INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 18th day of April 2005, by and between NUVEEN EQUITY PREMIUM
ADVANTAGE FUND, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Fund"), and NUVEEN ASSET
MANAGEMENT, a Delaware corporation (the "Adviser").
W I T N E S S E T H
In consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, it is hereby
agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. The Fund hereby employs the Adviser to act as the investment adviser
for, and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund in
accordance with the Fund's investment objective and policies and limitations,
and to administer the Fund's affairs to the extent requested by and subject to
the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Fund for the period and upon the
terms herein set forth. The investment of the Fund's assets shall be subject to
the Fund's policies, restrictions and limitations with respect to securities
investments as set forth in the Fund's then current registration statement under
the Investment Company Act of l940, and all applicable laws and the regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the management of
registered closed-end, diversified management investment companies.
The Adviser accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render such
services, to furnish office facilities and equipment and clerical, bookkeeping
and administrative services (other than such services, if any, provided by the
Fund's transfer agent) for the Fund, to permit any of its officers or employees
to serve without compensation as trustees or officers of the Fund if elected to
such positions, and to assume the obligations herein set forth for the
compensation herein provided. The Adviser shall, for all purposes herein
provided, be deemed to be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise
expressly provided or authorized, shall have no authority to act for nor
represent the Fund in any way, nor otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund.
2. For the services and facilities described in Section l, the Fund will
pay to the Adviser, at the end of each calendar month, an investment management
fee equal to the sum of a Fund-Level Fee and a Complex-Level Fee.
A. The Fund Level Fee shall be computed by applying the following annual
rate to the average total daily net assets of the Fund:
Average Total Daily Net Assets/(1)/ Rate
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Up to $500 million .7000%
$500 to $1 billion .6750%
$1 billion to $1.5 billion .6500%
$1.5 billion to $2 billion .6250%
$2 billion and over .6000%
/(1)/ Including net assets attributable to any Preferred Shares the Fund may
issue and the principal amount of borrowings, if any.
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B. The Complex-Level Fee shall be calculated by reference to the
daily net assets of the Eligible Funds, as defined below (with such
daily net assets to include, in the case of Eligible Funds whose
advisory fees are calculated by reference to net assets that include net
assets attributable to preferred stock issued by or borrowings by the
fund, such leveraging net assets) ("Complex-Level Assets"), pursuant to
the following annual fee schedule:
Complex-Level Daily
Managed Assets/(1)/ Rate
------------------- ------
First $55 billion .2000%
Next $1 billion .1800%
Next $1 billion .1600%
Next $3 billion .1425%
Next $3 billion .1325%
Next $3 billion .1250%
Next $5 billion .1200%
Next $5 billion .1175%
Next $15 billion .1150%
/(1)/ With respect to Complex-Level Assets over $91 billion, the fee
rate or rates that will apply to such assets will be determined at a
later date. The parties agree that, in the unlikely event that
Complex-Wide Assets reach $91 billion prior to the parties reaching an
agreement as to the Complex-Level Fee rate or rates to be applied to
such assets, the Complex-Level Fee rate for such Complex-Level Assets
shall be .1400% until such time as the parties agree to a different rate
or rates.
C. "Eligible Funds", for purposes of this Agreement, shall mean all
Nuveen-branded closed-end and open-end registered investment companies
organized in the United States. Any open-end or closed-end funds that
subsequently become part of the Nuveen complex because either (a) Nuveen
Investments, Inc. or its affiliates acquire the investment adviser to
such funds (or the adviser's parent), or (b) Nuveen Investments, Inc. or
its affiliates acquire the fund's adviser's rights under the management
agreement for such fund, will be evaluated by both Nuveen management and
the Nuveen Funds' Board, on a case-by-case basis, as to whether or not
these acquired funds would be included in the Nuveen complex of Eligible
Funds and, if so, whether there would be a basis for any adjustments to
the complex-level breakpoints.
D. For the month and year in which this Agreement becomes
effective, or terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration on the
basis of the number of days that the Agreement shall have been in effect
during the month and year, respectively. The services of the Adviser to
the Fund under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and the
Adviser shall be free to render similar services or other services to
others so long as its services hereunder are not impaired thereby.
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3. The Adviser shall arrange for officers or employees of the Adviser to
serve, without compensation from the Fund, as trustees, officers or agents of
the Fund, if duly elected or appointed to such positions, and subject to their
individual consent and to any limitations imposed by law.
4. Subject to applicable statutes and regulations, it is understood that
officers, trustees, or agents of the Fund are, or may be, interested in the
Adviser as officers, directors, agents, shareholders or otherwise, and that the
officers, directors, shareholders and agents of the Adviser may be interested in
the Fund otherwise than as trustees, officers or agents.
5. The Adviser shall not be liable for any loss sustained by reason of the
purchase, sale or retention of any security, whether or not such purchase, sale
or retention shall have been based upon the investigation and research made by
any other individual, firm or corporation, if such recommendation shall have
been selected with due care and in good faith, except loss resulting from
willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser
in the performance of its obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
6. The Adviser currently manages other investment accounts and funds,
including those with investment objectives similar to the Fund, and reserves the
right to manage other such accounts and funds in the future. Securities
considered as investments for the Fund may also be appropriate for other
investment accounts and funds that may be managed by the Adviser. Subject to
applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser will attempt to allocate equitably
portfolio transactions among the portfolios of its other investment accounts and
funds purchasing securities whenever decisions are made to purchase or sell
securities by the Fund and one or more of such other accounts or funds
simultaneously. In making such allocations, the main factors to be considered by
the Adviser will be the respective investment objectives of the Fund and such
other accounts and funds, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or
comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment by the Fund and
such other accounts and funds, the size of investment commitments generally held
by the Fund and such accounts and funds, and the opinions of the persons
responsible for recommending investments to the Fund and such other accounts and
funds.
7. This Agreement shall continue in effect until August l, 2006, unless and
until terminated by either party as hereinafter provided, and shall continue in
force from year to year thereafter, but only as long as such continuance is
specifically approved, at least annually, in the manner required by the
Investment Company Act of 1940.
This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment, and may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty
by the Fund or by the Adviser upon no less than sixty (60) days' written notice
to the other party. The Fund may effect termination by action of the Board of
Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Fund, accompanied by appropriate notice.
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This Agreement may be terminated, at any time, without the payment of
any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Fund, or by vote of a majority of
the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, in the event that it shall have
been established by a court of competent jurisdiction that the Adviser, or any
officer or director of the Adviser, has taken any action which results in a
breach of the covenants of the Adviser set forth herein.
Termination of this Agreement shall not affect the right of the Adviser
to receive payments on any unpaid balance of the compensation, described in
Section 2, earned prior to such termination.
8. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule, or otherwise, the remainder shall not be thereby
affected.
9. Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed and
delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at such address as such
other party may designate for receipt of such notice.
10. The Fund's Declaration of Trust is on file with the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This Agreement is executed on behalf of the Fund
by the Fund's officers as officers and not individually and the obligations
imposed upon the Fund by this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Fund's
Trustees, officers or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the
assets and property of the Fund.
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11. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with applicable federal
law and (except as to Section 10 hereof which shall be construed in accordance
with the laws of Massachusetts) the laws of the State of Illinois.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Fund and the Adviser have caused this Agreement
to be executed on the day and year above written.
NUVEEN EQUITY PREMIUM ADVANTAGE FUND
by: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
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Vice President
Attest: /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. X'Xxxx
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Assistant Secretary
NUVEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT
by: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Fitzergard
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Managing Director
Attest: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx
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Assistant Secretary
