Exhibit (d)(xii)
SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT
This SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT is dated as of March 1, 2006 by and between AIG
SUNAMERICA ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., a Delaware corporation (the "Adviser"), and
IBBOTSON ASSOCIATES ADVISORS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (the
"Subadviser").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Adviser and Seasons Series Trust, a Massachusetts business
trust (the "Trust"), have entered into an Investment Advisory and Management
Agreement dated as of January 1, 1999, as amended from time to time (the
"Advisory Agreement"), pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to provide
investment management, advisory and administrative services to the Trust, and
pursuant to which the Adviser may delegate one or more of its duties to a
subadviser pursuant to a written subadvisory agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "Act"), as an open-end management investment company and may
issue shares of beneficial interest, no par value per share, in separately
designated portfolios representing separate funds with their own investment
objectives, policies and purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Subadviser is engaged in the business of rendering investment
advisory services and is registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to retain the Subadviser to furnish
investment advisory services to the investment portfolio(s) of the Trust listed
on Schedule A attached hereto (the "Portfolio(s)"), and the Subadviser is
willing to furnish such services;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. DUTIES OF THE SUBADVISER. The Adviser hereby engages the services of
the Subadviser in furtherance of its Investment Advisory and Management
Agreement with the Trust. Pursuant to this Subadvisory Agreement and subject to
the oversight and review of the Adviser, the Subadviser will manage the
investment and reinvestment of the assets of each Portfolio. The Subadviser will
determine, in its discretion and subject to the oversight and review of the
Adviser, the shares of open-end management investment companies to be purchased
or sold, will provide the Adviser with records concerning its activities which
the Adviser or the Trust is required to maintain, and will render regular
reports to the Adviser and to officers and Trustees of the Trust concerning its
discharge of the foregoing responsibilities. The Subadviser, as agent and
attorney-in-fact of the Trust, may, when it deems appropriate and without prior
consultation with the Adviser, buy, sell, exchange, convert and otherwise trade
shares of open-end management investment companies for the Portfolios. The
Subadviser shall discharge the
foregoing responsibilities subject to the control of the officers and the
Trustees of the Trust and in compliance with such policies as the Trustees of
the Trust may from time to time establish, and in compliance with (a) the
objectives, policies, restrictions and limitations for the Portfolio(s) as set
forth in the Trust's current prospectus and statement of additional information;
and (b) applicable laws and regulations.
The Subadviser agrees to comply with all applicable federal and state
laws, including securities, commodities and banking laws in carrying out its
obligations under this Subadvisory Agreement. The Subadviser also agrees to
comply with any policies, guidelines, instructions and procedures approved by
the Board of Trustees of the Trust or the Adviser and provided to the
Subadviser. The Subadviser shall also maintain compliance procedures that it
reasonably believes are adequate to ensure its compliance with the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940. No supervisory activity undertaken by the Adviser shall
limit the Subadviser's full responsibility for any of the foregoing.
The Adviser is responsible for monitoring each Portfolio's compliance with
all applicable laws including compliance with Section 817 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and the diversification
regulations thereunder. The Subadviser will provide the Adviser with any
information that is requested of it by the Adviser in connection with the
Adviser's compliance programs.
The Subadviser represents and warrants that to the extent that any
statements or omissions made in any Registration Statement for the Contracts or
shares of the Trust, or any amendment or supplement thereto, are made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished by the Subadviser
expressly for use therein, such Registration Statement and any amendments or
supplements thereto will, when they become effective, conform in all material
respects to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder (the "1933 Act") and the Act and will
not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading.
The Subadviser agrees: (a) to maintain a level of errors and omissions or
professional liability insurance coverage that, at all times during the course
of this Agreement, is appropriate given the nature of its business, and (b) from
time to time and upon reasonable request, to supply evidence of such coverage to
the Adviser.
The Subadviser accepts such employment and agrees, at its own expense, to
render the services set forth herein and to provide the office space,
furnishings, equipment and personnel required by it to perform such services on
the terms and for the compensation provided in this Agreement.
2. PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS. The Subadviser is responsible for decisions to
buy or sell shares of open-end management investment companies for the
Portfolios. The Subadviser will calculate daily trades for each Portfolio and
initiate and communicate all trade execution orders to the Trust's custodian.
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The Subadviser will promptly communicate to the Adviser and to the
officers and the Trustees of the Trust such information relating to portfolio
transactions as they may reasonably request.
