PLACEMENT AGENT AGREEMENT
October 27, 1992
Xxxxx Xxxxx Distributors, Inc.
00 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Gentlemen:
This is to confirm that, in consideration of the agreements
hereinafter contained, the undersigned, Greater China Growth Portfolio
(the "Trust"), an open-end diversified management investment company
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940
Act"), organized as a New York trust, has agreed that Xxxxx Xxxxx
Distributors, Inc. ("EVD") shall be the placement agent (the "Placement
Agent") of Interests in the Trust ("Trust Interests").
1. Services as Placement Agent.
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1.1 EVD will act as Placement Agent of the Trust Interests
covered by the Trust's registration statement then in effect under the
1940 Act. In acting as Placement Agent under this Placement Agent
Agreement, neither EVD nor its employees or any agents thereof shall make
any offer or sale of Trust Interests in a manner which would require the
Trust Interests to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "1933 Act").
1.2 All activities by EVD and its agents and employees as
Placement Agent of Trust Interests shall comply with all applicable laws,
rules and regulations, including, without limitation, all rules and
regulations adopted pursuant to the 1940 Act by the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission").
1.3 Nothing herein shall be construed to require the Trust to
accept any offer to purchase any Trust Interests, all of which shall be
subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
1.4 The Portfolio shall furnish from time to time for use in
connection with the sale of Trust Interests such information with respect
to the Trust and Trust Interests as EVD may reasonably request. The Trust
shall also furnish EVD upon request with: (a) unaudited semiannual
statements of the Trust's books and accounts prepared by the Trust, and
(b) from time to time such additional information regarding the Trust's
financial or regulatory condition as EVD may reasonably request.
1.5 The Trust represents to EVD that all registration statements
filed by the Trust with the Commission under the 1940 Act with respect to
Trust Interests have been prepared in conformity with the requirements of
such statute and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
As used in this Agreement the term "registration statement" shall mean any
registration statement filed with the Commission as modified by any
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amendments thereto that at any time shall have been filed with the
Commission by or on behalf of the Trust. The Trust represents and
warrants to EVD that any registration statement will contain all
statements required to be stated therein in conformity with both such
statute and the rules and regulations of the Commission; that all
statements of fact contained in any registration statement will be true
and correct in all material respects at the time of filing of such
registration statement or amendment thereto; and that no registration
statement will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of Trust Interests.
The Trust may but shall not be obligated to propose from time to time such
amendment to any registration statement as in the light of future
developments may, in the opinion of the Trust's counsel, be necessary or
advisable. If the Trust shall not propose such amendment and/or
supplement within fifteen days after receipt by the Trust of a written
request from EVD to do so, EVD may, at its option, terminate this
Agreement. The Trust shall not file any amendment to any registration
statement without giving EVD reasonable notice thereof in advance;
provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement shall in any
way limit the Trust's right to file at any time such amendment to any
registration statement as the Trust may deem advisable, such right being
in all respects absolute and unconditional.
