JPMORGAN VALUE OPPORTUNITIES FUND and WASHINGTON MANAGEMENT CORPORATION AMENDED AND RESTATED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
JPMORGAN
VALUE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
and
WASHINGTON
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT
made this 21st day of February 2008, between JPMORGAN VALUE OPPORTUNITIES FUND,
INC. (a Maryland corporation, hereinafter referred to as the "Fund"), and
WASHINGTON MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (a Delaware corporation, hereinafter referred
to as the "Corporation").
WHEREAS,
the Fund is a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS,
the Corporation is experienced and able to act as business manager of the
Fund;
NOW,
THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt whereof is hereby
acknowledged, and the mutual performance of undertakings herein, it is agreed by
and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Services to be Provided by
the Corporation. The Corporation, as business manager for the
Fund, will, at its own expense furnish to the Fund the services of its employees
and agents to perform the executive, administrative and clerical services in the
management and conduct of the corporate business and affairs of the
Fund. Such services shall include, but not be limited to, those
services set forth in Exhibit A, attached to this agreement and made a part of
it.
2. Expenses. The
Corporation shall bear expenses incurred by it which are necessary for the
performance of its duties and activities specified in the Agreement, except such
expenses as are assumed by the Fund under this Agreement. The
Corporation (or its affiliates, as applicable) will also pay the compensation
and expenses of all officers and executive employees of the Fund who are
directors, officers or employees of the Corporation or of its affiliates and
will make available or cause to be made available, without expense to
the Fund, the services of such of the directors, officers and employees of the
Corporation or its affiliates as may duly be elected officers or directors of
the Fund, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations
imposed by law. The Fund shall bear all of its other expenses
incurred in its operation and not specifically assumed by the
Corporation. The expenses assumed by the Fund shall include, without
limitation: organizational expenses of the Fund; fees and expenses
incurred in connection with the Fund's membership in investment company
organizations; fees of the investment adviser; interest expenses; taxes and
governmental fees; distribution fees; brokerage commissions and other expenses
incurred in acquiring or disposing of the Fund's portfolio securities; expenses
of registering and qualifying the Fund's shares for sale with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and with various state securities authorities; the expenses
of qualifying the Fund to do business in jurisdictions where such qualification
is required; accounting, auditing and legal costs; the cost of preparing share
certificates or any other expenses, including clerical and administrative
expenses, related to the issue, redemption and repurchase of Fund shares;
insurance premiums; fees and expenses of the Custodian and Transfer Agent for
the Fund and for any related services; expenses of obtaining quotations on the
Fund's portfolio securities and pricing of the Fund's shares; expenses of
shareholders' meetings; expenses of preparing and distributing reports, proxies
and prospectuses to existing shareholders; and expenses and fees of the Fund's
Directors who are not "interested persons" of the Fund, as that term is defined
in the 1940 Act.
3. Compensation. For
the services provided and the expenses assumed by the Corporation, the Fund
shall pay to the Corporation a fee, computed daily and to be paid on or about
the 10th day of each month, equal on an annual basis to: 0.175% of the average
daily net assets of the Fund.
The
term "average daily net assets of the Fund" is defined as the average of the
values placed on the net assets of the Fund as of the close of the New York
Stock Exchange, on each day on which the net asset value of the portfolio of the
Fund is determined consistent with the provisions of Rule 22c-1 under the 1940
Act or, if the Fund lawfully determines the value of the net assets of its
portfolio as of some other time on each business day, as of such
time. The value of the net assets of the Fund shall be determined
pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Fund's then current Registration
Statement under the 1940 Act and the Securities Act of 1933 ("Registration
Statement"). If, pursuant to such provisions, the determination of
net asset value is suspended for any particular business day, then for the
purposes of this paragraph 3, the value of the net assets of the Fund shall be
deemed to be the value of such net assets as last determined in accordance with
the Registration Statement. If the determination of the net asset
value of the Fund has been suspended pursuant to the Registration Statement for
a period including a month for which payment pursuant to this Agreement is due,
the Corporation's compensation payable at the end of such month shall be
computed on the basis of the value of the net assets of the Fund as last
determined (whether during or prior to such month).
