THE U.S. EQUITY PORTFOLIO
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Agreement, made this 1st day of October, 1998, between The U.S. Equity
Portfolio, a trust organized under the law of the State of New York (the
"Portfolio") and X.X. Xxxxxx Investment Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Advisor"),
WHEREAS, the Portfolio is an open-end diversified management investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Portfolio desires to retain the Advisor to render
investment advisory services to the Portfolio, and the Advisor is willing to
render such services;
W I T N E S S E T H:
NOW, THEREFORE, this Agreement that in consideration of the premises
and mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. The Portfolio hereby appoints the Advisor to act as investment
adviser to the Portfolio for the period and on the terms set forth in this
Agreement. The Advisor accepts such appointment and agrees to render the
services herein set forth, for the compensation herein provided.
2. Subject to the general supervision of the Trustees of the Portfolio,
the Advisor shall manage the investment operations of the Portfolio and the
composition of the Portfolio's holdings of securities and investments, including
cash, the purchase, retention and disposition thereof and agreements relating
thereto, in accordance with the Portfolio's investment objectives and policies
as stated in the Registration Statement (as defined in paragraph 3(d) of this
Agreement) and subject to the following understandings:
(a) the Advisor shall furnish a continuous investment program
for the Portfolio and determine from time to time what investments or
securities will be purchased, retained, sold or lent by the Portfolio,
and what portion of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as
cash;
(b) the Advisor shall use the same skill and care in the
management of the Portfolio's investments as it uses in the
administration of other accounts for which it has investment
responsibility as agent;
(c) the Advisor, in the performance of its duties and
obligations under this Agreement, shall act in conformity with the
Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and Registration Statement of the
Portfolio and with the instructions and directions of the Trustees of
the Portfolio and will conform to and comply with the requirements of
the 1940 Act and all other applicable federal and state laws and
regulations;
(d) the Advisor shall determine the securities to be
purchased, sold or lent by the Portfolio and as agent for the Portfolio
will effect portfolio transactions pursuant to its determinations
either directly with the issuer or with any broker and/or dealer in
such securities; in placing orders with brokers and/or dealers the
Advisor intends to seek best price and execution for purchases and
sales; the Advisor shall also determine whether or not the Portfolio
shall enter into repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements;
On occasions when the Advisor deems the purchase or sale of a
security to be in the best interest of the Portfolio as well as other
customers of the Advisor, the Advisor may, to the extent permitted by
applicable laws and regulations, but shall not be obligated to,
aggregate the securities to be so sold or purchased in order to obtain
best execution, including lower brokerage commissions, if applicable.
In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as
well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the
Advisor in the manner it considers to be the most equitable and
consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Portfolio;
(e) the Advisor shall maintain books and records with respect
to the Portfolio's securities transactions and shall render to the
Portfolio's Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees
may reasonably request; and
(f) the investment management services of the Advisor to the
Portfolio under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and the
Advisor shall be free to render similar services to others.
3. The Portfolio has delivered copies of each of the following
documents to the Advisor and will promptly notify and deliver to it all future
amendments and supplements, if any:
(a) Declaration of Trust of the Portfolio (such Declaration of
Trust, as presently in effect and as amended from time to time, is
herein called the "Declaration of Trust");
(b) By-Laws of the Portfolio (such By-Laws, as presently in
effect and as amended from time to time, are herein called the
"By-Laws");
(c) Certified resolutions of the Trustees of the Portfolio
authorizing the appointment of the Advisor and approving the form of
this Agreement;
(d) The Portfolio's Notification of Registration on Form N-8A
and Registration Statement on Form N-1A (No. 811-7880) each under the
1940 Act (the "Registration Statement") as filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on July 14, 1993, all
amendments thereto.
4. The Advisor shall keep the Portfolio's books and records required to
be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 2(e). The Advisor agrees that all
records which it maintains for the Portfolio are the property of the Portfolio
and it will promptly surrender any of such records to the Portfolio upon the
Portfolio's request. The Advisor further agrees to preserve for the periods
prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act any such records
as are required to be maintained by the Advisor with respect to the
Portfolio by Rule 31a-1 of the Commission under the 1940 Act.
5. During the term of this Agreement the Advisor will pay all expenses
incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement, other
than the cost of securities and investments purchased for the Portfolio
(including taxes and brokerage commissions, if any).
6. For the services provided and the expenses borne pursuant to this
Agreement, the Portfolio will pay to the Advisor as full compensation therefor a
fee at an annual rate equal to .40% of the Portfolio's average daily net assets.
This fee will be computed daily and payable as agreed by the Portfolio and the
Advisor, but no more frequently than monthly.
7. The Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake
of law or for any loss suffered by the Portfolio in connection with the matters
to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of
fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in
which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount
set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 0000 Xxx) or a loss resulting from willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its
duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement.
8. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than
two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically
approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act;
provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Portfolio at any
time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of all the
Trustees of the Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Portfolio on 60 days' written notice to the Advisor, or by the
Advisor at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 90 days' written
notice to the Portfolio. This Agreement will automatically and immediately
terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
9. The Advisor shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an
independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or
authorized by the Trustees of the Portfolio from time to time, have no authority
to act for or represent the Portfolio in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent
of the Portfolio.
10. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of
the Portfolio must be approved (a) by vote of a majority of those Trustees of
the Portfolio who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any
such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
amendment, and (b) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
the Portfolio.
11. Notices of any kind to be given to the Advisor by the Portfolio
shall be in writing and shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to the
Advisor at 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Funds
Management, or at such other address or to such other individual as shall be
specified by the Advisor to the Portfolio. Notices of any kind to be given to
the Portfolio by the Advisor shall be in writing and shall be duly given if
mailed or delivered to the Portfolio c/o State Street Cayman Trust Company at
Elizabethan Square, Xxxxxxx Road, Xxxxxx Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands,
BWI, Attention: Treasurer, or at such other address or to such other individual
as shall be specified by the Portfolio to the Advisor.
12. The Trustees have authorized the execution of this Agreement in
their capacity as Trustees and not individually and the Advisor agrees that
neither the shareholders nor the Trustees nor any officer, employee,
representative or agent of the Portfolio shall be personally liable upon, or
shall resort be had to their private property for the satisfaction of,
obligations given, executed or delivered on behalf of or by the Portfolio, that
the shareholders, trustees, officers, employees, representatives and agents of
the Portfolio shall not be personally liable hereunder, and that it shall look
solely to the property of the Portfolio for the satisfaction of any claim
hereunder.
13. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed to be an original.
14. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be executed by their officers designated below as of the 1st day of October,
1998.
THE U.S. EQUITY PORTFOLIO
By:
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Assistant Secretary
and Assistant Treasurer
X.X. XXXXXX INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
By:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Managing Director
