PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
August 1, 1998
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Company, L.L.C.
000 Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Re: Portfolio Management Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") is a diversified
closed-end investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940 (the "Act"), and is subject to the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
Liberty Asset Management Company (the "Fund Manager") evaluates and
recommends portfolio managers for the assets of the Fund, and is responsible for
the day-to-day administration of the Fund.
1. Employment as a Portfolio Manager. The Fund being duly authorized
hereby employs Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Company, L.L.C. (the "Portfolio Manager") as a
discretionary portfolio manager, on the terms and conditions set forth herein,
of that portion of the Fund's assets which the Fund Manager determines to assign
to the Portfolio Manager (those assets being referred to as the "Portfolio
Manager Account"). The Fund Manager may, from time to time, allocate and
reallocate the Fund's assets among the Portfolio Manager and the other portfolio
managers of the Fund's assets.
2. Acceptance of Employment; Standard of Performance. The Portfolio
Manager accepts its employment as a discretionary portfolio manager and agrees
to use its best professional judgment to make timely investment decisions for
the Portfolio Manager Account in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement.
3. Portfolio Management Services of Portfolio Manager. In providing
portfolio management services to the Portfolio Manager Account, the Portfolio
Manager shall be subject to the investment objectives, policies and restrictions
of the Fund as set forth in its current Registration Statement under the Act, as
the same may be modified from time to time (the "Registration Statement"), and
the investment restrictions set forth in the Act and the Rules thereunder (as
and to the extent set forth in the Registration Statement or in other
documentation furnished to the Portfolio Manager by the Fund or the Fund
Manager), to the supervision and control of the Board of Directors of the Fund,
and to instructions from the Fund Manager. The Portfolio Manager shall not,
without the prior approval of the Fund or the Fund Manager, effect any
transactions which would cause the Portfolio Manager Account, treated as a
separate fund, to be out of compliance with any of such restrictions or
policies.
4. Transaction Procedures. All portfolio transactions for the
Portfolio Manager Account will be consummated by payment to or delivery by the
custodian of the Fund (the "Custodian"), or such depositories or agents as may
be designated by the Custodian in writing, as custodian for the Fund, of all
cash and/or securities due to or from the Portfolio Manager Account, and the
Portfolio Manager shall not have possession or custody thereof or any
responsibility or liability with respect to such custody. The Portfolio Manager
shall advise and confirm in writing to the Custodian all investment orders for
the Portfolio Manager Account placed by it with brokers and dealers at the time
and in the manner set forth in Schedule A hereto (as amended from time to time
by the Fund Manager). The Fund shall issue to the Custodian such instructions as
may be appropriate in connection with the settlement of any transaction
initiated by the Portfolio manager. The Fund shall be responsible for all
custodial arrangements and the payment of all custodial charges and fees, and,
upon giving proper instructions to the Custodian, the Portfolio Manager shall
have no responsibility or liability with respect to custodial arrangements or
the acts, omissions or other conduct of the Custodian.
5. Allocation of Brokerage. The Portfolio Manager shall have authority
and discretion to select brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions
initiated by the Portfolio Manager for the Portfolio Manager Account, and to
select the markets on or in which the transaction will be executed.
A. In doing so, the Portfolio Manager's primary responsibility
shall be to seek to obtain best net price and execution for the Fund.
However, this responsibility shall not obligate the Portfolio Manager
to solicit competitive bids for each transaction or to seek the lowest
available commission cost to the Fund, so long as the Portfolio Manager
reasonably believes that the broker or dealer selected by it can be
expected to obtain a "best execution" market price on the particular
transaction and determines in good faith that the commission cost is
reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research
services (as defined in Section 28(e)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934) provided by such broker or dealer to the Portfolio Manager
viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or of the
Portfolio Manager's overall responsibilities with respect to its
clients, including the Fund, as to which the Portfolio Manager
exercises investment discretion, notwithstanding that the Fund may not
be the direct or exclusive beneficiary of any such services or that
another broker may be willing to charge the Fund a lower commission on
the particular transaction.
B. Subject to the requirements of paragraph A above, the Fund
Manager shall have the right to request that transactions giving rise
to brokerage commissions, in an amount to be agreed upon by the Fund
Manager and the Portfolio Manager, shall be executed by brokers and
dealers that provide brokerage or research services to the Fund
Manager, or as to which an on-going relationship will be of value to
the Fund in the management of its assets, which services and
relationship may, but need not, be of direct benefit to the Portfolio
Manager Account.
C. The Portfolio Manager shall not execute any portfolio
transactions for the Portfolio Manager Account with a broker or dealer
which is an "affiliated person" (as defined in the Act) of the Fund,
the Portfolio Manager or any other Portfolio Manager of the Fund
without the prior written approval of the Fund. The Fund Manager will
provide the Portfolio Manager with a list of brokers and dealers which
are "affiliated persons" of the Fund or its Portfolio Managers.
