DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of October, 1996, between THE OFFITBANK
INVESTMENT FUND, INC. (the "Company"), a Maryland corporation, and OFFIT FUNDS
DISTRIBUTOR, INC. ("Distributor"), a Delaware corporation.
WHEREAS, the Company is an open-end management investment company,
organized as a Maryland corporation and registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, it is intended that Distributor act as the distributor of the
units of beneficial interest ("Shares") of each of the investment portfolios of
the Company (such portfolios being referred to individually as a "Fund" and
collectively as the "Funds").
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants
herein set forth, the parties agree as follows:
1. SERVICES AS DISTRIBUTOR; CONVERSION TO THE SERVICES.
1.1 Distributor (i) will act as agent for the distribution of the
Shares covered by the registration statement and prospectus of the Company then
in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act")
and (ii) will perform such additional services as are provided in this Section 1
(collectively, the "Services"). In connection therewith, the Company agrees to
convert to the Distributor's data processing systems and software (the "BISYS
System"). The Company shall cooperate with the Distributor to provide the
Distributor with all necessary information and assistance required to
successfully convert to the BISYS System. The Distributor shall provide the
Company with a schedule relating to such conversion and the parties agree that
the conversion may progress in stages. The date upon which all Services shall
have been converted to the BISYS System shall be referred to herein as the
"Conversion Date." The Distributor hereby accepts such engagement and agrees to
perform the Services commencing, with respect to each individual Service, on the
date that the conversion of such Service to the BISYS System has been completed.
The Distributor shall determine in accordance with its normal acceptance
procedures when the applicable Service has been successfully converted. As used
in this Agreement, the term "registration statement" shall mean Parts A (the
prospectus), B (the Statement of Additional Information) and C of each
registration statement that is filed on Form N-1A, or any successor thereto,
with the Commission, together with any amendments thereto. The term
"prospectus" shall mean each form of prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information used by the Funds for delivery to shareholders and prospective
shareholders after the effective dates of the above-referenced registration
statements, together with any amendments and supplements thereto.
1.2 Distributor agrees to use appropriate efforts to solicit orders
for the sale of the Shares and will undertake such advertising and promotion as
it believes reasonable in connection with such solicitation. The Company
understands that Distributor is now and may in the future be the distributor of
the shares of several investment companies or series (together, "Investment
Companies") including Companies having investment objectives similar to those of
the Company. The Company further understands that investors and potential
investors in the Company may invest in shares of such other Investment
Companies. The Company agrees that Distributor's duties to such Investment
Companies shall not be deemed in conflict with its duties to the Company under
this paragraph 1.2.
Distributor shall, at its own expense, finance appropriate
activities which it deems reasonable, which are primarily intended to result in
the sale of the Shares, including, but not limited to, advertising, compensation
of underwriters, dealers and sales personnel, the printing and mailing of
prospectuses to other than current Shareholders, and the printing and mailing of
sales literature.
1.3 In its capacity as distributor of the Shares, all activities of
Distributor and its partners, agents, and employees shall comply with all
applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the 1940
Act, all rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder and all
rules and regulations adopted by any securities association registered under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
1.4 Distributor will provide one or more persons, during normal
business hours, to respond to telephone questions with respect to the Company.
1.5 Distributor will transmit any orders received by it for purchase
or redemption of the Shares to the transfer agent and custodian for the Funds.
1.6 Whenever in their judgment such action is warranted by unusual
market, economic or political conditions, or by abnormal circumstances of any
kind, the Company's officers may decline to accept any orders for, or make any
sales of, the Shares until such time as those officers deem it advisable to
accept such orders and to make such sales.
1.7 Distributor will act only on its own behalf as principal if it
chooses to enter into selling agreements with selected dealers or others.
1.8 The Company agrees at its own expense to execute any and all
documents and to furnish any and all information and otherwise to take all
actions that may be reasonably necessary in connection with the qualification of
the Shares for sale in such states as Distributor may designate.
