Exhibit (d): Investment Management Agreement
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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, entered into as of the 1st day of April, 1999, by and between
BLUE RIDGE FUNDS TRUST (the "Trust"), a Delaware Business Trust, and COLONIAL
ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. a South Carolina Corporation (the "Advisor"), registered
as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as amended
(the "Advisors Act").
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company of
the series type under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940
Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Advisor to furnish investment advisory
and administrative services to the series of the Trust identified in Appendix A
(each a "Fund"), and the Advisor is willing to so furnish such services;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein
contained, it is agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Appointment. The Trust hereby appoints the Advisor to act as Investment
Advisor to the Blue Ridge Total Return Fund (the "Fund"), a series of the
Trust for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The
Advisor accepts such appointment and agrees to furnish the services set
forth herein, for the compensation as indicated in Appendix A.
2. Delivery of Documents. The Trust has furnished the Investment Advisor with
copies properly certified or authenticated of each of the following:
(a) The Trust's Declaration of Trust, as filed with the State of Delaware
(the "Declaration");
(b) The Trust's By-Laws (the "By-Laws"");
(c) Resolutions of the Trust's Board of Trustees and the resolution
approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund
authorizing the appointment of the Advisor and approving this
Agreement;
(d) The Trust's Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the 1940 Act and
under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, (the "1933 Act"),
relating to shares of beneficial interest of the Fund (the "Shares")
as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and all
amendments thereto;
(e) The Fund's Prospectus (the "Prospectus").
The Trust will furnish the Advisor from time to time with copies, properly
certified or authenticated, of all amendments of or supplements to the
foregoing at the same time as such documents are required to be filed with
the SEC.
3. Management. Subject to the supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees,
the Advisor will provide a continuous investment program for the Fund,
including investment research and management with respect to all
securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents in the Fund. The Advisor
will determine from time to time what securities and other investments will
be purchased, retained or sold by the Fund. The Advisor will provide the
services under this Agreement in accordance with the Fund's investment
objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its Prospectus. The
Advisor further agrees that it:
(a) Will conform its activities to all applicable Rules and Regulations of
the Securities and Exchange Commission and will, in addition, conduct
its activities under this Agreement in accordance with regulations of
any other Federal and State agencies which may now or in the future
have jurisdiction over its activities under this Agreement;
(b) Will place orders pursuant to its investment determinations for the
Fund either directly with the issuer or with any broker or dealer. In
placing orders with brokers or dealers, the Advisor will attempt to
obtain the best net price and the most favorable execution of its
orders. Consistent with this obligation, when the Advisor believes two
or more brokers or dealers are comparable in price and execution, the
Advisor may prefer: (i) brokers and dealers who provide the Fund with
research advice and other services, or who recommend or sell Trust
shares, and (ii) brokers who are affiliated with the Fund or its
Advisor; provided, however, that in no instance will portfolio
securities be purchased from or sold to the Advisor or any affiliated
person of the Advisor in principal transactions;
(c) Will provide certain executive personnel for the Fund as may be
mutually agreed upon from time to time with the Board of Trustees, the
salaries and expenses of such personnel to be borne by the Advisor
unless otherwise mutually agreed upon; and
(d) Will provide, at its own cost, all office space, facilities and
equipment necessary for the conduct of its advisory activities on
behalf of the Fund.
4. Services Not Exclusive. The advisory services furnished by the Advisor
hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Advisor shall be free to
furnish similar services to others so long as its services under this
Agreement are not impaired thereby; provided, however, that without the
written consent of the Trustees, the Advisor will not serve as investment
advisor to any other investment company having a similar investment
objective to that of the Fund.
5. Books and Records. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under
the 1940 Act, the Advisor hereby agrees that all records which it maintains
for the benefit of the Fund are the property of the Fund and further agrees
to surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon the Fund's
request. The Advisor further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed
by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act the records required to be maintained by
it pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act that are not maintained by
others on behalf of the Fund.
6. Expenses. During the term of this Agreement, the Advisor will pay all
expenses incurred by it in connection with its investment advisory services
pertaining to the Fund. The Advisor will pay, out of the Advisor's
resources, the entire cost of the promotion and sale of Trust shares,
including the preparation of the prospectus and other documents. The
Advisor will provide other information and services, other than services of
outside counsel or independent accountants or investment advisory services
to be provided by any Adviser under a Management Agreement, required in
connection with the preparation of all registration statements and
Prospectuses, Prospectus supplements, SAIs, all annual, semiannual, and
periodic reports to shareholders of the Trust, regulatory authorities, or
others, and all notices and proxy solicitation materials, furnished to
shareholders of the Trust or regulatory authorities, and all tax returns.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund shall pay the expenses and costs of the
following:
(a) Taxes, interest charges and extraordinary expenses;
(b) Brokerage fees and commissions with regard to portfolio transactions
of the Fund;
(c) Fees and expenses of the custodian of the Fund's portfolio securities;
(d) Fees and expenses of the Fund's administrator, transfer and dividend
disbursing agent and the Fund's fund accounting agent or, if the Fund
performs any such services without an agent, the costs of the same;
(e) Auditing and legal expenses;
(f) Cost of maintenance of the Fund's existence as a legal entity;
(g) Compensation of trustees who are not interested persons of the Advisor
as law defines that term;
(h) Costs of Trust meetings;
(i) Federal and State registration or qualification fees and expenses;
(j) Costs of setting in type, printing and mailing Prospectuses, reports
and notices to existing shareholders;
(k) The investment management fee payable to the Advisor, as provided in
paragraph 7 herein; and
(l) Plan of Distribution expenses, but only in accordance with the Plan of
Distribution as approved by the shareholders of the Fund.