6. Proxies. The Fund will vote or direct the voting of all proxies
solicited by or with respect to the issuers of securities in which assets of the
Portfolio Manager Account may be invested from time to time. At the request of
the Fund, the Portfolio Manager shall provide the Fund with its recommendations
as to the voting of such proxies.
7. Fees for Services. The compensation of the Portfolio Manager for its
services under this Agreement shall be calculated and paid by the Fund Manager
in accordance with the attached Schedule C. Pursuant to the Fund Management
Agreement between the Fund and the Fund Manager, the Fund Manager is solely
responsible for the payment of fees to the Portfolio Manager from the fund
management fees paid to it by the Fund, and the Portfolio Manager agrees to seek
payment of its fees solely from the Fund Manager.
8. Other Investment Activities of Portfolio Manager. The Fund
acknowledges that the Portfolio Manager or one or more of its affiliates has
investment responsibilities, renders investment advice to and performs other
investment advisory services for other individuals or entities ("Client
Accounts"), and that the Portfolio Manager, its affiliates or any of its or
their directors, members, officers, agents or employees may buy, sell or trade
in any securities for its or their respective accounts ("Affiliated Accounts").
Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 hereof, the Fund agrees that the
Portfolio Manager or its affiliates may give advice or exercise investment
responsibility and take such other action with respect to other Client Accounts
and Affiliated Accounts which may differ from the advice given or the timing or
nature of action taken with respect to the Portfolio Manager Account, provided
that the Portfolio Manager acts in good faith, and provided further, that it is
the Portfolio Manager's policy to allocate, within its reasonable discretion,
investment opportunities to the Portfolio Manager Account over a period of time
on a fair and equitable basis relative to the Client Accounts and the Affiliated
Accounts, taking into account the cash position and the investment objectives
and policies of the Fund and any specific investment restrictions applicable
thereto. The Fund acknowledges that one or more Client Accounts and Affiliated
Accounts may at any time hold, acquire, increase, decrease, dispose of or
otherwise deal with positions in investments in which the Portfolio Manager
Account may have an interest from time to time, whether in transactions which
involve the Portfolio Manager Account or otherwise. The Portfolio Manager shall
have no obligation to acquire for the Portfolio Manager Account a position in
any investment which any Client Account or Affiliated Account may acquire, and
the Fund shall have no first refusal, coinvestment or other rights in respect of
any such investment, either for the Portfolio Manager Account or otherwise.
9. Limitation of Liability. The Portfolio Manager shall not be liable
for any action taken, omitted or suffered to be taken by it in its reasonable
judgment, in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the
discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Agreement, or in
accordance with (or in the absence of) specific directions or instructions from
the Fund, provided, however, that such acts or omissions shall not have resulted
from the Portfolio Manager's willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence,
a violation of the standard of care established by and applicable to the
Portfolio Manager in its actions under this Agreement or breach of its duty or
of its obligations hereunder (provided, however, that the foregoing shall not be
construed to protect the Portfolio Manager from liability in violation of
Section 17(i) of the Act).
10. Confidentiality. Subject to the duty of the Portfolio Manager and
the Fund to comply with applicable law, including any demand of any regulatory
or taxing authority having jurisdiction, the parties hereto shall treat as
confidential all information pertaining to the Portfolio Manager Account and the
actions of the Portfolio Manager and the Fund in respect thereof.
11. Assignment. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the
event of its assignment, as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the Act.
The Portfolio Manager shall notify the Fund in writing sufficiently in advance
of any proposed change of control, as defined in Section 2(a)(9) of the Act, as
will enable the Fund to consider whether an assignment as defined in Section
2(a)(4) of the Act will occur, and whether to take the steps necessary to enter
into a new contract with the Portfolio Manager.
12. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Fund. The Fund
represents, warrants and agrees that:
A. The Portfolio Manager has been duly appointed to provide
investment services to the Portfolio Manager Account as
contemplated hereby.
B. The Fund has delivered to the Portfolio Manager such
instructions governing the investment of the Portfolio Manager
Account as are necessary for the Portfolio Manager to carry out
its obligations under this Agreement.
13. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Portfolio
Manager. The Portfolio Manager represents, warrants and agrees that:
A. It is registered as an "Investment Adviser" under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act").
B. It will maintain, keep current and preserve on behalf of
the Fund, in the manner required or permitted by the Act and the
Rules thereunder, the records identified in Schedule B (as
Schedule B may be amended from time to time by the Fund Manager).
The Portfolio Manager agrees that such records are the property
of the Fund, and will be surrendered to the Fund promptly upon
request.
