Exhibit (h)(7)
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of March 13, 2009, is made and entered into by and
between The Coventry Group, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust"), on
behalf of each of the investment series set forth on Schedule A attached hereto
(each a "Fund" and collectively the "Funds"), and Boston Trust Investment
Management, Inc. (the "Adviser").
WHEREAS, the Adviser has been appointed the investment adviser of each of
the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the
Adviser dated September 30, 2004 (the "Advisory Agreement"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser desire to enter into the arrangements
described herein relating to certain expenses of the Funds;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trust and the Adviser hereby agree as follows:
1. The Adviser agrees, subject to Section 2 hereof, to reduce the fees
payable to it under the Advisory Agreement (but not below zero) and/or reimburse
other expenses of the Funds, to the extent necessary to limit the total
operating expenses of each Fund (exclusive of brokerage costs, interest, taxes,
dividends, litigation, indemnification, expenses associated with the investments
in underlying investment companies and extraordinary expenses (as determined
under generally accepted principles) ("Operating Expenses")), to the amount of
the "Maximum Operating Expense Limit" applicable to each Fund as set forth
across from the name of each respective Fund on the attached Schedule A.
Schedule A may be amended to add or delete a Fund or to increase or decrease the
Maximum Operating Expense Limit applicable to a Fund, as provided in this
Agreement.
2. Each Fund agrees to pay to the Adviser the amount of fees (including any
amounts foregone through limitation or reimbursed pursuant to Section 1 hereof)
that, but for Section 1 hereof, would have been payable by the Fund to the
Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement or which have been reimbursed in
accordance with Section 1 (the "Deferred Fees"), subject to the limitations
provided in this Section. Such repayment shall be made monthly, but only if the
operating expenses of the Fund (exclusive of Operating Expenses), without regard
to such repayment, are at an annual rate (as a percentage of the average daily
net assets of the Fund) equal to or less than the "Maximum Operating Expense
Limit" for the Fund, as set forth on Schedule A. Furthermore, the amount of
Deferred Fees paid by a Fund in any month shall be limited so that the sum of
(a) the amount of such payment and (b) the other operating expenses of the Fund
(exclusive of Operating Expenses) do not exceed the above-referenced "Maximum
Operating Expense Limit" for such Fund.
Deferred Fees with respect to any fiscal year of a Fund shall not be
payable by the Fund to the extent that the amounts payable by the Fund pursuant
to the preceding paragraph during the period ending three years after the end of
such fiscal year are not sufficient to pay such Deferred Fees. In no event will
a Fund be obligated to pay any fees waived or deferred by the Adviser with
respect to any other series of the Trust.
3. This Agreement shall automatically renew effective August 1 of every
year, until such time as the Adviser provides written notice of non-renewal to
the Trust. Such annual renewal will have the effect of extending this Agreement
for an additional one-year term. Any notice of non-renewal of this Agreement
shall be prospective only, and shall not affect the Adviser's or the Trust's
existing obligations under this Agreement.
4. No amendment or modification to this Agreement, or any Schedule thereto,
shall be valid unless made in writing and executed by the Trust and the Adviser.
5. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original.
6. A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust establishing the Trust
is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice
is hereby given that this Agreement is executed by the Trust on behalf of the
Fund by an officer of the Trust as an officer and not individually and that the
obligations of or arising out of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the
Trustees, officers or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the
assets and property belonging to the Fund.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of
the date first above written.
THE COVENTRY GROUP BOSTON TRUST INVESTMENT
MANAGEMENT, INC.
By: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
--------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: President Title: Director
Dated as of:
March 13, 2009
SCHEDULE A
TO THE EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE COVENTRY GROUP AND
BOSTON TRUST INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
Fund Name Maximum Operating Expense Limit(1)
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Boston Balanced Fund 1.00%
Boston Equity Fund 1.00%
Boston Trust Small Cap Fund 1.00%
Boston Trust Midcap Fund 1.00%
▇▇▇▇▇▇ Social Balanced Fund 1.00%
▇▇▇▇▇▇ Social Equity Fund 1.00%
▇▇▇▇▇▇ Small Cap Innovations Fund 1.00%
THE COVENTRY GROUP BOSTON TRUST INVESTMENT
MANAGEMENT, INC.
By: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
--------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: President Title: Director
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(1) Expressed as a percentage of a Fund's average daily net assets.