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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 23rd day of July, 1999 by and between Xxxxxxxxxx
Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Adviser"), and
Endeavor Management Co., a California corporation (the "Manager").
WHEREAS, the Manager has been organized to serve as investment manager
and administrator of Endeavor Series Trust (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts
business trust which has filed a registration statement under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and the Securities Act of 1933
(the "Registration Statement"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust is comprised of several separate investment
portfolios, one of which is the Endeavor Select 50 Portfolio (the "Portfolio");
and
WHEREAS, the Manager desires to avail itself of the services,
information, advice, assistance and facilities of an investment adviser to
assist the Manager in performing services for the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, as amended, and is engaged in the business of rendering investment
advisory services to investment companies and other institutional clients and
desires to provide such services to the Manager;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth, it is agreed as follows:
1. Employment of the Adviser. The Manager hereby employs the Adviser to
manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Portfolio, subject
to the control and direction of the Trust's Board of Trustees, for the period
and on the terms hereinafter set forth. The Adviser hereby accepts such
employment and agrees during such period to render the services and to assume
the obligations herein set forth for the compensation herein provided. The
Adviser shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an independent contractor
and shall, except as expressly provided or authorized (whether herein or
otherwise), have no authority to act for or represent the Manager, the Portfolio
or the Trust in any way.
2. Obligations of and Services to be Provided by the
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Adviser. The Adviser undertakes to provide the following
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services and to assume the following obligations:
a. The Adviser shall manage the investment and
reinvestment of the portfolio assets of the Portfolio, all
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without prior consultation with the Manager, subject to and in accordance with
the investment objective and policies of the Portfolio set forth in the Trust's
Registration Statement, as such Registration Statement may be amended from time
to time, and any written instructions which the Manager or the Trust's Board of
Trustees may issue from time-to-time in accordance therewith. In pursuance of
the foregoing, the Adviser shall make all determinations with respect to the
purchase and sale of portfolio securities and shall take such action necessary
to implement the same. The Adviser shall render regular reports to the Trust's
Board of Trustees and the Manager concerning the investment activities of the
Portfolio.
b. To the extent provided in the Trust's Registration
Statement, as such Registration Statement may be amended from time to time, the
Adviser shall, in the name of the Portfolio, place orders for the execution of
portfolio transactions with or through such brokers, dealers or banks as it may
select including affiliates of the Adviser and, complying with Section 28(e) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, may pay a commission on transactions in
excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged.
c. In connection with the placement of orders for the
execution of the portfolio transactions of the Portfolio, the Adviser shall
create and maintain all necessary records pertaining to the purchase and sale of
securities by the Adviser on behalf of the Portfolio in accordance with all
applicable laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to records
required by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act. All records shall be the property of
the Trust and shall be available for inspection and use by the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the Trust, the Manager or any person retained by
the Trust. Where applicable, such records shall be maintained by the Adviser for
the periods and in the places required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act.
d. The Adviser shall bear its expenses of providing
services pursuant to this Agreement.
3. Compensation of the Adviser. In consideration of services rendered
pursuant to this Agreement, the Manager will pay the Adviser a fee at the annual
rate of the value of the Portfolio's average daily net assets set forth in
Schedule A hereto. Such fee shall be accrued daily and paid monthly as soon as
practicable after the end of each month. If the Adviser shall serve for less
than the whole of any month, the foregoing compensation shall be prorated. For
the purpose of determining fees payable to the Adviser, the value of the
Portfolio's net assets shall be computed at the times and in the manner
specified in the Trust's Registration Statement.
4. Activities of the Adviser. The services of the Adviser
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hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Adviser shall
be free to render similar services to others and to engage in
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other activities, so long as the services rendered hereunder are not impaired;
provided, however, that for a period from the date hereof until the later of (i)
one year from the date hereof and (ii) only if the Portfolio's assets equal or
exceed $200 million one year from the date hereof, the term of this Agreement
for so long as the Portfolio's net assets equal or exceed $200 million
(disregarding fluctuations below $200 million because of investment
performance), the Adviser shall not provide investment advisory services with
respect to a fund substantially similar to the Portfolio which is an investment
option for a variable annuity or variable life contract issued by an insurance
company other than PFL Life Insurance Company.
