EXHIBIT 8(d)
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
AMONG
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST,
AMERICAN GENERAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
AND
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this ____ day of March 1998, by
and among MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, a Massachusetts business trust (the
"Trust"), AMERICAN GENERAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, a Texas corporation (the
"Company") on its own behalf and on behalf of each of the segregated asset
accounts of the Company set forth in Schedule A hereto, as may be amended from
time to time (the "Accounts"), and MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY, a
Delaware corporation ("MFS").
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"),
and its shares are registered or will be registered under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act");
WHEREAS, shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are divided into
several series of shares, each representing the interests in a particular
managed pool of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, the series of shares of the Trust offered by the Trust to
the Company and the Accounts are set forth on Schedule A attached hereto
(each, a "Portfolio," and, collectively, the "Portfolios");
WHEREAS, MFS is duly registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any applicable state
securities law, and is the Trust's investment adviser;
WHEREAS, the Company will issue certain variable annuity and/or variable
life insurance contracts (individually, the "Policy" or, collectively, the
"Policies") which, if required by applicable law, will be registered under the
1933 Act;
WHEREAS, the Accounts are duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset accounts, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Company, to
set aside and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid variable annuity
and/or variable life insurance contracts that are allocated to the Accounts
(the Policies and the Accounts covered by this Agreement, and each
corresponding Portfolio covered by this Agreement in which the Accounts
invest, is specified in Schedule A attached hereto as may be modified from
time to time);
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register the Accounts as
unit investment trusts under the 1940 Act (unless exempt therefrom);
WHEREAS, MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (the "Underwriter") is registered
as a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (hereinafter the "1934
Act"), and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD");
WHEREAS, American General Securities Incorporated, an affiliate of the
Company and the underwriter for the Policies, is registered as a broker-dealer
with the SEC under the 1934 Act and is a member in good standing of the NASD;
and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in one or more of the
Portfolios specified in Schedule A attached hereto (the "Shares") on behalf of
the Accounts to fund the Policies, and the Trust intends to sell such Shares
to the Accounts at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Trust,
MFS, and the Company agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. SALE OF TRUST SHARES
1.1. The Trust agrees to sell to the Company those Shares which the
Accounts order (based on orders placed by Policy holders on that
Business Day, as defined below) and which are available for purchase by
such Accounts, executing such orders on a daily basis at the net asset
value next computed after receipt by the Trust or its designee of the
order for the Shares. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company
shall be the designee of the Trust for receipt of such orders from
Policy owners and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by
the Trust. In this regard, the Company shall use its best efforts to
notify the Trust of such orders by 9:30 a.m. New York time on the next
following Business Day, provided that in any event the Company will so
notify the Trust by 10:30 a.m. New York time on the next following
Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which the New York
Stock Exchange, Inc. (the "NYSE") is open for trading and on which the
Trust calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the SEC.
1.2. The Trust agrees to make the Shares available indefinitely for
purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and
the Accounts on those days on which the Trust calculates its net asset
value pursuant to rules of the SEC and the Trust shall calculate such
net asset value on each day which the NYSE is open for trading.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the
"Board") may refuse to sell any Shares to the Company and the Accounts,
or suspend or terminate the offering of the Shares if such action is
required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or is,
in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and in light of
its fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws,
necessary in the best interest of the Shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Trust and MFS agree that the Shares will be sold only to
insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements
with the Trust and MFS (the "Participating Insurance Companies") and
their separate accounts, qualified pension and retirement plans and MFS
or its affiliates. The Trust and MFS will not sell Trust shares to any
insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing
provisions substantially the same as Articles III and VII of this
Agreement is in effect to govern such sales. The Company will not resell
the Shares except to the Trust or its agents.
1.4. The Trust agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company's request, any
full or fractional Shares held by the Accounts (based on orders placed
by Policy owners on that Business Day), executing such requests on a
daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the
Trust or its designee of the request for redemption. For purposes of
this Section 1.4, the Company shall be the designee of the Trust for
receipt of requests for redemption from Policy owners and receipt by
such designee shall constitute receipt by the Trust. In this regard, the
Company shall use its best efforts to notify the Trust of such request
for redemption by 9:30 a.m. New York time on the next following Business
Day, provided that in any event the Company will so notify the Trust by
10:30 a.m. New York time the next following Business Day.
1.5. Each purchase, redemption and exchange order placed by the Company
shall be placed separately for each Portfolio and shall not be netted
with respect to any Portfolio. However, with respect to payment of the
purchase price by the Company and of redemption proceeds by the Trust,
the Company and the Trust shall net purchase and redemption orders with
respect to each Portfolio and shall transmit one net payment for all of
the Portfolios in accordance with Section 1.6 hereof.