4. Books and
Records. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3
under the 1940 Act, the Corporation hereby agrees that all records which it
maintains or causes to be maintained for the Fund are the property of the Fund
and further agrees to surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon
the Fund's request. The Corporation further agrees to preserve or
cause to be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940
Act the records required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940
Act.
5. Sub-contracts. The
Corporation may, from time to time, at its own expense, employ or associate with
itself such person or persons as it believes necessary to assist it in carrying
out its obligations under this Agreement.
6. Limitation of
Liability. Except as may otherwise be required by the 1940 Act
or the rules thereunder, neither the Corporation nor its stockholders, officers,
directors, employees or agents shall be subject to any liability for, or any
damages, expenses or losses incurred in connection with, any act or omission
connected with or arising out of any services rendered under this Agreement,
except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the
performance of the Corporation's duties or by reason of reckless disregard of
the Corporation's obligations and duties under this
Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not
be liable to the Fund for the acts and omissions of any party engaged by the
Corporation to assist it in carrying out its obligations under this Agreement
except to the extent that such party is liable to the Corporation for such acts
and omissions pursuant to the contract under which the Corporation shall have
retained such party. Any person, even though also employed by the
Corporation, who may be or become an employee of and paid by the Fund shall be
deemed, when acting within the scope of his employment by the Fund, to be acting
in such employment solely for the Fund and not as the employee or agent of the
Corporation.
7. Services Not
Exclusive. It is understood that the services of the
Corporation are not exclusive, and nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the
Corporation, or any affiliate thereof, from providing similar services to other
investment companies (whether or not their investment objectives and policies
are similar to those of the Fund) or other clients or from engaging in other
activities.
8. Duration and
Termination. This Agreement shall become effective as of March
31, 2008, 4:00 p.m. EST and shall continue in force until March 31, 2009, if not
sooner terminated. This Agreement shall continue in effect for
successive 12-month periods, unless terminated, provided that each such
continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) the vote of a
majority of the entire Board of Directors of the Fund, or by the vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the
1940 Act), and (b) the vote of a majority of those Directors who are not parties
to this Agreement or interested persons (as such term is defined in the 0000
Xxx) of any such party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval. This Agreement may be terminated at any time
without payment of any penalty, by the Fund upon the vote of a majority of the
Fund's Board of Directors or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund, or by the Corporation, in each case, on sixty (60) days' written
notice to the other party. This Agreement shall automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940
Act).
9. Amendments. No
provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated
orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which
enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is
sought.
10. Miscellaneous.
a. This
Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Maryland, provided that nothing herein shall be construed in a manner
inconsistent with the 1940 Act, as amended, or rules or orders of
the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
b. The
captions of this Agreement are included for convenience only and in no way
define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their
construction or effect.
c. If
any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court
decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not
be affected thereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this Agreement shall
be deemed to be severable.
d. The
Corporation shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an independent
contractor and shall have, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, no
authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an
agent of the Fund.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed
as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: JPMORGAN
VALUE OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC.
_____________________ By: _______________________________
Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
Attest: WASHINGTON
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
_____________________ By: ______________________________
Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President
EXHIBIT
A
TO
AMENDED
AND RESTATED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
SERVICES
TO BE PERFORMED BY
WASHINGTON
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (“WMC”)
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 1
1.
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Provide
individuals that serve as officers and interested directors of the
Fund.
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2.
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Furnish
and compensate all employees required to perform WMC’s duties under the
Business Management Agreement.
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3.
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Provide
office space, secretarial and clerical services, office equipment,
supplies and communication
facilities.
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4.
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In
conjunction with the Fund’s Independent Board Chair, arrange and
coordinate all Board and Committee Meetings. Prepare and
distribute meeting schedules and maintain lists of regular agenda items
for Board and Committee Meetings. Maintain a schedule of Board
and Committee Meeting duties and requirements including matters requiring
Board action. Schedule includes annual action items such as
action required for renewal of business management agreement, investment
adviser agreement, 12b-1 plans, principal underwriting agreement,
shareholder servicing agreements and regulatory
filings.
