DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THE BEAR XXXXXXX FUNDS
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
February 22, 1995
As Revised April 11, 1995
Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Dear Sirs:
This is to confirm that, in consideration of the agreements
hereinafter contained, the above-named investment company (the "Fund") has
agreed that you shall be, for the period of this agreement, the distributor of
(a) shares of each Series of the Fund set forth on Schedule 1 hereto, as such
Schedule may be revised from time to time (each, a "Series") or (b) if no Series
are set forth on such Schedule, shares of the Fund. For purposes of this
agreement the term "Shares" shall mean the authorized shares of the relevant
Series, if any, and otherwise shall mean the Fund's authorized shares.
1. Services as Distributor
1.1 You will act as agent for the distribution of Shares
covered by, and in accordance with, the registration statement and prospectus
then in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and will transmit
promptly any orders received by you for purchase or redemption of Shares to the
Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent for the Fund of which the Fund has
notified you in writing.
1.2 You agree to use your best efforts to solicit orders for
the sale of Shares. It is contemplated that you will enter into sales or
servicing agreements with securities dealers, financial institutions and other
industry professionals, such as investment advisers, accountants and estate
planning firms, and in so doing you will act only on your own behalf as
principal.
1.3 You shall act as distributor of Shares in compliance with
all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, all
rules and regulations made or adopted pursuant to the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended, by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any securities
association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
1.4 Whenever in their judgment such action is warranted by
market, economic or political conditions, or by abnormal circumstances of any
kind, the Fund's officers may decline to accept any orders for, or make any
sales of, any Shares until such time as they deem it advisable to accept such
orders and to make such sales and the Fund shall advise you promptly of such
determination.
1.5 The Fund agrees to pay all costs and expenses in
connection with the registration of Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and all expenses in connection with maintaining facilities for the
issue and transfer of Shares and for supplying information, prices and other
data to be furnished by the Fund hereunder, and all expenses in connection with
the preparation and printing of the Fund's prospectuses and statements of
additional information for regulatory purposes and for distribution to
shareholders; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be deemed
to require the Fund to pay any of the costs of advertising the sale of Shares.
1.6 The Fund agrees to execute any and all documents and to
furnish any and all information and otherwise to take all actions which may be
reasonably necessary in the discretion of the Fund's officers in connection with
the qualification of Shares for sale in such states as you may designate to the
Fund and the Fund may approve, and the Fund agrees to pay all expenses which may
be incurred in connection with such qualification. You shall pay all expenses
connected with your own qualification as a dealer under state or Federal laws
and, except as otherwise specifically provided in this agreement, all other
expenses incurred by you in connection with the sale of Shares as contemplated
in this agreement.
1.7 The Fund shall furnish you from time to time, for use in
connection with the sale of Shares, such information with respect to the Fund or
any relevant Series and the Shares as you reasonably request all of which shall
be signed by one or more of the Fund's duly authorized officers; and the Fund
warrants that the statements contained in any such information so signed by the
Fund's officers, shall be true and correct. The Fund also shall furnish you upon
request with: (a) semi-annual reports and annual audited reports of the Fund's
books and accounts made by independent public accountants regularly retained by
the Fund, (b) quarterly earnings statements prepared by the Fund, (c) a monthly
itemized list of the securities in the Fund's or, if applicable, each Series'
portfolio, (d) monthly balance sheets as soon as practicable after the end of
each month, and (e) from time to time such additional information regarding the
Fund's financial condition as you may reasonably request.
1.8 The Fund represents to you that all registration
statements and prospectuses filed by the Fund with the Securities and Exchange
Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, with respect to the Shares have been
carefully prepared in conformity with the requirements of said Acts and rules
and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder. As used in
this agreement the terms "registration statement" and "prospectus" shall mean
any registration statement and prospectus, including the statement of additional
information incorporated by reference therein, filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and any amendments and supplements thereto which at any time
shall have been filed with said Commission. The Fund represents and warrants to
you that any
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registration statement and prospectus, when such registration statement becomes
effective, will contain all statements required to be stated therein in
conformity with said Acts and the rules and regulations of said Commission; that
all statements of fact contained in any such registration statement and
prospectus will be true and correct when such registration statement becomes
effective; and that neither any registration statement nor any prospectus when
such registration statement becomes effective will include an untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Fund may
but shall not be obligated to propose from time to time such amendment or
amendments to any registration statement and such supplement or supplements to
any prospectus as, in the light of future developments, may, in the opinion of
the Fund's counsel, be necessary or advisable. If the Fund shall not propose
such amendment or amendments and/or supplement or supplements within fifteen
days after receipt by the Fund of a written request from you to do so, you may,
at your option, terminate this agreement or decline to make offers of the Fund's
securities until such amendments are made. The Fund shall not file any amendment
to any registration statement or supplement to any prospectus without giving you
reasonable notice thereof in advance; provided, however, that nothing contained
in this agreement shall in any way limit the Fund's right to file at any time
such amendments to any registration statement and/or supplements to any
prospectus, of whatever character, as the Fund may deem advisable, such right
being in all respects absolute and unconditional.
