the summons, or other
first written notification, giving information of the nature of the
claim shall have been served upon or otherwise received by such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received
notice of service upon or other notification to any designated agent),
but failure to notify the party against whom indemnification is sought
of any such claim shall not relieve that party from any liability
which it may have to the Indemnified Party in the absence of Sections
5.1 and 5.2.
5.5. In case any such action is brought against an Indemnified Party, the
indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate, at its own
expense, in the defense of such action. The indemnifying party also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice
from the indemnifying party to the Indemnified Party of an election to
assume such defense, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and
expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the
indemnifying party will not be liable to the Indemnified Party under
this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred
by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
ARTICLE VI.
Termination
6.1. This Agreement shall terminate:
(a) at the option of any party upon 60 days advance written notice
to the other parties, unless a shorter time is agreed to by
the parties;
(b) at the option of the Trust or the Distributor if the Contracts
issued by the Company cease to qualify as annuity contracts or
life insurance contracts, as applicable, under the Code or if
the Contracts are not registered, issued or sold in accordance
with applicable state and/or federal law; or
(c) at the option of any party upon a determination by a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust, or a majority of its
disinterested Trustees, that a material irreconcilable
conflict exists; or
(d) at the option of the Company upon institution of formal
proceedings against the Trust or the Distributor by the NASD,
the SEC, or any state securities or insurance department or
any other regulatory body regarding the Trust's or the
Distributor's duties under this Agreement or related to the
sale of Trust shares or the operation of the Trust; or
(e) at the option of the Company if the Trust or a Portfolio fails
to meet the diversification requirements specified in Section
3.6 hereof; or
(f) at the option of the Company if shares of the Series are not
reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Variable
Contracts issued by the Company, as determined by the Company,
and upon prompt notice by the Company to the other parties; or
(g) at the option of the Company in the event any of the shares of
the Portfolio are not registered, issued or sold in accordance
with applicable state and/or federal law, or such law
precludes the use of such shares as the underlying investment
media of the Variable Contracts issued or to be issued by the
Company; or
(h) at the option of the Company, if the Portfolio fails to
qualify as a Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M
of the Code; or
(i) at the option of the Distributor if it shall determine in its
sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or
its affiliated companies has suffered a material adverse
change in its business, operations, financial condition or
prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the subject
of material adverse publicity.
6.2. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Trust shall, at
the option of the Company, continue to make available additional shares
of any Portfolio and redeem shares of any Portfolio pursuant to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement for all Contracts in effect on
the effective date of termination of this Agreement.
6.3. The provisions of Article V shall survive the termination of this
Agreement, and the provisions of Articles I,II,III,IV, and VII and
shall survive the termination of this Agreement as long as shares of
the Trust are held on behalf of Contract owners in accordance with
Section 6.2.
ARTICLE VII.
Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail to the other party at the address of such party set forth below
or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing
to the other party.
If to the Trust, its Adviser, or its Distributor:
Xxxx Xxxxx Management, Inc.
00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
If to the Company:
Transamerica Life Insurance Company of New York
Corporate Secretary
000 Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xx.
Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000
ARTICLE VIII.
Miscellaneous
8.1. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions
hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
8.2. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of
which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
8.3. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the
Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
8.4. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted
under and in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. It
shall also be subject to the provisions of the federal securities laws
and the rules and regulations thereunder and to any orders of the
Commission granting exemptive relief therefrom and the conditions of
such orders. Copies of any such orders shall be promptly forwarded by
the Trust to the Company.
8.5. All liabilities of the Trust arising, directly or indirectly, under
this Agreement, of any and every nature whatsoever, shall be satisfied
solely out of the assets of the Trust and no Trustee, officer, agent or
holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any such liabilities.
8.6. Each party shall cooperate with each other party and all appropriate
governmental authorities (including without limitation the Commission,
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and state
insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities reasonable
access to its books and records in connection with any investigation or
inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby.
8.7. The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled
to under state and federal laws.
8.8. This Agreement shall not be exclusive in any respect.
8.9. Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be
assigned by either party without the prior written approval of the
other party.
8.10. No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any
manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed
by both parties.
8.11. Each party hereto shall, except as required by law or otherwise
permitted by this Agreement, treat as confidential the names and
addresses of the owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably
identified as confidential in writing by any other party hereto, and
shall not disclose such confidential information without the written
consent of the affected party unless such information has become
publicly available.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Participation Agreement as of the date and year first
above written.
Xxxx Xxxxx and Company, Incorporated
By:________________________________
Name:
Title:
The Xxxxx American Fund
By:_________________________________
Name:
Title:
Transamerica Life Insurance Company of New York
By:___________________________________
Name:
Title:
SCHEDULE A
The Xxxxx American Fund:
Xxxxx American Growth Portfolio
Xxxxx American Leveraged AllCap Portfolio
Xxxxx American Income & Growth Portfolio
33
S:\DEPT550\DREW\AGREEMEN\PART-AGR.TR2
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
AMONG
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY,
TRANSAMERICA SECURITIES SALES CORPORATION,
ALLIANCE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP
AND
ALLIANCE FUND DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
DATED AS OF
DECEMBER 15, 1997
6
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the 15th day of December
1997 ("Agreement"), by and among Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity
Company, a North Carolina life insurance company ("Insurer") (on behalf of
itself and its "Separate Account," defined below); Transamerica Securites Sales
Corporation, a Maryland corporation ("Contracts Distributor"), the principal
underwriter with respect to the Contracts referred to below; Alliance Capital
Management L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Adviser"), the investment
adviser of the Fund referred to below; and Alliance Fund Distributors, Inc., a
Delaware, corporation ("Distributor"), the Fund's principal underwriter
(collectively, the "Parties"),
WITNESSETH THAT:
WHEREAS Insurer, the Distributor, and Alliance Variable Products Series
Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") desire that shares of the Fund's Premier Growth and
Growth and Income (the "Portfolios"; reference herein to the "Fund" includes
reference to each Portfolio to the extent the context requires) be made
available by Distributor to serve as underlying investment media for those
combination fixed and variable annuity contracts of Insurer that are the subject
of Insurer's Form N-4 registration statement filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), File No. 333-9745 (the "Contracts"), to be
offered through Contracts Distributor and other registered broker-dealer firms
as agreed to by Insurer and Contracts Distributor; and
WHEREAS the Contracts provide for the allocation of net amounts
received by Insurer to separate series (the "Divisions"; reference herein to the
"Separate Account" includes reference to each Division to the extent the context
requires) of the Separate Account for investment in the shares of corresponding
Portfolios of the Fund that are made available through the Separate Account to
act as underlying investment media,
WHEREAS the Insurer may contract with an administrator (the
"Administrator") to perform certain services with respect to the Contracts and,
therefore, certain obligations of the Adviser may be directed to such
Administrator, if the Insurer so directs the Adviser;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual benefits and promises
contained herein, the Fund and Distributor will make shares of the Portfolios
available to Insurer for this purpose at net asset value and with no sales
charges, all subject to the following provisions:
Section 1. Additional Portfolios
The Fund has and may, from time to time, add additional Portfolios,
which will become subject to this Agreement, if, upon the written consent of
each of the Parties hereto, they are made available as investment media for the
Contracts.
Section 2. Processing Transactions
2.1 Timely Pricing and Orders.
The Adviser or its designated agent will provide closing net asset
value, dividend and capital gain information for each Portfolio to Insurer or
its Administrator, as directed by Insurer, at the close of trading on each day
(a "Business Day") on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular
trading. The Fund or its designated agent will use its best efforts to provide
this information by 6:00 p.m., Eastern time. Insurer will use these data to
calculate unit values, which in turn will be used to process transactions that
receive that same Business Day's Separate Account Division's unit values. Such
Separate Account processing will be done the same evening, and corresponding
orders with respect to Fund shares will be placed the morning of the following
Business Day. Insurer will use its best efforts to place such orders with the
Fund by 10:00 a.m., Eastern time.
If the Adviser provides material incorrect share net asset value
information, the Adviser shall make an adjustment to the number of shares
purchased or redeemed for the Separate Account to reflect the correct net asset
value per share. Any material error in the calculation or reporting of net asset
value per share, dividend or capital gains information shall be reported
promptly upon discovery to the Insurer.
2.2 Timely Payments.
Insurer or its Administrator will transmit orders for purchases and
redemptions of Fund shares to Distributor, and will wire payment for net
purchases to a custodial account designated by the Fund on the day the order for
Fund shares is placed, to the extent practicable. Payment for net redemptions
will be wired by the Fund to an account designated by Insurer on the same day as
the order is placed, to the extent practicable, and in any event be made within
six calendar days after the date the order is placed in order to enable Insurer
to pay redemption proceeds within the time specified in Section 22(e) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").
2.3 Applicable Price.
The Parties agree that Portfolio share purchase and redemption orders
resulting from Contract owner purchase payments, surrenders, partial
withdrawals, routine withdrawals of charges, or other transactions under
Contracts will be executed at the net asset values as determined as of the close
of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the Business Day that
Insurer receives such orders and processes such transactions, which, Insurer
agrees shall occur not earlier than the Business Day prior to Distributor's
receipt of the corresponding orders for purchases and redemptions of Portfolio
shares. For the purposes of this section, Insurer and its Administrator shall be
deemed to be the agent of the Fund for receipt of such orders from holders or
applicants of contracts, and receipt by Insurer shall constitute receipt by the
Fund. All other purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares by Insurer, will
be effected at the net asset values next computed after receipt by Distributor
of the order therefor, and such orders will be irrevocable. Insurer hereby
elects to reinvest all dividends and capital gains distributions in additional
shares of the corresponding Portfolio at the record-date net asset values until
Insurer otherwise notifies the Fund in writing, it being agreed by the Parties
that the record date and the payment date with respect to any dividend or
distribution will be the same Business Day. The Adviser shall give Insurer or
its Administrator, as directed by Insurer, two Business Days' notice of any
distributions.
Section 3. Costs and Expenses
3.1 General.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, each Party will bear
all expenses incident to its performance under this Agreement.
3.2 Registration.
The Fund will bear the cost of its registering as a management
investment company under the 1940 Act and registering its shares under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and keeping such
registrations current and effective; including, without limitation, the
preparation of and filing with the SEC of Forms N-SAR and Rule 24f-2 Notices
respecting the Fund and its shares and payment of all applicable registration or
filing fees with respect to any of the foregoing. Insurer will bear the cost of
registering the Separate Account as a unit investment trust under the 1940 Act
and registering units of interest under the Contracts under the 1933 Act and
keeping such registrations current and effective; including, without limitation,
the preparation and filing with the SEC of Forms N-SAR and Rule 24f-2 Notices
respecting the Separate Account and its units of interest and payment of all
applicable registration or filing fees with respect to any of the foregoing.
3.3 Other (Non-Sales-Related) Expenses.
The Fund will bear the costs of preparing, filing with the SEC and
setting for printing the Fund's prospectus, statement of additional information
and any amendments or supplements thereto (collectively, the "Fund Prospectus"),
periodic reports to shareholders, Fund proxy material and other shareholder
communications and any related requests for voting instructions from
Participants (as defined below). Insurer will bear the costs of preparing,
filing with the SEC and setting for printing, the Separate Account's prospectus,
statement of additional information and any amendments or supplements thereto
(collectively, the "Separate Account Prospectus"), any periodic reports to
owners, annuitants or participants under the Contracts (collectively,
"Participants"), and other Participant communications. The Fund and Insurer each
will bear the costs of printing in quantity and delivering to existing
Participants the documents as to which it bears the cost of preparation as set
forth above in this Section 3.3, it being understood that reasonable cost
allocations will be made in cases where any such Fund and Insurer documents are
printed or mailed on a combined or coordinated basis. If requested by Insurer,
the Fund will provide annual Prospectus text to Insurer on diskette for printing
and binding with the Separate Account Prospectus.
3.4 Other Sales-Related Expenses.
Expenses of distributing the Portfolio's shares and the Contracts will
be paid by Contracts Distributor and other parties, as they shall determine by
separate agreement.
3.5 Parties to Cooperate.
The Adviser, Insurer, Contracts Distributor, and Distributor each
agrees to cooperate with the others, as applicable, in arranging to print, mail
and/or deliver combined or coordinated prospectuses or other materials of the
Fund and Separate Account.
Section 4. Legal Compliance
4.1 Tax Laws.
(a) The Adviser represents and warrants that each Portfolio will elect
to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under Subchapter M of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and shall maintain such
qualification, and the Adviser or Distributor will notify Insurer immediately
upon having a reasonable basis for believing that a Portfolio has ceased to so
qualify or that it might not so qualify in the future.
(b) Insurer represents that it believes, in good faith, that the
Contracts will be treated as life insurance or annuity contracts under sections
7702 or 72 of the Code and that it will make every effort to maintain such
treatment. Insurer will notify the Fund and Distributor immediately upon having
a reasonable basis for believing that any of the Contracts have ceased to be so
treated or that they might not be so treated in the future.
(c) The Adviser represents and warants that it will maintain each
Portfolio's compliance with the diversification requirements set forth in
Section 817(h) of the Code and Section 1.817-5(b) of the regulations under the
Code, and the Fund, Adviser or Distributor will notify Insurer immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing that a Portfolio has ceased to so comply
or that a Portfolio might not so comply in the future, and they will immediately
take all steps to adequately diversify the Portfolio to achieve compliance
within the grace period afforded by Treasury Regulation 1.817-5.
(d) Insurer represents that it believes, in good faith, that the
Separate Account is a "segregated asset account" and that interests in the
Separate Account are offered exclusively through the purchase of or transfer
into a "variable contract," within the meaning of such terms under Section
817(h) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. Insurer will make every
effort to continue to meet such definitional requirements, and it will notify
the Fund and Distributor immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that such requirements have ceased to be met or that they might not be
met in the future.
(e) The Adviser will manage the Fund as a RIC in compliance with
Subchapter M of the Code and with Section 817(h) of the Code and regulations
thereunder. The Fund has adopted and will maintain procedures for ensuring that
the Fund is managed in compliance with Subchapter M and Section 817(h) and
regulations thereunder.
(f) Should the Distributor or Adviser become aware of a failure of
Fund, or any of its Portfolios, to be in compliance with Subchapter M of the
Code or Section 817(h) of the Code and regulations thereunder, they represent
and agree that they will immediately notify Insurer of such in writing.
4.2 Insurance and Certain Other Laws.
(a) The Adviser will use its best efforts to cause the Fund to comply
with any applicable state insurance laws or regulations, to the extent
specifically requested in writing by Insurer. If it cannot comply, it will so
notify Insurer in writing.
(b) Insurer represents and warrants that (i) it is an insurance company
duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
State of North Carolina and has full corporate power, authority and legal right
to execute, deliver and perform its duties and comply with its obligations under
this Agreement, (ii) it has legally and validly established and maintains the
Separate Account as a segregated asset account under North Carolina Law, and
(iii) the Contracts comply in all material respects with all other applicable
federal and state laws and regulations.
(c) Insurer and Contracts Distributor represent and warrant that
Contracts Distributor is a business corporation duly organized, validly
existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland and has
full corporate power, authority and legal right to execute, deliver, and perform
its duties and comply with its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) Distributor represents and warrants that it is a business
corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Delaware and has full corporate power, authority and legal
right to execute, deliver, and perform its duties and comply with its
obligations under this Agreement.
(e) Distributor represents and warrants that the Fund is a corporation
duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the
State of Maryland and has full power, authority, and legal right to execute,
deliver, and perform its duties and comply with its obligations under this
Agreement.
(f) Adviser represents and warrants that it is a limited partnership,
duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
State of Delaware and has full power, authority, and legal right to execute,
deliver, and perform its duties and comply with its obligations under this
Agreement.
4.3 Securities Laws.
(a) Insurer represents and warrants that (i) interests in the Separate
Account pursuant to the Contracts will be registered under the 1933 Act to the
extent required by the 1933 Act and the Contracts will be duly authorized for
issuance and sold in compliance with [State] law, (ii) the Separate Account is
and will remain registered under the 1940 Act to the extent required by the 1940
Act, (iii) the Separate Account does and will comply in all material respects
with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, (iv) the
Separate Account's 1933 Act registration statement relating to the Contracts,
together with any amendments thereto, will, at all times comply in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules thereunder, and (v)
the Separate Account Prospectus will at all times comply in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules thereunder.
(b) The Adviser and Distributor represent and warrant that (i) Fund
shares sold pursuant to this Agreement will be registered under the 1933 Act to
the extent required by the 1933 Act and duly authorized for issuance and sold in
compliance with Maryland law, (ii) the Fund is and will remain registered under
the 1940 Act to the extent required by the 1940 Act, (iii) the Fund will amend
the registration statement for its shares under the 1933 Act and itself under
the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous
offering of its shares, (iv) the Fund does and will comply in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, (v) the
Fund's 1933 Act registration statement, together with any amendments thereto,
will at all times comply in all material respects with the requirements of the
1933 Act and rules thereunder, and (vi) the Fund Prospectus will at all times
comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the
rules thereunder.
(c) The Fund will register and qualify its shares for sale in
accordance with the laws of any state or other jurisdiction only if and to the
extent reasonably deemed advisable by the Fund, Insurer or any other life
insurance company utilizing the Fund.
(d) Distributor and Contracts Distributor each represents and warrants
that it is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is a member in good standing of the
National Association of Securities Dealers Inc. (the "NASD").
4.4 Notice of Certain Proceedings and Other Circumstances.
(a) Distributor or the Fund shall immediately notify Insurer of (i) the
issuance by any court or regulatory body of any stop order, cease and desist
order, or other similar order with respect to the Fund's registration statement
under the 1933 Act or the Fund Prospectus, (ii) any request by the SEC for any
amendment to such registration statement or Fund Prospectus, (iii) the
initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or for any other purpose relating
to the registration or offering of the Fund's shares, or (iv) any other action
or circumstances that may prevent the lawful offer or sale of Fund shares in any
state or jurisdiction, including, without limitation, any circumstances in which
(x) the Fund's shares are not registered and, in all material respects, issued
and sold in accordance with applicable state and federal law or (y) such law
precludes the use of such shares as an underlying investment medium of the
Contracts issued or to be issued by Insurer. Distributor and the Fund will make
every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any such stop order, cease
and desist order or similar order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain
the lifting thereof at the earliest possible time.
(b) Insurer and Contracts Distributor shall immediately notify the Fund
of (i) the issuance by any court or regulatory body of any stop order, cease and
desist order or similar order with respect to the Separate Account's
registration statement under the 1933 Act relating to the Contracts or the
Separate Account Prospectus, (ii) any request by the SEC for any amendment to
such registration statement or Separate Account Prospectus, (iii) the initiation
of any proceedings for that purpose or for any other purpose relating to the
registration or offering of the Separate Account interests pursuant to the
Contracts, or (iv) any other action or circumstances that may prevent the lawful
offer or sale of said interests in any state or jurisdiction, including, without
limitation, any circumstances in which said interests are not registered and, in
all material respects, issued and sold in accordance with applicable state and
federal law. Insurer and Contracts Distributor will make every reasonable effort
to prevent the issuance of any such stop order, cease and desist order or
similar order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at
the earliest possible time.
4.5 Insurer to Provide Documents.
Upon request, Insurer will provide the Fund and the Distributor one
complete copy of SEC registration statements, Separate Account Prospectuses,
reports, any preliminary and final voting instruction solicitation material,
applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and amendments to
any of the above, that relate to the Separate Account or the Contracts,
contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or other
regulatory authorities.
4.6 Fund to Provide Documents.
Upon request, the Fund will provide to Insurer one complete copy of SEC
registration statements, Fund Prospectuses, reports, any preliminary and final
proxy material, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and
all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares,
contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or other
regulatory authorities.
Section 5. Mixed and Shared Funding
5.1 General.
The Fund has obtained an order exempting it from certain provisions of
the 1940 Act and rules thereunder so that the Fund is available for investment
by certain other entities, including, without limitation, separate accounts
funding variable life insurance policies and separate accounts of insurance
companies unaffiliated with Insurer ("Mixed and Shared Funding Order"). The
Parties recognize that the SEC has imposed terms and conditions for such orders
that are substantially identical to many of the provisions of this Section 5.
5.2 Disinterested Directors.
The Fund agrees that its Board of Directors shall at all times consist
of directors a majority of whom (the "Disinterested Directors") are not
interested persons of Adviser or Distributor within the meaning of Section
2(a)(I 9) of the 1940 Act.
5.3 Monitoring for Material Irreconcilable Conflicts.
The Fund agrees that its Board of Directors will monitor for the
existence of any material irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the
participants in all separate accounts of life insurance companies utilizing the
Fund, including the Separate Account. Insurer agrees to inform the Board of
Directors of the Fund of the existence of or any potential for any such material
irreconcilable conflict of which it is aware. The concept of a "material
irreconcilable conflict" is not defined by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder,
but the Parties recognize that such a conflict may arise for a variety of
reasons, including, without limitation:
(a) an action by any state insurance or other regulatory
authority;
(b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance, tax or
securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter ruling,
no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance, tax or
securities regulatory authorities;
(c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant
proceeding;
(d) the manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are
being managed;
(e) a difference in voting instructions given by variable annuity
contract and variable life insurance contract participants or by participants of
different life insurance companies utilizing the Fund; or
(f) a decision by a life insurance company utilizing the Fund to
disregard the voting instructions of participants.
Insurer will assist the Board of Directors in carrying out its
responsibilities by providing the Board of Directors with all information
reasonably necessary for the Board of Directors to consider any issue raised,
including information as to a decision by Insurer to disregard voting
instructions of Participants.
5.4 Conflict Remedies.
(a) It is agreed that if it is determined by a majority of the members
of the Board of Directors or a majority of the Disinterested Directors that a
material irreconcilable conflict exists, Insurer and the other life insurance
companies utilizing the Fund will, at their own expense and to the extent
reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the Disinterested
Directors), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or eliminate the
material irreconcilable conflict, which steps may include, but are not limited
to:
(i) withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate
accounts from the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in
a different investment medium, including another Portfolio of the
Fund, or submitting the question whether such segregation should be
implemented to a vote of all affected participants and, as
appropriate, segregating the assets of any particular group (e.g.,
annuity contract owners or participants, life insurance contract
owners or all contract owners and participants of one or more life
insurance companies utilizing the Fund) that votes in favor of such
segregation, or offering to the affected contract owners or
participants the option of making such a change; and
(ii) establishing a new registered investment company of the type defined
as a "Management Company" in Section 4(3) of the 1940 Act or a new
separate account that is operated as a Management Company.
(b) If the material irreconcilable conflict arises because of Insurer's
decision to disregard Participant voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, Insurer may be
required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the Separate Account's investment
in the Fund. No charge or penalty will be imposed as a result of such
withdrawal. Any such withdrawal must take place within six months after the Fund
gives notice to Insurer that this provision is being implemented, and until such
withdrawal Distributor and the Fund shall continue to accept and implement
orders by Insurer for the purchase and redemption of shares of the Fund.
(c) If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to Insurer conflicts with the
majority of other state regulators, then Insurer will withdraw the Separate
Account's investment in the Fund within six months after the Fund's Board of
Directors informs Insurer that it has determined that such decision has created
a material irreconcilable conflict, and until such withdrawal Distributor and
Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by Insurer for the purchase
and redemption of shares of the Fund.
(d) Insurer agrees that any remedial action taken by it in resolving
any material irreconcilable conflict will be carried out at its expense and with
a view only to the interests of Participants.
(e) For purposes hereof, a majority of the Disinterested Directors will
determine whether or not any proposed action adequately remedies any material
irreconcilable conflict. In no event, however, will the Fund or Distributor be
required to establish a new funding medium for any Contracts. Insurer will not
be required by the terms hereof to establish a new funding medium for any
Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a majority of
Participants materially adversely affected by the material irreconcilable
conflict.
5.5 Notice to Insurer.
The Fund will promptly make known in writing to Insurer the Board of
Directors' determination of the existence of a material irreconcilable conflict,
a description of the facts that give rise to such conflict and the implications
of such conflict.
5.6 Information Requested by Board of Directors.
Insurer and the Fund will at least annually submit to the Board of
Directors of the Fund such reports, materials or data as the Board of Directors
may reasonably request so that the Board of Directors may fully carry out the
obligations imposed upon it by the provisions hereof, and said reports,
materials and data will be submitted at any reasonable time deemed appropriate
by the Board of Directors. All reports received by the Board of Directors of
potential or existing conflicts, and all Board of Directors actions with regard
to determining the existence of a conflict, notifying life insurance companies
utilizing the Fund of a conflict, and determining whether any proposed action
adequately remedies a conflict, will be properly recorded in the minutes of the
Board of Directors or other appropriate records, and such minutes or other
records will be made available to the SEC upon request.
5.7 Compliance with SEC Rules.
If, at any time during which the Fund is serving an investment medium
for variable life insurance policies, 1940 Act Rules 6e-3(T) or, if applicable,
6e-2 are amended or Rule 6e-3 is adopted to provide exemptive relief with
respect to mixed and shared funding, the Parties agree that they will comply
with the terms and conditions thereof and that the terms of this Section 5 shall
be deemed modified if and only to the extent required in order also to comply
with the terms and conditions of such exemptive relief that is afforded by any
of said rules that are applicable.
Section 6. Termination
6.1 Events of Termination.
Subject to Section 6.4 below, this Agreement will terminate as to a
Portfolio:
(a) at the option of Insurer or Distributor upon at least six
months advance written notice to the
other Parties, or
(b) at the option of the Fund upon (i) at least sixty days advance
written notice to the other parties, and (ii) approval by (x) a majority of the
disinterested Directors upon a finding that a continuation of this Contract is
contrary to the best interests of the Fund, or (y) a majority vote of the shares
of the affected Portfolio in the corresponding Division of the Separate Account
(pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement for voting
Trust shares in accordance with Participant instructions).
(c) at the option of the Fund upon institution of formal proceedings
against Insurer or Contracts Distributor by the NASD, the SEC, any state
insurance regulator or any other regulatory body regarding Insurer's obligations
under this Agreement or related to the sale of the Contracts, the operation of
the Separate Account, or the purchase of the Fund shares, if, in each case, the
Fund reasonably determines that such proceedings, or the facts on which such
proceedings would be based, have a material likelihood of imposing material
adverse consequences on the Portfolio to be terminated; or
(d) at the option of Insurer upon institution of formal proceedings
against the Fund, Adviser, or Distributor by the NASD, the SEC, or any state
insurance regulator or any other regulatory body regarding the Fund's, Adviser's
or Distributor's obligations under this Agreement or related to the operation or
management of the Fund or the purchase of Fund shares, if, in each case, Insurer
reasonably determines that such proceedings, or the facts on which such
proceedings would be based, have a material likelihood of imposing material
adverse consequences on Insurer, Contracts Distributor or the Division
corresponding to the Portfolio to be terminated; or
(e) at the option of any Party in the event that (i) the Portfolio's
shares are not registered and, in all material respects, issued and sold in
accordance with any applicable state and federal law or (ii) such law precludes
the use of such shares as an underlying investment medium of the Contracts
issued or to be issued by Insurer; or
(f) upon termination of the corresponding Division's investment in the
Portfolio pursuant to Section 5 hereof; or
(g) at the option of Insurer if the Portfolio ceases to qualify as a
RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or under successor or similar provisions; or
(h) at the option of Insurer if the Portfolio fails to comply with
Section 817(h) of the Code or with successor or similar provisions; or
(i) at the option of Insurer if Insurer reasonably believes that any
change in a Fund's investment adviser or investment practices will materially
increase the risks incurred by Insurer.
6.2 Funds to Remain Available.
Except (i) as necessary to implement Participant-initiated
transactions, (ii) as required by state insurance laws or regulations, (iii) as
required pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement, or (iv) with respect to any
Portfolio as to which this Agreement has terminated, Insurer shall not (x)
redeem Fund shares attributable to the Contracts, or (y) prevent Participants
from allocating payments to or transferring amounts from a Portfolio that was
otherwise available under the Contracts, until, in either case, 90 calendar days
after Insurer shall have notified the Fund or Distributor of its intention to do
so.
6.3 Survival of Warranties and Indemnifications.
All warranties and indemnifications will survive the termination of
this Agreement.
6.4 Continuance of Agreement for Certain Purposes.
Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Distributor
shall continue to make available shares of the Portfolios pursuant to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective
date of termination of this Agreement (the "Existing Contracts"), except as
otherwise provided under Section 5 of this Agreement. Specifically, and without
limitation, the Distributor shall facilitate the sale and purchase of shares of
the Portfolios as necessary in order to process premium payments, surrenders and
other withdrawals, and transfers or reallocations of values under Existing
Contracts.
Section 7. Parties to Cooperate Respecting Termination
The other Parties hereto agree to cooperate with and give reasonable
assistance to Insurer in taking all necessary and appropriate steps for the
purpose of ensuring that the Separate Account owns no shares of a Portfolio
after the Final Termination Date with respect thereto.
Section 8. Assignment
This Agreement may not be assigned by any Party, except with the
written consent of each other Party.
Section 9. Notices
Notices and communications required or permitted by Section 2 hereof
will be given by means mutually acceptable to the Parties concerned. Each other
notice or communication required or permitted by this Agreement will be given to
the following persons at the following addresses and facsimile numbers, or such
other persons, addresses or facsimile numbers as the Party receiving such
notices or communications may subsequently direct in writing:
Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity
Company
Corporate Secretary
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Transamerica Securities Sales Corporation
Transamerica Center
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Alliance Fund Distributors, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx XX 00000
Attn.: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
FAX: (000) 000-0000
Alliance Capital Management L.P.
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
FAX: (000) 000-0000
Section 10. Voting Procedures
Subject to the cost allocation procedures set forth in Section 3
hereof, Insurer will distribute all proxy material furnished by the Fund to
Participants and will vote Fund shares in accordance with instructions received
from Participants. Insurer will vote Fund shares that are (a) not attributable
to Participants or (b) attributable to Participants, but for which no
instructions have been received, in the same proportion as Fund shares for which
said instructions have been received from Participants. Insurer agrees that it
will disregard Participant voting instructions only to the extent it would be
permitted to do so pursuant to Rule 6e-3 (T)(b)(15)(iii) under the 1940 Act if
the Contracts were variable life insurance policies subject to that rule. Other
participating life insurance companies utilizing the Fund will be responsible
for calculating voting privileges in a manner consistent with that of Insurer,
as prescribed by this Section 10.
Section 11. Foreign Tax Credits
The Adviser agrees to consult in advance with Insurer concerning any
decision to elect or not to elect pursuant to Section 853 of the Code to pass
through the benefit of any foreign tax credits to the Fund's shareholders.
Section 12. Indemnification
12.1 Of Fund, Distributor and Adviser by Insurer.
(a) Except to the extent provided in Sections 12.1(b) and 12.1(c),
below, Insurer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, Distributor and
Adviser, each of their directors and officers, and each person, if any, who
controls the Fund, Distributor or Adviser within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this
Section 12. 1) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of Insurer) or
actions in respect thereof (including, to the extent reasonable, legal and other
expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any
statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or actions are related to the sale, acquisition, or holding
of the Fund's shares and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the Separate Account's
1933 Act registration statement, the Separate Account Prospectus, the
Contracts or, to the extent prepared by Insurer or Contracts
Distributor, sales literature or advertising for the Contracts (or any
amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or
are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading; provided that this agreement to
indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such
statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made
in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to
Insurer or Contracts Distributor by or on behalf of the Fund,
Distributor or Adviser for use in the Separate Account's 1933 Act
registration statement, the Separate Account Prospectus, the
Contracts, or sales literature or advertising (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing); or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of any other statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the Fund's 1933
Act registration statement, Fund Prospectus, sales literature or
advertising of the Fund, or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing, not supplied for use therein by or on behalf of Insurer or
Contracts Distributor) or the negligent, illegal or fraudulent conduct
of Insurer or Contracts Distributor or persons under their control
(including, without limitation, their employee and "Associated
Persons," as that term is defined in paragraph (m) of Article I of the
NASD's By-Laws), in connection with the sale or distribution of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii)arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the Fund's 1933 Act
registration statement, Fund Prospectus, sales literature or
advertising of the Fund, or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading if such a statement or omission was
made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to
the Fund, Adviser or Distributor by or on behalf of Insurer or
Contracts Distributor for use in the Fund's 1933 Act registration
statement, Fund Prospectus, sales literature or advertising of the
Fund, or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by Insurer or Contracts
Distributor to perform the obligations, provide the services
and furnish the materials required of them under the terms of
this Agreement.
(b) Insurer shall not be liable under this Section 12.1 with respect to
any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions to which an Indemnified
Party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or
gross negligence in the performance by that Indemnified Party of its duties or
by reason of that Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations or
duties under this Agreement or to Distributor or to the Fund.
(c) Insurer shall not be liable under this Section 12.1 with respect to
any action against an Indemnified Party unless the Fund, Distributor or Adviser
shall have notified Insurer in writing within a reasonable time after the
summons or other first legal process giving information of the nature of the
action shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such
Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify Insurer of any such action shall not relieve
Insurer from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against
whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this Section 12. 1. In
case any such action is brought against an Indemnified Party, Insurer shall be
entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense of such action.
Insurer also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel
approved by the Indemnified Party named in the action, which approval shall not
be unreasonably withheld. After notice from Insurer to such Indemnified Party of
Insurer's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party will
cooperate fully with Insurer and shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and Insurer will not be liable to such
Indemnified Party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party independently in connection with
the defense thereof, other than reasonable costs of investigation.
12.2 Indemnification of Insurer and Contracts Distributor by
Adviser and Distributor.