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5.
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Prepare,
collect and distribute, in conjunction with all service providers, Board
and Committee Meeting materials. Prepare and distribute
periodic and special reports to the Board in advance of
meetings.
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6.
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Attend
Board and Committee Meetings and draft Board and Committee Meeting
minutes. Distribute minutes for review and prepare final form
of minutes.
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7.
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Assist
the Board in developing Fund policies and
procedures.
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8.
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Establish
procedures to assist the Board of Directors with their oversight duties
(including fund governance, contracts, accountant selection, insurance,
net asset valuation, director independence, audit committee financial
expert, chief compliance officer and inter-fund
transactions).
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9.
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Assist
in Board members’ on-going education. Provide new Board member
orientation, and regularly inform the Board of industry and regulatory
developments. Carry out instructions of the Board with respect
to policy decisions.
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10.
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Assist
the Board with approval of key service provider
agreements. Work with the Governance Committee to provide all
necessary and requested data for evaluation
purposes.
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11.
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Assist
the Board in review and approval of WMC, the investment adviser, principal
underwriter and Fund compliance programs. The WMC Chief
Compliance Officer interfaces with the Chief Compliance Officer of the
Fund and serves as the liaison for regulatory
inquiries.
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12.
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Prepare
and analyze comparative statistical data on investment results, operating
expenses and growth of the Fund, sales and redemptions of the Fund’s
shares, and prepare and submit periodically the following reports on such
data to the Board of Directors:
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a.
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Brokerage
commissions paid to securities dealers for transactions in portfolio
securities of the Fund,
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b.
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Sales
of the Fund shares by securities
dealers,
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c.
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Comparative
investment results and
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d.
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Net
sales and redemptions of Fund
shares.
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13.
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Assist
Board members in maintaining their status as independent
directors. Prepare, provide and review annual director
questionnaires.
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14.
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Monitor
the number of Directors that have been elected by shareholders and the
percentage of the Board that is independent by maintaining a scheduled and
periodically reviewing the ratio of Directors elected by shareholders and
the ratio of those that are
independent.
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15.
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Assist
the Board of Directors in overseeing the development and operation of
share class-based services to
shareholders.
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16.
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Assist
the Board and Committee on Proxy Voting Procedures in developing,
monitoring and updating proxy voting policies and
procedures. Advise the Fund's Board and/or Committee on Proxy
Voting Procedures of any significant controversies relating to proxy
votes. Schedule meetings of the Committee on Proxy Voting
Procedures. Provide the Board with an annual report setting out
the voting record of proxies.
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17.
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Provide
copies of Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings to Board
members.
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18.
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Assist
in making travel arrangements for Directors and officers attending
out-of-town meetings.
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19.
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Assist
the Board in designating an Audit Committee Financial
Expert.
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20.
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Assist
the Board in designating a Chief Compliance
Officer.
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21.
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Provides
financial and certain other reports and articles of interest to the
Directors on a monthly basis.
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22.
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Provides
support to the Fund’s Independent Board
Chairman.
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23.
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Maintain
or provide for the maintenance of Fund records, including corporate, tax
and accounting records; SEC filings, tax filings, Board and Committee
Meeting materials and minutes; code of ethics; Fund agreements; Fund
procedures; documents concerning fidelity bond and D&O/E&O
insurance; articles of incorporation and by-laws. Periodically
review files to verify
completeness.
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24.
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Prepare
or arrange for the preparation of all corporate licensing, applications
and tax returns.
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25.
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Monitor
the daily financial position of the
Fund.
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26.
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Coordinate
and facilitate the annual audit of the Fund’s financial statements with
the independent registered public accountant for the
Fund.
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27.
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Create
and design all shareholder reports. Plan, prepare and arrange
for their printing and timely distribution to
shareholders.
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28.
