SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT
This SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT is dated as of May 23, 2000 by and between
SUNAMERICA ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., a Delaware corporation (the "Adviser"), and
XXXXXXX CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company (the
"Subadviser").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Adviser and Seasons Series Trust, a Massachusetts business
trust (the "Trust"), have entered into an Investment Advisory and Management
Agreement dated as of January 1, 1999, as amended from time to time (the
"Advisory Agreement"), pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to provide
investment management, advisory and administrative services to the Trust; and
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "Act"), as an open-end management investment company and may
issue shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share, in separately
designated portfolios representing separate funds with their own investment
objectives, policies and purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Subadviser is engaged in the business of rendering investment
advisory services and is registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to retain the Subadviser to furnish
investment advisory services to the investment portfolio or portfolios of the
Trust listed on Schedule A attached hereto (the "Portfolio(s)"), and the
Subadviser is willing to furnish such services;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. DUTIES OF THE SUBADVISER. (a) The Adviser hereby engages the services of
the Subadviser in furtherance of its Investment Advisory and Management
Agreement with the Trust. Pursuant to this Subadvisory Agreement and subject to
the oversight and review of the Adviser, the Subadviser will manage the
investment and reinvestment of a portion of the assets of each Portfolio listed
on Schedule A attached hereto. The Subadviser will determine, in its discretion
and subject to the oversight and review of the Adviser, the securities to be
purchased or sold, will provide the Adviser with records concerning its
activities which the Adviser or the Trust is required to maintain, and will
render regular reports to the Adviser and to officers and Trustees of the Trust
concerning its discharge of the foregoing responsibilities. The Subadviser shall
discharge the foregoing responsibilities subject to the control of the officers
and the Trustees of the Trust and in compliance with such policies as the
Trustees of the Trust may from time to time establish, and in compliance with
(a) the objectives, policies, and limitations for the Portfolio(s) set forth in
the Trust's current prospectus and statement of additional information, and (b)
applicable laws and regulations.
The Subadviser represents and warrants to the Adviser that the portion
of assets allocated to it of each of the Portfolios set forth in Schedule A will
at all times be operated and managed in compliance with (a) all applicable
federal and state laws, including securities, commodities and banking laws,
governing its operations and investments; (b) the diversification requirements
specified in the Internal Revenue Service's regulations under Section 817(h) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") so as not to
jeopardize the treatment of the Seasons variable annuity contracts issued by
Variable Annuity Account Five (File No. 33-08859; hereinafter "Contracts") as
annuity contracts for purposes of the Code; and (c) the provisions of the Act
and rules adopted thereunder. The Adviser agrees that it, and not the
Subadviser, shall be solely responsible for insuring that each Portfolio set
forth in Schedule A managed by the Subadviser (i) qualifies as a "regulated
investment company" under Subchapter M, chapter I of the Code; and (ii) complies
with any limits in its current prospectus or statement of additional information
concerning concentration of investments or the amount of assets that may be
invested by the Portfolio in any one or more securities. Should the Adviser
determine that the Portfolio is not in compliance with Subchapter M, chapter I
of the Code, the Subadviser agrees to follow instructions of the Adviser to
remedy such non-compliance. Subadviser also agrees to furnish information to the
Adviser, as requested, for purposes of compliance with the distribution
requirements necessary to avoid payment of any excise tax pursuant to Section
4982 of the Code. The Subadviser further represents and warrants that to the
extent that any statements or omissions made in any Registration Statement for
the Contracts or shares of the Trust, or any amendment or supplement thereto,
are made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished by the
Subadviser expressly for use therein, such Registration Statement and any
amendments or supplements thereto will, when they become effective, conform in
all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the "1933 Act") and the Act
and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading.
The Subadviser accepts such employment and agrees, at its own expense,
to render the services set forth herein and to provide the office space,
furnishings, equipment and personnel required by it to perform such services on
the terms and for the compensation provided in this Agreement.
