Exhibit 23(h)(4)
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
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THIS ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT is made as of this __ day of _________, 2001,
by and between ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ MULTISTOCK FUNDS, a business trust organized under
the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the "Trust"), on behalf of the
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Swiss Stock Fund (the "Fund"), and DEXIA BANQUE INTERNATIONALE A
LUXEMBOURG, a societe anonyme, incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg and having its registered office at ▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇'▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (the
"Administrator").
WHEREAS, the Trust has been established for the purpose of the investment
and reinvestment of its assets in certain types of securities and other
permitted assets and is an open-end management investment company registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires the Administrator to provide, and the
Administrator is willing to provide, management and administrative services to
the Fund, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Trust and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Retention of the Administrator. The Trust hereby retains the
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Administrator to act as administrator and to perform administrative services as
set forth in Article 2 below. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment
to perform the duties set forth below.
The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an
independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized,
shall have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way and shall
not be deemed an agent of the Trust.
ARTICLE 2. Calculation of Net Asset Value of the Fund. The Administrator
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shall calculate the net asset value per share of the Fund daily, utilizing
security prices obtained from independent pricing services, or, if such quotes
are unavailable, utilizing such prices from the Fund's investment manager or its
designee, as approved by the Trustees. The Administrator also shall review
daily the net asset value calculation for the Fund prior to release to
shareholders, check and confirm the net asset value for reasonableness and
deviations, and distribute the net asset value to Nasdaq or such other reporting
service as the Trust may direct.
ARTICLE 3. Allocation of Charges and Expenses.
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(A) The Administrator. The Administrator shall furnish at its own
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expense the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform
its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the
items which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement; provided, however,
that unless otherwise specifically provided, the
Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the compensation of any employee of
the Trust retained by the Trustees of the Trust to perform services on behalf of
the Trust.
(B) The Trust. The Trust assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all
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other expenses of the Trust not otherwise allocated herein.
ARTICLE 4. Compensation of the Administrator.
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(C) Administration Fee. For the services to be rendered, the facilities
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furnished, and the expenses assumed by the Administrator pursuant to Article 2
of this Agreement, the Trust shall pay to the Administrator compensation at
annual rates specified in Schedule A attached hereto. Such compensation shall be
calculated and accrued daily, and paid to the Administrator monthly.
If this Agreement becomes effective after the first day of a month or
terminates before the last day of a month, the Administrator's compensation for
that part of the month in which this Agreement is in effect shall be prorated in
a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set forth above.
Payment of the Administrator's compensation for the preceding month shall be
made promptly.
(D) Survival of Compensation Rights. All rights of compensation under
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this Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive
the termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. Limitation of Liability of the Administrator.
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(E) The Trust shall indemnify and hold the Administrator harmless against
any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable
counsel fees and expenses) resulting from:
(1) any claim, demand, action or suit brought by any person other than
the Trust, including by a shareholder that names the Administrator or its
agent and/or the Trust as a party and is not based on and does not result
from the Administrator's willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence or
reckless disregard of duties of the Administrator or its agents, and arises
out of or in connection with the performance hereunder;
(2) any claim, demand, action or suit (except to the extent
contributed to by the Administrator's willful misfeasance bad faith or
negligence or reckless disregard of duties) that results from the
negligence of the Trust, or from the Administrator's acting upon any
instruction(s) reasonably believed by it to have been executed or
communicated by any person duly authorized by the Trust, or as a result of
the Administrator's acting in reliance upon advice reasonably believed by
the Administrator or its agents to have been given by counsel for the
Trust, or as a result of the Administrator's or its agents acting in
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reliance upon any instrument or certificate reasonably believed by it to
have been genuine and signed, countersigned or executed by the proper
person.
(F) The Administrator shall indemnify and hold the Trust harmless against
any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable
counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit
brought by any person other than the Administrator that names the Trust and/or
the Administrator as a party and is based upon and arises out of the
Administrator's willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence or reckless
disregard of duties in connection with its performance hereunder.