1.6. In the event of net purchases, the Company shall pay for the
Shares by 2:00 p.m. New York time on the next Business Day after an
order to purchase the Shares is made in accordance with the provisions
of Section 1.1. hereof. In the event of net redemptions, the Trust shall
pay the redemption proceeds by 2:00 p.m. New York time on the next
Business Day after an order to redeem the shares is made in accordance
with the provisions of Section 1.4. hereof. All such payments shall be
in federal funds transmitted by wire.
1.7. Issuance and transfer of the Shares will be by book entry only.
Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or the Accounts.
The Shares ordered from the Trust will be recorded in an appropriate
title for the Accounts or the appropriate subaccounts of the Accounts.
1.8. The Trust shall furnish notice to the Company (by facsimile copy,
followed by telephone confirmation), on or prior to the payment date of
any dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the Shares. The
Company hereby elects to receive all such dividends and distributions as
are payable on a Portfolio's Shares in additional Shares of that
Portfolio. The Trust shall notify the Company of the number of Shares so
issued as payment of such dividends and distributions.
1.9. The Trust or its custodian shall make the net asset value per
share for each Portfolio available to the Company on each Business Day
as soon as reasonably practical after the net asset value per share is
calculated and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value
per share available by 6:30 p.m. New York time. In the event that the
Trust is unable to meet the 6:30 p.m. time stated herein, it shall
provide additional time for the Company to place orders for the purchase
and redemption of Shares. Such additional time shall be equal to the
additional time which the Trust takes to make the net asset value
available to the Company. If the Trust provides materially incorrect
share net asset value information, the Trust shall make an adjustment to
the number of shares purchased or redeemed for the Accounts to reflect
the correct net asset value per share. Any material error in the
calculation or reporting of net asset value per share, dividend or
capital gains information shall be reported promptly upon discovery to
the Company.
ARTICLE II. CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Policies are or will
be registered under the 1933 Act or are exempt from or not subject to
registration thereunder, and that the Policies will be issued, sold, and
distributed in compliance in all material respects with all applicable
state and federal laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act, the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), and the
1940 Act. The Company further represents and warrants that it is an
insurance company duly organized and in good standing under applicable
law and that it has legally and validly established the Account as a
segregated asset account under applicable law and has registered or,
prior to any issuance or sale of the Policies, will register the
Accounts as unit investment trusts in accordance with the provisions of
the 1940 Act (unless exempt therefrom) to serve as segregated investment
accounts for the Policies, and that it will maintain such registration
for so long as any Policies are outstanding. The Company shall amend the
registration statements under the 1933 Act for the Policies and the
registration statements under the 1940 Act for the Accounts from time to
time as required in order to effect the continuous offering of the
Policies or as may otherwise be required by applicable law. The Company
shall register and qualify the Policies for sales in accordance with the
securities laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed
necessary by the Company.
2.2. The Company represents and warrants that the Policies are
currently and at the time of issuance will be treated as life insurance,
endowment or annuity contract under applicable provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), that it will
maintain such treatment and that it will notify the Trust or MFS
immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the
Policies have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so
treated in the future.
2.3. The Company represents and warrants that American General
Securities Incorporated, the underwriter for the Policies, is a member
in good standing of the NASD and is a registered broker-dealer with the
SEC. The Company represents and warrants that the Company and American
General Securities Incorporated will sell and distribute such policies
in accordance in all material respects with all applicable state and
federal securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act, the
1934 Act, and the 1940 Act.
2.4. The Trust and MFS represent and warrant that the Shares sold
pursuant to this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly
authorized for issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and all applicable federal and state
securities laws and that the Trust is and shall remain registered under
the 1940 Act. The Trust shall amend the registration statement for its
Shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required
in order to effect the continuous offering of its Shares. The Trust
shall register and qualify the Shares for sale in accordance with the
laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed necessary by
the Trust.
2.5. MFS represents and warrants that the Underwriter is a member in
good standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the
SEC. The Trust and MFS represent that the Trust and the Underwriter will
sell and distribute the Shares in accordance in all material respects
with all applicable state and federal securities laws, including without
limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act.
2.6. The Trust represents that it is lawfully organized and validly
existing under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it
does and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act and any
applicable regulations thereunder.
