INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of the 31st day of May, 1997, and amended as of April
30, 1998, by and between Xxxx Xxxxxx Multi-State Municipal Series Trust, an
unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts (hereinafter called the "Fund"), and Xxxx Xxxxxx InterCapital
Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the "Investment Manager"):
WHEREAS, The Fund is engaged in business as an open-end management
investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the "Act"); and
WHEREAS, The Investment Manager is registered as an investment adviser
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and engages in the business of
acting as investment adviser; and
WHEREAS, The Fund presently offers shares in several Series, such Series
together with all other Series subsequently established by the Fund with
respect to which the Fund desires to retain the Investment Manager to render
management and investment advisory services in the manner and on the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth being collectively referred to as the
"Series;" and
WHEREAS, The Investment Manager desires to be retained to perform services
on said terms and conditions:
Now, Therefore, this Agreement
W I T N E S S E T H:
that in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained, the Fund and the Investment Manager agree as follows:
1. The Fund hereby retains the Investment Manager to act as investment
manager of the Series and, subject to the supervision of the Trustees, to
supervise the investment activities of the Series as hereinafter set forth.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investment Manager shall
obtain and evaluate such information and advice relating to the economy,
securities and commodities markets and securities and commodities as it deems
necessary or useful to discharge its duties hereunder; shall continuously
manage the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with the investment
objectives and policies of the Series; shall determine the securities and
commodities to be purchased, sold or otherwise disposed of by the Series and
the timing of such purchases, sales and dispositions; and shall take such
further action, including the placing of purchase and sale orders on behalf of
the Series, as the Investment Manager shall deem necessary or appropriate. The
Investment Manager shall also furnish to or place at the disposal of the Fund
such of the information, evaluations, analyses and opinions formulated or
obtained by the Investment Manager in the discharge of its duties as the Fund
may, from time to time, reasonably request.
In the event the Fund establishes another Series other than the current
Series with respect to which it desires to retain the Investment Manager to
render investment advisory services hereunder, it shall notify the Investment
Manager in writing. If the Investment Manager is willing to render such
services, it shall notify the Fund in writing, whereupon such other Series
shall become a Series hereunder.
2. The Investment Manager shall, at its own expense, maintain such staff
and employ or retain such personnel and consult with such other persons as it
shall from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to the performance
of its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the staff and personnel of the Investment Manager shall be deemed to
include persons employed or otherwise retained by the Investment Manager to
furnish statistical and other factual data, advice regarding economic factors
and trends, information with respect to technical and scientific developments,
and such other information, advice and assistance as the Investment Manager may
desire. The Investment Manager shall, as agent for the Fund, maintain the
Fund's records and books of account (other than those maintained by the Fund's
transfer agent, registrar, custodian and other agencies). All such books and
records so maintained shall be the property of the Fund and, upon request
therefor, the Investment Manager shall surrender to the Fund such of the books
and records so requested.
3. The Fund will, from time to time, furnish or otherwise make available
to the Investment Manager such financial reports, proxy statements and other
information relating to the business and affairs of the Fund as the Investment
Manager may reasonably require in order to discharge its duties and obligations
hereunder.
4. The Investment Manager shall bear the cost of rendering the investment
management and supervisory services to be performed by it under this Agreement,
and shall, at its own expense, pay the compensation of the officers and
employees, if any, of the Fund who are also directors, officers or employees of
the Investment Manager, and provide such office space, facilities and equipment
and such clerical help and bookkeeping services as the Fund shall reasonably
require in the conduct of its business. The Investment Manager shall also bear
the cost of telephone service, heat, light, power and other utilities provided
to the Fund.