C. It will adopt a written code of ethics complying with the
requirements of Rule l7j-l under the Act and will provide the
Fund with a copy of the code of ethics and evidence of its
adoption. Within 45 days of the end of each year while this
Agreement is in effect, an officer or general partner of the
Portfolio Manager shall certify to the Fund that the Portfolio
Manager has complied with the requirements of Rule l7j-l during
the previous year and that there has been no violation of its
code of ethics or, if such a violation has occurred, that
appropriate action was taken in response to such violation. Upon
the written request of the Fund, the Portfolio Manager shall
permit the Fund to examine the reports required to be made by the
Portfolio Manager under Rule l7j-l(c)(l).
D. Upon request, the Portfolio Manager will promptly supply
the Fund with any information concerning the Portfolio Manager
and its stockholders, employees and affiliates which the Fund may
reasonably require in connection with the preparation of its
Registration Statement or amendments thereto, proxy material,
reports and other documents required to be filed under the Act,
the Securities Act of 1933, or other applicable securities laws.
14. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended at any time, but (except
for Schedules A and B which may be amended by the Fund Manager acting alone)
only by written agreement among the Portfolio Manager, the Fund Manager and the
Fund, which amendment, other than amendments to Schedules A and B, is subject to
the approval of the Board of Directors and the Shareholders of the Fund as and
to the extent required by the Act.
15. Effective Date; Term. This Agreement shall continue in effect until
July 31, 1999 and shall continue in effect thereafter provided such continuance
is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Fund's Board of Directors
or (ii) a vote of a "majority" (as defined in the Act) of the Fund's outstanding
voting securities, provided that in either event such continuance is also
approved by a majority of the Board of Directors who are not "interested
persons" (as defined in the Act) of any party to this Agreement, by vote cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The
aforesaid requirement that continuance of this Agreement be "specifically
approved at least annually" shall be construed in a manner consistent with the
Act and the Rules and Regulations thereunder.
16. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any party, without
penalty, immediately upon written notice to the other parties in the event of a
breach of any provision thereof by a party so notified, or otherwise upon not
less than thirty (30) days' written notice to the Portfolio Manager in the case
of termination by the Fund or the Fund Manager, or ninety (90) days' written
notice to the Fund and the Fund Manager in the case of termination by the
Portfolio Manager, but any such termination shall not affect the status,
obligations or liabilities of any party hereto to the other parties.
17. Applicable Law. To the extent that state law is not preempted by
the provisions of any law of the United States heretofore or hereafter enacted,
as the same may be amended from time to time, this Agreement shall be
administered, construed and enforced according to the laws of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts.
18. Severability. If any term or condition of this Agreement shall be
invalid or unenforceable to any extent or in any application, then the remainder
of this Agreement, and such term or condition except to such extent or in such
application, shall not be affected thereby, and each and every term and
condition of this Agreement shall be valid and enforced to the fullest extent
and in the broadest application permitted by law.
19. Prior Agreement Superceded. This Agreement supercedes and replaces
the Portfolio Management Agreement dated March 1, 1997 among the Fund, the
Fund Manager and the Portfolio Manager.
LIBERTY ALL-STAR GROWTH FUND, INC.
By:
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Title:
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LIBERTY ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY
By:
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Title:
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ACCEPTED:
XXXXXXX XXXXX & COMPANY, L.L.C.
By:
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Title:
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SCHEDULES: A. Operational Procedures For Portfolio Transactions
B. Record Keeping Requirements
C. Fee Schedule
SCHEDULE C
PORTFOLIO MANAGER FEE
For services provided to the Portfolio Manager Account, the Fund
Manager will pay to the Portfolio Manager, on or before the fifth business day
of each calendar quarter, a fee for the previous calendar quarter at the rate
of:
.10% (.40% annually) of the Portfolio Manager's Percentage (as defined
below) of the average weekly net assets of the Fund up to and
including $300 million; and
.09% (.36% annually) of the Portfolio Manager's Percentage of the
average weekly net assets of the Fund exceeding $300 million.
Each quarterly payment set forth above shall be based on the average
weekly net assets during such previous calendar quarter. The fee for the period
from the date this Agreement becomes effective to the end of the calendar
quarter in which such effective date occurs will be prorated according to the
proportion that such period bears to the full quarterly period. Upon any
termination of this Agreement before the end of a calendar quarter, the fee for
the part of that calendar quarter during which this Agreement was in effect
shall be prorated according to the proportion that such period bears to the full
quarterly period and will be payable upon the date of termination of this
Agreement. For the purpose of determining fees payable to the Portfolio Manager,
the value of the Fund's net assets will be computed at the times and in the
manner specified in the Registration Statement as from time to time in effect.
"Portfolio Manager's Percentage" means the percentage obtained by
dividing the average weekly net assets in the Portfolio Manager Account by the
Fund's average weekly net assets.
