Exhibit 99.B4(f)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THE BEAR XXXXXXX FUNDS
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
September 8, 1997
Bear Xxxxxxx Funds Management Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Dear Sirs:
The above-named investment company (the "Fund"), with respect to the
series named on Schedule 1 hereto, as such Schedule may be revised from time to
time (each, a "Series"), herewith confirms its agreement with you as follows:
The Fund desires to employ its capital by investing and reinvesting
the same in investments of the type and in accordance with the limitations
specified in its charter documents and in its offering documents (Part A and
Part B) as from time to time in effect, copies of which have been or will be
submitted to you, and in such manner and to such extent as from time to time may
be approved by the Fund's Board. The Fund desires to employ you to act as its
investment adviser.
You may render services through your own employees or the employees
of one or more affiliated companies that are qualified to act as an investment
adviser to the Fund under applicable laws and are under your common control as
long as all such persons are functioning as part of an organized group of
persons, and such organized group of persons, with respect to the services used
by the Fund, is managed at all times by your authorized officers. You will be as
fully responsible to the Fund for the acts and omissions of such persons as you
are for your own acts and omissions.The compensation of such person or persons
shall be paid by you and no obligation may be incurred on the Fund's behalf in
any such respect.
Subject to the supervision and approval of the Fund's Board, you
will provide investment management of each Series' portfolio in accordance with
such Series' investment objectives and policies as stated in the Fund's offering
documents (Part A and Part B) as from time to time in effect. In connection,
therewith, you will obtain and provide investment research and will supervise
each Series' investments and conduct a continuous program of
investment, evaluation and, if appropriate, sale and reinvestment of such Series
assets. You will furnish to the Fund such statistical information, with respect
to the investments which a Series may hold or contemplate purchasing, as the
Fund may reasonably request. The Fund wishes to be informed of important
developments materially affecting any Series' portfolio and shall expect you, on
your own initiative, to furnish to the Fund from time to time such information
as you may believe appropriate for this purpose.
You shall exercise your best judgment in rendering the services to
be provided to the Fund hereunder, and the Fund agrees as an inducement to your
undertaking the same that you shall not be liable hereunder for any error of
judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by one or more Series,
provided that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect or purport to protect
you against any liability to the Fund or a Series or to its security holders to
which you would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence in the performance of your duties hereunder or by reason
of your reckless disregard of your obligations or duties hereunder (hereinafter
"Disabling Conduct") would otherwise be subject by reason of Disabling Conduct.
In consideration of services rendered pursuant to this Agreement,
the Fund will pay you on the first business day of each month a fee at the rate
set forth opposite each Series' name on Schedule 1 hereto or will pay you in
accordance with the methodology described on additional Schedules hereto. Net
asset value shall be computed on such days and at such time or times as
described in the Fund's then-current Part A and Part B. The fee for the period
from the date of the commencement of sales of a Series' shares (after any sales
are made to you) to the end of the month during which such sales shall have been
commenced shall be pro-rated according to the proportion which such period bears
to the full monthly period, and upon any termination of this Agreement before
the end of any month, the fee for such part of a month shall be pro-rated
according to the proportion which such period bears to the full monthly period
and shall be payable upon the date of termination of this Agreement.
For the purpose of determining fees payable to you, the value of
each Series' net assets shall be computed in the manner specified in the Fund's
charter documents for the computation of the value of each Series' net assets.
You will bear all expenses in connection with the performance of
your services under this Agreement. All other expenses to be incurred in the
operation of the Fund will be borne by the Fund, except to the extent
specifically assumed by you. The expenses to be borne by the Fund include,
without limitation, the following: organizational costs, taxes, interest, loan
commitment fees, interest and distributions paid on securities sold short,
brokerage fees and commissions, if any, fees of Board members, Securities and
Exchange Commission fees, state Blue Sky qualification fees, advisory,
administration and fund accounting fees, charges of custodians, transfer and
dividend disbursing agents fees, certain insurance premiums, industry
association fees, outside auditing and legal expenses, costs of independent
pricing services, costs of maintaining the Series' existence, costs attributable
to investor services (including, without limitation, telephone and personnel
expenses), costs of preparing and printing prospectuses and statements of
additional information for regulatory
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purposes and for distribution to existing shareholders, costs of shareholders'
reports and meetings, and any extraordinary expenses.
The Fund understands that you now act, and that from time to time
hereafter you may act, as investment adviser to one or more other investment
companies and fiduciary or other managed accounts, and the Fund has no objection
to your so acting, provided that when the purchase or sale of securities of the
same issuer is suitable for the investment objectives of two or more companies
or accounts managed by you which have available funds for investment, the
available securities will be allocated in a manner believed by you to be
equitable to each company or account. It is recognized that in some cases this
procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by one or more Series
or the size of the position obtainable for or disposed of by one or more Series.
In addition, it is understood that the persons employed by you to
assist in the performance of your duties hereunder will not devote their full
time to such service and nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit or
restrict your right or the right of any of your affiliates to engage in and
devote time and attention to other businesses or to render services of whatever
kind or nature.
Any person, even though also your officer, director, partner,
employee or agent, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or
agent of the Fund, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Fund or
acting on any business of the Fund, to be rendering such services to or acting
solely for the Fund and not as your officer, director, partner, employee, or
agent or one under your control or direction even though paid by you.
You shall place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio
securities for the Series with brokers or dealers selected by you, which may
include brokers or dealers affiliated with you to the extent permitted by the
1940 Act and the Fund's policies and procedures applicable to the Series. You
shall use your best efforts to seek to execute portfolio transactions at prices
which, under the circumstances, result in total costs or proceeds being the most
favorable to the Series. In assessing the best overall terms available for any
transaction, you shall consider all factors it deems relevant, including the
breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the financial
condition and execution capability of the broker or dealer, research services
provided to you, and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, both for the
specific transaction and on a continuing basis. In no event shall you be under
any duty to obtain the lowest commission or the best net price for any Series on
any particular transaction, nor shall you be under any duty to execute any order
in a fashion either preferential to any Series relative to other accounts
managed by you or otherwise materially adverse to such other accounts.
