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DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
December 31, 1996
Counsellors Securities Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This is to confirm that, in consideration of the agreements
hereinafter contained, the undersigned, Warburg, Xxxxxx Health Sciences Fund,
Inc. (the "Fund"), an open-end, diversified, management investment company
organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland, has agreed
that Counsellors Securities Inc. ("Counsellors Securities") shall be, for the
period of this Agreement, the distributor of shares of common stock of the Fund,
par value $.001 per share. The common stock not designated Advisor Shares shall
be referred to as the "Common Shares"."
1. Services as Distributor
-----------------------
1.1 Counsellors Securities will act as agent for the distribution of
the Common Shares and Advisor Shares covered by the Fund's registration
statement on Form N-1A, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act"), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") (the
registration statement, together with the prospectuses (the "prospectus") and
statement of additional information (the "statement of additional information")
included as part of the registration statement, any amendments to the
registration statement, and any supplements to, or material incorporated by
reference into the prospectus or statement of additional information, being
referred to collectively in this Agreement as the "registration statement").
1.2 Counsellors Securities agrees to use appropriate efforts to
solicit orders for the sale of the Common Shares and Advisor Shares at such
prices and on the terms and conditions set forth in the registration statement
and will undertake such advertising and promotion as it believes is reasonable
in connection with such solicitation.
1.3 All activities by Counsellors Securities as distributor of the
Common Shares and Advisor Shares shall comply with all applicable laws, rules
and regulations, including, without limitation, all rules and regulations made
or adopted by
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the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") or by any securities
association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
1.4 Counsellors Securities agrees to (a) provide one or more persons
during normal business hours to respond to telephone questions concerning the
Fund and its performance, (b) provide prospectuses of other funds advised by
Warburg, Xxxxxx Counsellors, Inc. to shareholders considering exercising the
exchange privilege and (c) perform such other services as are described in the
registration statement and in the Shareholder Servicing and Distribution Plan
(with respect to Common Shares, the "12b-1 Plan") and in the Distribution Plan
(with respect to Advisor Shares, the "Distribution Plan"), each adopted by the
Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act ("Rule 12b-1") to be performed by
Counsellors Securities, without limitation, distributing and receiving
subscription order forms and receiving written redemption requests.
1.5 Pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan, the Fund will pay Counsellors
Securities on the first business day of each quarter a fee for the previous
quarter calculated at an annual rate of .25% of the average daily net assets of
the Common Shares of the Fund as compensation for the services provided by
Counsellors Securities to the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
Counsellors Securities serves without compensation as distributor for the
Advisor Shares pursuant to this Agreement. Amounts paid to Counsellors
Securities under the 12b-1 Plan may be used by Counsellors Securities to cover
expenses that are primarily intended to result in, or that are primarily
attributable to, (a) the sale of the Common Shares, as set forth in the 12b-1
Plan ("Selling Services"), (b) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the
accounts of holders of Common Shares, as set forth in the 12b-1 Plan
("Shareholder Services"), and/or (c) sub-transfer agency services, subaccounting
services or administrative services with respect to the Common Shares, as set
forth in the 12b-1 Plan ("Administrative Services" and collectively with Selling
Services and Administrative Services, "Services") including, without limitation,
(i) payments reflecting an allocation of overhead and other office expenses of
Counsellors Securities related to providing Services; (ii) payments made to, and
reimbursement of expenses of, persons who provide support services in connection
with the distribution of the Common Shares including, but not limited to, office
space and equipment, telephone facilities, answering routine inquiries regarding
the Fund, and providing any other Shareholder Services; (iii) payments made to
compensate selected dealers or other authorized persons for providing any
Services; (iv) costs relating to the formulation and implementation of marketing
and promotional activities for the Common Shares, including, but not limited to,
direct mail promotions and television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass
media advertising, and related travel and entertainment expenses; (v) costs of
printing and distributing prospectuses, statements of additional information and
reports of
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the Fund to prospective holders of Common Shares; and (vi) costs involved in
obtaining whatever information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing
and promotional activities for the Common Shares that the Fund may, from time to
time, deem advisable.