1.6 The Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold EVD, its
several officers and directors, and any person who controls EVD within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act") (for purposes of this paragraph 1.6,
collectively, "Covered Persons") free and harmless from and against any
and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the cost of
investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which any Covered Person
may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, common law or otherwise,
arising out of or based on any untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any registration statement, private placement memorandum or
other offering material ("Offering Material") or arising out of or based
on any omission to state a material fact required to be stated in any
Offering Material or necessary to make the statements in any Offering
Material not misleading; provided, however, that the Trust's agreement to
indemnify Covered Persons shall not be deemed to cover any claims,
demands, liabilities or expenses arising out of any financial and other
statements as are furnished in writing to the Trust by EVD in its capacity
as Placement Agent for use in the answers to any items of any registration
statement or in any statements made in any Offering Material, or arising
out of or based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material
fact in connection with the giving of such information required to be
stated in such answers or necessary to make the answers not misleading;
and further provided that the Trust's agreement to indemnify EVD and the
Trust's representations and warranties hereinbefore set forth in this
paragraph 1.6 shall not be deemed to cover any liability to the Trust or
its investors to which a Covered Person would otherwise be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the
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performance of its duties, or by reason of a Covered Person's reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. The Trust
should be notified of any action brought against a Covered Person, such
notification to be given by a writing addressed to the Trust, 3408 One
Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong, with a copy to the Administrator
of the Portfolio, Xxxxx Xxxxx Management, 00 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, promptly after the summons or other first legal
process shall have been duly and completely served upon such Covered
Person. The failure to so notify the Trust of any such action shall
not relieve the Trust from any liability except to the extent the Trust
shall have been prejudiced by such failure, or from any liability
that the Trust may have to the Covered Person against whom such
action is brought by reason of any such untrue statement or omission,
otherwise than on account of the Trust's indemnity agreement contained in
this paragraph. The Trust will be entitled to assume the defense of any
suit brought to enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but in
such case such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing
chosen by the Trust and approved by EVD, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld. In the event the Trust elects to assume the defense
of any such suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by EVD, the
defendant or defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of
any additional counsel retained by any of them; but in case the Trust does
not elect to assume the defense of any such suit or in case EVD reasonably
does not approve of counsel chosen by the Trust, the Trust will reimburse
the Covered Person named as defendant in such suit, for the fees and
expenses of any counsel retained by EVD or it. The Trust's indemnification
agreement contained in this paragraph and the Trust's representations and
warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force
and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of Covered
Persons, and shall survive the delivery of any Trust Interests. This
agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to Covered Persons and their
successors. The Trust agrees to notify EVD promptly of the commencement
of any litigation or proceedings against the Trust or any of its officers
or Trustees in connection with the issue and sale of any Trust Interests.
1.7 EVD agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, its
several officers and trustees, and any person who controls the Trust
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934
Act (for purposes of this paragraph 1.7, collectively, "Covered Persons")
free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands,
liabilities and expenses (including the costs of investigating or
defending such claims, demands, liabilities and any counsel fees incurred
in connection therewith) that Covered Persons may incur under the 1933
Act, the 1934 Act or common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that
such liability or expense incurred by a Covered Person resulting from such
claims or demands shall arise out of or be based on any untrue statement
of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by EVD in
its capacity as Placement Agent to the Trust for use in the answers to any
of the items of any registration statement or in any statements in any
other Offering Material or shall arise out of or be based on any omission
to state a material fact in connection with such information furnished in
writing by EVD to the Trust required to be stated in such answers or
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necessary to make such information not misleading. EVD shall be notified
of any action brought against a Covered Person, such notification to be
given by a writing addressed to EVD at 00 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, promptly after the summons or other first legal
process shall have been duly and completely served upon such Covered
Person. EVD shall have the right of first control of the defense of the
action with counsel of its own choosing satisfactory to the Trust if such
action is based solely on such alleged misstatement or omission on EVD's
part, and in any other event each Covered Person shall have the right to
participate in the defense or preparation of the defense of any such
action. The failure to so notify EVD of any such action shall not relieve
EVD from any liability except to the extent the Trust shall have been
prejudiced by such failure, or from any liability that EVD may have to
Covered Persons by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement,
or omission or alleged omission, otherwise than on account of EVD's
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph.
1.8 No Trust Interests shall be offered by either EVD or the
Trust under any of the provisions of this Agreement and no orders for the
purchase or sale of Trust Interests hereunder shall be accepted by the
Trust if and so long as the effectiveness of the registration statement or
any necessary amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the
provisions of the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this paragraph shall in any way restrict or have an
application to or bearing on the Trust's obligation to redeem Trust
Interests from any investor in accordance with the provisions of the
Trust's registration statement or Declaration of Trust, as amended from
time to time.