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Monitor
the activities of the investment adviser and principal underwriter for
compliance with the terms of their respective
contracts.
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29.
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Monitor
shareholder services provided by the Fund’s transfer
agent. Review and negotiate fees for the services of the
transfer agent.
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30.
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Monitor
services provided by custodian of the Fund’s investment assets and cash
balances. Review and negotiate fees for the services of the
custodian.
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31.
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Coordinate
and maintain continuous liaison with the officers and personnel of the
investment adviser, principal underwriter, transfer agent, custodian, Fund
counsel and independent registered public
accountant.
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32.
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Oversee
state registration, including oversight of the blue sky service
provider. Review filings and authorize payments in connection
with state registration requirements. Maintain a record of geographical
distribution of Fund shares sales in connection with state registration
requirements.
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33.
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Coordinate
the voting of all proxies of the portfolio companies held by the
Fund. Provide the personnel to support the CEO of the Fund (or
his designated voting officer) who votes all proxies in accordance with
the Board's policies. Execute voting of proxies, maintain paper
copy of proxy materials and voting record. Prepare monthly
voting report, which is reviewed by Fund
officers.
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34.
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Consult
with counsel and auditors on current legal, accounting and tax
matters.
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35.
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Assists
with disbursement of all dividends and capital gain
distributions.
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36.
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Oversees
proxy solicitations, including preparation of the proxy statement, related
SEC filings and printing and distribution of Notices of Meetings of
Shareholders, proxy statements and proxy cards. Coordinate
review of the proxy statement by Fund officers, Directors, Fund counsel
and independent registered public accountant. Coordinate and
conduct shareholder meetings, including attending the meetings and
preparing the minutes.
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37.
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Make
Board authorized transfers to the Fund's operating account from its
custody account.
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38.
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Pay
all Fund expenses from the Fund's operating account. Maintain a
record of and monitor all Fund expenditures. Provide Board with
regular reports setting out Fund
expenses.
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39.
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Reconcile
Fund’s operating account statement each
month.
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40.
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Review
and analyze Fund expense ratios and consider changes in accrual
rates.
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41.
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Maintain
filing schedule for all required Fund
filings.
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42.
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Prepare
and file necessary amendments to the Fund’s Registration Statement on Form
N-1A, including that required for the renewal of and updates to the Fund
prospectus. Coordinate review by Fund service providers
including WMC, investment adviser, fund accountant, Fund counsel and
independent registered public accountant. Coordinate delivery
to current shareholders and principal underwriter. Prepare and
file supplements to the prospectus with the SEC and supervise printing and
distribution of the same.
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43.
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Prepare
and file the N-SAR semi-annual report of the Fund with
SEC. N-SAR responses are generated from multiple sources and
reviewed by multiple Fund officers. The N-SAR is compared to
previous filing for consistency and
accuracy.
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44.
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Develop
and maintain disclosure controls and procedures in compliance with N-CSR
and N-Q requirements. WMC Disclosure Controls Committee meets
in connection with the filing of Form N-CSR and Form N-Q and as otherwise
appropriate. The Committee ensures that any
material weakness or fraud, of which it is aware, is reported directly to
the Fund’s Audit Committee and independent registered public
accountant.
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45.
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Prepare
and file Form N-CSR. Information required to be disclosed in Form N-CSR is
gathered and communicated to Fund management, including its Principal
Executive Officer (“PEO”) and Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”) to allow
timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
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46.
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Prepare
and file Form N-Q. The quarterly holdings report is prepared in
coordination with fund accounting and is reviewed by the WMC Disclosure
Controls Committee as well as Fund service providers and Fund
officers.
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47.
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Prepare
and file Form N-PX.
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48.
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Prepare
and file Form 24f-2.
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49.
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Keep
informed with respect to regulatory and industry
developments.
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50.
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Develop,
administer and monitor the WMC and Fund Codes of
Ethics. Maintain a record of pre-clearance requests and monitor
pre-clearance procedures, and receive and review annual reports and
confirmation statements.
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51.
