1
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made this 6th day of October, 1999, by and among
USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Trust"), an open-end
management investment company organized as a Delaware Business Trust, Allianz
Life Insurance Company of North America, a life insurance company organized as a
corporation under the laws of the State of Minnesota, (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
BISYS Fund Services Limited Partnership, 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").
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, the Company has registered or will register under the 1940 Act
certain variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts, set
forth in Schedule A, to be issued by the Company under which the Portfolios are
to be made as investment vehicles (the "Contracts);
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment 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 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
1.1. For purposes of this Article I, the Company 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 notifies the Trust of such purchase orders and requests
for
2
redemption by 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on the next following Business Day,
as defined in Section 1.3.
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 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.
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 4:00 p.m.
Eastern time on the same Business Day that 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 and on which the Trust calculates its net
asset value pursuant to the rules of the Commission.
1.4. The Trust will redeem for cash any full or fractional shares of any
Portfolio, when requested by the Company on behalf of an Account, at the
net asset value next computed after receipt 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 normally 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 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same Business Day that
the Trust (or its agent) receives 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(3) of the 1940 Act and any rules
thereunder.
3
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.
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.
1.7. The Trust shall furnish, on or before the ex-dividend date, notice to the
Company of any income dividends or capital gain distributions payable 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.
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. If the Trust provides
materially incorrect share net asset value information, the number of
shares purchased or redeemed shall be adjusted to reflect the correct net
asset value per share. Any material error in the calculation or reporting
of net asset value per share, dividend or capital gain information shall
be reported promptly upon discovery to the Company.
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 any 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, as amended from time
to time.
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 2.11 and Article IV of this Agreement.
4
ARTICLE II.
OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
2.1. The Trust shall prepare and file with the Commission a registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended (the "1933 Act")
and this Agreement shall not be effective until such registration has
been declared effective by the Commission.
2.2. 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.
2.3. 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.
2.4. The Trust shall provide such documentation (including a final copy of the
Trust's prospectus 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.
2.5. The Trust and the Distributor shall provide (1) at the Trust's expense,
one copy of the Trust's current Statement of Additional Information
("SAI") 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.
2.6. 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
5
the Company shall reasonably request for use in connection with offering
the Contracts issued 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.
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.
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-annual 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.
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
pertaining to the Contracts.
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
6
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.
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 Contracts 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.
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.
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.
2.14. The Company shall take all such actions as are necessary under applicable
federal and state law to permit the sale of the Contracts issued by the
Company, including registering each Account as an investment company to
the extent required under the 1940 Act, and registering the Contracts or
interests in the Accounts under the Contracts to the extent required
under the 1933 Act, and obtaining all necessary approvals to offer the
Contracts from state insurance commissioners.
7
2.15. The Company shall make every effort to maintain the treatment of the
Contracts issued by the Company as annuity contracts or life insurance
policies, whichever is appropriate, under applicable provisions of the
Code, and shall notify the Trust and the Distributor immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing that such Contracts have ceased
to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in the future.
2.16. The Company shall offer and sell the Contracts issued by the Company in
accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), the 1940 Act, the NASD
Rules of Fair Practice, and state law respecting the offering of variable
life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts.
2.17. The Distributor shall sell and distribute the shares of the Portfolios of
the Fund in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act,
the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, the NASD Rules of Fair Practice, and state
law.
2.18. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities having jurisdiction (including,
without limitation, the SEC, the NASD, 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.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
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 Minnesota
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 USAllianz Investor Services, LLC, the principal
underwriter for the Contracts, is registered as a broker-dealer under the
1934 Act and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc.
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.
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
8
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.
3.4. the Trust represents and warrants that it is duly organized and validly
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and that it does and
will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
3.5. The Trust represents and warrants 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.
3.6. The Trust represents and warrants that the investments of each Portfolio
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.
3.7. The Trust represents and warrants that it is currently qualified as a
"regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Code, that it
will make every effort to maintain such qualification and 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.
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-1 or other applicable
regulations under the 1940 Act. Such bond shall include coverage for
larceny and embezzlement and be issued by a reputable bonding company.
9
3.9. The Distributor represents and warrants that it is duly organized and
validly existing under the laws of the State of Ohio and that it is
registered, and will remain registered, during the term of this
Agreement, as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and is a member in good
standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
ARTICLE IV.
