EXHIBIT (h)(2) Form of Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement dated as of July 20, 2011 between Registrant and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
EXHIBIT (h)(2)
Form of
Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement
dated as of July 20, 2011
between Registrant
and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
ADMINISTRATION, BOOKKEEPING AND
PRICING SERVICES AGREEMENT
THIS ADMINISTRATION, BOOKKEEPING AND PRICING SERVICES AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of July 20, 2011, between Whitebox Mutual Funds, a statutory trust established under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Fund”), and ALPS Fund Services, Inc., a Colorado corporation (“ALPS”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), as an open-end, diversified management investment company, presently consisting of the portfolios listed in Appendix A hereto, as amended from time to time (the “Portfolios”);
WHEREAS, Whitebox Advisors, LLC is the Fund’s investment adviser and is responsible for managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative and management services;
WHEREAS, ALPS provides certain administrative, bookkeeping and pricing services to investment companies; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to appoint ALPS to perform certain administrative, bookkeeping and pricing services for the Fund, and ALPS has indicated its willingness to so act, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants hereinafter contained, the parties hereto agree as follows.
| 1. | ALPS Appointment and Duties. |
| (a) | The Fund hereby appoints ALPS to provide the administrative, bookkeeping and pricing services set forth in Appendix B hereto, as amended from time to time, upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. ALPS hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to furnish such specified services. ALPS shall for all purposes be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, except as otherwise expressly authorized in this Agreement, have no authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund. |
| (b) | ALPS may employ or associate itself with a person or persons or organizations as ALPS believes to be desirable in the performance of its duties hereunder; provided that, in such event, the compensation of such person or persons or organizations shall be paid by and be the sole responsibility of ALPS, and the Fund shall bear no cost or obligation with respect thereto; and provided further that ALPS shall not be relieved |
| of any of its obligations under this Agreement in such event and shall be responsible for all acts of any such person or persons or organizations taken in furtherance of this Agreement to the same extent it would be for its own acts. |
| (c) | ALPS shall not be responsible for losses, delays, failure, errors, interruption or loss of data occurring directly or indirectly by reason of circumstances beyond its reasonable control in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, including, without limitation, action or inaction of civil or military authority, war, terrorism, riot, fire, flood, sabotage, labor disputes (but not including labor problems or work stoppages at ALPS or any of its affiliates), or loss of data or service interruptions caused by equipment failure that is beyond the reasonable control of ALPS. |
| 2. | ALPS Compensation; Expenses. |
| (a) | In consideration for the services to be performed hereunder by ALPS, the Fund shall pay ALPS the fees listed in Appendix C hereto, as amended from time to time. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, fees billed for the services to be performed by ALPS under this Agreement are based on information provided by the Fund and such fees are subject to renegotiation between the parties to the extent such information is materially different, as agreed to by the Fund and ALPS, If, after completion of the Initial Term, this Agreement remains operational pursuant to the terms of Section 15(b), the total fee for all services shall equal the fee that would be charged for the same services based on a fee rate (as reflected in Appendix C) increased by the percentage increase for the twelve-month period of such previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, for the Denver-Boulder-Greeley area, as published bimonthly by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or, in the event that publication of such Index is terminated, any successor or substitute index, appropriately adjusted, applicable to both parties, provided that such annual cost of living adjustment shall not exceed 5%. |
| (b) | ALPS will bear all expenses in connection with the performance of its services under this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein. ALPS will not bear any of the costs of Fund personnel, except in the event that an employee of ALPS serves as a Fund officer (other than as Chief Compliance Officer), in which case such employee shall serve in such capacity without remuneration from the Fund. Other Fund expenses incurred shall be borne by the Fund or the Fund’s investment adviser, including, but not limited to, initial organization and offering expenses; litigation expenses; taxes; transfer agency and custodial expenses; interest; Fund trustees’ fees; brokerage fees and commissions; state and federal registration fees; advisory fees; insurance premiums; fidelity bond premiums; Fund and investment advisory related legal expenses; costs of maintenance of Fund existence; printing and delivery of materials in connection with meetings of the Fund’s trustees; printing and mailing of shareholder reports, prospectuses, statements of additional information other offering documents, supplements, proxy materials and other communications to shareholders; |