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Assist
Board in development and implementation of Code of Professional Standards
for Fund PEO and PFO. File Code with Form
N-CSR.
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52.
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Develop
and monitor Codes of Conduct for Attorneys, including WMC
attorneys.
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53.
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Review
with the Fund counsel compliance with provisions of the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended.
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54.
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Monitor,
review and file applicable tax filings. Monitor tax law changes
applicable to registered investment companies. Periodically
analyze general ledger to ensure that required distributions for income
and excise tax are made. Fund officers review the calculation
of distributions and submit the same to Directors for
approval. Ensure elections and schedules are properly
calculated and included with tax returns. Maintain copies of
all filed schedules. Ensure tax returns (including extensions)
are timely filed with federal and state
authorities.
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55.
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Monitor
and report regularly to the Board on the use of Fund assets for payments
under Rule 12b-1 Plans of Distribution to assure such expenditures are
limited to expenses authorized by the Board of Directors, and are within
overall Plan limits. Review all Plan payments for consistency
with the terms of the Plans. Assist Board in review of materials presented
by principal underwriter and Fund counsel to assist Directors in assessing
annual required renewal of each 12b-1 Plan. Review sales literature
provided to WMC by principal underwriter for consistency with Fund
policies and procedures.
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56.
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Participate
in the development and implementation of the Fund’s privacy policy as
required under Regulation S-P. Implement and maintain WMC’s
privacy policy and periodically remind WMC staff of obligations under the
policy.
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57.
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Develop,
maintain, and assist Fund in developing and maintaining, procedures
related to applicable anti-money laundering requirements and customer
identification program.
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58.
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Assist
Board in developing procedures and recommending changes to Audit Committee
Charter to comply with applicable
requirements.
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59.
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Reconcile
month-end custodian account statements with fund accounting records,
including security positions. Any discrepancies are noted,
researched and resolved. Copies of discrepancies will be
provided to the PEO and PFO.
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60.
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Monitor
reports and file required items necessary for compliance with Section
17f-4 of the Investment Company Act of
1940.
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61.
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Maintains fidelity
bond and D&O/E&O insurance policies for the Fund, including
monitoring Fund asset levels and coverage amounts, preparing the
renewal application for the fidelity bond, and completing necessary
filings with the SEC. If applicable, files claims on behalf of
the Fund.
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62.
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Receive
and review a month-end portfolio pricing report of all Fund
assets. Any exceptions are investigated and
reconciled.
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63.
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Securities
without readily available market prices are priced using Board approved
valuation procedures. Maintain records of fair valued
securities. Prepare Board reports concerning fair valued
securities.
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64.
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Perform
periodic compliance reviews relating to policies and procedures of the
Fund, as deemed necessary by WMC.
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65.
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Receive
and review monthly fund accounting exception
reports.
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66.
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Receive
and review periodic compliance reports from the investment
adviser.
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67.
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Develop
and monitor “whistle blower” provision to allow WMC personnel to report
possible violations of Fund policies or
regulations.
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68.
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Coordinate
17a-7 interfund transactions.
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69.
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Monitor
10f-3 transactions.
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70.
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Monitor
17e-1 transactions.
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71.
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Monitor
redemptions-in-kind.
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72.
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Respond
directly and/or in coordination with appropriate service provider to
inquiries received directly from shareholders and
dealers. Maintain a copy of related
correspondence. Make special reports to shareholders, as
requested.
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73.
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Maintain
a disaster recovery program to provide for effective contingent operations
as well as communication with key service providers in the event of
business location failure.
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74.
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Provides
information in response to regulatory examinations and provides exam
assistance, including serving as the liaison with the examiners during the
exam and assisting with preparation of the exam
response.
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75.
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Prepares
and files amendments to the articles of incorporation and prepares
amendments to the by-laws.
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76.
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Monitors
Fund shares outstanding in relation to shares that have been authorized
for sale.
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77.
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Administers
Director compensation.
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78.
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Provides
and administers Director website.
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79.
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Perform
such other activities, duties and responsibilities as promulgated by rule,
regulation or board request.
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