2.7. MFS represents and warrants that it is and shall remain duly
registered under all applicable federal securities laws and that it
shall perform its obligations for the Trust in compliance in all
material respects with any applicable federal securities laws and with
the securities laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MFS represents
and warrants that it is not subject to state securities laws other than
the securities laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it is
exempt from registration as an investment adviser under the securities
laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
2.8. No less frequently than annually, the Company shall submit to the
Board such reports, material or data as the Board may reasonably request
so that it may carry out fully the obligations imposed upon it by the
conditions contained in the exemptive application pursuant to which the
SEC has granted exemptive relief to permit mixed and shared funding (the
"Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order").
ARTICLE III. PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENTS; VOTING
3.1. At least annually, the Trust or its designee shall provide the
Company, free of charge, with as many copies of the current prospectus
(describing only the Portfolios listed in Schedule A hereto) for the
Shares as the Company may reasonably request for distribution to
existing Policy owners whose Policies are funded by such Shares. The
Trust or its designee shall provide the Company, at the Company's
expense, with as many copies of the current prospectus for the Shares as
the Company may reasonably request for distribution to prospective
purchasers of Policies. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the
Trust or its designee shall provide such documentation (including a
"camera ready" copy of the new prospectus as set in type or, at the
request of the Company, as a diskette in the form sent to the financial
printer) and other assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for
the parties hereto once each year (or more frequently if the prospectus
for the Shares is supplemented or amended) to have the prospectus for
the Policies and the prospectus for the Shares printed together in one
document; the expenses of such printing to be apportioned between (a)
the Company and (b) the Trust or its designee in proportion to the
number of pages of the Policy and Shares' prospectuses, taking account
of other relevant factors affecting the expense of printing, such as
covers, columns, graphs and charts; the Trust or its designee to bear
the cost of printing the Shares' prospectus portion of such document for
distribution to owners of existing Policies funded by the Shares and the
Company to bear the expenses of printing the portion of such document
relating to the Accounts; PROVIDED, however, that the Company shall bear
all printing expenses of such combined documents where used for
distribution to prospective purchasers or to owners of existing Policies
not funded by the Shares. In the event that the Company requests that
the Trust or its designee provides the Trust's prospectus in a "camera
ready" or diskette format, the Trust shall be responsible for providing
the prospectus in the format in which it or MFS is accustomed to
formatting prospectuses and shall bear the expense of providing the
prospectus in such format (E.G., typesetting expenses), and the Company
shall bear the expense of adjusting or changing the format to conform
with any of its prospectuses.
3.2. The prospectus for the Shares shall state that the statement of
additional information for the Shares is available from the Trust or its
designee. The Trust or its designee, at its expense, shall print and
provide such statement of additional information to the Company (or a
master of such statement suitable for duplication by the Company) for
distribution to any owner of a Policy funded by the Shares. The Trust or
its designee, at the Company's expense, shall print and provide such
statement to the Company (or a master of such statement suitable for
duplication by the Company) for distribution to a prospective purchaser
who requests such statement or to an owner of a Policy not funded by the
Shares.
3.3. The Trust or its designee shall provide the Company free of charge
copies, if and to the extent applicable to the Shares, of the Trust's
proxy materials, reports to Shareholders and other communications to
Shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require
for distribution to Policy owners.
3.4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3
above, or of Article V below, the Company shall pay the expense of
printing or providing documents to the extent such cost is considered a
distribution expense. Distribution expenses would include by way of
illustration, but are not limited to, the printing of the Shares'
prospectus or prospectuses for distribution to prospective purchasers or
to owners of existing Policies not funded by such Shares.
3.5. The Trust hereby notifies the Company that it may be appropriate
to include in the prospectus pursuant to which a Policy is offered
disclosure regarding the potential risks of mixed and shared funding.
3.6. If and to the extent required by law, the Company shall:
(a) solicit voting instructions from Policy owners;
(b) vote the Shares in accordance with instructions received
from Policy owners; and
(c) vote the Shares for which no instructions have been received
in the same proportion as the Shares of such Portfolio for
which instructions have been received from Policy owners;
so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the
1940 Act to require pass through voting privileges for variable contract
owners. The Company will in no way recommend action in connection with
or oppose or interfere with the solicitation of proxies for the Shares
held for such Policy owners. The Company reserves the right to vote
shares held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the
extent permitted by law. Participating Insurance Companies shall be
responsible for assuring that each of their separate accounts holding
Shares calculates voting privileges in the manner required by the Mixed
and Shared Funding Exemptive Order. The Trust and MFS will notify the
Company of any changes of interpretations or amendments to the Mixed and
Shared Funding Exemptive Order.
