SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT
Agreement made as of the 8th day of April, 2010 by and between RiverSource Investments, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company (“Investment Manager”), and Pyramis Global Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Subadviser”) an indirectly held, wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC (Fidelity Investments).
WHEREAS, the Fund listed in Schedule A is a series of an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
WHEREAS, Investment Manager entered into an Investment Management Services Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with the Fund pursuant to which Investment Manager provides investment advisory services to the Fund.
WHEREAS, Investment Manager and the Fund each desire to retain Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Fund, and Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services.
WHEREAS, the services provided on behalf of Subadviser pursuant to this Agreement to be effective on May 10, 2010.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:
| 1. | Subadviser’s Duties. |
| (a) | Portfolio Management. Subject to supervision by Investment Manager and the Fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees (the “Board”), Subadviser shall manage the investment operations and the composition of that portion of assets of the Fund which is allocated to Subadviser from time to time by Investment Manager (which portion may include any or all of the Fund’s assets), including the purchase, retention, and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies, and restrictions, and subject to the following understandings: |
| (i) | Investment Decisions. Subadviser shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, or sold with respect to that portion of the Fund allocated to it by Investment Manager, and what portion of such assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash. Subadviser is prohibited from consulting with any other subadviser of the Fund concerning transactions of the Fund in securities or other assets, other than for purposes of complying with the conditions of Rule 12d3-1(a) or (b) of the 1940 Act. Subadviser will not be responsible for voting proxies issued by companies held in the Fund although Investment Manager may consult with Subadviser from time to time regarding the voting of proxies of securities owned by the Fund. Subadviser will not be responsible for filing claims in class action settlements related to securities currently or previously held by that portion of the Fund allocated to it by Investment Manager. |
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| (ii) | Investment Limits. In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, Subadviser shall comply in all material respects with applicable limits and requirements, as amended from time to time, as set forth in the (a) Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”); (b) written instructions and directions of Investment Manager and of the Board, provided the Subadviser has had a reasonable amount of time to implement such instructions and directions; and (c) requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), as applicable to the Fund, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Investment Manager agrees to give Subadviser prompt written notice if Investment Manager believes any recommendations, advice or investments to be in violation of (a), (b) or (c) above. |
The Investment Manager will provide the Subadviser with advance notice of any change in the Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, policies, limitations and restrictions as stated in the Fund’s Prospectus or SAI or in any procedures and policies adopted by the Board and/or the Investment Manager, and the Subadviser shall, in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement and with respect to the portion of Fund’s assets allocated to the Subadviser, manage the Fund’s portfolio investments in compliance with such changes, provided the Subadviser has received prompt notice of the effectiveness of such changes from the Fund or the Investment Manager and has had a reasonable amount of time to implement such changes. In addition to such notice, the Investment Manager shall provide the Subadviser a copy of the modified Prospectus and SAI reflecting such changes provided that such Prospectus or SAI was so modified.
