ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 15th day of September, 1999, by and
between AMERINDO FUNDS, INC. (the "Fund"), a Maryland corporation, and SEI
Investments Mutual Funds Services (the "Administrator"), a Delaware business
trust.
WHEREAS, the Fund is an open-end diversified management investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"1940 Act"), consisting of several series of shares of Common Stock; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires the Administrator to provide, and the
Administrator is willing to provide, management and administrative services to
such portfolios of the Fund as the Fund and the Administrator may agree on
("Portfolios") and as listed on the schedules attached hereto ("Schedules") and
made a part of this Agreement, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set
forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Fund and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Retention of the Administrator. The Fund hereby retains the
Administrator to act as the administrator of the Portfolios and to furnish the
Portfolios with the management and administrative services as set forth in
Article 2 below. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment to perform the
duties set forth below.
The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an
independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized,
shall have no authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way and shall
not be deemed an agent of the Fund.
ARTICLE 2. Administrative and Accounting Services. The Administrator
shall perform or supervise the performance by others of other administrative
services in connection with the operations of the Portfolios, and, on behalf of
the Fund, will investigate, assist in the selection of and conduct relations
with custodians, depositories, accountants, legal counsel, underwriters, brokers
and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and persons in any other
capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable for the Portfolios' operations. The
Administrator shall provide the Directors of the Fund with such reports
regarding investment performance as they may reasonably request but shall have
no responsibility for supervising the performance by any investment adviser or
sub-adviser of its responsibilities. The Administrator may appoint a
sub-administrator to perform certain of the services to be performed by the
Administrator hereunder.
The Administrator shall provide the Fund with administrative services,
regulatory reporting, fund accounting and related portfolio accounting services,
all necessary office space, equipment, personnel, compensation and facilities
(including facilities for Shareholders' and Directors' meetings) for handling
the affairs of the Portfolios and such other services as the Directors may, from
time to time, reasonably request and the Administrator shall, from time to time,
reasonably
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determine to be necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement. In
addition, at the request of the Board of Directors (the "Directors"), the
Administrator shall make reports to the Directors concerning the performance of
its obligations hereunder.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator
shall:
(a) calculate contractual Fund expenses and control all
disbursements for the Fund, and as appropriate compute the
Fund's yields, total return, expense ratios, portfolio
turnover rate and, if required, portfolio average
dollar-weighed maturity;
(b) assist Fund counsel with the preparation of prospectuses,
statements of additional information, registration statements,
proxy materials;
(c) prepare such reports, applications and documents (including
reports regarding the sale and redemption of Shares as may be
required in order to comply with Federal and state securities
law) as may be necessary or desirable to register the Fund's
shares with state securities authorities, monitor sale of Fund
shares for compliance with state securities laws, and file
with the appropriate state securities authorities the
registration statements and reports for the Fund and the
Fund's shares and all amendments thereto, as may be necessary
or convenient to register and keep effective the Fund and the
Fund's shares with state securities authorities to enable the
Fund to make a continuous offering of its shares;
(d) develop and prepare communications to shareholders, including
the annual report to shareholders, coordinate mailing
prospectuses, notices, proxy statements, proxies and other
reports to Fund shareholders, and supervise and facilitate the
solicitation of proxies solicited by the Fund for all
shareholder meetings, including tabulation process for
shareholder meetings;
(e) coordinate with Fund counsel the preparation and negotiation
of, and administer contracts on behalf of the Fund with, among
others, the Fund's investment adviser, distributor, custodian,
and transfer agent;
(f) maintain the Fund's general ledger and prepare the Fund's
financial statements, including expense accruals and payments,
determine the net asset value of the Fund's assets and of the
Fund's shares, and supervise the Fund's transfer agent with
respect to the payment of dividends and other distributions to
shareholders;
(g) calculate performance data of the Fund and its portfolios for
dissemination to information services covering the investment
company industry;
(h) coordinate and supervise the preparation and filing of the
Fund's tax returns;
(i) examine and review the operations and performance of the
various organizations
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providing services to the Fund or any Portfolio of the Fund,
including, without limitation, the Fund's investment adviser,
distributor, custodian, transfer agent, outside legal counsel
and independent public accountants, and at the request of the
Board of Directors, report to the Directors on the performance
of organizations;
(j) assist with the layout and printing of publicly disseminated
prospectuses and assist with and coordinate layout and
printing of the Fund's semi-annual and annual reports to
shareholders;
(k) provide internal legal and administrative services as
requested by the Fund from time to time, including but not
limited to preparation of materials for the quarterly meetings
of the Board of Directors;