ARTICLE IV. SALES MATERIAL AND INFORMATION
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Trust or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other
promotional material in which the Trust, MFS, any other investment
adviser to the Trust, or any affiliate of MFS are named, at least three
(3) Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if
the Trust, MFS, or their respective designees reasonably objects to such
use within three (3) Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statement on behalf of the Trust, MFS, any other
investment adviser to the Trust, or any affiliate of MFS or concerning
the Trust or any other such entity in connection with the sale of the
Policies other than the information or representations contained in the
registration statement, prospectus or statement of additional
information for the Shares, as such registration statement, prospectus
and statement of additional information may be amended or supplemented
from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Trust, or
in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Trust,
MFS or their respective designees, except with the permission of the
Trust, MFS or their respective designees. The Trust, MFS or their
respective designees each agrees to respond to any request for approval
on a prompt and timely basis. The Company shall adopt and implement
procedures reasonably designed to ensure that information concerning the
Trust, MFS or any of their affiliates which is intended for use only by
brokers or agents selling the Policies (I.E., information that is not
intended for distribution to Policy owners or prospective Policy owners)
is so used, and neither the Trust, MFS nor any of their affiliates shall
be liable for any losses, damages or expenses relating to the improper
use of such broker only materials.
4.3. The Trust or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause to be
furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales
literature or other promotional material in which the Company and/or the
Accounts is named, at least three (3) Business Days prior to its use. No
such material shall be used if the Company or its designee reasonably
objects to such use within three (3) Business Days after receipt of such
material.
4.4. The Trust and MFS shall not give, and agree that the Underwriter
shall not give, any information or make any representations on behalf of
the Company or concerning the Company, the Accounts, or the Policies in
connection with the sale of the Policies other than the information or
representations contained in a registration statement, prospectus, or
statement of additional information for the Policies, as such
registration statement, prospectus and statement of additional
information may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in
reports for the Accounts, or in sales literature or other promotional
material approved by the Company or its designee, except with the
permission of the Company. The Company or its designee agrees to respond
to any request for approval on a prompt and timely basis. The parties
hereto agree that this Section 4.4. is neither intended to designate nor
otherwise imply that MFS is an underwriter or distributor of the
Policies.
4.5. The Company and the Trust (or its designee in lieu of the Company
or the Trust, as appropriate) will each provide to the other at least
one complete copy of all registration statements, prospectuses,
statements of additional information, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the above,
that relate to the Policies, or to the Trust or its Shares, prior to or
contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or other
regulatory authorities. The Company and the Trust shall also each
promptly inform the other of the results of any examination by the SEC
(or other regulatory authorities) that relates to the Policies, the
Trust or its Shares, and the party that was the subject of the
examination shall provide the other party with a copy of relevant
portions of any "deficiency letter" or other correspondence or written
report regarding any such examination.
4.6. The Trust and MFS will provide the Company with as much notice as
is reasonably practicable of any proxy solicitation for any Portfolio,
and of any material change in the Trust's registration statement,
particularly any change resulting in change to the registration
statement or prospectus or statement of additional information for any
Account. The Trust and MFS will cooperate with the Company so as to
enable the Company to solicit proxies from Policy owners or to make
changes to its prospectus, statement of additional information or
registration statement, in an orderly manner. The Trust and MFS will
make reasonable efforts to attempt to have changes affecting Policy
prospectuses become effective simultaneously with the annual updates for
such prospectuses.
4.7. For purpose of this Article IV and Article VIII, the phrase "sales
literature or other promotional material" includes but is not limited to
advertisements (such as material published, or designed for use in, a
newspaper, magazine, or other periodical, radio, television, telephone
or tape recording, videotape display, signs or billboards, motion
pictures, or other public media), and sales literature (such as
brochures, circulars, reprints or excerpts or any other advertisement,
sales literature, or published articles), distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, educational or training materials
or communications distributed or made generally available to some or all
agents or employees.
ARTICLE V. FEES AND EXPENSES
5.1. The Trust shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Company
under this Agreement, and the Company shall pay no fee or other
compensation to the Trust, except that if the Trust or any Portfolio
adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act
to finance distribution and Shareholder servicing expenses, then,
subject to obtaining any required exemptive orders or regulatory
approvals, the Trust may make payments to the Company or to the
underwriter for the Policies if and in amounts agreed to by the Trust in
writing. Each party, however, shall, in accordance with the allocation
of expenses specified in Articles III and V hereof, reimburse other
parties for expenses initially paid by one party but allocated to
another party. In addition, nothing herein shall prevent the parties
hereto from otherwise agreeing to perform, and arranging for appropriate
compensation for, other services relating to the Trust and/or to the
Accounts.