| (iii) | Portfolio Transactions. |
| (A) | Trading. With respect to the securities and other investments to be purchased or sold for the Fund, Subadviser shall place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers, or futures commission merchants (including, but not limited to, broker-dealers that are affiliated with Investment Manager or Subadviser) selected by Subadviser; provided, however, that such orders shall be consistent with Subadviser’s brokerage policy; conform with federal securities laws; and be consistent with seeking the best overall terms available. The Subadviser may consider all factors it deems relevant, including the research, investment information, and other services provided by, and the financial responsibility of, brokers, dealers, or futures commission merchants who may effect, or be a party to, any such |
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| transaction or other transactions to which Subadviser’s other clients may be a party in accordance with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent permitted by law, and consistent with its obligation to seek best execution, Subadviser may execute transactions or pay a broker-dealer a commission or markup in excess of that which another broker-dealer might have charged for executing a transaction provided that Subadviser determines, in good faith, that the execution is appropriate or the commission or markup is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or Subadviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and other clients for which it acts as subadviser. |
| (B) | Aggregation of Trades. Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased for the Fund as well as other clients of Subadviser in order to seek best execution. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by Subadviser in the manner Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients. |
| (C) | Subadviser will not arrange purchases or sales of securities between the Fund and other accounts advised by Subadviser or its affiliates unless (a) such purchases or sales are in accordance with applicable law (including Rule 17a-7 of the 0000 Xxx) and the Fund’s policies and procedures as provided in writing to Subadviser along with any amendments, and (b) Subadviser determines the purchase or sale is in the best interests of the Fund. |
| (iv) | Records and Reports. Subadviser (a) shall maintain such books and records for such time periods as are required of an SEC-registered investment adviser to an investment company registered under the 1940 Act, (b) shall render to the Board such periodic and special reports as the Board or Investment Manager may reasonably request in writing, and (c) shall meet with any persons at the reasonable request of Investment Manager or the Board for the purpose of reviewing Subadviser’s performance under this Agreement at reasonable times and upon reasonable advance notice. |
| (v) | Transaction Reports. Subadviser shall provide Investment Manager a daily trade file with information relating to all transactions concerning the Fund’s assets and shall provide Investment Manager with such information upon Investment Manager’s reasonable request. Subadviser shall affirm or send a trade file of these transactions as instruction to the Custodian of the Fund. |
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| (b) | Compliance Program and Ongoing Certification(s). As requested, Subadviser shall timely provide to Investment Manager (i) information and commentary for the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, in a format approved by Investment Manager, and shall (a) certify that such information and commentary does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the information and commentary not misleading, in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time, and (b) provide (i) additional certifications related to Subadviser’s management of the Fund in order to support the Fund’s filings on Form N-CSR and Form N-Q, and the Fund’s Principal Executive Officer’s and Principal Financial Officer’s certifications under Rule 30a-2 of the 1940 Act, thereon; in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time, (ii) a quarterly sub-certification with respect to compliance matters related to Subadviser and Subadviser’s management of the Fund, in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time; (iii) an annual certification from Subadviser’s Chief Compliance Officer, appointed under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), or his or her designee with respect to the design and operation of Subadviser’s compliance program, in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time; and (iv) from time to time Subadviser shall provide such certifications to assist Investment Manager in fulfilling Investment Manager’s obligations under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act, as are reasonably requested by the Fund or Investment Manager. In addition, Subadviser will, from time to time, provide a written assessment of its compliance program in conformity with current industry standards that is reasonably acceptable to Investment Manager to enable the Fund to fulfill its obligations under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act. |
| (c) | Maintenance of Records. Subadviser shall timely furnish to Investment Manager all information relating to Subadviser’s services hereunder which Subadviser is required by law or regulation to keep and which are needed by Investment Manager to maintain the books and records of the Fund required under the 1940 Act. Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Fund are the property of the Fund and Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon the Fund’s request; provided, however, that Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed under the 1940 Act any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1 (a) hereof. |