1.6 Counsellors Securities acknowledges that, whenever in the judgment
of the Fund's officers such action is warranted for any reason, including,
without limitation, market, economic or political conditions, those officers may
decline to accept any orders for, or make any sales of, the Common Shares or
Advisor Shares until such time as those officers deem it advisable to accept
such orders and to make such sales.
1.7 Counsellors Securities will act only on its own behalf as
principal should it choose to enter into selling agreements with selected
dealers or others.
1.8 Counsellors Securities will transmit any orders received by it for
purchase or redemption of the Common Shares and Advisor Shares to State Street
Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"), the Fund's transfer and dividend
disbursing agent, or its successor of which Counsellors Securities is notified
in writing. The Fund will promptly advise Counsellors Securities of the
determination to cease accepting orders or selling Common Shares or Advisor
Shares or to recommence accepting orders or selling Common Shares or Advisor
Shares. The Fund (or its agent) will confirm orders for Common Shares and
Advisor Shares placed through Counsellors Securities upon their receipt, or in
accordance with any exemptive order of the SEC, and will make appropriate book
entries pursuant to the instructions of Counsellors Securities. Counsellors
Securities agrees to cause payment for Common Shares and Advisor Shares and
instructions as to book entries to be delivered promptly to the Fund (or its
agent).
1.9 The outstanding Common Shares and Advisor Shares are subject to
redemption as set forth in the prospectus. The price to be paid to redeem the
Common Shares and Advisor Shares will be determined as set forth in the
prospectus.
1.10 Counsellors Securities will prepare and deliver reports to the
Treasurer of the Fund on a regular, at least quarterly, basis, showing the
distribution expenses incurred pursuant to this Agreement, the 12b-1 Plan and
the Distribution Plan adopted by the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 and the
purposes therefor, as well as any supplemental reports as the Directors from
time to time may reasonably request.
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2. Duties of the Fund
------------------
2.1 The Fund agrees at its own expense to execute any and all
documents, to furnish any and all information and to take any other actions that
may be reasonably necessary in connection with the sale of Common Shares and
Advisor Shares in those states that Counsellors Securities may designate.
2.2 The Fund shall furnish from time to time, for use in connection
with the sale of the Common Shares and Advisor Shares, such informational
reports with respect to the Fund and the Common Shares and Advisor Shares as
Counsellors Securities may 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 reports, when so signed by one or more of
the Fund's officers, shall be true and correct. The Fund shall also furnish
Counsellors Securities upon request with: (a) annual audits of the Fund's books
and accounts made by independent public accountants regularly retained by the
Fund, (b) semiannual unaudited financial statements pertaining to the Fund, (c)
quarterly earnings statements prepared by the Fund, (d) a monthly itemized list
of the securities held by the Fund, (e) monthly balance sheets as soon as
practicable after the end of each month and (f) from time to time such
additional information regarding the Fund's financial condition as Counsellors
Securities may reasonably request.
3. Representations and Warranties
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The Fund represents to Counsellors Securities that all registration
statements, prospectuses and statements of additional information filed by the
Fund with the SEC under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act with respect to the Common
Shares and/or Advisor Shares have been carefully prepared in conformity with the
requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations of the
SEC thereunder. As used in this Agreement the terms "registration statement",
"prospectus" and "statement of additional information" shall mean any
registration statement, prospectus and statement of additional information filed
by the Fund with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares with the SEC
and any amendments and supplements thereto which at any time shall have been
filed with the SEC. The Fund represents and warrants to Counsellors Securities
that any registration statement with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor
Shares, or prospectus and statement of additional information contained therein,
when such registration statement becomes effective, will include all statements
required to be contained therein in conformity with the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act
and the rules and regulations of the SEC; that all statements of fact contained
in any registration statement with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor
Shares, prospectus or statement of additional information will be true and
correct when such registration statement becomes effective; and that neither any
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registration statement nor any prospectus or statement of additional information
with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares 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 to a purchaser of the Common Shares
and/or Advisor Shares. Counsellors Securities 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 or statement of
additional information as, in the light of future developments, may, in the
opinion of Counsellors Securities' counsel, be necessary or advisable. If the
Fund shall not propose such amendment or amendments and/or supplement or
supplements within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Fund of a written
request from Counsellors Securities to do so, Counsellors Securities may, at its
option, terminate this Agreement. The Fund shall not file any amendment to any
registration statement or supplement to any prospectus or statement of
additional information without giving Counsellors Securities 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 or statement of
additional information with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares,
of whatever character, as the Fund may deem advisable, such right being in all
respects absolute and unconditional.