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| securities pricing data and expenses in connection with electronic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). |
| 3. | Right to Receive Advice. |
| (a) | Advice of the Fund and Service Providers. If ALPS is in doubt as to any action it should or should not take, ALPS may request directions, advice or instructions from the Fund or, as applicable and appropriate, the Fund’s investment adviser, custodian or other service providers. |
| (b) | Advice of Counsel. If ALPS is in doubt as to any question of law pertaining to any action it should or should not take, ALPS may request advice from external legal counsel of its own choosing (who may be external legal counsel for the Fund, the Fund’s investment adviser or ALPS, at the option of ALPS); provided, however, that ALPS shall not seek that advice of legal counsel to the Fund or the Fund’s investment adviser without first notifying the Fund’s investment adviser in writing of its intention of doing so. |
| (c) | Conflicting Advice. In the event of a conflict between directions, advice or instructions ALPS receives from the Fund or any service provider and the advice ALPS receives from external legal counsel, ALPS may in its sole discretion rely upon and follow the advice of said counsel. ALPS will provide the Fund with prior written notice of its intent to follow advice of counsel that is materially inconsistent with directions, advice or instructions from the Fund. Upon request, ALPS will provide the Fund with a copy of such advice of counsel. |
| 4. | Standard of Care; Limitation of Liability; Indemnification. |
| (a) | ALPS shall be obligated to act in good faith and to exercise commercially reasonable care and diligence in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. |
| (b) | In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard by ALPS in the performance of its duties, obligations or responsibilities set forth in this Agreement, ALPS and its affiliates, including their respective officers, directors, agents and employees, shall not be liable for, and the Fund agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless such persons from, all taxes, charges, expenses, disbursements, assessments, claims, losses, damages, penalties, actions, suits, judgments and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements and liabilities arising under applicable federal and state laws) arising directly or indirectly from the following: |
| (i) | the inaccuracy of factual information furnished to ALPS by an authorized employee of the Fund or an authorized employee of the Fund’s investment adviser or any custodian or authorized third party on behalf of the Fund (excluding for this purpose ALPS or any of its affiliates); |
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| (ii) | any reasonable error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates; |
| (iii) | ALPS’ reliance on any instruction, direction, notice, instrument or other information provided by an authorized employee of the Fund or an authorized employee of the Fund’s investment adviser or any custodian or authorized third party on behalf of the Fund that ALPS reasonably believes to be genuine; |
| (iv) | any other action or omission to act which ALPS takes in connection with the provision of services to the Fund. |
| (c) | ALPS shall indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, the Fund’s investment adviser and their respective officers, directors, agents, and employees from and against any and all taxes, charges, expenses, disbursements, assessments, claims, losses, damages, penalties, actions, suits, judgments and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements and liabilities arising under applicable federal and state laws) arising directly or indirectly from ALPS’ willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard in the performance of its duties, obligations or responsibilities set forth in this Agreement. |
| (d) | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither party shall be liable under this Agreement to the other party hereto for any punitive, consequential, special or indirect losses or damages. Any indemnification payable by a party to this Agreement shall be net of insurance maintained by the indemnified party as of the time the claim giving rise to indemnity hereunder is alleged to have arisen to the extent it covers such claim. |
| (e) | In any case in which either party (the “Indemnifying Party”) may be asked to indemnify or hold the other party (the “Indemnified Party”) harmless, the Indemnified Party will notify the Indemnifying Party promptly after identifying any situation which it believes presents or appears likely to present a claim for indemnification against the Indemnifying Party, although the failure to do so shall not prevent recovery by the Indemnified Party, and shall keep the Indemnifying Party advised with respect to all developments concerning such situation. The Indemnifying Party shall have the option to defend the Indemnified Party against any claim which may be the subject of this indemnification, and, in the event that the Indemnifying Party so elects, such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party and reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party, and thereupon the Indemnifying Party shall take over complete defense of the claim and the Indemnified Party shall sustain no further legal or other expenses in respect of such claim. The Indemnified Party will not confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the Indemnifying Party will be asked to provide indemnification, except with the Indemnifying Party’s prior written consent. |