(a) Except to the extent provided in Sections 12.2(d) and 12.2(e),
below, Adviser and Distributor
agree to indemnify and hold harmless Insurer and Contracts Distributor, each of
their directors and officers, and each person, if any, who controls Insurer or
Contracts Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 12.2)
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid
in settlement with the written consent of Adviser) or actions in respect thereof
(including, to the extent reasonable, legal and other expenses) to which the
Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions are
related to the sale, acquisition, or holding of the Fund's shares and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the Fund's 1933 Act
registration statement, Fund Prospectus, sales literature or
advertising of the Fund or, to the extent not prepared by Insurer or
Contracts Distributor, sales literature or advertising for the
Contracts (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or
arise out of or are based upon the omission o the alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided that
this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified
Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to Distributor, Adviser or the Fund by or on behalf of
Insurer or Contracts Distributor for use in the Fund's 1933 Act
registration statement, Fund Prospectus, or in sales literature or
advertising (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing);
or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of any other statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the Separate
Account's 1933 Act registration statement, Separate Account
Prospectus, sales literature or advertising for the Contracts, or any
amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, not supplied for use
therein by or on behalf of Distributor, Adviser, or the Fund) or the
negligent, illegal or fraudulent conduct of the Fund, Distributor,
Adviser or persons under their control (including, without limitation,
their employees and Associated Persons), in connection with the sale
or distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii)arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the Separate Account's
1933 Act registration statement, Separate Account Prospectus, sales
literature or advertising covering the Contracts, or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing, or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if
such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished to Insurer or Contracts Distributor by or
on behalf of the Fund, Distributor or Adviser for use in the Separate
Account's 1933 Act registration statement, Separate Account
Prospectus, sales literature or advertising covering the Contracts, or
any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing;
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund, Adviser or
Distributor to perform the obligations, provide the services
and furnish the materials required of them under the terms of
this Agreement;
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Adviser or
Distributor in this Agreement (including a failure, whether
unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with
the diversification and Sub-Chapter M qualification
requirements specified in Section 4 of this Agreement) or
arise out of or result form any other material breach of this
Agreement by the Adviser or Distributor; or
(vi) arise out of or result from the materially incorrect or
untimely calculation or reporting of the daily net asset value
per share or dividend or capital gain distribution rate.
(b) Except to the extent provided in Sections 12.2(d) and 12.2(e)
hereof, Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnified Parties
from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including
amounts paid in settlement thereof with, except as set forth in Section 12.2(c)
below, the written consent of Adviser) or actions in respect thereof (including,
to the extent reasonable, legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject directly or indirectly under any statute, at common
law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
actions directly or indirectly result from or arise out of the failure of any
Portfolio to operate as a regulated investment company in compliance with (i)
Subchapter M of the Code and regulations thereunder and (ii) Section 817(h) of
the Code and regulations thereunder (except to the extent that such failure is
caused by Insurer), including, without limitation, any income taxes and related
penalties, rescission charges, liability under state law to Contract owners or
Participants asserting liability against Insurer or Contracts Distributor
pursuant to the Contracts, the costs of any ruling and closing agreement or
other settlement with the Internal Revenue Service, and the cost of any
substitution by Insurer of shares of another investment company or portfolio for
those of any adversely affected Portfolio as a funding medium for the Separate
Account that Insurer deems necessary or appropriate as a result of the
noncompliance.
(c) The written consent of Adviser referred to in Section 12.2(b) above
shall not be required with respect to amounts paid in connection with any ruling
and closing agreement or other settlement with the Internal Revenue Service.
(d) Adviser shall not be liable under this Section 12.2 with respect to
any losses, claims; damages, liabilities or actions to which an Indemnified
Party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or
gross negligence in the performance by that Indemnified Party of its duties or
by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of its obligations and
duties under this Agreement or to Insurer, Contracts Distributor or the Separate
Account.
(e) Adviser shall not be liable under this Section 12.2 with respect to
any action against an Indemnified Party unless Insurer or Contracts Distributor
shall have notified Adviser in writing within a reasonable time after the
summons or other first legal process giving information of the nature of the
action shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such
Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify Adviser of any such action shall not relieve
Adviser from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against
whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this Section 12.2. In
case any such action is brought against an Indemnified Party, Adviser will be
entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense of such action.
Adviser also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof (which shall
include, without limitation, the conduct of any ruling request and closing
agreement or other settlement proceeding with the Internal Revenue Service),
with counsel approved by the Indemnified Party named in the action, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. After notice from Adviser to such
Indemnified Party of Adviser's election to assume the defense thereof, the
Indemnified Party will cooperate fully with Adviser and shall bear the fees and
expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and Adviser will not be
liable to such Indemnified Party under this Agreement for any legal or other
expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party independently in
connection with the defense thereof, other than reasonable costs of
investigation.
12.3 Effect of Notice.
Any notice given by the indemnifying Party to an Indemnified Party
referred to in Section 12.1(c) or 12.2(e) above of participation in or control
of any action by the indemnifying Party will in no event be deemed to be an
admission by the indemnifying Party of liability, culpability or responsibility,
and the indemnifying Party will remain free to contest liability with respect to
the claim among the Parties or otherwise.
Section 13. Applicable Law
This Agreement will be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted
under and in accordance with New York law, without regard for that state's
principles of conflict of laws.
Section 14. Execution in Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together will constitute one and the same
instrument.
Section 15. Severability
If any provision of this Agreement is held or made invalid by a court
decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement will not
be affected thereby.
Section 16. Rights Cumulative
The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and obligations,
at law or in equity, that the Parties are entitled to under federal and state
laws.
Section 17. Restrictions on Sales of Fund Shares
Insurer agrees that the Fund will be permitted (subject to the other terms of
this
Agreement) to make its shares available to separate accounts of other
life insurance companies.
Section 18. Headings
The Table of Contents and headings used in this Agreement are for
purposes of reference only and shall not limit or define the meaning of the
provisions of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be
executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized
officers signing below.
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE
AND ANNUITY COMPANY
By:
Name:
Title:
TRANSAMERICA SECURITIES SALES
CORPORATION
By:
Name:
Title:
ALLIANCE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP
By: Alliance Capital Management Corporation,
its General Partner
By:
Name:
Title:
ALLIANCE FUND DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By:
Name:
Title:
S:\DEPT550\DREW\AGREEMEN\PART-AGR.TR2
FUND PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
This Agreement is entered into as of the day of _________, 1998, between
Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company a life insurance company
organized under the laws of the State of North Carolina ("Insurance Company"),
and DREYFUS VARIABLE INVESTMENT FUND("Fund").
----
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1 "Act" shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
1.2 "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors or Trustees, as the case may be,
of a Fund, which has the responsibility for management and control of the Fund.
1.3 "Business Day" shall mean any day for which a Fund calculates net asset
value per share as described in the Fund's Prospectus.
1.4 "Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.5 "Contract" shall mean a variable annuity or life insurance contract that
uses any Participating Fund (as defined below) as an underlying investment
medium. Individuals who participate under a group Contract are "Participants."
1.6 "Contractholder" shall mean any entity that is a party to a Contract with a
Participating Company (as defined below).
1.7 "Disinterested Board Members" shall mean those members of the Board of a
Fund that are not deemed to be "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined
by the Act.
1.8 "Dreyfus" shall mean The Dreyfus Corporation and its affiliates, including
Dreyfus Service Corporation.
1.9 "Participating Companies" shall mean any insurance company (including
Insurance Company) that offers variable annuity and/or variable life insurance
contracts to the public and that has entered into an agreement with one or more
of the Funds.
1.10 "Participating Fund" shall mean each Fund, including, as applicable, any
series thereof, specified in Exhibit A, as such Exhibit may be amended from time
to time by agreement of the parties hereto, the shares of which are available to
serve as the underlying investment medium for the aforesaid Contracts.
1.11 "Prospectus" shall mean the current prospectus and statement of additional
information of a Fund, as most recently filed with the Commission.
1.12 "Separate Account" shall mean Separate Account VA-7, a separate account
established by Insurance Company in accordance with the laws of the State of
North Carolina.
1.13 "Software Program" shall mean the software program used by a Fund for
providing Fund and account balance information including net asset value per
share. Such Program may include the Lion System. In situations where the Lion
System or any other Software Program used by a Fund is not available, such
information may be provided by telephone. The Lion System shall be provided to
Insurance Company at no charge.
1.14 "Insurance Company's General Account(s)" shall mean the general account(s)
of Insurance Company and its affiliates that invest in a Fund.
ARTICLE II
REPRESENTATIONS
2.1 Insurance Company represents and warrants that (a) it is an insurance
company duly organized and in good standing under applicable law; (b) it has
legally and validly established the Separate Account pursuant to the North
Carolina Insurance Code for the purpose of offering to the public certain
individual and group variable annuity and life insurance contracts; (c) it has
registered the Separate Account as a unit investment trust under the Act to
serve as the segregated investment account for the Contracts; and (d) the
Separate Account is eligible to invest in shares of each Participating Fund
without such investment disqualifying any Participating Fund as an investment
medium for insurance company separate accounts supporting variable annuity
contracts or variable life insurance contracts.
2.2 Insurance Company represents and warrants that (a) the Contracts will be
described in a registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended ("1933 Act"); (b) the Contracts will be issued and sold in compliance in
all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws; and (c) the
sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with state insurance
law requirements. Insurance Company agrees to notify each Participating Fund
promptly of any investment restrictions imposed by state insurance law and
applicable to the Participating Fund.
2.3 Insurance Company represents and warrants that the income, gains and losses,
whether or not realized, from assets allocated to the Separate Account are, in
accordance with the applicable Contracts, to be credited to or charged against
such Separate Account without regard to other income, gains or losses from
assets allocated to any other accounts of Insurance Company. Insurance Company
represents and warrants that the assets of the Separate Account are and will be
kept separate from Insurance Company's General Account and any other separate
accounts Insurance Company may have, and will not be charged with liabilities
from any business that Insurance Company may conduct or the liabilities of any
companies affiliated with Insurance Company.
2.4 Each Participating Fund represents that it is registered with the Commission
under the Act as an open-end, management investment company and possesses, and
shall maintain, all legal and regulatory licenses, approvals, consents and/or
exemptions required for the Participating Fund to operate and offer its shares
as an underlying investment medium for Participating Companies.
2.5 Each Participating Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code"), and that it will make every effort to maintain
such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision)
and that it will notify Insurance Company immediately upon having a reasonable
basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so
qualify in the future.
2.6 Insurance Company represents and agrees that the Contracts are currently,
and at the time of issuance will be, treated as life insurance policies or
annuity contracts, whichever is appropriate, under applicable provisions of the
Code, and that it will make every effort to maintain such treatment and that it
will notify each Participating Fund and Dreyfus immediately upon having a
reasonable basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so treated
or that they might not be so treated in the future. Insurance Company agrees
that any prospectus offering a Contract that is a "modified endowment contract,"
as that term is defined in Section 7702A of the Code, will identify such
Contract as a modified endowment contract (or policy).
2.7 Each Participating Fund agrees that its assets shall be managed and invested
in a manner that complies with the requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code.
2.8 Insurance Company agrees that each Participating Fund shall be permitted
(subject to the other terms of this Agreement) to make its shares available to
other Participating Companies and Contractholders.
2.9 Each Participating Fund represents and warrants that any of its directors,
trustees, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities who deal with the money and/or securities of the
Participating Fund are and shall continue to be at all times covered by a
blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Participating
Fund in an amount not less than that required by Rule 17g-1 under the Act. The
aforesaid Bond shall include coverage for larceny and
embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.10 Insurance Company represents and warrants that all of its employees and
agents who deal with the money and/or securities of each Participating Fund
are and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage in an amount not less than the coverage required to be
maintained by the Participating Fund. The aforesaid Bond shall include coverage
for larceny and embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.11 Insurance Company agrees that Dreyfus shall be deemed a third party
beneficiary under this Agreement and may enforce any and all rights conferred by
virtue of this Agreement.
ARTICLE III
FUND SHARES
3.1 The Contracts funded through the Separate Account will provide for the
investment of certain amounts in shares of each Participating Fund.
3.2 Each Participating Fund agrees to make its shares available for purchase at
the then applicable net asset value per share by Insurance Company and the
Separate Account on each Business Day pursuant to rules of the Commission.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Participating Fund may refuse to sell its
shares to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of its shares, if
such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction
or is, in the sole discretion of its Board, acting in good faith and in light of
its fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary and
in the best interests of the Participating Fund's shareholders.
3.3 Each Participating Fund agrees that shares of the Participating Fund will be
sold only to (a) Participating Companies and their separate accounts or
(b) "qualified pension or retirement plans" as determined under Section 817(h)
(4) of the Code. Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 3.3, no shares of
any Participating Fund will be sold to the general public.
3.4 Each Participating Fund shall use its best efforts to provide closing net
asset value, dividend and capital gain information on a per-share basis to
Insurance Company by 6:00 p.m. Eastern time on each Business Day. Any material
errors in the calculation of net asset value, dividend and capital gain
information shall be reported immediately upon discovery to Insurance Company.
Non-material errors will be corrected in the next Business Day's net asset
value per share.
3.5 At the end of each Business Day, Insurance Company will use the information
described in Sections 3.2 and 3.4 to calculate the unit values of the Separate
Account for the day. Using this unit value, Insurance Company will process the
day's Separate Account transactions received by it by the close of trading on
the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) to
determine the net dollar amount of each Participating Fund's shares that will be
purchased or redeemed at that day's closing net asset value per share. The net
purchase or redemption orders will be transmitted to each Participating Fund by
Insurance Company by 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on the Business Day next following
Insurance Company's receipt of that information. Subject to Sections 3.6 and
3.8, all purchase and redemption orders for Insurance Company's General Accounts
shall be effected at the net asset value per share of each Participating Fund
next calculated after receipt of the order by the Participating Fund or its
Transfer Agent.
3.6 Each Participating Fund appoints Insurance Company as its agent for the
limited purpose of accepting orders for the purchase and redemption of
Participating Fund shares for the Separate Account. Each Participating
Fund will execute orders at the applicable net asset value per share
determined as of the close of trading on the day of receipt of such
orders by Insurance Company acting as agent ("effective trade date"),
provided that the Participating Fund receives notice of such orders by
11:00 a.m. Eastern time on the next following Business Day and, if such
orders request the purchase of Participating Fund shares, the
conditions specified in Section 3.8, as applicable, are satisfied. A
redemption or purchase request that does not satisfy the conditions
specified above and in Section 3.8, as applicable, will be effected at
the net asset value per share computed on the Business Day immediately
preceding the next following Business Day upon which such conditions
have been satisfied in accordance with the requirements of this Section
and Section 3.8. Insurance Company represents and warrants that all
orders submitted by the Insurance Company for execution on the
effective trade date shall represent purchase or redemption orders
received from Contractholders prior to the close of trading on the New
York Stock Exchange on the effective trade date.
3.7 Insurance Company will make its best efforts to notify each applicable
Participating Fund in advance of any unusually large purchase or redemption
orders.
3.8 If Insurance Company's order requests the purchase of a Participating
Fund's shares, Insurance Company will pay for such purchases by wiring
Federal Funds to the Participating Fund or its designated custodial
account on the day the order is transmitted. Insurance Company shall
make all reasonable efforts to transmit to the applicable Participating
Fund payment in Federal Funds by 12:00 noon Eastern time on the
Business Day the Participating Fund receives the notice of the order
pursuant to Section 3.5. Each applicable Participating Fund will
execute such orders at the applicable net asset value per share
determined as of the close of trading on the effective trade date if
the Participating Fund receives payment in Federal Funds by 12:00
midnight Eastern time on the Business Day the Participating Fund
receives the notice of the order pursuant to Section 3.5. If payment in
Federal Funds for any purchase is not received or is received by a
Participating Fund after 12:00 noon Eastern time on such Business Day,
Insurance Company shall promptly, upon each applicable Participating
Fund's request, reimburse the respective Participating Fund for any
charges, costs, fees, interest or other expenses incurred by the
Participating Fund in connection with any advances to, or borrowings or
overdrafts by, the Participating Fund, or any similar expenses incurred
by the Participating Fund, as a result of portfolio transactions
effected by the Participating Fund based upon such purchase request. If
Insurance Company's order requests the redemption of any Participating
Fund's shares valued at or greater than $1 million dollars, the
Participating Fund will wire such amount to Insurance Company within
seven days of the order.
3.9 Each Participating Fund has the obligation to ensure that its shares are
registered with applicable federal agencies at all times.
3.10 Each Participating Fund will confirm each purchase or redemption order made
by Insurance Company. Transfer of Participating Fund shares will
be by book entry only. No share certificates will be issued to Insurance
Company. Insurance Company will record shares ordered from a Participating Fund
in an appropriate title for the corresponding account.
3.11 Each Participating Fund shall credit Insurance Company with the appropriate
number of shares.
3.12 On each ex-dividend date of a Participating Fund or, if not a Business Day,
on the first Business Day thereafter, each Participating Fund shall
communicate to Insurance Company the amount of dividend and capital gain, if
any, per share. All dividends and capital gains shall be automatically
reinvested in additional shares of the applicable Participating Fund at the
net asset value per share on the ex-dividend date. Each Participating Fund
shall, on the day after the ex-dividend date or, if not
a Business Day, on the first Business Day thereafter, notify Insurance
Company of the number of shares so issued.
ARTICLE IV
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
4.1 Each Participating Fund shall provide monthly statements of account as of
the end of each month for all of Insurance Company's accounts by the fifteenth
(15th) Business Day of the following month.
4.2 Each Participating Fund shall distribute to Insurance Company copies of the
Participating Fund's Prospectuses, proxy materials, notices, periodic
reports and other printed materials (which the Participating Fund customarily
provides to its shareholders) in quantities as Insurance Company may reasonably
request for distribution to each Contractholder and Participant.
4.3 Each Participating Fund will provide to Insurance Company at least one
complete copy of all registration statements, Prospectuses, reports, proxy
statements, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for
exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the
above, that relate to the Participating Fund or its shares, contemporaneously
with the filing of such document with the Commission or other regulatory
authorities.
4.4 Insurance Company will provide to each Participating Fund at least one copy
of all registration statements, Prospectuses, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that
relate to the Contracts or the Separate Account, contemporaneously with the
filing of such document with the Commission.
ARTICLE V
EXPENSES
5.1 The charge to each Participating Fund for all expenses and costs of the
Participating Fund, including but not limited to management fees, administrative
expenses and legal and regulatory costs, will be made in the determination of
the Participating Fund's daily net asset value per share so as to accumulate to
an annual charge at the rate set forth in the Participating Fund's Prospectus.
Excluded from the expense limitation described herein shall be brokerage
commissions and transaction fees and extraordinary expenses.
5.2 Except as provided in this Article V and, in particular in the next
sentence, Insurance Company shall not be required to pay directly any expenses
of any Participating Fund or expenses relating to the distribution of its
shares. Insurance Company shall pay the following expenses or costs:
a. Such amount of the production expenses of any Participating Fund
materials, including the cost of printing a Participating Fund's Prospectus, or
marketing materials for prospective Insurance Company Contractholders and
Participants as Dreyfus and Insurance Company shall agree from time to time.
b. Distribution expenses of any Participating Fund materials or
marketing materials for prospective Insurance Company Contractholders and
Participants.
c. Distribution expenses of any Participating Fund materials or
marketing materials for Insurance Company Contractholders and Participants.
Except as provided herein, all other expenses of each Participating
Fund shall not be borne by Insurance Company.
ARTICLE VI
6. EXEMPTIVE RELIEF
6.1 Insurance Company has reviewed a copy of (i) the amended order dated
December 31, 1997 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under
Section 6(c) of the Act with respect to Dreyfus Variable Investment
Fund and Dreyfus Life and Annuity Index Fund, Inc.; and (ii) the order
dated February 5, 1998 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under
Section 6(c) of the Act with respect to The Dreyfus Socially
Responsible Growth Fund, Inc. and Dreyfus Investment Portfolios, and,
in particular, has reviewed the conditions to the relief set forth in
each related Notice. As set forth therein, if Dreyfus Variable
Investment Fund, Dreyfus Life and Annuity Index Fund, Inc., The Dreyfus
Socially Responsible Growth Fund, Inc. or Dreyfus Investment Portfolios
is a Participating Fund, Insurance Company agrees, as applicable, to
report any potential or existing conflicts promptly to the respective
Board of Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund, Dreyfus Life and Annuity
Index Fund, Inc., The Dreyfus Socially Responsible Growth Fund, Inc.
and/or Dreyfus Investment Portfolios, and, in particular, whenever
contract voting instructions are disregarded, and recognizes that it
will be responsible for assisting each applicable Board in carrying out
its responsibilities under such application. Insurance Company agrees
to carry out such responsibilities with a view to the interests of
existing Contractholders.
6.2 If a majority of the Board, or a majority of Disinterested Board Members,
determines that a material irreconcilable conflict exists with regard to
Contractholder investments in a Participating Fund, the Board shall give prompt
notice to all Participating Companies and any other Participating Fund. If the
Board determines that Insurance Company is responsible for causing or creating
said conflict, Insurance Company shall at its sole cost and expense, and to the
extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the Disinterested
Board Members), take such action as is necessary to remedy or eliminate the
irreconcilable material conflict. Such necessary action may include, but shall
not be limited to:
a. Withdrawing the assets allocable to the Separate Account from
the Participating Fund and reinvesting such assets in another
Participating Fund (if applicable) or a different investment medium,
or submitting the question of whether such segregation should be
implemented to a vote of all affected Contractholders; and/or
b. Establishing a new registered management investment company.
6.3 If a material irreconcilable conflict arises as a result of a decision by
Insurance Company to disregard Contractholder voting instructions and said
decision represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote by all
Contractholders having an interest in a Participating Fund, Insurance Company
may be required, at the Board's election, to withdraw the investments of the
Separate Account in that Participating Fund.
6.4 For the purpose of this Article, a majority of the Disinterested Board
Members shall determine whether or not any proposed action adequately remedies
any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event will any Participating
Fund be required to bear the expense of establishing a new funding medium for
any Contract. Insurance Company shall not be required by this Article to
establish a new funding medium for any Contract if an offer to do so has been
declined by vote of a majority of the Contractholders materially adversely
affected by the irreconcilable material conflict.
6.5 No action by Insurance Company taken or omitted, and no action by the
Separate Account or any Participating Fund taken or omitted as a result of any
act or failure to act by Insurance Company pursuant to this Article VI, shall
relieve Insurance Company of its obligations under, or otherwise affect the
operation of, Article V.
ARTICLE VII
VOTING OF PARTICIPATING FUND SHARES
7.1 Each Participating Fund shall provide Insurance Company with copies, at no
cost to Insurance Company, of the Participating Fund's proxy material, reports
to shareholders and other communications to shareholders in such quantity as
Insurance Company shall reasonably require for distributing to Contractholders
or Participants.
Insurance Company shall:
(a) solicit voting instructions from Contractholders or
Participants on a timely basis and in accordance with applicable law;
(b) vote the Participating Fund shares in accordance with instructions
received from Contractholders or Participants; and
(c) vote the Participating Fund shares for which no instructions have
been received in the same proportion as Participating Fund shares for which
instructions have been received.
Insurance Company agrees at all times to vote its General Account
shares in the same proportion as the Participating Fund shares for which
instructions have been received from Contractholders or Participants.
Insurance Company further agrees to be responsible for assuring that voting
the Participating Fund shares for the Separate Account is conducted in a manner
consistent with other Participating Companies.
7.2 Insurance Company agrees that it shall not, without the prior written
consent of each applicable Participating Fund and Dreyfus, solicit, induce or
encourage Contractholders to (a) change or supplement the Participating Fund's
current investment adviser or (b) change, modify, substitute, add to or delete
from the current investment media for the Contracts.
ARTICLE VIII
MARKETING AND REPRESENTATIONS
8.1 Each Participating Fund or its underwriter shall periodically furnish
Insurance Company with the following documents, in quantities as Insurance
Company may reasonably request:
a. Current Prospectus and any supplements thereto; and
b. Other marketing materials.
Expenses for the production of such documents shall be borne by
Insurance Company in accordance with Section 5.2 of this Agreement.
8.2 Insurance Company shall designate certain persons or entities that shall
have the requisite licenses to solicit applications for the sale of Contracts.
No representation is made as to the number or amount of Contracts that are to be
sold by Insurance Company. Insurance Company shall make reasonable efforts to
market the Contracts and shall comply with all applicable federal and state laws
in connection therewith.
8.3 Insurance Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to each
applicable Participating Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature or
other promotional material in which the Participating Fund, its investment
adviser or the administrator is named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to
its use. No such material shall be used unless the Participating Fund or its
designee approves such material. Such approval (if given) must be in writing and
shall be presumed not given if not received within ten Business Days after
receipt of such material. Each applicable Participating Fund or its designee, as
the case may be, shall use all reasonable efforts to respond within ten days of
receipt.
8.4 Insurance Company shall not give any information or make any representations
or statements on behalf of a Participating Fund or concerning a Participating
Fund in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or Prospectus of, as may
be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements
for, the applicable Participating Fund, or in sales literature or other
promotional material approved by the applicable Participating Fund.
8.5 Each Participating Fund shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to
Insurance Company, each piece of the Participating Fund's sales literature or
other promotional material in which Insurance Company or the Separate Account is
named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall
be used unless Insurance Company approves such material. Such approval (if
given) must be in writing and shall be presumed not given if not received within
ten Business Days after receipt of such material. Insurance Company shall use
all reasonable efforts to respond within ten days of receipt.
8.6 Each Participating Fund shall not, in connection with the sale of
Participating Fund shares, give any information or make any representations on
behalf of Insurance Company or concerning Insurance Company, the Separate
Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as may be
amended or supplemented from time to time, or in published reports for the
Separate Account that are in the public domain or approved by Insurance Company
for distribution to Contractholders or Participants, or in sales literature or
other promotional material approved by Insurance Company.
8.7 For purposes of this Agreement, the phrase "sales literature or other
promotional material" or words of similar import include, without
limitation, advertisements (such as material published, or designed for
use, in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical, radio, television,
telephone or tape recording, videotape display, signs or billboards,
motion pictures or other public media), sales literature (such as any
written communication distributed or made generally available to
customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, or reprints or
excerpts of any other advertisement, sales literature, or published
article), educational or training materials or other communications
distributed or made generally available to some or all agents or
employees, registration statements, prospectuses, statements of
additional information, shareholder reports and proxy materials, and
any other material constituting sales literature or advertising under
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. rules, the Act or the
1933 Act.
ARTICLE IX
INDEMNIFICATION
9.1 Insurance Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Participating
Fund, Dreyfus, each respective Participating Fund's investment adviser and
sub-investment adviser (if applicable), each respective Participating Fund's
distributor, and their respective affiliates, and each of their directors,
trustees, officers, employees, agents and each person, if any, who controls or
is associated with any of the foregoing entities or persons within the meaning
of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of Section
9.1), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities joint or
several (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably
incurred in connection with, and any amounts paid in settlement of, any action,
suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) for which the Indemnified Parties may
become subject, under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect to thereof) (i) arise out of or
are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material
fact contained in information furnished by Insurance Company for use in the
registration statement or Prospectus or sales literature or advertisements of
the respective Participating Fund or with respect to the Separate Account or
Contracts, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) arise out of or as
a result of conduct, statements or representations (other than statements or
representations contained in the Prospectus and sales literature or
advertisements of the respective Participating Fund) of Insurance Company or its
agents, with respect to the sale and distribution of Contracts for which the
respective Participating Fund's shares are an underlying investment; (iii) arise
out of the wrongful conduct of Insurance Company or persons under its control
with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or the respective
Participating Fund's shares; (iv) arise out of Insurance Company's incorrect
calculation and/or untimely reporting of net purchase or redemption orders; or
(v) arise out of any breach by Insurance Company of a material term of this
Agreement or as a result of any failure by Insurance Company to provide the
services and furnish the materials or to make any payments provided for in this
Agreement. Insurance Company will reimburse any Indemnified Party in connection
with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or
action; provided, however, that with respect to clauses (i) and (ii) above
Insurance Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any
such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission made in such registration statement,
prospectus, sales literature, or advertisement in conformity with written
information furnished to Insurance Company by the respective Participating Fund
specifically for use therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to
any liability which Insurance Company may otherwise have.
9.2 Each Participating Fund severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
Insurance Company and each of its directors, officers, employees,
agents and each person, if any, who controls Insurance Company within
the meaning of the 1933 Act against any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities to which Insurance Company or any such director, officer,
employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the
1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (1) arise out of or are
based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact contained in the registration statement or Prospectus or
sales literature or advertisements of the respective Participating
Fund; (2) arise out of or are based upon the omission to state in the
registration statement or Prospectus or sales literature or
advertisements of the respective Participating Fund any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading; or (3) arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in the registration statement or Prospectus or sales
literature or advertisements with respect to the Separate Account or
the Contracts and such statements were based on information provided to
Insurance Company by the respective Participating Fund; and the
respective Participating Fund will reimburse any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by Insurance Company or any such director,
officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or
action; provided, however, that the respective Participating Fund will
not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim,
damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement
or omission or alleged omission made in such registration statement,
Prospectus, sales literature or advertisements in conformity with
written information furnished to the respective Participating Fund by
Insurance Company specifically for use therein. This indemnity
agreement will be in addition to any liability which the respective
Participating Fund may otherwise have.
9.3 Each Participating Fund severally shall indemnify and hold Insurance
Company harmless against any and all liability, loss, damages, costs or
expenses which Insurance Company may incur, suffer or be required to
pay due to the respective Participating Fund's (1) incorrect
calculation of the daily net asset value, dividend rate or capital gain
distribution rate; (2) incorrect reporting of the daily net asset
value, dividend rate or capital gain distribution rate; and (3)
untimely reporting of the net asset value, dividend rate or capital
gain distribution rate; provided that the respective Participating Fund
shall have no obligation to indemnify and hold harmless Insurance
Company if the incorrect calculation or incorrect or untimely reporting
was the result of incorrect information furnished by Insurance Company
or information furnished untimely by Insurance Company or otherwise as
a result of or relating to a breach of this Agreement by Insurance
Company.
9.4 Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Article of
notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will,
if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying
party under this Article, notify the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof. The omission to so notify the indemnifying party
will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability under this
Article IX, except to the extent that the omission results in a failure
of actual notice to the indemnifying party and such indemnifying party
is damaged solely as a result of the failure to give such notice. In
case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and it
notified the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the
indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the
extent that it may wish, assume the defense thereof, with counsel
satisfactory to such indemnified party, and to the extent that the
indemnifying party has given notice to such effect to the indemnified
party and is performing its obligations under this Article, the
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the
defense thereof, other than reasonable costs of investigation.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any such proceeding, any indemnified
party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and
expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified
party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall
have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named
parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties)
include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and
representation of both parties by the same counsel would be
inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between
them. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of
any proceeding effected without its written consent.
A successor by law of the parties to this Agreement shall be entitled
to the benefits of the indemnification contained in this Article IX. The
provisions of this Article IX shall survive termination of this Agreement.
9.5 Insurance Company shall indemnify and hold each respective Participating
Fund, Dreyfus and sub-investment adviser of the Participating Fund harmless
against any tax liability incurred by the Participating Fund under Section 851
of the Code arising from purchases or redemptions by Insurance Company's General
Accounts or the account of its affiliates.
ARTICLE X
COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION
10.1 This Agreement shall be effective as of the date hereof and shall continue
in force until terminated in accordance with the provisions herein.
10.2 This Agreement shall terminate without penalty:
a. As to any Participating Fund, at the option of Insurance
Company or the Participating Fund at any time from the date hereof
upon 180 days' notice, unless a shorter time is agreed to by the
respective Participating Fund and Insurance Company;
b. As to any Participating Fund, at the option of Insurance
Company, if shares of that Participating Fund are not reasonably
available to meet the requirements of the Contracts as determined by
Insurance Company. Prompt notice of election to terminate shall be
furnished by Insurance Company, said termination to be effective ten
days after receipt of notice unless the Participating Fund makes
available a sufficient number of shares to meet the requirements of
the Contracts within said ten- day period;
c. As to a Participating Fund, at the option of Insurance
Company, upon the institution of formal proceedings against that
Participating Fund by the Commission, National Association of
Securities Dealers or any other regulatory body, the expected or
anticipated ruling, judgment or outcome of which would, in Insurance
Company's reasonable judgment, materially impair that Participating
Fund's ability to meet and perform the Participating Fund's
obligations and duties hereunder. Prompt notice of election to
terminate shall be furnished by Insurance Company with said
termination to be effective upon receipt of notice;
d. As to a Participating Fund, at the option of each
Participating Fund, upon the institution of formal proceedings against
Insurance Company by the Commission, National Association of
Securities Dealers or any other regulatory body, the expected or
anticipated ruling, judgment or outcome of which would, in the
Participating Fund's reasonable judgment, materially impair Insurance
Company's ability to meet and perform Insurance Company's obligations
and duties hereunder. Prompt notice of election to terminate shall be
furnished by such Participating Fund with said termination to be
effective upon receipt of notice;
e. As to a Participating Fund, at the option of that
Participating Fund, if the Participating Fund shall determine,
in its sole judgment reasonably exercised in good faith, that
Insurance Company has suffered a material adverse change in
its business or financial condition or is the subject of
material adverse publicity and such material adverse change or
material adverse publicity is likely to have a material
adverse impact upon the business and operation of that
Participating Fund or Dreyfus, such Participating Fund shall
notify Insurance Company in writing of such determination and
its intent to terminate this Agreement, and after considering
the actions taken by Insurance Company and any other changes
in circumstances since the giving of such notice, such
determination of the Participating Fund shall continue to
apply on the sixtieth (60th) day following the giving of such
notice, which sixtieth day shall be the effective date of
termination;
f. As to a Participating Fund, upon termination of the Investment
Advisory Agreement between that Participating Fund and Dreyfus or its successors
unless Insurance Company specifically approves the selection of a new
Participating Fund investment adviser. Such Participating Fund shall promptly
furnish notice of such termination to Insurance Company;
g. As to a Participating Fund, in the event that Participating Fund's
shares are not registered, issued or sold in accordance with applicabl
federal law, or such law precludes the use of such shares as the underlying
investment medium of Contracts issued or to be issued by Insurance Company.
