EXHIBIT j.2
FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of March 15, 2004 between Calamos Strategic Total
Return Fund (the "Fund") and The Bank of New York ("BNY").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to appoint BNY as a Foreign Custody Manager
on the terms and conditions contained herein;
WHEREAS, BNY desires to serve as a Foreign Custody Manager and perform
the duties set forth herein on the terms and conditions contained herein;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises hereinafter
contained in this Agreement, the Fund and BNY hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases,
unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:
1. "BOARD" shall mean the board of directors or board of
trustees, as the case may be, of the Fund.
2. "ELIGIBLE FOREIGN CUSTODIAN" shall have the meaning provided
in the Rule.
3. "MONITORING SYSTEM" shall mean a system established by BNY to
fulfill the Responsibilities specified in clauses (d) and (e) of Section 1 of
Article III of this Agreement.
4. "RESPONSIBILITIES" shall mean the responsibilities delegated
to BNY under the Rule as a Foreign Custody Manager with respect to each
Specified Country and each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by BNY, as such
responsibilities are more fully described in Article III of this Agreement.
5. "RULE" shall mean Rule 17f-5 under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended on June 12, 2000.
6. "SPECIFIED COUNTRY" shall mean each country listed on Schedule
I attached hereto and each country, other than the United States, constituting
the primary market for a security with respect to which the Fund has given
settlement instructions to The Bank of New York as custodian (the "Custodian")
under its Custody Agreement with the Fund.
ARTICLE II.
BNY AS A FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER
1. The Fund on behalf of its Board hereby delegates to BNY with
respect to each Specified Country the Responsibilities.
2. BNY accepts the Board's delegation of Responsibilities with
respect to each Specified Country and agrees in performing the Responsibilities
as a Foreign Custody Manager to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence
such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of the Fund's assets
would exercise.
3. BNY shall provide to the Board at such times as the Board
deems reasonable and appropriate based on the circumstances of the Fund's
foreign custody arrangements written reports notifying the Board of the
placement of assets of the Fund with a particular Eligible Foreign Custodian
within a Specified Country and of any material change in the arrangements
(including the contract governing such arrangements) with respect to assets of
the Fund with any such Eligible Foreign Custodian.
ARTICLE III.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, BNY shall with
respect to each Specified Country select an Eligible Foreign Custodian. In
connection therewith, BNY shall: (a) determine that assets of the Fund held by
such Eligible Foreign Custodian will be subject to reasonable care, based on the
standards applicable to custodians in the relevant market in which such Eligible
Foreign Custodian operates, after considering all factors relevant to the
safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation, those contained in
paragraph (c)(1) of the Rule; (b) determine that the Fund's foreign custody
arrangements with each Eligible Foreign Custodian are governed by a written
contract with the Custodian which will provide reasonable care for the Fund's
assets based on the standards specified in paragraph (c)(1) of the Rule; (c)
determine that each contract with an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall include
the provisions specified in paragraph (c)(2)(i)(A) through (F) of the Rule or,
alternatively, in lieu of any or all of such (c)(2)(i)(A) through (F)
provisions, such other provisions as BNY determines will provide, in their
entirety, the same or a greater level of care and protection for the assets of
the Fund as such specified provisions; (d) monitor pursuant to the Monitoring
System the appropriateness of maintaining the assets of the Fund with a
particular Eligible Foreign Custodian pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of the Rule
and the performance of the contract governing such arrangement; and (e) advise
the Fund whenever BNY determines under the Monitoring System that an arrangement
(including, any material change in the contract governing such arrangement)
described in preceding clause (d) no longer meets the requirements of the Rule.
2. For purposes of preceding Section 1 of this Article, BNY's
determination of appropriateness shall not include, nor be deemed to include,
any evaluation of Country Risks associated with investment in a particular
country. For purposes hereof, "Country Risks" shall mean systemic risks of
holding assets in a particular country including but not limited to (a) an
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Eligible Foreign Custodian's use of any depositories that act as or operate a
system or a transnational system for the central handling of securities or any
equivalent book-entries; (b) such country's financial infrastructure; (c) such
country's prevailing custody and settlement practices; (d) nationalization,
expropriation or other governmental actions; (e) regulation of the banking or
securities industry; (f) currency controls, restrictions, devaluations or
fluctuations; and (g) market conditions which affect the orderly execution of
securities transactions or affect the value of securities.
ARTICLE IV.