1.9 The Fund authorizes you to use any prospectus in the form
furnished to you from time to time, in connection with the sale of Shares. The
Fund agrees to indemnify, defend and hold you, your several officers and
directors, and any person who controls you within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, free and harmless from and against any
and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the cost of
investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any counsel
fees incurred in connection therewith) which you, your officers and directors,
or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon any
untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in
any registration statement or any prospectus or arising out of or based upon any
omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in
either any registration statement or any prospectus or necessary to make the
statements in either thereof not misleading; provided, however, that the Fund's
agreement to indemnify you, your officers or directors, and any such controlling
person shall not be deemed to cover any claims, demands, liabilities or expenses
arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in any registration statement or prospectus in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund by you
specifically for use in the preparation thereof. The Fund's agreement to
indemnify you, your officers and directors, and any such controlling person, as
aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon the Fund's being notified of any action
brought against you, your officers or directors, or any such controlling person,
such notification to be given by letter or by telegram addressed to the Fund at
its address set forth above within ten days after the summons or other first
legal process shall have been served. The failure so to notify the Fund of any
such action shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which the Fund may
have to the person against whom such action is brought by reason of any such
untrue, or alleged untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise
than on account of the Fund's indemnity agreement contained in this
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paragraph 1.9. The Fund will be entitled to assume the defense of any suit
brought to enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but, in such case, such
defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing chosen by the Fund and
approved by you. In the event the Fund elects to assume the defense of any such
suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by you, the defendant or
defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional
counsel retained by any of them; but in case the Fund does not elect to assume
the defense of any such suit, or in case you do not approve of counsel chosen by
the Fund, the Fund will reimburse you, your officers and directors, or the
controlling person or persons named as defendant or defendants in such suit, for
the fees and expenses of any counsel retained by you or them. The Fund's
indemnification agreement contained in this paragraph 1.9 and the Fund's
representations and warranties in this agreement shall remain operative and in
full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of
you, your officers and directors, or any controlling person, and shall survive
the delivery of any Shares. This agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively
to your benefit, to the benefit of your several officers and directors, and
their respective estates, and to the benefit of any controlling persons and
their successors. The Fund agrees promptly to notify you of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against the Fund or any of its officers or Board
members in connection with the issue and sale of Shares.
1.10 You agree to indemnify, defend and hold the Fund, its
several officers and Board members, and any person who controls the Fund within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, free and
harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses
(including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or
liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the
Fund, its officers or Board members, or any such controlling person, may incur
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under common law, or otherwise,
but only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Fund, its
officers or Board members, or such controlling person resulting from such claims
or demands, shall arise out of or be based upon any untrue, or alleged untrue,
statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by
you to the Fund specifically for use in the Fund's registration statement and
used in the answers to any of the items of the registration statement or in the
corresponding statements made in the prospectus, or shall arise out of or be
based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in
connection with such information furnished in writing by you to the Fund and
required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such information not
misleading. Your agreement to indemnify the Fund, its officers and Board
members, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned
upon your being notified of any action brought against the Fund, its officers or
Board members, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by
letter or telegram addressed to you at your address set forth above within ten
days after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served. You
shall have the right to control the defense of such action, with counsel of your
own choosing, satisfactory to the Fund, if such action is based solely upon such
alleged misstatement or omission on your part, and in any other event the Fund,
its officers or Board members, or such controlling person shall each have the
right to participate in the defense or preparation of the defense of any such
action. The failure so to notify you of any such action shall not relieve you
from any liability which you may have to the Fund, its officers or Board
members, or to such controlling person by reason of any such untrue, or alleged
untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on account of
your indemnity
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agreement contained in this paragraph 1.10. This agreement of indemnity will
inure exclusively to the Fund's benefit, to the benefit of the Fund's officers
and Board members, and their respective estates, and to the benefit of any
controlling persons and their successors. You agree promptly to notify the Fund
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against you or any of your
officers or directors in connection with the issue and sale of Shares.
