PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Item 26(h)(xx)(a)
THIS
AGREEMENT is made this 15th day
of December,
1997. by and among The Xxxxx American Fund (the "Trust"), an open-end management
investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust, Xxxx Xxxxx
Management, Inc., an investment adviser organized under the laws of the state of
New York (the -Adviser"), Transamerica Life Insurance and Annuity Company, a
life insurance company organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of
North Carolina, (the "Company"), on its own behalf and on behalf of each
segregated asset account of the Company set forth in Schedule A, as may be
amended from time to time (the "Accounts"), and Xxxx Xxxxx and Company,
Incorporated, a Delaware corporation, the Trust's distributor (the
"Distributor").
WHEREAS, the Trust is
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") as an
open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "1940 Act"), and has an effective registration statement
relating to the offer and sale of the various series of its shares under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act");
WHEREAS, the Trust and the
Distributor desire that Trust shares be used as an investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and variable
annuity contracts to be offered by life insurance companies which have entered
into fund participation agreements with the Trust (the "Participating Insurance
Companies");
WHEREAS, shares of beneficial
interest in the Trust are divided into the following series which are available
for purchase by the Company for the Accounts: Xxxxx American Small
Capitalization Portfolio, Xxxxx American Growth Portfolio, Xxxxx American Income
&
Growth Portfolio, Xxxxx American Balanced Portfolio, Xxxxx American
MidCap Growth Portfolio, and Xxxxx American Leveraged AllCap
Portfolio;
WHEREAS, the Trust has
received an order from the Commission, dated February 17, 1989 (File No.
812-7076), granting Participating Insurance Companies and their separate
accounts exemptions from the provisions of Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b)
of the 1940 Act, and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, to the
extent necessary to permit shares of the Portfolios of the Trust to be sold to
and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of
both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (the "Shared Funding
Exemptive Order");
WHEREAS, the Company has
registered or will register under the 1933 Act certain variable life insurance
policies and variable annuity contracts to be issued by the Company under which
the Portfolios are to be made available as investment vehicles (the
"Contracts");
WHEREAS, the Company has
registered or will register each Account as a unit investment.
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trust under the 1940 Act unless an exemption from registration under the 1940
Act is available and the Trust has been so advised;
WHEREAS, the Company may
contract with an Administrator to perform certain services with regard to the
Contracts and, therefore. certain obligations and services of the Adviser and/or
Trust should be directed to the Administrator, as directed by the Company;
and
WHEREAS, the Company desires
to use shares of the Portfolios indicated on Schedule A as investment vehicles
for the Accounts;
NOW THEREFORE, in
consideration of their mutual promises, the parties agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I.
Purchase and Redemption of
Trust Portfolio Shares
For
purposes of this Article I, the Company or its administrator shall be the
Trust's agent for the receipt from each account of purchase orders and requests
for redemption pursuant to the Contracts relating to each Portfolio, provided
that the Company or its administrator notifies the Trust of such purchase orders
and requests for redemption by 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on the next following
Business Day, as defined
in Section 1.3.
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1.2. The
Trust shall make shares of the Portfolios available to the Accounts at the
net asset value next computed after receipt of a purchase order by the
Trust (or its agent), as established in accordance with the provisions of
the then current prospectus of the Trust describing Portfolio purchase
procedures. The Company or its administrator will transmit orders from
time to time to the Trust for the purchase and redemption of shares of the
Portfolios. The Trustees of the Trust (the "Trustees") may refuse to sell
shares of any Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the
offering of shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or
by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or if, in the sole
discretion of the Trustees acting in good faith and in light of their
fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, such action
is deemed in the best interests of the shareholders of such
Portfolio.
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1.3. The
Company shall pay for the purchase of shares of a Portfolio on behalf of
an Account with federal funds to be transmitted by wire to the Trust, with
the reasonable expectation of receipt by the Trust by 2:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the next Business Day after the Trust (or its agent) receives the
purchase order. Upon receipt by the Trust of the federal funds so wired,
such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and shall
become the responsibility of the Trust for this purpose. "Business Day"
shall mean any day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for
trading.
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1.4.