4. Indemnification
---------------
4.1 The Fund agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Counsellors
Securities, its several officers and directors, and any person who controls
Counsellors Securities within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, 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
Counsellors Securities, its officers and directors, or any such controlling
person, may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act or 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, any prospectus or any
statement of additional information with respect to the Common Shares and/or
Advisor Shares, or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact required to be stated in any registration statement,
any prospectus or any statement of additional information with respect to the
Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares, or necessary to make the statements in any
of them not misleading; provided, however, that the Fund's agreement to
indemnify Counsellors Securities, its officers or directors, and any such
controlling person shall not be deemed to cover any claims, demands, liabilities
or expenses arising out of or based upon any statements or representations made
by Counsellors
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Securities or its representatives or agents other than such statements and
representations as are contained in any registration statement, prospectus or
statement of additional information with respect to the Common Shares and/or
Advisor Shares and in such financial and other statements as are furnished to
Counsellors Securities pursuant to paragraph 2.2 hereof; and further provided
that the Fund's agreement to indemnify Counsellors Securities and the Fund's
representations and warranties hereinbefore set forth in paragraph 3 shall not
be deemed to cover any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which
Counsellors Securities would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or
by reason of Counsellors Securities' reckless disregard of its obligations and
duties under this Agreement. The Fund's agreement to indemnify Counsellors
Securities, its officers and directors, and any such controlling person, as
aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon the Fund's being notified of any action
brought against Counsellors Securities, its officers or directors, or any such
controlling person, such notification to be given by letter or by telegram
addressed to the Fund at its principal office in New York, New York and sent to
the Fund by the person against whom such action is brought, within ten (10) days
after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served. The
failure to so notify the Fund of any such action shall not relieve the Fund from
any liability that 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 paragraph 4.1. The Fund's indemnification agreement contained
in this paragraph 4.1 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 Counsellors Securities, its officers and
directors, or any controlling person, and shall survive the delivery of any of
the Fund's shares. This agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to
Counsellors Securities' benefit, to the benefit of its several officers and
directors, and their respective estates, and to the benefit of the controlling
persons and their successors. The Fund agrees to notify Counsellors Securities
promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Fund
or any of its officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of
any of the Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares.
4.2 Counsellors Securities agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the
Fund, its several officers and directors, and any person who controls the Fund
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, free and harmless from and
against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the
costs of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) that the Fund, its officers or
directors or any such controlling person may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1940
Act or common law or
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otherwise, but only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the
Fund, its officers or directors or such controlling person resulting from such
claims or demands shall arise out of or be based upon (a) any unauthorized sales
literature, advertisements, information, statements or representations or (b)
any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
information furnished in writing by Counsellors Securities to the Fund
specifically for use in the 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 statement of additional information, 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
Counsellors Securities to the Fund and required to be stated in such answers or
necessary to make such information not misleading. Counsellors Securities'
agreement to indemnify the Fund, its officers and directors, and any such
controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon Counsellors
Securities' being notified of any action brought against the Fund, its officers
or directors, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by
letter or telegram addressed to Counsellors Securities at its principal office
in New York, New York and sent to Counsellors Securities by the person against
whom such action is brought, within ten (10) days after the summons or other
first legal process shall have been served. The failure to so notify Counsellors
Securities of any such action shall not relieve Counsellors Securities from any
liability that Counsellors Securities may have to the Fund, its officers or
directors, 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
Counsellors Securities' indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph 4.2.
