NEUBERGER
BERMAN NEW YORK INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL FUND
INC.
|
(Name
of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
|
WESTERN
INVESTMENT LLC
WESTERN
INVESTMENT HEDGED PARTNERS L.P.
WESTERN
INVESTMENT TOTAL RETURN PARTNERS L.P.
WESTERN
INVESTMENT TOTAL RETURN FUND LTD.
ARTHUR
D. LIPSON
BENCHMARK
PLUS INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS, L.L.C.
BENCHMARK
PLUS PARTNERS, L.L.C.
BENCHMARK
PLUS MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.
SCOTT
FRANZBLAU
ROBERT
FERGUSON
MATTHEW
S. CROUSE
WILLIAM
J. ROBERTS
GARY
G. SCHLARBAUM
ROBERT
A. WOOD
LYNN
D. SCHULTZ
|
(Name
of Persons(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the
Registrant)
|
|
(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
|
1.
|
To
vote against the new management agreement between the Fund and a newly
formed successor entity (“New NB Management”) to the Fund’s current
investment manager, Neuberger Berman Management
LLC;
|
|
2.
|
To
vote against a new sub-advisory agreement, with respect to the Fund,
between New NB Management and Neuberger Berman, LLC (“NB LLC”), the Fund’s
investment advisor, or a newly formed successor entity to NB LLC;
and
|
|
3.
|
To
elect Western’s slate of five (5) Class I director nominees entitled to be
elected by the stockholders of the Fund to the Board, each to hold office
until the 2012 annual meeting of the Fund’s stockholders and until their
successors are elected and
qualified.
|
Thank
you for your support,
|
/s/
Arthur D. Lipson
|
Arthur
D. Lipson
|
Western
Investment LLC
|
If
you have any questions or need assistance voting your shares, please
call:
Innisfree
M&A Incorporated
501
Madison Avenue, 20th Floor
New
York, NY 10022
Stockholders
Call Toll-Free at: (877) 687-1873
Banks
and Brokers Call Collect at: (212) 750-5833
You
may also contact Western Investment LLC via email at
info@fixmyfund.com
|
PLEASE BE
ADVISED:
● We
believe Neuberger Berman’s management of the Fund’s performance has
been abysmal (p. __)
● Neuberger
Berman has a history of failing to administer closed-end funds properly
(p. __)
● Neuberger
Berman has a long history of failing to address the Fund’s excessive NAV
discount (p. __)
|
|
1.
|
To
vote against the new management agreement (the “New Management Agreement”)
between the Fund and a newly formed successor entity (“New NB Management”)
to the Fund’s current investment manager, Neuberger Berman Management LLC
(“NB Management”);
|
|
2.
|
To
vote against a new sub-advisory agreement (the “New Sub-Advisory
Agreement,” and together with the New Management Agreement, the “New
Agreements”), with respect to the Fund, between New NB Management and
Neuberger Berman, LLC (“NB LLC”), the Fund’s investment advisor, or a
newly formed successor entity to NB LLC;
and
|
|
3.
|
To
elect Western’s slate of five (5) Class I director nominees, Arthur D.
Lipson, Matthew S. Crouse, William J. Roberts, Gary G. Schlarbaum and
Robert A. Wood (collectively, the “Nominees”) entitled to be elected by
the stockholders of the Fund to the Board, each to hold office until the
2012 annual meeting of the Fund’s stockholders and until their successors
are elected and qualified.
|
·
|
If
your Shares are registered in your own name, you may vote your Shares by
following the instructions detailed on the enclosed GOLD proxy card and by
signing, dating and mailing the enclosed GOLD proxy card to
Western, c/o Innisfree M&A Incorporated, in the enclosed postage-paid
envelope today.
|
·
|
If
any of your Shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, bank
nominee or other institution on the Record Date, only it can vote such
Shares and only upon receipt of your specific
instructions. Accordingly, please provide your broker or bank
with voting instructions to vote on your behalf the GOLD proxy
card. In addition, if you hold your Shares in a brokerage or
bank account, your broker or bank may allow you to provide your voting
instructions by telephone or Internet. Please follow the
instructions on the enclosed GOLD voting
form. Western urges you to confirm your instructions in writing
to the person responsible for your account and to provide a copy of such
instructions to Western, c/o Innisfree M&A Incorporated, who is
assisting in this solicitation, at the address and telephone numbers set
forth below, and on the back cover of this proxy statement, so that we may
be aware of all instructions and can attempt to ensure that such
instructions are followed.
|
|
·
|
Under
Neuberger Berman’s management, NBO has significantly trailed the Vanguard
Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund (“Vanguard Fund”) for every applicable
period, as shown below.