Termination shall be effective immediately as to that Participating Fund only
upon such occurrence without notice;
h. At the option of a Participating Fund upon a determination by its
Board in good faith that it is no longer advisable and in the best
interests of shareholders of that Participating Fund to continue to operate
pursuant to this Agreement. Termination pursuant to this Subsection (h) shall be
effective upon notice by such Participating Fund to Insurance Company of such
termination;
i. At the option of a Participating Fund if the Contracts cease to
qualify as annuity contracts or life insurance policies, as applicable, under
the Code, or if such Participating Fund reasonably believes that the Contracts
may fail to so qualify;
j. At the option of any party to this Agreement, upon another party's
breach of any material provision of this Agreement;
k. At the option of a Participating Fund, if the Contracts are not
registered, issued or sold in accordance with applicable federal and/or
state law; or
l. Upon assignment of this Agreement, unless made with the written
consent of every other non-assigning party.
Any such termination pursuant to Section 10.2a, 10.2d, 10.2e,
10.2f or 10.2k herein shall not affect the operation of Article V of
this Agreement. Any termination of this Agreement shall not affect the
operation of Article IX of this Agreement.
10.3 Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section
10.2 hereof, each Participating Fund and Dreyfus may, at the option of
the Participating Fund, continue to make available additional shares of
that Participating Fund for as long as the Participating Fund desires
pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement as provided
below, for all Contracts in effect on the effective date of termination
of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing Contracts").
Specifically, without limitation, if that Participating Fund and
Dreyfus so elect to make additional Participating Fund shares
available, the owners of the Existing Contracts or Insurance Company,
whichever shall have legal authority to do so, shall be permitted to
reallocate investments in that Participating Fund, redeem investments
in that Participating Fund and/or invest in that Participating Fund
upon the making of additional purchase payments under the Existing
Contracts. In the event of a termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 10.2 hereof, such Participating Fund and Dreyfus, as promptly
as is practicable under the circumstances, shall notify Insurance
Company whether Dreyfus and that Participating Fund will continue to
make that Participating Fund's shares available after such termination.
If such Participating Fund shares continue to be made available after
such termination, the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in
effect and thereafter either of that Participating Fund or Insurance
Company may terminate the Agreement as to that Participating Fund, as
so continued pursuant to this Section 10.3, upon prior written notice
to the other party, such notice to be for a period that is reasonable
under the circumstances but, if given by the Participating Fund, need
not be for more than six months.
10.4 Termination of this Agreement as to any one Participating Fund shall not be
deemed a termination as to any other Participating Fund unless Insurance
Company or such other Participating Fund, as the case may be, terminates this
Agreement as to such other Participating Fund in accordance with this Article X.
ARTICLE XI
AMENDMENTS
11.1 Any other changes in the terms of this Agreement, except for the addition
or deletion of any Participating Fund as specified in Exhibit A, shall be made
by agreement in writing between Insurance Company and each
respective Participating Fund.
ARTICLE XII
NOTICE
12.1 Each notice required by this Agreement shall be given by certified mail,
return receipt requested, to the appropriate parties at the following addresses:
Insurance Company: Transamerica Life Insurance
and Annuity Company
000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Participating Funds: Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund
c/o Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attn: Vice President and Assistant Secretary
with copies to: [Name of Fund]
c/o The Dreyfus Corporation
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq.
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Esq.
Stroock & Stroock & Xxxxx
000 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
Attn: Xxxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Esq.
Notice shall be deemed to be given on the date of receipt by the
addresses as evidenced by the return receipt.
ARTICLE XIII
12.
MISCELLANEOUS
13.1 This Agreement has been executed on behalf of each Fund by the undersigned
officer of the Fund in his capacity as an officer of the Fund. The obligations
of this Agreement shall only be binding upon the assets and property of the Fund
and shall not be binding upon any director, trustee, officer or shareholder of
the Fund individually. It is agreed that the obligations of the Funds are
several and not joint, that no Fund shall be liable for any amount owing by
another Fund and that the Funds have executed one instrument for convenience
only.
ARTICLE XIV
LAW
14.1 This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws of
the State of North Carolina, without giving effect to principles of conflict
of laws.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement to be duly
executed and attested as of the date first above written.
Transamerica Life Insurance
And Annuity Company
By:
Its:
Attest:_____________________
DREYFUS VARIABLE INVESTMENT FUND
By:
Its:
Attest:_____________________
EXHIBIT A
LIST OF PARTICIPATING FUNDS
N:\BMH\XXX\TRANSAME\PARTAGT.TLI
JANUS ASPEN SERIES
FUND PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made this ____ day of __________, 199_, between JANUS
ASPEN SERIES, an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware
business trust (the "Trust"), JANUS CAPITAL CORPORATION (the "Adviser"), a
Colorado Corporation and the investment adviser to the Trust, and TRANSAMERICA
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY, a life insurance company organized under the
laws of the State of North Carolina (the "Company"), on its own behalf and on
behalf of each segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A,
as may be amended from time to time (the "Accounts").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Trust has registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission as an open-end management investment company under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and has registered the offer
and sale of its shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to act as an investment vehicle for separate
accounts established for variable life insurance policies and variable annuity
contracts to be offered by insurance companies that have entered into
participation agreements with the Trust (the "Participating Insurance
Companies"); and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Trust is divided into several
series of shares, each series representing an interest in a particular managed
portfolio of securities and other assets (the "Portfolios"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust has received an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission granting Participating Insurance Companies and their
separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a)
and 15(b) of the 1940 Act, and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder,
to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Trust to be sold to and held by
variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of both
affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies and certain qualified
pension and retirement plans (the "Exemptive Order"); and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register (unless
registration is not required under applicable law) certain variable life
insurance policies and/or variable annuity contracts under the 1933 Act (the
"Contracts"); and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register (unless
registration is not required under applicable law) each Account as a unit
investment trust under the 1940 Act; and
-16-
N:\BMH\XXX\TRANSAME\PARTAGT.TLI
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940,
as amended;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to utilize shares of one or more
Portfolios as an investment vehicle of the
Accounts;
WHEREAS, the Company may contract with an Administrator to perform
certain administrative services with regard to the Contracts and Account(s) and,
therefore, certain obligations of the Trust and/or Adviser shall be directed to
the Administrator, as directed by the Company.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the parties
agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Sale of Trust Shares
1.1 The Trust and the Adviser shall make shares of the Trust's
Portfolios available to the Accounts at the net asset value next computed after
receipt of such purchase order by the Trust (or its agent), as established in
accordance with the provisions of the then current prospectus of the Trust.
Shares of a particular Portfolio of the Trust shall be ordered in such
quantities and at such times as determined by the Company or its Administrator
to be necessary to meet the requirements of the Contracts. The Trustees of the
Trust (the "Trustees") may refuse to sell shares of any Portfolio to any person,
or suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if such action
is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or is, in
the sole discretion of the Trustees acting in good faith and in light of their
fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in the
best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.2 The Trust will redeem any full or fractional shares of any
Portfolio when requested by the Company or its Administrator on behalf of an
Account at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Trust (or its
agent) of the request for redemption, as established in accordance with the
provisions of the then current prospectus of the Trust.
1.3 For the purposes of Sections 1.1 and 1.2, the Trust hereby appoints
the Company as its agent for the limited purpose of receiving and accepting
purchase and redemption orders resulting from investment in and payments under
the Contracts. Receipt by the Company shall constitute receipt by the Trust
provided that i) such orders are received by the Company in good order prior to
the time the net asset value of each Portfolio is priced in accordance with its
prospectus and ii) the Trust receives notice of such orders by 11:00 a.m. New
York time on the next following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day
on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading unless the Trust is not
required to calculate its net asset value on such a day pursuant to the rules of
the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
1.4 Purchase orders that are transmitted to the Trust in accordance
with Section 1.3 shall be paid for no later than 12:00 noon New York time on the
same Business Day that the Trust receives notice of the order. The Trust shall
use its best efforts to make payment for redemption orders transmitted to the
Trust in accordance with Section 1.3 by 3:00 p.m. New York time on the same
Business Day that the Trust receives notice of the order, but in no event shall
payment be delayed for a greater period than is permitted by the 1940 Act.
Payments shall be made in federal funds transmitted by wire.
1.5 Issuance and transfer of the Trust's shares will be by book entry
only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or the Account.
Shares ordered from the Trust will be recorded in the appropriate title for each
Account or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
1.6 The Trust shall furnish prompt notice to the Company or its
Administrator, as specified by the Company, of any income dividends or capital
gain distributions payable on the Trust's shares prior to the payment of such
dividends. The Company hereby elects to receive all such income dividends and
capital gain distributions as are payable on a Portfolio's shares in additional
shares of that Portfolio. The Trust shall notify the Company or its
Administrator, as specified by the Company, of the number of shares so issued as
payment of such dividends and distributions prior to the payment of such
dividends.
1.7 The Trust shall make the net asset value per share for each
Portfolio available to the Company or its Administrator, as specified by the
Company, on a daily basis every Business Day as soon as reasonably practical
after the net asset value per share is calculated and shall use its best efforts
to make such net asset value per share available by 6 p.m. New York time.
1.8 The Trust and the Adviser agree that the Trust's shares will be
sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts and
to certain qualified pension and retirement plans to the extent permitted by the
Exemptive Order. No shares of any Portfolio will be sold directly to the general
public. The Company agrees that Trust shares will be used only for the purposes
of funding the Contracts and Accounts listed in Schedule A, as amended from time
to time.
1.9 The Trust and the Adviser agree that all Participating Insurance
Companies shall have the obligations and responsibilities regarding pass-through
voting and conflicts of interest corresponding to those contained in Section 2.8
and Article IV of this Agreement.
1.10 If the Trust provides materially incorrect share net asset value
information through no fault of the Company, the Company shall be entitled to an
adjustment with respect to the Trust shares purchased or redeemed to reflect the
correct net asset value per share. The determination of the materiality of any
net asset value pricing error shall be based on the SEC's recommended guidelines
regarding such errors. The correction of any such errors shall be made at the
Company level and shall be made pursuant to the SEC's recommended guidelines.
Any material error in the calculation or reporting of net asset value per share,
dividend or capital gain information shall be reported promptly upon discovery
to the Company.
ARTICLE II
Obligations of the Parties
2.1 The Trust and the Adviser shall prepare and be responsible for
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any state regulators
requiring such filing all shareholder reports, notices, proxy materials (or
similar materials such as voting instruction solicitation materials),
prospectuses, statements of additional information, and fund profiles (upon the
adoption of Rule 498 under the 0000 Xxx) of the Trust. The Trust shall bear the
costs of registration and qualification of its shares, preparation and filing of
the documents listed in this Section 2.1 and all taxes to which an issuer is
subject on the issuance and transfer of its shares.
2.2 At the option of the Company, the Trust shall either (a) provide
the Company (at the Company's expense) with as many copies of the current
prospectus, annual report, semi-annual report, fund profiles and other
shareholder communications, including any amendments or supplements to any of
the foregoing, for the Trust's Portfolios in which the Accounts invest, as the
Company shall reasonably request; or (b) provide the Company with a camera ready
copy of such documents in a form suitable for printing. The Trust shall provide
the Company with a copy of its statement of additional information in a form
suitable for duplication by the Company. The Trust (at its expense) shall
provide the Company with copies of any Trust-sponsored proxy materials in such
quantity as the Company shall reasonably require for distribution to Contract
owners.
2.3 The Company shall bear the costs of printing and distributing the
Trust's prospectus, statement of additional information, shareholder reports and
other shareholder communications to owners of and applicants for policies for
which the Trust is serving or is to serve as an investment vehicle. The Company
shall bear the costs of distributing proxy materials (or similar materials such
as voting solicitation instructions) to Contract owners. The Company assumes
sole responsibility for ensuring that such materials are delivered to Contract
owners in accordance with applicable federal and state securities laws.
2.4 The Company agrees and acknowledges that the Adviser is the sole
owner of the name and xxxx "Janus" and that all use of any designation comprised
in whole or part of Janus (a "Xxxxx Xxxx") under this Agreement shall inure to
the benefit of the Adviser. Except as provided in Section 2.5, the Company shall
not use any Xxxxx Xxxx on its own behalf or on behalf of the Accounts or
Contracts in any registration statement, advertisement, sales literature or
other materials relating to the Accounts or Contracts without the prior written
consent of the Adviser. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the
Company shall cease all use of any Xxxxx Xxxx(s) as soon as reasonably
practicable except with respect to shares of the Trust that continue to be made
available to Contract owners in accordance with Section 6.2.
2.5 The Company shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Trust
or its designee, a copy of each Contract prospectus or statement of additional
information in which the Trust or the Adviser is named prior to the filing of
such document with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company shall
furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Trust or its designee, each
piece of sales literature or other promotional material in which the Trust or
the Adviser is named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such
material shall be used if the Trust or its designee reasonably objects to such
use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
2.6 The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Trust or concerning the Trust or
the Adviser in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than information
or representations contained in and accurately derived from the registration
statement or prospectus for the Trust shares (as such registration statement and
prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time), reports of the
Trust, Trust-sponsored proxy statements, or in sales literature or other
promotional material approved by the Trust or its designee, except as required
by legal process or regulatory authorities or with the written permission of the
Trust or its designee.
2.7 The Trust and the Adviser shall not give any information or make
any representations or statements on behalf of the Company or concerning the
Company, the Accounts or the Contracts other than information or representations
contained in and accurately derived from the registration statement or
prospectus for the Contracts (as such registration statement and prospectus may
be amended or supplemented from time to time), or in materials approved by the
Company for distribution including sales literature or other promotional
materials, except as required by legal process or regulatory authorities or with
the written permission of the Company.
2.8 So long as, and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange
Commission interprets the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges for
variable policyowners, the Company will provide pass-through voting privileges
to owners of policies whose cash values are invested, through the Accounts, in
shares of the Trust. The Trust shall require all Participating Insurance
Companies to calculate voting privileges in the same manner and the Company
shall be responsible for assuring that the Accounts calculate voting privileges
in the manner established by the Trust. With respect to each Account, the
Company will vote shares of the Trust held by the Account and for which no
timely voting instructions from policyowners are received as well as shares it
owns that are held by that Account, in the same proportion as those shares for
which voting instructions are received. The Company and its agents will in no
way recommend or oppose or interfere with the solicitation of proxies for Trust
shares held by Contract owners without the prior written consent of the Trust,
which consent may be withheld in the Trust's sole discretion.
2.9 The Company shall notify the Trust of any applicable state
insurance laws that restrict the Portfolios' investments or otherwise affect the
operation of the Trust and shall notify the Trust of any changes in such laws.
ARTICLE III
Representations and Warranties
3.1 The Company represents and warrants that it is an insurance company
duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the State of North
Carolina and that it has legally and validly established each Account as a
segregated asset account under such law.
3.2 The Company represents and warrants that each Account (1) has been
registered or, prior to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will be
registered as a unit investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the
1940 Act or, alternatively (2) has not been registered in proper reliance upon
an exclusion from registration under the 0000 Xxx.
3.3 The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts or interests
in the Accounts (1) are or, prior to issuance, will be registered as securities
under the 1933 Act or, alternatively (2) are not registered because they are
properly exempt from registration under the 1933 Act or will be offered
exclusively in transactions that are properly exempt from registration under the
1933 Act. The Company further represents and warrants that the Contracts will be
issued in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and
state laws and the Company represents and warrants that it will make every
effort to see that the Contracts are sold in compliance in all material respects
with all applicable federal and state laws and that the sale of the Contracts
shall comply in all material respects with state insurance suitability
requirements.
3.4 The Trust and the Adviser represent and warrant that the Trust is
duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
3.5 The Trust and the Adviser represent and warrant that the Trust
shares offered and sold pursuant to this Agreement will be registered under the
1933 Act and the Trust shall be registered under the 1940 Act prior to any
issuance or sale of such shares. The Trust shall amend its registration
statement under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in
order to effect the continuous offering of its shares. The Trust shall register
and qualify its shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the various
states only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Trust.
3.6 The Trust and the Adviser represent and warrant that the
investments of each Portfolio will comply with the diversification requirements
set forth in Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and the rules and regulations thereunder, that the Trust and Adviser will notify
the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the
Trust or any Portfolio has ceased to meet such diversification requirements and
will immediately take steps to adequately diversify the Trust and/or Portfolio
to achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by Treas. Reg. Section
1.817-5.
3.7 the Trust and the Adviser represent and warrant that the Trust and
each Portfolio is currently qualified as a regulated investment company under
Subchapter M of the Code, that they will maintain that qualification and that
they will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that the Trust has ceased to qualify or may not qualify in the future.
ARTICLE IV
Potential Conflicts
4.1 The parties acknowledge that the Trust's shares may be made
available for investment to other Participating Insurance Companies. In such
event, the Trustees will monitor the Trust for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all
Participating Insurance Companies. An irreconcilable material conflict may arise
for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance
regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance,
tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter
ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance,
tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial
decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of
any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given
by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f)
a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract
owners. The Trustees shall promptly inform the Company if they determine that an
irreconcilable material conflict exists and the implications thereof.
4.2 The Company agrees to promptly report any potential or existing
conflicts of which it is aware to the Trustees. The Company will assist the
Trustees in carrying out their responsibilities under the Exemptive Order by
providing the Trustees with all information reasonably necessary for the
Trustees to consider any issues raised including, but not limited to,
information as to a decision by the Company to disregard Contract owner voting
instructions.
4.3 If it is determined by a majority of the Trustees, or a majority of
its disinterested Trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists that
affects the interests of Contract owners, the Company shall, in cooperation with
other Participating Insurance Companies whose contract owners are also affected,
at its expense and to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by the
Trustees) take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or eliminate the
irreconcilable material conflict, which steps could include: (a) withdrawing the
assets allocable to some or all of the Accounts from the Trust or any Portfolio
and reinvesting such assets in a different investment medium, including (but not
limited to) another Portfolio of the Trust, or submitting the question of
whether or not such segregation should be implemented to a vote of all affected
Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of any appropriate
group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract owners, or
variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that
votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected Contract owners
the option of making such a change; and (b) establishing a new registered
management investment company or managed separate account.
4.4 If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision
by the Company to disregard Contract owner voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the Company
may be required, at the Trust's election, to withdraw the affected Account's
investment in the Trust and terminate this Agreement with respect to such
Account; provided, however that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited
to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of the disinterested Trustees. Any such withdrawal and
termination must take place within six (6) months after the Trust gives written
notice that this provision is being implemented. Until the end of such six (6)
month period, the Trust shall continue to accept and implement orders by the
Company for the purchase and redemption of shares of the Trust.
4.5 If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company conflicts with
the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the
affected Account's investment in the Trust and terminate this Agreement with
respect to such Account within six (6) months after the Trustees inform the
Company in writing that it has determined that such decision has created an
irreconcilable material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and
termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material
irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested
Trustees. Until the end of such six (6) month period, the Trust shall continue
to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase and redemption of
shares of the Trust.
4.6 For purposes of Sections 4.3 through 4.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the disinterested Trustees shall determine whether any proposed
action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event
will the Company be required to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts
if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a majority of Contract owners
materially adversely affected by the irreconcilable material conflict. In the
event that the Trustees determine that any proposed action does not adequately
remedy any irreconcilable material conflict, then the Company will withdraw the
Account's investment in the Trust and terminate this Agreement within six (6)
months after the Trustees inform the Company in writing of the foregoing
determination; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be
limited to the extent required by any such material irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of the disinterested Trustees.
4.7 The Company shall at least annually submit to the Trustees such
reports, materials or data as the Trustees may reasonably request so that the
Trustees may fully carry out the duties imposed upon them by the Exemptive
Order, and said reports, materials and data shall be submitted more frequently
if deemed appropriate by the Trustees.
4.8 If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended,
or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the
1940 Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared
funding (as defined in the Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions materially
different from those contained in the Exemptive Order, then the Trust and/or the
Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may
be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3,
as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable.
ARTICLE V
Indemnification
5.1 Indemnification By the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Trust, the Adviser, and each of their Trustees, Directors,
officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls the Trust
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified
Parties" for purposes of this Article V) against any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written
consent of the Company) or expenses (including the reasonable costs of
investigating or defending any alleged loss, claim, damage, liability or expense
and reasonable legal counsel fees incurred in connection therewith)
(collectively, "Losses"), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject
under any statute or regulation, or at common law or otherwise, insofar as such
Losses:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or
alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained in a
registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts or in the
Contracts themselves or in sales literature generated or approved by
the Company on behalf of the Contracts or Accounts (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing) (collectively, "Company Documents"
for the purposes of this Article V), or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this indemnity shall not apply as
to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and was accurately
derived from written information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of the Trust for use in Company Documents or otherwise for use
in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
(b) arise out of or result from statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in and accurately
derived from Trust Documents as defined in Section 5.2(a)) or wrongful
conduct of the Company or persons under its control, with respect to
the sale or acquisition of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
(c) arise out of or result from any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in Trust
Documents as defined in Section 5.2(a) or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading if such
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and accurately derived
from written information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the
Company; or
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Company to
provide the services or furnish the materials required under the terms
of this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or
arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement
by the Company.
5.2 Indemnification By the Trust and the Adviser. The Trust and the
Adviser agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its
directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls
the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Article V) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Trust or the Adviser) or expenses (including the
reasonable costs of investigating or defending any alleged loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense and reasonable legal counsel fees incurred in connection
therewith) (collectively, "Losses"), to which the Indemnified Parties may become
subject under any statute or regulation, or at common law or otherwise, insofar
as such Losses:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or
alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained in the
registration statement or prospectus for the Trust (or any amendment or
supplement thereto), (collectively, "Trust Documents" for the purposes
of this Article V), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this indemnity shall not apply as to any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and was accurately
derived from written information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf
of the Company for use in Trust Documents or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
(b) arise out of or result from statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in and accurately
derived from Company Documents) or wrongful conduct of the Trust or
Adviser or persons under its control, with respect to the sale or
acquisition of the Contracts or Trust shares; or
(c) arise out of or result from any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in Company
Documents or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading if such statement or omission was
made in reliance upon and accurately derived from written information
furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Trust or the Adviser;
or
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Trust or
the Adviser to provide the services or furnish the materials required
under the terms of this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Trust or the Adviser in this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in good faith
or otherwise, to comply with the diversification or Sub-Chapter M
requirements of Article III of this Agreement) or arise out of or
result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Trust or
the Adviser.
(f) arise out of or result from the materially incorrect or
untimely calculation or reporting of the daily net asset value per
share or dividend or capital gain distribution rate.
5.3 Neither the Company nor the Trust or the Adviser shall be liable
under the indemnification provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2, as applicable, with
respect to any Losses incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party that
arise from such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence
in the performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such
Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this
Agreement.
5.4 Neither the Company nor the Trust or the Adviser shall be liable
under the indemnification provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2, as applicable, with
respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified
Party shall have notified the other party in writing within a reasonable time
after the summons, or other first written notification, giving information of
the nature of the claim shall have been served upon or otherwise received by
such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received
notice of service upon or other notification to any designated agent), but
failure to notify the party against whom indemnification is sought of any such
claim shall not relieve that party from any liability which it may have to the
Indemnified Party in the absence of Sections 5.1 and 5.2.
5.5 In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties,
the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in
the defense of such action. The indemnifying party also shall be entitled to
assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the party
named in the action. After notice from the indemnifying party to the Indemnified
Party of an election to assume such defense, the Indemnified Party shall bear
the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the
indemnifying party will not be liable to the Indemnified Party under this
Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party
independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs
of investigation.
ARTICLE VI
Termination
6.1 This Agreement may be terminated
(a) by any party for any reason by ninety (90) days' advance
written notice delivered to the other parties.
(b) at the option of the Company to the extent that the
Portfolios are not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the
Contracts or are not "appropriate funding vehicles" for the Contracts,
as reasonably determined by the Company. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Portfolios would not be "appropriate
funding vehicles" if, for example, such Portfolios did not meet the
diversification or other requirements referred to in Article III
hereof; or if the Company would be permitted to disregard Contract
owner voting instructions pursuant to Rule 6e-2 or 6e-3(T) under the
1940 Act. Prompt notice of the election to terminate for such cause and
an explanation of such cause shall be furnished to the Trust by the
Company; or
(c) at the option of the Trust or the Adviser upon institution
of formal proceedings against the Company by the NASD, the SEC, or any
insurance department or other regulatory body regarding the Company's
duties under this Agreement or related to the sale of the Contracts,
the operation of the Accounts, or the purchase of the shares of the
Portfolios; or
(d) at the option of the Company upon institution of formal
proceedings against the Trust by the NASD, the SEC, or any state
securities or insurance department or any other regulatory body
regarding the Trust's or the Adviser's duties under this Agreement or
related to the sale of the shares of the Portfolios; or
(e) at the option of the Company, the Trust or the Adviser
upon receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals and/or the vote of
the Contract owners having an interest in the Accounts (or any
subaccounts) to substitute the shares of another investment company for
the corresponding Portfolio shares in accordance with the terms of the
Contracts for which those Portfolio shares had been selected to serve
as the underlying investment media. The Company will give thirty (30)
days' prior written notice to the Trust of the date of any proposed
vote or other action taken to replace the Portfolio shares; or
(f) termination by either the Trust or the Adviser by written
notice to the Company, if either one or both of the Trust or the
Adviser respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment exercised
in good faith, that the Company has suffered a material adverse change
in its business, operations, financial condition, or prospects since
the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse
publicity; or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to the Trust
and the Adviser, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Trust or the Adviser has suffered a
material adverse change in this business, operations, financial
condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the
subject of material adverse publicity; or
(h) at the option of any party to this Agreement, upon another
party's material breach of any provision of this Agreement; or
(i) upon assignment of this Agreement, unless made with the
written consent of the parties hereto.
6.2 Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Trust and
the Adviser shall, at the option of the Company, continue to make available
additional shares of the Trust (or any Portfolio) pursuant to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement for all Contracts in
effect on the effective date of termination of this Agreement, provided
that the Company continues to pay the costs set forth in Section 2.3.
6.3 The provisions of Article V shall survive the termination of this
Agreement, and the provisions of Article IV and Section 2.8 shall survive the
termination of this Agreement as long as shares of the Trust are held on behalf
of Contract owners in accordance with Section 6.2.
ARTICLE VII
Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail to the other party at the address of such party set forth below
or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing
to the other party.
If to the Trust:
Janus Aspen Series
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: General Counsel
If to the Adviser:
Janus Capital Corporation
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: General Counsel
If to the Company:
Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
ARTICLE VIII
Miscellaneous
8.1 The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
8.2 This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
8.3 If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by
a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
8.4 This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of North
Carolina.
8.5 The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all
liabilities of the Trust arising, directly or indirectly, under this Agreement,
of any and every nature whatsoever, shall be satisfied solely out of the assets
of the Trust and that no Trustee, officer, agent or holder of shares of
beneficial interest of the Trust shall be personally liable for any such
liabilities.
8.6 Each party shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any investigation
or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
8.7 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement
are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under
state and federal laws.
8.8 The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that this
Agreement shall not be exclusive in any respect.
8.9 Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may
be assigned by either party without the prior written approval of the other
party.
8.10 No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any
manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by both
parties.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Participation Agreement as of the date and year first
above written.
JANUS ASPEN SERIES
By:
Name:
Title:
JANUS CAPITAL CORPORATION
By:
Name:
Title:
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND
ANNUITY COMPANY
By:
Name:
Title:
-17-
N:\BMH\XXX\TRANSAME\PARTAGT.TLI
Schedule A
Separate Accounts and Associated Contracts
Contracts Funded
Name of Separate Account By Separate Account
Separate Account VA-6 TCG-311-197
-------------
TCG-313-197
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
AMONG
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST,
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
AND
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this ____ day of ____ 1997, by and
among MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, a Massachusetts business trust (the
"Trust"), Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company, a North Carolina
corporation (the "Company") on its own behalf and on behalf of each of the
segregated asset accounts of the Company set forth in Schedule A hereto, as may
be amended from time to time (the "Accounts"), and MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL
SERVICES COMPANY, a Delaware corporation ("MFS").
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"),
and its shares are registered or will be registered under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "1933 Act");
WHEREAS, shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are divided into
several series of shares, each representing the interests in a particular
managed pool of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, the series of shares of the Trust offered by the Trust to the
Company and the Accounts are set forth on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a
"Portfolio," and, collectively, the "Portfolios");
WHEREAS, MFS is duly registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any applicable state securities
law, and is the Trust's investment adviser;
WHEREAS, the Company will issue certain variable annuity and/or variable
life insurance contracts (individually, the "Policy" or, collectively, the
"Policies") which, if required by applicable law, will be registered under the
1933 Act;
WHEREAS, the Accounts are duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset accounts, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Company, to set aside and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid variable
annuity and/or variable life insurance contracts that are allocated to the
Accounts (the Policies and the Accounts covered by this Agreement, and each
corresponding Portfolio covered by this Agreement in which the Accounts invest,
is specified in Schedule A attached hereto as may be modified from time to
time);
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register the Accounts as
unit investment trusts under the 1940 Act (unless exempt therefrom);
WHEREAS, MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (the "Underwriter") is registered
as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (hereinafter the "1934 Act"),
and is a member in good standing of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD");
WHEREAS, the company, the underwriter for the individual variable
annuity and the variable life policies, is registered as a broker-dealer with
the SEC under the 1934 Act and is a member in good standing of the NASD; and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in one or more of the
Portfolios specified in Schedule A attached hereto (the "Shares") on behalf of
the Accounts to fund the Policies, and the Trust intends to sell such Shares to
the Accounts at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Trust,
MFS, and the Company agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. SALE OF TRUST SHARES
1.1. The Trust agrees to sell to the Company those Shares which the Accounts
order (based on orders placed by Policy holders on that Business Day, as defined
below) and which are available for purchase by such Accounts, executing such
orders on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by
the Trust or its designee of the order for the Shares. For purposes of this
Section 1.1, the Company shall be the designee of the Trust for receipt of such
orders from Policy owners and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt
by the Trust; provided that the Trust receives notice of such orders by 9:30
a.m. New York time on the next following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean
any day on which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the "NYSE") is open for
trading and on which the Trust calculates its net asset value pursuant to the
rules of the SEC.
1.2. The Trust agrees to make the Shares available indefinitely for purchase at
the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and the Accounts on
those days on which the Trust calculates its net asset value pursuant to rules
of the SEC and the Trust shall calculate such net asset value on each day which
the NYSE is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Trustees of the Trust (the "Board") may refuse to sell any Shares to the Company
and the Accounts, or suspend or terminate the offering of the Shares if such
action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or
is, in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and in light of its
fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in the
best interest of the Shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Trust and MFS agree that the Shares will be sold only to insurance
companies which have entered into participation agreements with the Trust and
MFS (the "Participating Insurance Companies") and their separate accounts,
qualified pension and retirement plans and MFS or its affiliates. The Trust and
MFS will not sell Trust shares to any insurance company or separate account
unless an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as Articles III
and VII of this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales. The Company will
not resell the Shares except to the Trust or its agents.
1.4. The Trust agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company's request, any full or
fractional Shares held by the Accounts (based on orders placed by Policy owners
on that Business Day), executing such requests on a daily basis at the net asset
value next computed after receipt by the Trust or its designee of the request
for redemption. For purposes of this Section 1.4, the Company shall be the
designee of the Trust for receipt of requests for redemption from Policy owners
and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Trust; provided
that the Trust receives notice of such request for redemption by 9:30 a.m. New
York time on the next following Business Day.
1.5. Each purchase, redemption and exchange order placed by the Company shall be
placed separately for each Portfolio and shall not be netted with respect to any
Portfolio. However, with respect to payment of the purchase price by the Company
and of redemption proceeds by the Trust, the Company and the Trust shall net
purchase and redemption orders with respect to each Portfolio and shall transmit
one net payment for all of the Portfolios in accordance with Section 1.6 hereof.
1.6. In the event of net purchases, the Company shall pay for the Shares by 2:00
p.m. New York time on the next Business Day after an order to purchase the
Shares is made in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.1. hereof. In the
event of net redemptions, the Trust shall pay the redemption proceeds by 2:00
p.m. New York time on the next Business Day after an order to redeem the shares
is made in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.4. hereof. All such
payments shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire.
1.7. Issuance and transfer of the Shares will be by book entry only. Stock
certificates will not be issued to the Company or the Accounts. The Shares
ordered from the Trust will be recorded in an appropriate title for the Accounts
or the appropriate subaccounts of the Accounts.
1.8. The Trust shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone followed by
written confirmation) to the Company of any dividends or capital gain
distributions payable on the Shares. The Company hereby elects to receive all
such dividends and distributions as are payable on a Portfolio's Shares in
additional Shares of that Portfolio. The Trust shall notify the Company of the
number of Shares so issued as payment of such dividends and distributions.
1.9. The Trust or its custodian shall make the net asset value per share for
each Portfolio available to the Company on each Business Day as soon as
reasonably practical after the net asset value per share is calculated and shall
use its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available by 6:30
p.m. New York time. In the event that the Trust is unable to meet the 6:30 p.m.
time stated herein, it shall provide additional time for the Company to place
orders for the purchase and redemption of Shares. Such additional time shall be
equal to the additional time which the Trust takes to make the net asset value
available to the Company. If the Trust provides materially incorrect share net
asset value information, the Trust shall make an adjustment to the number of
shares purchased or redeemed for the Accounts to reflect the correct net asset
value per share. Any material error in the calculation or reporting of net asset
value per share, dividend or capital gains information shall be reported
promptly upon discovery to the Company.
