ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 1st day of January, 2001, by and between
THE ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), and BISYS
FUND SERVICES OHIO, INC. (the "Administrator"), an Ohio corporation.
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"),
consisting of several series of shares of beneficial interest ("Shares"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires the Administrator to provide, and the
Administrator is willing to provide administrative services to such series of
the Trust, all as now or hereafter may be established from time to time
("Portfolios"), on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Trust and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. RETENTION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Trust hereby engages the
Administrator to act as the administrator of the Portfolios and to furnish the
Portfolios with the administrative services as set forth in Article 2 below
(collectively, the "Services"). The Administrator shall, for all purposes
herein, be deemed to be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise
expressly provided or authorized, shall have no authority to act for or
represent the Trust in any way and shall not be deemed an agent of the Trust.
ARTICLE 2. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. The Administrator shall perform or
supervise the performance by others of other administrative services in
connection with the operations of the Portfolios, and, as requested by the
Trust, will investigate, assist in the selection of and conduct relations with
custodians, depositories, accountants, legal counsel, underwriters, brokers and
dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and persons in any other
capacity deemed by the Trust to be necessary or desirable for the Portfolios'
operations. The Administrator shall provide the Trustees of the Trust with such
reports regarding investment performance as they may reasonably request but
shall have no responsibility for supervising the performance by any investment
adviser or sub-adviser of its responsibilities.
The Administrator shall provide the Trust with regulatory reporting, all
necessary office space, equipment, personnel, compensation and facilities
(including facilities for meetings of shareholders ("Shareholders") and Trustees
of the Trust) for handling the affairs of the Portfolios and such other services
as the Administrator shall, from time to time, determine to be necessary to
perform its obligations under this Agreement. In addition, at the request of the
Board of Trustees, the Administrator shall make reports to the Trust's Trustees
concerning the performance of its obligations hereunder.
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Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator shall
provide the following services unless instructed otherwise by the Trust:
(a) calculate contractual Trust expenses and provide necessary
instructions for all disbursements for the Trust, and as appropriate
compute the Trust's yields, total return, expense ratios, portfolio
turnover rate and, if required, portfolio average dollar-weighted
maturity;
(b) assist Trust counsel with the preparation of prospectuses, statements
of additional information, registration statements and proxy
materials;
(c) prepare such reports, applications and documents (including reports
regarding the sale and redemption of Shares as may be required in
order to comply with Federal and state securities law) as may be
necessary or desirable to register the Trust's Shares with state
securities authorities, monitor the sale of Trust Shares for
compliance with state securities laws, and file with the appropriate
state securities authorities the registration statements and reports
for the Trust and the Trust's Shares and all amendments thereto, as
may be necessary or convenient to register and keep effective the
Trust and the Trust's Shares with state securities authorities to
enable the Trust to make a continuous offering of its Shares;
(d) develop and prepare, with the assistance of the Trust's officers or
designees, communications to Shareholders, including the annual report
to Shareholders, coordinate the mailing of prospectuses, notices,
proxy statements, proxies and other reports to Trust Shareholders, and
supervise and facilitate the proxy solicitation process for all
shareholder meetings, including the tabulation of shareholder votes;
(e) administer contracts on behalf of the Trust with, among others, the
Trust's investment advisers, distributor, custodian, transfer agent
and fund accountant;
(f) supervise the Trust's transfer agent with respect to the payment of
dividends and other distributions to Shareholders;
(g) calculate performance data of the Trust and its Portfolios for
dissemination to information services covering the investment company
industry;
(h) coordinate and supervise the preparation and filing of the Trust's tax
returns;
(i) examine and review the operations and performance of the various
organizations providing services to the Trust or any Portfolio of the
Trust, including, without limitation, the Trust's investment adviser,
distributor, custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, outside legal
counsel and independent public accountants, and at the request of the
Board of Trustees, report to the Board on the performance of such
organizations;
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(j) assist with the layout and printing of publicly disseminated
prospectuses and assist with and coordinate layout, printing and
filing with the SEC of the Trust's semi-annual and annual reports to
Shareholders;
(k) assist with the design, development, and operation of the Trust
Portfolios, including new classes, investment objectives, policies and
structure;
(l) provide individuals reasonably acceptable to the Trust's Board of
Trustees to serve as officers of the Trust, who will be responsible
for overseeing certain of the Trust's affairs as determined by the
Trust's Board of Trustees;
(m) advise the Trust and its Board of Trustees on matters concerning the
Trust and its affairs;
(n) obtain and keep in effect fidelity bonds and trustees and
officers/errors and omissions insurance policies for the Trust in
accordance with the requirements of Rules 17g-1 and 17d-1(7) under the
1940 Act as such bonds and policies are approved by the Trust's Board
of Trustees;
(o) monitor and advise the Trust and its Portfolios on their registered
investment company status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended;
(p) prepare Board meeting materials, including Board agendas and BISYS
presentations, coordinate board book production and distribution and
maintain board minute books;
(q) monitor compliance by reviewing monthly compliance reports prepared by
the Trust's investment advisers and performing independent portfolio
compliance testing;
(r) maintain Trust files for Trust contracts and for filings with the SEC
and other regulators;
(s) furnish advice and recommendations with respect to other aspects of
the business and affairs of the Portfolios as the Trust and the
Administrator shall determine desirable; and
(t) prepare and file with the SEC the semi-annual report for the Trust on
Form N-SAR and all required notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2.