5.2. The Trust or its designee shall bear the expenses for the cost of
registration and qualification of the Shares under all applicable
federal and state laws, including preparation and filing of the Trust's
registration statement, and payment of filing fees and registration
fees; preparation and filing of the Trust's proxy materials and reports
to Shareholders; setting in type and printing its prospectus and
statement of additional information (to the extent provided by and as
determined in accordance with Article III above); setting in type and
printing the proxy materials and reports to Shareholders (to the extent
provided by and as
determined in accordance with Article III above); the preparation of all
statements and notices required of the Trust by any federal or state law
with respect to its Shares; all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the
Shares; and the costs of distributing the Trust's prospectuses and proxy
materials to owners of Policies funded by the Shares and any expenses
permitted to be paid or assumed by the Trust pursuant to a plan, if any,
under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Trust shall not bear any
expenses of marketing the Policies.
5.3. The Company or its designee shall bear the expenses of
distributing the Shares' prospectus or prospectuses in connection with
new sales of the Policies and of distributing the Trust's Shareholder
reports to Policy owners. The Company shall bear all expenses associated
with the registration, qualification, and filing of the Policies under
applicable federal securities and state insurance laws; the cost of
preparing, printing and distributing the Policy prospectus and statement
of additional information; and the cost of preparing, printing and
distributing annual individual account statements for Policy owners as
required by state insurance laws.
5.4 MFS will quarterly reimburse the Company certain of the
administrative costs and expenses incurred by the Company as a result of
operations necessitated by the beneficial ownership by Policy owners of
shares of the Portfolios of the Trust, equal to ___% per annum of the
net assets of the Trust attributable to variable life or variable
annuity contracts offered by the Company or its affiliates. In no event
shall such fee be paid by the Trust, its shareholders or by the Policy
holders.
ARTICLE VI. DIVERSIFICATION AND RELATED LIMITATIONS
6.1. The Trust and MFS represent and warrant that each Portfolio of the
Trust will meet the diversification requirements of Section 817 (h) (1)
of the Code and Treas. Reg. 1.817-5, relating to the diversification
requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance
contracts, as they may be amended from time to time (and any revenue
rulings, revenue procedures, notices, and other published announcements
of the Internal Revenue Service interpreting these sections), as if
those requirements applied directly to each such Portfolio.
6.2. In the event of a breach of Section 6.1 above by the Trust and
MFS, the Trust and MFS will take reasonable steps to adequately
diversify each Portfolio of the Trust so as to achieve compliance within
the grace period afforded by Treas. Reg. 1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII. POTENTIAL MATERIAL CONFLICTS
7.1. The Trust agrees that the Board, constituted with a majority of
disinterested trustees, will monitor each Portfolio of the Trust for the
existence of any material irreconcilable conflict between the interests
of the variable annuity contract owners and the variable life insurance
policy owners of the Company and/or affiliated companies ("contract
owners") investing in the Trust. The Board shall have the sole authority
to determine if a material irreconcilable conflict exists, and such
determination shall be binding on the Company only if approved in the
form of a resolution by a majority of the Board, or a majority of the
disinterested trustees of the Board. The Board will give prompt notice
of any such determination to the Company.
7.2. The Company agrees that it will be responsible for assisting the
Board in carrying out its responsibilities under the conditions set
forth in the Trust's exemptive application pursuant to which the SEC has
granted the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order by providing the
Board, as it may reasonably request, with all information necessary for
the Board to consider any issues raised and agrees that it will be
responsible for promptly reporting any potential or existing conflicts
of which it is aware to the Board including, but not limited to, an
obligation by the Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner
voting instructions are disregarded. The Company also agrees that, if a
material irreconcilable conflict arises, it will at its own cost remedy
such conflict up to and including (a) withdrawing the assets allocable
to some or all of the Accounts from the Trust or any Portfolio and
reinvesting such assets in a different investment medium, including (but
not limited to) another Portfolio of the Trust, or submitting to a vote
of all affected contract owners whether to withdraw assets from the
Trust or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different
investment medium and, as appropriate, segregating the assets
attributable to any appropriate group of contract owners that votes in
favor of such segregation, or offering to any of the affected contract
owners the option of segregating the assets attributable to their
contracts or policies, and (b) establishing a new registered management
investment company and segregating the assets underlying the Policies,
unless a majority of Policy owners materially adversely affected by the
conflict have voted to decline the offer to establish a new registered
management investment company.
7.3. A majority of the disinterested trustees of the Board shall
determine whether any proposed action by the Company adequately remedies
any material irreconcilable conflict. In the event that the Board
determines that any proposed action does not adequately remedy any
material irreconcilable conflict, the Company will withdraw from
investment in the Trust each of the Accounts designated by the
disinterested trustees and terminate this Agreement within six (6)
months after the Board informs the Company in writing of the foregoing
determination; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such withdrawal and termination
shall be limited to the extent required to remedy any such material
irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested
trustees of the Board.