5. The Fund assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all other expenses
of the Fund, including without limitation: fees pursuant to any plan of
distribution that the Fund may adopt; the charges and expenses of any
registrar, any custodian or depository appointed by the Fund for the
safekeeping of its cash, portfolio securities or commodities and other
property, and any stock transfer or dividend agent or agents appointed by the
Fund; brokers' commissions chargeable to the Fund in connection with portfolio
transactions to which the Fund is a party; all taxes, including securities or
commodities issuance and transfer taxes, and fees payable by the Fund to
federal, state or other governmental agencies; the cost and expense of
engraving or printing certificates representing shares of the Fund; all costs
and expenses in connection with the registration and maintenance of
registration of the Fund and its shares with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and various states and other jurisdictions (including filing fees
and legal fees and disbursements of counsel); the cost and expense of printing,
including typesetting, and distributing prospectuses and statements of
additional information of the Fund and supplements thereto to the Fund's
shareholders; all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings and of
preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements and reports to shareholders;
fees and travel expenses of Trustees or members of any advisory board or
committee who are not employees of the Investment Manager or any corporate
affiliate of the Investment Manager; all expenses incident to the payment of
any dividend, distribution, withdrawal or redemption, whether in shares or in
cash; charges and expenses of any outside service used for pricing of the
Fund's shares; charges and expenses of legal counsel, including counsel to the
Trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons (as defined in the Act) of
the Fund or the Investment Manager, and of independent accountants, in
connection with any matter relating to the Fund; membership dues of industry
associations; interest payable on Fund borrowings; postage; insurance premiums
on property or personnel (including officers and Trustees) of the Fund which
inure to its benefit; extraordinary expenses (including but not limited to
legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification
related thereto); and all other charges and costs of the Fund's operation
unless otherwise explicitly provided herein.
6. For the services to be rendered, the facilities furnished, and the
expenses assumed by the Investment Manager, the Fund shall pay to the
Investment Manager monthly compensation determined by applying the following
annual rate of 0.35% to the daily net assets of the respective Series
determined as of the close of each business day. Except as hereinafter set
forth, compensation under this Agreement shall be calculated and accrued daily
and the amounts of the daily accruals shall be paid monthly. Such calculations
shall be made by applying 1/365ths of the annual rates to the Fund's net assets
each day determined as of the close of business on that day or the last
previous business day. If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the
first day of a month or shall terminate before the last day of a month,
compensation for that part of the month this Agreement is in effect shall be
prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set forth
above.
Subject to the provisions of paragraph 7 hereof, payment of the Investment
Manager's compensation for the preceding month shall be made as promptly as
possible after completion of the computations contemplated by paragraph 7
hereof.
7. In the event the operating expenses of a Series, including amounts
payable to the Investment Manager pursuant to paragraph 6 hereof, for any
fiscal year ending on a date on which this Agreement is in effect, exceed the
expense limitations applicable to such Series imposed by state securities laws
or regulations thereunder, as such limitations may be raised or lowered from
time to time, the Investment Manager shall reduce its management fee in respect
to such Series to the extent of such excess and, if required, pursuant to any
such laws or regulations, will reimburse such Series for annual operating
expenses in excess of any expense limitation that may be applicable; provided,
however, there shall be excluded from such expenses the amount of any interest,
taxes, brokerage commissions, distribution fees and extraordinary expenses
(including but not limited to legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs
and any indemnification related thereto) paid or payable by such Series. Such
reduction, if any, shall be computed and accrued daily, shall be settled on a
monthly basis, and shall
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be based upon the expense limitation applicable to such Series as at the end of
the last business day of the month. Should two or more such expense limitations
be applicable as at the end of the last business day of the month, that expense
limitation which results in the largest reduction in the Investment Manager's
fee shall be applicable.
For purposes of this provision, should any applicable expense limitation
be based upon the gross income of such Series, such gross income shall include,
but not be limited to, interest on debt securities in the Fund's portfolio of
such Series accrued to and including the last day of the Fund's fiscal year,
and dividends declared on equity securities in the portfolio of such Series,
the record dates for which fall on or prior to the last day of such fiscal
year, but shall not include gains from the sale of securities.
8. The Investment Manager will use its best efforts in the supervision and
management of the investment activities of the Fund, but in the absence of
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its
obligations hereunder, the Investment Manager shall not be liable to the Fund
or any of its investors for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any
act or omission by the Investment Manager or for any losses sustained by the
Fund or its investors.
9. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prevent the Investment
Manager or any affiliated person of the Investment Manager from acting as
investment adviser or manager for any other person, firm or corporation and
shall not in any way bind or restrict the Investment Manager or any such
affiliated person from buying, selling or trading any securities or commodities
for their own accounts or for the account of others for whom they may be
acting. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any
Trustee, officer or employee of the Investment Manager to engage in any other
business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management
or other aspects of any other business whether of a similar or dissimilar
nature.