5. Use of Names. The Adviser hereby consents to the Portfolio being
named the "Select 50 Portfolio." The Manager shall not use the name of the
Adviser or any of its affiliates in any prospectus, sales literature or other
material relating to the Trust in any manner not approved prior thereto by the
Adviser; provided, however, that the Adviser shall approve all uses of its name
and that of its affiliates which merely refer in accurate terms to its
appointment hereunder or which are required by the SEC or a state securities
commission; and, provided, further, that in no event shall such approval be
unreasonably withheld. The Adviser shall not use the name of the Trust or the
Manager in any material relating to the Adviser in any manner not approved prior
thereto by the Manager; provided, however, that the Manager shall approve all
uses of its or the Trust's name which merely refer in accurate terms to the
appointment of the Adviser hereunder or which are required by the SEC or a state
securities commission; and, provided further, that in no event shall such
approval be unreasonably withheld.
The Manager recognizes that from time to time directors, officers and
employees of the Adviser may serve as directors, trustees, partners, officers
and employees of other corporations, business trusts, partnerships or other
entities (including other investment companies) and that such other entities may
include the name "Xxxxxxxxxx" as part of their name, and that the Adviser or its
affiliates may enter into investment advisory, administration or other
agreements with such other entities.
6. Liability of the Adviser. Absent willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence, or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on
the part of the Adviser, the Adviser shall not be liable for any act or omission
in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any
losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
Nothing herein shall constitute a waiver of any rights or remedies which the
Trust may have under any federal or state securities laws.
7. Limitation of Trust's Liability. The Adviser
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acknowledges that it has received notice of and accepts the
limitations upon the Trust's liability set forth in its Agreement
and Declaration of Trust. The Adviser agrees that any of the
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Trust's obligations shall be limited to the assets of the Portfolio and that the
Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders
of the Trust nor from any Trust officer, employee or agent of the Trust.
8. Renewal, Termination and Amendment. This Agreement shall continue in
effect, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, for a period of two
years from the date hereof and shall continue in full force and effect for
successive periods of one year thereafter, but only so long as each such
continuance as to the Portfolio is specifically approved at least annually by
vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the Trust's Board of Trustees; and further
provided that such continuance is also approved annually by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested
persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval. This Agreement may be terminated as to the Portfolio at
any time, without payment of any penalty, by the Trust's Board of Trustees, by
the Manager, or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Portfolio upon 60 days' prior written notice to the Adviser, or by the
Adviser upon 90 days' prior written notice to the Manager, or upon such shorter
notice as may be mutually agreed upon. This Agreement shall terminate
automatically and immediately upon termination of the Management Agreement dated
July 22, 1999 between the Manager and the Trust. This Agreement shall terminate
automatically and immediately in the event of its assignment. The terms
"assignment" and "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" shall
have the meaning set forth for such terms in the 1940 Act. This Agreement may be
amended at any time by the Adviser and the Manager, subject to approval by the
Trust's Board of Trustees and, if required by applicable SEC rules and
regulations, a vote of a majority of the Portfolio's outstanding voting
securities.
9. Confidential Relationship. Any information and advice
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furnished by either party to this Agreement to the other shall be
treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed to third
parties except as required by law.
The Manager hereby consents to the disclosure to third parties of (i)
investment results and other data of the Manager or the Portfolio (other than
the identity of the Manager or the Trust) in connection with providing composite
investment results of the Adviser and (ii) investments and transactions of the
Manager or the Portfolio (other than the identify of the Manager or the Trust)
in connection with providing composite information of clients of the Adviser.
10. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall
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be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or
otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected
thereby.
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11. Information. The Manager hereby acknowledges that it and the
Trustees of the Trust have been provided with all information necessary in
connection with the services to be provided by the Adviser hereunder, including
a copy of Part II of the Adviser's Form ADV at least 48 hours prior to the
Manager's execution of this Agreement, and any other information that the
Manager or the Trustees deem necessary.
12. Miscellaneous. This Agreement constitutes the full and complete
agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Each
party agrees to perform such further actions and execute such further documents
as are necessary to effectuate the purposes hereof. This Agreement shall be
construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State
of California. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience only
and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect
their construction or effect. This Agreement may be executed in several
counterparts, all of which together shall for all purposes constitute one
Agreement, binding on all the parties.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Agreement as of
the date first written above.
ENDEAVOR MANAGEMENT CO.
BY:
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx
Authorized Officer
XXXXXXXXXX ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
BY:
/s/
Authorized Officer
SCHEDULE A
Endeavor Select 50 Portfolio .70% of average daily net
assets.