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The
Trust will redeem for cash any full or fractional shares of any Portfolio,
when requested
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by
the Company on behalf of an Account, at the net asset value next computed
after receipt
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by the
Trust (or its agent) of the request for redemption, as established in accordance
with the provisions of the then current prospectus of the Trust describing
Portfolio redemption procedures. The Trust shall make payment for such shares in
the manner established from time to time by the Trust. Proceeds of redemption
with respect to a Portfolio will be paid to the Company for an Account in
federal funds transmitted by wire to the Company by order of the Trust with the
reasonable expectation of receipt by the Company by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on
the next Business Day after the receipt by the Trust (or its agent) of the
request for redemption. Such payment may be delayed if, for example, the
Portfolio's cash position so requires or if extraordinary market conditions
exist, but in no event shall payment be delayed for a greater period than is
permitted by the 1940 Act. The Trust reserves the right to suspend the right of
redemption, consistent with Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act and any rules
thereunder.
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1.5.
Payments for the purchase of shares of the Trust's Portfolios by the
Company under Section 1.3 and payments for the redemption of shares of the
Trust's Portfolios under Section 1.4 on any Business Day may be netted
against one another for the purpose of determining the amount of any wire
transfer.
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1.6.
Issuance and transfer of the Trust's Portfolio shares will be by book
entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or the
Accounts. Portfolio Shares purchased from the Trust will be recorded in
the appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of
each Account.
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1.7.
The Trust shall furnish, two days before the ex-dividend date, notice to
the Company that an income dividend or capital gain distribution will be
paid on the shares of any Portfolio of the Trust. The Company hereby
elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain distributions
as are payable on a Portfolio's shares in additional shares of that
Portfolio. The Trust shall notify the Company of the number of shares so
issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions.
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1.8.
The Trust shall calculate the net asset value of each Portfolio on each
Business Day, as defined in Section 1.3. The Trust shall make the net
asset value per share for each Portfolio available to the Company or its
designated agent on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after
the net asset value per share is calculated and shall use its best efforts
to make such net asset value per share available to the Company by 6:30
p.m. Eastern time each Business
Day.
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1.9.
The Trust agrees that its Portfolio shares will be sold only to
Participating Insurance Companies and their segregated asset accounts, to
the Fund Sponsor or its affiliates and to such other entities as may be
permitted by Section 817(h) of the Code, the regulations hereunder, or
judicial or administrative interpretations thereof. No shares of any
Portfolio will be sold directly to the general public. The Company agrees
that it will use Trust shares only for the purposes of funding the
Contracts through the Accounts listed in Schedule
A,
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as
amended from time to time.
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1.10.
The Trust agrees that all Participating Insurance Companies shall have the
obligations and responsibilities regarding pass-through voting and
conflicts of interest corresponding materially to those contained in
Section 2.9 and Article IV of this
Agreement.
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ARTICLE
IL
Obligations of the
Parties
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2.1.
The Trust shall prepare and be responsible for filing with the Commission
and any state regulators requiring such filing all shareholder reports,
notices, proxy materials (or similar materials such as voting instruction
solicitation materials), prospectuses and statements of additional
information of the Trust. The Trust shall bear the costs of registration
and qualification of shares of the Portfolios, preparation and filing of
the documents listed in this Section 2.1 and all taxes to which an issuer
is subject on the issuance and transfer of its
shares.
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2.2.
The Company shall distribute such prospectuses, proxy statements and
periodic reports of the Trust to the Contract owners as required to be
distributed to such Contract owners under applicable federal or state
law.
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2.3.
The Trust shall provide such documentation (including a final copy of the
prospectus(es) of the Portfolios indicated on Schedule A as set in type or
in camera-ready copy) and other assistance as is reasonably necessary in
order for the Company to print together in one document the current
prospectus for the Contracts issued by the Company and the current
prospectus for the Trust. The Trust shall bear the expense of printing
copies of its current prospectus that will be distributed to existing
Contract owners, and the Company shall bear the expense of printing copies
of the Trust's prospectus that are used in connection with offering the
Contracts issued by the Company.
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2.4.
The Trust and the Distributor shall provide (1) at the Trust's expense,
one copy of the Trust's current Statement of Additional Information
("SAP') to the Company and to any Contract owner who requests such SAI,
(2) at the Company's expense, such additional copies of the Trust's
current SAI as the Company shall reasonably request and that the Company
shall require in accordance with applicable law in connection with
offering the Contracts issued by the
Company.
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2.5.