(b) The Subadviser agrees: (i) to maintain a level of errors and
omissions or professional liability insurance coverage that, at all times during
the course of this Agreement, is appropriate given the nature of its business,
and (ii) from time to time and upon reasonable request, to supply evidence of
such coverage to the Adviser.
2. PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS. The Subadviser is responsible for decisions to
buy or sell securities and other investments for a portion of the assets of each
Portfolio, broker-dealers and futures commission merchants' selection, and
negotiation of brokerage commission and futures commission merchants' rates. As
a general matter, in executing portfolio transactions, the Subadviser may employ
or deal with such broker-dealers or futures commission merchants as may, in the
Subadviser's best judgement, provide prompt and reliable execution of the
transactions at favorable prices and reasonable commission rates. In selecting
such broker-dealers or futures commission merchants, the Subadviser shall
consider all relevant factors including price (including
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the applicable brokerage commission, dealer spread or futures commission
merchant rate), the size of the order, the nature of the market for the security
or other investment, the timing of the transaction, the reputation, experience
and financial stability of the broker-dealer or futures commission merchant
involved, the quality of the service, the difficulty of execution, the execution
capabilities and operational facilities of the firm involved, and, in the case
of securities, the firm's risk in positioning a block of securities. Subject to
such policies as the Trustees may determine and consistent with Section 28(e) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the"1934 Act"), the Subadviser
shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty
created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of the Subadviser's
having caused a Portfolio to pay a member of an exchange, broker or dealer an
amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess of the
amount of commission another member of an exchange, broker or dealer would have
charged for effecting that transaction, if the Subadviser determines in good
faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of
the brokerage and research services provided by such member of an exchange,
broker or dealer viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the
Subadviser's overall responsibilities with respect to such Portfolio and to
other clients as to which the Subadviser exercises investment discretion. In
accordance with Section 11(a) of the 1934 Act and Rule 11a2-2(T) thereunder, and
subject to any other applicable laws and regulations including Section 17(e) of
the Act and Rule 17e-1 thereunder, the Subadviser may engage its affiliates, the
Adviser and its affiliates or any other subadviser to the Trust and its
respective affiliates, as broker-dealers or futures commission merchants to
effect portfolio transactions in securities and other investments for a
Portfolio. The Subadviser will promptly communicate to the Adviser and to the
officers and the Trustees of the Trust such information relating to portfolio
transactions as they may reasonably request. To the extent consistent with
applicable law, the Subadviser may aggregate purchase or sell orders for the
Portfolio with contemporaneous purchase or sell orders of other clients of the
Subadviser or its affiliated persons. In such event, allocation of the
securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the
transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser
determines to be equitable and consistent with its and its affiliates' fiduciary
obligations to the Portfolio and to such other clients. The Adviser hereby
acknowledges that such aggregation of orders may not result in more favorable
pricing or lower brokerage commissions in all instances.
3. COMPENSATION OF THE SUBADVISER. The Subadviser shall not be entitled to
receive any payment from the Trust and shall look solely and exclusively to the
Adviser for payment of all fees for the services rendered, facilities furnished
and expenses paid by it hereunder. As full compensation for the Subadviser under
this Agreement, the Adviser agrees to pay to the Subadviser a fee at the annual
rates set forth in Schedule A hereto with respect to the portion of the assets
managed by the Subadviser for each Portfolio listed thereon. Such fee shall be
accrued daily and paid monthly as soon as practicable after the end of each
month (i.e., the applicable annual fee rate divided by 365 applied to each prior
days' net assets in order to calculate the daily accrual). For purposes of
calculating the Subadviser's fee, the average daily net asset value of a
Portfolio shall mean the average daily net assets for which the Subadviser
actually provides advisory services, and shall be determined by taking an
average of all determinations of such net asset value during the month. If the
Subadviser shall provide its services under this Agreement for less than the
whole of any month, the foregoing compensation shall be prorated.