| (d) | Insurance and Code of Ethics. Subadviser will provide the Fund with reasonable evidence that, with respect to its activities on behalf of the Fund, Subadviser is maintaining (i) adequate errors and omissions insurance and (ii) an appropriate Code of Ethics and related reporting procedures. |
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| (e) | Confidentiality. The parties to this Agreement agree that each shall treat as confidential in accordance with its policies and procedures to protect similar confidential information, and with applicable law, all information provided by a party to the other regarding such party’s business and operations, including without limitation the investment activities, portfolio holdings, or identities of shareholders of the Fund (the “Portfolio Information”). All confidential information provided by a party hereto shall be used by the other party hereto solely for the purposes of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out the terms of this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party without the prior written consent of the other party. The foregoing shall not prevent the parties from disclosing Portfolio Information (1) that is publicly known or becomes publicly known through no unauthorized act; (2) that is rightfully received from a third party without obligation of confidentiality; (3) approved in writing by the non-disclosing party for disclosure, or (4) that is disclosed in the course of a routine regulatory examination; (5) that is required to be disclosed pursuant to a requirement of a governmental agency or law so long as disclosing party provides (to the extent permitted under applicable law) the non-disclosing party with prompt written notice of such requirement prior to any such disclosure; however, Subadviser is not required to provide such notice if information is provided on an aggregate basis without specific attribution to the Fund; (6) to affiliates of a party that have a reason to know such information; (7) to the custodian of the Fund; (8) to brokers and dealers that are counterparties for trades for the Fund; (9) to futures commission merchants executing or clearing transactions in connection with the Fund, if applicable; and (10) to third party service providers to a party subject to confidentiality agreements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Portfolio Information is similar to investments for other clients of Subadviser, Subadviser may disclose such investments without direct reference to the Fund. Investment Manager agrees that Subadviser may identify Investment Manager or the Fund by name in Subadviser’s current client list. Such list may be used with third parties. |
| (f) | The Investment Manager and the Fund acknowledge that the securities holdings of the Fund constitute information of value to the Subadviser, and agree (i) not to use for any purpose, other than for the Investment Manager or Fund, or their agents, to supervise or monitor the Subadviser, the holdings or trade-related information of the Fund; and (ii) not disclose the Fund’s holdings, except: (1) as required by applicable law or regulation; (2) as required by state or federal regulatory authorities; (3) to Board, counsel to the Board, counsel to the Fund, the administrator or any sub-administrator, the independent accountants and any other agent of the Fund; or (4) as otherwise agreed to by the parties in writing. Further, each party agrees that the information supplied by the other, including approved lists, internal procedures, compliance procedures and any board materials, is valuable to such other party, and the Fund and each party hereto agree not to |
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| disclose any of the information contained in such materials, except: (i) as required by applicable law or regulation; (ii) as required by state or federal regulatory authorities; (iii) to the Board, counsel to the Board, counsel to the Fund or the Investment Manager, the administrator or any sub-administrator, the independent accountants and any other agent of the Fund; or (iv) as otherwise agreed to by the parties in writing. |
| (g) | Cooperation. As reasonably requested by Investment Manager or the Board and in accordance with the scope of Subadviser’s obligations and responsibilities contained in this Agreement, Subadviser will cooperate with, and provide reasonable assistance to, Investment Manager or the Fund as needed in order for Investment Manager and the Fund to comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder. |
| 2. | Investment Manager’s Duties. Investment Manager shall continue to have responsibility for all other services to be provided to the Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and shall oversee and review Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. Investment Manager shall also retain direct portfolio management responsibility with respect to any assets of the Fund which are not allocated by it to the portfolio management of Subadviser as provided in paragraph 1(a) hereof or to any other subadviser. Investment Manager will promptly provide to Subadviser a list of the affiliates of Investment Manager or the Fund to which investment restrictions apply, and any changes thereto, and will specifically identify in writing (a) all publicly traded companies that issue securities in which the Fund may not invest, together with ticker symbols for all such companies, and (b) any affiliated brokers and any restrictions that apply to the use of those brokers by Subadviser. Neither Subadviser nor any of its directors, officers, partners, principals, employees or agents shall have responsibility whatsoever for, and shall incur no liability on account of (i) diversification, selection or establishment of such investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund, (ii) advice on, or management of, any assets for the Fund other than the assets for which Investment Manager has delegated investment discretion to Subadviser, (iii) filing of any tax or information returns or forms, withholding or paying any taxes, or seeking any exemption or refund, (iv) registration of the Fund with any government or agency, (v) administration of the plans and trusts investing in the Fund, or (vi) overall Fund compliance with requirements of the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Code, relating to percentage limitations applicable to the Fund’s assets that would require knowledge of the Fund’s holdings other than the assets subject to this Agreement. |