| 5. | Activities of ALPS. The services of ALPS under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and ALPS shall be free to render similar services to others. The Fund recognizes |
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| that from time to time directors, officers and employees of ALPS may serve as directors, officers and employees of other corporations or businesses (including other investment companies) and that such other corporations and businesses may include ALPS as part of their name and that ALPS or its affiliates may enter into administrative, bookkeeping, pricing agreements or other agreements with such other corporations and businesses. |
| 6. | Accounts and Records. The accounts and records maintained by ALPS shall be the property of the Fund. ALPS shall prepare, maintain and preserve such accounts and records as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. ALPS shall surrender such accounts and records to the Fund, in the form in which such accounts and records have been maintained or preserved, promptly upon receipt of instructions from the Fund. The Fund shall have access to such accounts and records at all times during ALPS’ normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Fund, copies of any such books and records shall be provided by ALPS to the Fund at the Fund’s expense. ALPS shall assist the Fund, the Fund’s independent auditors, or, upon approval of the Fund, any regulatory body, in any requested review of the Fund’s accounts and records and reports by ALPS or its independent accountants concerning its accounting system and internal auditing controls will be open to such entities for audit or inspection upon reasonable request. |
| 7. | Privacy of Consumer Information and Confidential and Proprietary Information. ALPS agrees that it will, on behalf of itself and its officers and employees, treat all transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and all records and information relative to the Fund and its current and former shareholders and other information germane thereto, as confidential and as proprietary information of the Fund and not to use, sell, transfer or divulge such information or records to any person for any purpose other than performance of its duties hereunder, except after prior notification to and approval in writing from the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Approval may not be withheld where ALPS may be exposed to civil, regulatory, or criminal proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or when requested by the Fund. When requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, ALPS shall use reasonable commercial efforts to request confidential treatment of such information. ALPS shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of records and information relating to the Fund and its current and former shareholders. |
| 8. | Compliance with Rules and Regulations. ALPS shall comply (and to the extent ALPS takes or is required to take action on behalf of the Fund hereunder shall cause the Fund to comply) with all applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and other applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders and code of ethics, as well as all investment restrictions, policies and procedures adopted by the Fund of which ALPS has knowledge (it being understood that ALPS is deemed to have knowledge of all investment restrictions, policies or procedures set out in the Fund’s public filings or otherwise provided to ALPS). Except as set out in this Agreement, ALPS assumes no responsibility for such compliance by the Fund. ALPS shall maintain at all times a program reasonably designed to prevent violations of the |
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| federal securities laws (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) with respect to the services provided, and shall provide to the Fund a certification to such effect no less than annually or as otherwise reasonably requested by the Fund. ALPS shall make available its compliance personnel and shall provide at its own expense summaries and other relevant materials relating to such program as reasonably requested by the Fund. |
| 9. | Representations and Warranties of ALPS. ALPS represents and warrants to the Fund that: |
| (a) | It is duly organized and existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of the State of Colorado. |
| (b) | It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
| (c) | All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
| (d) | It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement in accordance with industry standards. |
| (e) | It has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Federal Securities Laws (as defined under the rules related to the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) related to the services provided by ALPS to the Fund. It will review, no less frequently than annually, the adequacy of the policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation and will report to the Fund any material changes made to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report, and any material changes made to the policies and procedures recommended as a result of the annual review. It will provide the Fund with an annual report of each Material Compliance Matter (as defined under the rules related to the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) that occurred since the date of the last report. |
| (f) | It will maintain insurance which covers such risks and is in such amounts, with such deductibles and exclusions, sufficient for compliance by ALPS with all requirements of law and sufficient for ALPS to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and all such policies are in full force and effect and are with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, funds or underwriters. |
