Exhibit 1(A)(8)(C)
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
AMONG
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST,
MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
AND
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this ____ day of ____ 1998, by
and among MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, a Massachusetts business trust (the
"Trust"), MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, a Massachusetts
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);
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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, MML Distributors, LLC, the principal underwriter for the
individual variable annuity and the variable life policies, and MML Investors
Services, Inc., the co-underwriter of the policies, are both registered as
broker-dealers with the SEC under the 1934 Act and are members 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
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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; provided that the Trust receives notice of such orders by
9:30 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.
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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; provided that the
Trust receives notice of such request for redemption by 9:30 a.m. New
York time on 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 same day notice (by electronic
transmission and/or facsimile by 6:30p.m. New York time) to the Company
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 via electronic
transmission and/or facsimile. In
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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 via telephone followed by written
documentation of the error.
ARTICLE II. CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS
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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 MML Distributors, LLC and
MML Investors Services, Inc., the underwriters for the individual
variable annuity and the variable life policies, are members in good
standing of the NASD and are registered broker-dealers with the SEC.
The Company represents and warrants that the Company, MML Distributors,
LLC and MML Investors Services, Inc. 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
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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
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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
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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),
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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. In lieu thereof, the Trust or its
designee shall provide such documentation to the Company, at the
Company's option, in camera ready format or pdf files and other
assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the Company to print
such shareholder communications for distribution to Policy Owners, at
the expense of the Trust.
The Trust shall use its best efforts to notify the Company within a
reasonable time of any proxy proposals for shareholders.
All expenses associated with proxy solicitations shall be borne by the
Trust as appropriate, including, but not limited to, printing,
distribution and cost of tabulating the proxies.
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.
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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.
These review procedures shall not apply to any sales literature or
other promotional material produced by the Company if all references in
such literature regarding the Trust, MFS, any other investment adviser
to the Trust or any affiliate of MFS are identical to those that appear
in the Trust's prospectus or Statement of Additional Information.
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
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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.
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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
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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 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.
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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 0.20% per annum of
the net assets of the Trust attributable to variable life or variable
annuity contracts offered by the Company. In no event shall such fee be
paid by the Trust, its shareholders or by the Policy holders.
ARTICLE VI. DIVERSIFICATION AND RELATED LIMITATIONS
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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. The Trust and MFS represent that each Portfolio will elect to be
qualified as a Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the
Code and that they will maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M
or any successor or similar provision).
ARTICLE VII. POTENTIAL MATERIAL CONFLICTS
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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
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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
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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
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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
----------------------------
The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company
and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls the Company 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
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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
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(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.
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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 six (6) 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
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(c) at the option of the Trust or MFS upon institution of formal
proceedings against the Company 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 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, except that all
parties shall be permitted to assign this Agreement or any
interest therein to their ultimate parent holding company
and any affiliate or subsidiary thereof, upon notice but
without obtaining the consent of the other parties. All
assignees shall be appropriately licensed and shall comply
with all applicable securities and insurance laws and
regulations.
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.
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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:
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Office of the General Counsel
1295 State Street
Springfield, Massachusetts 01111-0001
Facsimile No.: (860---__)987-2992
Attn: General Counsel
If to MFS:
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
500 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
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Facsimile No.: (617) 954-6624
Attn: Stephen E. Cavan, General Counsel
ARTICLE XIII. MISCELLANEOUS
-------------
13.1. 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.
13.2. 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.
13.3. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in one or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the
same instrument.
13.4. 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.
13.5. The Schedule attached hereto, as modified from time to time, is
incorporated herein by reference and is part of this Agreement.
13.6. 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.
13.7. 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.
13.8. 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.
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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.
MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL 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
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