7.4. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended,
or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision
of the 1940 Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to
mixed or shared funding (as defined in the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions materially different from those
contained in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, then (a) the
Trust and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rule 6e-2 and
6e-3(T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules
are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.5, 3.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 of this
Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and
conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in
such Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION
8.1. INDEMNIFICATION BY THE COMPANY
The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, MFS,
any affiliates of MFS, and each of their respective directors/trustees,
officers and each person, if any, who controls the Trust or MFS within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, and any agents or employees
of the foregoing (each an "Indemnified Party," or collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and
all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in
settlement with the written consent of the Company) or expenses
(including reasonable counsel fees) to which any Indemnified Party may
become subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to
the sale or acquisition of the Shares or the Policies and:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information for the Policies or contained in the
Policies or sales literature or other promotional material
for the Policies (or any amendment or supplement to any of
the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading PROVIDED that this
agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified
Party if such statement or omission or such alleged
statement or omission was made in reasonable reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished to the Company
or its designee by or on behalf of the Trust or MFS for use
in the registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information for the Policies or in the Policies
or sales literature or other promotional material (or any
amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection
with the sale of the Policies or Shares; or
(b) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the
registration statement, prospectus, statement of additional
information or sales literature or other promotional
material of the Trust not supplied by the Company or its
designee, or persons under its control and on which the
Company has reasonably relied) or wrongful conduct of the
Company or persons under its control, with respect to the
sale or distribution of the Policies or Shares; or
(c) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in the registration
statement, prospectus, statement of additional information,
or sales literature or other promotional literature of the
Trust, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or
the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statement or statements therein not misleading, if such
statement or omission was made in reliance upon information
furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Company; or
(d) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Company; or
(e) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide
the services and furnish the materials under the terms of
this Agreement;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of this Article
VIII.
8.2. INDEMNIFICATION BY THE TRUST AND MFS
The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company,
American General Securities Incorporated, their respective affiliates
and each of their respective directors and officers and each person, if
any, who controls the Company or American General Securities
Incorporated within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, and any
agents or employees of the foregoing (each an "Indemnified Party," or
collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section
8.2) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including
amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Trust) or
expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) to which any Indemnified
Party may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or
actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or
acquisition of the Shares or the Policies and:
(a) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the registration statement, prospectus, statement of
additional information or sales literature or other
promotional material of the Trust (or any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are
based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statement therein not misleading,
PROVIDED that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as
to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or
such alleged statement or omission was made in reasonable
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
to the Trust, MFS, the Underwriter or their respective
designees by or on behalf of the Company for use in the
registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information for the Trust or in sales literature
or other promotional material for the Trust (or any
amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection
with the sale of the Policies or Shares; or
(b) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the
registration statement, prospectus, statement of additional
information or sales literature or other promotional
material for the Policies not supplied by the Trust, MFS,
the Underwriter or any of their respective designees or
persons under their respective control and on which any such
entity has reasonably relied) or wrongful conduct of the
Trust or persons under its control, with respect to the sale
or distribution of the Policies or Shares; or
(c) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in the registration
statement, prospectus, statement of additional information,
or sales literature or other promotional literature of the
Accounts or relating to the Policies, or any amendment
thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statement or
statements therein not misleading, if such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to
the Company by or on behalf of the Trust, MFS or the
Underwriter; or
(d) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Trust in this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in
good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification
requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement) or
arise out of or result from any other material breach of
this Agreement by the Trust; or
(e) arise out of or result from the materially incorrect or
untimely calculation or reporting of the daily net asset
value per share or dividend or capital gain distribution
rate; or
(f) arise as a result of any failure by the Trust to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of the
Agreement;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of this Article
VIII.
8.3. In no event shall the Trust be liable under the indemnification
provisions contained in this Agreement to any individual or entity,
including without limitation, the Company, or any Participating
Insurance Company or any Policy holder, with respect to any losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses that arise out of or result
from (i) a breach of any representation, warranty, and/or covenant made
by the Company hereunder or by any Participating Insurance Company under
an agreement containing substantially similar representations,
warranties and covenants; (ii) the failure by the Company or any
Participating Insurance Company to maintain its segregated asset account
(which invests in any Portfolio) as a legally and validly established
segregated asset account under applicable state law and as a duly
registered unit investment trust under the provisions of the 1940 Act
(unless exempt therefrom); or (iii) the failure by the Company or any
Participating Insurance Company to maintain its variable annuity and/or
variable life insurance contracts (with respect to which any Portfolio
serves as an underlying funding vehicle) as life insurance, endowment or
annuity contracts under applicable provisions of the Code.