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4. OTHER SERVICES. At the request of the Trust or the Adviser, the
Subadviser in its discretion may make available to the Trust, office facilities,
equipment, personnel and other services in order to facilitate meetings or other
similar functions. Such office facilities, equipment, personnel and services
shall be provided for or rendered by the Subadviser and billed to the Trust or
the Adviser at the Subadviser's cost.
5. REPORTS. The Trust, the Adviser and the Subadviser agree to furnish to
each other, if applicable, current prospectuses, statements of additional
information, proxy statements, reports of shareholders, certified copies of
their financial statements, and such other information with regard to their
affairs and that of the Trust as each may reasonably request.
6. STATUS OF THE SUBADVISER. The services of the Subadviser to the Adviser
and the Trust are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free
to render similar services to others so long as its services to the Trust are
not impaired thereby. The Subadviser shall be deemed to be an independent
contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no
authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an
agent of the Trust.
7. CERTAIN RECORDS. The Subadviser hereby undertakes and agrees to
maintain, in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the Act,
all records relating to the investments of the Portfolio(s) that are required to
be maintained by the Trust pursuant to the requirements of Rule 31a-1 of that
Act. Any records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to the
provisions of Rule 31a-1 and Rule 31a-2 promulgated under the Act which are
prepared or maintained by the Subadviser on behalf of the Trust are the property
of the Trust and will be surrendered promptly to the Trust or the Adviser on
request.
The Subadviser agrees that all accounts, books and other records
maintained and preserved by it as required hereby shall be subject at any time,
and from time to time, to such reasonable periodic, special and other
examinations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Trust's auditors,
the Trust or any representative of the Trust, the Adviser, or any governmental
agency or other instrumentality having regulatory authority over the Trust.
8. REFERENCE TO THE SUBADVISER. Neither the Trust nor the Adviser or any
affiliate or agent thereof shall make reference to or use the name of the
Subadviser or any of its affiliates in any advertising or promotional materials
without the prior approval of the Subadviser, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld.
9. LIABILITY OF THE SUBADVISER. (a) In the absence of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties
("disabling conduct") hereunder on the part of the Subadviser (and its officers,
directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any
other person or entity affiliated with the Subadviser) the Subadviser shall not
be subject to liability to the Adviser (and its officers, directors/trustees,
agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any other person or
entity affiliated with the Adviser) or to the Trust (and its officers,
directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any
other person or entity affiliated with the Trust) for any act or omission in the
course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder, including without
limitation, any error of judgment
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or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by any of them in connection with the
matters to which this Agreement relates, except to the extent specified in
Section 36(b) of the Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary
duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services. Except for such
disabling conduct, the Adviser shall indemnify the Subadviser (and its officers,
directors/trustees, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons,
shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Subadviser) from
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including
reasonable legal and other expenses) arising from Subadviser's rendering of
services under this Agreement.
(b) The Subadviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Adviser
(and its officers, directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons,
shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser) against
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including
reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Adviser or its affiliates or
such directors/trustees, officers or controlling person may become subject under
the 1933 Act, under other statutes, at common law or otherwise, which may be
based upon (i) any disabling conduct or breach of this Agreement by the
Subadviser, or (ii) any material failure by the Subadviser to comply with the
representations and warranties set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement;
provided, however, that in no case is the Subadviser's indemnity in favor of any
person deemed to protect such other persons against any liability to which such
person would otherwise be subject by reasons of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
or gross negligence in the performance of his, her or its duties or by reason of
his, her or its reckless disregard of obligation and duties under this
Agreement.
