What factors did the Board consider?
Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act provides that an investment company, such as the Registrant, acting on behalf of the Portfolio, a series of the Registrant, can enter into a new sub-advisory contract only if the Board, including a majority of the Board members who have no direct or indirect interest in the Portfolio’s sub-advisory contracts, and who are not “interested persons” of the Portfolio, as such term is defined under the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), approves the new arrangement. The 1940 Act also provides that any sub-advisory contract must terminate automatically upon its “assignment.” As used in the 1940 Act, the term assignment includes any transfer of a controlling block of outstanding voting securities of an adviser or the parent company of an adviser. Such a transfer is referred to herein as a “Change of Control.”
At a meeting held on May 14, 2020, the Board considered a proposal by management that Voya Investments, the Portfolio’s adviser, enter into the New Sub-Advisory Agreement with Brandywine Global, the Portfolio’s Sub-Adviser. The Board was informed that it was being asked to consider the New Sub-Advisory Agreement because Legg Mason, Inc. (“Legg Mason”), a direct corporate parent of Brandywine Global, had entered into an agreement with Franklin Templeton, under which Franklin Templeton will acquire Legg Mason and, as a result, will acquire Legg Mason’s ownership interest in Brandywine Global (the “Transaction”). The Board was advised that the Transaction would result in a Change of Control of Brandywine Global and constitute an “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement.
In light of the foregoing, at a meeting held via teleconference, in reliance on an order of the SEC providing temporary relief from the in-person voting requirement of Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act, on May 14, 2020, the Board approved the New Sub-Advisory Agreement to replace the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement upon the closing of the Transaction. Discussed below are certain factors that the Board considered at its meeting on May 14, 2020, in determining whether to approve the New Sub-Advisory Agreement.
The decision by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, to approve the New Sub-Advisory Agreement was based on a determination by the Board that it would be in the best interests of the shareholders of the Portfolio for the Sub-Adviser to continue providing sub-advisory services for the Portfolio, without interruption, after the Change of Control. To inform its determinations of whether to approve the New Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board received and evaluated such information as it deemed necessary for an informed determination of whether the New Sub-Advisory Agreement should be approved. Prior to its approval of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board reviewed, among other matters, the quality, extent and nature of the services currently being provided by the Sub-Adviser under the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement and to be provided under the New Sub-Advisory Agreement. In considering the New Sub-Advisory Agreement at its May 14, 2020 meeting, the Board placed emphasis on the information provided to it previously in connection with the Board’s review of the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement, which was approved at the in-person meeting of the Board held on May 23, 2019. At that meeting, the Board concluded, in light of all factors it considered, to approve the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement and that the fee rates set forth in the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement were fair and reasonable. Among other factors, the Board considered: (1) the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided under the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement; (2) the fairness of the compensation under the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement in light of the services to be provided by Brandywine Global; (3) the sub-advisory fee rate payable by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser and how this fee rate compared to the fee rates charged by Brandywine Global to other accounts managed pursuant to a similar investment strategy; and (4) the potential “fall-out” benefits to the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates from Brandywine Global’s relationship with the Portfolio.
A further description of the process that the Board followed in approving the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement on May 23, 2019, including the information reviewed, certain material factors considered and certain related conclusions reached, is set forth in the Portfolio’s Semi-Annual Report, dated June 30, 2019, under the section titled “Sub-Advisory Contract Approval Discussion.”
To inform its determinations as to whether to approve the New Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board also received the following materials: (1) information that Brandywine Global provided to the Board in response to inquiries from K& L Gates LLP, counsel to the Independent Trustees, in connection with the Board’s consideration; and (2) a memorandum presenting management’s rationale for requesting that the Board approve the New Sub-Advisory Agreement. In reviewing the proposed New Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board considered a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the factors set out below.
1) The Sub-Adviser’s description of the Transaction, including the Sub-Adviser’s representation that, following the closing of the Transaction, it will continue to operate on a standalone and independent basis and its investment philosophies, processes and brands will remain unchanged.
2) The Sub-Adviser’s representation that there are not expected to be any differences between the nature, extent and quality of services currently provided by the Sub-Adviser to the Portfolio and those the Sub-Adviser would provide to the Portfolio upon the closing of the Transaction.
3) The Sub-Adviser’s representations that, following the Transaction, the Sub-Adviser does not expect any changes to: (i) the Portfolio’s portfolio management team; (ii) the investment process used by the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Portfolio; or (iii) its overall staffing levels.
4) The Sub-Adviser’s representation that, for the period August 9, 2019 (the date that it began serving as the Portfolio’s sub-adviser) through December 31, 2019, the Portfolio outperformed its benchmark index.
5) Representations by the Sub-Adviser that the terms of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement are substantially similar to the terms of the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement, and that the fee rate payable under the New Sub-Advisory Agreement is the same as the fee rate payable under the Prior Sub-Advisory Agreement.