Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (within the meaning of the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement, except as otherwise provided by applicable law or the Exemptive Order.
Under the terms of the Subadvisory Agreement, Western makes investment decisions for the portion of the assets of the Fund allocated to it by MIM (the “Western Segment”). Western, subject to the oversight of MIM and the Board, is responsible for, among other things: (i) conducting a continuous program of investment, evaluation, and, if appropriate, sale and reinvestment of the Western Segment’s assets; (ii) making investment decisions; and (iii) placing orders for the investment and reinvestment of the Western Segment’s assets, subject to the stated investment policies and restrictions of the Fund as set forth in its prospectus and statement of additional information, as supplemented or amended from time to time, and subject to the directions of MIM and the Board.
The Subadvisory Agreement also provides that Western is responsible for expenses related to its activities. Western is not responsible for the expenses of the Trust, the Fund and MIM, including, but not limited to, the cost of securities, commodities and other investments (including brokerage commissions and other transaction charges, if any) purchased for the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith; expenses of holding or carrying the Western Segment’s assets, including, without limitation, expenses of dividends on stock borrowed to cover a short sale and interest, fees or other charges incurred in connection with leverage and related borrowings with respect to the Western Segment’s assets, organizational and offering expenses (which include, but are not limited to, out-of-pocket expenses, but not overhead or employee costs of Western); expenses for legal, accounting, and auditing services rendered to the Trust or the Fund; taxes and governmental fees; dues and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; costs of printing and distributing shareholder reports, proxy materials, prospectuses, stock certificates, and distribution dividends; charges of the Fund’s custodians and sub-custodians, administrators and sub-administrators, registrars, transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents, and dividend reinvestment plan agents; payment for portfolio pricing services to a pricing agent, if any; registration and filing fees of the SEC; expenses of registering or qualifying securities of the Fund for sale in the various states; freight and other changes in connection with the shipment of the Fund’s portfolio securities; fees and expenses of non-interested Trustees; salaries of shareholder relations personnel; costs of shareholders meetings; insurance; interest; brokerage costs; and litigation and other extraordinary or non-recurring expenses of the Trust or the Fund. The Subadvisory Agreement provides for Western to be compensated from the fees that MIM receives from the Fund based on the average daily net assets of the Fund that are allocated to Western.
The Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty: (i) by vote of a majority of the Board, or by “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), or by MIM, in each case, upon not less than sixty days’ written notice to Western; (ii) by MIM or Western in the event of a material breach of any provision of the Subadvisory Agreement by any party; provided, however, that the breaching party (or parties) shall have ten days after the receipt of notice of such breach from the other party to cure such breach; or (iii) by Western upon not less than sixty days’ written notice to MIM and the Trust.
The Subadvisory Agreement provides that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of Western or a reckless disregard of its duties thereunder, Western, its affiliates, and its control persons shall not be subject to any expenses or liability to MIM, the Trust, or the respective Fund, in connection with the matters to which the Subadvisory Agreement relates, including without limitation for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of the Western Segment’s assets.
MIM’s Recommendation and the Board’s Consideration
MIM recommended Western as a subadviser to the Fund as it believes Western is suited to manage a strategy within the Fund that will help the Fund meet its overall investment objective. In managing that strategy, Western will employ a strategy that is designed to emphasize high income and value generation over time by leveraging
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