(c) The Subadviser shall not be liable to the Adviser for (i) any acts
of the Adviser or any other subadviser to the Portfolio with respect to the
portion of the assets of a Portfolio not managed by Subadviser and (ii) acts of
the Subadviser which result from or are based upon acts of the Adviser,
including, but not limited to: (A), a failure of the Adviser to provide accurate
and current information with respect to any records maintained by Adviser or any
other subadviser to a Portfolio, which records are not also maintained by or
otherwise available to the Subadviser upon reasonable request; and (B) acts of
the Subadviser that were made in reasonable reliance upon information provided
to it by the Adviser. The Adviser agrees that Subadviser shall manage the
portion of the assets of a Portfolio allocated to it as if it was a separate
operating portfolio and shall comply with subsections (a) and (b) of Section 1
of this Subadvisory Agreement (including, but not limited to, the investment
objectives, policies and restrictions applicable to a Portfolio and
qualifications of a Portfolio as a regulated investment company under the Code)
only with respect to the portion of assets of a Portfolio allocated to
Subadviser. The Adviser shall indemnify the Subadviser (and its officers,
directors/trustees, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons,
shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Subadviser) from
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including
reasonable legal and other expenses) arising from the conduct of the Adviser,
the Trust and any other subadviser with respect to the portion of a Portfolio's
assets not allocated to Subadviser.
10. PERMISSIBLE INTERESTS. Trustees and agents of the Trust are or may be
interested in the Subadviser (or any successor thereof) as directors/trustees,
partners, officers, or shareholders, or otherwise; directors/trustees, partners,
officers, agents, and shareholders of the Subadviser are or may be interested in
the Trust as trustees, or otherwise; and the Subadviser (or any successor) is or
may be interested in the Trust in some manner.
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11. TERM OF THE AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall continue in full force and
effect with respect to each Portfolio until two years from the date hereof, and
from year to year thereafter so long as such continuance is specifically
approved at least annually (i) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees of
the Trust 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, and (ii) by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio voting separately from any other
series of the Trust.
With respect to each Portfolio, this Agreement may be terminated at any
time, without payment of a penalty by the Portfolio or the Trust, by vote of a
majority of the Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities (as defined in the Act) of the Portfolio, voting separately from any
other series of the Trust, or by the Adviser, on not less than 30 nor more than
60 days' written notice to the Subadviser. With respect to each Portfolio, this
Agreement may be terminated by the Subadviser at any time, without the payment
of any penalty, on 90 days' written notice to the Adviser and the Trust;
provided, however, that this Agreement may not be terminated by the Subadviser
unless another subadvisory agreement has been approved by the Trust in
accordance with the Act, or after six months' written notice, whichever is
earlier. The termination of this Agreement with respect to any Portfolio or the
addition of any Portfolio to Schedule A hereto (in the manner required by the
Act) shall not affect the continued effectiveness of this Agreement with respect
to each other Portfolio subject hereto. This Agreement shall automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined by the Act).
This Agreement will also terminate in the event that the Advisory
Agreement by and between the Trust and the Adviser is terminated.
12. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made
invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this
Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
13. AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent in writing,
but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the
requirements of the Act.
14. GOVERNING LAW. 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 laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions
herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the Act, the latter shall
control.
15. PERSONAL LIABILITY. The Declaration of the Trust establishing the Trust
(the "Declaration"), is on file in the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and, in accordance with that Declaration, no
Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be held to
any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property for
satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise in connection with the
affairs of the Trust, but the "Trust Property" only shall be liable.
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16. SEPARATE SERIES. Pursuant to the provisions of the Declaration, each
Portfolio is a separate series of the Trust, and all debts, liabilities,
obligations and expenses of a particular Portfolio shall be enforceable only
against the assets of that Portfolio and not against the assets of any other
Portfolio or of the Trust as a whole.
17. NOTICES. All notices shall be in writing and deemed properly given when
delivered or mailed by United States certified or registered mail, return
receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
Subadviser: Xxxxxxx Capital Management, LLC
0000 00xx Xxxxxx - Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Adviser: SunAmerica Asset Management Corp.
The SunAmerica Center
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Senior Vice President and
General Counsel
with a copy to: SunAmerica Inc.
0 XxxXxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Secretary
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their respective duly
authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above
written.
SUNAMERICA ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
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Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: President
XXXXXXX CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
By: /s/ Authorized Individual
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Name:
Title:
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