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS
(This article intentionally left blank)
ARTICLE V.
INDEMNIFICATION
5.1. INDEMNIFICATION BY THE COMPANY. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the 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:
(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 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
10
(b) 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
(c) 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
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Company to provide
the services or furnish the materials required under the terms of
this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach
of this Agreement by the Company; or
(f) arise out of or result from the provision by the Company to the
Trust of insufficient or incorrect information regarding the
purchase or sale of shares of any Portfolio, or the failure of the
Company to provide such information on a timely basis.
5.2. INDEMNIFICATION BY THE DISTRIBUTOR. The Distributor agrees 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" "or 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:
(a) 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
11
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 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; or
(b) arise out of or result from statements or representations (other
than statements or representations contained in and accurately
derived from Company Documents) or wrongful conduct of the
Distributor or persons under its control, with respect to the sale
or acquisition of the Contracts or Portfolio shares; or
(c) 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 Distributor; or
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Distributor to
provide the services or furnish the materials required under the
terms of this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Distributor in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach
of this Agreement by the Distributor.
5.3. None of the Company, 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 duties
or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of
obligations or duties under this Agreement.
5.4. None of the Company, 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 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
12
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 from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified party in the absence of Sections 5.1 and 5.2.
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.
ARTICLE VI.
TERMINATION
6.1 This Agreement shall terminate:
(a) at the option of any party upon 6 months advance written notice to
the other parties, unless a shorter time is agreed to by the
parties;
(b) 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 (unless
disqualification is caused by the Trust or the Distributor) or if
the Contracts are not registered, issued or sold in accordance
with applicable state and/or federal law; or
(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
(d) 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
(e) at the option of the Company if the Trust or a Portfolio fails to
meet the diversification requirements specified in Section 3.6
hereof; or
13
(f) 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
(g) 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
(h) at the option of the Company, if the Portfolio fails to qualify as
a Regulated investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code: or
(i) 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.
(j) immediately, in the event the Distributor ceases, for any reason,
to act in the capacity of distributor for the Trust and its
shares.
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.
6.3. The provisions of Article V and all warranties under Article III shall
survive the termination of this Agreement, and the provisions of Article
IV and Section 2.11 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.
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 time to time
specify in writing to the other party.
If to the Trust:
USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
President
If to the Distributor:
BISYS Fund Services Limited Partnership
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
If to the Company:
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Assistant Vice President
ARTICLE VIII.
MISCELLANEOUS
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.
8.2. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which
taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
8.3. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the
Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
8.4. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted
under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota. 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.
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.
15
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.
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.
8.8. This Agreement shall not be exclusive in any respect.
8.9. Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be
assigned by either party without prior written approval of the other
party.
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.
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.
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.
BISYS Fund Service Limited Partnership
BISYS Fund Services, Inc., its General Partner
By:
------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust
By:
------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
16
By:
------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
17
AMENDMENT TO PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
The Participation Agreement dated October 6, 1999 by and among U.S. Allianz
Variable Insurance Products Trust, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North
America, and BISYS Fund Services Limited Partnership is hereby amended by
deleting the existing Schedule A and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
SCHEDULE A
(1st revised edition - effective February 1, 2000)
FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACTS
- Diversified Assets Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance
Products Trust
- Intermediate Fixed Income Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable
Insurance Products Trust
- Growth Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust
- Global Opportunities Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance
Products
- Money Market Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance Products
SEPARATE ACCOUNTS UTILIZING THE FUNDS
- Allianz Life Variable Account A
- Allianz Life Variable Account B
CONTRACTS FUNDED BY THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS
ALLIANZ VARIABLE ACCOUNT A
- Allianz Value Life
- Valuemark Life
ALLIANZ VARIABLE ACCOUNT B
- Valuemark II
- Valuemark III
- Valuemark IV
- Valuemark Income Plus
- Valuemark Charter
- USAllianz Alterity
- USAllianz Rewards*
*This contract will not become effective until it becomes SEC effective.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized officer's to
execute this amendment to the participation agreement as of February 1, 2000.
BISYS FUNDS SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, U.S. ALLIANZ VARIABLE INSURANCE
BISYS FUNDS SERVICES, INC. ITS GENERAL PARTNER PRODUCTS TRUST
Name: /s/ ??? Name: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ??