|
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
5 Years
|
Since
NBO Inception
|
||
NBO
|
-0.36%
|
-0.04%
|
1.71%
|
1.86%
|
|
Vanguard
Fund
|
2.88%
|
3.54%
|
2.99%
|
3.17%
|
|
·
|
Neuberger
Berman neglected to inform the New York Stock Exchange that a sister fund
to NBO had declared a special dividend, resulting in problems for
stockholders including the possible failure of stockholders to receive the
special dividend. We are not aware of an investment manager
making this same mistake in the 14 years we have been investing in
closed-end funds.
|
|
·
|
It
took Neuberger Berman nearly eight months following the collapse of the
auction preferred share market to address the illiquidity of the preferred
shares of its closed-end funds. By then, Neuberger Berman was
only able to redeem half of its outstanding auction preferred
shares.
|
|
·
|
For
years, Neuberger Berman operated, and collected fees from stockholders of,
three closed-end funds, each with similar investment
philosophies. We believed stockholders of those funds would
have been better served if the funds were consolidated. After
our attempts to convince Neuberger Berman of the benefits of consolidation
were dismissed, we had no choice but to challenge Neuberger Berman over
such waste. Of course, Neuberger Berman and members of this
Board delayed action, at stockholders’ expense, only to eventually concede
the benefits of consolidation and present a plan of merger to
stockholders. Needless to say, stockholders overwhelmingly
approved the plan of consolidation and merger of two of the
funds.
|
|
·
|
In
response to a stockholder initiated tender offer for another Neuberger
Berman closed-end fund, Neuberger Berman, and members of this Board,
reacted by instituting a poison-pill, opting into the Maryland control
share statute and filing a lawsuit against the stockholder. Two
years and millions of dollars of stockholder assets later, Neuberger
Berman settled with the stockholder and permitted the stockholders of that
closed-end fund to tender, which nearly 60% did. Interestingly,
during the course of the litigation, a federal magistrate judge found that
Neuberger Berman had actually overspent on legal fees by nearly
200%.
|
Quarter
Ending
|
NAV
Discount
|
December
31, 2002
|
(8.17)
|
March
31, 2003
|
(2.22)
|
June
30, 2003
|
(2.44)
|
September
30, 2003
|
(6.38)
|
December
31, 2003
|
(9.34)
|
March
31, 2004
|
(3.82)
|
June
30, 2004
|
(12.38)
|
September
30, 2004
|
(11.09)
|
December
31, 2004
|
(12.96)
|
March
31, 2005
|
(11.36)
|
June
30, 2005
|
(9.53)
|
September
30, 2005
|
(6.59)
|
December
31, 2005
|
(8.47)
|
March
31, 2006
|
(3.06)
|
June
30, 2006
|
(5.27)
|
September
30, 2006
|
(1.16)
|
December
31, 2006
|
(4.30)
|
March
31, 2007
|
(3.16)
|
June
30, 2007
|
(4.28)
|
September
30, 2007
|
(7.76)
|
December
31, 2007
|
(12.13)
|
March
31, 2008
|
(10.94)
|
June
30, 2008
|
(10.78)
|
September
30, 2008
|
(16.20)
|
December
31, 2008
|
(15.79)
|
March
31, 2009
|
(9.37)
|
Name of Nominee
|
Dollar
Range of Equity
Securities in NBO |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All Funds to be Overseen by Nominee* |
Arthur
D. Lipson**
|
Over
$100,000
|
Over
$100,000
|
Matthew
S. Crouse
|
--
|
--
|
William
J. Roberts
|
--
|
--
|
Gary
G. Schlarbaum
|
--
|
--
|
Robert
A. Wood
|
--
|
--
|
|
|
*
|
If
elected to the Board, the Nominees would not oversee any registered
investment company within the NBO fund complex other than the
Fund.
|
**
|
Mr.