ARTICLE II. CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Policies are or will be
registered under the 1933 Act or are exempt from or not subject to registration
thereunder, and that the Policies will be issued, sold, and distributed in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable state and federal laws,
including without limitation the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the "1934 Act"), and the 1940 Act. The Company further represents
and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing
under applicable law and that it has legally and validly established the Account
as a segregated asset account under applicable law and has registered or, prior
to any issuance or sale of the Policies, will register the Accounts as unit
investment trusts in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act (unless
exempt therefrom) to serve as segregated investment accounts for the Policies,
and that it will maintain such registration for so long as any Policies are
outstanding. The Company shall amend the registration statements under the 1933
Act for the Policies and the registration statements under the 1940 Act for the
Accounts from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous
offering of the Policies or as may otherwise be required by applicable law. The
Company shall register and qualify the Policies for sales in accordance with the
securities laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed necessary
by the Company.
2.2. The Company represents and warrants that the Policies are currently and at
the time of issuance will be treated as life insurance, endowment or annuity
contract under applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code"), that it will maintain such treatment and that it will
notify the Trust or MFS immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing
that the Policies have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so
treated in the future.
2.3. The Company represents and warrants that Transamerica Securities Sales
Corporation, the underwriter for the individual variable annuity and the
variable life policies, is a member in good standing of the NASD and is a
registered broker-dealer with the SEC. The Company represents and warrants that
the Company and American National will sell and distribute such policies in
accordance in all material respects with all applicable state and federal
securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and
the 0000 Xxx.
2.4. The Trust and MFS represent and warrant that the Shares sold pursuant to
this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for
issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and all applicable federal and state securities laws and that the
Trust is and shall remain registered under the 1940 Act. The Trust shall amend
the registration statement for its Shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act
from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous offering of its
Shares. The Trust shall register and qualify the Shares for sale in accordance
with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed necessary
by the Trust.
2.5. MFS represents and warrants that the Underwriter is a member in good
standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Trust and MFS represent that the Trust and the Underwriter will sell and
distribute the Shares in accordance in all material respects with all applicable
state and federal securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act,
the 1934 Act, and the 0000 Xxx.
2.6. The Trust represents that it is lawfully organized and validly existing
under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it does and will
comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act and any applicable regulations
thereunder.
2.7. MFS represents and warrants that it is and shall remain duly registered
under all applicable federal securities laws and that it shall perform its
obligations for the Trust in compliance in all material respects with any
applicable federal securities laws and with the securities laws of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MFS represents and warrants that it is not
subject to state securities laws other than the securities laws of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it is exempt from registration as an
investment adviser under the securities laws of The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
2.8. No less frequently than annually, the Company shall submit to the Board
such reports, material or data as the Board may reasonably request so that it
may carry out fully the obligations imposed upon it by the conditions contained
in the exemptive application pursuant to which the SEC has granted exemptive
relief to permit mixed and shared funding (the "Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order").
ARTICLE III. PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENTS; VOTING
3.1. At least annually, the Trust or its designee shall provide the Company,
free of charge, with as many copies of the current prospectus (describing only
the Portfolios listed in Schedule A hereto) for the Shares as the Company may
reasonably request for distribution to existing Policy owners whose Policies are
funded by such Shares. The Trust or its designee shall provide the Company, at
the Company's expense, with as many copies of the current prospectus for the
Shares as the Company may reasonably request for distribution to prospective
purchasers of Policies. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the Trust
or its designee shall provide such documentation (including a "camera ready"
copy of the new prospectus as set in type or, at the request of the Company, as
a diskette in the form sent to the financial printer) and other assistance as is
reasonably necessary in order for the parties hereto once each year (or more
frequently if the prospectus for the Shares is supplemented or amended) to have
the prospectus for the Policies and the prospectus for the Shares printed
together in one document; the expenses of such printing to be apportioned
between (a) the Company and (b) the Trust or its designee in proportion to the
number of pages of the Policy and Shares' prospectuses, taking account of other
relevant factors affecting the expense of printing, such as covers, columns,
graphs and charts; the Trust or its designee to bear the cost of printing the
Shares' prospectus portion of such document for distribution to owners of
existing Policies funded by the Shares and the Company to bear the expenses of
printing the portion of such document relating to the Accounts; provided,
however, that the Company shall bear all printing expenses of such combined
documents where used for distribution to prospective purchasers or to owners of
existing Policies not funded by the Shares. In the event that the Company
requests that the Trust or its designee provides the Trust's prospectus in a
"camera ready" or diskette format, the Trust shall be responsible for providing
the prospectus in the format in which it or MFS is accustomed to formatting
prospectuses and shall bear the expense of providing the prospectus in such
format (e.g., typesetting expenses), and the Company shall bear the expense of
adjusting or changing the format to conform with any of its prospectuses.
3.2. The prospectus for the Shares shall state that the statement of additional
information for the Shares is available from the Trust or its designee. The
Trust or its designee, at its expense, shall print and provide such statement of
additional information to the Company (or a master of such statement suitable
for duplication by the Company) for distribution to any owner of a Policy funded
by the Shares. The Trust or its designee, at the Company's expense, shall print
and provide such statement to the Company (or a master of such statement
suitable for duplication by the Company) for distribution to a prospective
purchaser who requests such statement or to an owner of a Policy not funded by
the Shares.
3.3. The Trust or its designee shall provide the Company free of charge copies,
if and to the extent applicable to the Shares, of the Trust's proxy materials,
reports to Shareholders and other communications to Shareholders in such
quantity as the Company shall reasonably require for distribution to Policy
owners.
3.4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 above, or of
Article V below, the Company shall pay the expense of printing or providing
documents to the extent such cost is considered a distribution expense.
Distribution expenses would include by way of illustration, but are not limited
to, the printing of the Shares' prospectus or prospectuses for distribution to
prospective purchasers or to owners of existing Policies not funded by such
Shares.
3.5. The Trust hereby notifies the Company that it may be appropriate to include
in the prospectus pursuant to which a Policy is offered disclosure regarding the
potential risks of mixed and shared funding.
3.6. If and to the extent required by law, the Company shall:
(a) solicit voting instructions from Policy owners;
(b) vote the Shares in accordance with instructions received from Policy owners;
and
(c) vote the Shares for which no instructions have been received in the same
proportion as the Shares of such Portfolio for which instructions have been
received from Policy owners;
so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to
require pass through voting privileges for variable contract owners. The Company
will in no way recommend action in connection with or oppose or interfere with
the solicitation of proxies for the Shares held for such Policy owners. The
Company reserves the right to vote shares held in any segregated asset account
in its own right, to the extent permitted by law. Participating Insurance
Companies shall be responsible for assuring that each of their separate accounts
holding Shares calculates voting privileges in the manner required by the Mixed
and Shared Funding Exemptive Order. The Trust and MFS will notify the Company of
any changes of interpretations or amendments to the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order.
ARTICLE IV. SALES MATERIAL AND INFORMATION
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Trust or
its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material in
which the Trust, MFS, any other investment adviser to the Trust, or any
affiliate of MFS are named, at least three (3) Business Days prior to its use.
No such material shall be used if the Trust, MFS, or their respective designees
reasonably objects to such use within three (3) Business Days after receipt of
such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any representations or
statement on behalf of the Trust, MFS, any other investment adviser to the
Trust, or any affiliate of MFS or concerning the Trust or any other such entity
in connection with the sale of the Policies other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement, prospectus or statement
of additional information for the Shares, as such registration statement,
prospectus and statement of additional information may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Trust,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Trust, MFS
or their respective designees, except with the permission of the Trust, MFS or
their respective designees. The Trust, MFS or their respective designees each
agrees to respond to any request for approval on a prompt and timely basis. The
Company shall adopt and implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that
information concerning the Trust, MFS or any of their affiliates which is
intended for use only by brokers or agents selling the Policies (i.e.,
information that is not intended for distribution to Policy owners or
prospective Policy owners) is so used, and neither the Trust, MFS nor any of
their affiliates shall be liable for any losses, damages or expenses relating to
the improper use of such broker only materials.
4.3. The Trust or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to
the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional
material in which the Company and/or the Accounts is named, at least three (3)
Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if the Company or
its designee reasonably objects to such use within three (3) Business Days after
receipt of such material.
4.4. The Trust and MFS shall not give, and agree that the Underwriter shall not
give, any information or make any representations on behalf of the Company or
concerning the Company, the Accounts, or the Policies in connection with the
sale of the Policies other than the information or representations contained in
a registration statement, prospectus, or statement of additional information for
the Policies, as such registration statement, prospectus and statement of
additional information may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in
reports for the Accounts, or in sales literature or other promotional material
approved by the Company or its designee, except with the permission of the
Company. The Company or its designee agrees to respond to any request for
approval on a prompt and timely basis. The parties hereto agree that this
Section 4.4. is neither intended to designate nor otherwise imply that MFS is an
underwriter or distributor of the Policies.
4.5. The Company and the Trust (or its designee in lieu of the Company or the
Trust, as appropriate) will each provide to the other at least one complete copy
of all registration statements, prospectuses, statements of additional
information, reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional
materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all
amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Policies, or to the Trust or
its Shares, prior to or contemporaneously with the filing of such document with
the SEC or other regulatory authorities. The Company and the Trust shall also
each promptly inform the other of the results of any examination by the SEC (or
other regulatory authorities) that relates to the Policies, the Trust or its
Shares, and the party that was the subject of the examination shall provide the
other party with a copy of relevant portions of any "deficiency letter" or other
correspondence or written report regarding any such examination.
4.6. The Trust and MFS will provide the Company with as much notice as is
reasonably practicable of any proxy solicitation for any Portfolio, and of any
material change in the Trust's registration statement, particularly any change
resulting in change to the registration statement or prospectus or statement of
additional information for any Account. The Trust and MFS will cooperate with
the Company so as to enable the Company to solicit proxies from Policy owners or
to make changes to its prospectus, statement of additional information or
registration statement, in an orderly manner. The Trust and MFS will make
reasonable efforts to attempt to have changes affecting Policy prospectuses
become effective simultaneously with the annual updates for such prospectuses.
4.7. For purpose of this Article IV and Article VIII, the phrase "sales
literature or other promotional material" includes but is not limited to
advertisements (such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper,
magazine, or other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording,
videotape display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media),
and sales literature (such as brochures, circulars, reprints or excerpts or any
other advertisement, sales literature, or published articles), distributed or
made generally available to customers or the public, educational or training
materials or communications distributed or made generally available to some or
all agents or employees.
ARTICLE V. FEES AND EXPENSES
5.1. The Trust shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Company under this
Agreement, and the Company shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Trust,
except that if the Trust or any Portfolio adopts and implements a plan pursuant
to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act to finance distribution and Shareholder
servicing expenses, then, subject to obtaining any required exemptive orders or
regulatory approvals, the Trust may make payments to the Company or to the
underwriter for the Policies if and in amounts agreed to by the Trust in
writing. Each party, however, shall, in accordance with the allocation of
expenses specified in Articles III and V hereof, reimburse other parties for
expenses initially paid by one party but allocated to another party. In
addition, nothing herein shall prevent the parties hereto from otherwise
agreeing to perform, and arranging for appropriate compensation for, other
services relating to the Trust and/or to the Accounts.
5.2. The Trust or its designee shall bear the expenses for the cost of
registration and qualification of the Shares under all applicable federal and
state laws, including preparation and filing of the Trust's registration
statement, and payment of filing fees and registration fees; preparation and
filing of the Trust's proxy materials and reports to Shareholders; setting in
type and printing its prospectus and statement of additional information (to the
extent provided by and as determined in accordance with Article III above);
setting in type and printing the proxy materials and reports to Shareholders (to
the extent provided by and as determined in accordance with Article III above);
the preparation of all statements and notices required of the Trust by any
federal or state law with respect to its Shares; all taxes on the issuance or
transfer of the Shares; and the costs of distributing the Trust's prospectuses
and proxy materials to owners of Policies funded by the Shares and any expenses
permitted to be paid or assumed by the Trust pursuant to a plan, if any, under
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Trust shall not bear any expenses of
marketing the Policies.
5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Shares' prospectus
or prospectuses in connection with new sales of the Policies and of distributing
the Trust's Shareholder reports to Policy owners. The Company shall bear all
expenses associated with the registration, qualification, and filing of the
Policies under applicable federal securities and state insurance laws; the cost
of preparing, printing and distributing the Policy prospectus and statement of
additional information; and the cost of preparing, printing and distributing
annual individual account statements for Policy owners as required by state
insurance laws.
ARTICLE VI. DIVERSIFICATION AND RELATED LIMITATIONS
6.1. The Trust and MFS represent and warrant that each Portfolio of the Trust
will meet the diversification requirements of Section 817 (h) (1) of the Code
and Treas. Reg. 1.817-5, relating to the diversification requirements for
variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts, as they may be amended
from time to time (and any revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices, and
other published announcements of the Internal Revenue Service interpreting these
sections), as if those
requirements applied directly to each such Portfolio.
6.2. The Trust and MFS represent that each Portfolio will elect to be qualified
as a Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code and that they
will maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar
provision).
ARTICLE VII. POTENTIAL MATERIAL CONFLICTS
7.1. The Trust agrees that the Board, constituted with a majority of
disinterested trustees, will monitor each Portfolio of the Trust for the
existence of any material irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the
variable annuity contract owners and the variable life insurance policy owners
of the Company and/or affiliated companies ("contract owners") investing in the
Trust. The Board shall have the sole authority to determine if a material
irreconcilable conflict exists, and such determination shall be binding on the
Company only if approved in the form of a resolution by a majority of the Board,
or a majority of the disinterested trustees of the Board. The Board will give
prompt notice of any such determination to the Company.
7.2. The Company agrees that it will be responsible for assisting the Board in
carrying out its responsibilities under the conditions set forth in the Trust's
exemptive application pursuant to which the SEC has granted the Mixed and Shared
Funding Exemptive Order by providing the Board, as it may reasonably request,
with all information necessary for the Board to consider any issues raised and
agrees that it will be responsible for promptly reporting any potential or
existing conflicts of which it is aware to the Board including, but not limited
to, an obligation by the Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner
voting instructions are disregarded. The Company also agrees that, if a material
irreconcilable conflict arises, it will at its own cost remedy such conflict up
to and including (a) withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the
Accounts from the Trust or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a
different investment medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of
the Trust, or submitting to a vote of all affected contract owners whether to
withdraw assets from the Trust or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a
different investment medium and, as appropriate, segregating the assets
attributable to any appropriate group of contract owners that votes in favor of
such segregation, or offering to any of the affected contract owners the option
of segregating the assets attributable to their contracts or policies, and (b)
establishing a new registered management investment company and segregating the
assets underlying the Policies, unless a majority of Policy owners materially
adversely affected by the conflict have voted to decline the offer to establish
a new registered management investment company.
7.3. A majority of the disinterested trustees of the Board shall determine
whether any proposed action by the Company adequately remedies any material
irreconcilable conflict. In the event that the Board determines that any
proposed action does not adequately remedy any material irreconcilable conflict,
the Company will withdraw from investment in the Trust each of the Accounts
designated by the disinterested trustees and terminate this Agreement within six
(6) months after the Board informs the Company in writing of the foregoing
determination; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be
limited to the extent required to remedy any such material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested trustees of the Board.
7.4. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or Rule
6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the 1940 Act
or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as
defined in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions
materially different from those contained in the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, then (a) the Trust and/or the Participating Insurance
Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply
with Rule 6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent
such rules are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.5, 3.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 of
this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and
conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such
Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION
8.1. Indemnification by the Company
The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, MFS, any
affiliates of MFS, and each of their respective directors/trustees, officers and
each person, if any, who controls the Trust or MFS within the meaning of Section
15 of the 1933 Act, and any agents or employees of the foregoing (each an
"Indemnified Party," or collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of
this Section 8.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Company)
or expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) to which any Indemnified Party
may become subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in
respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the
Shares or the Policies and:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the registration statement,
prospectus or statement of additional information for the Policies or contained
in the Policies or sales literature or other promotional material for the
Policies (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out
of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply
as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reasonable reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished to the Company or its designee by or on behalf of the
Trust or MFS for use in the registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information for the Policies or in the Policies or sales literature
or other promotional material (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for
use in connection with the sale of the Policies or Shares; or
(b) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than
statements or representations contained in the registration statement,
prospectus, statement of additional information or sales literature or other
promotional material of the Trust not supplied by the Company or its designee,
or persons under its control and on which the Company has reasonably relied) or
wrongful conduct of the Company or persons under its control, with respect to
the sale or distribution of the Policies or Shares; or
(c) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in the registration statement, prospectus, statement of
additional information, or sales literature or other promotional literature of
the Trust, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statement or statements therein not misleading, if such
statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the
Trust by or on behalf of the Company; or
(d) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or
warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or arise out of or result from
any other material breach of this Agreement by the Company; or
(e) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide the services and
furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of this Article VIII.
8.2. Indemnification by the Trust
The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of
its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, and any agents or employees of
the foregoing (each an "Indemnified Party," or collectively, the "Indemnified
Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written
consent of the Trust) or expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) to which
any Indemnified Party may become subject under any statute, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or
actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or
acquisition of the Shares or the Policies and:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the registration statement,
prospectus, statement of additional information or sales literature or other
promotional material of the Trust (or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statement therein not misleading, provided that this
agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such
statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in
reasonable reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the
Trust, MFS, the Underwriter or their respective designees by or on behalf of the
Company for use in the registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information for the Trust or in sales literature or other promotional
material for the Trust (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Policies or Shares; or
(b) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than
statements or representations contained in the registration statement,
prospectus, statement of additional information or sales literature or other
promotional material for the Policies not supplied by the Trust, MFS, the
Underwriter or any of their respective designees or persons under their
respective control and on which any such entity has reasonably relied) or
wrongful conduct of the Trust or persons under its control, with respect to the
sale or distribution of the Policies or Shares; or
(c) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in the registration statement, prospectus, statement of
additional information, or sales literature or other promotional literature of
the Accounts or relating to the Policies, or any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement or statements
therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Trust, MFS or the
Underwriter; or
(d) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or
warranty made by the Trust in this Agreement (including a failure, whether
unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification
requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement) or arise out of or
result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Trust; or
(e) arise out of or result from the materially incorrect or untimely calculation
or reporting of the daily net asset value per share or dividend or capital gain
distribution rate; or
(f) arise as a result of any failure by the Trust to provide the services and
furnish the materials under the terms of the Agreement;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of this Article VIII.
8.3. In no event shall the Trust be liable under the indemnification provisions
contained in this Agreement to any individual or entity, including without
limitation, the Company, or any Participating Insurance Company or any Policy
holder, with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
that arise out of or result from (i) a breach of any representation, warranty,
and/or covenant made by the Company hereunder or by any Participating Insurance
Company under an agreement containing substantially similar representations,
warranties and covenants; (ii) the failure by the Company or any Participating
Insurance Company to maintain its segregated asset account (which invests in any
Portfolio) as a legally and validly established segregated asset account under
applicable state law and as a duly registered unit investment trust under the
provisions of the 1940 Act (unless exempt therefrom); or (iii) the failure by
the Company or any Participating Insurance Company to maintain its variable
annuity and/or variable life insurance contracts (with respect to which any
Portfolio serves as an underlying funding vehicle) as life insurance, endowment
or annuity contracts under applicable provisions of the Code.
8.4. Neither the Company nor the Trust shall be liable under the indemnification
provisions contained in this Agreement with respect to any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise
be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, willful
misconduct, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of
obligations and duties under this Agreement.
8.5. Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Party under this Section 8.5. of
notice of commencement of any action, such Indemnified Party will, if a claim in
respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this section,
notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the omission so
to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it
may have to any Indemnified Party otherwise than under this section. In case any
such action is brought against any Indemnified Party, and it notified the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be
entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, assume the
defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such Indemnified Party. After
notice from the indemnifying party of its intention to assume the defense of an
action, the Indemnified Party shall bear the expenses of any additional counsel
obtained by it, and the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such
Indemnified Party under this section for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.6. Each of the parties agrees promptly to notify the other parties of the
commencement of any litigation or proceeding against it or any of its respective
officers, directors, trustees, employees or 1933 Act control persons in
connection with the Agreement, the issuance or sale of the Policies, the
operation of the Accounts, or the sale or acquisition of Shares.
8.7. A successor by law of the parties to this Agreement shall be entitled to
the benefits of the indemnification contained in this Article VIII. The
indemnification provisions contained in this Article VIII shall survive any
termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE IX. APPLICABLE LAW
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted
under and in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933, 1934 and
1940 Acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including such
exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the SEC may grant and
the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith.
ARTICLE X. NOTICE OF FORMAL PROCEEDINGS
The Trust, MFS, and the Company agree that each such party shall
promptly notify the other parties to this Agreement, in writing, of the
institution of any formal proceedings brought against such party or its
designees by the NASD, the SEC, or any insurance department or any other
regulatory body regarding such party's duties under this Agreement or related to
the sale of the Policies, the operation of the Accounts, or the purchase of the
Shares.
ARTICLE XI. TERMINATION
11.1. This Agreement shall terminate with respect to the Accounts, or one, some,
or all Portfolios:
(a) at the option of any party upon six (6) months' advance written notice to
the other parties; or
(b) at the option of the Company to the extent that the Shares of Portfolios are
not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Policies or are not
"appropriate funding vehicles" for the Policies, as reasonably determined by the
Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Shares of a
Portfolio would not be "appropriate funding vehicles" if, for example, such
Shares did not meet the diversification or other requirements referred to in
Article VI hereof; or if the Company would be permitted to disregard Policy
owner voting instructions pursuant to Rule 6e-2 or 6e-3(T) under the 1940 Act.
Prompt notice of the election to terminate for such cause and an explanation of
such cause shall be furnished to the Trust by the Company; or
(c) at the option of the Trust or MFS upon institution of formal proceedings
against the Company by the NASD, the SEC, or any insurance department or any
other regulatory body regarding the Company's duties under this Agreement or
related to the sale of the Policies, the operation of the Accounts, or the
purchase of the Shares; or
(d) at the option of the Company upon institution of formal proceedings against
the Trust by the NASD, the SEC, or any state securities or insurance department
or any other regulatory body regarding the Trust's or MFS' duties under this
Agreement or related to the sale of the Shares; or
(e) at the option of the Company, the Trust or MFS upon receipt of any necessary
regulatory approvals and/or the vote of the Policy owners having an interest in
the Accounts (or any subaccounts) to substitute the shares of another investment
company for the corresponding Portfolio Shares in accordance with the terms of
the Policies for which those Portfolio Shares had been selected to serve as the
underlying investment media. The Company will give thirty (30) days' prior
written notice to the Trust of the Date of any proposed vote or other action
taken to replace the Shares; or
(f) termination by either the Trust or MFS by written notice to the Company, if
either one or both of the Trust or MFS respectively, shall determine, in their
sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the Company has suffered a material
adverse change in its business, operations, financial condition, or prospects
since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse
publicity; or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to the Trust and MFS, if the
Company shall determine, in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the
Trust or MFS has suffered a material adverse change in this business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or
is the subject of material adverse publicity; or
(h) at the option of any party to this Agreement, upon another party's material
breach of any provision of this Agreement; or
(i) upon assignment of this Agreement, unless made with the written consent of
the parties hereto.
11.2. The notice shall specify the Portfolio or Portfolios, Policies and, if
applicable, the Accounts as to which the Agreement is to be terminated.
11.3. It is understood and agreed that the right of any party hereto to
terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 11.1(a) may be exercised for cause
or for no cause.
11.4. Except as necessary to implement Policy owner initiated transactions, or
as required by state insurance laws or regulations, the Company shall not redeem
the Shares attributable to the Policies (as opposed to the Shares attributable
to the Company's assets held in the Accounts), and the Company shall not prevent
Policy owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise
available under the Policies, until thirty (30) days after the Company shall
have notified the Trust of its intention to do so.
11.5. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Trust and MFS
shall, at the option of the Company, continue to make available additional
shares of the Portfolios pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
for all Policies in effect on the effective date of termination of this
Agreement (the "Existing Policies"), except as otherwise provided under Article
VII of this Agreement. Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the
Existing Policies shall be permitted to
transfer or reallocate investment under the Policies, redeem investments in any
Portfolio and/or invest in the Trust upon the making of additional purchase
payments under the Existing Policies.
ARTICLE XII. NOTICES
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail, overnight courier or facsimile to the other party at the address
of such party set forth below or at such other address as such party may from
time to time specify in writing to the other party.
If to the Trust:
MFS Variable Insurance Trust
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
Attn: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Secretary
If to the Company:
Facsimile No.:
Attn:
If to MFS:
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
Attn: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, General Counsel
ARTICLE XIII. MISCELLANEOUS
13.1. Subject to the requirement of legal process and regulatory authority, each
party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses of the owners
of the Policies and all information reasonably identified as confidential in
writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by this Agreement or
as otherwise required by applicable law or regulation, shall not disclose,
disseminate or utilize such names and addresses and other confidential
information without the express written consent of the affected party until such
time as it may come into the public domain.
13.2. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference
only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise
affect their construction or effect.
13.3. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in one or more counterparts,
each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
13.4. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall
not be affected thereby.
13.5. The Schedule attached hereto, as modified from time to time, is
incorporated herein by reference and is part of this Agreement.
13.6. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party in connection with
inquiries by appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation
the SEC, the NASD, and state insurance regulators) relating to this Agreement or
the transactions contemplated hereby.
13.7. The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and obligations,
at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and
federal laws.
13.8. A copy of the Trust's Declaration of Trust is on file with the Secretary
of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Company acknowledges that the
obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of the
Trust's trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders individually, but
are binding solely upon the assets and property of the Trust in accordance with
its proportionate interest hereunder. The Company further acknowledges that the
assets and liabilities of each Portfolio are separate and distinct and that the
obligations of or arising out of this instrument are binding solely upon the
assets or property of the Portfolio on whose behalf the Trust has executed this
instrument. The Company also agrees that the obligations of each Portfolio
hereunder shall be several and not joint, in accordance with its proportionate
interest hereunder, and the Company agrees not to proceed against any Portfolio
for the obligations of another Portfolio.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement
to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified above.
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
By its authorized officer,
By: _______________________________
Title: ____________________________
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, on behalf of the Portfolios
By its authorized officer and not individually,
By: _______________________________
Title: ____________________________
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
By its authorized officer,
By: _______________________________
Title: ____________________________
As of ____________________
SCHEDULE A
ACCOUNTS, POLICIES AND PORTFOLIOS
SUBJECT TO THE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Name of Separate
Account
Portfolios
Applicable to Policies
Separate Account VA-7
MFS Emerging Growth
4
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the 15th day of
December , 1997 by and among TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY
COMPANY (hereinafter the "Company"), a North Carolina corporation, on
its own behalf and on behalf of each separate account of the Company
set forth on Schedule A hereto as may be amended from time to time
(each such account hereinafter referred to as the "Account"), and
XXXXXX XXXXXXX UNIVERSAL FUNDS, INC. (hereinafter the "Fund"), a
Maryland corporation, and XXXXXX XXXXXXX ASSET MANAGEMENT INC. and
XXXXXX XXXXXXXX & XXXXXXXX, LLP (hereinafter collectively the
"Advisers" and individually the "Adviser"), a Delaware corporation and
a Pennsylvania limited liability partnership, respectively.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management
investment company and is available to act as (i) the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established by insurance companies for individual and group
life insurance policies and annuity contracts with variable accumulation and/or
pay-out provisions (hereinafter referred to individually and/or collectively as
"Variable Insurance Products") and (ii) the investment vehicle for certain
qualified pension and retirement plans (hereinafter "Qualified Plans"); and
WHEREAS, insurance companies desiring to utilize the Fund as an
investment vehicle under their Variable Insurance Contracts enter into
participation agreements with the Fund and the Advisers (the "Participating
Insurance Companies");
WHEREAS, shares of the Fund are divided into several series of shares,
each representing the interest in a particular managed portfolio of securities
and other assets, any one or more of which may be made available under this
Agreement, as may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement of the
parties hereto (each such series hereinafter referred to as a "Portfolio"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission, dated September 19, 1996 (File No. 812-10118), granting
Participating Insurance Companies and Variable Insurance Product separate
accounts exemptions from the provisions of Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and
15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (hereinafter the "1940
Act"), and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, to the extent
necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to and held by Variable
Annuity Product separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated life
insurance companies and Qualified Plans (hereinafter the "Shared Funding
Exemptive Order"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, each Adviser is duly registered as an investment adviser under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any applicable state
securities laws; and
WHEREAS, each Adviser manages certain Portfolios of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated (the "Underwriter") is
registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (hereinafter the "1934 Act"), is a member in good standing of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD") and serves
as principal underwriter of the shares of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain Variable
Insurance Products under the 1933 Act; and
WHEREAS, each Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset account, established by resolution or under authority of the Board of
Directors of the Company, on the date shown for such Account on Schedule A
hereto, to set aside and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid Variable
Insurance Product; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment trust under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase, on behalf of each Account, shares
in the Portfolios, set forth in Schedule B attached to this Agreement, to fund
certain of the aforesaid Variable Insurance Products and the Underwriter is
authorized to sell such shares to each such Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company,
the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Purchase of Fund Shares
1.1. The Fund agrees to make available for purchase by the Company
shares of the Fund and shall execute orders placed for each Account on a daily
basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its
designee of such order. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company or its
administrator shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from
each Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund;
provided that the Fund receives notice of such order by 10:00 a.m. Eastern time
on the next following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which
the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
1.2. The Fund, so long as this Agreement is in effect, agrees to make
its shares available indefinitely for purchase at the applicable net asset value
per share by the Company and its Accounts on those days on which the Fund
calculates its net asset value pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the Fund shall use reasonable efforts to calculate such net asset
value on each day which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Fund (hereinafter
the "Board") may refuse to permit the Fund to sell shares of any Portfolio to
any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if
such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction
or is, in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and in light of
their fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in
the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Fund agrees that shares of the Fund will be sold only to
Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts and to certain
Qualified Plans. No shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general public.
1.4. The Fund will not make its shares available for purchase by any
insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing provisions
substantially the same as Articles I, V,VI, VII and Section 2.5 of Article II of
this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.
1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company's request, any
full or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such
requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by
the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption. For purposes of this
Section 1.5, the Company or its administrator shall be the designee of the Fund
for receipt of requests for redemption from each Account and receipt by such
designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives
notice of such request for redemption on the next following Business Day.
1.6. The Company agrees that purchases and redemptions of Portfolio
shares offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund shall be made in
accordance with the provisions of such prospectus. The Variable Insurance
Products issued by the Company, under which amounts may be invested in the Fund
(hereinafter the "Contracts"), are listed on Schedule A attached hereto and
incorporated herein by reference, as such Schedule A may be amended from time to
time by mutual written agreement of all of the parties hereto. The Company will
give the Fund and the Adviser 45 days written notice of its intention to make
available in the future, as a funding vehicle under the Contracts, any other
investment company.
1.7. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day
after an order to purchase Fund shares is made in accordance with the provisions
of Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire.
For purposes of Section 2.10 and 2.11, upon receipt by the Fund of the federal
funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company
and shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry
only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account.
Shares ordered from the Fund will be recorded in an appropriate title for each
Account or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone,
followed by written confirmation) to the Company or its administrator of any
income, dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the Fund's shares.
The Company hereby elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain
distributions as are payable on the Portfolio shares in additional shares of
that Portfolio. The Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to
receive all such income dividends and capital gain distributions in cash. The
Fund shall notify the Company or its administrator, as directed by the Company,
of the number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions.
1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each
Portfolio available to the Company or its administrator, as directed by the
Company, on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after the net asset
value per share is calculated (normally by 6:30 p.m. Eastern time) and shall use
its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available by 7:00 p.m.
Eastern time.
1.11. If the Fund provides materially incorrect share net asset value
information through no fault of the Company, the Company or its administrator
shall be entitled to an adjustment with respect to the Fund shares purchased or
redeemed to reflect the correct net asset value per share. The determination of
the materiality of any net asset value pricing error shall be based on the SEC's
recommended guidelines regarding such errors. The correction of any such errors
shall be made at the Company level and shall be made pursuant to the SEC's
recommended guidelines. Any material error in the calculation or reporting of
net asset value per share, dividend or capital gain information shall be
reported promptly upon discovery to the Company.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will
be registered under the 1933 Act and that the Contracts will be issued in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws.
The Company represents and warrants that it will make every effort to ensure
that the Contracts are sold in compliance in all material respects with all
applicable federal and state laws and that the sale of the Contracts comply in
all material respects with state insurance suitability requirements. The Company
further represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized
and in good standing under applicable law and that it has legally and validly
established each Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated
asset account under North Carolina Law and has registered or, prior to any
issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a
segregated investment account for the Contracts.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to
this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for
issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of the State of Maryland and all
applicable federal and state securities laws and that the Fund is and shall
remain registered under the 0000 Xxx. The Fund shall amend the registration
statement for its shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time
as required in order to effect the continuous offering of its shares. The Fund
shall register and qualify the shares for sale in accordance with the laws of
the various states only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund.
2.3 The Fund and each Adviser represents with respect to the Portfolios
for which it acts as investment adviser, that the Portfolios to which this
agreement applies are currently qualified as a Regulated Investment Company
under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
"Code"), that the Portfolios will maintain such qualification (under Subchapter
M or any successor or similar provision) and that they will notify the Company
immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that it has ceased to
so qualify or that it might not so qualify in the future.
2.4. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently treated as
life insurance policies or annuity contracts, under Sections 7702, 7702A or 72,
their amendments and successors thereto, of the Code and that it will maintain
such treatment and that it will notify the Fund immediately upon having a
reasonable basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so treated
or that they might not be so treated in the future.