-------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Title: Sr. Vice President Title: Chairperson
------------------------------------- -------------------------------
ALLIANZ LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NORTH AMERICA
By:
----------------------------------------
Title:
-------------------------------------
18
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made this 6th day of October, 1999, by and among
USAllianz Insurance Variable Products Trust (the "Trust"), an open-end
management investment company organized as a Delaware Business Trust, Preferred
Life Insurance Company of New York, a life insurance company organized as a
corporation under the laws of the State of New York, (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 BISYS
Fund Services Limited Partnership, 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").
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, the Company has registered or will register under the 1940 Act
certain variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts, set
forth in Schedule A, to be issued by the Company under which the Portfolios are
to be made as investment vehicles (the "Contracts);
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment 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 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
1.1. For purposes of this Article I, the Company 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 notifies the Trust of such purchase orders and requests
for redemption by 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on the next following Business
Day, as defined in Section 1.3.
19
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 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.
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 4:00 p.m.
Eastern time on the same Business Day that 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 and on which the Trust calculates its net
asset value pursuant to the rules of the Commission.
1.4. The Trust will redeem for cash any full or fractional shares of any
Portfolio, when requested by the Company on behalf of an Account, at the
net asset value next computed after receipt 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 normally 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 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same Business Day that
the Trust (or its agent) receives 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(3) of the 1940 Act and any rules
thereunder.
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.
20
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.
1.7. The Trust shall furnish, on or before the ex-dividend date, notice to the
Company of any income dividends or capital gain distributions payable 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.
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. If the Trust provides
materially incorrect share net asset value information, the number of
shares purchased or redeemed shall be adjusted to reflect the correct net
asset value per share. Any material error in the calculation or reporting
of net asset value per share, dividend or capital gain information shall
be reported promptly upon discovery to the Company.
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 any 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, as amended from time
to time.
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 2.11 and Article IV of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II.
OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
2.1. The Trust shall prepare and file with the Commission a registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended (the "1933 Act")
and this Agreement shall not be effective until such registration has
been declared effective by the Commission.
21
2.2. 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 2.2 and all taxes to which an issuer
is subject on the issuance and transfer of its shares.
2.3. 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.
2.4. The Trust shall provide such documentation (including a final copy of the
Trust's prospectus 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.
2.5. The Trust and the Distributor shall provide (1) at the Trust's expense,
one copy of the Trust's current Statement of Additional Information
("SAI") 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.
2.6. 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 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.
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
22
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.
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-annual 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.
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
pertaining to the Contracts.
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.
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
23
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 Contracts
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.
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.
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.
2.14. The Company shall take all such actions as are necessary under applicable
federal and state law to permit the sale of the Contracts issued by the
Company, including registering each Account as an investment company to
the extent required under the 1940 Act, and registering the Contracts or
interests in the Accounts under the Contracts to the extent required
under the 1933 Act, and obtaining all necessary approvals to offer the
Contracts from state insurance commissioners.
2.15. The Company shall make every effort to maintain the treatment of the
Contracts issued by the Company as annuity contracts or life insurance
policies, whichever is appropriate, under applicable provisions of the
Code, and shall notify the Trust and the Distributor immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing that such Contracts have ceased
to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in the future.
2.16. The Company shall offer and sell the Contracts issued by the Company in
accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), the 1940 Act, the NASD
Rules of Fair Practice, and state law respecting the offering of variable
life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts.
2.17. The Distributor shall sell and distribute the shares of the Portfolios of
the Fund in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act,
the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, the NASD Rules of Fair Practice, and state
law.
24
2.18. Each party hereby shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities having jurisdiction (including,
without limitation, the SEC, the NASD, 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.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
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 New York
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 USAllianz Investor Services, LLC, the principal
underwriter for the Contracts, is registered as a broker-dealer under the
1934 Act and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc.
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.
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.
3.4. the Trust represents and warrants that it is duly organized and validly
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and that it does and
will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
3.5. The Trust represents and warrants 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.
25
3.6. The Trust represents and warrants that the investments of each Portfolio
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.
3.7. The Trust represents and warrants that it is currently qualified as a
"regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Code, that it
will make every effort to maintain such qualification and 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.