(l) assist with the design, development, and operation of the
Fund, including new portfolio and class investment objectives,
policies and structure;
(m) provide individuals acceptable to the Directors for
nomination, appointment, or election as officers of the Fund,
who will be responsible for the management of certain of the
Fund's affairs as determined by the Directors;
(n) advise the Fund and its Directors on matters concerning the
Fund and its affairs;
(o) obtain and keep in effect fidelity bonds and directors and
officers/errors and omissions insurance policies for the Fund
in accordance with the requirements of Rules 17g-1 and
17d-1(7) under the 1940 Act as such bonds and policies are
approved by the Fund's Board of Directors;
(p) monitor and advise the Fund and its Portfolios on their
registered investment company status under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
(q) perform all administrative services and functions of the Fund
and each Portfolio to the extent administrative services and
functions are not provided to the Fund or such Portfolio
pursuant to the Fund's or such Portfolio's investment advisory
agreement, distribution agreement, custodian agreement and
transfer agent agreement;
(r) furnish advice and recommendations with respect to other
aspects of the business and affairs of the Portfolios as the
Fund and the Administrator shall determine desirable; and
(s) prepare and file with the SEC the semi-annual report for the
Fund on Form N-SAR and all required notices pursuant to Rule
24f-2.
Also, the Administrator will perform other services for the Fund as agreed from
time to time, including, but not limited to performing internal audit
examinations; mailing the annual reports of
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the Portfolios; preparing an annual list of shareholders; and mailing notices of
shareholders' meetings, proxies and proxy statements, for all of which the Fund
will pay the Administrator's out-of-pocket expenses.
ARTICLE 3. Allocation of Charges and Expenses.
(A) The Administrator. The Administrator shall furnish at its own expense
the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform its
obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the items
which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement, and shall pay all
compensation, if any, of officers of the Fund as well as all Directors of the
Fund who are affiliated persons of the Administrator or any affiliated
corporation of the Administrator; provided, however, that unless otherwise
specifically provided, the Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the
compensation of any employee of the Fund retained by the Directors of the Fund
to perform services on behalf of the Fund.
(B) The Fund. The Fund assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all
other expenses of the Fund not otherwise allocated herein, including, without
limitation, organizational costs, taxes, expenses for legal and auditing
services, the expenses of preparing (including typesetting), printing and
mailing reports, prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy
solicitation material and notices to existing Shareholders, all expenses
incurred in connection with issuing and redeeming Shares, the costs of pricing
services, the costs of custodial services, the cost of initial and ongoing
registration of the Shares under Federal and state securities laws, fees and
out-of-pocket expenses of Directors who are not affiliated persons of the
Administrator or the investment adviser to the Fund or any affiliated
corporation of the Administrator or the investment Adviser, the costs of
Directors' meetings, insurance, interest, brokerage costs, litigation and other
extraordinary or nonrecurring expenses, and all fees and charges of investment
advisers to the Fund.
ARTICLE 4. Compensation of the Administrator.
(A) Administration Fee. For the services to be rendered, the facilities
furnished and the expenses assumed by the Administrator pursuant to this
Agreement, the Fund shall pay to the Administrator compensation at an annual
rate specified in the Schedule. Such compensation shall be calculated and
accrued daily, and paid to the Administrator monthly. The Fund shall also
reimburse the Administrator for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including
the travel and lodging expenses incurred by officers and employees of the
Administrator in connection with attendance at meetings of the Fund's Board of
Directors.
If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the first day of a
month or terminates before the last day of a month, the Administrator's
compensation for that part of the month in which this Agreement is in effect
shall be prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set
forth above. Payment of the Administrator's compensation for the preceding month
shall be made promptly.
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(B) Compensation from Transactions. The Fund hereby authorizes any entity
or person associated with the Administrator which is a member of a national
securities exchange to effect any transaction on the exchange for the account of
the Fund which is permitted by Section 11 (a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and Rule 11a2-2(T) thereunder, and the Fund hereby consents to the
retention of compensation for such transactions in accordance with Rule
11a2-2(T) (a) (2) (iv).
(C) Survival of Compensation Rates. All rights of compensation under this
Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive the
termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. Limitation of Liability of the Administrator. The duties of
the Administrator shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein, and no
implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Administrator
hereunder. The Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or
mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or
omission in carrying out its duties hereunder, except a loss resulting from
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its
duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties
hereunder, except as may otherwise be provided under provisions of applicable
law which cannot be waived or modified hereby. (As used in this Article 5, the
term "Administrator" shall include directors, officers, employees and other
agents of the Administrator as well as that corporation itself.)
