Investment Agreement among Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd., Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, and Clearwater Insurance Company (January 1, 2003)
This agreement, dated January 1, 2003, is between Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. (HW), Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (FFH), and Clearwater Insurance Company. HW is authorized to manage Clearwater's investment account according to specified guidelines, while FFH provides investment administration services. HW is responsible for investment decisions and reporting, and must act with reasonable care. Fees for services are set by FFH, with changes requiring notice and regulatory approval. Either party may terminate the agreement with 30 days' written notice. The agreement replaces previous investment management and administration agreements between the parties.
1. | We authorize HW to manage on a continuous basis an investment account (the Account) on our behalf on the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement. | |
2. | HW shall manage the Account in accordance with the investment objectives from time to time communicated in writing by us to HW, subject at all times to the investment guidelines. Until changed by us, the investment guidelines shall be as set out in the investment guidelines attached hereto as Schedule A. The investment guidelines shall at all times be in compliance with the investment statutes of the State of Delaware. | |
3. | Subject to Section 2 above, HW shall manage the Account in our name and HW is hereby authorized to take such action for the Account as HW, in your sole discretion, may consider appropriate for the operation of the Account including, without limitation, the power to buy, sell and exchange and otherwise deal in all securities which may at any time form part of the Account and to invest, in securities selected by HW, all funds contained in, paid to or derived from the operation of, the Account, except to the extent that HW otherwise instructed in writing by us. | |
The services to be performed by HW shall be performed only by officers and employees who have appropriate qualifications. HW agrees to provide to us such information as we may reasonably request concerning the education and experience of any individuals HW proposes to assign to the performance of such services. Also, upon our |
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request, HW agrees to provide a list of individual names and a brief description of their responsibilities. HW agrees to promptly notify us of any changes in HWs staff involving individuals that perform material functions on our Account. |
4. | The securities and funds of the Account have been deposited with and shall be held by The Bank of New York (or with such other custodian as is chosen by us from time to time and is approved by the Delaware Insurance Department) (the Custodian) pursuant to an agreement, which we have entered into with the Custodian. We have instructed the Custodian to promptly follow your directions at all times and to provide HW with all such information concerning the Account as HW may from time to time require in connection with your management of the Account, including without limitation, copies of relevant monthly statements. | |
5. | Provided HW has used reasonable care and diligence, HW shall not be liable for any damage, loss, cost or other expense sustained in the operation of the Account or relating in any manner to the carrying out of your duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any losses suffered as a result of an error in implementing investment decisions caused by HWs negligence or dishonesty are to be fully reimbursed by HW. To the extent any errors occur in implementing investment decisions, HW shall immediately notify us in writing of all relevant facts. HW shall bear full responsibility for any such errors to the extent such errors result from HWs negligence or dishonesty and shall be liable for all financial injury to us resulting therefrom. We agree that HW shall be entitled to assume that any information communicated by us or the Custodian to HW is accurate and complete, and that in making investment decisions HW shall be entitled to rely on publicly available information or on information which HW believes to have been provided to you in good faith, in both cases barring actual knowledge by HW to the contrary. | |
6. | HW will provide us with a monthly statement and a quarterly presentation respecting the securities held in the Account. | |
7. | HW shall deliver in writing to us, as soon as practicable after implementation of an investment decision, HWs confirmation of such implementation to enable us to ascertain that such implementation has been effected pursuant to the guidelines and procedures of our Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof. Otherwise, the nature and timing of HWs reporting to us on the status of the Account shall be at least quarterly, within 45 days after the end of each quarter. |
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8. | We acknowledge receipt of a copy of policies that HW has established to ensure that investment opportunities are allocated fairly among HWs discretionary investment accounts and we confirm that these policies, until revised by HW, will apply to the account. |
9. | We authorize FFH to provide, and by signing below FFH agrees to provide, the investment administration services set forth in Schedule B attached hereto, on our behalf and on the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement, subject to such guidelines, procedures and limitations as may be duly established and approved by our Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee of said Board. |