| 10. | Representations and Warranties of the Fund. The Fund represents and warrants to ALPS that: |
| (a) | It is a statutory trust duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of Delaware and is registered with the SEC as an open-end non-diversified management investment company. |
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| (b) | It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Declaration of Trust and Bylaws to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
| (c) | The Board of Trustees of the Fund has duly authorized it to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
| (d) | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Fund agrees not to make any modifications to its registration statement or adopt any policies which would affect materially the obligations or responsibilities of ALPS hereunder without the provision of prior written notice to ALPS. |
| (e) | Fund hereby represents and warrants to ALPS that (a) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Fund does not breach, violate or cause a default under any agreement, contract or instrument to which Fund is a party or any judgment, order or decree to which Fund is subject; (b) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Fund has been duly authorized and approved by all necessary action; and (c) upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement by ALPS and Fund, this Agreement will be a valid and binding obligation of Fund. |
| (f) | Fund further represents and warrants to ALPS that the Officer Positions filled by ALPS, if any, shall be covered by the Fund’s Directors & Officers/Errors & Omissions Policy (the “Policy”), and the Fund shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that such coverage be (a) reinstated should the Policy be cancelled; (b) continued after such officers ceases to serve as the Fund on substantially the same terms as such coverage is provided for the other Fund officers after such persons are no longer officers of the Fund; or (c) continued in the event the Fund merges or terminates, on substantially the same terms as such coverage is provided for the other Fund officers. The Fund shall provide ALPS with proof of current coverage, including a copy of the Policy, and shall notify ALPS immediately should the Policy be cancelled or terminated. |
| (g) | The Officer Positions filled by ALPS, if any, will be named in the Fund’s corporate resolutions and subject to the provisions of the Trust’s organizational documents regarding indemnification of its officers. |
| 11. | Documents. The Fund has furnished or will furnish, upon request, ALPS with copies of the Fund’s Declaration of Trust, Bylaws, advisory agreement, custodian agreement, transfer agency agreement, administration agreement, current prospectus, statement of additional information, periodic Fund reports and all forms relating to any plan, program or service offered by the Fund. The Fund shall furnish, within a reasonable time period, to ALPS a copy of any amendment or supplement to any of the above-mentioned documents. Upon request, the Fund shall furnish promptly to ALPS any additional documents necessary or advisable to perform its functions hereunder. As used in this Agreement the terms “registration statement,” “prospectus” and “statement of additional information” shall mean any registration statement, prospectus and statement of additional information filed by the Fund with the SEC and any amendments and |
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| supplements thereto that are filed with the SEC. The electronic availability of the Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (which includes as a part of such Registration Statement or as an exhibit thereto any of the foregoing documents) on the SEC’s ▇▇▇▇▇ database shall be deemed to fulfill the Fund’s obligations under this paragraph. |
| 12. | Consultation Between the Parties. ALPS and the Fund shall regularly consult with each other regarding ALPS’ performance of its obligations under this Agreement. In connection therewith, the Fund shall submit to ALPS at a reasonable time in advance of filing with the SEC reasonably final copies of any amended or supplemented registration statement (including exhibits) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the 1940 Act; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement shall in any way limit the Fund’s right to file at any time such amendments to any registration statement and/or supplements to any prospectus or statement of additional information, of whatever character, as the Fund may deem advisable, such right being in all respects absolute and unconditional. |
| 13. | Liaison with Accountants. ALPS shall act as a liaison with the Fund’s independent public accountants and shall provide account analysis, fiscal year summaries, and other audit-related schedules with respect to the services provided to the Fund. ALPS shall take all reasonable action in the performance of its duties under this Agreement to assure that the necessary information is made available to such accountants as reasonably requested or required by the Fund. |
| 14. | Business Interruption Plan. ALPS shall maintain in effect a business interruption plan, and enter into any agreements necessary with appropriate parties making reasonable provisions for emergency use of electronic data processing equipment customary in the industry. In the event of equipment failures, ALPS shall, at no additional expense to the Fund, take commercially reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions. |
