Exhibit (e)(3)
FIRST AMERICAN STRATEGY FUNDS, INC.
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
for
CLASS C SHARES (LEVEL-LOAD CLASSES)
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the ___ day of ___________, 2001, between
FIRST AMERICAN STRATEGY FUNDS, INC., a Minnesota corporation (the "Fund"), and
QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC (the "Distributor"), a Delaware limited liability
company.
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an investment company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended ("1940 Act"), and its shares are registered with the SEC under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to appoint the Distributor to act as
distributor and shareholder servicing agent for the Class C shares of the Fund's
portfolios, as now in existence or hereinafter created from time to time
(collectively, the "Shares"), in accordance with the terms and conditions of
this Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained, the Fund and Distributor hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Distribution Activities.
A. Sale of Shares. The Fund grants to the Distributor the
exclusive right to sell Shares of each portfolio of the Fund (each a
"Portfolio"), at net asset value in accordance with the current prospectus for
the Shares, as agent and on behalf of the Fund, during the term of this
Agreement and subject to the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, the
rules and regulations of the SEC and the laws governing the sale of securities
in the various states ("Blue Sky Laws").
B. Solicitation of Sales. In consideration of these rights
granted to the Distributor and the compensation payable pursuant to Article 3
hereof, the Distributor agrees to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with
its other business, in connection with the distribution of Shares; provided,
however, that the Distributor shall not be prevented from entering into like
arrangements with other issuers. The provisions of this paragraph do not
obligate the Distributor to register as a broker or dealer under the Blue Sky
Laws of any jurisdiction when it determines it would be uneconomical for it to
do so or to maintain its registration in any jurisdiction in which it is now
registered nor obligate the Distributor to sell any particular number of Shares.
C. Authorized Representations. The Distributor is not authorized
by the Fund to give any information or to make any representations other than
those contained in the current registration statements and prospectuses of the
Fund with respect to the Shares filed with the SEC or contained in Shareholder
reports or other material that may be prepared by or on behalf of the Fund for
the Distributor's use. The Distributor may prepare and distribute sales
literature and other material, as it may deem appropriate, provided that such
literature and materials have been approved by the Fund prior to their use.
D. Registration of Shares. The Fund agrees that it will take all
action necessary to register Shares under the federal and state securities laws
so that there will be available for sale the number of Shares the Distributor
may reasonably be expected to sell and to pay all fees associated with said
registration. The Fund shall make available to the Distributor such number of
copies of its currently effective prospectus and statement of additional
information as the Distributor may reasonably request. The Fund shall furnish to
the Distributor copies of all information, financial statements and other
papers, which the Distributor may reasonably request for use in connection with
the distribution of Shares of the Fund.
ARTICLE 2. Shareholder Servicing Activities.
A. Appointment. The Fund hereby appoints the Distributor as
servicing agent for the Shares of each Portfolio, as agent and on behalf of the
Fund in accordance with and during the term of this Agreement, and the
Distributor hereby accepts such appointment.
B. Shareholder Servicing Activities. As servicing agent for the
Shares of each Portfolio, and in consideration of the compensation payable
pursuant to Article 4 hereof, the Distributor shall provide
personal, continuing services to investors in the Shares of each Portfolio,
including but not limited to providing ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of
shareholder accounts with respect to the Shares of the Portfolios, responding to
inquiries of the holders of Shares regarding their ownership of Shares or their
accounts with the Fund, and providing administrative or accounting services with
respect to the Shares of the Portfolios not otherwise provided by other agents
of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") adopts a definition of "service fee" for
purposes of Section 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the NASD that differs from the
definition of shareholder servicing activities in this paragraph, or if the NASD
adopts a related definition intended to define the same concept, the definition
of shareholder servicing activities in this paragraph shall be automatically
amended, without further action of the parties, to conform to such NASD
definition.
ARTICLE 3. Compensation for Distribution Activities. (a) As
compensation for providing distribution services pursuant to Article 1 hereof,
the Distributor shall receive:
(1) in respect of the Shares of each Portfolio, pursuant to
the Fund's Plan of Distribution with respect to Class C .Shares adopted by each
such class in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Distribution
Plan"), a fee in connection with distribution-related services provided in
respect of such class, calculated and payable monthly as soon as practicable
after the end of the calendar month within which such fee accrues, but in any
event prior to the tenth day following the end of such calendar month, at the
annual rate of .75% of the value of the average daily net assets of such class.