Counsellors Securities agrees to notify the Fund promptly of the commencement of
any litigation or proceedings against Counsellors Securities or any of its
officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of any of the
Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares.
4.3 In case any action shall be brought against any
indemnified party under paragraph 4.1 or 4.2, and it shall timely notify the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be
entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish to do so, to
assume the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party.
If the indemnifying party opts to assume the defense of such action, the
indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with
the defense thereof other than (a) reasonable costs of investigation or the
furnishing of documents or witnesses and (b) all reasonable fees and expenses of
separate counsel to such indemnified party if (i) the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party shall have agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the
indemnified party shall have concluded reasonably that representation of the
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indemnifying party and the indemnified party by the same counsel would be
inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them in the
conduct of the defense of such action.
5. Effectiveness of Registration
-----------------------------
None of the Common Shares or Advisor Shares shall be offered by either
Counsellors Securities or the Fund under any of the provisions of this Agreement
and no orders for the purchase or sale of the Common Shares or Advisor Shares
shall be accepted by the Fund if and so long as the effectiveness of the
registration statement shall be suspended under any of the provisions of the
1933 Act or if and so long as the prospectus is not on file with the SEC;
provided, however, that nothing contained in this paragraph 5 shall in any way
restrict or have an application to or bearing upon the Fund's obligation to
repurchase its shares from any shareholder in accordance with the provisions of
the prospectus or statement of additional information.
6. Notice to Counsellors Securities
--------------------------------
The Fund agrees to advise Counsellors Securities immediately in
writing:
(a) of any request by the SEC for amendments to
the registration statement, prospectus or statement of additional
information then in effect with respect to the Common Shares
and/or Advisor Shares or for additional information;
(b) in the event of the issuance by the SEC of any
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the registration
statement, prospectus or statement of additional information then
in effect with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares
or the initiation of any proceeding for that purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event that makes
untrue any statement of a material fact made in the registration
statement, prospectus or statement of additional information then
in effect with respect to the Common Shares and/or Advisor Shares
or that requires the making of a change in such registration
statement, prospectus or statement of additional information in
order to make the statements therein not misleading; and
(d) of all actions of the SEC with respect to any
amendment to any registration statement, prospectus or statement
of additional information with respect to the Common Shares or
Advisor Shares which may from time to time be filed with the SEC.
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7. Term of Agreement
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This Agreement shall continue until April 17, 1998 with respect to
each of the Common Shares and Advisor Shares, and thereafter shall continue
automatically for successive annual periods ending on April 17th of each year,
provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) a
vote of a majority of the Fund's Board of Directors or (b) a vote of a majority
(as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of each of the outstanding Common Shares and
Advisor Shares, respectively, provided that the continuance is also approved by
a vote of a majority of the Fund's Directors who are not interested persons (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect
financial interest in the operation of the 12b-1 Plan or the Distribution Plan,
in this Agreement or in any agreement related to the 12b-1 Plan or Distribution
Plan ("Qualified Directors"), by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval. This Agreement is terminable with respect to
the Common Shares or the Advisor Shares without penalty (a) on sixty (60) days'
written notice, by a vote of a majority of the Fund's Qualified Directors or by
vote of a majority (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the outstanding Common Shares
or Advisor Shares, as applicable, or (b) on ninety (90) days' written notice by
Counsellors Securities. This Agreement will also terminate automatically in the
event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
8. Amendments
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This Agreement may not be amended to increase materially the amount of
the fee with respect to the Common Shares described in Section 1.5 above without
approval of at least a majority (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the outstanding
Common Shares. In addition, all material amendments to this Agreement must be
approved by vote of the Fund's Board of Directors, and by a vote of a majority
of the Qualified Directors, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose
of voting on the approval.
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Please confirm that the foregoing is in accordance with your
understanding by indicating your acceptance hereof at the place below indicated,
whereupon it shall become a binding agreement between us.
Very truly yours,
WARBURG, XXXXXX HEALTH
SCIENCES FUND, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Vice President and
Secretary
Accepted:
COUNSELLORS SECURITIES INC.
By:/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:Vice President