2.5.. The Fund represents that to the extent that it decides to finance
distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund
undertakes to have a board of directors, a majority of whom are not interested
persons of the Fund, formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses.
2.6. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect of its
operations (including, but not limited to, fees and expenses and investment
policies) complies with the insurance laws or regulations of the various states
except that the Fund represents that the Fund's investment policies, fees and
expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws of the
State of Maryland and the Fund represents that their respective operations are
and shall at all times remain in material compliance with the laws of the State
of Maryland to the extent required to perform this Agreement.
2.7. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly
existing under the laws of the State of Maryland and that it does and will
comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act.
2.8. Each Adviser represents and warrants that it is and shall remain
duly registered in all material respects under all applicable federal and state
securities laws and that it will perform its obligations for the Fund in
compliance in all material respects with the laws of its state of domicile and
any applicable state and federal securities laws.
2.9. The Fund represents and warrants that its directors, officers,
employees, and other individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or
securities of the Fund are and shall continue to be at all times covered by a
blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an
amount not less than the minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1)
of the 1940 Act or related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time.
The aforesaid blanket fidelity bond shall include coverage for larceny and
embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.10. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors,
officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing
with the money and/or securities of the Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity
bond or similar coverage, in an amount not less $5 million. The aforesaid
includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement is issued by a reputable bonding
company. The Company agrees to make all reasonable efforts to see that this bond
or another bond containing these provisions is always in effect, and agrees to
notify the Fund and the Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer
applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses, Reports to Shareholders and Proxy
Statements; Voting
3.1. The Fund or its designee shall provide the Company with as many
printed copies of the Fund's current prospectus (relating to the Portfolios) and
statement of additional information as the Company may reasonably request. If
requested by the Company, in lieu of providing printed copies the Fund shall
provide camera-ready film or computer diskettes containing the Fund's prospectus
(relating to the Portfolios) and statement of additional information, and such
other assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the Company once each
year (or more frequently if the prospectus and/or statement of additional
information for the Fund is amended during the year) to have the prospectus for
the Contracts and the Fund's prospectus (relating to the Portfolios) printed
together in one document, and to have the statement of additional information
for the Fund and the statement of additional information for the Contracts
printed together in one document. Alternatively, the Company may print the
Fund's prospectus and/or its statement of additional information in combination
with other fund companies' prospectuses and statements of additional
information.
3.2. Except as provided in this Section 3.2., all expenses of printing
and distributing Fund prospectuses and statements of additional information
shall be the expense of the Company. For prospectuses and statements of
additional information provided by the Company to its existing owners of
Contracts who currently own shares of one or more of the Fund's Portfolios, in
order to update disclosure as required by the 1933 Act and/or the 1940 Act, the
cost of printing shall be borne by the Fund. If the Company chooses to receive
camera-ready film or computer diskettes in lieu of receiving printed copies of
the Fund's prospectus, the Fund will reimburse the Company in an amount equal to
the product of x and y where x is the number of such prospectuses distributed to
owners of the Contracts who currently own shares of one or more of the Fund's
Portfolios, and y is the Fund's per unit cost of typesetting and printing the
Fund's prospectus. The same procedures shall be followed with respect to the
Fund's statement of additional information. The Company agrees to provide the
Fund or its designee with such information as may be reasonably requested by the
Fund to assure that the Fund's expenses do not include the cost of printing any
prospectuses or statements of additional information other than those actually
distributed to existing owners of the Contracts.
3.3. The Fund's statement of additional information shall be obtainable
from the Fund, the Company or such other person as the Fund may designate, as
agreed upon by the parties.
3.4. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of
its proxy statements, reports to shareholders, and other communications (except
for prospectuses and statements of additional information, which are covered in
section 3.1) to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably
require for distributing to Contract owners.
3.5. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions
received from Contract owners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been
received in the same proportion as Fund shares of such Portfolio for
which instructions have been received,
so long as and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange Commission
continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges
for variable contract owners. The Company reserves the right to vote Fund shares
held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the extent permitted
by law. The Fund and the Company shall follow the procedures, and shall have the
corresponding responsibilities, for the handling of proxy and voting instruction
solicitations, as set forth in Schedule C attached hereto and incorporated
herein by reference. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for
ensuring that each of their separate accounts participating in the Fund
calculates voting privileges in a manner consistent with the standards set forth
on Schedule C, which standards will also be provided to the other Participating
Insurance Companies.
3.7. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring
voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for
annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund
is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as with
Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will act in
accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's interpretation of the
requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of directors
and with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
3.8. The Fund shall use reasonable efforts to provide Fund
prospectuses, reports to shareholders, proxy materials and other Fund
communications (or camera-ready equivalents) to the Company sufficiently in
advance of the Company's mailing dates to enable the Company to complete, at
reasonable cost, the printing, assembling and/or distribution of the
communications in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional
material in which the Fund or the Adviser(s) is named, at least ten Business
Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if the Fund or its
designee reasonably objects to such use within ten Business Days after receipt
of such material. The Fund and the Adviser(s) shall use their best efforts to
review any such material within five Business Days of receipt from the Company.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its
designee, except with the permission of the Fund.
4.3. The Fund or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause to be
furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature or
other promotional material in which the Company and/or its separate account(s)
is named at least ten Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be
used if the Company or its designee reasonably objects to such use within ten
Business Days after receipt of such material. The Company shall use its best
efforts to review any such material within five Business Days of receipt from
the Fund or the Fund's designee.
4.4. The Fund and the Advisers shall not give any information or make
any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, each
Account, or the Contracts, other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain
or approved by the Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its
designee, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of
all registration statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information,
reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional materials,
applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments
to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares, which are relevant
to the Company or the Contracts.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of
all registration statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information,
reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales literature and other
promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no action
letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the investment
in the Fund under the Contracts.
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature or
other promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, any of the
following that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements
(such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or
other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape
display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales
literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of
any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or
training materials or other communications distributed or made generally
available to some or all agents or employees, and registration statements,
prospectuses, statements of additional information, shareholder reports, and
proxy materials.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
5.1. The Fund shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Company
under this Agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio adopts and
implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution expenses, then
the Underwriter may make payments to the Company or to the underwriter for the
Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in writing.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this
Agreement shall be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its
shares are registered and authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable
federal law and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in
accordance with applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear
the expenses for the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's
shares, preparation and filing of the Fund's prospectus and registration
statement, proxy materials and reports, setting the prospectus in type, setting
in type and printing the proxy materials and reports to shareholders (including
the costs of printing a prospectus that constitutes an annual report), the
preparation of all statements and notices required by any federal or state law,
and all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund's shares.
5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Fund's
prospectus, proxy materials and reports to owners of Contracts issued by the
Company.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification
6.1. The Advisers and the Fund each represent and warrant that they
will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a manner as to ensure
that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts under the Code and the
regulations issued thereunder. Without limiting the scope of the foregoing, the
Fund will at all times comply with Section 817(h) of the Code and Treasury
Regulation 1.817-5, and Treasury interpretations thereof, relating to the
diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance
contracts and any amendments or other modifications to such Section or
Regulations. In the event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will
take all reasonable steps (a) to notify immediately the Company of such breach
and (b) to adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance within the
grace period afforded by Regulation 817-5.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all
separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may
arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance
regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance,
tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter
ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance,
tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial
decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of
any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given
by Variable Insurance Product owners; or (f) a decision by a Participating
Insurance Company to disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The
Board shall promptly inform the Company if it determines that an irreconcilable
material conflict exists and the implications thereof.
7.2. The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of
which it is aware to the Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying
out its responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing
the Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider
any issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by the
Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are
disregarded.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of
its disinterested members, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the
Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and
to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested directors), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1)
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance policy
owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2) establishing a new
registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision
by the Company to disregard contract owner voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the Company
may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the affected Account's
investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account
(at the Company's expense); provided, however that such withdrawal and
termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material
irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members
of the Board.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company conflicts with
the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the
affected Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with
respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs the Company in
writing that it has determined that such decision has created an irreconcilable
material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall
be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.
Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the Underwriter and Fund shall
continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and
redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any
proposed action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in
no event will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the
Contracts. The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new
funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote
of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the
irreconcilable material conflict.
7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended,
or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the
1940 Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared
funding (as defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and
conditions materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies,
as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules
6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such
rules are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of
this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and
conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such
Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
8.1(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and
each member of the Board and officers, and each Adviser and each director and
officer of each Adviser, and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the
Adviser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" and individually, "Indemnified Party," for purposes of
this Section 8.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Company)
or litigation (including legal and other expenses), to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or
actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or
acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged
untrue statements of any material fact contained in the
registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts or
contained in the Contracts or sales literature for the
Contracts (or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to
indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such
statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission
was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund for use
in the registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts
or in the Contracts or sales literature (or any amendment or
supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale
of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii)arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the
registration statement, prospectus or sales literature of the
Fund not supplied by the Company, or persons under its control
and other than statements or representations authorized by the
Fund or an Adviser) or unlawful conduct of the Company or
persons under its control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of or as a result of any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in a
registration statement, prospectus, or sales literature of the
Fund or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading if such a statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the
Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Company, as limited by and in
accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1(c)
hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed
against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless
disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made
against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party
shall have notified the Company in writing within a reasonable
time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party
shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify the Company of any such claim
shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is
brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification
provision. In case any such action is brought against the
Indemnified Parties, the Company shall be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense of such
action. The Company also shall be entitled to assume the
defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named
in the action. After notice from the Company to such party of
the Company's election to assume the defense thereof, the
Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and the Company will not be
liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by such party
independently in connection with the defense thereof other
than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify
the Company of the commencement of any litigation or
proceedings against them in connection with the issuance or
sale of the Fund shares or the Contracts or the operation of
the Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Advisers
8.2(a). Each Adviser agrees, with respect to each
Portfolio that it manages, to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and each of its directors and officers and each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified
Parties" and individually, "Indemnified Party," for purposes
of this Section 8.2) against any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement
with the written consent of the Adviser) or litigation
(including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or
settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of shares
of the Portfolio that it manages or the Contracts and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon
any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in
the registration statement or prospectus or
sales literature of the Fund (or any
amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing), or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or the alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, provided
that this agreement to indemnify shall not
apply as to any Indemnified Party if such
statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the
Company for use in the registration
statement or prospectus for the Fund or in
sales literature (or any amendment or
supplement) or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Contracts or
Portfolio shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of
statements or representations (other than
statements or representations contained in
the registration statement, prospectus or
sales literature for the Contracts not
supplied by the Fund or persons under its
control and other than statements or
representations authorized by the Company)
or unlawful conduct of the Fund, Adviser(s)
or Underwriter or persons under their
control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Portfolio
shares; or
(iii) arise out of or as a result of
any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a
registration statement, prospectus, or sales
literature covering the Contracts, or any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or
the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the
statement or statements therein not
misleading, if such statement or omission
was made in reliance upon information
furnished to the Company by or on behalf of
the Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any
failure by the Fund to provide the services
and furnish the materials under the terms of
this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any
material breach of any representation and/or
warranty made by the Adviser in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any
other material breach of this Agreement by
the Adviser (including a failure, whether
unintentional or in good faith or otherwise,
to comply with the diversification
requirements of Article IV or the Subchapter
M qualification of Section 2.3 of this
Agreement); as limited by and in accordance
with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and
8.2(c) hereof.
8.2(b). An Adviser shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed
against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless
disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement.
8.2(c). An Adviser shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made
against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party
shall have notified the Adviser in writing within a reasonable
time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party
shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify the Adviser of any such claim
shall not relieve the Adviser from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is
brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification
provision. In case any such action is brought against the
Indemnified Parties, the Adviser will be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The
Adviser also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof,
with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action.
After notice from the Adviser to such party of the Adviser's
election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party
shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it, and the Adviser will not be liable to such
party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such party independently in
connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable
costs of investigation.
8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the
Adviser of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings
against it or any of its officers or directors in connection
with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the operation of
each Account.
8.3. Indemnification by the Fund
8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Company, and each of its directors and officers
and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (hereinafter
collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" and individually,
"Indemnified Party," for purposes of this Section 8.3) against
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including
amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the
Fund) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to
which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any
statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in
respect thereof) or settlements result from the gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Board or
any member thereof, are related to the operations of the Fund
and:
(i) arise as a result of
any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the
terms of this Agreement; or
(ii) arise out of or result
from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the
Fund in this Agreement or arise out of or
result from any other material breach of
this Agreement by the Fund (including a
failure, whether unintentional or in good
faith or otherwise, to comply with the
diversifictation requirements of Article IV
or the Subchapter M qualification of Section
2.3 of this Agreement);
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed
against an Indemnified Party as may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless
disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made
against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party
shall have notified the Fund in writing within a reasonable
time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party
shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall
not relieve the Fund from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought
otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision.
In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified
Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at its own
expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel
satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice
from the Fund to such party of the Fund's election to assume
the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees
and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the
Fund will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for
any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such
party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.3(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the
Fund of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings
against it or any of its respective officers or directors in
connection with this Agreement, the issuance or sale of the
Contracts, with respect to the operation of either Account, or
the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the
provisions hereof interpreted under and in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the
provisions of the 1933, 1934 and 1940 Acts, and the rules and
regulations and rulings thereunder, including such exemptions
from those statutes, rules and regulations as the Securities
and Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not limited
to, the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof
shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith.
ARTICLE X. Termination
10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and
effect until the first to occur of:
(a) termination by any party for any reason by ninety
(90) days advance written notice delivered to the other
parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to
the Fund and the Adviser with respect to any Portfolio based
upon the Company's determination that shares of such Portfolio
is not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the
Contracts; or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to
the Fund and the Adviser with respect to any Portfolio in the
event any of the Portfolio's shares are not registered, issued
or sold in accordance with applicable state and/or federal law
or such law precludes the use of such shares as the underlying
investment media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by
the Company; or
(d) termination by the Company by written notice to
the Fund and the Adviser with respect to any Portfolio in the
event that such Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated
Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code or under any
successor or similar provision, or if the Company reasonably
believes that the Fund may fail to so qualify; or
(e) termination by the Company by written notice to
the Fund and the Adviser with respect to any Portfolio in the
event that such Portfolio falls to meet the diversification
requirements specified in Article VI hereof; or
(f) termination by either the Fund by written notice
to the Company if the Fund shall determine, in its sole
judgment exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or its
affiliated companies has suffered a material adverse change in
its business, operations, financial condition or prospects
since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material
adverse publicity, or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to
the Fund and the Adviser, if the Company shall determine, in
its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that either the
Fund or the Adviser has suffered a material adverse change in
its business, operations, financial condition or prospects
since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material
adverse publicity; or
(h) termination by the Fund or the Adviser by written
notice to the Company, if the Company gives the Fund and the
Adviser the written notice specified in Section 1.6 hereof and
at the time such notice was given there was no notice of
termination outstanding under any other provision of this
Agreement; provided, however any termination under this
Section 10.1(h) shall be effective forty five 45 days after
the notice specified in Section 1.6 was given.
10.2. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, the Fund shall at the option of the Company,
continue to make available additional shares of the Fund
pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for
all Contracts in effect on the effective date of termination
of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing,
Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of
the Existing Contracts shall be permitted to direct
reallocation of investments in the Fund, redemption of
investments in the Fund and/or investment in the Fund upon the
making of additional purchase payments under the Existing
Contracts. The parties agree that this Section 10.2 shall not
apply to any terminations under Article VII and the effect of
such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII
of this Agreement.
10.3. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares
attributable to the Contracts (as distinct from Fund shares
attributable to the Company's assets held in the Account)
except (i) as necessary to implement Contract Owner initiated
or approved transactions, or (ii) as required by state and/or
federal laws or regulations or judicial or other legal
precedent of general application (hereinafter referred to as a
"Legally Required Redemption") or (iii) as permitted by an
order of the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to
Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon request, the Company will
promptly furnish to the Fund the opinion of counsel for the
Company (which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the
Fund) to the effect that any redemption pursuant to clause
(ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore,
except in cases where permitted under the terms of the
Contracts, the Company shall not prevent Contract Owners from
allocating payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise
available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund 90
days prior written notice of its intention to do so.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by
registered or certified mail to the other party at the address
of such party set forth below or at such other address as such
party may from time to time specify in writing to the other
party.
If to the Fund:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Universal Funds, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Secretary
If to Adviser:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Asset Management Inc.
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Xx., Esq.
If to Adviser:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, LLP
Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
If to the Company:
Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
12.1. All persons dealing with the Fund must look
solely to the property of the Fund for the enforcement of any
claims against the Fund as neither the Board, officers, agents
or shareholders assume any personal liability for obligations
entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2. Subject to the requirements of legal process
and regulatory authority, each party hereto shall treat as
confidential the names and addresses of the owners of the
Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except
as permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose,
disseminate or utilize such names and addresses and other
confidential information until such time as it may come into
the public domain without the express written consent of the
affected party.
12.3. The captions in this Agreement are included for
convenience of reference only and in no way define or
delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect
their construction or effect.
12.4. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously
in two or more counterparts, each of which taken together
shall constitute one and the same instrument.
12.5. If any provision of this Agreement shall be
held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or
otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall not be
affected thereby.
12.6. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each
other party and all appropriate governmental authorities
(including without limitation the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers and
state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with
any investigation or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the
generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further agrees
to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any
information or reports in connection with services provided
under this Agreement which such Commissioner may request in
order to ascertain whether the insurance operations of the
Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the
California Insurance Regulations and any other applicable law
or regulations.
12.7. The rights, remedies and obligations contained
in this Agreement are cumulative and are in addition to any
and all rights, remedies and obligations at law or in equity,
which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and
federal laws.
12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and
obligations hereunder may not be assigned by any party without
the prior written consent of all parties hereto; provided,
however, that an Adviser may assign this Agreement or any
rights or obligations hereunder to any affiliate of or company
under common control with the Adviser, if such assignee is
duly licensed and registered to perform the obligations of the
Adviser under this Agreement.
12.9. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be
furnished, to the Fund or its designee copies of the following
reports:
(a) the Company's annual statement (prepared
under statutory accounting principles) and annual
report (prepared under generally accepted accounting
principles ("GAAP"), if any), as soon as practical
and in any event within 90 days after the end of each
fiscal year;
(b) the Company's quarterly statements
(statutory) (and GAAP, if any), as soon as practical
and in any event within 45 days after the end of each
quarterly period:
(c) any financial statement, proxy
statement, notice or report of the Company sent to
stockholders and/or policyholders, as soon as
practical after the delivery thereof to stockholders;
(d) any registration statement (without
exhibits) and financial reports of the Company filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
state insurance regulator, as soon as practical after
the filing thereof;
(e) any other report submitted to the
Company by independent accountants in connection with
any annual, interim or special audit made by them of
the books of the Company, as soon as practical after
the receipt thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has
caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and on its
behalf by its duly authorized representative and its seal to
be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date specified above.
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
XXXXXX XXXXXXX UNIVERSAL FUNDS, INC.
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
XXXXXX XXXXXXX ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
XXXXXX XXXXXXXX & XXXXXXXX, LLP
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
PartTrans.doc
SCHEDULE A
SEPARATE ACCOUNTS AND CONTRACTS
Name of Separate Account Form Number and Name of Contract Funded by Separate
-------------------
Account
Sep Acct VA-6
Variable Annuity - Products A, B and C
(A) Policy Form No. TCG - 311-197
(B) Policy Form No. - Not yet assigned
(C) Policy Form No. TCG - 313-197
A-1
SCHEDULE B
PORTFOLIOS OF XXXXXX XXXXXXX
UNIVERSAL FUNDS, INC.
Fixed Income Portfolio
High Yield Portfolio
International Magnum Portfolio
B-1
SCHEDULE C
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES
The following is a list of procedures and corresponding responsibilities for the
handling of proxies and voting instructions relating to the Fund. The defined
terms herein shall have the meanings assigned in the Participation Agreement
except that the term "Company" shall also include the department or third party
assigned by the Company to perform the steps delineated below.
. The proxy proposals are given to the Company by the Fund as early as
possible before the date set by the Fund for the shareholder meeting to
enable the Company to consider and prepare for the solicitation of
voting instructions from owners of the Contracts and to facilitate the
establishment of tabulation procedures. At this time the Fund will
inform the Company of the Record, Mailing and Meeting dates. This will
be done verbally approximately two months before meeting.
. Promptly after the Record Date, the Company will perform a "tape run",
or other activity, which will generate the names, addresses and number
of units which are attributed to each contract owner/policyholder (the
"Customer") as of the Record Date. Allowance should be made for account
adjustments made after this date that could affect the status of the
Customers' accounts as of the Record Date.
Note: The number of proxy statements is determined by the activities
described in this Step #2. The Company will use its best efforts to
call in the number of Customers to the Fund , as soon as possible, but
no later than two weeks after the Record Date.
. The Fund's Annual Report must be sent to each Customer by the Company
either before or together with the Customers' receipt of voting,
instruction solicitation material. The Fund will provide the last
Annual Report to the Company pursuant to the terms of Section 3.3 of
the Agreement to which this Schedule relates.
. The text and format for the Voting Instruction Cards ("Cards" or
"Card") is provided to the Company by the Fund. The Company, at its
expense, shall produce and personalize the Voting Instruction Cards.
The Fund or its affiliate must approve the Card before it is printed.
Allow approximately 2-4 business days for printing information on the
Cards. Information commonly found on the Cards includes:
C-1
. name (legal name as found on account registration)
. address
. fund or account number
. coding to state number of units
. individual Card number for use in tracking and verification of
votes (already on Cards as
printed by the Fund).
(This and related steps may occur later in the chronological process due to
possible uncertainties relating to the proposals.)
. During this time, the Fund will develop, produce and pay for the Notice
of Proxy and the Proxy Statement (one document). Printed and folded
notices and statements will be sent to Company for insertion into
envelopes (envelopes and return envelopes are provided and paid for by
the Company). Contents of envelope sent to Customers by the Company
will include:
. Voting Instruction Card(s)
. One proxy notice and statement (one document)
. return envelope (postage pre-paid by Company) addressed to the
Company or its tabulation agent
. "urge buckslip" - optional, but recommended. (This is a small,
single sheet of paper that
requests Customers to vote as quickly as possible and that
their vote is important. One copy will be supplied by the
Fund.)
. cover letter - optional, supplied by Company and reviewed and
approved in advance by the Fund.
. The above contents should be received by the Company approximately 3-5
business days before mail date. Individual in charge at Company reviews
and approves the contents of the mailing package to ensure correctness
and completeness. Copy of this approval sent to the Fund.
. Package mailed by the Company.
* The Fund must allow at least a 15-day solicitation time to the
Company as the shareowner. (A 5-week period is recommended.)
Solicitation time is calculated as calendar days from (but not
including,) the meeting, counting backwards.
. Collection and tabulation of Cards begins. Tabulation usually takes
place in another department or another vendor depending on process
used. An often used procedure is to sort Cards on arrival by proposal
into vote categories of all yes, no, or mixed replies, and to begin
data entry.
C-2
Note: Postmarks are not generally needed. A need for postmark
information would be due to an insurance
company's internal procedure and has not been required by the Fund in
the past.
. Signatures on Card checked against legal name on account registration
which was printed on the Card.
Note: For Example, if the account registration is under "Xxxx X.
Xxxxx, Trustee," then that is the
exact legal name to be printed on the Card and is the signature needed
on the Card.
. If Cards are mutilated, or for any reason are illegible or are not
signed properly, they are sent back to Customer with an explanatory
letter and a new Card and return envelope. The mutilated or illegible
Card is disregarded and considered to be not received for purposes of
vote tabulation. Any Cards that have been "kicked out" (e.g. mutilated,
illegible) of the procedure are "hand verified," i.e., examined as to
why they did not complete the system. Any questions on those Cards are
usually remedied individually.
. There are various control procedures used to ensure proper tabulation
of votes and accuracy of that tabulation. The most prevalent is to sort
the Cards as they first arrive into categories depending upon their
vote; an estimate of how the vote is progressing may then be
calculated. If the initial estimates and the actual vote do not
coincide, then an internal audit of that vote should occur. This may
entail a recount.
. The actual tabulation of votes is done in units which is then converted
to shares. (It is very important
that the Fund receives the tabulations stated in terms of a percentage
and the number of shares.) The
Fund must review and approve tabulation format.
. Final tabulation in shares is verbally given by the Company to the Fund
on the morning of the meeting not later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern time.
The Fund may request an earlier deadline if reasonable and if required
to calculate the vote in time for the meeting.
. A Certification of Mailing and Authorization to Vote Shares will be
required from the Company as well as an original copy of the final
vote. The Fund will provide a standard form for each Certification.
C-3
. The Company will be required to box and archive the Cards received from
the Customers. In the event that any vote is challenged or if otherwise
necessary for legal, regulatory, or accounting purposes, the Fund will
be permitted reasonable access to such Cards.
. All approvals and "signing-off' may be done orally, but must always be
followed up in writing.
C-4
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Among
XXXXXX XXXXXXX UNIVERSAL FUNDS, INC.,
XXXXXX XXXXXXX ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
XXXXXX XXXXXXXX & XXXXXXXX, LLP
and
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
DATED AS OF
DECEMBER 15, 1997
PartTran.doc
10
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
By and Among
OCC ACCUMULATION TRUST
And
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
And
OCC DISTRIBUTORS
And
OpCap Advisors
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this 18th day of
December, 1997, by and among Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company, a
North Carolina Corporation (hereinafter the "Company"), on its own behalf and on
behalf of each separate account of the Company named in Schedule 1 to this
Agreement, as may be amended from time to time (each account referred to as the
"Account"), OCC ACCUMULATION TRUST, an open-end diversified management
investment company organized under the laws of the State of Massachusetts
(hereinafter the "Fund"), OpCap Advisors (hereinafter the "Adviser") and OCC
DISTRIBUTORS, a Delaware general partnership (hereinafter the "Underwriter").
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end
diversified, management investment company and was established for the purpose
of serving as the investment vehicle for separate accounts established for
variable life insurance contracts and variable annuity contracts to be offered
by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements
substantially identical to this Agreement (hereinafter "Participating Insurance
Companies"); and
WHEREAS, beneficial interests in the Fund are divided into
several series of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed
portfolio of securities and other assets (the "Portfolios"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities &
Exchange Commission (alternatively referred to as the "SEC" or the
"Commission"), dated February 22, 1995 (File No. 812-9290), granting
Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity separate accounts and
variable life insurance separate accounts relief from the provisions of Sections
9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
(hereinafter the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15)
thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to
and held by variable annuity separate accounts and variable life insurance
separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated Participating Insurance
Companies and qualified pension and retirement plans (hereinafter the "Mixed and
Shared Funding Exemptive Order");and
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management
investment company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain
variable annuity or life insurance contracts (the "Contracts") under the 1933
Act; and
WHEREAS, the Account is a duly organized, validly existing
segregated asset account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of
the Company under the insurance laws of the State of North Carolina, to set
aside and invest assets attributable to the Contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered the Account as a unit
investment trust under the 1940 Act;
and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker-dealer with
the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (hereinafter the
"1934 Act"), and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD"); and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws
and regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios named
in Schedule 2 on behalf of the Account to fund the Contracts and the Underwriter
is authorized to sell such shares to unit investment trusts such as the Account
at net asset value;
WHEREAS, the Company may contract with an Administrator to
perform certain services with regard to the Contracts and, therefore, certain
obligations and services of the Adviser and/or Trust should be directed to the
Administrator, as directed by the Company;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the
Company, the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those
shares of the Fund which the Company or its Administrator orders on behalf of
the Account, executing such orders on a daily basis at the net asset value next
computed after receipt and acceptance by the Fund or its agent of the order for
the shares of the Fund. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company or its
Administrator shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from
each Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund;
provided that the Fund receives notice of such order by 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
on the next following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which
the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
1.2. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next
Business Day after it places an order to purchase Fund shares in accordance with
Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire.
1.3. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely
for purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by Participating
Insurance Companies and their separate accounts each Business Day; provided,
however, that the Board of Trustees of the Fund (hereinafter the "Directors")
may refuse to sell shares of any Portfolio to any person, or suspend or
terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by
law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or is, in the sole
discretion of the Directors, acting in good faith and in light of their
fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in the
best interests of the shareholders of any Portfolio.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the
Fund shall be sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate
accounts, qualified pension and retirement plans or such other persons as are
permitted under applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, (the "Internal Revenue Code"), and regulations promulgated thereunder,
the sale to which will not impair the tax treatment currently afforded the
contracts. No shares of any Portfolio shall be sold to the general public.
1.5. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not sell Fund shares
to any insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing
provisions substantially the same as Articles I, III, V, VI and VII of this
Agreement are in effect to govern such sales. The Fund shall make available upon
written request from the Company (i) a list of all other Participating Insurance
Companies and (ii) a copy of the Participation Agreement executed by any other
Participating Insurance Company.
1.6. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, upon the Company's
request, any full or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company,
executing such requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed
after receipt and acceptance by the Fund or its agent of the request for
redemption. For purposes of this Section 1.6, the Company or its Administrator
shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of requests for redemption from
each Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund;
provided the Fund receives notice of request for redemption by 10:00 a.m.
Eastern Time on the next following Business Day. Payment shall be in federal
funds transmitted by wire to the Company's account as designated by the Company
in writing from time to time, on the same Business Day the Fund receives notice
of the redemption order from the Company except that the Fund reserves the right
to delay payment of redemption proceeds, but in no event may such payment be
delayed longer than the period permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act.
Neither the Fund nor the Underwriter shall bear any responsibility whatsoever
for the proper disbursement or crediting of redemption proceeds to Contract
owners; the Company alone shall be responsible for such action. If notification
of redemption is received after 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, payment for redeemed
shares will be made on the next following Business Day.
1.7. The Company agrees to purchase and redeem the shares of
the Portfolios named in Schedule 2 offered by the then current prospectus of the
Fund in accordance with the provisions of such prospectus. The Company agrees
that all net amounts available under the Contracts shall be invested in the
Fund, or in the Company's general account; provided that such amounts may also
be invested in an investment company other than the Fund if (a) such other
investment company, or series thereof, has investment objectives or policies
that are substantially different from the investment objectives and policies of
the Portfolios of the Fund named in Schedule 2; or (b) the Company gives the
Fund and the Underwriter 45 days written notice of its intention to make such
other investment company available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts; or
(c) such other investment company was available as a funding vehicle for the
Contracts prior to the date of this Agreement and the Company so informs the
Fund and Underwriter prior to their signing this Agreement; or (d) the Fund or
Underwriter consents in writing to the use of such other investment company.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by
book entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any
Account. Purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares will be recorded in an
appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of each
Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish notice to Company or its
Administrator by Company, two days prior to the distribution of any income,
dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the Fund's shares. The
Company hereby elects to receive all such dividends and distributions as are
payable on the Portfolio shares in the form of additional shares of that
Portfolio. The Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to receive
all such dividends and distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify the Company
of the number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and distributions
the day of distribution when it reports the Portfolio's NAV pursuant to Section
1.10.
1.10. The Fund shall report the net asset value per share for
each Portfolio to the Company or its Administrator, as directed by Company, on a
daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after the net asset value per share
is calculated and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value per
share available by 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, each business day. If the Fund
provides materially incorrect share net asset value information, the Fund shall
make an adjustment to the number of shares purchased or redeemed for the
Accounts to reflect the correct net asset value per share. Any material error in
the calculation or reporting of net asset value per share, dividend or capital
gains information shall be reported promptly upon discovery to the Company.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts
are or will be registered under the 1933 Act and that the Contracts will be
issued and sold in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws. The
Company further represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly
organized and in good standing under applicable law and that it has legally and
validly established each Account as a segregated asset account under applicable
state law and has registered each Account as a unit investment trust in
accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as segregated investment
accounts for the Contracts, and that it will maintain such registration for so
long as any Contracts are outstanding. The Company shall amend the registration
statement under the 1933 Act for the Contracts and the registration statement
under the 1940 Act for the Account from time to time as required in order to
effect the continuous offering of the Contracts or as may otherwise be required
by applicable law. The Company shall register and qualify the Contracts for sale
in accordance with the securities laws of the various states only if and to the
extent deemed necessary by the Company.
2.2. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently
and at the time of issuance will be treated as life insurance or annuity
contracts under Sections 7702 or 72 of the Internal Revenue Code and that it
will maintain such treatment and that it will notify the Fund and the
Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the
Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in
the future.
2.3. The Fund and Adviser represent and warrant that Fund
shares sold pursuant to this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act
and duly authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable law and that the
Fund is and shall remain registered under the 1940 Act for as long as the Fund
shares are sold. The Fund shall amend the registration statement for its shares
under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to
effect the continuous offering of its shares. The Fund shall register and
qualify the shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the various states
only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund or the Underwriter.
2.4. The Fund and Adviser represent and warrant that the Fund
and each of the Portfolios is currently qualified as a Regulated Investment
Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and that they will
maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar
provision) (or correct any failure during the applicable grace period) and that
they will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify in
the future.
2.5. The Fund represents that its investment objectives,
policies and restrictions comply with applicable state investment laws as they
may apply to the Fund. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect
of its operations (including, but not limited to, fees and expenses and
investment policies) complies with the insurance laws and regulations of any
state. The Company alone shall be responsible for informing the Fund of any
insurance restrictions imposed by state insurance laws which are applicable to
the Fund. To the extent feasible and consistent with market conditions, the Fund
will adjust its investments to comply with the aforementioned state insurance
laws upon written notice from the Company of such requirements and proposed
adjustments, it being agreed and understood that in any such case the Fund shall
be allowed a reasonable period of time under the circumstances after receipt of
such notice to make any such adjustment.