| 15. | Duration and Termination of this Agreement. |
| (a) | Initial Term. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above (the “Start Date”) and shall continue thereafter throughout the period that ends two (2) years after the Start Date (the “Initial Term”). Until the end of the Initial Term, this Agreement may be terminated without penalty only by agreement of the parties or for cause pursuant to Section 15(c) hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Fund or the Adviser desire to terminate this Agreement prior to the expiration of the Initial Term (other than a termination for cause pursuant to Section 15(c) hereof), ALPS shall agree to such termination upon payment by the Adviser to ALPS of (i) $100,000 if such termination occurs in year one of the Initial Term, and (ii) $75,000 if such termination occurs in year two of the Initial Term. ALPS agrees that the Fund shall not have any liability for the Termination Payment, and that ALPS shall look only to the Adviser for payment of such fee. |
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| (b) | Renewal Term. If not sooner terminated, this Agreement shall renew at the end of the Initial Term and shall thereafter continue for successive annual periods until terminated by either party upon not less than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice. |
| (c) | Cause. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere in this Agreement, the Fund may terminate this Agreement for cause immediately at any time, without penalty, without default and without the payment of any Termination Payment or other liquidated damages. For purposes of this Section 15, “cause” shall mean: |
| (i) | willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard on the part of ALPS in the performance of its duties, obligations and responsibilities set forth in this Agreement; |
| (ii) | in the event ALPS is no longer permitted to perform its duties, obligations, or responsibilities hereunder pursuant to applicable law, or regulatory, administrative or judicial proceedings against ALPS which result in a determination that ALPS has violated, or has caused the Fund to violate, in any material respect any applicable law, rule, regulation, order or code of ethics, or any material investment restriction, policy or procedure adopted by the Fund of which ALPS had knowledge (it being understood that ALPS is deemed to have knowledge of all investment restrictions, policies or procedures set out in the Fund’s public filings or otherwise provided to ALPS); or |
| (iii) | financial difficulties on the part of ALPS which are evidenced by the authorization or commencement of, or involvement by way of pleading, answer, consent or acquiescence in, a voluntary or involuntary case under Title 11 of the United States Code, as from time to time in effect, or any applicable law other than said Title 11, of any jurisdiction relating to the liquidation or reorganization of debtors or to the modification or alteration of the rights of creditors. |
| (d) | Deliveries Upon Termination. Upon termination of this Agreement, ALPS agrees to cooperate in the orderly transfer of administrative duties and shall deliver to the Fund or as otherwise directed by the Fund (at the expense of the Fund unless ALPS is terminated for cause) all records and other documents made or accumulated in the performance of its duties for the Fund hereunder. In the event ALPS gives notice of termination under this Agreement, it will continue to provide the services contemplated hereunder after such termination at the contractual rate for up to 120 days, provided that the Fund uses all reasonable commercial efforts to appoint such replacement on a timely basis. |
| (e) | Fees and Expenses Upon Termination. Should either party exercise its right to terminate, all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses or costs associated with the movement of records and material will be borne by the Fund unless ALPS is terminated for cause). Additionally, ALPS reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee for its de-conversion services. |
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| 16. | Assignment. This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Fund without the prior written consent of ALPS, or by ALPS without the prior written consent of the Fund. |
| 17. | Governing Law. The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. To the extent that the laws of the State of Delaware conflict with the 1940 Act or such rules, the latter shall control. |
| 18. | Names. The obligations of the Fund entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by any trustee, shareholder, representative, or agent thereof are made not individually, but in such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the trustees, shareholders, representatives or agents of the Fund personally, but bind only the property of the Fund, and all persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund. |
| 19. | Amendments to this Agreement. This Agreement may only be amended by the parties in writing. |
| 20. | Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be deemed to have been given when received or when sent by telex or facsimile, and shall be given to the following addresses (or such other addresses as to which notice is given): |
To ALPS:
ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: General Counsel
Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
To the Fund:
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
| 21. | Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. |
