of skills, experience or perspective to the Boards’ membership and collective attributes. Such considerations will vary based on the Boards’ existing membership and other factors, such as the strength of a potential nominee’s overall qualifications relative to diversity considerations. The Nominating Committee will consider recommendations for nominees from stockholders sent to the Secretary of the Fund, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112. Nominations for consideration by the Nominating Committee may be submitted only by a stockholder or group of stockholders of a Fund (referred to in either case as a “Nominating Stockholder”) that, individually or as a group, has beneficially owned the lesser of (a) 1% of the relevant Fund’s outstanding shares or (b) $500,000 of the Fund’s shares (calculated at market value) for at least one year prior to the date the Nominating Stockholder submits a candidate for nomination, and not more than one Director nomination may be submitted by a Nominating Stockholder each calendar year. A nomination submission must include all information relating to the recommended nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations or proxy statements for the election of Directors, as well as information sufficient to evaluate the factors listed above. Nomination submissions must be accompanied by a written consent of the individual to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the stockholders, and such additional information must be provided regarding the recommended nominee as reasonably requested by the Nominating Committee. A nomination submission made to the Nominating Committee must be received not less than 120 calendar days before the date of the Fund’s proxy statement released to stockholders in connection with the previous year’s annual meeting. The Nominating Committee Charter for the Funds is attached hereto as Appendix A.
The aggregate amount of compensation paid to each Director for the year ended December 31, 2011 was as follows:
As of the Record Date, Cede & Co. held approximately 100% of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock of each Fund. To the Funds’ knowledge, no person owned beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of each Fund as of the Record Date, except that: 1607 Capital Partners, LLC, 4991 Lake Brook Drive, Suite 125,
Glen Allen, VA 23060 filed on February 14, 2012 an amended beneficial ownership report on Schedule 13G with the SEC stating that as of December 31, 2011 it beneficially owned 1,141,538 shares of Common Stock of LGI. Based on such filing, this holding represented approximately 11.88% of LGI’s outstanding shares of Common Stock as of December 31, 2011; and each of First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P., and The Charger Corporation, 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, filed on January 9, 2012 an amended beneficial ownership report on Schedule 13G with the SEC stating joint ownership of 1,260,724 shares of Common Stock of LOR as of December 31, 2011. Based on such filing, these holdings represented approximately 18.3% of LOR’s outstanding shares of Common Stock as of December 31, 2011. (Cede & Co. is the nominee name for The Depository Trust Company, a large clearing house that holds shares in its name for banks, brokers and institutions in order to expedite the sale and transfer of stock.) As of the Record Date, LAM did not beneficially own any shares of Common Stock of LOR or LGI.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
To each Fund’s knowledge, all of its officers and Directors complied with all filing requirements under Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. To each Fund’s knowledge, there were no beneficial holders of more than 10% of its Common Stock subject to the filing requirements under the 1934 Act during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. In making this disclosure, each Fund has relied solely on representations of its current Directors and officers and on copies of reports that have been filed with the SEC.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EACH FUND, INCLUDING ALL OF
THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS, UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT THE
STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” EACH NOMINEE FOR DIRECTOR.
Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The 1940 Act requires that each Fund’s independent auditors be selected by a majority of the Independent Directors of the Fund. One of the purposes of each Fund’s Audit Committee is to recommend to the Fund’s Board the selection, retention or termination of the independent auditors for the Fund. At a joint meeting held on February 16, 2012, each Fund’s Audit Committee recommended and each Fund’s Board, including a majority of the Independent Directors, approved the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as each Fund’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. Deloitte also served as the Funds’ independent auditors for each Fund’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. A representative of Deloitte will not be present at the Annual Meeting, but will be available by telephone and will have an opportunity to make a statement (if the representative so desires) and to respond to appropriate questions.
After reviewing each Fund’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, each Fund’s Audit Committee recommended to the Fund’s Board that such statements be included in the Fund’s Annual Report to stockholders. A copy of the Audit Committees’ joint report for the Funds is attached as Appendix B to this Combined Proxy Statement.
11
Audit Fees.The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by Deloitte for the audit of LOR’s and LGI’s annual financial statements, or services that are normally provided by Deloitte in connection with the statutory and regulatory filings or engagements, in both 2010 and 2011 were $62,000 for each Fund (plus expenses).
Audit-Related Fees.There were no fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years by Deloitte to either LOR or LGI for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audits of either Fund’s financial statements, which are not reported above.