REPRESENTATIONS
1. The Fund hereby represents that: (a) this Agreement has been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund, constitutes a valid and
legally binding obligation of the Fund enforceable in accordance with its terms,
and no statute, regulation, rule, order, judgment or contract binding on the
Fund prohibits the Fund's execution or performance of this Agreement; (b) this
Agreement has been approved and ratified by the Board at a meeting duly called
and at which a quorum was at all times present, and (c) the Board or the Fund's
investment advisor has considered the Country Risks associated with investment
in each Specified Country and will have considered such risks prior to any
settlement instructions being given to the Custodian with respect to any other
country.
2. BNY hereby represents that: (a) BNY is duly organized and
existing under the laws of the State of New York, with full power to carry on
its businesses as now conducted, and to enter into this Agreement and to perform
its obligations hereunder; (b) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by BNY, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of BNY
enforceable in accordance with its terms, and no statute, regulation, rule,
order, judgment or contract binding on BNY prohibits BNY's execution or
performance of this Agreement; and (c) BNY has established the Monitoring
System.
ARTICLE V.
CONCERNING BNY
1. BNY shall not be liable for any costs, expenses, damages,
liabilities or claims, including attorneys' and accountants' fees, sustained or
incurred by, or asserted against, the Fund except to the extent the same arises
out of the failure of BNY to exercise the care, prudence and diligence required
by Section 2 of Article II hereof. In no event shall BNY be liable to the Fund,
the Board, or any third party for special, indirect or consequential damages, or
for lost profits or loss of business, arising in connection with this Agreement.
2. The Fund shall indemnify BNY and hold it harmless from and
against any and all costs, expenses, damages, liabilities or claims, including
attorneys' and accountants' fees, sustained or incurred by, or asserted against,
BNY by reason or as a result of any action or inaction, or arising out of BNY's
performance hereunder, provided that the Fund shall not indemnify BNY to the
extent any such costs, expenses, damages, liabilities or claims arises out of
BNY's failure to exercise the reasonable care, prudence and diligence required
by Section 2 of Article II hereof.
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3. For its services hereunder, the Fund agrees to pay to BNY such
compensation and out-of-pocket expenses as shall be mutually agreed.
4. BNY shall have only such duties as are expressly set forth
herein. In no event shall BNY be liable for any Country Risks associated with
investments in a particular country.
ARTICLE VI.
MISCELLANEOUS
1. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
Fund and BNY as a foreign custody manager, and no provision in the Custody
Agreement between the Fund and the Custodian shall affect the duties and
obligations of BNY hereunder, nor shall any provision in this Agreement affect
the duties or obligations of the Custodian under the Custody Agreement.
2. Any notice or other instrument in writing, authorized or
required by this Agreement to be given to BNY, shall be sufficiently given if
received by it at its offices at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx
Xxxx 00000, or at such other place as BNY may from time to time designate in
writing.
3. Any notice or other instrument in writing, authorized or
required by this Agreement to be given to the Fund shall be sufficiently given
if received by it at its offices at 0000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000 or at such other place as the Fund may from time to time
designate in writing.
4. In case any provision in or obligation under this Agreement
shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity,
legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be
affected thereby. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner
except by a written agreement executed by both parties. This Agreement shall
extend to and shall be binding upon the parties hereto, and their respective
successors and assigns; provided however, that this Agreement shall not be
assignable by either party without the written consent of the other.
5. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the
substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws
principles thereof. The Fund and BNY hereby consent to the jurisdiction of a
state or federal court situated in New York City, New York in connection with
any dispute arising hereunder. The Fund hereby irrevocably waives, to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or
hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding brought in such a
court and any claim that such proceeding brought in such a court has been
brought in an inconvenient forum. The Fund and BNY each hereby irrevocably
waives any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out
of or relating to this Agreement.
6. The parties hereto agree that in performing hereunder, BNY is
acting solely on behalf of the Fund and no contractual or service relationship
shall be deemed to be established hereby between BNY and any other person by
reason of this Agreement.
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7. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall,
together, constitute only one instrument.
8. This Agreement shall terminate simultaneously with the
termination of the Custody Agreement between the Fund and the Custodian, and may
otherwise be terminated by either party giving to the other party a notice in
writing specifying the date of such termination, which shall be not less than
thirty (30) days after the date of such notice.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund and BNY have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their respective officers, thereunto duly authorized, as of the date
first above written.
CALAMOS STRATEGIC TOTAL
RETURN FUND
By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx
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Title: Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Senior Vice President
and Director of Operations
Tax Identification No.: 00-0000000
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. XxXxxx
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Title: Xxxxxx X. XxXxxx, Vice President
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SCHEDULE I
Specified Countries
