DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THIS
AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of this 28 day of June, 2005, by and
between GREENSPRING FUND,
INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”) and QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company (the “Distributor”). CORBYN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT,
INC., a Maryland corporation and the investment advisor to the Fund (the
“Advisor”), is a party hereto with respect to Section 5 only.
WHEREAS,
the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and is authorized to
issue shares of common stock (“Shares”);
WHEREAS,
the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and is a member of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”);
WHEREAS,
the Fund desires to retain the Distributor as principal underwriter in
connection with the offer and sale of its Shares; and
WHEREAS,
this Agreement has been approved by a vote of the Fund’s board of directors
(“Board of Directors” or the “Board”), including its disinterested directors
voting separately, in conformity with Section 15(c) of the 1940
Act.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein
contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do
hereby agree as follows:
1.
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Appointment
of Quasar as Distributor
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The Fund
hereby appoints the Distributor as its agent for the sale and distribution of
its Shares in jurisdictions wherein the Shares may be legally offered for sale,
on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and the Distributor
hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties
set forth in this Agreement. The services and duties of the
Distributor shall be confined to those matters expressly set forth herein, and
no implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Distributor
hereunder. If the Fund shall establish any additional series of its
common stock and shall elect to appoint the Distributor to act as agent for the
sale and distribution of common stock of one or more such series, the
Distributor shall perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement
with respect to such series upon execution of an amendment to this Agreement by
the Fund, the Distributor and Advisor in order to add such
series. The Distributor hereby acknowledges that the Fund may suspend
sales of the Shares at any time and may resume sales at any later time subject
to the terms of this Agreement if the Agreement has not been terminated pursuant
to Section 11 hereto.
A-1
2.
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Services
and Duties of the Distributor
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A.
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The
Distributor agrees to sell Shares on a best efforts basis as agent for the
Fund upon the terms and at the current offering price, which is the net
asset value per Share as next determined by the Fund following receipt and
acceptance of an order (plus sales charge, if any), described in the
Prospectus. As used in this Agreement, the term “Prospectus”
shall mean the current prospectus, including the statement of additional
information, as both may be amended or supplemented, relating to the Fund
and included in the currently effective registration statement (the
“Registration Statement”) of the Fund filed under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and the 1940 Act. The Fund
shall in all cases receive the net asset value per Share on all
sales. If a sales charge is in effect, the Distributor shall
remit the sales charge (or portion thereof) to broker-dealers who have
sold Shares, as described in Section 2(G), below. In no event
shall the Distributor be entitled to all or any portion of such sales
charge.
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B.
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During
the continuous public offering of Shares, the Distributor will hold itself
available to receive orders, satisfactory to the Distributor, for the
purchase of Shares and will accept such orders on behalf of the
Fund. Such purchase orders shall be deemed effective at the
time and in the manner set forth in the
Prospectus.
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C.
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The
Distributor, with the operational assistance of the Fund’s transfer agent,
shall make Shares available for sale and redemption through the National
Securities Clearing Corporation’s Fund/SERV
System.
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D.
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The
Distributor acknowledges and agrees that it is not authorized to provide
any information or make any representations other than as contained in the
Prospectus and any sales literature specifically approved by the
Fund.
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E.
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The
Distributor agrees to cooperate with the Fund or its agent in the
development of all proposed advertisements and sales literature relating
to the Fund. The Distributor agrees to review all proposed
advertisements and sales literature for compliance with applicable laws
and regulations, and shall file with appropriate regulators all
advertisements and sales literature in compliance with such laws and
regulations. The Distributor agrees to furnish to the Fund any
comments provided by regulators with respect to such materials and to use
its best efforts to obtain the approval of the regulators to such
materials.
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F.
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The
Distributor, at its sole discretion, may repurchase Shares offered for
sale by shareholders of the Fund. Repurchase of Shares by the
Distributor shall be at the price determined in accordance with, and in
the manner set forth in, the Prospectus. At the end of each
business day, the Distributor shall notify the Fund and its transfer
agent, by any appropriate means, of the orders for repurchase of Shares
received by the Distributor since the last report, the amount to be paid
for such Shares and the identity of the shareholders offering Shares for
repurchase. The Fund reserves the right to suspend such
repurchase right upon written notice to the Distributor. The
Distributor further agrees to act as agent for the Fund to receive and
transmit promptly to the Fund’s transfer agent, shareholder requests for
redemption of Shares.