| 3. | Documents Provided to Subadviser. The Investment Manager will provide, or has provided, to the Subadviser, with a copy of the Prospectus and SAI as filed with the SEC, and of the policies and procedures adopted by the Board and/or the Investment Manager which the Subadviser is required to implement in managing the portion of the assets of the Fund allocated to the Subadviser or such other information or documents necessary for the management of the Subadviser’s allocated portion of Fund assets as the |
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| Subadviser shall reasonably request or as required by applicable law or regulation. Throughout the term of this Agreement, the Investment Manager shall continue to provide such information and documents to the Subadviser, including any amendments, updates or supplements to such information or documents before or at the time of the amendments, updates or supplements become effective. |
| 4. | Compensation of Subadviser. For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, Investment Manager will pay to Subadviser, effective from the date of this Agreement, a fee which shall be accrued daily and paid monthly, on or before the last business day of the next succeeding calendar month, at the annual rates as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets set forth in the attached Schedule A which Schedule can be modified from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties to reflect changes in annual rates, subject to appropriate approvals required by the 1940 Act, if any. If this Agreement becomes effective or terminates before the end of any month, the fee for the period from the effective date to the end of the month or from the beginning of such month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that such portion of the month bears to the full month in which such effectiveness or termination occurs. During the term of this Agreement, Subadviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement other than costs in connection with the purchase or sale of securities and other assets (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Fund. |
| 5. | Expenses. Subadviser shall bear all expenses incurred by it and its staff with respect to all activities in connection with the performance of Subadviser’s services under this Agreement, including but not limited to salaries, overhead, travel, preparation of Board materials, review of marketing materials relating to Subadviser or other information provided by Subadviser to Investment Manager and/or the Fund’s distributor, and marketing support. Subadviser agrees to pay to Investment Manager the commercially reasonable cost of generating a prospectus supplement, which includes preparation, filing, printing, and distribution (including mailing) of the supplement, if the Subadviser makes any changes that require immediate disclosure in the prospectus or any required regulatory documents that may be caused by changes to its structure or ownership, to investment personnel, to investment style or management, or otherwise (“Changes”), and at the time of notification to the Fund or Investment Manager by the Subadviser of such Changes, the Fund is not generating a supplement for other purposes or the Fund. In the event two or more subadvisers, if applicable, each require a supplement simultaneously, the expense (other than the costs of printing and mailing) of a combined supplement will be shared pro rata with such other subadviser(s) based upon the number of pages required by each such subadviser, and each such subadviser shall pay its pro rata share of printing and mailing costs and expenses based upon the number of supplements required to be printed and mailed. All other expenses not specifically assumed by Subadviser hereunder or by Investment Manager under the Advisory Agreement are borne by the applicable Fund. |
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In the event that there is a proposed change in control of Subadviser that would act to terminate this Agreement, if a vote of shareholders to approve continuation of this Agreement is at that time deemed by counsel to the Fund to be required by the 1940 Act or any rule or regulation thereunder, Subadviser agrees to assume all reasonable costs associated with soliciting shareholders of the appropriate Fund(s), to approve continuation of this Agreement. Such expenses include the reasonable costs of preparation, filing and mailing of a proxy statement, and of soliciting proxies.
In the event that such proposed change in control of Subadviser shall occur and the Fund is operating under an exemptive order issued by the SEC to Investment Manager with respect to the appointment of subadvisers absent shareholder approval, Subadviser agrees to assume all reasonable costs and expenses (including the costs of preparation, mailing and filing) associated with the preparation of an information statement, required by the exemptive order containing all information that would be included in a proxy statement.