The Trust, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of its
proxy material, periodic reports to shareholders and other communications
to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require
for purposes of distributing to Contract owners. The Trust, at the
Company's expense, shall provide the Company with copies of its periodic
reports to shareholders and other communications to shareholders in such
quantity as the Company shall reasonably request for use in connection
with offering the Contracts
issued
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by the
Company. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the Trust shall provide
such documentation (including a final copy of the Trust's proxy materials,
periodic reports to shareholders and other communications to shareholders, as
set in type or in camera-ready copy) and other assistance as reasonably
necessary in order for the Company to print such shareholder communications for
distribution to Contract owners.
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2.6.
The Company agrees and acknowledges that the Distributor is the sole owner
of the name and xxxx "Xxxxx" and that all use of any designation comprised
in whole or part of such name or xxxx under this Agreement shall inure to
the benefit of the Distributor. Except as provided in Section 2.5, the
Company shall not use any such name or xxxx on its own behalf or on behalf
of the Accounts or Contracts in any registration statement. advertisement,
sales literature or other materials relating to the Accounts or Contracts
without the prior written consent of the Distributor. Upon termination of
this Agreement for any reason, the Company shall cease all use of any such
name or xxxx as soon as reasonably
practicable.
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2.7.
The Company shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Trust or its
designee a copy of each Contract prospectus and/or statement of additional
information describing the Contracts, each report to Contract owners,
proxy statement, application for exemption or request for no-action letter
in which the Trust or the Distributor is named contemporaneously with the
filing of such document with the Commission. The Company shall furnish, or
shall cause to be furnished, to the Trust or its designee each piece of
sales literature or other promotional material in which the Trust or the
Distributor is named, at least five Business Days prior to its use. No
such material shall be used if the Trust or its designee reasonably
objects to such use within three Business Days after receipt of such
material.
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2.8.
The Company shall not give any information or make any representations or
statements on behalf of the Trust or concerning the Trust or the
Distributor in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than
information or representations contained in and accurately derived from
the registration statement or prospectus for the Trust shares (as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from
time to time), annual and semi-animal reports of the Trust,
Trust-sponsored proxy statements, or in sales literature or other
promotional material approved by the Trust or its designee, except as
required by legal process or regulatory authorities or with the prior
written permission of the Trust, the Distributor or their respective
designees. The Trust and the Distributor agree to respond to any request
for approval on a prompt and timely basis. The Company shall adopt and
implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that "broker only"
materials including information therein about the Trust or the Distributor
are not distributed to existing or prospective Contract
owners.
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2.9.
The Trust shall use its best efforts to provide the Company, on a timely
basis, with such information about the Trust, the Portfolios and the
Distributor, in such form as the Company may reasonably require, as the
Company shall reasonably request in connection with the preparation of
registration statements, prospectuses and annual and semi-annual
reports
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pertaining to the Contracts.
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2.10. The
Trust and the Distributor shall not give, and agree that no affiliate of
either of them shall give, any information or make any representations or
statements on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, the
Accounts or the Contracts other than information or representations
contained in and accurately derived from the registration statement or
prospectus for the Contracts (as such registration statement and
prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time), or in
materials approved by the Company for distribution including sales
literature or other promotional materials, except as required by legal
process or regulatory authorities or with the prior written permission of
the Company. The Company agrees to respond to any request for approval on
a prompt and timely basis.
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2.11. So
long as, and to the extent that, the Commission interprets the 1940 Act to
require pass-through voting privileges for Contract owners, the Company
will provide pass-through voting privileges to Contract owners whose cash
values are invested, through the registered Accounts, in shares of one or
more Portfolios of the Trust. The Trust shall require all Participating
Insurance Companies to calculate voting privileges in the same manner and
the Company shall be responsible for assuring that the Accounts calculate
voting privileges in the manner established by the Trust. With respect to
each registered Account, the Company will vote shares of each Portfolio of
the Trust held by a registered Account and for which no timely voting
instructions from Contract owners are received in the same proportion as
those shares for which voting instructions are received. The Company and
its agents will in no way recommend or oppose or interfere with the
solicitation of proxies for Portfolio shares held to fund the Contacts
without the prior written consent of the Trust, which consent may be
withheld in the Trust's sole discretion. The Company reserves the right,
to the extent permitted by law, to vote shares held in any Account in its
sole discretion.
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2.12. The
Company and the Trust will each provide to the other information about the
results of any regulatory examination relating to the Contracts or the
Trust, including relevant portions of any "deficiency letter" and any
response thereto.
