▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL FUNDS (DELAWARE)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 15th day of March, 1996, between ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital
Funds (Delaware) (the "Trust"), a business trust organized under the laws of the
State of Delaware with its principal place of business at Two ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Management International Inc. (the
"Adviser"), a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York with
its principal place of business at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇.
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended, (the "Act") as an open-end management investment company and
is authorized to issue interests (as defined in the Trust's Trust Instrument) in
separate series;
WHEREAS, the Adviser provides investment advice and is registered with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as an investment adviser
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), and
is registered with the United Kingdom Investment Management Regulatory
Organization ("IMRO");
WHEREAS, the Trust desires that the Adviser perform investment advisory
services for ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ International Smaller Companies Fund and Global Asset
Allocation Fund (each a "Fund," and collectively the "Funds"), and the Adviser
is willing to provide those services on the terms and conditions set forth in
this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is willing to render such investment advisory
services to the Portfolios;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION 1. THE TRUST; DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS
The Trust is engaged in the business of investing and reinvesting its
assets in securities of the type and in accordance with the limitations
specified in its Trust Instrument and Registration Statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Act, as may be
supplemented from time to time, all in such manner and to such extent as may
from time to time be authorized by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board").
The Trust is currently authorized to issue seven series of interests and the
Board is authorized to issue interests in any number of additional series. The
Trust has delivered to the Adviser copies of the Trust's Trust Instrument and
Registration Statement and will from time to time furnish Adviser with any
amendments thereof.
SECTION 2. INVESTMENT ADVISER; APPOINTMENT
The Trust hereby employs Adviser, subject to the direction and control
of the Board, to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets in each
Fund and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide other
services specified in Section 3 hereof.
SECTION 3. DUTIES OF THE ADVISER
(a) The Adviser shall make decisions with respect to all purchases and
sales of securities and other investment assets in the Funds. To carry out such
decisions, the Adviser is hereby authorized, as agent and attorney-in-fact for
the Trust, for the account of, at the risk of and in the name of the Trust, to
place orders and issue instructions with respect to those transactions of the
Funds. In all purchases, sales and other transactions in securities for the
Funds, the Adviser is authorized to exercise full discretion and act for the
Trust in the same manner and with the same force and effect as the Trust might
or could do with respect to such purchases, sales or other transactions, as well
as with respect to all other things necessary or incidental to the furtherance
or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions.
(b) The Adviser will report to the Board at each meeting thereof all
changes in the Funds since the prior report, and will also keep the Board
informed of important developments affecting the Trust, the Funds and the
Adviser, and on its own initiative, will furnish the Board from time to time
with such information as the Adviser may believe appropriate for this purpose,
whether concerning the individual companies whose securities are included in a
Fund's holdings, the industries in which they engage, or the economic, social or
political conditions prevailing in each country in which the Fund maintains
investments. The Adviser will also furnish the Board with such statistical and
analytical information with respect to securities in the Funds as the Adviser
may believe appropriate or as the Board reasonably may request. In making
purchases and sales of securities for a Fund, the Adviser will bear in mind the
policies set from time to time by the Board as well as the limitations imposed
by the Trust's Trust Instrument and Registration Statement under the Act, the
limitations in the Act and in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in
respect of regulated investment companies and the investment objectives,
policies and restrictions of the Funds.
(c) The Adviser will from time to time employ or associate with such
persons as the Adviser believes to be particularly fitted to assist in the
execution of the Adviser's duties hereunder, the cost of performance of such
duties to be borne and paid by the Adviser. No obligation may be incurred on the
Trust's behalf in any such respect.
(d) The Adviser shall maintain records for each Fund relating to
portfolio transactions and the placing and allocation of brokerage orders as are
required to be maintained by the Trust under the Act. The Adviser shall prepare
and maintain, or cause to be prepared and maintained, in such form, for such
periods and in such locations as may be required by applicable law, all
documents and records relating to the services provided by the Adviser pursuant
to this Agreement required to be prepared and maintained by the Trust pursuant
to the rules and regulations of any national, state, or local government entity
with jurisdiction over the Trust,
1
including the Commission and the Internal Revenue Service. The books and
records pertaining to the Trust which are in possession of the Adviser shall
be the property of the Trust. The Trust, or the Trust's authorized
representatives, shall have access to such books and records at all times
during the Adviser's normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of
the Trust, copies of any such books and records shall be provided promptly
by the Adviser to the Trust or the Trust's authorized representatives.
SECTION 4. EXPENSES
The Trust hereby confirms that the Trust shall be responsible and shall
assume the obligation for payment of all the Trust's expenses, including:
interest charges, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions; certain insurance
premiums; fees, interest charges and expenses of the Trust's custodian and
transfer agent; telecommunications expenses; auditing, legal and compliance
expenses; costs of the Trust's formation and maintaining its existence; costs of
preparing the Trust's registration statement, account application forms and
interestholder reports and delivering them to existing and prospective
interestholders; costs of maintaining books of original entry for portfolio and
fund accounting and other required books and accounts and of calculating the net
asset value of interests in the Trust; costs of reproduction, stationery and
supplies; compensation of the Trust's trustees, officers and employees and costs
of other personnel performing services for the Trust who are not officers of the
Adviser or of Forum Financial Services, Inc. or affiliated persons of either;
costs of Trust meetings; registration fees and related expenses for registration
with the Commission and the securities regulatory authorities of other countries
in which the Trust's interests are sold; state securities law registration fees
and related expenses; and fees and out-of-pocket expenses payable to Forum
Financial Services, Inc. under any placement agent, management or similar
agreement.