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2
G.
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The
Distributor may, in its discretion, enter into agreements with such
qualified broker-dealers as it may select, in order that such
broker-dealers also may sell Shares of the Fund. The form of
any dealer agreement shall be approved by the Fund. To the
extent there is a sales charge in effect, the Distributor shall pay the
applicable sales charge (or portion thereof), or allow a discount, to the
selling broker-dealer, as described in the
Prospectus.
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H.
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The
Distributor shall devote its best efforts to effect sales of Shares of the
Fund but shall not be obligated to sell any certain number of
Shares.
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I.
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The
Distributor shall prepare reports for the Board regarding its activities
under this Agreement as from time to time shall be reasonably requested by
the Board, including reports regarding the use of any 12b-1 payments
received by the Distributor.
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J.
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The
Distributor agrees to advise the Fund promptly in writing (i) of the
initiation of any proceedings against it by the SEC or its staff, the NASD
or any state regulatory authority or (ii) of any examination by the SEC or
NASD relating to the distribution of Fund Shares, in which case the
Distributor will also provide the Fund with a copy of any deficiency
letter arising therefrom.
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K.
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The
Distributor shall monitor amounts paid under Rule 12b-1 plans and pursuant
to sales loads to ensure compliance with applicable NASD
rules.
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3.
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Representations
and Covenants of the Fund
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A.
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The
Fund hereby represents and warrants to the Distributor, which
representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout
the term of this Agreement, that:
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(1)
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It
is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted,
to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder;
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(2)
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This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund in
accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally
binding obligation of the Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms,
subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other
laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors
and secured parties;
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(3)
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It
is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all
applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained
all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now
conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment
binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract
binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or
performance of this Agreement;
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3
(4)
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All
Shares to be sold by it, including those offered under this Agreement, are
validly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the description in
the Prospectus, will be fully paid and
nonassessable;
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(5)
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The
Registration Statement, and Prospectus included therein, have been
prepared in conformity with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940
Act and the rules and regulations thereunder;
and
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(6)
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The
Registration Statement (at the time of its effectiveness) and any
advertisements and sales literature prepared by the Fund or its agent
(excluding statements relating to the Distributor and the services it
provides that are based upon written information furnished by the
Distributor expressly for inclusion therein) shall not contain any untrue
statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, and that all statements or information furnished to the
Distributor pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct in all
material respects.
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B.
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The
Fund, or its agent, have taken or shall cause to be taken, all necessary
action to register its Shares under the 1933 Act, qualify such shares for
sale in such states as the Fund and the Distributor shall approve, and
maintain an effective Registration Statement for such Shares in order to
permit the sale of Shares as herein contemplated. The Fund
authorizes the Distributor to use the Prospectus, in the form furnished to
the Distributor from time to time, in connection with the sale of
Shares.
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C.
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The
Fund agrees to advise the Distributor promptly in
writing:
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(i) of
any material correspondence or other communication by the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or its staff relating to the Fund,
including requests by the SEC for amendments to the Registration Statement
or Prospectus;
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(ii) in
the event of the issuance by the SEC of any stop-order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect or the
initiation of any proceeding for that
purpose;
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(iii) of
the happening of any event which makes untrue any statement of a material
fact made in the Prospectus or which requires the making of a change in
such Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not
misleading;
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(iv) of
all actions taken by the SEC with respect to any amendments to any
Registration Statement or Prospectus, which may from time to time be filed
with the SEC; and
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(v) in
the event that it determines to suspend the sale of Shares at any time in
response to conditions in the securities markets or otherwise, or in the
event that it determines to suspend the redemption of Shares at any time
as permitted by the 1940 Act or the rules of the SEC, including any and
all applicable interpretations of such by the staff of the
SEC.
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4
D.
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The
Fund shall notify the Distributor in writing of the states in which the
Shares may be sold and shall notify the Distributor in writing of any
changes to such information.
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E.
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The
Fund agrees to file from time to time such amendments to its Registration
Statement and Prospectus as may be necessary in order that its
Registration Statement and Prospectus will not contain any untrue
statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading.
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F.