Lipson, by virtue of the relationships described in further detail in the
“OTHER PARTICIPANT INFORMATION” section below, may be deemed an
“interested person” of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
|
Impact
of Share BuyBack on NAV
|
|||||
Percentage
of volume
purchased
|
Number
of shares
bought
back
|
%
of outstanding shares
bought
back
|
Weighted
average
buyback
discount
|
%
NAV accretion
|
NAV
with
buyback accretion |
0%
|
-
|
0.00%
|
-9.18%
|
0.00%
|
$13.21
|
5%
|
708,868
|
12.70%
|
-9.18%
|
1.34%
|
$13.39
|
15%
|
2,126,604
|
38.10%
|
-9.18%
|
5.65%
|
$13.96
|
25%
|
3,544,340
|
63.49%
|
-9.18%
|
15.97%
|
$15.32
|
35%
|
4,962,076
|
88.89%
|
-9.18%
|
73.48%
|
$22.92
|
39%
|
5,529,171
|
99.05%
|
-9.18%
|
957.19%
|
$139.65
|
Impact
of Share BuyBack on Per-Share Return on Equity (ROE)
|
|||||
Percentage
of trading
volume
purchased
|
$
NAV Accretion
|
Gross
$ earnings increase
($
NAV Accretion x ROE)
|
Per-share
expense
increase
|
Net
EPS increase
after
fees
|
EPS
after buyback
|
0%
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$0.000
|
$0.793
|
5%
|
$0.18
|
$0.011
|
$0.008
|
$0.003
|
$0.796
|
15%
|
$0.75
|
$0.045
|
$0.032
|
$0.013
|
$0.805
|
25%
|
$2.11
|
$0.127
|
$0.091
|
$0.036
|
$0.829
|
35%
|
$9.71
|
$0.582
|
$0.417
|
$0.165
|
$0.958
|
39%
|
$126.44
|
$7.587
|
$5.434
|
$2.153
|
$2.946
|
Basic
assumptions
|
|||||
NBO
NAV (04/09/09)
|
$13.21
|
||||
Expected
portfolio ROE
|
6%
|
||||
Base
$/share ROE = NAV x Expected ROE
|
$0.793
|
Transaction
|
Date
|
Quantity
|
Price
($)
|
Western Investment Hedged Partners,
L.P.
|
Buy
|
09/18/08
|
4,650
|
11.9463
|
|
Buy
|
09/24/08
|
930
|
11.9587
|
|
Buy
|
09/25/08
|
1,900
|
11.8555
|
|
Buy
|
09/26/08
|
1,250
|
11.7169
|
|
Buy
|
09/29/08
|
2,666
|
11.5238
|
|
Buy
|
11/06/08
|
1,800
|
10.8433
|
|
Buy
|
11/07/08
|
2,400
|
10.8961
|
|
Buy
|
11/12/08
|
1,115
|
10.7096
|
|
Buy
|
12/11/08
|
900
|
9.5085
|
|
Buy
|
12/19/08
|
700
|
9.7025
|
|
Buy
|
01/14/09
|
1,067
|
10.8119
|
|
Buy
|
01/15/09
|
300
|
10.9192
|
|
Buy
|
01/16/09
|
800
|
10.9207
|
|
Buy
|
01/22/09
|
1,327
|
11.0078
|
|
Buy
|
01/23/09
|
3,400
|
10.7789
|
|
Buy
|
01/26/09
|
1,244
|
10.8279
|
|
Buy
|
01/27/09
|
1,935
|
11.0987
|
|
Buy
|
01/28/09
|
401
|
11.1624
|
|
Buy
|
02/23/09
|
1,300
|
11.5362
|
|
Buy
|
02/25/09
|
400
|
11.6650
|
|
Buy
|
03/02/09
|
1,000
|
11.7185
|
|
Buy
|
03/03/09
|
1,100
|
11.7213
|
|
Buy
|
03/04/09
|
1,700
|
11.7844
|
|
Buy
|
03/04/09
|
2,000
|
11.7400
|
|
Buy
|
03/05/09
|
400
|
11.7425
|
|
Buy
|
03/05/09
|
400
|
11.7585
|
|
Buy
|
03/05/09
|
2,100
|
11.6436
|
|
Buy
|
03/06/09
|
12,996
|
11.7637
|
|
Buy
|
03/06/09
|
100
|
11.7550
|
|
Buy
|
03/11/09
|
765
|
11.7915
|
|
Buy
|
03/12/09
|
600
|
11.7733
|
|
Buy
|
03/13/09
|
200
|
11.7235
|
|
Buy
|
03/27/09
|
1,400
|
11.8385
|
|
Buy
|
03/30/09
|
2,006
|
11.7270
|
|
Buy
|
03/31/09
|
1,200
|
11.7327
|
|
Buy
|
04/02/09
|
1,300
|
11.8262
|
|
Buy
|
04/03/09
|
2,100
|
11.8409
|
|
Buy
|
04/06/09
|
200
|
11.8585
|
|
Buy
|
04/07/09
|
3,001
|
12.0853
|
Transaction
|
Date
|
Quantity
|
Price
($)
|
Western Investment Total Return Fund,
Ltd.