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2.13. No
compensation shall be paid by the Trust to the Company, or by the Company
to the Trust, under this Agreement (except for specified expense
reimbursements). However, nothing herein shall prevent the parties hereto
from otherwise agreeing to perform, and arranging for appropriate
compensation for, other services relating to the Trust, the Accounts or
both.
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ARTICLE
III.
Representations and
Warranties
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3.1. The
Company represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly
organized and in good standing under the laws of the State of North
Carolina and that it has legally and validly established each
Account as a segregated asset account under such law as of the date set
forth in Schedule A, and that, the
principal
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underwriter
for the Contracts, is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member in good standing of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
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3.2. The
Company represents and warrants that it has registered or, prior to any
issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act and
cause each Account to remain so registered to serve as a segregated asset
account for the Contracts, unless an exemption from registration is
available.
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3.3. The
Company represents and warrants that the Contracts will be registered
under the 1933
Act unless an exemption from registration is available prior to any
issuance or sale of the Contracts; the Contracts will be issued and sold
in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and
state laws; and the sale
of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with state
insurance law suitability
requirements.
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3.4. The
Trust represents and warrants that it is duly organized and validly
existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it
does and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder.
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3.5. The
Trust and the Distributor represent and warrant that the Portfolio shares
offered and sold pursuant to this Agreement will be registered under the
1933 Act and sold in accordance with all applicable federal and state
laws, and the Trust shall be registered under the 1940 Act prior to and at
the time of any issuance or sale of such shares. The Trust shall amend its
registration statement under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to
time as required in order to effect the continuous offering of its shares.
The Trust shall register and qualify its shares for sale in accordance
with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed
advisable by the Trust.
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3.6. The
Trust and Adviser represent and warrant that the investments of each
Portfolio complies and will comply with the diversification requirements
for variable annuity, endowment or life insurance contracts set
forth in Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code"), and the rules and regulations thereunder, including
without limitation Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, and will notify the
Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing any
Portfolio has ceased to comply or might not so comply and will immediately
take all reasonable steps to adequately diversify the Portfolio to achieve
compliance within the grace period afforded by Regulation
1.817-5.
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3.7. The
Trust and Adviser represent and warrant that each Portfolio is currently
qualified as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the
Code, that such qualification will be maintained and the Trust or the
Adviser will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis
for believing it has ceased to so qualify or might not so qualify in the
future.
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3.8. The
Trust represents and warrants that it, its directors, officers, employees
and others dealing with the money or securities, or both, of a Portfolio
shall at all times be covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar
coverage for the benefit of the Trust in an amount not less than the
minimum coverage required by Rule 17g-I or other applicable regulations
under the 1940 Act. Such bond shall include coverage for larceny and
embe77Iement and be issued by a reputable bonding
company.
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3.9. The
Distributor represents that it is duly organized and validly existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware and that it is registered, and
will remain registered, during the term of this Agreement, as a
broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member in
good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc.
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ARTICLE IV.
Potential
Conflicts
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4.1. The
parties acknowledge that a Portfolio's shares may be made available for
investment to other Participating Insurance Companies. In such event, the
Trustees will monitor the Trust for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of
all Participating Insurance Companies. A material irreconcilable conflict
may arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state
insurance regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or
state insurance, tax or securities laws or regulations, or a public
ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any
similar action by insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities;
(c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d)
the manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are being managed;
(e) a difference in voting instructions given by variable annuity contract
and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f) a decision by ,.1
insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The Trust
shall promptly inform the Company of any determination by the Trustees
that a material irreconcilable conflict exists and of the implications
thereof.
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4.2. The
Company agrees to report promptly any potential or existing conflicts of
which it is aware to the Trustees. The Company will assist the Trustees in
carrying out their responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive
Order by providing the Trustees with all information reasonably necessary
for and requested by the Trustees to consider any issues raised including,
but not limited to, information as to a decision by the Company to
disregard Contract owner voting instructions. All communications from the
Company to the Trustees may be made in care of the
Trust.