| 6. | Representations of Subadviser. Subadviser represents and warrants as follows: |
| (a) | Subadviser (i) is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will continue to be so registered for so long as this Agreement remains in effect; (ii) is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement; (iii) has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Advisers Act; (iv) has adopted written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act from occurring, detect violations that have occurred, correct promptly any violations that have occurred, and will provide prompt notice of any material violations relating to the Fund to Investment Manager; (v) has met and will seek to continue to meet for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, any other applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any regulatory agency necessary to be met in order to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; (vi) has the authority to enter into and perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; and (vii) will promptly notify Investment Manager (1) of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify Subadviser from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act, (2) in the event the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or other governmental authority has: censured Subadviser; placed limitations upon the activities, functions or operations of Subadviser; or has commenced proceedings or an investigation that may result in any of these actions, (3) upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the Fund has ceased to qualify or might not qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and (4) of any material fact known to Subadviser respecting or relating to Subadviser that is not contained in the Fund’s Prospectus, and is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or of any statement relating to Subadviser or contained therein that becomes untrue in any material respect. |
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| (b) | Subadviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j -1 under the 1940 Act and will provide Investment Manager with a copy of the code of ethics. Within 60 days of the end of the last calendar quarter of each year that this Agreement is in effect, a duly authorized officer of Subadviser shall certify to Investment Manager that there has been no material violation of Subadviser’s code of ethics or, if such a violation has occurred, that appropriate action was taken in response to such violation. To the extent Subadviser has approved any material changes to its code of ethics, such revised code together with an explanation of such amendments shall be promptly (but in no event later than 60 days) provided to Investment Manager. |
| (c) | Subadviser has provided Investment Manager with a copy of its Form ADV Part II, which as of the date of this Agreement is its Form ADV Part II as most recently deemed to be filed with the SEC, and promptly will furnish a copy of all material amendments to Investment Manager (at least annually). |
| (d) | Subadviser will promptly notify Investment Manager of any changes in the controlling shareholder, in the key personnel who are either the portfolio manager(s) responsible for the Fund or the Chief Executive Officer of Subadviser, or if there is otherwise an actual change in control of Subadviser. |
| 7. | Representations of Investment Manager. Investment Manager represents and warrants as follows: |
| (a) | Investment Manager (i) is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will continue to be so registered for so long as this Agreement remains in effect; (ii) is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Advisers Act; (iv) has adopted written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act from occurring, detect violations that have occurred, correct promptly any violations that have occurred, and will provide prompt notice of any material violations relating to the Fund to Investment Manager (v) has met and will seek to continue to meet for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, any other applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any regulatory or industry self-regulatory agency necessary to be met in order to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; (vi) has the authority to enter into and perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; and (vii) will promptly notify Subadviser (1) of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify Investment Manager from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act or otherwise, (2) in the event the SEC or other governmental authority has: censured Investment Manager; placed limitations upon its activities, functions or operations; or has commenced proceedings or an investigation that may result in any of these actions or (3) upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the Fund has ceased to qualify or might not qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. |
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| (b) | Investment Manager agrees that neither it nor any of its affiliates will in any way refer directly or indirectly to its relationship with Subadviser, or any of its affiliates in offering, marketing, or other promotional materials without the prior written consent of Subadviser; provided that Investment Manager shall not be required to obtain Subadviser’s prior written consent to make factual statements regarding the fact that Subadviser serves as subadviser to the Fund on a representative client list, in responding to requests for information, in required disclosures or in responding to regulatory inquiries. |
| (c) | The Fund is and will continue to be the owner of all assets for which Investment Manager delegates investment discretion to Subadviser from time to time, and there are and will continue to be no restrictions on the pledge, hypothecation, transfer, sale or public distribution of such assets. |
| (d) | Investment Manager is establishing and will be maintaining the Fund’s account with Subadviser solely for the purpose of investing the relevant assets and not with a view to obtaining information regarding portfolio holdings or investment decisions in order to effect securities transactions based upon such information or to provide such information to another party, and that Investment Manager and its employees, officers and directors shall not use account holdings information for any of the foregoing purposes. |
| (e) | The directors of the Fund have approved the appointment of Subadviser pursuant to this Agreement. |
| 8. | Liability and Indemnification. |