10. With respect to each Series, this Agreement shall remain in effect
until April 30, 1999 and from year to year thereafter is approved at least
annually by the vote of holders of a majority, as defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), of the outstanding voting
securities of the Series or by the Trustees of the Fund; provided that in
either event such continuance is also approved annually by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or
"interested persons" (as defined in the Act) of any such party, which vote must
be cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval; provided, however, that (a) the Fund may, at any time and without the
payment of any penalty, terminate this Agreement upon thirty days' written
notice to the Investment Manager, either by majority vote of the Trustees of
the Fund or, with respect to a Series, by the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of such Series; (b) this Agreement shall
immediately terminate in the event of its assignment (to the extent required by
the Act and the rules thereunder) unless such automatic terminations shall be
prevented by an exemptive order of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and
(c) the Investment Manager may terminate this Agreement without payment of
penalty on thirty days' written notice to the Fund. Any notice under this
Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered, or mailed
post-paid, to the other party at the principal office of such party.
Any approval of this Agreement by the holders of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of any Series shall be effective to continue this
Agreement with respect to such Series notwithstanding (a) that this Agreement
has not been approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of any other Series or (b) that this Agreement has not been approved
by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund,
unless such approval shall be required by any other applicable law or
otherwise.
11. This Agreement may be amended by the parties without the vote or
consent of the shareholders of the Fund to supply any omission, to cure,
correct or supplement any ambiguous, defective or inconsistent provision
hereof, or if they deem it necessary to conform this Agreement to the
requirements of applicable federal laws or regulations, but neither the Fund
nor the Investment Manager shall be liable for failing to do so.
12. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Act. To the extent the
applicable law of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein,
conflicts with the applicable provisions of the Act, the latter shall control.
13. The Investment Manager and the Fund each agree that the name "Xxxx
Xxxxxx," which comprises a component of the Fund's name, is a property right of
Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc. The Fund agrees and consents
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that (i) it will only use the name "Xxxx Xxxxxx" as a component of its name and
for no other purpose, (ii) it will not purport to grant to any third party the
right to use the name "Xxxx Xxxxxx" for any purpose, (iii) the Investment
Manager or its parent, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx & Co., or any corporate
affiliate of the Investment Manager's parent, may use or grant to others the
right to use the name "Xxxx Xxxxxx," or any combination or abbreviation
thereof, as all or a portion of a corporate or business name or for any
commercial purpose, including a grant of such right to any other investment
company, (iv) at the request of the Investment Manager or its parent, the Fund
will take such action as may be required to provide its consent to the use of
the name "Xxxx Xxxxxx," or any combination or abbreviation thereof by the
Investment Manager or its parent or any corporate affiliate of the Investment
Manager's parent, or by any person to whom the Investment Manager or its parent
or any affiliate of the Investment Manager's parent shall have granted the
right to such use, and (v) upon the termination of any investment advisory
agreement into which the Investment Manager and the Fund may enter, or upon
termination of affiliation of the Investment Manager with its parent, the Fund
shall, upon request by the Investment Manager or its parent, cease to use the
name "Xxxx Xxxxxx" as a component of its name, and shall not use the name, or
any combination or abbreviation thereof, as a part of its name or for any other
commercial purpose, and shall cause its officers, Trustees and shareholders to
take any and all actions which the Investment Manager or its parent may request
to effect the foregoing and to reconvey to the Investment Manager or its parent
any and all rights to such name.
14. The Declaration of Trust establishing Xxxx Xxxxxx Multi-State
Municipal Series Trust, dated October 29, 1990, a copy of which, together with
all amendments thereto (the "Declaration"), is on file in the office of the
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provides that the name Xxxx
Xxxxxx Multi-State Municipal Series Trust refers to the Trustees under the
Declaration collectively as Trustees, but not as individuals or personally; and
no Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of Xxxx Xxxxxx Multi-State
Municipal Series Trust shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall
resort be had to their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation
or claim or otherwise, in connection with the affairs of said Xxxx Xxxxxx
Multi-State Municipal Series Trust, but the Trust Estate only shall be liable.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement, as amended, on April 30, 1998 in New York, New York.
XXXX XXXXXX MULTI-STATE MUNICIPAL SERIES TRUST
By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxx
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Attest:
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
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XXXX XXXXXX INTERCAPITAL INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx
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Attest:
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
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