So long as the Administrator acts in good faith and with due diligence
the Fund assumes full responsibility and shall indemnify the Administrator and
hold it harmless from and against any and all actions, suits and claims, whether
groundless or otherwise, and from and against any and all losses, damages,
costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, payments, expenses
and liabilities (including reasonable investigation expenses) arising directly
or indirectly out of said administration, transfer agency, and dividend
disbursing relationships to the Fund or any other service rendered to the Fund
hereunder. The indemnity and defense provisions set forth herein shall
indefinitely survive the termination of this Agreement.
The rights hereunder shall include the right to reasonable advances of
defense expenses in the event of any pending or threatened litigation with
respect to which indemnification hereunder may ultimately be merited. In order
that the indemnification provision contained herein shall apply, however, it is
understood that if in any case the Fund may be asked to indemnify or hold the
Administrator harmless, the Fund shall be fully and promptly advised of all
pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further
understood that the Administrator will use all reasonable care to identify and
notify the Fund promptly concerning any situation which presents or appears
likely to present the probability of such a claim for indemnification against
the Fund, but failure to do so in good faith shall not affect the rights
hereunder.
The Fund shall be entitled to participate at its own expense or, if it so
elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims subject
to this indemnity provision. If the Fund elects to assume the defense of any
such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Fund and
satisfactory to the Administrator, whose approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld. In the event that the Fund elects to assume the defense of any suit
and retain counsel, the
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Administrator shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it. If the Fund does not elect to assume the defense of a suit, it
will reimburse the Administrator for the reasonable fees and expenses of any
counsel retained by the Administrator.
The Administrator may apply to the Fund at any time for instructions and
may consult counsel for the Fund or its own counsel and with accountants and
other experts with respect to any matter arising in connection with the
Administrator's duties, and the Administrator shall not be liable or accountable
for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such
instruction or with the opinion of such counsel, accountants or other experts.
Also, the Administrator shall be protected in acting upon any document
which it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed or presented
by the proper person or persons. Nor shall the Administrator be held to have
notice of any change of authority of any officers, employee or agent of the Fund
until receipt of written notice thereof from the Fund.
ARTICLE 6. Activities of the Administrator. The services of the
Administrator rendered to the Fund are not to be deemed to be exclusive. The
Administrator is free to render such services to others and to have other
businesses and interests. It is understood that Directors, officers, employees
and Shareholders of the Fund are or may be or become interested in the
Administrator, as directors, officers, employees and shareholders or otherwise
and that directors, officers, employees and shareholders of the Administrator
and its counsel are or may be or become similarly interested in the Fund, and
that the Administrator may be or become interested in the Fund as a Shareholder
or otherwise.
ARTICLE 7. Confidentiality. The Administrator agrees on behalf of itself
and its employees to treat confidentially all records and other information
relative to the Fund and its prior, present or potential Shareholders and
relative to the Adviser and its prior, present or potential customers, except,
after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Fund, which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where the
Administrator may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for
failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly
constituted authorities, or when so requested by the Fund.
ARTICLE 8. Equipment Failures. In the event of equipment failures beyond
the Administrator's control, the Administrator shall, at no additional expense
to the Fund, take reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions but shall
have no liability with respect thereto. The Administrator shall develop and
maintain a plan for recovery from equipment failures which may include
contractual arrangements with appropriate parties making reasonable provision
for emergency use of electronic data processing equipment to the extent
appropriate equipment is available.
ARTICLE 9. Year 2000 Compliant. The Administrator warrants that all
software code owned or under control by it, used in the performance of its
obligations hereunder will be Year 2000 Compliant. For purposes of this
paragraph, "Year 2000 Compliant" means that the software will continue to
operate beyond December 31, 1999 without creating any logical or
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mathematical inconsistencies concerning any date after December 31, 1999 and
without decreasing the functionality of the system applicable to dates prior to
January 1, 2000 including, but not limited to, making changes to (a) date and
data century recognition; (b) calculations which accommodate same- and multi-
century formulas and date values; and (c) input/output of date values which
reflect century dates. All changes described in this paragraph will be made at
no additional cost to the Fund.
ARTICLE 10. Compliance With Governmental Rules and Regulations. The
Administrator undertakes to comply with all applicable requirements of the 1933
Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act and any laws, rules and regulations of
governmental authorities having jurisdiction with respect to the duties to be
performed by the Administrator hereunder.