(2) All contingent deferred sales charges applied on
redemptions of Shares of such Portfolio, payable at such time as the redemption
proceeds in respect of the redemption giving rise to the contingent deferred
sales charge is paid to the redeeming shareholder; provided that whether and at
what rate a contingent deferred sales charge will be imposed with respect to a
redemption shall be determined in accordance with, and in the manner set forth
in, the Registration Statement registering the Shares then in effect with the
SEC.
(b) Amounts payable to the Distributor under the Distribution
Plan may exceed or be less than the Distributor's actual costs incurred in
connection with the distribution of the Shares of each such class, as described
in Article 5 below. In the event such Distribution Expenses (as defined in
Article 5) exceed amounts payable to the Distributor under the Distribution
Plan, the Distributor shall not be entitled to reimbursement by the Fund.
(c) The Distributor may reallow any or all of the distribution
fees and contingent deferred sales charges which it is paid under this Agreement
to such dealers as the Distributor may from time to time determine.
(d) The Distributor may transfer its right to the payments
described in this Article 3 to third persons who provide funding to the
Distributor, provided that any such transfer shall not be deemed a transfer of
the Distributor's obligations under this Agreement. Upon receipt of direction
from the Distributor to pay such fees to a transferee, the Fund shall make
payment in accordance with such direction.
ARTICLE 4. Compensation for Shareholder Service Activities.
(a) As compensation for providing shareholder services pursuant
to Article 2 hereof, the Distributor shall receive in respect of the Shares of
each Portfolio, pursuant to the Fund's Service Plan with respect to Class C
Shares adopted by each such class in accordance with the Fund's Rule 18f-3 Plan
for multiple classes adopted by the Fund's Board of Directors (the "Service
Plan"), a fee in connection with shareholder services provided in respect of
such class, calculated and payable monthly, at the annual rate of .25% of the
value of the average daily net assets of such class.
(b) Amounts payable to the Distributor under the Service Plan
may exceed or be less than the Distributor's actual costs incurred in connection
with the provision of shareholder services for the Shares, as described in
Article 5 below. In the event such Shareholder Servicing Expenses (as defined in
Article 5) exceed amounts payable to the Distributor under the Service Plan, the
Distributor shall not be entitled to reimbursement by the Fund.
(c) The Distributor may reallow all or any part of, or pay
compensation from, the amounts payable to the Distributor under the Service Plan
to such persons, including employees of the Distributor, and institutions who
respond to inquiries of holders of the Shares of the Portfolios or provide other
administrative or accounting services for the Shares, as the Distributor may
from time to time determine.
ARTICLE 5. Expenses.
(a) During the period of this Agreement, the Fund shall pay or
cause to be paid all expenses, costs and fees incurred by the Fund which are not
assumed by the Distributor. The Distributor
shall pay all of its own costs incurred in connection with the distribution of
the Shares of each Portfolio pursuant to Article 1 hereof ("Distribution
Expenses"). The Distributor shall also pay all of its own costs incurred in
connection with providing the personal, continuing services to shareholders of
the Shares of each Portfolio pursuant to Article 2 hereof ("Shareholder
Servicing Expenses"). Distribution Expenses include, but are not limited to, the
following expenses incurred by the Distributor: initial and ongoing sales
compensation (in addition to sales loads) paid to investment executives of the
Distributor and to other broker dealers and participating financial institutions
which the Distributor has agreed to pay; expenses incurred in the printing of
prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports used for sales
purposes; expenses of preparation and distribution of sales literature; expenses
of advertising of any type; an allocation of the Distributor's overhead;
payments to and expenses of persons who provide support services in connection
with the distribution of Fund shares; and other distribution-related expenses.
Shareholder Servicing Expenses include all expenses of the Distributor incurred
in connection with providing administrative or accounting services to
shareholders of the Shares of each Portfolio, including, but not limited to, an
allocation of the Distributor's overhead and payments made to persons, including
employees of the Distributor, who respond to inquiries of shareholders regarding
their ownership of Shares, or who provide other administrative or accounting
services for the Shares class not otherwise required to be provided by the
applicable Portfolio's investment adviser, transfer agent or other agent.
(b) In each year during which this Agreement remains in effect,
the Distributor will prepare and furnish to the Board of Directors of the Fund,
on a quarterly basis, written reports complying with the requirements of Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act that set forth (i) the amounts expended under this
Agreement as Distribution Expenses for the Shares of each Portfolio and the
purposes for which those expenditures were made, and (ii) the amounts expended
under this Agreement as Shareholder Servicing Expenses for the Shares of each
Portfolio and the purposes for which those expenditures were made.