| (a) | Except as may otherwise be provided by the 1940 Act or any other federal securities law, Subadviser, any of its affiliates and any of the officers, partners, employees, consultants, or agents thereof shall not be liable for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including legal and other expenses) incurred or suffered by the Fund, Investment Manager, or any affiliated persons thereof (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 0000 Xxx) or controlling persons thereof (as described in Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”)) (collectively, “Fund and Investment Manager Indemnitees”) as a result of any error of judgment or mistake of law by Subadviser with respect to the Fund, except that nothing in this Agreement shall operate or purport to operate in any way to exculpate, waive, or limit the liability of Subadviser for, and Subadviser shall indemnify and hold harmless Investment Manager Indemnitees against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) to which any of Investment Manager Indemnitees may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, or under any other statute, at common law, or otherwise arising out of or based on (i) any willful misconduct, bad faith, reckless disregard, or gross negligence of Subadviser in the performance of any of its duties or obligations hereunder; (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact regarding Subadviser |
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| contained in the Prospectus and SAI, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Fund or the omission to state therein a material fact regarding Subadviser known to Subadviser which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon written information furnished to Investment Manager or the Fund by Subadviser Indemnitees (as defined below) for use therein; provided, however, that Subadviser has had a reasonable opportunity to review information regarding Subadviser contained in the Prospectus and SAI, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature or other materials pertaining to the Fund as set forth in section 11; or (iii) any violation of federal or state statutes or regulations by Subadviser. It is further understood and agreed that Subadviser may rely upon information furnished to it by Investment Manager that it reasonably believes to be accurate and reliable; provided, however, that, subject to the standard of care set forth in this Section 8, Subadviser shall be liable for any loss incurred by the Fund, the Investment Manager or their respective affiliates to the extent such losses arise out of any act or omission directly attributable to Subadviser which results, directly or indirectly, in an error in the net asset value of the Fund. The federal securities laws impose liabilities in certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith, and therefore nothing herein shall in any way constitute a waiver of limitation of any rights which Investment Manager may have under any securities laws. Neither Subadviser nor its affiliates shall be liable for any loss or damage arising or resulting from the acts or omissions of the custodian of the Fund, any broker, financial institution or any other third party with or through whom Subadviser arranges or enters into a transaction in respect of the Fund, except to the extent that Subadviser or its affiliate instructed such broker, financial institution or third party to take such action or omission. In performing its obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser may rely upon information concerning the Fund’s books and records provided to it by the Investment Manager, the custodian or other agent(s) designated by the Investment Manager, and will not independently verify the accuracy or completeness of such information. The Subadviser (and its officers, directors, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Subadviser) shall not be liable for any loss, claim or damages related to such reliance. Investment Manager understands and acknowledges that Subadviser does not warrant that the portion of the assets of the Fund managed by Subadviser will achieve any particular rate of return or that its performance will match any benchmark index or other standard or objective. The Investment Manager understands that investment decisions made for the Fund by the Subadviser are subject to various market, currency, economic, political, business and structure risks and that those investment decisions will not always be profitable. |
| (b) | Except as may otherwise be provided by the 1940 Act or any other federal securities law, Investment Manager and the Fund shall not be liable for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including legal and other expenses) incurred or suffered by Subadviser or any of its affiliated persons |
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| thereof (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 0000 Xxx) or controlling persons (as described in Section 15 of the 1933 Act) (collectively, “Subadviser Indemnitees”) as a result of any error of judgment or mistake of law by Investment Manager with respect to the Fund, except that nothing in this Agreement shall operate or purport to operate in any way to exculpate, waive, or limit the liability of Investment Manager for, and Investment Manager shall indemnify and hold harmless Subadviser Indemnitees against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) to which any of Subadviser Indemnitees may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, or under any other statute, at common law, or otherwise arising out of or based on (i) any willful misconduct, bad faith, reckless disregard, or gross negligence of Investment Manager in the performance of any of its duties or obligations hereunder; (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus and SAI, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Fund or the omission to state therein a material fact known to Investment Manager which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or omission concerned Subadviser and was made in reliance upon written information furnished to Investment Manager or the Fund by a Subadviser Indemnitee for use therein, or (iii) any violation of federal or state statutes or regulations by Investment Manager or the Fund. |