ARTICLE 11. Duration and Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement
shall become effective on the date set forth in the Schedules and shall remain
in effect for the initial term of the Agreement (the "Initial Term") and each
renewal term thereof (each, a "Renewal Term"), each as set forth in the
Schedules, unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of this Article
10. This Agreement may be terminated only: (a) by the mutual written agreement
of the parties; (b) by either party hereto on 90 days' written notice, as of the
end of the Initial Term or the end of any Renewal Term; (c) by either party
hereto on such date as is specified in written notice given by the terminating
party, in the event of a material breach of this Agreement by the other party,
provided the terminating party has notified the other party of such breach at
least 45 days prior to the specified date of termination and the breaching party
has not remedied such breach by the specified date; (d) effective upon the
liquidation of the Administrator; or (e) as to any Portfolio or the Fund,
effective upon the liquidation of such Portfolio or the Fund, as the case may
be. For purposes of this Article 10, the term "liquidation" shall mean a
transaction in which the assets of the Administrator, the Fund or a Portfolio
are sold or otherwise disposed of and proceeds therefrom are distributed in cash
to the shareholders in complete liquidation of the interests of such
shareholders in the entity.
This Agreement shall not be assignable by the Administrator, without the
prior written consent of the Fund, except to an entity that is controlled by, or
under common control, with, the Administrator.
ARTICLE 12. Amendments. This Agreement or any part hereof may be changed
or waived only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which
enforcement of such change or waiver is sought.
ARTICLE 13. Certain Records. The Administrator shall maintain customary
records in connection with its duties as specified in this Agreement. Any
records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to Rules 31a-1 and
31a-2 under the 1940 Act which are prepared or maintained by the Administrator
on behalf of the Fund shall be prepared and maintained at the expense of the
Administrator, but shall be the property of the Fund and will be made available
to or surrendered promptly to the Fund on request.
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In case of any request or demand for the inspection of such records by
another party, the Administrator shall notify the Fund and follow the Fund's
instructions as to permitting or refusing such inspection; provided that the
Administrator may exhibit such records to any person in any case where it is
advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for failure to do so, unless
(in cases involving potential exposure only to civil liability) the Fund has
agreed to indemnify the Administrator against such liability.
ARTICLE 14. Definitions of Certain Terms. The terms "interested person"
and "affiliated person," when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective
meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
ARTICLE 15. Notice. Any notice required or permitted to be given by
either party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the
other party at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving
notice: if to the Fund, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx; and if to the Administrator at Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000.
ARTICLE 16. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland and the applicable provisions
of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of
Maryland, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable
provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control.
ARTICLE 17. Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
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ARTICLE 18. Binding Agreement. This Agreement, and the rights and
obligations of the parties and the Portfolios hereunder, shall be binding on,
and inure to the benefit of, the parties and the Portfolios and the respective
successors and assigns of each of them.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
AMERINDO FUNDS, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
-------------------------
Attest: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx
---------------------
SEI INVESTMENTS MUTUAL FUNDS SERVICES
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-------------------------
Attest: /s/ Xxxxx X. Rafa
---------------------
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SCHEDULE
TO THE ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
BETWEEN
AMERINDO FUNDS, INC.
AND
SEI INVESTMENTS MUTUAL FUNDS SERVICES
Portfolios: This Agreement shall apply to all Portfolios of Amerindo
Funds, Inc. (the "Fund"), either now or hereafter created. The
current portfolios of the Fund are set forth below: Technology
Fund (collectively, the "Portfolios").
Fees: Pursuant to Article 4, Section A, the Fund shall pay the
Administrator compensation for services rendered to the
Portfolios at an annual rate, which is calculated daily and
paid monthly according to the following schedule:
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Fee (on average annual assets) Assets in Fund
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.125% to $250 Million
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-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
.09% Next $250 Million
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-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
.07% Next $500 Million
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-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
.05% On assets over $1 Billion
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The annual minimum fee for each domestic Portfolio will be
$85,000 and the annual minimum fee for each international
Portfolio will be $100,000, payable monthly. The annual fee
for each additional class of shares is $15,000.
Term: This Agreement shall become effective on September 15, 1999
and shall remain in effect for an Initial Term of five (5)
years from such date and, thereafter, for successive Renewal
Terms of two (2) years each, unless and until this Agreement
is terminated in accordance with the provisions of Article 10
hereof.
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