In the event that either party requests the other to indemnify or hold it
harmless hereunder, the party requesting indemnification (the "Indemnified
Party") shall inform the other party (the "Indemnifying Party") of the relevant
facts known to the Indemnified Party concerning the matter in question. The
Indemnified Party shall use reasonable care to identify and promptly to notify
the Indemnifying Party concerning any matter that presents, or appears likely to
present, a claim for indemnification. The Indemnifying Party shall have the
election of defending the Indemnified Party against any claim that may be the
subject of indemnification or of holding the Indemnified Party harmless
hereunder. In the event the Indemnifying Party so elects, it will so notify the
Indemnified Party and thereupon the Indemnifying Party shall take over the
defense of the claim and, if so requested by the Indemnifying Party, the
Indemnified Party shall incur no further legal or other expenses related thereto
for which it shall be entitled to indemnity or to being held harmless hereunder;
provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent the Indemnified Party from
retaining counsel at its own expense to defend any claim. Except with the
Indemnifying Party's prior written consent, the Indemnified Party shall in no
event confess any claim or make any compromise in any matter in which the
Indemnifying Party will be asked to indemnify or hold the Indemnified Party
harmless hereunder.
ARTICLE 6. Activities of the Administrator. The services of the
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Administrator rendered to the Trust are not to be deemed to be exclusive. The
Administrator is free to render such services to others and to have other
businesses and interests. It is understood that directors, officers, employees
and Shareholders of the Trust are or may be or become interested in the
Administrator, as officers, employees or otherwise and that partners, officers
and employees of the Administrator and its counsel are or may be or become
similarly interested in the Trust, and that the Administrator may be or become
interested in the Trust as a Shareholder or otherwise.
ARTICLE 7. Term of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become
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effective as of the date written above and shall remain in effect
through _________, 2002 ("Initial Term"). Thereafter, unless otherwise
terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall be renewed automatically for
successive one-year periods ("Rollover Periods"). This Agreement may be
terminated without penalty (i) by provision of nonrenewal in the manner set
forth below, (ii) by mutual agreement of the parties, or (iii) for "cause," as
defined below, upon the provision of sixty (60) days' written notice by the
party alleging cause. Written notice of nonrenewal must be
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provided at least sixty (60) days prior to the end of the Initial Term or any
Rollover Period, as the case may be.
For purposes of this Agreement, "cause" shall mean (a) a material breach of
this Agreement that has not been remedied for thirty (30) days following written
notice of such breach from the non-breaching party; (b) a final, unappealable
judicial, regulatory or administrative ruling or order in which the party to be
terminated has been found guilty of criminal or unethical behavior in the
conduct of its business; (c) financial difficulties on the part of the party to
be terminated which are evidenced by the authorization or commencement of, or
involvement by way of pleading, answer, consent or acquiescence in, a voluntary
or involuntary proceeding under any applicable law of any jurisdiction relating
to the bankruptcy, liquidation, or reorganization of debtors or to the
modification or alteration of the rights of creditors; (d) any failure on the
part of the Trust to collect from the investment adviser any payment or
reimbursement that is due and payable by the investment manager to the Trust
(including an amount due to the Trust that directly or indirectly represents
amounts payable to the Administrator in its capacity as fund administrator to
the Trust) within sixty (60) days following the due date; or (e) any failure on
the part of the Trust to pay an amount that is due and payable to the
Administrator or any of its affiliates under any other agreement to which the
Trust is a party within sixty (60) days following the due date. For purposes of
this definition of "cause," a material breach shall include, but not be limited
to, any failure on the part of the Trust to pay fees due and payable to the
Administrator pursuant to Article 5 hereunder within sixty (60) days following
the due date.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after such termination for so long as the
Administrator, with the written consent of the Trust, in fact continues to
perform any one or more of the services contemplated by this Agreement or any
schedule or exhibit hereto, the provisions of this Agreement, including without
limitation the provisions dealing with indemnification, shall continue in full
force and effect. Compensation due to the Administrator and unpaid by the Trust
upon such termination shall be immediately due and payable upon and
notwithstanding such termination. The Administrator shall be entitled to
collect from the Trust, in addition to the compensation described in Schedule A,
the amount of all of the Administrator's cash disbursements for services in
connection with the Administrator's activities in effecting such termination,
including without limitation, the delivery to the Trust and/or its designees of
the Trust's property, records, instruments and documents.