10. | You shall be entitled to such fees for the services provided hereunder as FFH may specify from time to time. Attached hereto as Schedule C is a copy of the current fee schedule and FFH agrees to give us thirty (30) days prior written notice of any change in such schedule, which change shall require the approval of Delaware Insurance Department. Such fees shall be the exclusive fees and charges payable (excluding third party disbursements reasonably incurred) for the services provided hereunder. As regards third party services, you will charge us only the amount of your actual disbursements paid to arms length third parties for such services, and HW will select as agents, brokers or dealers executing orders or acting on the purchase or sale of portfolio securities only agents, brokers or dealers operating in the United States. Such disbursements to third parties shall be reported to us quarterly, provided, that we shall pay third parties such disbursements directly if requested to do so by you. We will pay you all fees and disbursements hereunder not later than 20 days after receiving your quarterly report. | |
All fees will be paid to FFH and FFH shall reimburse HW for its investment management services. HW acknowledges that it has no right under this agreement to receive fees directly from us. | ||
11. | Either we or FFH and HW may terminate this Agreement without penalty by giving the other party at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of its desire to terminate the same. In the event that the day upon which this Agreement is so terminated is a day other than the first day of a calendar quarter, the fees payable in accordance with paragraph 6 for such quarter shall be pro-rated and |
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shall be determined having regard to the market value of the Account based upon the most recent financial report which has been delivered to you by the Custodian. |
12. | All notices and communications to each party to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given if signed by or on behalf of the party giving the notice and either delivered personally or sent by prepaid registered mail addressed to such party at the address of such party indicated herein. Any such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been received by any such party if delivered, on the date of delivery, or if sent by prepaid registered mail on the fourth business day following mailing thereof to the party to whom addressed. For such purpose, no day during which there shall be a strike or other occurrence interfering with normal mail service shall be considered a business day. | |
13. | This Agreement shall be effective for a period of twelve (12) months from the date hereof, and will be automatically renewed at each such anniversary date unless otherwise terminated in accordance with paragraph 11 herein. The parties may renegotiate the terms of the Agreement sixty (60) days prior to each anniversary date. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors. This Agreement may not be assigned by any party. | |
14. | We acknowledge that we have read and understood this Agreement and that we have received a copy of the same. You and we each acknowledge that the terms of this Agreement are the exclusive and conclusive terms of our mutual agreement with regard to the subject matter hereof. | |
15. | Any dispute or difference arising with reference to the interpretation or effect of this Agreement, or any part thereof, shall be referred to a Board of Arbitration (the Board) of two (2) arbitrators and an umpire. | |
The members of the Board shall be active or retired disinterested officers of insurance or reinsurance companies. | ||
One arbitrator shall be chosen by the party initiating the arbitration and designated in the letter requesting arbitration. The other party shall respond, within thirty (30) days, advising of its arbitrator. The umpire shall thereafter be chosen by the two (2) arbitrators. In the event either party fails to designate its arbitrator as indicated above, the other party is hereby authorized and empowered to name the second arbitrator, and the party which failed to designate its arbitrator shall be deemed to |
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have waived its rights to designate an arbitrator and shall not be aggrieved thereby. The two (2) arbitrators shall then have thirty (30) days within which to choose an umpire. If they are unable to do so within thirty (30) days following their appointment, the umpire shall be chosen by the manager of the American Arbitration Association and such umpire shall be a person who is an active or retired and disinterested officer of an insurance or reinsurance company. In the event of the death, disability or incapacity of an arbitrator or the umpire, a replacement shall be named pursuant to the process, which resulted in the selection of the arbitrator or umpire to be replaced. |
Each party shall submit its case to the Board within one (1) month from the date of the appointment of the umpire, but this period of time may be extended by unanimous written consent of the Board. | ||
The Board shall make its decision with regard to the custom and usage of the insurance and reinsurance business. The Board is released from all judicial formalities and may abstain from the strict rules of law. The written decision of a majority of the Board shall be rendered within sixty (60) days following the termination of the Boards hearings, unless the parties consent to an extension. Such majority decision of the Board shall be final and binding upon the parties both as to law and fact, and may not be appealed to any court of any jurisdiction. Judgment may be entered upon the final decision of the Board in any court of proper jurisdiction. | ||
Each party shall bear the fees and expenses of the arbitrator selected by or on its behalf, and the parties shall bear the fees and expenses of the umpire as determined by the party, as above provided, the expenses of the arbitrators, the umpire and the arbitration shall be equally divided between the two parties. The arbitrators may allocate any and all of the costs and fees against the losing party upon a determination that the position of the losing party was, in whole or in part, groundless, specious or otherwise without merit or asserted primarily for the purposes of obfuscation or delay. | ||
