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EXHIBIT (5)(b)(vi)
MANUFACTURERS INVESTMENT TRUST
SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of April, 1998, between Manufacturers
Securities Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("MSS" or the
"Adviser"), and Founders Asset Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company (the "Subadviser"). In consideration of the mutual covenants contained
herein, the parties agree as follows:
1. APPOINTMENT OF SUBADVISER
The Subadviser undertakes to act as investment subadviser to, and, subject
to the supervision of the Trustees of Manufacturers Investment Trust (the
"Trust") and the terms of this Agreement, to manage the investment and
reinvestment of the assets of the Portfolios specified in Appendix A to this
Agreement as it shall be amended by the Adviser and the Subadviser from time to
time (the "Portfolios"). The Subadviser will be an independent contractor and
will have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or Adviser in any way
except as expressly authorized in this Agreement or another writing by the Trust
and Adviser.
2. SERVICES TO BE RENDERED BY THE SUBADVISER TO THE TRUST
a. Subject always to the direction and control of the Trustees of the Trust,
the Subadviser will manage the investments and determine the composition
of the assets of the Portfolios in accordance with the Portfolios'
registration statement, as amended. In fulfilling its obligations to
manage the investments and reinvestments of the assets of the Portfolios,
the Subadviser will:
i. obtain and evaluate pertinent economic, statistical, financial and
other information affecting the individual companies or industries
the securities of which are included in the Portfolios or are under
consideration for inclusion in the Portfolios;
ii. formulate and implement a continuous investment program for each
Portfolio consistent with the investment objectives and related
investment policies for each such Portfolio as described in the
Trust's registration statement, as amended;
iii. take whatever steps are necessary to implement these investment
programs by the purchase and sale of securities including the
placing of orders for such purchases and sales;
iv. regularly report to the Trustees of the Trust with respect to the
implementation of these investment programs; and
v. provide recommendations, in accordance with procedures and methods
established by the Trustees of the Trust, of the fair value of
securities held by the Portfolios for which market quotations are
not readily available for purposes of enabling the Trust's Custodian
to calculate net asset value.
b. The Subadviser, at its expense, will furnish (i) all necessary investment
and management facilities, including salaries of personnel required for it
to execute its duties faithfully, and (ii) administrative facilities,
including bookkeeping, clerical personnel and equipment necessary for the
efficient conduct of the investment affairs of the Portfolios (excluding
determination of net asset value and shareholder accounting services).
c. The Subadviser will select brokers and dealers to effect all transactions
subject to the following conditions: The Subadviser will place all orders
with brokers, dealers, or issuers, and will negotiate brokerage
commissions if applicable. The Subadviser is directed at all times to seek
to execute brokerage transactions for the Portfolios in accordance with
such policies or practices as may be established by the Trustees and
described in the Trust's registration statement as amended. The Subadviser
may pay a broker-dealer which provides research and brokerage services a
higher spread or commission for a particular transaction than
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otherwise might have been charged by another broker-dealer, if the
Subadviser determines that the higher spread or commission is reasonable
in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services that such
broker-dealer provides, viewed in terms of either the particular
transaction or the Subadviser's overall responsibilities with respect to
accounts managed by the Subadviser. The Subadviser may use for the benefit
of the Subadviser's other clients, or make available to companies
affiliated with the Subadviser or to its directors for the benefit of its
clients, any such brokerage and research services that the Subadviser
obtains from brokers or dealers.
d. The Subadviser will maintain all accounts, books and records with respect
to the Portfolios in connection with the Subadviser's provision of
services under this Agreement as are required of an investment adviser of
a registered investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of
1940 (the "Investment Company Act") and Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(the "Investment Advisers Act") and the rules thereunder.
3. COMPENSATION OF SUBADVISER
The Adviser will pay the Subadviser with respect to each Portfolio the
compensation specified in Appendix A to this Agreement.