2.6. The Fund currently does not intend to make any payments
to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or
otherwise, although it may make such payments in the future. To the extent that
it decides to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund
undertakes to have its Board of Trustees, a majority of whom are not interested
persons of the Fund, formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses.
2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a
member in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.,
("NASD") and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The Underwriter
further represents that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares in
accordance with all applicable federal and state securities laws, including
without limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the 0000 Xxx.
2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and
validly existing under the laws of Massachusetts and that it does and will
comply with applicable provisions of the 0000 Xxx.
2.9. The Underwriter and the Adviser represent and warrant
that Adviser is and shall remain duly registered under all applicable federal
and state securities laws and that the Adviser will perform its obligations to
the Fund in accordance with the laws of Massachusetts and any applicable state
and federal securities laws.
2.10. The Fund, Adviser and Underwriter represent and warrant
that all of their directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities having access to the funds and/or securities of the Fund
are and continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the
minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or
related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid Bond
includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement and is issued by a reputable
bonding company.
2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its
directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are
covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the
Fund, in an amount not less than $5 million. The aforesaid includes coverage for
larceny and embezzlement and is issued by a reputable bonding company. The
Company agrees to make all reasonable efforts to see that this bond or another
bond containing these provisions is always in effect, and agrees to notify the
Fund and the Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company, at the
Company's expense, with as many copies of the current prospectuses for the
Portfolios listed on Schedule 2 as the Company may reasonably request for use
with prospective contractowners and applicants. The Underwriter shall print and
distribute, at the Fund's or Underwriter's expense, as many copies of said
prospectuses as necessary for distribution to existing contractowners or
participants. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the Fund shall
provide such documentation including a final copy of a current prospectus set in
type at the Fund's expense and other assistance as is reasonably necessary in
order for the Company at least annually (or more frequently if the said
prospectuses are amended more frequently) to have the new prospectus for the
Contracts and the Portfolios' new prospectuses printed together in one document.
In such case the Fund shall bear its share of expenses as described above.
3.2. The Fund's prospectus shall state that the Statement of
Additional Information for the Fund is available from the Underwriter or
alternatively from the Company (or, in the Fund's discretion, the Prospectus
shall state that such Statement is available from the Fund), and the Underwriter
(or the Fund) shall provide such Statement, at its expense, to the Company and
to any owner of or participant under a Contract who requests such Statement or,
at the Company's expense, to any prospective contractowner and applicant who
requests such statement.
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with
copies of proxy material, if any, reports to shareholders and other
communications to shareholders with regard to the Portfolios listed in Schedule
2 in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require and shall bear the
costs of distributing them to existing contractowners or participants.
3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from contract
owners or participants;
(ii) vote the Fund shares held in the Account in
accordance with instructions received from
contractowners or participants; and
(iii) vote Fund shares held in the Account for
which no timely instructions have been
received, in the same proportion as Fund
shares of such Portfolio for which
instructions have been received from the
Company's contractowners or participants;
so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to
require pass through voting privileges for variable contractowners. The Company
reserves the right to vote Fund shares held in any segregated asset account in
its own right, to the extent permitted by law. Participating Insurance Companies
shall be responsible for assuring that each of their separate accounts
participating in the Fund calculates voting privileges in a manner consistent
with other Participating Insurance Companies.
3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act
requiring voting by shareholders, and in particular as required, the Fund will
either provide for annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act
(although the Fund is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that
Act) as well as with Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further,
the Fund will act in accordance with the SEC interpretation of the requirements
of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of directors and with
whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be
furnished, to the Fund or the Underwriter, each piece of sales literature or
other promotional material in which the Fund or the Fund's adviser or the
Underwriter is named, at least five business days prior to its use. No such
material shall be used if the Fund or the Underwriter reasonably objects in
writing to such use within fifteen business days after receipt of such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or by
the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the Underwriter. The
Fund and the Underwriter agree to respond to any request for approval on a
prompt and timely basis.
4.3. The Fund or the Underwriter shall furnish, or shall cause
to be furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature
or other promotional material in which the Company or its separate account is
named, at least fifteen business days prior to its use. No such material shall
be used if the Company reasonably objects in writing to such use within fifteen
business days after receipt of such material.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any
information or make any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning
the Company, each Account, or the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the
Contracts, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in published reports for each Account which
are in the public domain or approved by the Company for distribution to
contractowners or participants, or in sales literature or other promotional
material approved by the Company, except with the permission of the Company. The
Company agrees to respond to any request for approval on a prompt and timely
basis.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one
complete copy of all registration statements, prospectuses, statements of
additional information, reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other
promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action
letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its
shares, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or other
regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one
complete copy of all registration statements, prospectuses, statements of
additional information, reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that
relate to the Contracts or each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of
such document with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales
literature or other promotional material" includes, but is not limited to,
advertisements (such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper,
magazine, or other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording,
videotape display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media),
sales literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of
any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or
training materials or other communications distributed or made generally
available to some or all agents or employees, registration statements,
prospectuses, statements of additional information, shareholder reports, and
proxy materials and any other material constituting sales literature or
advertising under NASD rules, the 1940 Act or the 1933 Act.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other
compensation to the Company under this Agreement, except that if the Fund or any
Portfolio adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses, then, subject to obtaining any required exemptive orders
or other regulatory approvals, the Underwriter may make payments to the Company
or to the underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the
Underwriter in writing. Currently, no such payments are contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund of this
Agreement shall be paid by the Fund to the extent permitted by law. All Fund
shares will be duly authorized for issuance and registered in accordance with
applicable federal law and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in
accordance with applicable state law, prior to sale. The Fund shall bear the
expenses for the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's shares,
preparation and filing of the Fund's prospectus and registration statement, Fund
proxy materials and reports, setting in type, printing and distributing the
prospectuses, the proxy materials and reports to existing shareholders and
contractowners, the preparation of all statements and notices required by any
federal or state law, all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund's
shares, and any expenses permitted to be paid or assumed by the Fund pursuant to
a plan, if any, under Rule 12b-1 under the 0000 Xxx.
5.3 Adviser will quarterly reimburse the Company certain of
the administrative costs and expenses incurred by the Company as a result of
operations necessitated by the beneficial ownership by Contract owners of shares
of the Portfolios of the Fund, equal to 0.15% per annum of the average daily net
assets of the Fund attributable to variable life or variable annuity contracts
offered by the Company or its affiliates up to $300 million and 0.20% per annum
of the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to such contracts in
excess of $300 million but less than $600 million and 0.25% per annum of the
average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to such contracts in excess of
$600 million. In no event shall such fee be paid by the Fund, its shareholders
or by the contract holders.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification
6.1. The Fund and the Adviser represent and warrant that the
Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a manner as to
ensure that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts under the
Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder. Without limiting
the scope of the foregoing, the Fund will comply with Section 817(h) of the
Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, relating to the
diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance
contracts and any amendments or other modifications to such Section or
Regulations. In the event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will
take all reasonable steps (a) to notify the Company of such breach and (b) to
adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance with the grace period
afforded by Treasury Regulation 1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
7.1. The Board of Trustees of the Fund (the "Fund Board") will
monitor the Fund for the existence of any material irreconcilable conflict among
the interests of the contractowners of all separate accounts investing in the
Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may arise for a variety of reasons,
including: (a) an action by any state insurance regulatory authority; (b) a
change in applicable federal or state insurance, tax, or securities laws or
regulations, or a public ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or
interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities
regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial decision in any
relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of any Portfolio
are being managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given by
Participating Insurance Companies or by variable annuity contract and variable
life insurance contractowners; or (f) a decision by an insurer to disregard the
voting instructions of contractowners. The Board shall promptly inform the
Company if it determines that an irreconcilable material conflict exists and the
implications thereof. A majority of the Fund Board shall consist of persons who
are not "interested" persons of the Fund.
7.2. The Company has reviewed a copy of the Mixed and Shared
Funding Exemptive Order, and in particular, has reviewed the conditions to the
requested relief set forth therein. As set forth in the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, the Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of
which it is aware to the Fund Board. The Company agrees to assist the Fund Board
in carrying out its responsibilities under the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, by providing the Fund Board with all information reasonably
necessary for the Fund Board to consider any issues raised. This includes, but
is not limited to, an obligation by the Company to inform the Fund Board
whenever contractowner voting instructions are disregarded. The Fund Board shall
record in its minutes or other appropriate records, all reports received by it
and all action with regard to a conflict.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Fund Board, or a
majority of its disinterested Directors, that an irreconcilable material
conflict exists, the Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall,
at their expense and to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a
majority of the disinterested Directors), take whatever steps are necessary to
remedy or eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including:
(1) withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts
from the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different
investment medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund,
or submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a
vote of all affected contractowners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets
of any appropriate group (i.e., variable annuity contractowners or variable life
insurance contractowners, of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that
votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected contractowners
the option of making such a change; and (2) establishing a new registered
management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If the Company's disregard of voting instructions could
conflict with the majority of contractowner voting instructions, and the
Company's judgment represents a minority position or would preclude a majority
vote, the Company may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the
Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to
such Account. Any such withdrawal and termination must take place within 60 days
after the Fund gives written notice to the Company that this provision is being
implemented. Until the end of such 60 day period the Underwriter and Fund shall
continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and
redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.5. If a particular state insurance regulator's decision
applicable to the Company conflicts with the majority of other state insurance
regulators, then the Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund
and terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account. Any such withdrawal
and termination must take place within 60 days after the Fund gives written
notice to the Company that this provision is being implemented. Until the end of
such 60 day period the Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and
implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of
the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this
Agreement, a majority of the disinterested members of the Fund Board shall
determine whether any proposed action adequately remedies any irreconcilable
material conflict, but in no event will the Fund or Quest Advisors be required
to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts. The Company shall not be
required by Section 7.3 to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts if
an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a majority of contractowners
materially adversely affected by the irreconcilable material conflict.
7.7. The Company shall at least annually submit to the Fund
Board such reports, materials or data as the Fund Board may reasonably request
so that the Fund Board may fully carry out the duties imposed upon it as
delineated in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, and said reports,
materials and data shall be submitted more frequently if deemed appropriate by
the Fund Board.
7. 8. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3 (T)
are amended, or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any
provision of the Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed
or shared funding (as defined in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order)
on terms and conditions materially different from those contained in the Mixed
and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, (a) the Fund and/or the Participating
Insurance Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary
to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3 (T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted,
to the extent such rules are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2,
7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent
that terms and conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained
in such Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Fund, the Adviser, the Underwriter, and each of the Fund's or the Underwriter's
directors, officers, employees or agents and each person, if any, who controls
or is associated with the Fund or the Underwriter within the meaning of such
terms under the federal securities laws (collectively, the "indemnified parties"
for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages,
liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of
the Company) or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to
which the indemnified parties may become subject under any statute, regulation,
at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue
statements or alleged untrue statements of any material fact
contained in the registration statement, prospectus or
statement of additional information for the Contracts or
contained in the Contracts or sales literature or other
promotional material for the Contracts (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are
based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in
light of the circumstances in which they were made; provided
that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any
indemnified party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statemen or omission was made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information furnished to the Company by
or on behalf of the Fund for use in the registration
statement, prospectus or statement of additional information
for the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature or
other promotional material for the Contracts (or any
amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection
with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations by or on behalf of the
Company (other than statements or
representations contained in the Fund
registration statement, Fund prospectus,
Fund statement of additional information or
sales literature or other promotional
material of the Fund not supplied by the
Company or persons under its control) or
wrongful conduct of the Company or persons
under its control, with respect to the sale
or distribution of the Contracts or Fund
shares; or
(iii)
arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in the Fund registration statement, Fund prospectus, statement of
additional information or sales literature or other promotional material of the
Fund or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the
circumstances in which they were made, if such a statement or omission was made
in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Fund by or
on behalf of the Company or persons under its control; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the
Company to provide the services and furnish
the materials or to make any payments under
the terms of this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the
Company in this Agreement or arise out of or
result from any other material breach by the
Company of this Agreement;
except to the extent provided in Sections 8.1(b) and 8.3 hereof. This
indemnification shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may
otherwise have.
(b) No party shall be entitled to indemnification if such
loss, claim, damage, liability or litigation is due to the willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty by the party seeking
indemnification.
(c) The indemnified parties will promptly notify the Company
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection
with the issuance or sale of the Fund shares or the Contracts or the operation
of the Fund.
8.2. Indemnification By the Underwriter
(a) The Underwriter and Adviser, on their own behalf and on
behalf of the Fund, joint and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and each of its directors, officers, employees or agents and each
person, if any, who controls or is associated with the Company within the
meaning of such terms under the federal securities laws (collectively, the
"indemnified parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Underwriter or Adviser) or litigation (including
reasonable legal and other expenses) to which the indemnified parties may become
subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect
thereof) or settlements:
(i)
arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of any material fact contained in the registration statement, prospectus or
statement of additional information for the Fund or sales literature or other
promotional material of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the
circumstances in which they were made; provided that this agreement to indemnify
shall not apply as to any indemnified party if such statement or omission or
such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished to the Underwriter or Fund by or on behalf of the
Company for use in the registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information for the Fund or in sales literature or other promotional
material of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or otherwise for
use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii)
arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than
statements or representations contained in the Contracts or in the Contract or
Fund registration statement, the Contract or Fund prospectus, statement of
additional information, or sales literature or other promotional material for
the Contracts or of the Fund not supplied by the Underwriter or the Fund or
persons under the control of the Underwriter or the Fund respectively) or
wrongful conduct of the Underwriter or the Fund or persons under the control of
the Underwriter or the Fund respectively, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus, statement of
additional information or sales literature or other promotional material
covering the Contracts (or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto), or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statement or statements therein not
misleading in light of the circumstances in which they were made, if such
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriter or the
Fund or persons under the control of the Underwriter or the Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the services
and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a
failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the
diversification requirements and procedures related thereto specified in Article
VI or the Sub-Chapter M qualification specified in Section 2.4 of this
Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation
and/or warranty made by the Underwriter or the Fund in this Agreement or arise
out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the
Underwriter or the Fund; or
(vi) arise out of or result from the materially incorrect or untimely
calculation or reporting of the daily net asset value per share or dividend or
capital gain distribution rate; except to the extent provided in Sections 8.2(b)
and 8.3 hereof. This indemnification shall be in addition to any liability which
the Underwriter may otherwise have.
(b) No party shall be entitled to indemnification if such
loss, claim, damage, liability or litigation is due to the willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty by the party seeking
indemnification.
(c) The indemnified parties will promptly notify the
Underwriter of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in
connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the operation of the
Account.
8.3. Indemnification Procedure
Any person obligated to provide indemnification under this
Article VIII ("indemnifying party" for the purpose of this Section 8.3) shall
not be liable under the indemnification provisions of this Article VIII with
respect to any claim made against a party entitled to indemnification under this
Article VIII ("indemnified party" for the purpose of this Section 8.3) unless
such indemnified party shall have notified the indemnifying party in writing
within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
indemnified party (or after such party shall have received notice of such
service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the indemnifying party
of any such claim shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability
which it may have to the indemnified party against whom such action is brought
under the indemnification provision of this Article VIII, except to the extent
that the failure to notify results in the failure of actual notice to the
indemnifying party and such indemnifying party is damaged solely as a result of
failure to give such notice. In case any such action is brought against the
indemnified party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate, at
its own expense, in the defense thereof. The indemnifying party also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party
named in the action. After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified
party of the indemnifying party's election to assume the defense thereof, the
indemnified party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it, and the indemnifying party will not be liable to such party
under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than
reasonable costs of investigation, unless (i) the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or
(ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties)
include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation
of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or
potential differing interests between them. The indemnifying party shall not be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent
but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the
plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from
and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.
A successor by law of the parties to this Agreement shall be
entitled to the benefits of the indemnification contained in this Article VIII.
The indemnification provisions contained in this Article VIII shall survive any
termination of this Agreement.
8.4. Contribution
In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in
circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in this Article VIII is
due in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unenforceable
with respect to a party entitled to indemnification ("indemnified party" for
purposes of this Section 8.4) pursuant to the terms of this Article VIII, then
each party obligated to indemnify pursuant to the terms of this Article VIII
shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and litigations in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the
parties to this Agreement in connection with the offering of Fund shares to the
Account and the acquisition, holding or sale of Fund shares by the Account, or
if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportions as is
appropriate to reflect the relative net benefits referred to above but also the
relative fault of the parties to this Agreement in connection with any actions
that lead to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigations, as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions
hereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the
1933, 1934 and 1940 Acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder,
including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the SEC
may grant (including, but not limited to the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive
Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance
therewith.
ARTICLE X. Termination
10.1. This Agreement shall terminate:
(a) at the option of any party upon one-year advanc written notice to the
other parties unless otherwise agreed in a separate written agreement among the
parties; or
(b) at the option of the Company if shares of the Portfolios delineated in
Schedule 2 are not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the
Contracts as determined by the Company; or
(c) at the option of the Fund upon institution of formal proceedings
against the Company by the NASD, the SEC, the insurance commission of any state
or any other regulatory body regarding the Company's duties under this Agreement
or related to the sale of the Contracts, the administration of the Contracts,
the operation of the Account, or the purchase of the Fund shares, which would
have a material adverse effect on the Company's ability to perform its
obligations under this Agreement; or
(d) at the option of the Company upon institution of formal proceedings
against the Fund or the Underwriter by the NASD, the SEC, or any state
securities or insurance department or any other regulatory body, which would
have a material adverse effect on the Fund's or the Underwriter's ability to
perform its obligations under this Agreement; or
(e) at the option of the Company or the Fund upon receipt of any necessary
regulatory approvals and/or the vote of the contractowners having an interest in
the Account (or any subaccount) to substitute the shares of another investment
company for the corresponding Portfolio shares of the Fund in accordance with
the terms of the Contracts for which those Portfolio shares had been selected to
serve as the underlying investment media. The Company will give 30 days prior
written notice to the Fund of the date of any proposed vote or other action
taken to replace the Fund's shares; or
(f) at the option of the Company or the Fund upon a determination by a
majority of the Fund Board, or a majority of the disinterested Fund Board
members, that an irreconcilable material conflict exists among the interests of
(i) all contractowners of variable insurance products of all separate accounts
or (ii) the interests of the Participating Insurance Companies investing in the
Fund as delineated in Article VII of this Agreement; or
(g) at the option of the Company if the Fund ceases to qualify as a
Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or
under any successor or similar provision, or if the Company reasonably believes
that the Fund may fail to so qualify; or
(h) at the option of the Company if the Fund fails to meet the
diversification requirements specified in Article VI hereof; or
(i) at the option of any party to this Agreement, upon another party's
material breach of any provision of this Agreement; or
(j) at the option of the Company, if the Company determines in its sole
judgment exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter has
suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations or financial
condition since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse
publicity which is likely to have a material adverse impact upon the business
and operations of the Company; or
(k) at the option of the Fund or Underwriter, if the Fund or Underwriter
respectively, shall determine in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that
the Company has suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations
or financial condition since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of
material adverse publicity which is likely to have a material adverse impact
upon the business and operations of the Fund or Underwriter; or
(l) at the option of the Fund in the event any of the
Contracts are not issued or sold
in accordance with applicable federal and/or state law. Termination shall be
effective immediately upon such occurrence without notice.
10.2. Notice Requirement
(a) In the event that any termination of this
Agreement is based upon the provisions
of Article VII, such prior written notice shall be given in advance of the
effective date of termination as required by such provisions.
(b) In the event that any termination of this
Agreement is based upon the provisions
of Sections 10.1(b) - (d) or 10.1(g) - (i), prompt written notice of the
election to terminate this Agreement for cause shall be furnished by the party
terminating the Agreement to the non-terminating parties, with said termination
to be effective upon receipt of such notice by the non-terminating parties.
(c) In the event that any termination of this
Agreement is based upon the provisions
of Sections 10.1(j) or 10.1(k), prior written notice of the election to
terminate this Agreement for cause shall be furnished by the party terminating
this Agreement to the non-terminating parties. Such prior written notice shall
be given by the party terminating this Agreement to the non-terminating parties
at least 30 days before the effective date of termination.
10.3. It is understood and agreed that the right to terminate
this Agreement pursuant to Section 10.1(a) may be exercised for any reason or
for no reason.
10.4. Effect of Termination
(a) Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement pursuant to Section 10.1 of
this Agreement, and subject to Section 1.3 of this Agreement, the Company may
require the Fund and the Underwriter to, continue to make available additional
shares of the Fund for so long after the termination of this Agreement as the
Company desires pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement as
provided in paragraph (b) below, for all Contracts in effect on the effective
date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing
Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing
Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem
investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional
purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this
Section 10.4 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the
effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this
Agreement.
(b) If shares of the Fund continue to be made
available after termination of this
Agreement pursuant to this Section 10.4, the provisions of this Agreement shall
remain in effect except for Section 10.1(a) and thereafter the Fund, the
Underwriter, or the Company may terminate the Agreement, as so continued
pursuant to this Section 10.4, upon written notice to the other party, such
notice to be for a period that is reasonable under the circumstances but, if
given by the Fund or Underwriter, need not be for more than 90 days.
10.5. Except as necessary to implement contractowner initiated
or approved transactions, or as required by state insurance laws or regulations,
the Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the Contracts (as
opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held in the
Account), and the Company shall not prevent contractowners from allocating
payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise available under the Contracts, until
90 days after the Company shall have notified the Fund or Underwriter of its
intention to do so.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
Any notice shall be deemed duly given only if sent by hand, evidenced
by written receipt or by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the other
party at the address of such party set forth below or at such other address as
such party may from time to time specify in writing to the other party. All
notices shall be deemed given three business days after the date received or
rejected by the addressee.
If to the Fund:
Xx. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
President
OpCap Advisors
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
If to the Company:
[Name]
[Title]
[Co. Name]
[Address]
If to the Underwriter:
Xx. Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Secretary
OCC Distributors
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
12.1. All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to
the property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as
neither the Directors, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal
liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2. Subject to law and regulatory authority, each party
hereto shall treat as confidential all information reasonably identified as such
in writing by any other party hereto (including without limitation the names and
addresses of the owners of the Contracts) and, except as contemplated by this
Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such confidential
information until such time as it may come into the public domain without the
express prior written consent of the affected party.
12.3. The captions in this Agreement are included for
convenience of reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
12.4. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or
more counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the
same instrument.
12.5. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made
invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the
Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
12.6. This Agreement shall not be assigned by any party hereto
without the prior written consent of all the parties.
12.7. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party
and all appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the
SEC, the NASD and state insurance regulators) and shall permit each other and
such authorities reasonable access to its books and records in connection with
any investigation or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby.
12.8. Each party represents that the execution and delivery of
this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein have
been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or trust action, as applicable,
by such party and when so executed and delivered this Agreement will be the
valid and binding obligation of such party enforceable in accordance with its
terms.
12.9. The parties to this Agreement may amend the schedules to
this Agreement from time to time to reflect changes in or relating to the
Contracts, the Accounts or the Portfolios of the Fund.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused
this Agreement to be executed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized
representative as of the date and year first written above.
Company:
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND
ANNUITY COMPANY
SEAL By: ______________________________
Fund:
OCC ACCUMULATION TRUST
SEAL By: ______________________________
Underwriter:
OCC DISTRIBUTORS
By: ______________________________
Adviser:
OpCap Advisors
By:_______________________________
Schedule 1
Participation Agreement
Among
OCC Accumulation Trust, Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company
and
OCC Distributors
The following separate accounts of Transamerica Life Insurance and
Annuity Company are permitted in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement to invest in Portfolios of the Fund shown in Schedule 2:
Separate Account VUL-1
[Date]
Schedule 2
Participation Agreement
Among
OCC Accumulation Trust, Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company
and
OCC Distributors
The Separate Account(s) shown on Schedule 1 may invest in the following
Portfolios of the OCC Accumulation Trust:
[Date]
Xxxxxxxxxxx Capital Managed
Xxxxxxxxxxx Capital Value Equity
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Among
TRANSAMERICA VARIABLE INSURANCE FUND, INC.
TRANSAMERICA SECURITIES SALES CORPORATION
and
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of this ____ day of _________,
1996 by and among TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY hereinafter
"Transamerica"), a North Carolina life insurance company, on its own behalf and
on behalf of its SEPARATE ACCOUNT C (the "Account"); TRANSAMERICA VARIABLE
INSURANCE FUND, INC., a corporation organized under the laws of Maryland
(hereinafter the "Fund"); and TRANSAMERICA SECURITIES SALES CORPORATION,
(hereinafter the "Underwriter"), a _________ corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management
investment company and is available to act as the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and/or
variable annuity contracts (collectively, the "Variable Insurance Products") to
be offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation
agreements similar to this Agreement (hereinafter "Participating Insurance
Companies"), as well as qualified pension and retirement plans; and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interests in the Fund are divided into several
series of shares, each designated a "Portfolio" and representing interests in a
particular managed portfolio of securities and other assets; and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission (hereinafter the "SEC"), dated __________ (File No.
812-_____), granting Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity and
variable life insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of
sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, (hereinafter the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T) (b)(15)
thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to
and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of
life insurance companies that may or may not be affiliated with one another
(hereinafter the "Shared Funding Exemptive Order"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and shares of the Portfolios are registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is duly registered as a broker-dealer under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") and is a member
in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the
"NASD"); and
WHEREAS, Transamerica has registered certain variable annuity contracts
supported wholly or partially by the Account (the "Contracts") under the 1933
Act and said Contracts are listed in Schedule A hereto, as it may be amended
from time to time by mutual written agreement; and
- 2 -
WHEREAS, the Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of
Transamerica on ________________, to set aside and invest assets attributable to
the Contracts; and
WHEREAS, Transamerica has registered the Account as a unit investment
trust under
the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, Transamerica intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios listed in
Schedule B hereto, as it may be amended from time to time by mutual written
agreement (the "Designated Portfolios"), on behalf of the Account to fund the
aforesaid Contracts, and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to
unit investment trusts such as the Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises,
Transamerica, the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to Transamerica those shares of the
Designated Portfolios which Transamerica orders, executing such orders on a
daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or
its designee of the order for the shares of the Portfolios. For purposes of this
Section 1.1, Transamerica shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such
orders and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund;
provided that the Fund receives notice of such order by ____ a.m. _________ time
on the next following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which
the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund calculates
its net asset value.
- 3 -
1.2. The Fund agrees to make shares of the Designated Portfolios
available for purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by
Transamerica on those days on which the Fund calculates its net asset values,
and the Fund shall calculate such net asset value on each day which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Directors of the Fund (hereinafter the "Board") may refuse to sell shares of any
Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any
Portfolio if such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having
jurisdiction or is, in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and
in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws,
necessary in the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.3 The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Designated
Portfolios will be sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their
separate accounts and qualified pension and retirement plans. No shares of any
Designated Portfolio will be sold to the general public.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell shares of the
Designated Portfolios to any other insurance company, separate account or
qualified pension and retirement plan unless an agreement containing provisions
substantially the same as Sections 2.1, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, and Article VII of this
Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.
1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on Transamerica's request, any
full or fractional shares of the Fund held by Transamerica, executing such
requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by
the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption, except that the Fund
reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption or
- 4 -
postpone the date of payment or satisfaction upon redemption consistent with
Section 22(e) of the 0000 Xxx. For purposes of this Section 1.5, Transamerica
shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of requests for redemption and
receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the
Fund receives notice of such request for redemption by _________ a.m.
___________ time on the next following Business Day.
1.6. The Parties hereto acknowledge that the arrangement contemplated
by this Agreement is not exclusive; the Fund's shares may be sold to other
insurance companies and qualified pension and retirement plans (subject to
Section 1.4 and Article VI hereof) and the cash value of the Contracts may be
invested in other investment companies.
1.7. Transamerica shall pay for Fund shares by _______ a.m.
______________ time on the next Business Day after an order to purchase Fund
shares is made in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.1 hereof. Payment
shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire and/or by a credit for any shares
redeemed the same day as the purchase. Upon receipt by the Fund of the federal
funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of Transamerica
and shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.8. The Fund shall pay and transmit the proceeds of redemptions of
Fund shares by _____ a.m. ____________ time on the next Business Day after a
redemption order is received, subject to Section 1.5 hereof. Payment shall be in
federal funds transmitted by wire and/or a credit for any shares purchased the
same day as the redemption.
1.9. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry
only. Stock certificates will not be issued to Transamerica or the Account.
Shares ordered
from the Fund
- 5 -
will be recorded in an appropriate title for the Account or the appropriate
subaccount of the
Account.
1.10. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone,
followed by written confirmation) to Transamerica of any income, dividends or
capital gain distributions payable on the Designated Portfolios' shares.
Transamerica hereby elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain
distributions in additional shares of that Portfolio. Transamerica reserves the
right to revoke this election and to receive all such income dividends and
capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify Transamerica by the
end of the next following Business Day of the number of shares so issued as
payment of such dividends and distributions.
1.11. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each
Designated Portfolio available to Transamerica on a daily basis as soon as
reasonably practical after the net asset value per share is calculated and shall
use its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available by _____
p.m. ________ time. If the Fund provides incorrect per share net asset value
information, Transamerica shall be entitled to an adjustment to the number of
shares purchased or redeemed to reflect the correct net asset value per share.
Any material error in the calculation or reporting of net asset value per share,
dividend or capital gains information shall be reported immediately upon
discovery to Transamerica. Any error of a lesser amount shall be corrected in
the next Business Day's net asset value per share.
In the event adjustments are required to correct any error in the
computation of a Designated Portfolio's net asset value per share, or dividend
or capital gain distribution, the Underwriter (or the Underwriter or the Fund)
shall notify Transamerica as soon as possible
- 6 -
after discovering the need for such adjustments. Notification can be made
orally, but must be confirmed in writing. If an adjustment is necessary to
correct an error which caused Contract owners to receive less than the amount to
which they are entitled, the Fund shall make all necessary adjustments to the
number of shares owned by the Account and distribute to the Account the amount
of the underpayment. In no event shall Transamerica be liable to the Fund or the
Underwriter for any such adjustments or overpayment amounts.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
2.1. Transamerica represents and warrants that the Contracts are or
will be registered under the 1933 Act; that the Contracts will be issued and
sold in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and
state laws and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material
respects with state insurance suitability requirements. Transamerica further
represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in
good standing under applicable law and that it has legally and validly
established the Account as a segregated asset account under Section 10506 of the
California Insurance Law and has registered the Account as a unit investment
trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a segregated
investment account for the Contracts.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Designated Portfolio shares
sold pursuant to this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly
authorized for issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of the State of
California and all applicable federal and state securities laws including
without limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act and that the
Fund is and shall remain registered under the 0000 Xxx. The Fund shall amend the
Registration Statement for its shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act
- 7 -
from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous offering of its
shares. The Fund shall register and qualify the shares for sale in accordance
with the laws of the various states if and to the extent required by applicable
law.
2.3. The Fund reserves the right to adopt a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act or impose an asset-based or other charge to finance
distribution expenses as permitted by applicable law and regulation. In any
event, the Fund represents and warrant that the investment advisory or
management fees paid to the adviser by the Fund are legitimate and not
excessive. To the extent that the Fund decides to finance distribution expenses
pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund undertakes to have a Board, a majority of whom
are not interested persons of the Fund, formulate and approve any plan pursuant
to Rule 12b- 1 under the 1940 Act to finance distribution expenses.
2.4. The Fund represents and warrants that the investment policies and
fees and expenses of the Designated Portfolios are and shall at all times remain
in compliance with the insurance and other applicable laws of the State of
California and any other applicable state to the extent required to perform this
Agreement. The Fund further represents and warrants that Designated Portfolio
shares will be sold in compliance with the insurance laws of the State of
California and all applicable state securities laws or exemptions therefrom.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Fund represents and
warrants that it is and shall at all times remain in compliance with the
policies and restrictions enumerated in Schedule C hereto, as amended by
Transamerica from time to time, provided that such amendments shall either be
(a) agreed to by the Fund and Transamerica, or (b) necessary to comply with
applicable laws of the State of California.
- 8 -
2.5. The Fund represents and warrants that it is lawfully organized and
validly existing under the laws of the State of Maryland and that it does and
will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act.
2.6. The Fund represents and warrant that all of their directors,
officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals or entities
dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are, and shall continue to
be at all times, covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the
benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the minimal coverage required by
Section 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or related provisions as may be promulgated from
time to time. The aforesaid bond shall include coverage for larceny and
embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.7. The Fund will provide Transamerica with as much advance notice as
is reasonably practicable of any material change affecting the Designated
Portfolios (including, but not limited to, any material change in its
registration statement or prospectus affecting the Designated Portfolios and any
proxy solicitation affecting the Designated Portfolios) and consult with
Transamerica in order to implement any such change in an orderly manner,
recognizing the expenses of changes and attempting to minimize such expenses by
implementing them in conjunction with regular annual updates of the prospectuses
for the Contracts. The Fund agrees to share equitably in expenses incurred by
Transamerica as a result of actions taken by the Fund, as set forth in the
allocation of expenses contained in Schedule D.
- 9 -
2.8. Transamerica represents, assuming that the Fund complies with
Article VI of this Agreement, that the Contracts are currently treated as
annuity contracts under applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, and that it will make every effort to maintain such treatment
and that it will notify the Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable
basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they
might not be so treated in the future.