|
Buy
|
09/17/08
|
836
|
12.2798
|
|
Buy
|
09/18/08
|
4,650
|
11.9463
|
|
Buy
|
09/25/08
|
1,900
|
11.8555
|
|
Buy
|
09/29/08
|
2,667
|
11.5238
|
|
Buy
|
09/30/08
|
1,050
|
11.2549
|
|
Buy
|
10/08/08
|
2,100
|
9.4987
|
|
Buy
|
10/13/08
|
6,250
|
9.6859
|
|
Buy
|
10/14/08
|
6,566
|
10.4285
|
|
Buy
|
10/15/08
|
1,767
|
10.0633
|
|
Buy
|
11/06/08
|
1,800
|
10.8433
|
|
Buy
|
11/10/08
|
1,200
|
10.8913
|
|
Buy
|
11/12/08
|
1,115
|
10.7096
|
|
Buy
|
11/17/08
|
1,700
|
10.7204
|
|
Sell
|
12/02/08
|
493
|
10.0974
|
|
Buy
|
12/12/08
|
5,450
|
9.2784
|
|
Buy
|
12/15/08
|
3,665
|
9.2848
|
|
Buy
|
01/13/09
|
1,700
|
11.1464
|
|
Buy
|
01/29/09
|
500
|
11.2125
|
|
Buy
|
02/05/09
|
2,400
|
11.2148
|
|
Buy
|
03/09/09
|
1,900
|
11.7685
|
|
Buy
|
03/11/09
|
400
|
11.7910
|
|
Buy
|
03/13/09
|
625
|
11.7326
|
|
Buy
|
03/23/09
|
1,300
|
11.8662
|
|
Buy
|
03/30/09
|
2,005
|
11.7270
|
|
Buy
|
04/01/09
|
1,000
|
11.8235
|
|
Buy
|
04/07/09
|
3,000
|
12.0853
|
Western Investment Total Return Partners
L.P.
|
Buy
|
09/18/08
|
4,650
|
11.9463
|
|
Buy
|
09/19/08
|
1,000
|
12.0645
|
|
Buy
|
09/25/08
|
1,900
|
11.8555
|
|
Buy
|
09/26/08
|
1,250
|
11.7169
|
|
Buy
|
09/29/08
|
2,667
|
11.5238
|
|
Buy
|
09/30/08
|
1,050
|
11.2549
|
|
Buy
|
10/08/08
|
2,100
|
9.4987
|
|
Buy
|
10/13/08
|
6,250
|
9.6859
|
|
Buy
|
10/14/08
|
6,567
|
10.4285
|
|
Buy
|
10/15/08
|
1,767
|
10.0633
|
|
Buy
|
11/07/08
|
2,400
|
10.8961
|
|
Buy
|
11/12/08
|
1,114
|
10.7096
|
Transaction
|
Date
|
Quantity
|
Price
($)
|
Buy
|
12/12/08
|
5,450
|
9.2784
|
|
Buy
|
12/15/08
|
3,664
|
9.2848
|
|
Buy
|
12/23/08
|
1,800
|
10.0670
|
|
Buy
|
01/12/09
|
2,200
|
11.0630
|
|
Buy
|
01/14/09
|
1,067
|
10.8119
|
|
Buy
|
01/16/09
|
800
|
10.9207
|
|
Buy
|
01/22/09
|
1,736
|
11.0069
|
|
Buy
|
01/23/09
|
6,700
|
10.7789
|
|
Buy
|
01/26/09
|
1,657
|
10.8269
|
|
Buy
|
01/30/09
|
577
|
11.2164
|
|
Buy
|
02/02/09
|
200
|
11.2375
|
|
Buy
|
02/02/09
|
200
|
11.1985
|
|
Buy
|
02/04/09
|
300
|
11.2825
|
|
Buy
|
02/04/09
|
100
|
11.2485
|
|
Buy
|
03/04/09
|
2,000
|
11.7400
|
|
Buy
|
03/13/09
|
624
|
11.7326
|
|
Buy
|
03/16/09
|
2,174
|
11.7573
|
|
Buy
|
03/27/09
|
1,400
|
11.8385
|
|
Buy
|
03/30/09
|
2,006
|
11.7270
|
|
Buy
|
03/31/09
|
1,200
|
11.7327
|
|
Buy
|
04/03/09
|
2,100
|
11.8409
|
|
Buy
|
04/07/09
|
3,000
|
12.0853
|
Western Investment
LLC
|
Buy
|
12/08/08
|
600
|
9.4285
|
|
Transferred
as Gift
|
03/30/09
|
100
|
N/A
|
Benchmark Plus Institutional Partners,
L.L.C.