Tax Fees.The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by Deloitte for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning (“Tax Services”) in 2010 were $8,250 and $6,750 and in 2011 were $8,703 with respect to LOR and LGI, respectively. For each Fund, these Tax Services consisted of (i) review or preparation of U.S. federal, state, local and excise tax returns; and (ii) U.S. federal, state and local tax planning, advice and assistance regarding statutory, regulatory or administrative developments.
All Other Fees.There were no fees billed to the Funds in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by Deloitte, other than the services reported above.
Non-Audit Fees.The aggregate non-audit fees billed by Deloitte for services rendered to each Fund and rendered to LAM or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with LAM that provides ongoing services to the Funds (“Service Affiliates”) in 2010 were $935,847 with respect to each Fund and in 2011 were $1,214,012 with respect to each Fund.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures.Each Fund’s Audit Committee pre-approves Deloitte’s engagements for audit and non-audit services to the Fund and, as required, non-audit services to Service Affiliates on a case-by-case basis. Pre-approval considerations include whether the proposed services are compatible with maintaining Deloitte’s independence. There were no services provided by Deloitte to either Fund or Service Affiliates that were approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X during the last two fiscal years of the Funds.
There were no fees billed by Deloitte to Service Affiliates for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2011 that required pre-approval by the Funds’ Audit Committees. The Funds’ Audit Committees have considered whether the provision of non-audit services rendered to Service Affiliates that did not require pre-approval by the Audit Committees is compatible with maintaining Deloitte’s independence.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the
Stockholder Meeting To Be Held on April 27, 2012
The following materials relating to this Combined Proxy Statement are available at http://www.LazardNet.com/lam/us/proxy.shtml:
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• | this Combined Proxy Statement; |
• | the accompanying Notice of Joint Annual Meeting; |
• | information on how to obtain directions to attend the meeting in person; |
• | proxy cards and any other proxy materials; and |
• | each Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. |
12
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To reduce expenses, only one copy of this Combined Proxy Statement, and each annual and semi-annual report, will be mailed to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to revoke this arrangement and receive individual copies of these documents, you may do so at any time by writing to the address or calling the phone number set forth under “Annual Report” below. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies 30 days after receiving your request. |
Annual Report
Each Fund will furnish, without charge, a copy of its Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 to any stockholder upon request. Requests for the Annual Report of a Fund should be made by writing to the Fund at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112 or by calling 800-823-6300.
Stockholder Communications
Stockholders who wish to communicate with Directors should send communications to the relevant Fund, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112, to the attention of the Secretary. The Secretary is responsible for determining, in consultation with other officers of the Fund and Fund counsel, which stockholder communications will be directed to the Director or Directors indicated in the communications.
Additional Voting Information; Expenses of Proxy Solicitation
The Funds will bear the cost of soliciting proxies on behalf of the Boards. Proxies may be solicited by email, mail, in person or by telephone, and the Funds may reimburse persons holding Fund shares in their name or those of their nominees for their expenses in sending soliciting materials to their principals.
Authorizations to execute proxies may be obtained by telephonic transmitted instructions in accordance with procedures designed to authenticate the stockholder’s identity. In all cases where a telephonic proxy is solicited, the stockholder will be asked to provide his or her full name, address, social security number or taxpayer identification number and the number of shares owned and to confirm that the stockholder has received the Combined Proxy Statement and proxy card(s) in the mail. Within 72 hours of receiving a stockholder’s telephonic transmitted voting instructions, a confirmation will be sent to the stockholder to ensure that the vote has been taken in accordance with the stockholder’s instructions and to provide a telephone number to call immediately if the stockholder’s instructions are not correctly reflected in the confirmation.
Votes Required; Voting Results
A plurality of the votes cast at a meeting at which a Quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect Directors for each Fund.
Each Fund will advise its stockholders of the voting results of the matters voted upon at the Annual Meeting in its next Semi-Annual Report to Stockholders.
13
Stockholder Proposals
Any proposals of stockholders that are intended to be presented at the Funds’ 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the 1934 Act must be received at the Funds’ principal executive offices no later than November 26, 2012 and must comply with all other legal requirements in order to be included in the Funds’ Combined Proxy Statement and forms of proxy for that meeting. Under each Fund’s current bylaws, for other stockholder proposals to be presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting (but not included in the Funds’ proxy statement), a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary of the relevant Fund at the Fund’s principal office no earlier than October 27, 2012 and no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time on November 26, 2012. If the 2013 Annual Meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from April 27, 2013, then timely notice must be delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the later of the 120th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. All stockholder proposals must include the information required by the relevant Fund’s bylaws.