1.9 The Company shall furnish from time to time, for use in
connection with the sale of the Shares, such information with respect to the
Funds and the Shares as Distributor may reasonably request; and the Company
warrants that the statements contained in any such information
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shall fairly show or represent what they purport to show or represent. The
Company shall also furnish Distributor upon request with: (a) unaudited
semi-annual statements of the Funds' books and accounts prepared by the Company,
(b) a monthly itemized list of the securities in the Funds, (c) monthly balance
sheets as soon as practicable after the end of each month, and (d) from time to
time such additional information regarding the financial condition of the Funds
as Distributor may reasonably request.
1.10 The Company represents to Distributor that, with respect to the
Shares, all registration statements and prospectuses filed by the Company with
the Commission under the Securities Act have been carefully prepared in
conformity with requirements of said Act and rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder. The registration statement and prospectus contain all
statements required to be stated therein in conformity with said Act and the
rules and regulations of said Commission and all statements of fact contained in
any such registration statement and prospectus are true and correct.
Furthermore, neither any registration statement nor any prospectus includes an
untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading
to a purchaser of the Shares. The Company may, but shall not be obligated to,
propose from time to time such amendment or amendments to any registration
statement and such supplement or supplements to any prospectus as, in the light
of future developments, may, in the opinion of the Company's counsel, be
necessary or advisable. If the Company's counsel shall determine that such
amendment/amendments or supplement/supplements is/are necessary or advisable and
the Company shall not propose such amendment or amendments and/or supplement or
supplements within fifteen days after receipt by the Company of a written
request from Distributor to do so, Distributor may, at its option, terminate
this Agreement. The Company shall not file any amendment to any registration
statement or supplement to any prospectus without giving Distributor reasonable
notice thereof in advance; provided, however, that nothing contained in this
Agreement shall in any way limit the Company's right to file at any time such
amendments to any registration statement and/or supplements to any prospectus,
of whatever character, as the Company may deem advisable, such right being in
all respects absolute and unconditional.
1.11 The Company authorizes Distributor and dealers to use any
prospectus in the form furnished from time to time in connection with the sale
of the Shares. The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Distributor,
its several partners and employees, and any person who controls Distributor
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from
and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the
cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which Distributor, its partners
and employees, or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities
Act or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon any untrue
statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in any
registration statement or any prospectus or arising out of or based upon any
omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in
either any registration statement or any prospectus or necessary to make the
statements in either thereof not misleading; provided, however, that the
Company's agreement to indemnify Distributor, its partners or employees, and any
such controlling person shall not be
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deemed to cover any claims, demands, liabilities or expenses arising out of any
statements or representations as are contained in any prospectus and in such
financial and other statements as are furnished in writing to the Company by
Distributor and used in the answers to the registration statement or in the
corresponding statements made in the prospectus, or arising out of or based upon
any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with the
giving of such information required to be stated in such answers or necessary to
make the answers not misleading; and further provided that the Company's
agreement to indemnify Distributor and the Company's representations and
warranties hereinbefore set forth in paragraph 1.10 shall not be deemed to cover
any liability to the Company or its Shareholders to which Distributor would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross
negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of Distributor's
reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. The
Company's agreement to indemnify Distributor, its partners and employees and any
such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon the Company
being notified of any action brought against Distributor, its partners or
employees, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by
letter or by telegram addressed to the Company at its principal office in
Columbus, Ohio and sent to the Company by the person against whom such action is
brought, within 10 days after the summons or other first legal process shall
have been served. The failure to so notify the Company of any such action shall
not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have to the
person against whom such action is brought by reason of any such untrue, or
allegedly untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on
account of the Company's indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph 1.11.
The Company will be entitled to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but, in such case, such defense
shall be conducted by counsel of good standing chosen by the Company and
approved by Distributor, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In
the event the Company elects to assume the defense of any such suit and retain
counsel of good standing approved by Distributor, the defendant or defendants in
such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by
any of them; but in case the Company does not elect to assume the defense of any
such suit, or in case Distributor reasonably does not approve of counsel chosen
by the Company, the Company will reimburse Distributor, its partners and
employees, or the controlling person or persons named as defendant or defendants
in such suit, for the fees and expenses of any counsel retained by Distributor
or them. The Company's indemnification agreement contained in this paragraph
1.11 and the Company's representations and warranties in this Agreement shall
remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation
made by or on behalf of Distributor, its partners and employees, or any
controlling person, and shall survive the delivery of any Shares.
This Agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to
Distributor's benefit, to the benefit of its several partners and employees, and
their respective estates, and to the benefit of the controlling persons and
their successors. The Company agrees promptly to notify Distributor of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its
officers or Directors in connection with the issue and sale of any Shares.
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1.12 Distributor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Company, its
several officers and Directors and any person who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and
against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the
costs of investigating or defending such claims, demands, or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Company, its officers
or Directors or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act
or under common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such liability or
expense incurred by the Company, its officers or Directors or such controlling
person resulting from such claims or demands, shall arise out of or be based
upon any untrue, or alleged untrue, statement of a material fact contained in
information furnished in writing by Distributor to the Company and used in the
answers to any of the items of the registration statement or in the
corresponding statements made in the prospectus, or shall arise out of or be
based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in
connection with such information furnished in writing by Distributor to the
Company required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such
information not misleading. Distributor's agreement to indemnify the Company,
its officers and Directors, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is
expressly conditioned upon Distributor being notified of any action brought
against the Company, its officers or Directors, or any such controlling person,
such notification to be given by letter or telegram addressed to Distributor at
its principal office in Columbus, Ohio, and sent to Distributor by the person
against whom such action is brought, within 10 days after the summons or other
first legal process shall have been served. Distributor shall have the right of
first control of the defense of such action, with counsel of its own choosing,
satisfactory to the Company, if such action is based solely upon such alleged
misstatement or omission on Distributor's part, and in any other event the
Company, its officers or Directors or such controlling person shall each have
the right to participate in the defense or preparation of the defense of any
such action. The failure to so notify Distributor of any such action shall not
relieve Distributor from any liability which Distributor may have to the
Company, its officers or Directors, or to such controlling person by reason of
any such untrue or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission,
otherwise than on account of Distributor's indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph 1.12.
1.13 No Shares shall be offered by either Distributor or the Company
under any of the provisions of this Agreement and no orders for the purchase or
sale of Shares hereunder shall be accepted by the Company if and so long as the
effectiveness of the registration statement then in effect or any necessary
amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of the
Securities Act or if and so long as a current prospectus as required by Section
10(b)(2) of said Act is not on file with the Commission; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this paragraph 1.13 shall in any way restrict or have an
application to or bearing upon the Company's obligation to repurchase Shares
from any Shareholder in accordance with the provisions of the Company's
prospectus, Articles of Incorporation, or Bylaws.
1.14 The Company agrees to advise Distributor as soon as reasonably
practical by a notice in writing delivered to Distributor or its counsel:
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(a) of any request by the Commission for amendments to the
registration statement or prospectus then in effect or for
additional information;
(b) in the event of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the registration
statement or prospectus then in effect or the initiation by
service of process on the Company of any proceeding for that
purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event that makes untrue any
statement of a material fact made in the registration
statement or prospectus then in effect or which requires the
making of a change in such registration statement or
prospectus in order to make the statements therein not
misleading; and
(d) of all action of the Commission with respect to any
amendment to any registration statement or prospectus which
may from time to time be filed with the Commission.
For purposes of this section, informal requests by or acts of the
Staff of the Commission shall not be deemed actions of or requests by the
Commission.
1.15 Distributor agrees on behalf of itself and its partners and
employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Company
all records and other information relative to the Company and its prior, present
or potential Shareholders, and not to 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 Company,
which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where
Distributor 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 Company.
1.16 This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New
York.
2. FEE.
Distributor shall receive from the Funds identified in the
Distribution and Shareholder Service Plan attached as Schedule A hereto (the
"Distribution Plan Funds") a distribution fee at the rate and upon the terms and
conditions set forth in such Plan. The distribution fee shall be accrued daily
and shall be paid on the first business day of each month, or at such time(s) as
the Distributor shall reasonably request.
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3. SALE AND PAYMENT.