SECTION 5. STANDARD OF CARE
(a) The Trust shall expect of the Adviser, and the Adviser will give
the Trust the benefit of, the Adviser's best judgment and efforts in rendering
its services to the Trust, and as an inducement to the Adviser's undertaking
these services the Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake of
judgment or in any event whatsoever, except for lack of good faith, provided
that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect, or purport to protect, the
Adviser against any liability to the Trust or to the Trust's interestholders to
which the Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser's duties
hereunder, or by reason of the Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations
and duties hereunder. As used in this Section 5, the term "Adviser" shall
include any affiliates of the Adviser performing services for the Funds
contemplated hereby and directors, officers and employees of the Adviser as well
as the Adviser itself.
(b) The Adviser shall not be liable for any losses caused by
disturbances of its operations by virtue of force majeure, war, riot, or damage
caused by nature or due to other events for which the Adviser is not responsible
(e.g., strike, lock-out or losses caused by the imposition of foreign exchange
controls, expropriation of assets or other acts of domestic or foreign
authorities) except under the circumstances provided for in Section 5(a).
The presence of exculpatory language in this Agreement shall not in any
way limit or be deemed by anyone to limit the Trust, the Trustees of the Trust,
the Funds, the Adviser, or any other party appointed pursuant to this Agreement,
including without limitation any custodian, as in any way limiting causes of
action and remedies which may, notwithstanding such language, be available to
the Trust, the Trustees of the Trust, Funds or any other party appointed
pursuant to this Agreement, either under common law or statutory law principles
applicable to fiduciary relationships or under the Federal securities laws.
SECTION 6. COMPENSATION
In consideration of the foregoing, the Trust shall pay the Adviser,
with respect to each of the Funds, a fee at an annual rate as listed in Appendix
A hereto. Such fees shall be accrued by the Trust based on average daily net
assets and shall be payable monthly in arrears on the first day of each calendar
month for services performed hereunder during the prior calendar month. No fee
shall be payable hereunder with respect to a Fund during any period in which the
Fund invests all (or substantially all) of its investment assets in a
registered, open-end management investment company, or separate series thereof,
in accordance with Section 12(d)(1)(E) under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVENESS, DURATION, AND TERMINATION
(a) This Agreement shall become effective with respect to a Fund
immediately upon approval by a majority of the outstanding voting interests of
that Fund.
(b) This Agreement shall remain in effect with respect to a Fund for a
period of two years from the date of its effectiveness and shall continue in
effect for successive twelve-month periods (computed from each anniversary date
of the approval) with respect to the Fund; provided that such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually (i) by the Board or by the vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting interests of the Fund, and, in either case,
(ii) by a majority of the Trust's trustees who are not parties to this Agreement
or interested persons of any such party (other than as trustees of the Trust);
provided further, however, that if this Agreement or the continuation of this
Agreement is not approved as to a Fund, the Adviser may continue to render to
that Fund the services described herein in the manner and to the extent
permitted by the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
(c) This Agreement may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any
time, without the payment of any penalty, (i) by the Board or by a vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting interests of a Fund on 60 days' written
notice to the Adviser or (ii) by the Adviser on 60 days' written notice to the
Trust. This agreement shall terminate upon assignment.
SECTION 8. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADVISER
Except to the extent necessary to perform its obligations hereunder,
nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the Adviser's right, or the
right of any of the Adviser's officers,
directors or employees who may also be a trustee, officer or employee of the
Trust, or persons otherwise affiliated persons of the Trust to engage in
any other business or to devote time and attention to the management or
other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature,
or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, trust, firm,
individual or association. It is specifically understood that officers,
directors and employees of the Adviser and its affiliates may continue to
engage in providing portfolio management services and advice to other investment
companies, whether or not registered, and to other investment advisory
clients. When other clients of the Adviser desire to purchase or sell a
security at the same time such security is purchased or sold for the Funds,
such purchases and sales will, to the extent feasible, be allocated among
the Funds and such clients in a manner believed by the Adviser to be equitable
to the Funds and such clients.
SECTION 9. LIMITATION OF INTERESTHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Trustees of the Trust and the interestholders of the Funds shall
not be liable for any obligations of the Trust or of the Funds under this
Agreement, and the Adviser agrees that, in asserting any rights or claims under
this Agreement, it shall look only to the assets and property of the Trust or
the Funds to which the Adviser's rights or claims relate in settlement of such
rights or claims, and not to the Trustees of the Trust or the interestholders of
the Funds.
SECTION 10. NOTICE
Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this
Agreement shall be in writing or by telex and shall be effective upon receipt.
Notices and communications shall be given, if to the Trust, at:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Funds (Delaware)
Two ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
and if to the Adviser, at:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Management International Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ Luckyn-▇▇▇▇▇▇
SECTION 11. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any
manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by both
parties hereto and, if required by the Act, by a vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting interests of the Funds
thereby affected. No amendment to this Agreement or the termination of this
Agreement with respect to a Fund shall effect this Agreement as it pertains to
any other Fund.
(b) If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be
illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or
portions shall be considered severable and not be affected, and the rights and
obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement
did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal or
invalid.
(c) 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.
(d) Section headings in this Agreement are included for
convenience only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.
(e) This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
(f) The Adviser confirms that each Fund is a "Non-private
Customer" as defined in the rules of IMRO.
(g) The terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting interests,"
"interested person," "affiliated person" and "assignment" shall have the
meanings ascribed thereto in the Act to the terms "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "interested person," "affiliated person" and
"assignment," respectively.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL FUNDS (DELAWARE)
_/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Luckyn-▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Luckyn-▇▇▇▇▇▇
President
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
INTERNATIONAL INC.
_/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Director
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ CAPITAL FUNDS (DELAWARE)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Appendix A
Annual Fee as a % of
the Average Daily
Funds of the Trust Net Assets of the Fund
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ International Smaller Companies Fund 0.85%
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Global Asset Allocation Fund 0.75%