The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Trust that are
mutually agreed upon by the parties from time to time. Such services may include
performing internal audit examinations; mailing the annual reports of the
Portfolios; preparing an annual list of Shareholders; and mailing notices of
Shareholders' meetings, proxies and proxy statements.
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ARTICLE 3. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES.
(A) THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Administrator shall furnish at its own expense
the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform its
obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the items
which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement, and shall pay all
compensation, if any, of officers of the Trust as well as all Trustees of the
Trust who are affiliated persons of the Administrator or any affiliated
corporation of the Administrator; provided, however, that unless otherwise
specifically provided, the Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the
compensation of any employee of the Trust retained by the Trustees of the Trust
to perform services on behalf of the Trust.
(B) THE TRUST. The Trust assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all
other expenses of the Trust not otherwise allocated herein, including, without
limitation, organization costs; taxes; expenses for legal and auditing services;
the expenses of preparing (including typesetting), printing and mailing reports,
prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy solicitation material
and notices to existing Shareholders; all expenses incurred in connection with
issuing and redeeming Shares; the costs of custodial services; the cost of
initial and ongoing registration of the Shares under Federal and state
securities laws; fees and out-of-pocket expenses of Trustees who are not
interested persons of the Administrator, any investment adviser to the Trust,
the Trust or any affiliated corporation of the Administrator or any investment
adviser; insurance; interest; brokerage costs; litigation and other
extraordinary or nonrecurring expenses; and all fees and charges of investment
advisers to the Trust.
ARTICLE 4. COMPENSATION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR.
(A) ADMINISTRATION FEE. For the services rendered, the facilities
furnished and the expenses assumed by the Administrator pursuant to this
Agreement, the Trust shall pay to the Administrator compensation that is more
particularly described in the Omnibus Fee Agreement between the Trust and the
Administrator dated January 1, 2001. Such compensation shall be calculated and
accrued daily, and paid to the Administrator monthly.
(B) SURVIVAL OF COMPENSATION RIGHTS. All rights of compensation under this
Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive the
termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The duties of the
Administrator shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein, and no
implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Administrator
hereunder. The Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or
mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or
omission in carrying out its duties hereunder, except a loss resulting from
willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties,
or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder,
except as may otherwise be provided under provisions of applicable law which
cannot be waived or modified hereby. (As used in this Article 5, the term
"Administrator" shall include directors and officers of, and persons who
control, the Administrator as well as the Administrator itself.)
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So long as the Administrator acts in good faith and with due diligence and
without negligence, the Trust assumes full responsibility and shall indemnify
the Administrator and hold it harmless from and against any and all actions,
suits and claims, whether groundless or otherwise, and from and against any and
all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and disbursements,
payments, expenses and liabilities (including reasonable investigation expenses)
arising directly or indirectly out of any service rendered to the Trust
hereunder. The Administrator agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company,
its Trustees and officers from and against any and all actions suits and claims,
whether groundless or otherwise, and from and against any and all judgment,
liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other
expenses of every nature and character arising out of or in any way relating to
the Administrator's bad faith willful misfeasance, negligence or from reckless
disregard by it of its obligations and duties, with respect to the performance
of services under this Agreement. The indemnity and defense provisions set forth
herein shall indefinitely survive the termination of this Agreement.
Except for actions, suits or claims brought or threatened against the
Administrator by (i) the Trust, or (ii) one or more Shareholders of the Trust,
the rights hereunder shall include the right to reasonable advances of defense
expenses in the event of any pending or threatened litigation with respect to
which indemnification hereunder may ultimately be merited. In order that the
indemnification provisions contained herein shall apply, however, it is
understood that if in any case the indemnifying party may be asked to indemnify
or hold the other party harmless, the indemnifying party shall be fully and
promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question,
and it is further understood that the indemnified party will use all reasonable
care to identify and notify the indemnifying party promptly concerning any
situation which presents or appears likely to present the probability of such a
claim for indemnification against the indemnifying party, but failure to do so
in good faith shall not affect the rights hereunder.
The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate at its own expense
or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any
claims subject to this indemnity provision. If the indemnifying party elects to
assume the defense of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel
chosen by the indemnifying party and satisfactory to the other party, whose
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In the event that the indemnifying
party elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the
indemnified party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it. If the indemnifying party does not elect to assume the defense
of a suit, it will reimburse the other party for the reasonable fees and
expenses of any counsel retained by the other party.