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4.3. If
it is determined by a majority of the Trustees, or a majority of the
disinterested Trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists
that affects the interests of contract owners, the Company shall, in
cooperation with other Participating Insurance Companies whose contract
owners are also affected, at its own expense and to the extent reasonably
practicable (as determined by the Trustees) take whatever
steps are necessary to remedy or eliminate
the
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material
irreconcilable conflict, which steps could include: (a) withdrawing the assets
allocable to some or all of the Accounts from the Trust or any Portfolio and
reinvesting such assets in a different investment medium, including (but not
limited to) another Portfolio of the Trust, or submitting the question of
whether or not such segregation should be implemented to a vote of all affected
Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of any appropriate
group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract owners, or
variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that
votes in favor
of such segregation, or offering to the
affected Contract owners the option of making such a change; and (b)
establishing a new registered management investment company or managed separate
account.
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4.4. If
a material irreconcilable conflict arises
because of a decision by the Company to disregard Contract owner
voting instructions and that decision represents a minority position or
would preclude a majority vote, the Company may be required, at the
Trust's election, to withdraw the affected Account's investment in the
Trust and terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account; provided,
however that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the
extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of the disinterested Trustees. Any such
withdrawal and termination must take place within six (6) months after the
Trust gives written notice that this provision is being implemented. Until
the end of such six (6) month period, the Trust shall continue to accept
and implement orders by the Company for the purchase and redemption of
shares of the Trust.
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4.5. If
a material irreconcilable conflict arises
because a particular state insurance regulator's decision
applicable to the Company conflicts with the majority of other state
regulators, then the Company will withdraw the affected Account's
investment in the Trust and terminate this Agreement with respect to such
Account within six (6) months after the Trustees inform the Company in
writing that the Trust has determined that such decision has created a
material irreconcilable conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal
and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested Trustees. Until the end of such six (6) month period, the
Trust shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the
purchase and redemption of shares of the
Trust.
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4.6. For
purposes of Section 4.3 through 4.6 of this Agreement, a majority of the
disinterested Trustees shall determine whether any proposed action
adequately remedies any material irreconcilable conflict, but in no event
will the Trust be required to establish a new funding medium for any
Contract. The Company shall not be required to establish a new funding
medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of
a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the
material irreconcilable conflict. In the event that the Trustees determine
that any proposed action does not adequately remedy any material
irreconcilable conflict, then the Company will withdraw the Account's
investment in the Trust and terminate this Agreement within six (6) months
after the Trustees inform the
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Company
in writing of the foregoing determination; provided, however, that such
withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested Trustees.
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4.7. The
Company shall at least annually submit
to the Trustees such reports, materials or data as the Trustees may
reasonably request so that the Trustees may fully carry out the duties
imposed upon them by the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, and said
reports, materials and data shall be submitted more frequently
if reasonably
deemed appropriate by the
Trustees.
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4.8. If
and to the extent that Rule 6e-3(T) is amended, or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide
exemptive relief from any provision of the 1940 Act or the rules
promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as defined
in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions materially
different from those contained in the Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, then the Trust and/or the Participating Insurance
Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary to
comply with Rule 6e-3(T), as amended, or Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the
extent such rules are applicable.
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ARTICLE
V.
Indemnification
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5.1. Indemnification
By the Company,
The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Adviser,
Distributor, the Trust and each of its Trustees, officers, employees and
agents and each person, if any, who controls the Trust within the meaning
of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for
purposes of this Section 5.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages,
liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent
of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) or
expenses (including the reasonable costs
of investigating or defending any alleged loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense and reasonable legal counsel fees incurred in
connection therewith) (collectively, "Losses"), to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject under any statute or regulation, or at common
law or otherwise, insofar as such Losses are related to
the sale or acquisition of the Contracts or
Trust shares and:
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(a) arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statements or alleged untrue statements of any material fact
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts or
in the Contracts themselves or in sales literature generated or approved
by the Company on behalf of the Contracts or Accounts (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing) (collectively, "Company Documents" for
the purposes of this Article V), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
provided that this indemnity shall not apply as
to
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any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and was accurately derived from written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Trust for use in
Company Documents or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the
Contracts or Trust shares; or
(b)
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arise
out of or result from statements or representations (other than statements
or representations contained in and accurately derived from Trust
Documents as defined in Section 5.2(a)) or wrongful conduct of the Company
or persons under its control, with respect to the sale or acquisition of
the Contracts or Trust shares; or
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(c)
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arise
out of or result from any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in Trust Documents as defined in Section 5.2(a)
or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and
accurately derived from written information furnished to the Trust by or
on behalf of the Company; or
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(d)
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arise
out of or result from any failure by the Company or administrator to
provide the services or furnish the materials required under the terms of
this Agreement; or
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(e)
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arise
out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or
warranty made by the Company or administrator in this Agreement or arise
out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the
Company or administrator; or
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(f) arise
out of or result from the provision by the Company or administrator to the
Trust of insufficient or incorrect information regarding the purchase or
sale of shares of any Portfolio, or the failure of the Company or
administrator to provide such information on a timely
basis.