3. COMPENSATION OF THE SUBADVISER. The Subadviser shall not be entitled to
receive any payment from the Trust and shall look solely and exclusively to the
Adviser for payment of all fees for the services rendered, facilities furnished
and expenses paid by it hereunder. As full compensation for the Subadviser under
this Agreement, the Adviser agrees to pay to the Subadviser a fee at the annual
rates set forth in Schedule A hereto with respect to the assets managed by the
Subadviser for each Portfolio listed thereon. Such fee shall be accrued daily
and paid monthly as soon as practicable after the end of each month (i.e., the
applicable annual fee rate divided by 365 applied to each prior day's net assets
in order to calculate the daily accrual). For purposes of calculating the
Subadviser's fee, the average daily net asset value of a Portfolio shall mean
the average daily net assets for which the Subadviser actually provides advisory
services, and shall be determined by taking an average of all determinations of
such net asset value during the month. If the Subadviser shall provide its
services under this Agreement for less than the whole of any month, the
foregoing compensation shall be prorated.
The Adviser shall be responsible for calculating the Subadviser's fees due
and payable under this Section 3.
4. OTHER SERVICES. At the request of the Trust or the Adviser, the
Subadviser in its discretion may make available to the Trust, office facilities,
equipment, personnel and other services in order to facilitate meetings or other
similar functions. Such office facilities, equipment, personnel and services
shall be provided for or rendered by the Subadviser and billed to the Trust or
the Adviser at the Subadviser's cost.
5. REPORTS. The Trust, the Adviser and the Subadviser agree to furnish to
each other, if applicable, current prospectuses, statements of additional
information, proxy statements, reports of shareholders, certified copies of
their financial statements, and such other information with regard to their
affairs and that of the Trust as each may reasonably request.
6. STATUS OF THE SUBADVISER. The services of the Subadviser to the Adviser
and the Trust are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free
to render similar services to others so long as its services to the Trust are
not impaired thereby. The Subadviser shall be deemed to be an independent
contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no
authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an
agent of the Trust.
7. ADVERTISING. Subadviser shall not provide or in any way distribute any
sales or advertising materials, whether or not related to the Trust, to any
employee or representative of AIG SunAmerica Capital Services, Inc. ("SACS") or
its affiliates, including wholesaling personnel, unless such material has been
received and approved, in writing, by the Adviser.
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8. PROXY VOTING. The Adviser will vote proxies relating to the Portfolio's
securities. The Adviser will vote all such proxies in accordance with such proxy
voting guidelines and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Adviser
may, on certain non-routine matters, consult with the Subadviser before voting
proxies relating to the Portfolio's securities. The Adviser will instruct the
custodian and other parties providing services to the Trust promptly to forward
to the proxy voting service copies of all proxies and shareholder communications
relating to securities held by each Portfolio (other than materials relating to
legal proceedings).
9. CERTAIN RECORDS. The Subadviser hereby agrees that any records that it
maintains and preserves on behalf of the Trust, will be maintained and preserved
in the form and for the periods required by Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 under the Act.
The Subadviser agrees that all accounts, books and other records
maintained and preserved by it as required hereby shall be subject at any time,
and from time to time, to such reasonable periodic, special and other
examinations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Trust's auditors,
the Trust or any representative of the Trust, the Adviser, or any governmental
agency or other instrumentality having regulatory authority over the Trust.
10. REFERENCE TO THE SUBADVISER. Neither the Trust nor the Adviser or any
affiliate or agent thereof shall make reference to or use the name of the
Subadviser or any of its affiliates in any advertising or promotional materials
without the prior approval of the Subadviser, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld.
11. LIABILITY OF THE SUBADVISER. (a) In the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or
duties ("disabling conduct") hereunder on the part of the Subadviser (and its
officers, directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons,
shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Subadviser) the
Subadviser shall not be subject to liability to the Adviser (and its officers,
directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any
other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser) or to the Trust (and its
officers, directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons,
shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Trust) for any
act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services
hereunder, including without limitation, any error of judgment or mistake of law
or for any loss suffered by any of them in connection with the matters to which
this Agreement relates, except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the
Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to
the receipt of compensation for services. Except for such disabling conduct, the
Adviser shall indemnify the Subadviser (and its officers, directors, partners,
agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and any other person or
entity affiliated with the Subadviser) from any and all losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses)
arising from Subadviser's rendering of services under this Agreement.
(b) The Subadviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Adviser
(and its officers, directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling persons,
shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser) and/or
the Trust (and its officers, directors/trustees, agents, employees, controlling
persons, shareholders and any other person or entity affiliated
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with the Trust) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Adviser
and/or the Trust and their affiliates or such directors/trustees, officers or
controlling person may become subject under the Act, the 1933 Act, under other
statutes, common law or otherwise, which arise from the Subadviser's disabling
conduct, including but not limited to any material failure by the Subadviser to
comply with the provisions and representations and warranties set forth in
Section 1 of this Agreement; provided, however, that in no case is the
Subadviser's indemnity in favor of any person deemed to protect such other
persons against any liability to which such person would otherwise be subject by
reasons of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of his, her or its duties or by reason of his, her or its reckless
disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement.