8.4. Neither the Company nor the Trust shall be liable under the
indemnification provisions contained in this Agreement with
respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses to
which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of
such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, willful misconduct,
or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard
of obligations and duties under this Agreement.
8.5. Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Party under this Section
8.5. of notice of commencement of any action, such Indemnified
Party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against
the indemnifying party under this section, notify the indemnifying
party of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify
the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability
which it may have to any Indemnified Party otherwise than under
this section. In case any such action is brought against any
Indemnified Party, and it notified the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to
participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, assume
the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such Indemnified
Party. After notice from the indemnifying party of its intention
to assume the defense of an action, the Indemnified Party shall
bear the expenses of any additional counsel obtained by it, and
the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such Indemnified
Party under this section for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with
the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.6. Each of the parties agrees promptly to notify the other parties of
the commencement of any litigation or proceeding against it or any
of its respective officers, directors, trustees, employees or 1933
Act control persons in connection with the Agreement, the issuance
or sale of the Policies, the operation of the Accounts, or the
sale or acquisition of Shares.
8.7. A successor by law of the parties to this Agreement shall be
entitled to the benefits of the indemnification contained in this
Article VIII. The indemnification provisions contained in this
Article VIII shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE IX. APPLICABLE LAW
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933,
1934 and 1940 Acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings
thereunder, including such exemptions from those statutes, rules
and regulations as the SEC may grant and the terms hereof shall be
interpreted and construed in accordance therewith.
ARTICLE X. NOTICE OF FORMAL PROCEEDINGS
The Trust, MFS, and the Company agree that each such party shall
promptly notify the other parties to this Agreement, in writing, of the
institution of any formal proceedings brought against such party or its
designees by the NASD, the SEC, or any insurance department or any other
regulatory body regarding such party's duties under this Agreement or related
to the sale of the Policies, the operation of the Accounts, or the purchase of
the Shares.
ARTICLE XI. TERMINATION
11.1. This Agreement shall terminate with respect to the Accounts, or
one, some, or all Portfolios:
(a) at the option of any party upon twelve (12) months' advance
written notice to the other parties; or
(b) at the option of the Company to the extent that the Shares
of Portfolios are not reasonably available to meet the
requirements of the Policies or are not "appropriate funding
vehicles" for the Policies, as reasonably determined by the
Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
the Shares of a Portfolio would not be "appropriate funding
vehicles" if, for example, such Shares did not meet the
diversification or other requirements referred to in Article
VI hereof; or if the Company would be permitted to disregard
Policy owner voting instructions pursuant to Rule 6e-2 or
6e-3(T) under the 1940 Act. Prompt notice of the election to
terminate for such cause and an explanation of such cause
shall be furnished to the Trust by the Company; or
(c) at the option of the Trust or MFS upon institution of formal
proceedings against the Company or American General
Securities Incorporated by the NASD, the SEC, or any
insurance department or any other regulatory body regarding
the Company's duties under this Agreement or related to the
sale of the Policies, the operation of the Accounts, or the
purchase of the Shares; or
(d) at the option of the Company upon institution of formal
proceedings against the Trust or the Underwriter by the
NASD, the SEC, or any state securities or insurance
department or any other regulatory body regarding the
Trust's or MFS' duties under this Agreement or related to
the sale of the Shares; or
(e) at the option of the Company, the Trust or MFS upon receipt
of any necessary regulatory approvals and/or the vote of the
Policy owners having an interest in the Accounts (or any
subaccounts) to substitute the shares of another investment
company for the corresponding Portfolio Shares in accordance
with the terms of the Policies for which those Portfolio
Shares had been selected to serve as the underlying
investment media. The Company will give thirty (30) days'
prior written notice to the Trust of the Date of any
proposed vote or other action taken to replace the Shares;
or
(f) termination by either the Trust or MFS by written notice to
the Company, if either one or both of the Trust or MFS
respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Company has suffered a
material adverse change in its business, operations,
financial condition, or prospects since the date of this
Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity;
or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to the Trust
and MFS, if the Company shall determine, in its sole
judgment exercised in good faith, that the Trust or MFS has
suffered a material adverse change in this business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since the date
of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse
publicity; or
(h) at the option of any party to this Agreement, upon another
party's material breach of any provision of this Agreement;
or
(i) upon assignment of this Agreement, unless made with the
written consent of the parties hereto.
11.2. The notice shall specify the Portfolio or Portfolios, Policies
and, if applicable, the Accounts as to which the Agreement is to
be terminated.