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| 22. | Entire Agreement. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding among the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof; provided, however, that ALPS may embody in one or more separate documents its agreement, if any, with respect to delegated duties and oral instructions. |
| 23. | Limitation of Fund’s Liability. ALPS acknowledges that it has received notice of and accepts the limitations upon the Fund’s liability set forth in its Agreement and Declaration of Trust. ALPS agrees that any of the Fund’s obligations shall be limited to the assets of the applicable Portfolio and that ALPS shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders of the Fund nor from any trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Fund. |
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| WHITEBOX MUTUAL FUNDS | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Title: | President | |
| ALPS FUND SERVICES, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. May | |
| Title: | President | |
APPENDIX A
LIST OF PORTFOLIOS
(Effective as of July 16, 2012)
Whitebox Tactical Opportunities Fund
Whitebox Enhanced Convertible Fund
Whitebox Long Short Equity Fund
APPENDIX B
SERVICES
Fund Administration
| • | Prepare annual and semi-annual financial statements |
| • | Coordinate standard layout and printing |
| • | Prepare and file Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, N-Q and 24f-2 |
| • | Host annual audits and SEC exams |
| • | Provide daily investment restriction compliance monitoring support and reporting |
| • | Calculate monthly SEC standardized total return performance figures |
| • | Prepare required reports for quarterly Board meetings |
| • | Monitor expense ratios |
| • | Maintain budget vs. actual expenses |
| • | Manage fund invoice approval and ▇▇▇▇ payment process |
| • | Maintain and coordinate Blue Sky registration |
| • | Assist with placement of Fidelity Bond and E&O insurance |
| • | Coordinate reporting to outside agencies including Morningstar, etc. |
Fund Accounting
| • | Calculate daily NAVs |
| • | Transmit daily NAVs to NASDAQ, Transfer Agent and other third parties |
| • | Compute yields, expense ratios, portfolio turnover rates, etc. |
| • | Reconcile cash and investment balances with the custodian |
| • | Support preparation of financial statements |
| • | Prepare required Fund Accounting records in accordance with the 1940 Act |
| • | Obtain security valuations from appropriate sources consistent with the Funds pricing and valuation policies |
| • | AVA: Portfolio Data Access |
Fund CCO Assurance Representations & Review
Representation Letters:
| • | Quarterly 38a-1 Compliance |
| • | AML |
| • | Disclosure Control |
| • | Access to ALPS’ Policies & Procedures |
| • | Broker-Dealer Review |
| • | Scorecard – Performance & Risk Metrics |
| • | SAS 70 Reports: Fund Accounting, Fund Administration & Transfer Agency |
Tax
| • | Calculate dividend and capital gain distribution rates, including distributions necessary to avoid excise tax* |
| • | Calculate tax disclosure information (ROCSOP) for the audited financial statements |
| • | Prepare and file federal and state income and excise tax returns (and appropriate extensions)* |
| • | Monitor on a quarterly basis each Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
| • | Calculate and monitor applicable book-to-tax differences and assist in identifying securities that give rise to book-to-tax differences** |
| • | Calculate year-end tax characterization for distributions paid during the calendar year |
| * | Fund’s independent auditors provide review & sign-off on excise distributions and income and excise tax returns. ALPS shall not analyze or investigate information or returns for foreign tax filings. State income or franchise tax return preparation is limited to the initial state of nexus and does not include additional state filing requirements that may be triggered by underlying investments of the Fund. |
| ** | Security classifications to be identified include but are not limited to passive foreign investment company, real estate investment trust, master limited partnership, contingent debt obligations, trust preferred, grantor trust, and stapled security. The ultimate determination of the classification of securities will be the responsibility of Fund management. |
All out-of-pocket expenses are passed through to the client at cost, including but not limited to: third party security pricing fees, Bloomberg fees, Gainskeeper fees, Blue Sky permit processing fees and state registration fees, SAS70 control review reports, travel expenses to Board meetings and on-site supervisory reviews, board book/materials printing and mailing, FINRA advertising/filing fees (including additional ALPS fees for expedited reviews), registered representative licensing, sales reporting, customized programming/enhancements and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by ALPS in connection with the performance of its duties under this Agreement.
APPENDIX C
COMPENSATION
Fund Administration, Fund Accounting, Legal, Fund CCO Assurance Representations & ReviewMedallion Distribution & Tax Administration Services
| • | Greater of $182,000* annual minimum in Year 1 or the following basis point fee schedule: |
| • | Greater of $197,000* annual minimum in Year 2 and forward or the following basis point fee schedule: |
| Annual Net Assets |
Basis Points | |||
| Between $0 - $500 million |
5.0 | |||
| $500 million - $1 billion |
2.5 | |||
| Above $1 billion |
1.5 | |||
| * | Subject to annual cost of living adjustment. See Section 2(a) of this Agreement. |
LATE CHARGES: All invoices are due and payable upon receipt. Any invoices not paid within thirty (30) days of the invoice date are subject to a one percent (1%) per month financing charge on any unpaid balance but only to the extent permitted by law.