| (c) | After receipt by Investment Manager or Subadviser, its affiliates, or any officer, director, employee, or agent of any of the foregoing, entitled to indemnification as stated in (a) or (b) above (“Indemnified Party”) of notice of the commencement of any action, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any person obligated to provide indemnification under this section (“Indemnifying Party”), such Indemnified Party shall notify the Indemnifying Party in writing of the commencement thereof as soon as practicable after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim that has been served upon the Indemnified Party; provided that the failure to so notify the Indemnifying Party will not relieve the Indemnifying Party from any liability under this section, except to the extent that the omission results in a failure of actual notice to the Indemnifying Party and such Indemnifying Party is damaged solely as a result of the failure to give such notice. The Indemnifying Party, upon the request of the Indemnified Party, shall retain counsel satisfactory to the Indemnified Party to represent the Indemnified Party in the proceeding, and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party unless (1) the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, or (2) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party and representation by both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any |
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| settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Party agrees to indemnify the Indemnified Party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. |
| 9. | Duration and Termination. |
| (a) | Unless sooner terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall continue from the date written above only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Thereafter, if not terminated, this Agreement shall continue automatically for successive periods of 12 months each, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by a vote of a majority of the Board members who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any such party, and (ii) by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. |
| (b) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to Subadviser. This Agreement may also be terminated, without the payment of any penalty, by Investment Manager (i) upon 60 days’ written notice to Subadviser; (ii) upon material breach by Subadviser of any representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement, if such breach has not been cured within 20 days after written notice of such breach; or (iii) immediately if, in the reasonable judgment of Investment Manager, Subadviser becomes unable to discharge its duties and obligations under this Agreement, including circumstances such as the insolvency of Subadviser or other circumstances that could adversely affect the Fund. Subadviser may terminate this Agreement at any time, without payment of any penalty, (1) upon 60 days’ written notice to Investment Manager; or (2) upon material breach by Investment Manager of any representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement, if such breach has not been cured within 20 days after written notice of such breach. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) or upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement. |
| (c) | In the event of termination of the Agreement, those paragraphs of the Agreement which govern conduct of the parties’ future interactions with respect to Subadviser having provided investment management services to the Fund(s) for the duration of the Agreement, including, but not limited to, paragraphs 1(a)(iv)(a), 1(d), 1(e), 1(f), 8(a), 8(b), 8(c), 15, 17, 18, and 20 shall survive such termination of the Agreement. |
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| 10. | Subadviser’s Services Are Not Exclusive. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of Subadviser or any of its partners, officers, or employees 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 business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, or limit or restrict Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other mutual fund, corporation, firm, individual, or association. Subadviser acts as adviser to other clients and may, subject to compliance with its fiduciary obligations, give advice, and take action, with respect to any of those which may differ from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, with respect to the Fund. Subject to its fiduciary obligation to the Fund, Subadviser shall have no obligation to purchase or sell for the Fund, or to recommend for purchase or sale by the Fund, any security which Subadviser, its principals, affiliates or employees may purchase or sell for themselves or for any other clients. Subadviser shall for purposes hereof be deemed an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Fund or the Investment Manager in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund or Investment Manager except in connection with the services provided by the Subadviser hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subadviser may execute account documentation, agreements, contracts and other documents requested by brokers, dealers, counterparties and other persons in connection with its management of the assets of the Fund and direct payments of cash, cash equivalents and securities and other property into such brokerage accounts as the Subadviser deems desirable or appropriate, provided the Subadviser receives the express agreement and consent of the Investment Manager or the Board to execute futures account agreements, ISDA Master Agreements, credit facility agreements and other documents related thereto, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. In such respect, and only for this limited purpose, the Subadviser shall act as the Investment Manager’s agent and attorney-in-fact. |
The Subadviser may perform its services through any employee, officer or agent of the Subadviser, and neither the Investment Manager nor the Fund shall be entitled to the advice, recommendation or judgment of any specific person other than those persons named as portfolio managers in the Fund’s registration statement. The Subadviser may, at its own expense, delegate any or all of its duties and responsibilities under this Agreement to any affiliate provided that Subadviser provides written notice to Investment Manager, provided the Subadviser remains responsible to the Investment Manager and the Fund for the performance of all its responsibilities and duties hereunder. Subadviser hereby agrees to advise Investment Manager of any changes required to be made to the disclosure in the Fund’s registration statement relating to the Fund’s portfolio managers provided by Subadviser or its affiliates. To the extent that such delegation occurs, references to Subadviser herein shall be deemed to include reference to its affiliates.