16. | Additional terms and conditions applicable to this Agreement are set forth in Schedule D. The provisions in Schedule A, Schedule B, Schedule C and Schedule D attached hereto are hereby incorporated into, and form part of, this Agreement. | |
17. | This Agreement, including the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof, may only be amended by written |
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agreement signed by the parties and approved by the Delaware Insurance Department. |
CLEARWATER INSURANCE COMPANY | ||||||
BY: | /s/ PETER H. LOVELL | |||||
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE | ||||||
PETER H. LOVELL, VP | ||||||
NAME OF AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY | ||||||
HAMBLIN WATSA INVESTMENT COUNSEL LTD. | ||||||
BY: | /s/ F. BRIAN BRADSTREET | |||||
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE | ||||||
F. BRIAN BRADSTREET | ||||||
NAME OF AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY | ||||||
FAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED | ||||||
BY: | /s/ PAUL RIVETT | |||||
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE | ||||||
PAUL RIVETT | ||||||
NAME OF AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY |
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1. | Investment for the long term always providing sufficient liquidity for the payment of claims and other policy obligations. | |
2. | Ensure preservation of invested capital for policyholder protection. | |
3. | Invest in accordance with insurance regulatory guidelines. |
1. | Approach |
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2. | Liquidity |
3. | Regulatory |
4. | Diversification |
5. | Prudent Person Rule |
1. | Maintain Adequate Liquidity |
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2. | Asset Allocation |
3. | Foreign Exchange Risk |
4. | Interest Rate Risk |
Range | ||||
Equities | 0-25 | % | ||
Fixed Income | 0-100 | % | ||
Cash | Residual | |||
Total | 100 | % |
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All Equities | S&P 500 + 1% point | |
Fixed Income: | ||
Taxable Bonds | Merrill Lynch Intermediate Treasury Index + 0.25% | |
Tax-Advantaged Bonds | Lehman Brothers 3&5-Year State GO Indexes |
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Cash: | Cash on hand, demand deposits, treasury bills, short-term notes and bankers acceptances, term deposits and guaranteed investment certificates. | |
Equity: | Common shares, rights and warrants | |
Fixed Income: | Bond, debentures, preferred shares, including those convertible into common shares |
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Bond Rating | % of Total | Min./Max. | ||||
A or better | 65 | % | Min. | |||
BBB | 35 | % | Max. | |||
BB, B | 10 | % | Max. | |||
C, D | 0 | % |
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| daily processing of securities | ||
| portfolio accounting functions including posting of all trades, monitoring investment income, corporate actions, open payables and receivables | ||
| computation of all regulatory figures | ||
| analysis and reconciliation of portfolios | ||
| yield review | ||
| computation of market decline tests | ||
| computation of liquidity analysis | ||
| analysis of book values, e.g. bond amortizations and investment provisions | ||
| analysis of gross gain and loss positions | ||
| cash flow obligations | ||
| investment review meeting | ||
| NAIC and SVO filings | ||
| custodial relationships | ||
| broker relationships |
| review and analysis of foreign exchange position | ||
| placement of foreign exchange contracts, where appropriate | ||
| discussions with regulators regarding portfolio (positions) | ||
| reporting to the investment committee | ||
| reporting to the audit committee | ||
| general assistance with accounting issues | ||
| maintaining contact with external auditors | ||
| such other administrative services as the parties shall mutually agree from time to time | ||
| 5900 report on investment controls | ||
| performance reporting | ||
| software provider (including e-Pam) functioning and testing |
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(A). The Base Fee Amount |
(B). The Incentive Fee Amount |
(A) | The Base Fee Amount |
1) | Fees will be payable quarterly. Interim invoices may be issued based on our estimates of the final fees payable. | ||
2) | After the end of each calendar quarter, FFH shall submit its investment management charges in accordance with the schedule below. | ||
3) | The charges are on a calendar year basis. They will be calculated at the end of each calendar quarter based upon the average of the market value of the funds at the close of business for the three (3) preceding months. |
4) | MARKET VALUE | CHARGE | ||
On Total Market Value | .20% |
(B) | The Incentive Fee Amount |
Annual Base Fee: | a) If performance equals or exceeds benchmark, base fee is unchanged from current fee. | |
b) If performance is less than benchmark, base fee is 90% of current fee. |
Maximum Fee: | 1.75% (including base). |
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Benchmark: | S&P 500 + 200 basis points. |
Inception Date: | January 1, 2003 |
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1. | Notices |
Mr. Anthony Narciso, Jr.
300 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
Fax No.:
95 Wellington Street West
Suite 802
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2N7
Fax No.:
Mr. Brad Martin
95 Wellington Street West
Suite 800
Toronto ON M5J 2N7
Fax No.:
2. | Governing Laws; Jurisdiction; Service of Process |
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3. | Insurance Department Approval |
4. | Inspection of Records |
5. | Headings |
6. | Severability |
7. | Entire Agreement |
8. | Control |
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9. | Confidential Relationship |
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