INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
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Boston Partners Market Neutral Fund
AGREEMENT made as of November 13, 1998 between THE RBB FUND, INC., a
Maryland corporation (herein called the "Fund"), and Boston Partners Asset
Management, L.P. (herein called the "Investment Advisor").
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end, management investment
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and currently
offers or proposes to offer shares representing interests in separate investment
portfolios; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain the Investment Advisor to render
certain investment advisory services to the Fund with respect to the Fund's
Boston Partners Market Neutral Fund (the "Portfolio"), and the Investment
Advisor is willing to so render such services.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants
herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, it is agreed between
the parties hereto as follows:
1. Appointment. The Fund hereby appoints the Investment Advisor to
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act as investment advisor for the Portfolio for the period and on the terms set
forth in this Agreement. The Investment Advisor accepts such appointment and
agrees to render the services herein set forth, for the compensation herein
provided.
2. Delivery of Documents. The Fund has furnished the Investment
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Advisor with copies properly certified or authenticated of each of the
following:
(a) Resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Fund authorizing
the appointment of the Investment Advisor and the execution and delivery of this
Agreement;
(b) Each prospectus and statement of additional information
relating to any class of Shares representing interests in the Portfolio of the
Fund in effect under the 1933 Act (such prospectus and statement of additional
information, as presently in effect and as they shall from time to time be
amended and supplemented, are herein collectively called the "Prospectus" and
"Statement of Additional Information," respectively).
The Fund will promptly furnish the Investment Advisor from time to
time with copies, properly certified or
authenticated, of all amendments of or supplements to the foregoing, if any.
In addition to the foregoing, the Fund will also provide the
Investment Advisor with copies of the Fund's Charter and By-laws, and any
registration statement or service contracts related to the Portfolio, and will
promptly furnish the Investment Advisor with any amendments of or supplements to
such documents.
3. Management of the Portfolio. Subject to the supervision of the
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Board of Directors of the Fund, the Investment Advisor will provide for the
overall management of the Portfolio including (i) the provision of a continuous
investment program for the Portfolio, including investment research and
management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash
equivalents in the Portfolio, (ii) the determination from time to time of what
securities and other investments will be purchased, retained, or sold by the
Fund for the Portfolio, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for
all purchases and sales made for the Portfolio. The Investment Advisor will
provide the services rendered by it hereunder in accordance with the Portfolio's
investment objectives, restrictions and policies as stated in the applicable
Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, provided that the
Investment Adviser has actual notice or knowledge of any changes by the Board of
Directors to such investment objectives, restrictions or policies. The
Investment Advisor further agrees that it will render to the Fund's Board of
Directors such periodic and special reports regarding the performance of its
duties under this Agreement as the Board may reasonably request. The Investment
Advisor agrees to provide to the Fund (or its agents and service providers)
prompt and accurate data with respect to the Portfolio's transactions and, where
not otherwise available, the daily valuation of securities in the Portfolio.
4. Brokerage. Subject to the Investment Advisor's obligation to
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obtain best price and execution, the Investment Advisor shall have full
discretion to select brokers or dealers to effect the purchase and sale of
securities. When the Investment Advisor places orders for the purchase or sale
of securities for the Portfolio, in selecting brokers or dealers to execute such
orders, the Investment Advisor is expressly authorized to consider the fact that
a broker or dealer has furnished statistical, research or other information or
services for the benefit of the Portfolio directly or indirectly. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investment Advisor is authorized
to cause the Portfolio to pay brokerage commissions which may be in excess of
the lowest rates available to brokers who execute transactions for the Portfolio
or who otherwise provide brokerage and research services utilized by the
Investment Advisor, provided that the Investment Advisor determines in good
faith that the amount of each such commission
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paid to a broker is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and
research services provided by such broker viewed in terms of either the
particular transaction to which the commission relates or the Investment
Advisor's overall responsibilities with respect to accounts as to which the
Investment Advisor exercises investment discretion. The Investment Advisor may
aggregate securities orders so long as the Investment Advisor adheres to a
policy of allocating investment opportunities to the Portfolio over a period of
time on a fair and equitable basis relative to other clients. In no instance
will the Portfolio's securities be purchased from or sold to the Fund's
principal underwriter, the Investment Advisor, or any affiliated person thereof,
except to the extent permitted by SEC exemptive order or by applicable law.