2.9. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated
Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code") and that it will make every effort to maintain such
qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision) and
that it will notify Transamerica immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify in
the future.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
3.1(a). At least annually, the Fund, at its expense, shall provide
Transamerica or its designee with as many copies of the Fund's current
prospectuses for the Designated Portfolios as Transamerica may reasonably
request for marketing purposes (including distribution to Contract owners with
respect to new sales of a Contract). If requested by Transamerica in lieu
thereof, the Fund shall provide such documentation (including a final "camera
ready" copy of the new prospectuses for the Designated Portfolios as set in type
at the Fund's expense or, at the request of Transamerica, as a diskette or such
other form as is required by the financial printer) and other assistance as is
reasonably necessary in order for Transamerica once each year (or more
frequently if the prospectus for the Designated Portfolio is amended)
- 10 -
to have the prospectus for the Contract and the Fund's prospectus for the
Designated Portfolios printed together in one document (the cost of such
printing to be born by the Fund and Transamerica in proportion to the size of
the prospectuses for the Fund and the Contracts).
3.1(b). The Fund agrees that the prospectuses for the Designated
Portfolios will describe only the Designated Portfolios and will not name or
describe any other portfolios or series that may be in the Fund, and that the
Fund will bear the cost of preparing and producing the prospectuses for the
Designated Portfolios that are so custom tailored for use in connection with the
Contracts.
3.2. If applicable state or Federal laws or regulations require that
the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") for the Fund be distributed to
all purchasers of the Contract, then the Fund shall provide Transamerica with
the Fund's SAI or documentation thereof for the Designated Portfolios in such
quantities and/or with expenses to be borne in accordance with paragraph 3.1(a)
hereof.
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide Transamerica with as many
copies of the SAI for the Designated Portfolios as may reasonably be requested.
The Fund, at its expense, shall also provide such SAI free of charge to any
owner of a Contract or prospective owner who requests such SAI.
3.4. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide Transamerica with copies
of its prospectus, SAI, proxy material, reports to shareholders and other
communications to shareholders for the Designated Portfolios in such quantity as
Transamerica shall reasonably require for distributing to Contract owners. If
the Contract and Fund prospectuses are printed
- 11 -
together in one document, the Fund shall bear the portion of such printing
expense as is attributable to the Fund's prospectus. If applicable SEC rules
require that any of the foregoing Fund prospectuses, Fund SAIs, proxy materials,
Fund reports to shareholders or other communications to shareholders be filed
with the SEC, then the Fund or its designee shall prepare and file with the SEC
such prospectus, SAI, proxy materials, reports to shareholders, or other
communications to shareholders in such format as required by such applicable
rules and shall notify Transamerica of such filing.
3.5. It is understood and agreed that, except with respect to
information regarding Transamerica provided in writing by Transamerica,
Transamerica shall not be responsible for the content of the prospectus or SAI
for the Designated Portfolios. It is also understood and agreed that, except
with respect to information regarding the Fund and provided in writing by the
Fund, the Fund shall not be responsible for the content of the prospectus or SAI
for the Contracts.
3.6. If and to the extent required by law Transamerica shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Designated Portfolio shares in accordance
with instructions received from Contract owners: and
(iii) vote Designated Portfolio shares for which no
instruction have been received in the same proportion
as Designated Portfolio shares for which instructions
have been received from Contract owners, so long as
and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret
the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting
privileges for variable contract owners. Transamerica
reserves the right to vote Fund shares held in any
segregated asset account in its own right, to the
extent permitted by law.
- 12 -
3.7. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for
assuring that each of their separate accounts holding shares of a Designated
Portfolio calculates voting privileges in the manner required by the Shared
Funding Exemptive Order. The Fund agrees to promptly notify Transamerica of any
amendments or changes of interpretations of the Shared Funding Exemptive Order.
3.8. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring
voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for
annual meetings (except insofar as the SEC may interpret Section 16 of the 1940
Act not to require such meetings) or, as the Fund currently intends, comply with
Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund is not one of the trusts
described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as with Sections 16(a) and, if
and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will act in accordance with the
SEC's interpretation of the requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to
periodic elections of directors and with whatever rules the Commission may
promulgate with respect thereto.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
4.1. Transamerica shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature and other promotional
material that Transamerica develops or uses and in which the Fund (or a
Portfolio thereof), its investment adviser or one of its sub-advisers or the
Underwriter for the Fund shares is named in connection with the Contracts, at
least 10 (ten) Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if
the Fund or its designee objects to such use within 10 (ten) Business Days after
receipt of such material.
- 13 -
4.2. Transamerica shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts inconsistent with the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its
designee, except with the permission of the Fund.
4.3. The Fund shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to
Transamerica, each piece of sales literature and other promotional material in
which Transamerica and/or the Account is named at least 10 (ten) Business Days
prior to its use. No such material shall be used if Transamerica objects to such
use within 10 (ten) Business Days after receipt of such material.
Notwithstanding the fact that Transamerica or its designee may not initially
object to a piece of sales literature or other promotional material,
Transamerica reserves the right to object at a later date to the continued use
of any such sales literature or promotional material in which Transamerica is
named, and no such material shall be used thereafter if Transamerica or its
designee so objects.
4.4. The Fund shall not give any information or make any
representations on behalf of Transamerica or concerning Transamerica, the
Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in reports for the Account, or in sales literature or other
promotional
- 14 -
material approved by Transamerica or its designee, except with the permission of
Transamerica.
4.5. The Fund will provide to Transamerica at least one complete copy
of all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information, all supplements thereto, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that
relate to the Designated Portfolios, contemporaneously with the filing of such
document(s) with the SEC, NASD or other regulatory authorities.
4.6. Transamerica will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy
of all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information, all supplements thereto, reports, solicitations for voting
instructions, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for
exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the
above, that relate to the Contracts or the Account, contemporaneously with the
filing of such document(s) with the SEC, NASD, or other regulatory authority.
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature and
other promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, advertisements
(material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or other
periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape display,
signs or billboards, motion pictures, telephone directories (other than routine
listings), electronic or other public media), sales literature (i.e., any
written or electronic communication distributed or made generally available to
customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research reports,
market letters, performance reports or summaries, form letters, telemarketing
scripts, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of any other
- 15 -
advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or training
materials or other communications distributed or made generally available to
some or all agents or employees, and registration statements, prospectuses,
Statements of Additional Information, supplements thereto, shareholder reports,
and proxy materials.
4.8. At the request of any party to this Agreement, each other party
will make available to the other party's independent auditors and/or
representative of the appropriate regulatory agencies, all records, data and
access to operating procedures that may be reasonably requested in connection
with compliance and regulatory requirements related to this Agreement or any
party's obligations under this Agreement.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
5.1. The Fund shall pay no fee or other compensation to Transamerica
under this Agreement, except that if the Fund or any Designated Portfolio adopts
and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act to finance
distribution and shareholder servicing expenses, then the Underwriter may make
payments to Transamerica or to the distributor for the Contracts if and in
amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in writing and such payments will be made
out of existing fees otherwise payable to the Underwriter, past profits of the
Underwriter or other resources available to the Underwriter. No such payments
shall be made directly by the Fund. Nothing herein shall prevent the parties
hereto from otherwise agreeing to perform, and arrange for appropriate
compensation for, other services relating to the Fund and/or the Account.
Transamerica shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Fund under this
Agreement, although the parties hereto will bear certain expenses in accordance
with Schedule D, Articles III, V, and other provisions of this Agreement.
- 16 -
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this
Agreement shall be paid by the Fund, as further provided in Schedule E. The Fund
shall see to it that all shares of the Designated Portfolios are registered and
authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable federal law and, if and to
the extent required, in accordance with applicable state laws prior to their
sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for the cost of registration and
qualification of the Fund's shares, preparation and filing of the Fund's
prospectus and registration statement, supplements thereto, proxy materials and
reports, setting the prospectus in type, printing prospectuses for distribution
to Contract owners, setting in type, printing and filing the proxy materials and
reports to shareholders (including the costs of printing a prospectus that
constitutes an annual report), the preparation of all statements and notices
required by any federal or state law, all taxes on the issuance or transfer of
the Fund's shares, and the costs of distributing the Fund's prospectuses and
proxy materials to such Contract owners and any expenses permitted to be paid or
assumed by the Fund pursuant to a plan, if any, under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940
Act.
5.3. Transamerica shall bear the expenses of routine annual
distribution of the Fund's prospectus to owners of Contracts issued by
Transamerica and of distributing the Fund's proxy materials and reports to such
Contract owners; this shall not include distribution of the Fund's prospectus
with respect to new sales of a Contract. Transamerica shall bear all expenses
associated with the registration, qualification, and filing of the Contracts
under applicable federal securities and state insurance laws; the cost of
preparing, printing, and distributing the Contract prospectus and SAI; and the
cost of preparing, printing and
- 17 -
distributing annual individual account statement to Contract owners as required
by state insurance laws.
5.4. The Fund acknowledges that a principal feature of the Contracts is
the Contract owner's ability to choose from a number of unaffiliated mutual
funds (and portfolios or series thereof), including the Designated Portfolios
("Unaffiliated Funds"), and to transfer the Con- tract's cash value between
funds and portfolios. The Fund and Underwriter agree to cooperate with
Transamerica in facilitating the operation of the Account and the Contracts as
intended, including but not limited to cooperation in facilitating transfers
between Unaffiliated Funds.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification and Qualification
6.1. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that the Fund will
at all times sell its shares and invest its assets in such a manner as to ensure
that the Contracts will be treated as annuity contracts under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and the regulations issued
thereunder. Without limiting the scope of the foregoing, the Fund and
Underwriter represent and warrant that the Fund and each Designated Portfolio
thereof will at all times comply with Section 817(h) of the Code and Treasury
Regulation ss. 1.817-5, as amended from time to time, and any Treasury
interpretations thereof, relating to the diversification requirements for
variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts and any amendments or
other modifications or successor provisions to such Section or Regulations. The
Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Designated Portfolios will be
sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts and
qualified pension and retirement plans.
- 18 -
6.2. No shares of any series or portfolio of the Fund will be sold to
the general public.
6.3. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that the Fund and
each Designated Portfolio is currently qualified as a Regulated Investment
Company under Subchapter M of the Code, and that it will maintain such
qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provisions) as
long as this Agreement is in effect.
6.4. The Fund or Underwriter will notify Transamerica immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing that the Fund or any Portfolio has
ceased to comply with the aforesaid Section 817(h) diversification or Subchapter
M qualification requirements or might not so comply in the future.
6.5. The Fund and Underwriter acknowledge that full compliance with the
requirements referred to in Sections 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 hereof is absolutely
essential because any failure to meet those requirements would result in the
Contracts not being treated as annuity contracts for federal income tax
purposes, which would have adverse tax consequences for Contract owners and
could also adversely affect Transamerica's corporate tax liability. The Fund and
Underwriter also acknowledge that it is solely within their power and control to
meet those requirements. Accordingly, without in any way limiting the effect of
Section 8.3 hereof and without in any way limiting or restricting any other
remedies available to Transamerica, the Underwriter will pay all costs
associated with or arising out of any failure, or any anticipated or reasonably
foreseeable failure, of the Fund or any Designated Portfolio to comply with
Sections 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3 hereof, including all costs associated with correcting
or responding to any such failure; such costs may include, but are not limited
to,
- 19 -
the costs involved in creating, organizing, and registering a new investment
company as a funding medium for the Contracts and/or the costs of obtaining
whatever regulatory authorizations are required to substitute shares of another
investment company for those of the failed Portfolio (including but not limited
to an order pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act); such costs are to
include, but are not limited to, fees and expenses of legal counsel and other
advisors to Transamerica and any federal income taxes or tax penalties (or "toll
charges" or exactments or amounts paid in settlement) incurred by Transamerica
in connection with any such failure or anticipated or reasonably foreseeable
failure.
6.6. The Fund shall provide Transamerica or its designee with reports
certifying compliance with the aforesaid Section 817(h) diversification and
Subchapter M qualification requirements, at times provided for and substantially
in the form attached hereto as Schedule E; provided, however, that providing
such reports does not relieve the Fund or Underwriter of their responsibility
for such compliance or of their liability for any non-compliance.
6.7. The Fund and the Underwriter represent and warrant that the Fund
will comply with the investment limitations under applicable state law for
investment companies funding separate accounts.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts and Compliance With
Shared Funding Exemptive Order
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all
separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may
arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance
regulatory authority; (b) a change in
- 20 -
applicable federal or state insurance, tax, or securities laws or regulations,
or a public ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or interpretative letter,
or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities;
(c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the
manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a
difference in voting instructions given by variable annuity contract and
variable life insurance contract owners; or (f) a decision by a Participating
Insurance Company to disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The
Board shall promptly inform Transamerica if it determines that an irreconcilable
material conflict exists and the implications thereof.
7.2. Transamerica will report any potential or existing conflicts of
which it is aware to the Board. Transamerica will assist the Board in carrying
out its responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing
the Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider
any issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by
Transamerica to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are
disregarded. Such responsibilities shall be carried out by Transamerica with a
view only to the interests of its Contract Owners.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of
its directors who are not interested persons of the Fund, its adviser or any
sub-adviser to any of the Portfolios (the "Independent Directors"), that a
material irreconcilable conflict exists, Transamerica and other Participating
Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and to the extent reasonably
practicable (as determined by a majority of the Independent Directors), take
whatever steps are necessary to remedy or eliminate the irreconcilable material
conflict, up to
- 21 -
and including: (1) withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the
separate accounts from the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in
a different investment medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio
of the Fund, or submitting the question whether such segregation should be
implemented to a vote of all affected contract owners and, as appropriate,
segregating the assets of any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners,
life insurance contract owners, or variable contract owners of one or more
Participating Insurance Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or
offering to the affected contract owners the option of making such a change; and
(2) establishing a new registered management investment company or managed
separate account. Transamerica shall not be required by this Section 7.3 to
establish a new funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been
declined by vote of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected
by the irreconcilable material conflict.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision
by Transamerica to disregard contract owner voting instructions and that
decision represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote,
Transamerica may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the Account's
investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement; provided, however that such
withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the
foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
Independent Directors. Any such withdrawal and termination must take place
within six (6) months after the Fund gives written notice that this provision is
being implemented, and until the end of that six month period the Underwriter
and the Fund shall continue to
- 22 -
accept and implement orders by Transamerica for the purchase (and redemption
of shares of
the Fund.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to Transamerica conflicts with
the majority of other state regulators, then Transamerica will withdraw the
Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement within six months
after the Board informs Transamerica in writing that it has determined that such
decision has created an irreconcilable material conflict; provided, however,
that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by
the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of
the disinterested members of the Board. Until the end of the foregoing six month
period, the Underwriter and the Fund shall continue to accept and implement
orders by Transamerica for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the Independent Directors shall determine whether any proposed
action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event
will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts.
7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended,
or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the
Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding
(as defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions
materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order,
then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules
- 23 -
6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such
rules are applicable: and (b) Sections 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and
7.5 of this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and
conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such
Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By Transamerica
8.1(a). Transamerica agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Fund and its officers and each member of its Board (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of Transamerica) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute
or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements
are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts
and: (i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged untrue
statements of any material fact contained in the registration statement or
prospectus or SAI for the Contracts or contained in the Contracts (or any
amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this Agreement to in-
--------
demnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or
omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to Transamerica by or on behalf
of the Underwriter or Fund for use in the registration statement or prospectus
for the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature (or any amendment or
supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or
Fund shares; or
- 24 -
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations
contained in the registration statement, prospectus or
sales literature of the Fund not supplied by Transamerica
or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of
Transamerica or persons under its control, with respect to
the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund Shares;
or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a registration
statement, prospectus, or sales literature of the Fund or
any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading if such a statement
or omission was made in reliance upon information
furnished in writing to the Fund by or on behalf of
Transamerica; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by Transamerica to provide
the services and furnish the materials under the terms of
this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by Transamerica in
this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other
material breach of this Agreement by Transamerica,
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1
(c) hereof.
8.1(b). Transamerica shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be
subject if caused by such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of
such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this
Agreement or to the Fund, whichever is applicable.
8.1(c). Transamerica shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified Transamerica in writing
within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
- 25 -
upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received
notice of such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify
Transamerica of any such claim shall not relieve Transamerica from any liability
which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought
otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such
action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, Transamerica shall be
entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense of such action.
Transamerica also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel
satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from Transamerica to
such party of Transamerica's election to assume the defense thereof, the
Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it, and Transamerica will not be liable to such party under this
Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party
independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs
of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify
Transamerica of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them
in connection with the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares or the Contracts or
the operation of the Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harm-less
Transamerica and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls Transamerica within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2)
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid
in settlement with the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation
- 26 -
(including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become
subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect
thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's
shares or the Contracts and:
(i)
arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the registration statement or
prospectus or SAI or sales literature of the Fund (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
provided that this Agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any
--------
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
in writing to the Underwriter or Fund by or on behalf of Transamerica for use in
the Registration Statement or prospectus for the Fund or in sales literature (or
any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of
the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations
contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or
sales literature for the Contracts not supplied by the
Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Fund or Underwriter or persons under their
control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii)
arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus or sales literature
covering the Contracts, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statement or statements therein not
misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information
furnished in writing to Transamerica by or on behalf of the Underwriter or
Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund or
Underwriter to provide the services and furnish the
materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a
failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or
otherwise, to comply with the diversification and other
qualification requirements specified in Article VI of this
Agreement); or
- 27 -
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Fund or
Underwriter in this Agreement or arise out of or result
from any other material breach of this Agreement by the
Fund or Underwriter;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and
8.2(c) hereof. This indemnification is in addition to and apart from the
responsibilities and obligations of the Underwriter specified in Article VI
hereof.
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be
subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or
negligence in the performance or such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of
such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this
Agreement or to Transamerica or the Account, whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process
giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of
any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than
on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
the party
- 28 -
named in the action. After notice from the Underwriter to such party of the
Underwriter's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party
shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and
the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any
legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in
connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation.
8.2(d). Transamerica agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its
officers or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts
or the operation of the Account.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933,
1934 and 1940 Acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder,
including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the
Securities and Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not limited to, the
Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and
construed in accordance therewith.
- 29 -
ARTICLE X. Termination
10.1. This Agreement shall terminate:
(a) at the option of any party, with or without cause, with
respect to some or all Portfolios, upon one (1) year advance
written notice delivered to the other parties; provided,
however, that such notice shall not be given earlier than one
year following the date of this Agreement; or (b) at the
option of Transamerica by written notice to the other parties
with respect to any Portfolio based upon Transamerica's
determination that shares of such Portfolio are not reasonably
available to meet the requirements of the Contracts; or (c) at
the option of Transamerica by written notice to the other
parties with respect to any Portfolio in the event any of the
Portfolio's shares are not registered, issued or sold in
accordance with applicable state and/ or federal law or such
law precludes the use of such shares as the underlying
investment media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by
Transamerica; or (d) at the option of the Fund in the event
that formal administrative proceedings are instituted against
Transamerica by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"), the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the Insurance Commissioner or like official of any
state or any other regulatory body regarding Transamerica's
duties under this Agreement or related to the sale of the
Contracts, the operation of any Account, or the purchase of
the Fund shares, provided, however, that the Fund determines
in its sole judgment
- 30 -
exercised in good faith, that any such administrative
proceedings will have a material adverse effect upon the
ability of Transamerica to perform its obligations under this
Agreement; or (e) at the option of Transamerica in the event
that formal administrative proceedings are instituted against
the Fund or Underwriter by the NASD, the Securities and
Exchange Commission, or any state securities or insurance
department or any other regulatory body, provided, however,
that Transamerica determines in its sole judgment exercised in
good faith, that any such administrative proceedings will have
a material adverse effect upon the ability of the Fund or
Underwriter to perform its obligations under this Agreement;
or (f) at the option of Transamerica by written notice to the
Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio if
Transamerica reasonably believes that the Portfolio may fail
to meet the Section 817(h) diversification requirements or
Subchapter M qualifications specified in Article VI hereof; or
(g) at the option of either the Fund or the Underwriter, if
(i) the Fund or Underwriter, respectively, shall determine, in
their sole judgement reasonably exercised in good faith, that
Transamerica has suffered a material adverse change in its
business or financial condition or is the subject of material
adverse publicity and that material adverse change or
publicity will have a material adverse impact on
Transamerica's ability to perform its obligations under this
Agreement, (ii) the Fund or Underwriter notifies Transamerica
of that determination and its intent to terminate this
Agreement, and (iii) after
- 31 -
considering the actions taken by Transamerica and any other
changes in circumstances since the giving of such a notice,
the determination of the Fund or Underwriter shall continue on
the sixtieth (60th) day following the giving of that notice,
which sixtieth day shall be the effective date of termination;
or (h) at the option of Transamerica, if (i) Transamerica
shall determine, in its sole judgement reasonably exercised in
good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter have
suffered a material adverse change in their business or
financial condition or is the subject of material adverse
publicity and that material adverse change or publicity will
have a material adverse impact on the Fund's or Underwriter's
ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, (ii)
Transamerica notifies the Fund or Underwriter, as appropriate,
of that determination and its intent to terminate this
Agreement, and (iii) after considering the actions taken by
the Fund or Underwriter and any other changes in circumstances
since the giving of such a notice, the determination of
Transamerica shall continue on the sixtieth (60th) day
following the giving of that notice, which sixtieth day shall
be the effective date of termination; or (i) at the option of
any party to this Agreement, upon another party's material
breach of any provision of this Agreement; or (j) upon
assignment of this Agreement, unless made with the written
consent of the parties hereto; or (k) at the option of
Transamerica or the Fund by written notice to the other party
upon a determination by the Fund's Board that a material
irreconcilable
- 32 -
conflict exists among the interests of (i) all contract owners
of all separate accounts investing in the Fund or (ii) the
interests of the Participating Insurance Companies; or (l) at
the option of Transamerica by written notice to the Fund or
the Underwriter upon the sale, acquisition or change of
control of the Underwriter.
10.2. Notice Requirement. No termination of this Agreement shall be
effective unless and until the party terminating this Agreement gives prior
written notice to all other parties of its intent to terminate, which notice
shall set forth the basis for the termination.
10.3. Effect of Termination. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, the Fund and the Underwriter shall, at the option of Transamerica,
continue to make available additional shares of the Fund for all Contracts in
effect on the effective date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter
referred to as "Existing Contracts") pursuant to the terms and conditions of
this Agreement. Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing
Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem
investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional
purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this
Section 10.3 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the
effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this
Agreement.
10.4. Surviving Provisions. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, each party's obligations under Article VIII to indemnify other
parties shall survive and not be affected by any termination of this Agreement.
In addition, with respect to Existing
- 33 -
Contracts, all provisions of this Agreement shall also survive and not be
affected by any termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail or by overnight mail sent through a nationally-recognized
delivery service to the other party at the address of such party set forth below
or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing
to the other party.
If to the Fund:
Transamerica Variable Insurance Fund, Inc.
Transamerica Center
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: General Counsel
If to Transamerica:
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
Transamerica Center
000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: President, Living Benefits Division
If to the Underwriter:
Transamerica Securities Sales Corporation, Inc.
Transamerica Center
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
- 34 -
Attention: General Counsel
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
12.1. Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory
authority, each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses
of the owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by
this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and
addresses and other confidential information without the express written consent
of the affected party until such time as such information may come into the
public domain. Without limiting the foregoing, no party hereto shall disclose
any information that another party reasonably considers to be proprietary.
12.2. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
12.3. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
12.4. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid
by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
12.5. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the NASD and state insurance regulators) and
shall permit such authorities reasonable access to its books and records in
connection with any investigation or inquiry
- 35 -
relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
agrees to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any information or
reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the variable annuity
operations of Transamerica are being conducted in a manner consistent with the
California Variable Annuity Regulations and any other applicable law or
regulations.
12.6. The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement
are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under
state and federal laws.
12.7. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder may
not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all parties
hereto.
12.8. The Schedules attached hereto, as modified from time to time, are
incorporated herein by reference and are part of this Agreement.
- 36 -
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this
Agreement to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified below.
TRANSAMERICA OCCIDENTAL LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY
By its authorized officer
SEAL By:
Title:
Date:
TRANSAMERICA VARIABLE INSURANCE FUND, INC.:
By its authorized officer,
SEAL By:
Title:
Date:
TRANSAMERICA SECURITIES SALES CORPORATION:
By its authorized officer,
SEAL By:
Title:
Date:
- 37 -
SCHEDULE A
Contracts Form Numbers
SCHEDULE B
Designated Portfolios
SCHEDULE C
Certain Investment Policies and Restrictions
Imposed by the
California Department of Insurance
Pursuant to Section 2.4 hereof, the Fund represents and warrants that
it is and shall all times remain in compliance with the following investment
policies and restrictions. THESE ARE IN ADDITION TO other related obligations of
the Fund, including the general obligation to comply with all applicable laws
and regulation, including but not limited to California insurance laws and
regulations, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and other applicable insurance
and securities laws.
[Note: The following are derived from a questionnaire used by the California
Department of
Insurance as part of an insurance company's application for qualification to
transact a variable
annuity business. The parenthetical references below are to question numbers
in that
questionnaire.]
The Fund represents and warrants that:
1. All repurchase agreements will be transacted only with entities meeting
specific credit and solvency standards administered and verified by the
Underwriter (46(a)).
2. All repurchase transactions will be executed pursuant to a comprehensive
master repurchase agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the
transaction, and having the incidents of a valid promissory note in favor of the
Fund (46(b)).
3. A valid, binding security interest in favor of the Fund or portfolio thereof
will be created and perfected in all collateral securing such repurchase
agreements (46(c)).
4. All such repurchase agreements will be secured at all times by collateral
consisting of liquid assets having a market value of not less than 102% of the
cash or assets transferred to the other party (46(d)).
5. All securities lending activities will be entered into only with entities
meeting specific credit and solvency standards administered and verified by the
Underwriter (47).
6. All investments in instruments or certificates of any sort issued by the U.S.
Office of a bank or other savings institution domiciled in a foreign nation, or
a foreign branch of a U.S. savings institution, will be instruments or
certificates payable in the United States and in U.S. dollars (48).
7. All investments of the Fund which possess a readily-available market value
will be valued either at their market value on the date of valuation, or at
amortized cost if it approximates market value within the limits and constraints
imposed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (49).
8. All investments of the Fund which lack a readily-available market will be
valued according to specific, objective methods or procedures set forth in
writing (50).
9. The investment manager of each portfolio or series of the Fund possesses
substantial expertise and experience as an investment manager or advisor of a
portfolio consisting of asset and investments of the same type as he or she will
manage in regard to the portfolio or series. (If experience is less than three
years, please provide resume of investment manager; note that in this case, the
Company must provide notarized certifications that it has fully investigated and
is satisfied with the qualifications, background, and expertise of the
investment manager.) (52).
10. At no time during the past ten years have the managers of any portfolio or
series resigned to avoid dismissal or been dismissed or requested to resign from
any position involving investment duties, on account of violation of any law,
rule or ethical standard relating to insurance, annuities, or securities (53).
11. The investment advisory agreements concerning the Fund's operations provide
in substance that notwithstanding any other provisions of the agreement, it is
understood and agreed that the Fund shall retain the ultimate responsibility for
and control of all investments made pursuant to the agreement, and reserve the
right to direct, approve or disapprove any action taken on its behalf by the
investment advisor (54).
12. Every custodian holding securities or other assets of the Fund is an
institution permitted to serve in such capacity by the Investment Company Act of
1940 and/or reviewed and approved for such purpose by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (55).
13. The Fund refuses to employ in any material connection with the handling of
assets of
the Fund, any person who:
(a) In the last 10 years has been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor arising
out of conduct involving embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or
misappropriation of funds or securities, or involving violations of Xxxxx 00,
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Code ss.ss.1341, 1342, or 1343 (58(a)).
(b) Within the last 10 years has been found by any-state regulatory authority to
have violated, or has acknowledged violation of, any provision of any state
insurance law involving fraud, deceit or knowing misrepresentation (59(b)).
(c) Within the last 10 years has been found by any federal or state regulatory
authorities to have violated, or have acknowledged violation of, any provisions
of federal or state securities laws involving fraud, deceit, or knowing
misrepresentation (58(c)).
14. The Fund will make inquiries and attempt to determine that no persons,
firms, or employees of firms which supply consulting, investment,
administrative, custodial or other services affecting the administration of the
Company's variable annuity business (including such services for the Fund), have
been subject to the sanctions described in the preceding representation (59).
15. The Fund will seek to prevent its officers and Board members, and officers,
directors and portfolio managers of the investment advisor, from receiving,
directly or indirectly, any commission, or any other compensation with respect
to the purchase or sale of assets of the Fund (61).
16. No officer, director, trustee, or member of any governing board or body of
the Fund will receive directly or indirectly any commissions or any other
compensation contingent upon the writing, issuance, sale, procurement of
application for, or renewal, of any variable annuity contract (62).
17. All service agreements affecting the administration of the Fund allow the
Fund to terminate such contracts without payment of any penalty, forfeiture,
compulsory buyout amount, or performance of any other obligation which could
deter termination (65).
18. All service agreements affecting the administration of the Fund afford the
Fund a right to cancel the contract and discharge the servicing entity or person
in the event such entity or person fails to perform in a satisfactory manner
(66).
19. All service agreements affecting the administration of the Fund provide that
the Fund shall own and control all the pertinent records pertaining to its
operations (67).
20. All service agreements affecting the administration of the Fund provide that
the Fund shall have the right to inspect, audit and copy all records pertaining
to performance of services under the agreement (68).
SCHEDULE D
Expenses
==============================================================
RESPONSIBLE
ITEM FUNCTION PARTY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROSPECTUS AND STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKETING
1. Prospect Printing
us
Supply copies of prospectus described in Parts 3.1
and 3.3 in numbers equal to Transamerica's
reasonable request.
If requested by Transamerica in lieu thereof
such documentation and other assistance as
is reasonably necessary for Transamerica to
have the prospectus for the Contracts and
the prospectus for the Fund printed together
in one document.
2. Initial
Sales Distribution
Printing
Distribution
--------------------------------------------------------------
EXISTING OWNERS
1. Annual Printing
Updates Distribution
Printing & Distribution
(a) If required by Fund or Adviser or Distributor
2. Interim (b) If required by Transamerica
Updates (c) If required by other participating insurance
company (PIC)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROXY MATERIALS Printing and Distribution
OF THE FUND (a) If required by law
(b) If required by Transamerica
(c) If required by other participating insurance
company
(d) If required by Fund or Adviser or Distributor
PrintingDER
Distribution
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER Printing & Distribution
COMMUNICATIONS (a) If required by law
WITH (b) If required by Transamerica
SHAREHOLDERS OF (c) If required by other participating insurance
THE FUND company
(d) If required by Fund or Adviser or Distributor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPERATIONS OF All operations and related expenses, including the
FUND cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's
shares, preparation and filing of the Fund's
prospectus and registration statement, proxy
materials and reports, the preparation of
all statements and notices required by any
federal or state law and all taxes on the
issuance or transfer of the Fund's shares,
and all costs of management of the business
affairs of the Fund
SCHEDULE E
Reports per Section 6.6
With regard to the reports relating to the quarterly testing
of compliance with the requirement of Section 817(h) and Subchapter M under the
Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and the regulations thereunder, the Fund
shall provide within twenty (20) Business Days of the close of the calendar
quarter a report [in a form to be attached] regarding the status under such
sections of the Code of the Designated Portfolios, and if necessary,
identification of any remedial action to be taken to remedy non-compliance.
With regard to the reports relating to the year-end testing of
compliance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code, referred to
hereinafter as "RIC status," the Fund will provide the reports on the following
basis: (i) the last quarter's quarterly reports can be supplied within the
20-day period, and (ii) the year-end report [in a form to be attached] will be
provided 45 days after the end of the calendar year, but prior thereto, the Fund
will provide the additional interim and supplemental reports, described below.
The additional reports are as follows:
1. A report in the usual reporting format and content,
as of November 30, of each future fiscal year. The
report will be provided under cover of a letter from
the Underwriter stating that the Fund is in full
compliance with the requirements of Section 817(h)
and Subchapter M of the Code. Assuming such
satisfactory report, the Fund will not provide any
additional interim reports. The report will be
delivered by facsimile by the twentieth day of
December.
0.Xx the alternative, if a problem, as defined below, is identified in the
November report or its accompanying transmittal letter, additional interim
reports, on a weekly basis, starting on the 15th of December and through the
30th of December, also will be supplied ("additional interim reports"). The
additional interim reports will not follow the format of the regular reports,
but will specifically address the problem identified in the November 30 report.
If any interim report, thereafter, memorialize the cure of the problem,
subsequent additional reports will not be required.
With regard to delivery of the additional reports, they
will be transmitted by facsimile on the next Business Day,
subject to the following schedule of special dates: if the
15th of December is a Saturday, the required report date
will be accelerated to the 14th of December; if the 15th
of December is a Sunday, the report will be transmitted on
the 16th of December.
3. A problem with regard to RIC status is defined as any violation of the
following standards, as referenced to the applicable sections of the Code:
(a) Less than ninety-five percent of gross income is derived from sources
of income specified in Section 851(b)(2);
(b) Twenty-five percent or greater gross income is derived from the sale or
disposition of assets specified in Section 851(b)(3);
(c) Fifty-five percent or less of the value of total assets consists of
assets specified in Section 851(b)(4)(A); and
(d) Twenty percent or more of the value of total
assets is invested in the securities of one
issuer, as that requirement is set forth in
Section 851(b)(4)(B).