12. PERMISSIBLE INTERESTS. Trustees and agents of the Trust are or may be
interested in the Subadviser (or any successor thereof) as directors/trustees,
partners, officers, or shareholders, or otherwise; directors/trustees, partners,
officers, agents, and shareholders of the Subadviser are or may be interested in
the Trust as trustees, or otherwise; and the Subadviser (or any successor) is or
may be interested in the Trust in some manner.
13. TERM OF THE AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall continue in full force and
effect with respect to each Portfolio until two years from the date hereof, and
from year to year thereafter so long as such continuance is specifically
approved at least annually (i) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees of
the Trust 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
approval, and (ii) by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio voting separately from any other
series of the Trust.
With respect to each Portfolio, this Agreement may be terminated at any
time, without payment of a penalty by the Portfolio or the Trust, by vote of a
majority of the Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities (as defined in the Act) of the Portfolio, voting separately from any
other series of the Trust, or by the Adviser, on not less than 30 nor more than
60 days' written notice to the Subadviser. With respect to each Portfolio, this
Agreement may be terminated by the Subadviser at any time, without the payment
of any penalty, on 90 days' written notice to the Adviser and the Trust;
provided, however, that this Agreement may not be terminated by the Subadviser
unless another subadvisory agreement has been approved by the Trust in
accordance with the Act, or after six months' written notice, whichever is
earlier. The termination of this Agreement with respect to any Portfolio or the
addition of any Portfolio to Schedule A hereto (in the manner required by the
Act) shall not affect the continued effectiveness of this Agreement with respect
to each other Portfolio subject hereto. This Agreement shall automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined by the Act).
This Agreement will also terminate in the event that the Advisory
Agreement by and between the Trust and the Adviser is terminated.
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14. SEVERABILITY. 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.
15. AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent in
writing, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the
requirements of the Act.
16. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Act. To
the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the
provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the Act, the
latter shall control.
17. PERSONAL LIABILITY. The Declaration of the Trust establishing the
Trust (the "Declaration"), is on file in the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and, in accordance with that Declaration, no
Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be held to
any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property for
satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise in connection with the
affairs of the Trust, but the "Trust Property," as defined in the Declaration,
only shall be liable.
18. SEPARATE SERIES. Pursuant to the provisions of the Declaration, each
Portfolio is a separate series of the Trust, and all debts, liabilities,
obligations and expenses of a particular Portfolio shall be enforceable only
against the assets of that Portfolio and not against the assets of any other
Portfolio or of the Trust as a whole.
19. CONFIDENTIALITY. The Subadviser will not disclose or use any records
or information obtained pursuant to this Agreement in any manner whatsoever
except as expressly authorized in this Agreement or as reasonably required to
execute transactions on behalf of the Portfolios, and will keep confidential any
non-public information obtained directly as a result of this service
relationship, including non-public information provided to the Subadviser
regarding the securities held by Trust portfolios underlying each of the
Portfolios, and the Subadviser shall disclose such non-public information only
if the Adviser or the Board of Trustees has authorized such disclosure by prior
written consent, or if such information is or hereafter otherwise is known by
the Subadviser or has been disclosed, directly or indirectly, by the Adviser or
the Trust to others becomes ascertainable from public or published information
or trade sources, or if such disclosure is expressly required or requested by
applicable federal or state regulatory authorities, or to the extent such
disclosure is reasonably required by auditors or attorneys of the Subadviser in
connection with the performance of their professional services or as may
otherwise be contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Subadviser may disclose the total return earned by the Portfolios and may
include such total return in the calculation of composite performance
information.
20. NOTICES. All notices shall be in writing and deemed properly given
when delivered or mailed by United States certified or registered mail, return
receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
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Subadviser: Ibbotson Associates Advisors LLC
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Managing Director
Adviser: AIG SunAmerica Asset Management Corp.
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Vice President and Deputy
General Counsel
with a copy to: AIG Retirement Services, Inc.
0 XxxXxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Secretary of Seasons Series Trust
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their respective duly
authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above
written.
AIG SUNAMERICA ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP.
By: /s/ XXXX X. XXXXXX
--------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
IBBOTSON ASSOCIATES ADVISORS LLC
By: /s/ XXXXXXX X. XXXXXX
--------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
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