NOTICE TO BANKS, BROKER/DEALERS AND VOTING TRUSTEES
AND THEIR NOMINEES
Please advise the Funds whether other persons are the beneficial owners of Fund shares for which proxies are being solicited from you, and, if so, the number of copies of the Combined Proxy Statement and other soliciting material you wish to receive in order to supply copies to the beneficial owners of Fund shares.
STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO VOTE PROMPTLY.
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| By Order of the Boards of Directors |
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| Nathan A. Paul |
| Secretary |
New York, New York | |
March 26, 2012 | |
14
APPENDIX A
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHARTER AND PROCEDURES
LAZARD FUNDS1
ORGANIZATION
The Nominating Committees (each, the “Committee”) of the Boards of Directors, Managers or Trustees of each investment company (each, the “Fund”) registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and advised by Lazard Asset Management LLC or Lazard Alternatives, LLC shall be composed solely of Directors, Managers or Trustees (collectively, “Directors”) who are not “interested persons” of the Fund as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (“Independent Directors”). The Board of Directors of the Fund (each, the “Board”) shall select the members of the Committee and shall designate the Chairperson of the Committee.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Committee shall select and nominate persons for election or appointment by the Board as Directors of the Fund.
EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL NOMINEES
The Board believes that Directors need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties. In evaluating potential Director nominees (including any nominees recommended by shareholders2as provided below) in light of this standard, and to address certain legal and other requirements and considerations associated with composition of the Board, the Committee shall consider, among other factors it may deem relevant:
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| • | the character and integrity of the person; |
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| • | whether or not the person is qualified under applicable laws and regulations to serve as a Director of the Fund; |
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| • | whether or not the person has any relationships that might impair his or her service on the Board; |
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| • | whether nomination of the person would be consistent with Fund policy and applicable laws and regulations regarding the number and percentage of Independent Directors on the Board; |
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| • | whether or not the person serves on boards of, or is otherwise affiliated with, competing financial service organizations or their related fund complexes; |
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1 | Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund, Inc. and Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc. are each referred to herein as an “NYSE Fund.” |
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| Lazard Alternative Strategies Fund, LLC (“LAS”) and Lazard Alternative Strategies 1099 Fund are each referred to herein as an “Alternative Fund.” |
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2 | Members of LAS are referred to herein as “shareholders.” |
A-1
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| • | whether or not the person is willing to serve and is willing and able to commit the time necessary for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of a Director of the Fund; and |
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| • | the educational background; business, professional training or practice (e.g.,accounting or law), public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member (including the Board) or as an executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. |
In addition, the Committee may consider whether a potential nominee’s professional experience, education, skills and other individual qualities and attributes, including gender, race or national origin, would provide beneficial diversity of skills, experience or perspective to the Board’s membership and collective attributes. Such considerations will vary based on the Board’s existing membership and other factors, such as the strength of a potential nominee’s overall qualifications relative to diversity considerations.
SOURCES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF NOMINEES
In identifying potential nominees for the Board, the Committee may consider candidates recommended by one or more of the following sources: (1) the Fund’s current Directors, (2) the Fund’s officers, (3) the Fund’s shareholders (see below) and (4) any other source the Committee deems to be appropriate. The Committee may, but is not required to, retain a third party search firm, at the Fund’s expense, to identify potential candidates.
SUBMISSION OF NOMINATIONS
While the Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of Directors, the Committee may consider nominees recommended by Fund shareholders. The Committee will consider recommendations for nominees from shareholders sent to the Secretary of the Fund, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112-6300. The following procedures must be followed to submit Director nominations.
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1. | Nominations must be submitted in writing. |
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2. | Nominations may be submitted only by a shareholder or group of shareholders (referred to in either case as a “Nominating Shareholder”) that, individually or as a group, has beneficially owned the lesser of (a) 1% of the Fund’s outstanding shares or (b) $500,000 (for each NYSE Fund, at market value) of the Fund’s shares for at least one year prior to the date the Nominating Shareholder submits a candidate for nomination, and not more than one Director nomination may be submitted by a Nominating Shareholder each calendar year. |
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3. | For an NYSE Fund, a nomination submission must be received at the address above not less than 120 calendar days before the date of the Fund’s proxy statement released to shareholders in connection with the previous year’s annual meeting. If an annual meeting of shareholders was not held in the previous year, the nomination submission must be received by December 31 of the year preceding the meeting. |
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4. | The nomination submission must include the following information: |
A-2
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| • | the Nominating Shareholder’s name as it appears on the Fund’s books and the class and number of shares of the Fund owned of record and beneficially by the Nominating Shareholder; |
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| • | whether the Nominating Shareholder believes that the candidate is an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund and, if believed not to be an interested person, information regarding the candidate that will be sufficient for the Fund to make such determination; |
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| • | all information relating to the nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations or proxy statements for the election of Directors; |
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| • | information sufficient to evaluate the factors listed above under “Evaluation of Potential Nominees”; |
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| • | a written consent of the nominee to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the shareholders; and |
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| • | such other information as may be reasonably requested by the Committee. |
NOMINATION OF DIRECTORS
After a determination by the Committee that a person should be selected and nominated as a Director of the Fund, the Committee shall present its recommendation to the full Board for its consideration.