1.11 No Shares shall be offered by either you or the Fund
under any of the provisions of this agreement and no orders for the purchase or
sale of such Shares hereunder shall be accepted by the Fund if and so long as
the effectiveness of the registration statement then in effect or any necessary
amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or if and so long as a current prospectus as
required by Section 10 of said Act, as amended, is not on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission; provided, however, that nothing contained in
this paragraph 1.11 shall in any way restrict or have an application to or
bearing upon the Fund's obligation to repurchase any Shares from any shareholder
in accordance with the provisions of the Fund's prospectus or charter documents.
1.12 The Fund agrees to advise you immediately in writing:
(a) of any request by the Securities and Exchange
Commission for amendments to the registration statement or
prospectus then in effect or for additional information;
(b) in the event of the issuance by the Securities and
Exchange Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the registration statement or prospectus
then in effect or the initiation of any proceeding for that
purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event which makes untrue
any statement of a material fact made in the registration
statement or prospectus then in effect or which requires the
making of a change in such registration statement or
prospectus in order to make the statements therein not
misleading; and
(d) of all actions of the Securities and Exchange
Commission with respect to any amendments to any
registration statement or prospectus which may from time to
time be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2. Offering Price
Shares of any class of the Fund offered for sale by you shall
be offered for sale at a price per share (the "offering price") approximately
equal to (a) their net asset value (determined in the manner set forth in the
Fund's charter documents) plus (b) a sales charge, if any and except to those
persons set forth in the then-current prospectus, which shall be the percentage
of the offering price of such Shares as set forth in the Fund's then-current
prospectus. The offering price, if not an exact multiple of one cent, shall be
adjusted to the nearest cent. In addition, Shares of any class of the Fund
offered for sale by you may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge as
set forth in the Fund's then-current prospectus.
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You shall be entitled to receive any sales charge or contingent deferred sales
charge in respect of the Shares. Any payments to dealers shall be governed by a
separate agreement between you and such dealer and the Fund's then-current
prospectus.
3. Term
Subject to the provisions of Paragraph 1.8 this agreement
shall continue until the date (the "Reapproval Date") set forth on Schedule 1
hereto (and, if the Fund has Series, a separate Reapproval Date shall be
specified on Schedule 1 hereto for each Series), and thereafter shall continue
automatically for successive annual periods ending on the day (the "Reapproval
Day") of each year set forth on Schedule 1 hereto, provided such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Fund's Board or (ii) vote of
a majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Shares of
the Fund or the relevant Series, as the case may be, provided that in either
event its continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board members who
are not "interested persons" (as defined in said Act) of any party to this
agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting
on such approval. This agreement is terminable without penalty, on 60 days'
notice, by vote of holders of a majority of the Fund's shares, and, as to each
Series, by the Fund's Board of Trustees or by you. This agreement also will
terminate automatically, as to the relevant Series, in the event of its
assignment (as defined in said Act).
4. Miscellaneous
This agreement has been executed on behalf of the 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 Board member, officer or
shareholder of the Fund individually.
Please confirm that the foregoing is in accordance with your
understanding and indicate your acceptance hereof by signing below, whereupon it
shall become a binding agreement between us.
Very truly yours,
THE BEAR XXXXXXX FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
--------------------
Accepted:
BEAR, XXXXXXX & CO. INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
---------------------
SCHEDULE 1
Name of Series Reapproval Date Reapproval Day
-------------- --------------- --------------
S&P Stars Portfolio February 22, 1997 February 22nd
Large Cap Value Portfolio February 22, 1997 February 22nd
Small Cap Value Portfolio February 22, 1997 February 22nd
Total Return Bond Portfolio February 22, 1997 February 22nd
The Insiders Select Portfolio February 22, 1997 February 22nd
Prime Money Market Portfolio September 7, 1999 September 7th
Focus List Portfolio September 7, 1999 September 7th
High Yield Total Return Portfolio September 7, 1999 September 7th
International Portfolio September 7, 1999 September 7th
Balanced Portfolio September 7, 1999 September 7th
THE BEAR XXXXXXX FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
----------------------
Vice President/Treasurer
Accepted:
BEAR, XXXXXXX & CO. INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
------------------------
Senior Managing Director
As revised: September 8, 1997