1.9 The Trust agrees to advise EVD as soon as reasonably
practical by a notice in writing delivered to EVD or its counsel:
(a) of any request by the Commission for amendments to the
registration statement then in effect or for additional information;
(b) in the event of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement then in
effect or the initiation by service of process on the Trust of any
proceeding for that purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event that makes untrue any
statement of a material fact made in the registration statement then in
effect or that requires the making of a change in such registration
statement in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and
(d) of all action of the Commission with respect to any
amendment to any registration statement that may from time to time be
filed with the Commission.
For purposes of this paragraph 1.9, informal requests by or acts
of the Staff of the Commission shall not be deemed actions of or requests
by the Commission.
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1.10 EVD agrees on behalf of itself and its employees to treat
confidentially and as proprietary information of the Trust all records and
other information not otherwise publicly available relative to the Trust
and its prior, present or potential investors and not to use such records
and information for any purpose other than performance of its
responsibilities and duties hereunder, except after prior notification to
and approval in writing by the Trust, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where EVD 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 Trust.
2. Duration and Termination of this Agreement.
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This Agreement shall become effective upon the date of its
execution, and, unless terminated as herein provided, shall remain in full
force and effect through and including February 28, 1994 and shall
continue in full force and effect indefinitely thereafter, but only so
long as such continuance after February 28, 1994 is specifically approved
at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust and (ii) by
the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not
interested persons of EVD or the Trust cast in person at a meeting called
for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Either party hereto may, at any time on sixty (60) days' prior
written notice to the other, terminate this agreement without the payment
of any penalty, by action of Trustees of the Trust or the Directors of
EVD, as the case may be, and the Trust may, at any time upon such written
notice to EVD, terminate this Agreement by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Trust. This Agreement shall
terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
3. Representations and Warranties.
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EVD and the Trust each hereby represents and warrants to the
other that it has all requisite authority to enter into, execute, deliver
and perform its obligations under this Agreement and that, with respect to
it, this Agreement is legal, valid and binding, and enforceable in
accordance with its terms.
4. Limitation of Liability.
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EVD expressly acknowledges the provision in the Declaration of
Trust of the Trust (Sections 5.2 and 5.6) limiting the personal liability
of the Trustees and officers of the Trust, and EVD hereby agrees that it
shall have recourse to the Trust for payment of claims or obligations as
between the Trust and EVD arising out of this Agreement and shall not seek
satisfaction from any Trustee or officer of the Trust.
5. Certain Definitions.
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The terms "assignment" and "interested persons" when used herein
shall have the respective meanings specified in the Investment Company Act
of 1940 as now in effect or as hereafter amended subject, however, to such
exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission by
any rule, regulation or order. The term "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities" shall mean the vote, at a meeting of
Holders, of the lesser of (a) 67 per centum or more of the Interests in
the Trust present or represented by proxy at the meeting if the Holders of
more than 50 per centum of the outstanding Interests in the Trust are
present or represented by proxy at the meeting, or (b) more than 50 per
centum of the outstanding Interests in the Trust. The terms "Holders" and
"Interests" when used herein shall have the respective meanings specified
in the Declaration of Trust of the Trust.
6. Concerning Applicable Provisions of Law, etc.
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This Agreement shall be subject to all applicable provisions of
law, including the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and to the extent
that any provisions herein contained conflict with any such applicable
provisions of law, the latter shall control.
The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall, except to
the extent that any applicable provisions of federal law shall be
controlling, govern the construction, validity and effect of this
Agreement, without reference to principles of conflicts of law.
If the contract set forth herein is acceptable to you, please so
indicate by executing the enclosed copy of this Agreement and returning
the same to the undersigned, whereupon this Agreement shall constitute a
binding contract between the parties hereto effective at the closing of
business on the date hereof.
Yours very truly,
GREATER CHINA GROWTH PORTFOLIO
By: /s/Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
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Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
President
Accepted:
XXXXX XXXXX DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
By: /s/Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
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Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
President