The Investment Advisor shall report to the Board of Directors of the
Fund at least quarterly with respect to brokerage transactions that were entered
into by the Investment Advisor, pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, and shall
certify to the Board that the commissions paid were reasonable in terms either
of that transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Advisor to the Fund
and the Investment Advisor's other clients, that the total commissions paid by
the Fund were reasonable in relation to the benefits to the Fund over the long
term, and that such commissions were paid in compliance with Section 28(e) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
5. Conformity with Law; Confidentiality. The Investment Advisor
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further agrees that it will comply with all applicable rules and regulations of
all federal regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the Investment Advisor
in the performance of its duties hereunder. The Investment Advisor will treat
confidentially and as proprietary information of the Fund all records and other
information relating to the Fund and will not use such records and information
for any purpose other than performance of its responsibilities and duties
hereunder, except after prior notification to and approval in writing by the
Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld
where the Investment Advisor may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt
proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by
duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by the Fund.
6. Services Not Exclusive. The Investment Advisor and its officers
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may act and continue to act as investment managers for others, and nothing in
this Agreement shall in any way be deemed to restrict the right of the
Investment Advisor to perform investment management or other services for any
other person or entity, and the performance of such services for others shall
not be deemed to violate or give rise to any duty or obligation to the Portfolio
or the Fund.
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Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the Investment
Advisor or any of its partners, officers, affiliates or employees from buying,
selling or trading in any securities for its or their own account. The Fund
acknowledges that the Investment Advisor and its partners, officers, affiliates,
employees and other clients may, at any time, have, acquire, increase, decrease,
or dispose of positions in investments which are at the same time being acquired
or disposed of for the Portfolio. The Investment Advisor shall have no
obligation to acquire for the Portfolio a position in any investment which the
Investment Advisor, its partners, officers, affiliates or employees may acquire
for its or their own accounts or for the account of another client, so long as
it continues to be the policy and practice of the Investment Advisor not to
favor or disfavor consistently or consciously any client or class of clients in
the allocation of investment opportunities so that, to the extent practical,
such opportunities will be allocated among clients over a period of time on a
fair and equitable basis.
The Investment Advisor agrees that this Paragraph 6 does not
constitute a waiver by the Fund of the obligations imposed upon the Investment
Advisor to comply with Sections 17(d) and 17(j) of the 1940 Act, and the rules
thereunder, nor constitute a waiver by the Fund of the obligations imposed upon
the Investment Advisor under Section 206 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
and the rules thereunder. Further, the Investment Advisor agrees that this
Paragraph 6 does not constitute a waiver by the Fund of the fiduciary obligation
of the Investment Advisor arising under federal or state law, including Section
36 of the 1940 Act. The Investment Advisor agrees that this Paragraph 6 shall
be interpreted consistent with the provisions of Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act.
7. Books and Records. In compliance with the requirements of Rule
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31a-3 under the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisor hereby agrees that all records
which it maintains for the Portfolio are the property of the Fund and further
agrees to surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon the Fund's
request. The Investment Advisor further agrees to preserve for the periods
prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act the records required to be
maintained by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act.
8. Expenses. During the term of this Agreement, the Investment
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Advisor will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities
under this Agreement. The Portfolio shall bear all of its own expenses not
specifically assumed by the Investment Advisor. General expenses of the Fund
not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Fund shall be
allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the
Fund's Board of Directors in such manner as the Board determines to be fair and
equitable. Expenses borne by the Portfolio shall include, but are not limited
to, the
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following (or the portfolio's share of the following): (a) the cost (including
brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by the Portfolio and any
losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses
incurred on behalf of the Portfolio by the Investment Advisor; (c) filing fees
and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Fund and the
Portfolio's shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining
such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the
Fund's directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise
taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or
fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out a liability of or
claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Fund or the Portfolio for
violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including
legal fees of special counsel for the independent directors; (i) charges of
custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing
prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for
existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders
and proxy material that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing
prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to
existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy material
that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees,
voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership
in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies
and costs of shareholders' and directors' meetings; (o) costs of independent
pricing services to value a portfolio's securities; and (p) the costs of
investment company literature and other publications provided by the Fund to its
directors and officers. Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses,
expenses of preparation, printing and mailing, prospectuses, statements of
additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and
organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a
particular class of the Fund are allocated to such class.
If the expenses borne by the Portfolio in any fiscal year exceed the
most restrictive applicable expense limitations imposed by the securities
regulations of any state in which the Shares of the Portfolio are registered or
qualified for sale to the public, the Investment Advisor shall reimburse the
Portfolio for any excess up to the amount of the fees payable by the Portfolio
to it during such fiscal year pursuant to Paragraph 9 hereof in the same
proportion that its fees bear to the total fees paid by the Fund for investment
advisory services in respect of the Portfolio; provided, however, that
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notwithstanding the foregoing, the Investment Advisor shall reimburse the
Portfolio for such excess expenses regardless of the amount of such fees payable
to it during such fiscal year to the extent that the
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securities regulations of any state in which the Shares are registered or
qualified for sale so require.