|
Buy
|
09/18/08
|
4,650
|
11.9474
|
|
Buy
|
10/08/08
|
2,100
|
9.5035
|
|
Buy
|
10/14/08
|
6,567
|
10.4300
|
|
Buy
|
10/15/08
|
1,400
|
10.0676
|
|
Buy
|
10/29/08
|
3,566
|
10.5766
|
|
Buy
|
10/30/08
|
2,500
|
10.4989
|
|
Buy
|
10/31/08
|
2,500
|
10.5641
|
|
Buy
|
11/03/08
|
1,800
|
10.5192
|
|
Buy
|
11/05/08
|
1,800
|
10.7350
|
|
Buy
|
11/07/08
|
2,400
|
10.8982
|
|
Buy
|
11/10/08
|
2,300
|
10.8914
|
|
Buy
|
11/11/08
|
9,300
|
10.7423
|
|
Buy
|
11/13/08
|
5,900
|
10.5915
|
|
Buy
|
11/17/08
|
1,500
|
10.7242
|
Transaction
|
Date
|
Quantity
|
Price
($)
|
Buy
|
11/19/08
|
6,200
|
10.3440
|
|
Buy
|
12/11/08
|
2,070
|
9.5377
|
|
Buy
|
12/16/08
|
5,400
|
9.2777
|
|
Buy
|
12/17/08
|
1,500
|
9.4332
|
|
Buy
|
12/18/08
|
2,300
|
9.6138
|
|
Buy
|
12/22/08
|
3,300
|
10.0791
|
|
Buy
|
12/24/08
|
1,000
|
10.1625
|
|
Buy
|
01/05/09
|
500
|
10.7545
|
|
Buy
|
01/13/09
|
1,400
|
11.1506
|
|
Buy
|
01/14/09
|
1,066
|
10.8166
|
|
Buy
|
01/22/09
|
1,737
|
11.0098
|
|
Sell
|
02/18/09
|
1,000
|
11.9274
|
|
Sell*
|
02/18/09
|
10,000
|
11.9089
|
Benchmark Plus Partners,
L.L.C.
|
Buy
|
10/08/08
|
600
|
9.5154
|
|
Buy
|
10/14/08
|
2,400
|
10.4327
|
|
Buy
|
10/15/08
|
1,200
|
10.0688
|
|
Buy
|
11/05/08
|
1,800
|
10.7350
|
|
Buy
|
11/19/08
|
2,200
|
10.3469
|
|
Buy
|
01/13/09
|
900
|
11.1546
|
|
Buy**
|
02/18/09
|
10,000
|
11.9210
|
Benchmark Plus Management,
L.L.C.
|
||||||
None
|
||||||
Arthur D. Lipson
None
|
||||||
Scott Franzblau
|
||||||
None
|
||||||
Robert Ferguson
|
||||||
None
|
Matthew S. Crouse
|
|||||
None
|
|||||
William J. Roberts
|
|||||
None
|
|||||
Gary G. Schlarbaum
|
|||||
None
|
|||||
Robert A. Wood
|
|||||
None
|
|||||
Lynn D. Schultz
|
|||||
On
March 30, 2009, Western Investment LLC gifted 100 shares of Common Stock
to Ms. Schultz.
|
▼
TO VOTE BY MAIL PLEASE DETACH PROXY CARD HERE ▼
|
▼
TO VOTE BY MAIL PLEASE DETACH PROXY CARD HERE ▼
|
|
GOLD
PROXY CARD
|
Proposal No.
1:
|
The
Fund’s proposal to approve a new management agreement between the Fund and
a newly formed successor entity (“New NB Management”) to Neuberger Berman
Management LLC.
|
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
[ ]
|
[ ]
|
[ ]
|
Proposal No.
2:
|
The
Fund’s proposal to approve a new sub-advisory agreement with respect to
the Fund, between New NB Management, the investment manager to the Fund,
and Neuberger Berman LLC, a sub-advisor to the Fund, or a newly formed
successor entity to Neuberger Berman
LLC.
|
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
[ ]
|
[ ]
|
[ ]
|
Proposal No.
3:
|
Western’s
proposal to elect its slate of director nominees, each to hold office
until the 2012 annual meeting of the Fund’s stockholders and until their
successors are elected and qualify.
|
Nominees:
(01)
Arthur D. Lipson
(02)
Matthew S. Crouse
(03)
William J. Roberts
(04)
Gary G. Schlarbaum
(05)
Robert A. Wood
|
FOR
ALL
NOMINEES
[ ]
|
WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY
TO
VOTE FOR ALL NOMINEES
[ ]
|
FOR
ALL EXCEPT NOMINEE(S) WRITTEN BELOW
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
|
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
[ ]
|
[ ]
|
[ ]
|