ARTICLE 6. Indemnification of Distributor. The Fund agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless the Distributor and each of its directors and officers and
each person, if any, who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section
15 of the 1933 Act against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense
(including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss,
liability, claim, damages, or expense and reasonable counsel fees and
disbursements incurred in connection therewith), arising by reason of any person
acquiring any Shares, based upon the ground that the registration statement,
prospectus, Shareholder reports or other information filed or made public by the
Fund (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in
order to make the statements made not misleading. However, the Fund does not
agree to indemnify the Distributor or hold it harmless to the extent that the
statements or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with,
information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Fund to be deemed to protect the
Distributor against any liability to the Fund or its Shareholders to which the
Distributor or such person otherwise would be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or by
reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this
Agreement, or (ii) is the Fund to be liable to the Distributor under the
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made
against the Distributor or any person indemnified unless the Distributor or
other person shall have notified the Fund in writing of the claim 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 the
Distributor or such other person (or after the Distributor or the person shall
have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to
notify the Fund of any claim shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which
it may have to the Distributor or any person against whom such action is brought
otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph.
The Fund shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the
defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce any claims subject to this indemnity provision. If the Fund elects to
assume the defense of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel
chosen by the Fund and satisfactory to the indemnified defendants in the suit
whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Fund
elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the indemnified
defendants shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained
by them. If the Fund does not elect to assume the defense of a suit, it will
reimburse the indemnified defendants for the reasonable fees and expenses of any
counsel retained by the indemnified defendants.
The Fund agrees to notify the Distributor promptly of the commencement
of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or Directors
in connection with the issuance or sale of any of its Shares.
ARTICLE 7. Indemnification of Fund. The Distributor covenants and
agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and each of its
Directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Fund within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any loss, liability, damages,
claim or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending
any alleged loss, liability, damages, claim or expense and reasonable counsel
fees incurred in connection therewith) based upon the 1933 Act or any other
statute or common law and arising by reason of any person acquiring any Shares,
and alleging a wrongful act of the Distributor or any of its employees or
alleging that the registration statement, prospectus, Shareholder reports or
other information filed or made public by the Fund (as from time to time
amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements
not misleading, insofar as the statement or omission was made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the
Distributor.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Distributor in favor of the Fund
or any other person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Fund or any other
person against any liability to which the Fund or such other person would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross
negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the
Distributor to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph with respect to any claim made against the Fund or any person
indemnified unless the Fund or person, as the case may be, shall have notified
the Distributor in writing of the claim 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 the Fund or upon any person (or after the
Fund or such person shall have received notice of service on any designated
agent). However, failure to notify the Distributor of any claim shall not
relieve the Distributor from any liability which it may have to the Fund or any
person against whom the action is brought otherwise than on account of its
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph.
The Distributor shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense,
in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce the claim, but if the Distributor elects to assume the defense, the
defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Distributor and satisfactory
to the indemnified defendants whose approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
In the event that the Distributor elects to assume the defense of any suit and
retain counsel, the defendants in the suit shall bear the fees and expenses of
any additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does not elect to
assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the indemnified defendants in
the suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.
The Distributor agrees to notify the Fund promptly of the commencement
of any litigation or proceedings against it in connection with the issue and
sale of any of the Fund's Shares.
ARTICLE 8. Effective Date. This Agreement shall be effective upon its
execution, and unless terminated as provided, shall continue in force for one
year from the effective date and thereafter from year to year, provided that
such annual continuance is approved by (i) either the vote of a majority of the
Directors of the Fund, or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Shares of each Portfolio, and (ii) the vote of a majority of
those Directors of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or the Fund's
Distribution Plan or Service Plan or interested persons of any such party
("Qualified Directors"), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on the approval. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the
event of its assignment. As used in this paragraph the terms "vote of a majority
of the outstanding voting securities", "assignment" and "interested person"
shall have the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act. In addition, this
Agreement may at any time be terminated without penalty by the Distributor, by a
vote of a majority of Qualified Directors or by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Shares class of any Portfolio upon not less
than sixty days prior written notice to the other party.
ARTICLE 9. Notices. Any notice required or permitted to be given by
either party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the
other party at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving
notice: if to the Fund, attn: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; and to its Secretary at the
following address: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; and
if to the Distributor, attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
ARTICLE 10. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota and the applicable provisions
of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of
Minnesota or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable
provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control.
ARTICLE 11. Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed in two
or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
IN WITNESS, the Fund and Distributor have each duly executed this
Agreement, as of the day and year above written.
FIRST AMERICAN STRATEGY FUNDS, INC.
By:________________________________
Attest:____________________________
QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC.
By:________________________________
Attest:____________________________