In selecting brokers or dealers qualified to execute a particular
transaction, brokers or dealers may be selected who also provide brokerage and
research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934) to you and/or the other accounts over which you exercise
investment discretion. You are authorized to pay a broker or dealer who provides
such brokerage and research services a commission
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for executing a portfolio transaction for the Series which is in excess of the
amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting
that transaction if you determine in good faith that the total commission is
reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular
transaction or your overall responsibilities with respect to accounts over which
you exercise investment discretion. You shall report to the Board of Trustees of
the Fund regarding overall commissions paid by the Series and their
reasonableness in relation to their benefits to the Series. Any transactions for
the Series that are effected through an affiliated broker-dealer on a national
securities exchange of which such broker-dealer is a member will be effected in
accordance with Section 11(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder. The Series hereby
authorizes any such broker or dealer to retain commissions for effecting such
transactions and to pay out of such retained commissions any compensation due to
others in connection with effectuating those transactions.
In executing portfolio transactions for the Series, you may, to the
extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, but shall not be obligated
to, aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased with those of other
portfolios or its other clients if, in your reasonable judgment, such
aggregation (i) will result in an overall economic benefit to the Series, taking
into consideration the advantageous selling or purchase price, brokerage
commission and other expenses, and trading requirements, and (ii) is not
inconsistent with the policies set forth in the Fund's registration statement
and the Series's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. In such
event, you will allocate the securities so purchased or sold, and the expenses
incurred in the transaction, in an equitable manner, consistent with your
fiduciary obligations to the Series and such other clients.
The Fund will indemnify you, your officers, directors, employees and
agents (each, an "indemnitee") against, and hold each indemnitee harmless from,
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including
reasonable counsel fees and expenses) not resulting from Disabling Conduct by
the indemnitee. Indemnification shall be made only following: (i) a final
decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was
brought that the indemnitee was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct or
(ii) in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination, based upon a
review of the facts, that the indemnitee was not liable by reason of Disabling
Conduct by (a) the vote of a majority of a quorum of Board members who are
neither "interested persons" of the Fund nor parties to the proceeding
("disinterested non-party Board members") or (b) an independent legal counsel in
a written opinion. Each indemnitee shall be entitled to advances from the Fund
for payment of the reasonable expenses incurred by it in connection with the
matter as to which it is seeking indemnification in the manner and to the
fullest extent permissible under the New York Business Corporation Law. Each
indemnitee shall provide to the Fund a written affirmation of its good faith
belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Fund
has been met and a written undertaking to repay any such advance if it should
ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met. In
addition, at least one of the following additional conditions shall be met: (a)
the indemnitee shall provide security in form and amount acceptable to the Fund
for its undertaking; (b) the Fund is insured against losses arising by reason of
the advance; or (c) a
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majority of a quorum of disinterested non-party Board members, or independent
legal counsel, in a written opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of
facts readily available to the Fund at the time the advance is proposed to be
made, that there is reason to believe that the indemnitee will ultimately be
found to be entitled to indemnification. No provision of this Agreement shall be
construed to protect any Board member or officer of the Fund, or any indemnitee,
from liability in violation of Sections 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").
As to each Series, this Agreement shall continue until the date set
forth opposite such Series' name on Schedule 1 hereto (the "Reapproval Date")
and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods ending
on the day of each year set forth opposite the Series' name on Schedule 1 hereto
(the "Reapproval Day"), provided such continuance is specifically approved at
least annually by (i) the Fund's Board; or (ii) vote of a majority (as defined
in the 0000 Xxx) of such Series' outstanding voting securities, provided that in
either event its continuance also is approved by a majority of the Fund's Board
members who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any
party to this Agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval. As to each Series, this Agreement is
terminable without penalty, on 60 days' notice, by the Fund's Board or by vote
of holders of a majority of such Series' shares or, upon not less than 90 days'
notice, by you. This Agreement also will terminate automatically, as to the
relevant Series, in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
The Fund recognizes that from time to time your directors, officers
and employees may serve as trustees, directors, partners, officers and employees
of other business trusts, corporations, partnerships or other entities
(including other investment companies), and that such other entities may include
the name "Bear Xxxxxxx" as part of their name, and that your corporation or its
affiliates may enter into investment advisory or other agreements with such
other entities. If you cease to act as the Fund's investment adviser, the Fund
agrees that, at your request, the Fund will take all necessary action to change
the name of the Fund to a name not including "Bear Xxxxxxx" in any form or
combination of words.
This Agreement has been executed on behalf of the Fund by the
undersigned officer of the Fund in his capacity as an officer of the Fund. The
obligations of this Agreement shall only be binding upon the assets and property
of the relevant Series and shall not be binding upon any Board member, officer
or shareholder of the Fund individually.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, will you kindly
so indicate by signing and returning to us the enclosed copy hereof.
Very truly yours,
THE BEAR XXXXXXX FUNDS
By:
----------------------------
Accepted:
BEAR XXXXXXX FUNDS MANAGEMENT INC.
By:
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SCHEDULE 1
Annual Fee as a Percentage
Name of Series of Average Daily Net Assets
-------------- ---------------------------
Balanced Portfolio 0.65% of 1%
High Yield Total Return Portfolio 0.60% of 1%
International Equity Portfolio 1.00 of 1%
Approved September 8, 1997
Reapproved February 10, 1999
To be reapproved on or before March 31, 2000