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-1 or other applicable
regulations under the 1940 Act. Such bond shall include coverage for
larceny and embezzlement and be issued by a reputable bonding company.
3.9. The Distributor represents and warrants that it is duly organized and
validly existing under the laws of the State of Ohio and that it is
registered, and will remain registered, during the term of this
Agreement, as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and is a member in good
standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
ARTICLE IV.
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS
(This article intentionally left blank)
ARTICLE V.
INDEMNIFICATION
5.1. INDEMNIFICATION BY THE COMPANY. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the 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
26
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:
(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 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) 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
(c) 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
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Company to provide
the services or furnish the materials required under the terms of
this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach
of this Agreement by the Company; or
(f) arise out of or result from the provision by the Company to the
Trust of insufficient or incorrect information regarding the
purchase or sale of shares of any Portfolio, or the failure of the
Company to provide such information on a timely basis.
27
5.2. INDEMNIFICATION BY THE DISTRIBUTOR. The Distributor agrees 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" "or 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:
(a) 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 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;
or
(b) arise out of or result from statements or representations (other
than statements or representations contained in and accurately
derived from Company Documents) or wrongful conduct of the
Distributor or persons under its control, with respect to the sale
or acquisition of the Contracts or Portfolio shares; or
(c) 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 Distributor; or
(d) arise out of or result from any failure by the Distributor to
provide the services or furnish the materials required under the
terms of this Agreement; or
(e) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Distributor in this
Agreement or arise out
28
of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by
the Distributor.
5.3. None of the Company, 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 duties
or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of
obligations or duties under this Agreement.
5.4. None of the Company, 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 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
from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified party in the
absence of Sections 5.1 and 5.2.
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.
ARTICLE VI.
TERMINATION
6.1 This Agreement shall terminate:
(a) at the option of any party upon 6 months advance written notice to
the other parties, unless a shorter time is agreed to by the
parties;
(b) 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 (unless
disqualification is caused by the Trust or the Distributor) or if
the Contracts are not registered, issued or sold in accordance
with applicable state and/or federal law; or
29
(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
(d) 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
(e) at the option of the Company if the Trust or a Portfolio fails to
meet the diversification requirements specified in Section 3.6
hereof; or
(f) 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
(g) 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
(h) at the option of the Company, if the Portfolio fails to qualify as
a Regulated investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code: or
(i) 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.
(j) immediately, in the event the Distributor ceases, for any reason,
to act in the capacity of distributor for the Trust and its
shares.
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.
6.3. The provisions of Article V and all warranties under Article III shall
survive the termination of this Agreement, and the provisions of Article
IV and Section 2.11 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.
ARTICLE VII.
30
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 time to time
specify in writing to the other party.
If to the Trust:
USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
President
If to the Distributor:
BISYS Fund Services Limited Partnership
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
If to the Company:
Preferred Life Insurance Company of New York
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Vice President Operations
ARTICLE VIII.
MISCELLANEOUS
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.
8.2. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which
taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
8.3. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the
Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
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.
31
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.
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.
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.
8.8. This Agreement shall not be exclusive in any respect.
8.9. Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be
assigned by either party without prior written approval of the other
party.
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.
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.
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.
BISYS Fund Service Limited Partnership
BISYS Fund Services, Inc., its General Partner
By:
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust
By:
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
32
Preferred Life Insurance Company of New York
By:
---------------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President Corporate Legal Officer
& Secretary
33
SCHEDULE A
(1st revised edition - effective February 1, 2000)
FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACTS
- Diversified Assets Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance
Products Trust
- Intermediate Fixed Income Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable
Insurance Products Trust
- Growth Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance Products Trust
- Global Opportunities Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance
Products
- Money Market Fund, a portfolio of USAllianz Variable Insurance Products
SEPARATE ACCOUNTS UTILIZING THE FUNDS
- Allianz Life Variable Account A
- Allianz Life Variable Account B
CONTRACTS FUNDED BY THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS
ALLIANZ VARIABLE ACCOUNT A
- Allianz Valuemark Life
- Valuemark Life
ALLIANZ VARIABLE ACCOUNT B
- Valuemark II
- Valuemark III
- Valuemark IV
- Valuemark Income Plus
- Valuemark Charter
- USAllianz Alterity
- USAllianz Rewards*
*This contract will not become effective until it becomes SEC effective.