Participation Agreement with PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Among
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY,
PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST,
and
PIMCO FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS LLC
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of the 1st day of July, 1999 by and among
Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company (the "Company"), a North
Carolina life insurance company, on its own behalf and on behalf of each
segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A hereto as may be
amended from time to time (each account hereinafter referred to as the
"Account"), PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust (the "Fund"), a Delaware business
trust, and PIMCO Funds Distributors LLC (the "Underwriter"), a Delaware limited
liability company.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management
investment company and is available to act as the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance and variable annuity
contracts (the "Variable Insurance Products") to be offered by insurance
companies which have entered into participation agreements with the Fund and
Underwriter ("Participating Insurance Companies");
WHEREAS, the shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are divided into
several series of shares, each designated a "Portfolio" and representing the
interest in a particular managed portfolio of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC") dated February 9, 1998 (PIMCO Variable Insurance
Trust, et al., File No. 812-10822, Investment Company Act. Rel. No. 23022)
granting Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity and variable
life insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of sections
9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
(the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, if and to
the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to and held by
variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of both
affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies, as well as qualified
pension and retirement plans outside of the separate account context (the "Mixed
and Shared Funding Exemptive Order"), and the Fund hereby provides notice to the
Company that appropriate prospectus disclosure regarding potential risks of
mixed and shared funding may be appropriate;
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and shares of the Portfolios are registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act");
WHEREAS, Pacific Investment Management Company (the "Adviser"), which
serves as investment adviser to the Fund, is duly registered as an investment
adviser under the federal Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended;
WHEREAS, the Company has issued or will issue certain variable life
insurance and/or variable annuity contracts supported wholly or partially by an
Account (the "Contracts"), and said Contracts are listed in Schedule A hereto,
as it may be amended from time to time by mutual written agreement;
WHEREAS, each Account is duly established and maintained as a
segregated asset account, duly established by the Company, to set aside and
invest assets attributable to the aforesaid Contracts;
WHEREAS, the Underwriter, which serves as distributor to the Fund, is
registered as a broker dealer with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), and is a member in good standing of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"); and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios listed in
Schedule A hereto, as it may be amended from time to time by mutual written
agreement (the "Designated Portfolios") on behalf of the Account to fund the
aforesaid Contracts, and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to
the Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company,
the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund has granted to the Underwriter exclusive authority to
distribute the Fund's shares, and has agreed to instruct, and has so instructed,
the Underwriter to make available to the Company for purchase on behalf of the
Account Fund shares of those Designated Portfolios selected by the Underwriter.
Pursuant to such authority and instructions, and subject to Article X hereof,
the Underwriter agrees to make available to the Company for purchase on behalf
of the Account, shares of those Designated Portfolios listed on Schedule A to
this Agreement, such purchases to be effected at net asset value in accordance
with Section 1.3 of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) Fund
series (other than those listed on Schedule A) in existence now or that may be
established in the future will be made available to the Company only as the
Underwriter may so provide, and (ii) the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the
"Board") may suspend or terminate the offering of Fund shares of any Designated
Portfolio or class thereof, if such action is required by law or by regulatory
authorities having jurisdiction or if, in the sole discretion of the Board
acting in good faith and in light of its fiduciary duties under federal and any
applicable state laws, suspension or termination is necessary in the best
interests of the shareholders of such Designated Portfolio.
1.2. The Fund shall redeem, at the Company's request, any full or fractional
Designated Portfolio shares held by the Company on behalf of the Account, such
redemptions to be effected at net asset value in accordance with Section 1.3 of
this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the Company shall not redeem
Fund shares attributable to Contract owners except in the circumstances
permitted in Section 10.3 of this Agreement, and (ii) the Fund may delay
redemption of Fund shares of any Designated Portfolio to the extent permitted by
the 1940 Act, and any rules, regulations or orders thereunder.
1.3. Purchase and Redemption Procedures
(a) The Fund hereby appoints the Company as an agent of the Fund for the
limited purpose of receiving purchase and redemption requests on behalf of
the Account (but not with respect to any Fund shares that may be held in
the general account of the Company) for shares of those Designated
Portfolios made available hereunder, based on allocations of amounts to the
Account or subaccounts thereof under the Contracts and other transactions
relating to the Contracts or the Account. Receipt of any such request (or
relevant transactional information therefor) on any day the New York Stock
Exchange is open for trading (a "Business Day") by the Company as such
limited agent of the Fund prior to the time that the Fund ordinarily
calculates its net asset value as described from time to time in the Fund
Prospectus (which as of the date of execution of this Agreement is 4:00
p.m. Eastern Time) shall constitute receipt by the Fund on that same
Business Day, provided that the Fund receives notice of such request by
9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the next following Business Day.
(b) The Company shall pay for shares of each Designated Portfolio on the same
day that it notifies the Fund of a purchase request for such shares.
Payment for Designated Portfolio shares shall be made in federal funds
transmitted to the Fund by wire to be received by the Fund by 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on the day the Fund is notified of the purchase request for
Designated Portfolio shares (unless the Fund determines and so advises the
Company that sufficient proceeds are available from redemption of shares of
other Designated Portfolios effected pursuant to redemption requests
tendered by the Company on behalf of the Account). If federal funds are not
received on time, such funds will be invested, and Designated Portfolio
shares purchased thereby will be issued, as soon as practicable and the
Company shall promptly, upon the Fund's request, reimburse the Fund for any
charges, costs, fees, interest or other expenses incurred by the Fund in
connection with any advances to, or borrowing or overdrafts by, the Fund,
or any similar expenses incurred by the Fund, as a result of portfolio
transactions effected by the Fund based upon such purchase request. Upon
receipt of federal funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the
responsibility of the Company and shall become the responsibility of the
Fund.
(c) Payment for Designated Portfolio shares redeemed by the Account or the
Company shall be made in federal funds transmitted by wire to the Company
or any other designated person on the next Business Day after the Fund is
properly notified of the redemption order of such shares (unless redemption
proceeds are to be applied to the purchase of shares of other Designated
Portfolio in accordance with Section 1.3(b) of this Agreement), except that
the Fund reserves the right to redeem Designated Portfolio shares in assets
other than cash and to delay payment of redemption proceeds to the extent
permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act and any Rules thereunder, and
in accordance with the procedures and policies of the Fund as described in
the then current prospectus. The Fund shall not bear any responsibility
whatsoever for the proper disbursement or crediting of redemption proceeds
by the Company, the Company alone shall be responsible for such action.
(d) Any purchase or redemption request for Designated Portfolio shares held
or to be held in the Company's general account shall be effected at the
net asset value per share next determined after the Fund's receipt of
such request, provided that, in the case of a purchase request, payment
for Fund shares so requested is received by the Fund in federal funds
prior to close of business for determination of such value, as defined
from time to time in the Fund Prospectus.
1.4. The Fund shall use its best efforts to make the net asset value per share
for each Designated Portfolio available to the Company by 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time
each Business Day, and in any event, as soon as reasonably practicable after the
net asset value per share for such Designated Portfolio is calculated, and shall
calculate such net asset value in accordance with the Fund's Prospectus. Neither
the Fund, any Designated Portfolio, the Underwriter, nor any of their affiliates
shall be liable for any information provided to the Company pursuant to this
Agreement which information is based on incorrect information supplied by the
Company or any other Participating Insurance Company to the Fund or the
Underwriter.
1.5. The Fund shall furnish notice (by wire or telephone followed by written
confirmation) to the Company as soon as reasonably practicable of any income
dividends or capital gain distributions payable on any Designated Portfolio
shares. The Company, on its behalf and on behalf of the Account, hereby elects
to receive all such dividends and distributions as are payable on any Designated
Portfolio shares in the form of additional shares of that Designated Portfolio.
The Company reserves the right, on its behalf and on behalf of the Account, to
revoke this election and to receive all such dividends and capital gain
distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify the Company promptly of the number
of Designated Portfolio shares so issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions. The Fund shall provide an annual calendar of dividend and
distribution dates, which may be amended from time to time.
1.6. Issuance and transfer of Fund shares shall be by book entry only. Stock
certificates will not be issued to the Company or the Account. Purchase and
redemption orders for Fund shares shall be recorded in an appropriate ledger for
the Account or the appropriate subaccount of the Account.
1.7. (a) The parties hereto acknowledge that the arrangement contemplated by
this Agreement is not exclusive; the Fund's shares may be sold to other
insurance companies (subject to Section 1.8 hereof) and the cash value of the
Contracts may be invested in other investment companies.
The Company shall not, without prior notice to the Underwriter (unless
otherwise required by applicable law), take any action to operate the Account as
a management investment company under the 1940 Act.
(c) The Company shall not, without prior notice to the Underwriter (unless
otherwise required by applicable law), induce Contract owners to change or
modify the Fund or change the Fund's distributor or investment adviser.
(d) The Company shall not, without prior notice to the Fund, induce Contract
owners to vote on any matter submitted for consideration by the
shareholders of the Fund in a manner other than as recommended by the Board
of Trustees of the Fund.
1.8. The Underwriter and the Fund shall sell Fund shares only to Participating
Insurance Companies and their separate accounts and to persons or plans
("Qualified Persons") that represent to the Underwriter and the Fund that they
qualify to purchase shares of the Fund under Section 817(h) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and the regulations thereunder
without impairing the ability of the Account to consider the portfolio
investments of the Fund as constituting investments of the Account for the
purpose of satisfying the diversification requirements of Section 817(h). The
Underwriter and the Fund shall not sell Fund shares to any insurance company or
separate account unless an agreement substantially complying with Article VI of
this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales, to the extent required. The
Company hereby represents and warrants that it and the Account are Qualified
Persons. The Fund reserves the right to cease offering shares of any Designated
Portfolio in the discretion of the Fund.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts (a)
are, or prior to issuance will be, registered under the 1933 Act, or (b) are not
registered because they are properly exempt from registration under the 1933 Act
or will be offered exclusively in transactions that are properly exempt from
registration under the 1933 Act. The Company further represents and warrants
that the Contracts will be issued and sold in compliance in all material
respects with all applicable federal securities and state securities and
insurance laws and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material
respects with state insurance suitability requirements. The Company further
represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in
good standing under applicable law, that it has legally and validly established
the Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated asset account
under North Carolina insurance laws, and that it (a) has registered or, prior to
any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register the Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a
segregated investment account for the Contracts, or alternatively (b) has not
registered the Account in proper reliance upon an exclusion from registration
under the 1940 Act. The Company shall register and qualify the Contracts or
interests therein as securities in accordance with the laws of the various
states only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Company.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to this
Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for issuance
and sold in compliance with applicable state and federal securities laws and
that the Fund is and shall remain registered under the 0000 Xxx. The Fund shall
amend the registration statement for its shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940
Act from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous offering of
its shares. The Fund shall register and qualify the shares for sale in
accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed
advisable by the Fund or the Underwriter.
2.3. The Fund may make payments to finance distribution expenses pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Prior to financing distribution expenses pursuant
to Rule 12b-1, the Fund will have the Board, a majority of whom are not
interested persons of the Fund, formulate and approve a plan pursuant to Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act to finance distribution expenses.
2.4. The Fund makes no representations as to whether any aspect of its
operations, including, but not limited to, investment policies, fees and
expenses, complies with the insurance and other applicable laws of the various
states, but may do so upon request.
2.5. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware and that it does and will comply in all
material respects with the 1940 Act.
2.6. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in good
standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Underwriter further represents that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares
in accordance with any applicable state and federal securities laws.
2.7. The Fund and the Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their
trustees/directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals or entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are
and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the
minimum coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-1 of the 1940 Act or related
provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid bond shall
include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable
bonding company.
2.8. The Company represents and warrants it will maintain a blanket fidelity
bond or similar coverage issued by a reputable bonding company in an amount
appropriate to the Company's obligations under this Agreement.
2.9. ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
The Underwriter shall provide the Company with as many copies
of the Fund's current prospectus (describing only the Designated Portfolios
listed on Schedule A) or, to the extent permitted, the Fund's profiles as the
Company may reasonably request. The Company shall bear the expense of printing
copies of the current prospectus and profiles for the Contracts that will be
distributed to existing Contract owners, and the Company shall bear the expense
of printing copies of the Fund's prospectus and profiles that are used in
connection with offering the Contracts issued by the Company. If requested by
the Company in lieu thereof, the Fund shall provide such documentation
(including a final copy of the new prospectus in electronic format at the Fund's
expense) and other assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the
Company once each year (or more frequently if the prospectus for the Fund is
amended) to have the prospectus for the Contracts and the Fund's prospectus or
profile printed together in one document (the payment of such printing costs to
be governed by the provisions of Section 5.3 of this Agreement).
3.2. The Fund's prospectus shall state that the current Statement of Additional
Information ("SAI") for the Fund is available, and the Underwriter (or the
Fund), at its expense, shall provide a reasonable number of copies of such SAI
free of charge to the Company for itself and for any owner of a Contract who
requests such SAI.
3.3. The Fund shall provide the Company with information regarding the Fund's
expenses, which information may include a table of fees and related narrative
disclosure for use in any prospectus or other descriptive document relating to a
Contract. The Company agrees that it will use such information in the form
provided. The Company shall provide prior written notice of any proposed
modification of such information, which notice will describe in detail the
manner in which the Company proposes to modify the information, and agrees that
it may not modify such information in any way without the prior consent of the
Fund.
3.4. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of its
proxy material, reports to shareholders describing only the Designated
Portfolio(s) in Schedule A, and other communications to shareholders in such
quantity as the Company shall reasonably require for distributing to Contract
owners.
3.5. The Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions received from Contract
owners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been received in the same
proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio for which instructions have been
received,
so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to
require pass-through voting privileges for variable contract owners or to the
extent otherwise required by law. The Company will vote Fund shares held in any
segregated asset account in the same proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio
for which voting instructions have been received from Contract owners, to the
extent permitted by law.
3.6. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for assuring that
each of their separate accounts participating in a Designated Portfolio
calculates voting privileges as required by the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order and consistent with any reasonable standards that the Fund may
adopt and provide in writing.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund or
its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material that
the Company develops and in which the Fund (or a Designated Portfolio thereof)
or the Adviser or the Underwriter is named. No such material shall be used until
approved by the Fund or its designee, and the Fund will use its best efforts for
it or its designee to review such sales literature or promotional material
within four Business Days after receipt of such material. The Fund or its
designee reserves the right to reasonably object to the continued use of any
such sales literature or other promotional material in which the Fund (or a
Designated Portfolio thereof) or the Adviser or the Underwriter is named, and no
such material shall be used if the Fund or its designee so object.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any representations or
statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund or the Adviser or the
Underwriter in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the
information or representations contained in the registration statement or
prospectus or SAI for the Fund shares, as such registration statement and
prospectus or SAI may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in
reports or proxy statements for the Fund, or in sales literature or other
promotional material approved by the Fund or its designee or by the Underwriter,
except with the permission of the Fund or the Underwriter or the designee of
either.
4.3. The Fund and the Underwriter, or their designee, shall furnish, or cause to
be furnished, to the Company, each piece of sales literature or other
promotional material that it develops and in which the Company, and/or its
Account, is named. No such material shall be used until approved by the Company,
and the Company will use its best efforts to review such sales literature or
promotional material within ten Business Days after receipt of such material.
The Company reserves the right to reasonably object to the continued use of any
such sales literature or other promotional material in which the Company and/or
its Account is named, and no such material shall be used if the Company so
objects.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make any
representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, the Account,
or the Contracts other than the information or representations contained in a
registration statement, prospectus (which shall include an offering memorandum,
if any, if the Contracts issued by the Company or interests therein are not
registered under the 1933 Act), or SAI for the Contracts, as such registration
statement, prospectus, or SAI may be amended or supplemented from time to time,
or in published reports for the Account which are in the public domain or
approved by the Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its
designee, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of all
registration statements, prospectuses, SAIs, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that
relate to the Fund or its shares, promptly after the filing of such document(s)
with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of all
registration statements, prospectuses (which shall include an offering
memorandum, if any, if the Contracts issued by the Company or interests therein
are not registered under the 1933 Act), SAIs, reports, solicitations for voting
instructions, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for
exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the
above, that relate to the Contracts or the Account, promptly after the filing of
such document(s) with the SEC or other regulatory authorities. The Company shall
provide to the Fund and the Underwriter any complaints received from the
Contract owners pertaining to the Fund or the Designated Portfolio.
4.7. The Fund will provide the Company with as much notice as is reasonably
practicable of any proxy solicitation for any Designated Portfolio, and of any
material change in the Fund's registration statement, particularly any change
resulting in a change to the registration statement or prospectus for any
Account. The Fund will work with the Company so as to enable the Company to
solicit proxies from Contract owners, or to make changes to its prospectus or
registration statement, in an orderly manner. The Fund will make reasonable
efforts to attempt to have changes affecting Contract prospectuses become
effective simultaneously with the annual updates for such prospectuses.
4.8. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature and other
promotional materials" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following
that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements (such as
material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or other
periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape display,
signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales literature
(i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally available to
customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, reports, market
letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of any other
advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or training
materials or other communications distributed or made generally available to
some or all agents or employees, and registration statements, prospectuses,
SAIs, shareholder reports, proxy materials, and any other communications
distributed or made generally available with regard to the Fund.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
The Fund and the Underwriter shall pay no fee or other
compensation to the Company under this Agreement, except that if the Fund or any
Portfolio adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses, then the Fund or Underwriter may make payments to the
Company or to the underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by
the Underwriter in writing, and such payments will be made out of existing fees
otherwise payable to the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter, or other
resources available to the Underwriter. Currently, no such payments are
contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this Agreement shall
be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its shares are registered
and authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable federal law and, if
and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in accordance with applicable
state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for the cost of
registration and qualification of the Fund's shares, preparation and filing of
the Fund's prospectus and registration statement, proxy materials and reports,
setting the prospectus in type, setting in type and printing and distributing
the proxy materials and setting in type and printing reports to shareholders
(including the costs of printing a prospectus that constitutes an annual
report), the preparation of all statements and notices required by any federal
or state law, and all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund's shares.
5.3. For the first 14 months following the effective date of this Agreement, the
Fund shall contribute a maximum of $5,000 in aggregate towards the expenses of
printing and distributing the Fund's prospectus to owners of Contracts issued by
the Company and of distributing the Fund's periodic reports to such Contract
owners, with any additional expenses to be borne by the Company. The Fund and
the Company may agree at a future date to adjust the amount contributed by the
Fund for expenses described under this Section 5.3.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification and Qualification
The Fund will invest its assets in such a manner as to ensure
that the Contracts will be treated as annuity or life insurance contracts,
whichever is appropriate, under the Code and the regulations issued thereunder
(or any successor provisions). Without limiting the scope of the foregoing, each
Designated Portfolio has complied and will continue to comply with Section
817(h) of the Code and Treasury Regulation ss.1.817-5, and any Treasury
interpretations thereof, relating to the diversification requirements for
variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts, and any amendments or
other modifications or successor provisions to such Section or Regulations. In
the event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will take all
reasonable steps (a) to notify the Company of such breach and (b) to adequately
diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance within the grace period afforded
by Regulation 1.817-5.
6.2. The Fund represents that it shall maintain qualification as a Regulated
Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code (under Subchapter M or any
successor or similar provisions) and that it will notify the Company immediately
upon having a reasonable basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or
that it might not so qualify in the future.
6.3. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently, and at the time of
issuance shall be, treated as life insurance or annuity insurance contracts,
under applicable provisions of the Code, and that it will make every effort to
maintain such treatment, and that it will notify the Fund and the Underwriter
immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing the Contracts have
ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in the future. To
the extent applicable under federal securities law, the Company agrees that any
prospectus offering a contract that is a "modified endowment contract" as that
term is defined in Section 7702A of the Code (or any successor or similar
provision), shall identify such contract as a modified endowment contract.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
The following provisions shall apply only upon the sale of shares of the Fund to
variable life insurance separate accounts, and then only to the extent required
under the 0000 Xxx.
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the Contract owners of all
separate accounts investing in the Fund and all other persons investing in the
Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may arise for a variety of reasons,
including: (a) an action by any state insurance regulatory authority; (b) a
change in applicable federal or state insurance, tax, or securities laws or
regulations, or a public ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or
interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities
regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial decision in any
relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of any Portfolio
are being managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given by variable
annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f) a decision
by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The Board
shall promptly inform the Company if it determines that a material
irreconcilable conflict exists and the implications thereof.
7.2. The Company, with a view only to the interests of Contract owners, will
report any potential or existing conflicts of which it is aware to the Board.
The Company, with a view only to the interests of Contract owners, will assist
the Board in carrying out its responsibilities under the Mixed and Shared
Funding Exemptive Order, by providing the Board with all information reasonably
necessary for the Board to consider any issues raised. This includes, but is not
limited to, an obligation by the Company to inform the Board whenever Contract
owner voting instructions are disregarded. No less than annually, the Company
shall submit to the Board such reports, materials, or data as the Board
reasonably requests so that the Board may carry out its obligations under the
Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its
disinterested members, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the
Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and
to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested Board members), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1)
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract
owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2) establishing a new
registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by the
Company to disregard Contract owner voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the Company
may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the Account's investment in
the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to each Account (at the
Company's expense); provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination
shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.
Any such withdrawal and termination must take place within six (6) months after
the Fund gives written notice that this provision is being implemented, and
until the end of that six month period the Fund shall continue to accept and
implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of
the Fund.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular state
insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company conflicts with the
majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the affected
Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to
such Account within six months after the Board informs the Company in writing
that it has determined that such decision has created a material irreconcilable
conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be
limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict
as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board. Until the
end of the foregoing six month period, the Fund shall continue to accept and
implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of
the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Section 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a majority of
the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any proposed
action adequately remedies any material irreconcilable conflict, but in no event
will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts.
The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new funding
medium for the Contract if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a
majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the material
irreconcilable conflict. In the event that the Board determines that any
proposed action does not adequately remedy any material irreconcilable conflict,
then the Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund and
terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs the
Company in writing of the foregoing determination; provided, however, that such
withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board.
7.7. If and to the extent the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemption Order or any
amendment thereto contains terms and conditions different from Sections 3.4,
3.5, 3.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement, then the Fund and/or
the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as
may be necessary to comply with the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order,
and Sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 and 7.5 of this Agreement shall
continue in effect only to the extent that terms and conditions substantially
identical to such Sections are contained in the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order or any amendment thereto. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2
and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive
relief from any provision of the 1940 Act or the rules promulgated thereunder
with respect to mixed or shared funding (as defined in the Mixed and Shared
Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions materially different from those
contained in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, then (a) the Fund
and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate, shall take such
steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and
Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable; and (b) Sections
3.5, 3.6, 7.1., 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall continue in
effect only to the extent that terms and conditions substantially identical to
such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
Indemnification by the Company
8.1(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and the
Underwriter and the trustees/directors and officers of each, and each
person, if any, who controls the Fund or Underwriter within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act or who is under common control with the Fund or
the Underwriter (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of
this Section 8.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the
Company) or litigation (including legal and other expenses), to which the
Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute or regulation, at
common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statements of any material fact contained in the registration statement,
prospectus (which shall include a written description of a Contract that is
not registered under the 1933 Act), or SAI for the Contracts or contained
in the Contracts or sales literature for the Contracts (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to
any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund for use in
the registration statement, prospectus or SAI for the Contracts or in the
Contracts or sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise
for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than
statements or representations contained in the registration statement,
prospectus, SAI, or sales literature of the Fund not supplied by the
Company or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Company or
its agents or persons under the Company's authorization or control, with
respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii)arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus, SAI, or
sales literature of the Fund or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto
or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading if such a statement or omission was made in reliance upon
information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any material failure by the Company to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement
(including a failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise,
to comply with the qualification requirements specified in Article VI of
this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation
and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or arise out of or
result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Company; as
limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and
8.1(c) hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation to
which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in
the performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such
Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of its obligations or duties under
this Agreement.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such
Indemnified Party shall have notified the Company in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received
notice of such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the
Company of any such claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability
which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is
brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In
case any such action is brought against an Indemnified Party, the Company
shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense of
such action. The Company also shall be entitled to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After
notice from the Company to such party of the Company's election to assume
the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses
of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Company will not be
liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the
defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection
with the issuance or sale of the Fund shares or the Contracts or the
operation of the Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and
each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls
the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively,
the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and
all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in
settlement with the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation
(including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may
become subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) or settlements:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the registration statement or
prospectus or SAI or sales literature of the Fund (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to
any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Underwriter or Fund by or on behalf of the
Company for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI for the
Fund or in sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise
for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or
representations contained in the registration
statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature for
the Contracts not supplied by the Underwriter or
persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the
Fund or Underwriter or persons under their control,
with respect to the sale or distribution of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a
registration statement, prospectus, SAI or sales
literature covering the Contracts, or any amendment
thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statement or statements therein not misleading,
if such statement or omission was made in reliance
upon information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of the Fund or the Underwriter; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund or the
Underwriter to provide the services and furnish the
materials under the terms of this Agreement,
including, without limiting the foregoing, a
materially incorrect or untimely calculation or
reporting of the daily net asset value per share or
distribution rate (and including a failure of the
Fund, whether unintentional or in good faith or
otherwise, to comply with the diversification and
other qualification requirements specified in Article
VI of this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach
of any representation and/or warranty made by the
Underwriter in this Agreement or arise out of or
result from any other material breach of this
Agreement by the Underwriter;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and
8.2(c) hereof.
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation to
which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in
the performance or such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such
Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this
Agreement or to the Company or the Account, whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party
unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first
legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have
been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified
Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of any such claim shall
not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise
than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such
action is brought against an Indemnified Party, the Underwriter will
be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense
thereof. The Underwriter also shall be entitled to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action.
After notice from the Underwriter to such party of the Underwriter's
election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall
bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it,
and the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this
Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other
than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.2(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Underwriter of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its
officers or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the
Contracts or the operation of the Account.
8.3. Indemnification By the Fund
8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each
of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls
the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section
8.3) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the
Fund) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to which the
Indemnified Parties may be required to pay or may become subject under
any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
or settlements, are related to the operations of the Fund and:
(i) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to
provide the services and furnish the materials under
the terms of this Agreement (including a failure,
whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise,
to comply with the diversification and other
qualification requirements specified in Article VI of
this Agreement); or
(ii) arise out of or result from any material breach of
any representation and/or warranty made by the Fund
in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any
other material breach of this Agreement by the Fund;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and
8.3(c) hereof.
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of
such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by
reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations
and duties under this Agreement or to the Company, the Fund, the
Underwriter or the Account, whichever is applicable.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund in writing within
a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process
giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served
upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall
have received notice of such service on any designated agent), but
failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not relieve the
Fund from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party
against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this
indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against
the Indemnified Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at
its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
the party named in the action. After notice from the Fund to such
party of the Fund's election to assume the defense thereof, the
Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional
counsel retained by it, and the Fund will not be liable to such party
under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently
incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the Fund
of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding against it or any
of its respective officers or directors in connection with the
Agreement, the issuance or sale of the Contracts, the operation of the
Account, or the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of North
Carolina.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933, 1934 and
1940 Acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including such
exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the SEC may grant
(including, but not limited to, any Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order)
and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith.
If, in the future, the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order should no longer
be necessary under applicable law, then Article VII shall no longer apply.
ARTICLE X. Termination
This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until
the first to occur of:
(a) termination by any party, for any reason with respect
to some or all Designated Portfolios, by 45 days'
advance written notice delivered to the other
parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to the
Fund and the Underwriter based upon the Company's
determination that shares of the Fund are not
reasonably available to meet the requirements of the
Contracts; or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to the
Fund and the Underwriter in the event any of the
Designated Portfolio's shares are not registered,
issued or sold in accordance with applicable state
and/or federal law or such law precludes the use of
such shares as the underlying investment media of the
Contracts issued or to be issued by the Company; or
(d) termination by the Fund or Underwriter in the event that formal
administrative proceedings are instituted against the Company by the NASD, the
SEC, the Insurance Commissioner or like official of any state or any other
regulatory body regarding the Company's duties under this Agreement or related
to the sale of the Contracts, the operation of any Account, or the purchase of
the Fund's shares; provided, however, that the Fund or Underwriter determines in
its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that any such administrative
proceedings will have a material adverse effect upon the ability of the Company
to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or
(e) termination by the Company in the event that formal
administrative proceedings are instituted against the
Fund or Underwriter by the NASD, the SEC, or any
state securities or insurance department or any other
regulatory body; provided, however, that the Company
determines in its sole judgment exercised in good
faith, that any such administrative proceedings will
have a material adverse effect upon the ability of
the Fund or Underwriter to perform its obligations
under this Agreement; or
(f) termination by the Company by written notice to the
Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any
Designated Portfolio in the event that such Portfolio
ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company
under Subchapter M or fails to comply with the
Section 817(h) diversification requirements specified
in Article VI hereof, or if the Company reasonably
believes that such Portfolio may fail to so qualify
or comply; or
(g) termination by the Fund or Underwriter by written
notice to the Company in the event that the Contracts
fail to meet the qualifications specified in Article
VI hereof; or
(h) termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by
written notice to the Company, if either one or both
of the Fund or the Underwriter respectively, shall
determine, in their sole judgment exercised in good
faith, that the Company has suffered a material
adverse change in its business, operations, financial
condition, or prospects since the date of this
Agreement or is the subject of material adverse
publicity; or
(i) termination by the Company by written notice to the
Fund and the Underwriter, if the Company shall
determine, in its sole judgment exercised in good
faith, that the Fund, Adviser, or the Underwriter has
suffered a material adverse change in its business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since
the date of this Agreement or is the subject of
material adverse publicity; or
(j) termination by the Fund or the Underwriter by written
notice to the Company, if the Company gives the Fund
and the Underwriter the written notice specified in
Section 1.7(a)(ii) hereof and at the time such notice
was given there was no notice of termination
outstanding under any other provision of this
Agreement; provided, however, any termination under
this Section 10.1(j) shall be effective forty-five
days after the notice specified in Section 1.7(a)(ii)
was given; or
(k) termination by the Company upon any substitution of
the shares of another investment company or series
thereof for shares of a Designated Portfolio of the
Fund in accordance with the terms of the Contracts,
provided that the Company has given at least 45 days
prior written notice to the Fund and Underwriter of
the date of substitution; or
(l) termination by any party in the event that the Fund's
Board of Trustees determines that a material
irreconcilable conflict exists as provided in Article
VII.
10.2. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Fund and the
Underwriter shall, at the option of the Company, continue to make available
additional shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective date of termination of
this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing Contracts"). The
Underwriter agrees to split the cost of seeking such an order, and the Company
agrees that it shall reasonably cooperate with the Underwriter and seek such an
order upon request. Specifically, the owners of the Existing Contracts may be
permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem investments in the Fund
and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional purchase payments under
the Existing Contracts (subject to any such election by the Underwriter). The
parties agree that this Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under
Article VII and the effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by
Article VII of this Agreement. The parties further agree that this Section 10.2
shall not apply to any terminations under Section 10.1(g) of this Agreement.
10.3. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the Contracts (as
opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held in the Account)
except (i) as necessary to implement Contract owner initiated or approved
transactions, (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or regulations or
judicial or other legal precedent of general application (hereinafter referred
to as a "Legally Required Redemption"), (iii) upon 45 days prior written notice
to the Fund and Underwriter, as permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to
Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act, or (iv) as permitted under the terms of the
Contract. Upon request, the Company will promptly furnish to the Fund and the
Underwriter reasonable assurance that any redemption pursuant to clause (ii)
above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore, except in cases where
permitted under the terms of the Contacts, the Company shall not prevent
Contract owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise
available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund or the Underwriter
45 days notice of its intention to do so.
10.4. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, each party's obligation
under Article VIII to indemnify the other parties shall survive.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or certified mail
to the other party at the address of such party set forth below or at such other
address as such party may from time to time specify in writing to the other
party.
If to the Fund: PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
If to the Company: Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxx
If to Underwriter: PIMCO Funds Distributors LLC
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the
property of the Fund, and in the case of a series company, the respective
Designated Portfolios listed on Schedule A hereto as though each such Designated
Portfolio had separately contracted with the Company and the Underwriter for the
enforcement of any claims against the Fund. The parties agree that neither the
Board, officers, agents or shareholders of the Fund assume any personal
liability or responsibility for obligations entered into by or on behalf of the
Fund.
12.2. Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory authority,
each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses of the
owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by
this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and
addresses and other confidential information without the express written consent
of the affected party until such time as such information has come into the
public domain.
12.3. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference
only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise
affect their construction or effect.
12.4. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts,
each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
12.5. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall
not be affected thereby.
12.6. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the
NASD, and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any investigation
or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
agrees to furnish the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner with any information
or reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the variable annuity
operations of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the
North Carolina insurance laws and regulations and any other applicable law or
regulations.
12.7. The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies, and obligations,
at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and
federal laws.
12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder may not be
assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all parties hereto.
12.9. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund or
its designee copies of the following reports:
(a) the Company's annual statement (prepared under
statutory accounting principles) and annual report
filed with any state or federal regulatory body or
otherwise made available to the public, as soon as
practicable and in any event within 90 days after the
end of each fiscal year;
(b) the Company's quarterly statements (statutory), as
soon as practical and in any event within 45 days
after the end of each quarterly period;
(c) as it relates to the Contracts in Schedule A, any
financial statement, proxy statement, notice or
report of the Company sent to stockholders and/or
policyholders, as soon as practical after the
delivery thereof to stockholders;
(d) as it relates to the Contracts in Schedule A, any
registration statement (without exhibits) and
financial reports of the Company filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission or any state
insurance regulatory, as soon as practicable after
the filing thereof; and
(e) as it relates to the Contracts in Schedule A, any
other report submitted to the Company by independent
accountants in connection with any annual, interim or
special audit made by them of the books of the
Company, as soon as practical after the receipt
thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this
Agreement to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified below.
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
By its authorized officer
By:
Title:
Date:
PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
By its authorized officer
By:
Title:
Date:
PIMCO FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS LLC
By its authorized officer
By:
Title:
Date:
A - 1
Schedule A
Contract Account Designated Portfolio(s)
1. Classic VA-6 PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and Income
2. Catalyst VA-6 PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and Income
3. Bounty VA-7 PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and Income
Date: __________________