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The
Fund shall fully cooperate in the efforts of the Distributor to sell and
arrange for the sale of Shares and shall make available to the Distributor
a statement of each computation of net asset value. In
addition, the Fund shall keep the Distributor fully informed of its
affairs and shall provide to the Distributor, from time to time, copies of
all information, financial statements and other papers that the
Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with the
distribution of Shares, including without limitation, certified copies of
any financial statements prepared for the Fund by its independent public
accountants and such reasonable number of copies of the Prospectus and
annual and interim reports to shareholders as the Distributor may
request. The Fund shall forward a copy of any SEC filings,
including the Registration Statement, to the Distributor within one
business day of any such filings. The Fund represents that it
will not use or authorize the use of any advertising or sales material
unless and until such materials have been approved and authorized for use
by the Distributor. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the
sharing or provision of materials protected by privilege or limitation of
disclosure, including any applicable attorney-client privilege or trade
secret materials.
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G.
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The
Fund has reviewed and is familiar with the provisions of NASD Rule 2830(k)
prohibiting directed brokerage. In addition, the Fund agrees
not to enter into any agreement (whether orally or in writing) under which
the Fund directs or is expected to direct its brokerage transactions (or
any commission, markup or other payment from such transactions) to a
broker or dealer for the promotion or sale of Fund Shares or the shares of
any other investment company. In the event the Fund fails to
comply with the provisions of NASD Rule 2830(k), the Fund shall promptly
notify the Distributor.
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4.
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Additional
Representations and Covenants of the
Distributor
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The
Distributor hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Fund, which
representations, warranties and covenants shall be deemed to be continuing
throughout the term of this Agreement, that:
(1)
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It
is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted,
to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder;
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(2)
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This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Distributor in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a
valid and legally binding obligation of the Distributor, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting
the rights and remedies of creditors and secured
parties;
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5
(3)
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It
is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all
applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained
all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now
conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment
binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract
binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or
performance of this Agreement;
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(4)
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It
is registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and is a member in
good standing of the NASD;
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(5)
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It:
(i) has adopted and implemented an anti-money laundering compliance
program (“AML Program”) that satisfies the requirements of all applicable
laws and regulations; (ii) will carry out its AML Program to the best of
its ability; (iii) will promptly notify the Fund and the Advisor if an
inspection by the appropriate regulatory authorities of its AML Program
identifies any material deficiency; and (vi) will promptly remedy any
material deficiency of which it learns;
and
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(6)
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In
connection with all matters relating to this Agreement, it will comply
with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, the USA
Patriot Act of 2002, the regulations of the NASD and all other applicable
federal or state laws and
regulations.
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5.
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Compensation
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The
Distributor shall be compensated for providing the services set forth in this
Agreement in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit A hereto (as
amended from time to time). The Distributor shall also be compensated
for such out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., telecommunication charges, postage and
delivery charges, and reproduction charges) as are reasonably incurred by the
Distributor in performing its duties hereunder. The Fund shall pay
all such fees and reimbursable expenses within 30 calendar days following
receipt of the billing notice, except for any fee or expense subject to a good
faith dispute. The Fund shall notify the Distributor in writing
within 30 calendar days following receipt of each invoice if the Fund is
disputing any amounts in good faith. The Fund shall pay such disputed amounts
within 10 calendar days of the day on which the parties agree to the amount to
be paid. With the exception of any fee or expense the Fund is
disputing in good faith as set forth above, unpaid invoices shall accrue a
finance charge of 1½% per month after the due date. Such fees and
expenses shall be paid to Distributor by the Fund from Rule 12b-1 fees payable
by the Fund or, if the Fund does not have a Rule 12b-1 plan, or if Rule 12b-1
fees are not sufficient to pay such fees and expenses, or if the Rule 12b-1 plan
is discontinued, or if the Advisor otherwise determines that Rule 12b-1 fees
shall not, in whole or in part, be used to pay Distributor, the Advisor shall be
responsible for the payment of the amount of such fees and expenses not covered
by Rule 12b-1 payments.
6
6.
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Expenses
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A.
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The
Fund shall bear all costs and expenses in connection with the registration
of its Shares with the SEC and with state securities commissions and
agencies, as well as all costs and expenses in connection with the
offering of the Shares and communications with shareholders, including but
not limited to: (i) fees and disbursements of its counsel and independent
public accountants; (ii) costs and expenses of the preparation, filing,
printing and mailing of Registration Statements and Prospectuses, as well
as related advertising and sales literature; (iii) costs and expenses of
the preparation, printing and mailing of annual and interim reports, proxy
materials and other communications to shareholders; and (iv) fees required
in connection with the offer and sale of Shares in such jurisdictions as
shall be selected by the Fund pursuant to Section 3(D)
hereof.