11.3. It is understood and agreed that the right of any party hereto to
terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 11.1(a) may be
exercised for cause or for no cause.
11.4. Except as necessary to implement Policy owner initiated
transactions, or as required by state insurance laws or
regulations, the Company shall not redeem the Shares attributable
to the Policies (as opposed to the Shares attributable to the
Company's assets held in the Accounts), and the Company shall not
prevent Policy owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that
was otherwise available under the Policies, until thirty (30) days
after the Company shall have notified the Trust of its intention
to do so.
11.5. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Trust and
MFS shall, at the option of the Company, continue to make
available additional shares of the Portfolios pursuant to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, for all Policies in effect
on the effective date of termination of this Agreement (the
"Existing Policies"), except as otherwise provided under Article
VII of this Agreement. Specifically, without limitation, the
owners of the Existing Policies shall be permitted to transfer or
reallocate investment under the Policies, redeem investments in
any Portfolio and/or invest in the Trust upon the making of
additional purchase payments under the Existing Policies.
ARTICLE XII. NOTICES
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail, overnight courier or facsimile to the other party at the
address of such party set forth below or at such other address as such party
may from time to time specify in writing to the other party.
If to the Trust:
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
500 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Facsimile No.: (617) 954-6624
Attn: Stephen E. Cavan, Secretary
If to the Company:
AMERICAN GENERAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
c/o American General Independent Producer Division
2727-A Allen Parkway
Houston, Texas 77019
Facsimile No.: (STILL NEED FAX)
Attn: Steven Glover, Esq.
If to MFS:
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
500 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Facsimile No.: (617) 954-6624
Attn: Stephen E. Cavan, General Counsel
ARTICLE XIII. FOREIGN TAX CREDITS
13.1 The Trust agrees to consult in advance with the Company concerning
any decision to elect or not to pass through the benefit of any
foreign tax credits to the Trust's shareholders pursuant to
Section 853 of the Code.
ARTICLE XIV. MISCELLANEOUS
14.1. Subject to the requirement of legal process and regulatory
authority, each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names
and addresses of the owners of the Policies and all information
reasonably identified as confidential in writing by any other
party hereto and, except as permitted by this Agreement or as
otherwise required by applicable law or regulation, shall not
disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and addresses and
other confidential information without the express written consent
of the affected party until such time as it may come into the
public domain.
14.2. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or
effect.
14.3. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in one or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one
and the same instrument.
14.4. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid
by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of
the Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
14.5. The Schedule attached hereto, as modified from time to time, is
incorporated herein by reference and is part of this Agreement.
14.6. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party in
connection with inquiries by appropriate governmental authorities
(including without limitation the SEC, the NASD, and state
insurance regulators) relating to this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated hereby.
14.7. The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement
are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies
and obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are
entitled to under state and federal laws.
14.8. A copy of the Trust's Declaration of Trust is on file with the
Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The
Company acknowledges that the obligations of or arising out of
this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trust's trustees,
officers, employees, agents or shareholders individually, but are
binding solely upon the assets and property of the Trust in
accordance with its proportionate interest hereunder. The Company
further acknowledges that the assets and liabilities of each Portfolio
are separate and distinct and that the obligations of or arising out of
this instrument are binding solely upon the assets or property of the
Portfolio on whose behalf the Trust has executed this instrument. The
Company also agrees that the obligations of each Portfolio hereunder
shall be several and not joint, in accordance with its proportionate
interest hereunder, and the Company agrees not to proceed against any
Portfolio for the obligations of another Portfolio.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this
Agreement to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified above.
AMERICAN GENERAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
By its authorized officer,
By: ____________________________________
Title: _________________________________
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, ON BEHALF OF THE
PORTFOLIOS
By its authorized officer and not individually,
By: ____________________________________
James R. Bordewick, Jr.
Assistant Secretary
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
By its authorized officer,
By: ____________________________________
Jeffrey L. Shames
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
As of ____________________
SCHEDULE A
ACCOUNTS, POLICIES AND PORTFOLIOS
SUBJECT TO THE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
NAME OF SEPARATE
ACCOUNT AND DATE POLICIES FUNDED PORTFOLIOS
ESTABLISHED BY BOARD OF BY SEPARATE ACCOUNT APPLICABLE TO POLICIES
DIRECTORS
----------------------- ------------------- -----------------------
American General Life Platinum Investor I Flexible
Insurance Company Separate Premium Life Insurance Policy
Account Vl-r Policy Form No. 97600
(May 6, 1998)
Platinum Investor Ii Flexible
Premium Life Insurance Policy
Policy Form No. 97610