4. LIABILITY OF SUBADVISER
Neither the Subadviser nor any of its partners or employees shall be
liable to the Adviser or Trust for any loss suffered by the Adviser or Trust
resulting from any error of judgment made in the good faith exercise of the
Subadviser's investment discretion in connection with selecting Portfolio
investments except for losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or
gross negligence of, or from reckless disregard of, the duties of the Subadviser
or any of its partners or employees; and neither the Subadviser nor any of its
partners or employees shall be liable to the Adviser or Trust for any loss
suffered by the Adviser or Trust resulting from any other matters to which this
Agreement relates (I.E., those other matters specified in Sections 2 and 8 of
this Agreement), except for losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad
faith, or negligence in the performance of, or from disregard of, the duties of
the Subadviser or any of its partners or employees.
5. SUPPLEMENTAL AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS
The Subadviser may enter into arrangements with other persons affiliated
with the Subadviser to better enable it to fulfill its obligations under this
Agreement for the provision of certain personnel and facilities to the
Subadviser.
The services of the Subadviser to the Trust are not to be deemed to be
exclusive, the Subadviser and any person controlled by or under common control
with the Subadviser being free to render investment advisory and other services
to any other person or entity.
6. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
It is understood that trustees, officers, agents and shareholders of the
Trust are or may be interested in the Subadviser as trustees, officers, partners
or otherwise; that directors, officers, agents and partners of the Subadviser
are or may be interested in the Trust as trustees, officers, shareholders or
otherwise; that the Subadviser may be interested in the Trust; and that the
existence of any such dual interest shall not affect the validity hereof or of
any transactions hereunder except as otherwise provided in the Agreement and
Declaration of Trust of the Trust and the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Subadviser, respectively, or by specific provision of applicable law.
7. REGULATION
The Subadviser shall submit to all regulatory and administrative bodies
having jurisdiction over the services provided pursuant to this Agreement any
information, reports or other material which any such body by reason of this
Agreement may request or require pursuant to applicable laws and regulations.
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8. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT
This Agreement shall become effective with respect to each Portfolio on
the later of its execution, the effective date of the registration statement of
the Portfolio and the date of the Board of Trustees meeting at which this
Agreement is approved as described below. The Agreement will continue in effect
for a period more than two years from the date of its execution only so long as
such continuance is specifically approved at least annually either by the
Trustees of the Trust or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
each of the Portfolios, provided that in either event such continuance shall
also be approved by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are
not interested persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of any party
to this Agreement cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting
on such approval. Any required shareholder approval of the Agreement or of any
continuance of the Agreement shall be effective with respect to any Portfolio if
a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the series (as defined in
Rule 18f-2(h) under the Investment Company Act) of shares of that Portfolio
votes to approve the Agreement or its continuance, notwithstanding that the
Agreement or its continuance may not have been approved by a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of (a) any other Portfolio affected by the
Agreement or (b) all the portfolios of the Trust.
If any required shareholder approval of the Agreement or any continuance
of the Agreement is not obtained, the Subadviser will continue to act as
investment subadviser with respect to such Portfolio pending the required
approval of the Agreement or its continuance or of any contract with the
Subadviser or a different adviser or subadviser or other definitive action;
provided, that the compensation received by the Subadviser in respect of such
Portfolio during such period is in compliance with Rule 15a-4 under the
Investment Company Act.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any
penalty, by the Trustees of the Trust, by the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Trust, or with respect to any Portfolio by
the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Portfolio,
on sixty days' written notice to the Adviser and the Subadviser, or by the
Adviser or Subadviser on sixty days' written notice to the Trust and the other
party. This agreement will automatically terminate, without the payment of any
penalty, in the event of its assignment (as defined in the Investment Company
Act) or in the event the Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust
terminates for any reason.
9. PROVISION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY SUBADVISER
The Subadviser will promptly notify the Adviser in writing of the
occurrence of any of the following events:
a. the Subadviser fails to be registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act or under the laws of any jurisdiction in which the
Subadviser is required to be registered as an investment adviser in order
to perform its obligations under this Agreement;
b. the Subadviser is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by
any court, public board or body, involving the affairs of the Trust; and
c. the managing general partner or controlling partner of the Subadviser or
the portfolio manager of any Portfolio changes.
10. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGREEMENT
This Agreement may be amended by the parties only if such amendment is
specifically approved by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who
are not interested persons of any party to this Agreement cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. Any required
shareholder approval shall be effective with respect to any Portfolio if a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Portfolio vote to approve
the amendment, notwithstanding that the amendment may not have been approved by
a majority of the outstanding voting securities of (a) any other Portfolio
affected by the amendment or (b) all the portfolios of the Trust.
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11. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
This Agreement contains the entire understanding and agreement of the
parties.
12. HEADINGS
The headings in the sections of this Agreement are inserted for
convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part hereof.
13. NOTICES
All notices required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be
delivered or mailed to the last known business address of the Trust or
applicable party in person or by registered mail or a private mail or delivery
service providing the sender with notice of receipt. Notice shall be deemed
given on the date delivered or mailed in accordance with this paragraph.
14. SEVERABILITY
Should any portion of this Agreement for any reason be held to be void in
law or in equity, the Agreement shall be construed, insofar as is possible, as
if such portion had never been contained herein.
15. GOVERNING LAW
The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in
accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any of the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent that the laws
of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any of the provisions in this
Agreement, conflict with applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act,
the latter shall control.
16. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
The Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated September 28, 1988, a copy of
which, together with all amendments thereto (the "Declaration"), is on file in
the office of the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provides that
the name "Manufacturers Investment Trust" refers to the Trustees under the
Declaration collectively as Trustees, but not as individuals or personally; and
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 the satisfaction of any obligation or claim, in connection with the affairs
of the Trust or any portfolio thereof, but only the assets belonging to the
Trust, or to the particular portfolio with which the obligee or claimant dealt,
shall be liable.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed under seal by their duly authorized officers as of the date first
mentioned above.
Manufacturers Securities Services, LLC
by: The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company of
North America, its managing member
by: /s/ XXXX X. XXXXXX
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Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Vice President
by: /s/ XXXXX X. XXXXXX
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Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Vice President, Finance
Founders Asset Management LLC
by: /s/ XXXXXXXX X. XXXXXXX
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Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, President
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APPENDIX A
The Subadviser shall serve as investment subadviser for the following
portfolios of the Trust. The Adviser will pay the Subadviser, as full
compensation for all services provided under this Agreement, the fee computed
separately for each such Portfolio at an annual rate as follows (the "Subadviser
Percentage Fee"):
1. International Small Cap Trust: .650% of the first $50,000,000, .600%
between $50,000,000 and $200,000,000, .500% between $200,000,000 and
$500,000,000 and .400% on the excess over $500,000,000 of the average
daily value of the net assets of the Portfolio;
2. Growth Trust: .450% of the first $50,000,000, .450% between $50,000,000
and $200,000,000, .350% between $200,000,000 and $500,000,000 and .300% on
the excess over $500,000,000 of the average daily value of the net assets
of the Portfolio.
3. Balanced Portfolio: .375% of the first $50,000,000, .325% between
$50,000,000 and $200,000,000, .275% between $200,000,000 and $500,000,000
and .225% on the excess over $500,000,000 of the average daily value of
the net assets of the Portfolio.
4. Worldwide Growth Portfolio: .600% of the first $50,000,000, .550%
between $50,000,000 and $200,000,000, .450% between $200,000,000 and
$500,000,000 and .350% on the excess over $500,000,000 of the average
daily value of the net assets of the Portfolio.
The Subadviser Percentage Fee for each Portfolio shall be accrued for each
calendar day this agreement is in force and the sum of the daily fee accruals
shall be paid monthly to the Subadviser. The daily fee accruals will be computed
by multiplying the fraction of one over the number of calendar days in the year
by the applicable annual rate described in the preceding paragraph, and
multiplying this product by the net assets of the Portfolio as determined in
accordance with the Trust's prospectus and statement of additional information
as of the close of business on the previous business day on which the Trust was
open for business.
If this Agreement becomes effective or terminates before the end of any
month, the fee (if any) for the period from the effective date to the end of
such month or from the beginning of such month to the date of termination, as
the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion which such period
bears to the full month in which such effectiveness or termination occurs.
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