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5.2. Indemnification
by the Distributor, The Distributor, Adviser and
Trust each jointly and severally agree to indemnify and
hold harmless the Company and each of its directors, officers, employees, and agents
and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for the purposes of this
Section 5.2) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities
(including amounts
paid in settlement with the written consent of the Distributor, which
consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld) or expenses (including the reasonable costs of
investigating or
defending any alleged loss, claim, damage, liability or expense and
reasonable legal counsel fees incurred in connection therewith)
(collectively, ''Losses"), to which the Indemnified Parties may become
subject under any statute or regulation, or at common law or otherwise, insofar as such
Losses are related to the sale or acquisition of the Contracts or
Trust shares and:
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11
(a)
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arise
out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged untrue
statements of any material fact contained in the registration statement or
prospectus for the Trust (or any amendment or supplement thereto)
(collectively, "Trust Documents" for the purposes of this Article V), or
arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading,
provided that this indemnity' shall not apply as to any Indemnified
Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission
was
made in reliance upon and was accurately derived from written
information furnished to the Adviser, Distributor or the Trust by or on
behalf of the Company for use in Trust Documents or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Contracts or Trust shares and;
or
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(b)
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arise out
of or result from statements or representations (other than statements or
representations contained in and accurately derived form Company
Documents) or wrongful conduct of the Adviser, Distributor or persons
under their control, with respect to the sale or acquisition of the
Contracts or Portfolio shares; or
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(c)
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arise
out of or result from any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in Company Documents or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading if such statement
or omission was made in reliance upon and accurately derived from written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Trust, Adviser
or Distributor; or
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(d)
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arise
out of or result from any failure by the Adviser, Distributor or the Trust
to provide the services or furnish the materials required under the terms
of this Agreement; or
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(e) arise
out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or
warranty made by the Adviser, Distributor or the Trust in this Agreement (
including a failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise,
to comply with the diversification and subchapter M requirements specified
in Article III ) or arise out of or result from any other material breach
of this Agreement by the Adviser Distributor or the Trust;
or
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(i)
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arise
out of or result from the materially incorrect or materially untimely
calculation
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or
reporting of the daily net asset value per share or dividend or capital
gain distribution rate.
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5.3. None
of the Company, the Adviser, the Trust or the Distributor shall be liable
under the indemnification provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2, as
applicable, with respect to any Losses incurred or assessed against an
Indemnified Party that arise from such Indemnified Party's willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such
Indemnified Party's
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12
duties or
by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations or
duties under this Agreement.
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5.4. None
of the Company, the Adviser, Trust or the Distributor shall be liable
under the indemnification provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2, as
applicable, with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified party
unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the other party in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons, or other first written
notification, giving information of the nature of the claim shall have
been served upon or otherwise received by such Indemnified Party (or after
such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of service upon or other
notification to any designated agent), but failure to notify the party
against whom indemnification is sought of any such claim shall not relieve
that party from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party
in the absence of Sections 5.1 and
5.2.
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5.5. In
case any such action is brought against an Indemnified Party, the
indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense,
in the defense of such action. The indemnifying party also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the
indemnifying party to the Indemnified Party of an election to assume such
defense,
the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and the indemnifying party will not be
liable to the Indemnified Party under this Agreement for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in
connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation.
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ARTICLE
VI.