ARTICLE 8. Assignment. This Agreement shall not be assignable by either
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party without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that
the Administrator may, at its expense, subcontract with any entity or person
concerning the provision of the services contemplated hereunder. The
Administrator shall not, however, be relieved of any of its obligations under
this Agreement by the appointment of such subcontractor and provided further,
that the Administrator shall be responsible, to the extent provided in Article 5
hereof, for all acts of such subcontractor as if such acts were its own. This
Agreement shall be binding upon, and
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shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective
successors and permitted assigns.
ARTICLE 9. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended at any time by
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mutual agreement of the parties hereto, provided that a majority of the Trustees
who are not "interested persons" (as defined in Article 11 below) have approved
the amendment.
ARTICLE 10. Certain Records. The Administrator shall create and maintain
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all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement in
such manner as will meet the requirements of applicable law and regulation
relevant to the Fund. All such records shall be the property of the Trust and,
unless prohibited by applicable law, shall at all times during the regular
business hours of the Administrator be reasonably open for inspection by duly
authorized officers, employees or agents of the Trust, and employees and agents
of any applicable regulatory authority.
In case of any request or demand for the inspection of such records by
another party, the Administrator shall notify the Trust and follow the
instructions of the Trust as to permitting or refusing such inspection; provided
that the Administrator may exhibit such records to any person in any case where
it is advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for failure to do so,
unless (in cases involving potential exposure only to civil liability) the Trust
has agreed to indemnify the Administrator against such liability.
ARTICLE 11. Definition of "Interested Person". The term "interested
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person," when used in this Agreement, shall have the meaning specified in the
1940 Act and the rules and regulation thereunder, subject to such exemption as
may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
ARTICLE 12. Liability of the Trust. It is expressly agreed that the
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obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the
Trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust,
personally, but bind only the trust property of the Fund, as provided in the
Master Trust Agreement of the Trust. The execution and delivery of the
Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees and the sole shareholder of the
Fund shares and signed by an authorized officer of the Trust, acting as such,
and neither such authorization by such Trustees and shareholder nor such
execution and delivery by such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any
of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but
shall bind only the Trust property of the Fund as provided in its Master Trust
Agreement. The obligations of this Agreement shall be binding only upon the
assets and property of the Fund and not upon the assets and property of any
other sub-trust of the Trust.
ARTICLE 13. Privacy. Nonpublic personal financial information relating to
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consumers or customers of the Trust provided by, or at the direction of, the
Trust to the Administrator, or collected or retained by the Administrator to
perform its duties as administrator of the Trust shall be considered
confidential information. The Administrator shall not give, sell
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or in any way transfer such confidential information to any person or entity,
except at the direction of the Trust or as required or permitted by law. The
Administrator shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and
procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security,
confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use
of, records and information relating to consumers of the Trust. The Trust
represents to the Administrator that it has adopted a Statement of its privacy
policies and practices as required by Securities and Exchange Commission
Regulation S-P and agrees to provide the Administrator with a copy of that
statement annually.
ARTICLE 14. Notice. Any notice required or permitted to be given by
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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 address given below, or at such other address as such party
may from time to time specify in writing to the other party pursuant to this
Section.
The Trust: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ MULTISTOCK TRUST
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: Secretary
The Administrator: DEXIA BANQUE INTERNATIONALE A LUXEMBOURG
69, route ▇'▇▇▇▇
▇-▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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ARTICLE 15. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in
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accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its
conflicts of laws provisions.
ARTICLE 16. Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed in two or
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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 WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ MULTISTOCK TRUST,
on behalf of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Swiss Stock Fund
By:__________________________________________
Title:_______________________________________
DEXIA BANQUE INTERNATIONALE A LUXEMBOURG
By:__________________________________________
Title:_______________________________________
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