Shares of a Fund may be subject to a sales load and may be subject to
the imposition of a distribution fee pursuant to the Distribution and
Shareholder Service Plan referred to above. To the extent that Shares of a Fund
are sold at an offering price which includes a sales load or at net asset value
subject to a contingent deferred sales load with respect to certain redemptions
(either within a single class of Shares or pursuant to two or more classes of
Shares), such Shares shall hereinafter be referred to collectively as "Load
Shares" (in the case of Shares that are sold with a front-end sales load or
Shares that are sold subject to a contingent deferred sales load), "Front-End
Load Shares" or "CDSL Shares" and individually as a "Load Share," a "Front-End
Load Share" or a "CDSL Share." A Fund that contains Front-End Load Shares shall
hereinafter be referred to collectively as "Load Funds" or "Front-End Load
Funds" and individually as a "Load Fund" or a "Front-end Load Fund." A Fund
that contains CDSL Shares shall hereinafter be referred to collectively as "Load
Funds" or "CDSL Funds" and individually as a "Load Fund" or a "CDSL Fund."
Under this Agreement, the following provisions shall apply with respect to the
sale of, and payment for, Load Shares.
3.1 Distributor shall have the right to purchase Load Shares at their
net asset value and to sell such Load Shares to the public against orders
therefor at the applicable public offering price, as defined in Section 4
hereof. Distributor shall also have the right to sell Load Shares to dealers
against orders therefor at the public offering price less a concession
determined by Distributor, which concession shall not exceed the amount of the
sales charge or underwriting discount, if any, referred to in Section 4 below.
3.2 Prior to the time of delivery of any Load Shares by a Load Fund
to, or on the order of, Distributor, Distributor shall pay or cause to be paid
to the Load Fund or to its order an amount in Boston or New York clearing house
funds equal to the applicable net asset value of such Shares. Distributor may
retain so much of any sales charge or underwriting discount as is not allowed by
Distributor as a concession to dealers.
4. PUBLIC OFFERING PRICE.
The public offering price of a Load Share shall be the net asset value
of such Load Share, plus any applicable sales charge, all as set forth in the
current prospectus of the Load Fund. The net asset value of Shares shall be
determined in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation
and Bylaws of the Company and the then-current prospectus of the Load Fund.
5. ISSUANCE OF SHARES.
The Company reserves the right to issue, transfer or sell Load Shares
at net asset value (a) in connection with the merger or consolidation of the
Company or the Load Fund(s) with any other investment company or the acquisition
by the Company or the Load Fund(s) of all or substantially all of the assets or
of the outstanding Shares of any other investment company; (b) in
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connection with a pro rata distribution directly to the holders of Shares in the
nature of a stock dividend or split; (c) upon the exercise of subscription
rights granted to the holders of Shares on a pro rata basis; (d) in connection
with the issuance of Load Shares pursuant to any exchange and reinvestment
privileges described in any then-current prospectus of the Load Fund; and (e)
otherwise in accordance with any then-current prospectus of the Load Fund.
6. TERM, DURATION AND TERMINATION.
The initial term of this Agreement (the "Initial Term") shall be for a
period commencing on the date this Agreement is executed by both parties and
ending on the date that is one year after the Conversion Date. Thereafter, if
not terminated, this Agreement shall continue with respect to a particular Fund
automatically for successive one-year terms, provided that such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by (a) the vote of a majority of those
members of the Company's Board of Directors who are not parties to this
Agreement or interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting
for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (b) the vote of the Company's
Board of Directors or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of such Fund. This Agreement is terminable without penalty, on not
less than sixty days' prior written notice, by the Company's Board of Directors,
by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company or by
the Distributor. This Agreement will also terminate automatically in the event
of its assignment. (As used in this Agreement, the terms "majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and assignment" shall have
the same meanings as ascribed to such terms in the 1940 Act.)
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 written
above.
THE OFFITBANK INVESTMENT OFFIT FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
FUND, INC.
By: By:
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Title: Title:
--------------------------------- ----------------------------
Date: Date:
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Dated: October 1, 1996
SCHEDULE A
TO THE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
THE OFFITBANK INVESTMENT FUND, INC.
AND
OFFIT FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICE PLAN