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B.
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The
Distributor shall bear the expenses of registration or qualification of
the Distributor as a dealer or broker under federal or state laws and the
expenses of continuing such registration or qualification. The
Distributor does not assume responsibility for any expenses not expressly
assumed hereunder.
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7.
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Indemnification
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A.
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In
the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless
disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the
Distributor, the Fund shall indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor and
each of its managers, officers, employees, representatives and any person
who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933
Act (collectively, the “Distributor Indemnitees”), free and harmless from
and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses and liabilities
of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees)
(collectively, “Losses”) that the Distributor Indemnitees may sustain or
incur or that may be asserted against a Distributor Indemnitee by any
person (i) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement or any Prospectus, or in any annual or interim report to
shareholders, or in any advertisements or sales literature prepared by the
Fund or its agent, or (ii) arising out of or based upon any omission, or
alleged omission, to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or
(iii) based upon the Fund’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of
this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in
the performance of its duties under this Agreement; provided, however,
that the Fund’s obligation to indemnify the Distributor Indemnitees shall
not be deemed to cover any Losses arising out of any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the
Registration Statement, Prospectus, annual or interim report, or any
advertisement or sales literature in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information relating to the Distributor and furnished to the Fund
or its counsel by the Distributor for the purpose of, and used in, the
preparation thereof. The Fund’s agreement to indemnify the
Distributor Indemnitees is expressly conditioned upon the Fund being
notified of such action or claim of loss brought against the Distributor
Indemnitees within a reasonable time after the summons or other first
legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have
been served upon the Distributor Indemnitees, unless the failure to give
notice does not prejudice the Fund; provided, that the failure so to
notify the Fund of any such action shall not relieve the Fund from any
liability which the Fund may have to the person against whom such action
is brought by reason of any such untrue, or alleged untrue, statement or
omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on account of the Fund’s
indemnity agreement contained in this Section
7(A).
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7
B.
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The
Fund shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense,
or if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce
any such Losses, but if the Fund elects to assume the defense, such
defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Fund and approved by
the Distributor, which approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld. In the event the Fund elects to assume the defense of
any such suit and retain such counsel, the Distributor Indemnitees in such
suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained
by them. If the Fund does not elect to assume the defense of
any such suit, or in case the Distributor does not, in the exercise of
reasonable judgment, approve of counsel chosen by the Fund, or if under
prevailing law or legal codes of ethics, the same counsel cannot
effectively represent the interests of both the Fund and the Distributor
Indemnitees, the Fund will reimburse the Distributor Indemnitees for the
reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by
them. The Fund’s indemnification agreement contained in
Sections 7(A) and 7(B) herein shall remain operative and in full force and
effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the
Distributor Indemnitees and shall survive the delivery of any Shares and
the termination of this Agreement. This agreement of indemnity
will inure exclusively to the benefit of the Distributor Indemnitees and
their successors. The Fund agrees promptly to notify the
Distributor of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against
the Fund or any of its officers or directors in connection with the offer
and sale of any of the Shares.
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C.
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The
Fund shall advance attorneys’ fees and other expenses incurred by any
Distributor Indemnitee in defending any claim, demand, action or suit
which is the subject of a claim for indemnification pursuant to this
Section 7 to the maximum extent permissible under applicable
law.
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D.
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The
Distributor shall indemnify, defend and hold the Fund and each of its
directors, officers, employees, representatives and any person who
controls the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the “Fund Indemnitees”), free and harmless from and against
any and all Losses that the Fund Indemnitees may sustain or incur or that
may be asserted against the Fund Indemnitee by any person (i) arising out
of or based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus, or in any
annual or interim report to shareholders, or in any advertisements or
sales literature prepared by the Distributor, or (ii) arising out of or
based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement not
misleading, or (iii) based upon the Distributor’s refusal or failure to
comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence,
or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement; provided, however, that with respect to clauses (i) and (ii),
above, the Distributor’s obligation to indemnify the Fund Indemnitees
shall only be deemed to cover Losses arising out of any untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the
Registration Statement, Prospectus, annual or interim report, or any
advertisement or sales literature in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information relating to the Distributor and furnished to the Fund
or its counsel by the Distributor for the purpose of, and used in, the
preparation thereof. The Distributor’s agreement to indemnify
the Fund Indemnitees is expressly conditioned upon the Distributor being
notified of any action or claim of loss brought against the Fund
Indemnitees within a reasonable time after the summons or other first
legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have
been served upon the Fund Indemnitees, unless the failure to give notice
does not prejudice the Distributor; provided, that the failure so to
notify the Distributor of any such action shall not relieve the
Distributor from any liability which the Distributor may have to the
person against whom such action is brought by reason of any such untrue,
or alleged untrue, statement or omission, otherwise than on account of the
Distributor’s indemnity agreement contained in this Section
7(D).