REVIEW OF CHARTER AND PROCEDURES
The Committee shall review the charter and procedures from time to time, as it considers appropriate.
Adopted: September 28, 2011
A-3
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APPENDIX B
JOINT REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEES
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of each Fund oversees the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the Fund’s financial statements. Each Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter (the “Charter”). As set forth in the Charter, management of each Fund is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Fund’s financial statements; maintenance of appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles and policies; and maintenance of internal controls and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations.
In the performance of its oversight function, each Committee has reviewed and discussed the December 31, 2011 audited financial statements of the relevant Fund with management and with Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”), each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Committee reviewed with Deloitte, who is responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles, their judgments as to the quality, not just the acceptability, of each Fund’s accounting principles and such other matters as are required to be discussed with Deloitte under the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”). In addition, each Committee received the written disclosures and the letter from Deloitte required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding Deloitte’s communications with the Committee concerning independence and has discussed with Deloitte Deloitte’s independence.
Each Committee reviewed with Deloitte the arrangements for and scope of the audit and, following the audit, met with Deloitte, with and without management present, to discuss matters related to the audits. Based upon the reports and discussions described in this report, and subject to the limitations on the role and responsibilities of the Committees referred to below and in the Charter, each Committee recommended to the Board of Directors (and the Board has approved) that the audited financial statements be included in each Fund’s Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Stockholders are reminded, however, that the members of the Committees rely on the information, opinions, reports or statements, including the financial statements and other financial data, provided to them by Deloitte or certain other parties as described in the Charter and that the Committees’ responsibilities are necessarily limited as described in the Charter.
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| Nancy A. Eckl, Audit Committee Member |
| Leon M. Pollack, Audit Committee Member |
| Richard Reiss, Jr., Audit Committee Member |
| Robert M. Solmson, Audit Committee Member |
February 28, 2012
B-1
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PROXY TABULATOR P.O. BOX 9112 FARMINGDALE, NY 11735 | To vote by Internet |
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1) | Read the Proxy Statement and have the proxy card below at hand. |
2) | Go to websitewww.proxyvote.com |
3) | Follow the instructions provided on the website. |
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To vote by Telephone |
|
1) | Read the Proxy Statement and have the proxy card below at hand. |
2) | Call1-800-690-6903. |
3) | Follow the instructions. |
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To vote by Mail |
|
1) | Read the Proxy Statement. |
2) | Check the appropriate boxes on the proxy card below. |
3) | Sign and date the proxy card. |
4) | Return the proxy card in the envelope provided. |
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TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: | |
<XXXXX>1 | KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS |
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| DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY |
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
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| LAZARD GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN AND INCOME FUND, INC.
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If this proxy is executed but no instructions are given, the votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast “FOR” each of the nominees for Director. Additionally, the votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast in the discretion of the proxy holder on any other matter that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. | | | |
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| | FOR | WITHHOLD AUTHORITY |
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1a. | With respect to the proposal to elect Mr. Charles L. Carroll as a Class I Director: | o | o |
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1b. | With respect to the proposal to elect Mr. Leon M. Pollack as a Class I Director: | o | o |
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1c. | With respect to the proposal to elect Mr. Robert M. Solmson as a Class I Director: | o | o |
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2. | To transact such other business as may properly come before the Joint Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. | | | |
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Note: Please sign exactly as name or names appear on this proxy. If stock is held jointly, each holder should sign. If signing as attorney, trustee, executor, administrator, custodian, guardian or corporate officer, please give full title. | | | |
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| Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] | Date | | Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] | Date |
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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Joint Annual Meeting:
The Notice of Joint Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Combined Proxy Statement are available at
www.proxyvote.com.
LAZARD GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN AND INCOME FUND, INC.
JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS - APRIL 27, 2012
COMMON STOCK PROXY SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned holder of shares of Common Stock of Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), hereby appoints Nathan A. Paul and Brian D. Simon, and each of them, with full power of substitution and revocation, as proxies to represent the undersigned at the Joint Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Fund to be held at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 58th Floor, Conference Room 58A, New York, New York 10112, on Friday, April 27, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. and at any and all adjournments thereof, and thereat to vote all shares of Common Stock of the Fund which the undersigned would be entitled to vote, with all powers the undersigned would possess if personally present, in accordance with the instructions on this proxy.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting To Be Held on April 27, 2012
The following materials relating to this Joint Annual Meeting are available athttp://www.lazardnet.com/lam/us/proxy.shtml:
| | |
| • | the Combined Proxy Statement;
|
| • | the Notice of Joint Annual Meeting;
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| • | information on how to obtain directions to attend the meeting in person;
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| • | this proxy card and any other proxy materials;
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| • | the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. |
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE FUND’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND WILL BE VOTED FOR THE PROPOSALS UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. BY SIGNING THIS PROXY CARD, RECEIPT OF THE ACCOMPANYING NOTICE OF JOINT ANNUAL MEETING AND PROXY STATEMENT IS ACKNOWLEDGED.
PLEASE VOTE, DATE AND SIGN ON THE REVERSE SIDE, AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE PROVIDED OR VOTE ELECTRONICALLY OR BY TELEPHONE.
| | |
PROXY TABULATOR P.O. BOX 9112 FARMINGDALE, NY 11735 | To vote by Internet |
|
1) | Read the Proxy Statement and have the proxy card below at hand. |
2) | Go to websitewww.proxyvote.com |
3) | Follow the instructions provided on the website. |
| |
To vote by Telephone |
|
1) | Read the Proxy Statement and have the proxy card below at hand. |
2) | Call1-800-690-6903. |
3) | Follow the instructions. |
| |
To vote by Mail |
|
1) | Read the Proxy Statement. |
2) | Check the appropriate boxes on the proxy card below. |
3) | Sign and date the proxy card. |
4) | Return the proxy card in the envelope provided. |
| |
TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: | |
<XXXXX>3 | KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS |
| |
| DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY |
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
| | | | |
| LAZARD WORLD DIVIDEND & INCOME FUND, INC.
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If this proxy is executed but no instructions are given, the votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast “FOR” each of the nominees for Director. Additionally, the votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast in the discretion of the proxy holder on any other matter that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. | | | |
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| | FOR | WITHHOLD AUTHORITY |
| | | | |
1a. | With respect to the proposal to elect Mr. Ashish Bhutani as a Class III Director: | o | o |
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1b. | With respect to the proposal to elect Mr. Richard Reiss, Jr. as a Class III Director: | o | o |
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2. | To transact such other business as may properly come before the Joint Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. | | | |
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Note: Please sign exactly as name or names appear on this proxy. If stock is held jointly, each holder should sign. If signing as attorney, trustee, executor, administrator, custodian, guardian or corporate officer, please give full title. | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] | Date | | Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] | Date |
|
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Joint Annual Meeting:
The Notice of Joint Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Combined Proxy Statement are available at
www.proxyvote.com.
LAZARD WORLD DIVIDEND & INCOME FUND, INC.
JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS - APRIL 27, 2012
COMMON STOCK PROXY SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned holder of shares of Common Stock of Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), hereby appoints Nathan A. Paul and Brian D. Simon, and each of them, with full power of substitution and revocation, as proxies to represent the undersigned at the Joint Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Fund to be held at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 58th Floor, Conference Room 58A, New York, New York 10112, on Friday, April 27, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. and at any and all adjournments thereof, and thereat to vote all shares of Common Stock of the Fund which the undersigned would be entitled to vote, with all powers the undersigned would possess if personally present, in accordance with the instructions on this proxy.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting To Be Held on April 27, 2012
The following materials relating to this Joint Annual Meeting are available athttp://www.lazardnet.com/lam/us/proxy.shtml:
| | |
| • | the Combined Proxy Statement;
|
| • | the Notice of Joint Annual Meeting;
|
| • | information on how to obtain directions to attend the meeting in person;
|
| • | this proxy card and any other proxy materials;
|
| • | the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. |
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE FUND’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND WILL BE VOTED FOR THE PROPOSALS UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. BY SIGNING THIS PROXY CARD, RECEIPT OF THE ACCOMPANYING NOTICE OF JOINT ANNUAL MEETING AND PROXY STATEMENT IS ACKNOWLEDGED.
PLEASE VOTE, DATE AND SIGN ON THE REVERSE SIDE, AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE PROVIDED OR VOTE ELECTRONICALLY OR BY TELEPHONE.