9. Voting. The Investment Advisor shall have the authority to vote
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as agent for the Fund, either in person or by proxy, tender and take all actions
incident to the ownership of all securities in which Portfolio's assets may be
invested from time to time, subject to such policies and procedures as the Board
of Directors of the Fund may adopt from time to time.
10. Reservation of Name. The Investment Advisor shall at all times
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have all rights in and to the Portfolio's name and all investment models used by
or on behalf of the Portfolio. The Investment Advisor may use the Portfolio's
name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business
activity without the consent of any shareholder and the Fund shall execute and
deliver any and all documents required to indicate the consent of the Fund to
such use.
11. Compensation.
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(a) For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant
to this Agreement with respect to the Portfolio, the Fund will pay the
Investment Advisor from the assets of the Portfolio and the Investment Advisor
will accept as full compensation therefor a fee, computed daily and payable
monthly, at the annual rate of 2.25% of the Portfolio's average daily net
assets.
(b) The fee attributable to the Portfolio shall be satisfied only
against assets of the Portfolio and not against the assets of any other
investment portfolio of the Fund.
12. Limitation of Liability of the Investment Advisor. The
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Investment Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of
law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which
this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty
with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting
from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the
Investment Advisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard
by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement ("disabling conduct").
The Portfolio will indemnify the Investment Advisor against and hold it harmless
from any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including
reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any claim, demand, action
or suit not resulting from disabling conduct by the Investment Advisor.
Indemnification shall be made only following: (i) a final decision on the
merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the
Investment Advisor was not liable by reason of disabling conduct or (ii) in the
absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination, based upon a review of
the
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facts, that the Investment Advisor was not liable by reason of disabling conduct
by (a) the vote of a majority of a quorum of directors of the Portfolio who are
neither "interested persons" of the Portfolio nor parties to the proceeding
("disinterested non-party directors") or (b) an independent legal counsel in a
written opinion. The Investment Advisor shall be entitled to advances from the
Portfolio for payment of the reasonable expenses incurred by it in connection
with the matter as to which it is seeking indemnification in the manner and to
the fullest extent permissible under the Maryland General Corporation Law. The
Investment Advisor shall provide to the Portfolio a written affirmation of its
good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by
the Portfolio has been met and a written undertaking to repay any such advance
if it should ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been
met. In addition, at least one of the following additional conditions shall be
met: (a) the Investment Advisor shall provide a security in form and amount
acceptable to the Portfolio for its undertaking; (b) the Portfolio is insured
against losses arising by reason of the advance; or (c) a majority of a quorum
of disinterested non-party directors, or independent legal counsel, in a written
opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of facts readily available
to the Portfolio at the time the advance is proposed to be made, that there is
reason to believe that the Investment Advisor will ultimately be found to be
entitled to indemnification. Any amounts payable by the Portfolio under this
Section shall be satisfied only against the assets of the Portfolio and not
against the assets of any other investment portfolio of the Fund.
The limitations on liability and indemnification provisions of this
paragraph 12 shall not be applicable to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or expenses arising from the Investment Advisor's rights to the Portfolio's
name. The Investment Advisor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and the
Portfolio for any claims arising from the use of the term "Boston Partners" in
the name of the Portfolio.
13. Duration and Termination. This Agreement shall become effective
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with respect to the Portfolio upon approval of this Agreement by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio and, unless
sooner terminated as provided herein, shall continue with respect to the
Portfolio until August 16, 1999. Thereafter, if not terminated, this Agreement
shall continue with respect to the Portfolio for successive annual periods
ending on August 16 provided such continuance is specifically approved at least
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annually (a) by the vote of a majority of those members of the Board of
Directors of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or interested
persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval, and (b) by the Board of Directors of the Fund or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio;
provided, however, that this
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Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Portfolio by the Fund at any
time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Directors of the Fund
or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio,
on 60 days' prior written notice to the Investment Advisor, or by the Investment
Advisor at any time, without payment of any penalty, on 60 days' prior written
notice to the Fund. This Agreement will immediately terminate in the event of
its assignment. (As used in this Agreement, the terms "majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "interested person" and "assignment" shall have
the same meaning as such terms have in the 1940 Act).
14. Amendment of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may
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be changed, discharged or terminated orally, except by an instrument in writing
signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, discharge or
termination is sought, and no amendment of this Agreement affecting the
Portfolio shall be effective until approved by vote of the holders of a majority
of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio.
15. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for
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convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any
provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision,
statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be
affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and shall be
governed by Delaware law.
16. Change in Membership. The Investment Advisor shall notify the
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Fund of any change in its membership within a reasonable time after such change.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed
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and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without giving
effect to the conflicts of laws principles thereof.
18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
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counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first
above written.
THE RBB FUND, INC.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
President & Treasurer
BOSTON PARTNERS ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P., by
BOSTON PARTNERS, INC., its General
Partner
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
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