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E.
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The
Distributor shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the
defense, or if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce any such Losses, but if the Distributor elects to assume the
defense, such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the
Distributor and approved by the Fund, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld. In the event the Distributor elects to
assume the defense of any such suit and retain such counsel, the Fund
Indemnitees in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does
not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, or in case the Fund does
not, in the exercise of reasonable judgment, approve of counsel chosen by
the Distributor, or if under prevailing law or legal codes of ethics, the
same counsel cannot effectively represent the interests of both the Fund
Indemnitees and the Distributor, the Distributor will reimburse the Fund
Indemnitees for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained
by them. The Distributor’s indemnification agreement contained
in Sections 7(D) and 7(E) herein shall remain operative and in full force
and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the
Fund Indemnitees and shall survive the delivery of any Shares and the
termination of this Agreement. This agreement of indemnity will
inure exclusively to the benefit of the Fund Indemnitees and their
successors. The Distributor agrees promptly to notify the Fund
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the
Distributor or any of its officers or directors in connection with the
offer and sale of any of the
Shares.
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F.
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The
Distributor shall advance attorneys’ fees and other expenses incurred by
any Fund Indemnitee in defending any claim, demand, action or suit which
is the subject of a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Section 7
to the maximum extent permissible under applicable
law.
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G.
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No
party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other parties for
consequential, special or punitive damages under any provision of this
Agreement.
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H.
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No
person shall be obligated to provide indemnification under this Section 7
if such indemnification would be impermissible under the 1940 Act, the
1933 Act, the 1934 Act or the rules of the NASD; provided, however, in
such event indemnification shall be provided under this Section 7 to
the maximum extent so permissible.
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8.
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Proprietary
and Confidential Information
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The
Distributor agrees on behalf of itself and its managers, officers, and employees
to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Fund, all records
and other information relative to the Fund and prior, present or potential
shareholders of the Fund (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such
records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its
responsibilities and duties hereunder, except (i) after prior notification to
and approval in writing by the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld and may not be withheld where the Distributor may be exposed to civil
or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii) when requested to
divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or (iii) when so
requested by the Fund. Records and other information which have
become known to the public through no wrongful act of the Distributor or any of
its employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in
the possession of the Distributor prior to receipt thereof from the Fund or its
agent, shall not be subject to this paragraph.
Further,
the Distributor will adhere to the privacy policies adopted by the Fund pursuant
to Title V of the Xxxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Act, as may be modified from time to
time. In this regard, the Distributor shall have in place and
maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to
protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent
unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Fund
and its current or former shareholders.
9.
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Records
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The
Distributor shall keep records relating to the services to be performed
hereunder in the form and manner, and for such period, as it may deem advisable
and is agreeable to the Fund, but not inconsistent with the rules and
regulations of appropriate government authorities, in particular, Section 31 of
the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. The Distributor agrees that
all such records prepared or maintained by the Distributor relating to the
services to be performed by the Distributor hereunder are the property of the
Fund and will be preserved, maintained, and made available in accordance with
such applicable sections and rules of the 1940 Act and will be promptly
surrendered to the Fund or its designee on and in accordance with its
request.
10.
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Compliance
with Laws
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The Fund
has and retains primary responsibility for all compliance matters relating to
the Fund, including but not limited to compliance with the 1940 Act, the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, the USA Patriot
Act of 2002 and the policies and limitations of the Fund relating to its
portfolio investments as set forth in its Prospectus and statement of additional
information. The Distributor’s services hereunder shall not relieve
the Fund of its responsibilities for assuring such compliance or the Board of
Directors’ oversight responsibility with respect thereto.