Termination
6.1. This
Agreement shall terminate:
(a)
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at
the option of any party upon 60 days advance written notice to the other
parties, unless a shorter time is agreed to by the
parties;
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(b)
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at
the option of the Trust or the Distributor if the Contracts issued by the
Company cease to qualify as annuity contracts or life insurance contracts,
as applicable, under the Code or if the Contracts are not registered,
issued or sold in accordance with applicable state and/or federal law;
or
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(c) at
the option of any party upon a determination by a majority of the Trustees
of the Trust, or a majority of its disinterested Trustees, that a material
irreconcilable conflict exists;
or
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(d)
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at
the option of the Company upon institution of formal proceedings against
the Trust or the Distributor by the NASD, the SEC, or any state securities
or insurance department or any other regulatory body regarding the Trust's
or the Distributor's duties
under this Agreement or
related to the sale of Trust shares or the operation of the Trust;
or
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(e)
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at
the option of the Company if the Trust or a Portfolio fails to meet
the
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diversification
requirements specified in Section 3.6 hereof;
or
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(f)
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at
the option of the Company if shares of the Series are not reasonably
available to meet the requirements of the Variable Contracts issued by the
Company, as determined by the Company, and upon prompt notice by the
Company to the other parties; or
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(g)
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at
the option of the Company in the event any of the shares of the Portfolio
are not registered, issued or sold in accordance with applicable state
and/or federal law, or such law precludes the use of such shares as the
underlying investment media of the Variable Contracts issued or to be
issued by the Company; or
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(h)
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at
the option of the Company, if the Portfolio fails to qualify as a
Regulated
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Investment
Company under Subchapter M of the Code;
or
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(i)
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at
the option of the Distributor if it shall determine in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or its affiliated companies
has suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations,
financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is
the subject of material adverse
publicity.
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6.2. Notwithstanding
any termination of this Agreement, the Trust shall, at the option of the
Company, continue to make available additional shares of any Portfolio and
redeem shares of any Portfolio pursuant to the terms and conditions of
this Agreement for all Contracts in effect on the
effective date of termination of this
Agreement.
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6.3. The
provisions of Article V shall survive the termination of this Agreement,
and the provisions of Articles and VII and shall survive the termination
of this Agreement as long as shares of the Trust are held on behalf of
Contract owners in accordance with Section
6.2.
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ARTICLE
VII.
Notices
Any
notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or certified mail to
the other party at the address of such party set forth below or at such other
address as such party may from
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time to
time specify in writing to the other party.
If to the
Trust, its Adviser, or its Distributor:
Xxxx
Xxxxx Management, Inc. 00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
If to the
Company:
Transamerica
Life Insurance and Annuity Company
Corporate
Secretary
0000
Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
ARTICLE
VIII.
Miscellaneous
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8.1. The
captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only
and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or
effect.
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8.2. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which taken
together
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shall
constitute one and the same
instrument.
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8.3. If
any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court
decision, statute,
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rule
or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall not be affected
thereby.
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8.4. This
Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted under
and in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. It shall also be
subject to the provisions of the federal securities laws and the rules and
regulations thereunder and to any orders of the Commission granting
exemptive relief therefrom and the conditions of such orders. Copies of
any such orders shall be promptly forwarded by the Trust to the
Company.
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8.5. All
liabilities of the Trust arising, directly or indirectly. under this
Agreement, of any and every nature whatsoever, shall be satisfied solely
out of the assets of the Trust and no Trustee, officer, agent or holder of
shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be personally liable for
any such liabilities.
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15
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8.6. Each
party shall cooperate with each other party and all appropriate
governmental authorities (including without limitation the Commission, the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and state insurance
regulators) and shall permit such authorities reasonable access to its
books and records in connection with any investigation or inquiry relating
to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby.
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8.7. The
rights. remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to
under state and federal laws.
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8.8. This
Agreement shall not be exclusive in any respect.
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8.9. Neither
this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by
either party without the prior written approval of the other
party.
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8.10. No
provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any manner
except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by both
parties.
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8.11. Each
party hereto shall, except as required by law or otherwise permitted by
this Agreement, treat as confidential the names and addresses of the
owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto, and shall not disclose
such confidential information without the written consent of the affected
party unless such information has become publicly
available.
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16
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties have caused their duly authorized officers to execute
this Participation Agreement as of the date and year first above
written.
Xxxx
Xxxxx and Company, Incorproated
By: /s/Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxx
Title: Executive
Vice President
The
Xxxxx American Fund
By: /s/Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxx
Title: Executive
Vice President
Transamerica
Life Insurance and Annuity Company
By: /s/ Xxxxx
Xx
Title: Vice
President
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17
SCHEDULE
A
The Xxxxx
American Fund:
Xxxxx American Income
& Growth Portfolio
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