The Administrator may apply to the Trust at any time for instructions and
may, at the Administrator's own expense, consult counsel for the Trust or its
own counsel and with accountants and other experts with respect to any matter
arising in connection with the Administrator's duties, and the Administrator
shall not be liable or accountable for any action taken or omitted by it in good
faith in accordance with such instruction or with the opinion of such counsel,
accountants or other experts.
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Also, the Administrator shall be protected in acting upon any document
which it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed or presented
by the proper person or persons. The Administrator will not be held to have
notice of any change of authority of any officers, employees or agents of the
Trust until receipt of written notice thereof from the Trust.
ARTICLE 6. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The services of the
Administrator rendered to the Trust are not to be deemed to be exclusive. The
Administrator is free to render such services to others and to have other
businesses and interests. It is understood that trustees, officers, employees
and Shareholders of the Trust are or may be or become interested in the
Administrator, as directors, officers, employees and shareholders or otherwise
and that partners, officers and employees of the Administrator and its counsel
are or may be or become similarly interested in the Trust, and that the
Administrator may be or become interested in the Trust as a Shareholder or
otherwise.
ARTICLE 7. DURATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. The initial term of this Agreement
(the "Initial Term") shall be for a period commencing on January 1, 2001 and
ending on December 31, 2002; provided, however, that either party shall have the
option of terminating this Agreement, without penalty, after December 31, 2001
upon the provision of 180 days advance written notice to the other party. In the
event of a material breach of this Agreement by either party, the non-breaching
party shall notify the breaching party in writing of such breach and upon
receipt of such notice, the breaching party shall have 45 days to remedy the
breach. In the event the breach is not remedied within such time period, the
non-breaching party may immediately terminate this Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after such termination for so long as the
Administrator, with the written consent of the Trust, in fact continues to
perform any one or more of the services contemplated by this Agreement or any
schedule or exhibit hereto, the provisions of this Agreement, including without
limitation the provisions dealing with indemnification, shall continue in full
force and effect. Compensation due the Administrator and unpaid by the Trust
upon such termination shall be immediately due and payable upon and
notwithstanding such termination. The Administrator shall be entitled to collect
from the Trust, in addition to the compensation described in this Schedule A,
the amount of all of the Administrator's cash disbursements for services in
connection with the Administrator's activities in effecting such termination,
including without limitation, the delivery to the Trust and/or its designees of
the Trust's property, records, instruments and documents, or any copies thereof.
Subsequent to such termination, for a reasonable fee, the Administrator will
provide the Trust with reasonable access to any Trust documents or records
remaining in its possession.
ARTICLE 8. ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement shall not be assignable by either
party without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that
the Administrator may, at its expense, subcontract with an affiliate of the
Administrator reasonably acceptable to the Trust concerning the provision of the
services contemplated hereunder and, provided further, that such subcontractor
shall be the agent of the Administrator and not the agent of the Trust and that
the Administrator shall be fully responsible for the acts of such subcontractor
and shall not be relieved of any of its responsibilities hereunder by the
appointment of such subcontractor. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and
shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective
successors and permitted assigns.
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ARTICLE 9. AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may be amended if such amendment is
specifically approved in writing by the parties hereto.
ARTICLE 10. CERTAIN RECORDS. The Administrator shall maintain customary
records in connection with its duties as specified in this Agreement. Any
records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to Rules 31a-1 and
31a-2 under the 1940 Act which are prepared or maintained by the Administrator
on behalf of the Trust shall be prepared and maintained at the expense of the
Administrator, but shall be the property of the Trust and will be made available
to or surrendered promptly to the Trust on request.
In case of any request or demand for the inspection of such records by
another party, the Administrator shall notify the Trust and follow the Trust's
instructions as to permitting or refusing such inspection; provided that, upon
notice to the Trust, the Administrator may exhibit such records to any person in
any case where it is advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for
failure to do so, unless (in cases involving potential exposure only to civil
liability) the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Administrator against such
liability.
ARTICLE 11. DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN TERMS. The terms "interested person" and
"affiliated person," when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective
meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
ARTICLE 12. NOTICE. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either
party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by Federal Express or
similar delivery service, by facsimile or by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the other party at the
following address: if to the Administrator, to it at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; if to the Trust, to it at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, or at
such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing to the
other party pursuant to this Section.
ARTICLE 13. GOVERNING LAW AND MATTERS RELATING TO THE TRUST. This Agreement
shall be governed by, and its provisions shall be construed in accordance with,
the laws of the State of Delaware. It is expressly agreed that the obligations
of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees,
shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust personally,
but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust. The execution and delivery
of this Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees, and this Agreement has
been signed and delivered by an authorized officer of the Trust, acting as such,
and neither such authorization by the Trustees nor such execution and delivery
by such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or
to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the trust
property of the Trust as provided in the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of
Trust.
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ARTICLE 14. MULTIPLE ORIGINALS. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
THE ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ TRUST
By:
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Title:
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BISYS FUND SERVICES OHIO, INC.
By:
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Title:
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