11.
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Term
of Agreement; Amendment; Assignment
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A.
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This
Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof. Unless
sooner terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall continue in
effect for two years from the date hereof. Thereafter, if not
terminated, this Agreement shall continue in effect automatically for
successive one-year periods, provided such continuance is specifically
approved at least annually by: (i) the Fund’s Board, or (ii) the vote of a
“majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund, and provided
that in either event, the continuance is also approved by a majority of
the Fund’s Board who are not “interested persons” of any party to this
Agreement, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval.
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10
B.
|
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated, without the payment of
any penalty: (i) through a failure to renew this Agreement at the end of a
term, (ii) upon mutual consent of the parties, or (iii) upon not less than
60 days’ written notice, by either the Fund upon the vote of a majority of
the members of its Board who are not “interested persons” of the Fund and
have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this
Agreement, or by vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities”
of the Fund, or by the Distributor. The terms of this Agreement
shall not be waived, altered, modified, amended or supplemented in any
manner whatsoever except by a written instrument signed by the Distributor
and the Fund. If required under the 1940 Act, any such
amendment must be approved by the Fund’s Board, including a majority of
the Fund’s Board who are not “interested persons” of any party to this
Agreement, by a vote cast in person at a meeting for the purpose of voting
on such amendment. In the event that such amendment affects the
Advisor, the written instrument shall also be signed by the
Advisor. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the
event of its “assignment.”
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C.
|
As
used in this Section, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting
securities,” “interested person,” and “assignment” shall have the same
meaning as such terms have in the 1940
Act.
|
D.
|
Sections
7 and 8 shall survive termination of this
Agreement.
|
12.
|
Duties
in the Event of Termination
|
In the
event that, in connection with termination, a successor to any of the
Distributor’s duties or responsibilities hereunder is designated by the Fund by
written notice to the Distributor, the Distributor will promptly, upon such
termination and at the expense of the Fund, transfer to such successor all
relevant books, records, correspondence, and other data established or
maintained by the Distributor under this Agreement in a form reasonably
acceptable to the Fund (if such form differs from the form in which the
Distributor has maintained the same, the Fund shall pay any reasonable expenses
associated with transferring the data to such form), and will cooperate in the
transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provision for assistance
from the Distributor’s personnel in the establishment of books, records, and
other data by such successor. If no such successor is designated,
then such books, records and other data shall be returned to the
Fund.
13.
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Governing
Law
|
This
Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Maryland, without regard to conflicts of law principles. To the
extent that the applicable laws of the State of Maryland, or any of the
provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the
latter shall control, and nothing herein shall be construed in a manner
inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or order of the SEC
thereunder.
11
14.
|
No
Agency Relationship
|
Nothing
herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower either party to act as
agent for the other party to this Agreement, or to conduct business in the name,
or for the account, of the other party to this Agreement.
15.
|
Services
Not Exclusive
|
Nothing
in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the Distributor from providing
services to other parties that are similar or identical to some or all of the
services provided hereunder.
16.
|
Invalidity
|
Any
provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to be
prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction,
be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without
invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or
unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render
unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. In such case,
the parties shall in good faith modify or substitute such provision consistent
with the original intent of the parties.
17.
|
Notices
|
Any
notice required or permitted to be given by any party to the others shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally
or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or on the date sent and confirmed
received by facsimile transmission to the other parties’ respective addresses as
set forth below:
Notice to
the Distributor shall be sent to:
Quasar
Distributors, LLC
Attn: President
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxx 00000
Fax No.:
(000) 000-0000
notice to
the Fund shall be sent to:
Greenspring Fund, Inc.
Attn: President
0000 Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx
000
Xxxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
Fax No.:
(000) 000-0000
12
and
notice to the Advisor shall be sent to:
Corbyn Investment Management,
Inc.
Attn: President
0000 Xxxx
Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
Fax
No.: (000) 000-0000
18.
|
Multiple
Originals
|
This
Agreement may be executed on two or more counterparts, each of which when so
executed shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
13
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by
a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above
written.
GREENSPRING
FUND, INC.
|
QUASAR
DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
|
By:
/s/Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxxx
|
By:
/s/Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
Title:
Sr.
Vice
President
|
Title:
President
|
CORBYN
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
(with
respect to Section 5 only)
|
|
By:
/s/Xxxxxxx xX.
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title:
President
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14