| 11. | References to Subadviser. Subadviser hereby grants to Investment Manager during the term of this Agreement, the right and license to use Subadviser’s name and registered and unregistered trademarks, service marks and logos on Investment Manager’s web site(s) and in other materials solely for the purposes of disclosing and promoting the relationship between the parties as described herein. In accordance with the exercise of the license rights granted in the preceding sentence, Investment Manager and Subadviser agree that the terms of the Service Xxxx License Agreement shall govern. |
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| 12. | Notices. Any notice under this Agreement must be given in writing as provided below or to another address as either party may designate in writing to the other. |
Subadviser:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Senior Vice President, Domestic Distribution and Client Services
Pyramis Global Advisors, LLC
000 Xxxxx Xx. XX0X0
Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Tel: (000) 000-0000
with a copy to:
General Counsel
Pyramis Global Advisors, LLC
00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xx. X00X
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Investment Manager:
Xxxxxx Xxx
Vice President Product Management and Development
RiverSource Investments, LLC
0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Tel: (000) 000-0000
Fax: (000) 000-0000
with a copy to:
Xxxxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Vice President and Group Counsel
Ameriprise Financial
00000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Tel: (000) 000-0000
Fax: (000) 000-0000
| 13. | Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, subject to approval by the Board and the Fund’s shareholders to the extent required by the 1940 Act. |
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| 14. | Assignment. No assignment of this Agreement shall be made by Investment Manager or Subadviser without the prior written consent of the Fund, and, if required by law, the Fund’s shareholders, and Investment Manager or Subadviser (as applicable). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no assignment shall be deemed to result from any changes in the directors, officers, or employees of Investment Manager or Subadviser except as may be provided to the contrary in the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. |
| 15. | Governing Law. This Agreement, and, in the event of termination of the Agreement, those paragraphs that survive such termination of the Agreement under paragraph 9, shall be governed by the laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to the conflicts of laws principles thereof, or any applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any of the provision of this Agreement, conflict with applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control. |
| 16. | Entire Agreement. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding among the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. |
| 17. | Severability. Should any part of this Agreement be held invalid by a court decision, statute, rule, or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement and, in the event of termination of the Agreement, those paragraphs that survive such termination of the Agreement under paragraph 9(c), shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors. |
| 18. | Interpretation. Any questions of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision in the 1940 Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the federal courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations, or orders of the SEC validly issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. Where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is altered by a rule, regulation, or order of the SEC, whether of special or general application, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation, or order. |
| 19. | Headings. The headings in this Agreement are intended solely as a convenience and are not intended to modify any other provision herein. |
| 20. | Authorization. Each of the parties represents and warrants that the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action by such party and when so executed and delivered, this Agreement will be the valid and binding obligation of such party in accordance with its terms. |
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.
| RiverSource Investments, LLC | Pyramis Global Advisors, LLC | |||||||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||
| Signature | Signature | |||||||
| Name: | Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | Name: | Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||
| Printed | Printed | |||||||
| Title: | Senior Vice President – Asset Management, Products and Marketing | Title: | Senior Vice President | |||||
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SCHEDULE A
Compensation pursuant to Paragraph 4 of Subadvisory Agreement shall be calculated in accordance with the following schedule:
[REDACTED DATA]
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