7. Compensation. The Trust will pay the Advisor and the Advisor will accept as
full compensation an investment advisory fee, based upon the daily average
net assets of each Fund, computed at the end of each month and payable
within five (5) business days thereafter, based upon the schedule attached
hereto as Appendix A.
8.(a)Limitation of Liability. The Advisor shall not be liable for any error of
judgment, mistake of law or for any other loss whatsoever suffered by the
Fund in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except a loss
resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of
compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of
its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties
under this Agreement.
8.(b)Indemnification of Advisor. Subject to the limitations set forth in this
Subsection 8(b), the Fund shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless (from
the assets of the Trust or Trusts to which the conduct in question relates)
the Advisor against all loss, damage and liability, including but not
limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as
fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants' and
counsel fees, incurred by the Advisor in connection with the defense or
disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or
criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, related
to or resulting from this Agreement or the performance of services
hereunder, except with respect to any matter as to which it has been
determined that the loss, damage or liability is a direct result of (i) a
breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for
services; or (ii) willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the
part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless
disregard by it of its duties under this Agreement (either and both of the
conduct described in clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to
hereinafter as "Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Advisor is
entitled to indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the
merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that
the Advisor was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal
of a court action or an administrative proceeding against the Advisor for
insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a reasonable
determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the Advisor was not
liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by, (a) vote of a majority of a
quorum of Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Fund as the
quoted phrase is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to
the action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds that is
then or has been pending or threatened (such quorum of such Trustees being
referred to hereinafter as the "Independent Trustees"), or (b) an
independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses, including
accountants' and counsel fees so incurred by the Advisor (but excluding
amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or
penalties), may be paid from time to time by the Fund or Trust to which the
conduct in question related in advance of the final disposition of any such
action, suit or proceeding; provided, that the Advisor shall have
undertaken to repay the amounts so paid if it is ultimately determined that
indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Subsection
8(b) and if (i) the Advisor shall have provided security for such
undertaking, (ii) the Fund shall be insured against losses arising by
reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of the Independent
Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have
determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a
full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Advisor
ultimately will be entitled to indemnification hereunder.
As to any matter disposed of by a compromise payment by the Advisor
referred to in this Subsection 8(b), pursuant to a consent decree or
otherwise, no such indemnification either for said payment or for any other
expenses shall be provided unless such indemnification shall be approved
(i) by a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by an independent
legal counsel in a written opinion. Approval by the Independent Trustees
pursuant to clause (i) shall not prevent the recovery from the Advisor of
any amount paid to the Advisor in accordance with either of such clauses as
indemnification of the Advisor is subsequently adjudicated by a court of
competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable
belief that the Advisor's action was in or not opposed to the best interest
of the Fund or to have been liable to the Fund or its Shareholders by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in its conduct under the Agreement.
The right of indemnification provided by this Subsection 8(b) shall not be
exclusive of or affect any of the rights to which the Advisor may be
entitled. Nothing contained in this Subsection 8(b) shall affect any rights
to indemnification to which Trustees, officers or other personnel of the
Fund, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law,
nor the power of the Fund to purchase and maintain liability insurance on
behalf of any such person.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust shall take all such action as may be
necessary and appropriate to authorize the Fund hereunder to pay the
indemnification required by this Subsection 8(b) including, without
limitation, to the extent needed, to determine whether the Advisor is
entitled to indemnification hereunder and the reasonable amount of any
indemnity due it hereunder, or employ independent legal counsel for that
purpose.
8.(c)The provisions contained in Section 8 shall survive the expiration or other
termination of this Agreement, shall be deemed to include and protect the
Advisor and its directors, officers, employees and agents and shall inure
to the benefit of its/their respective successors, assigns and personal
representatives.
9. Duration and Termination. This Agreement shall become effective upon the
date the registration statement of the Trust containing the Fund's
Prospectus is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission
and, unless sooner terminated as provided herein, shall continue in effect
for two years. Thereafter, this Agreement shall be renewable for successive
periods of one year each, provided such continuance is specifically
approved annually:
(a) By the vote of a majority of those members of the Board of Trustees
who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any
such party (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act), cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval; and
(b) By vote of either the Board of Trustees or a majority (as that term is
defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the outstanding voting securities of the
Fund.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by the Fund
or by the Advisor at any time on sixty (60) days' written notice, without
the payment of any penalty, provided that termination by the Fund must be
authorized either by vote of the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority
of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. This Agreement will
automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as that term is
defined in the 1940 Act).
10. Amendment of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may be changed,
waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by a written instrument
signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver,
discharge or termination is sought. No material amendment of this Agreement
shall be effective until approved by vote of the holders of a majority of
the Fund's outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act).
11. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience
of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the provisions
hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision
of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision,
statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall not be
affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding and shall inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
12. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with, and
governed by, the laws of the Commonwealth of North Carolina.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be
executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above
written.
ATTEST BLUE RIDGE FUNDS TRUST
By: ______________________ By: ________________________
Title: ___________________ Title: _____________________
ATTEST COLONIAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.
By: ______________________ By: ________________________
Title: ___________________ Title: _____________________
APPENDIX A
SERIES OF THE TRUST TO WHICH THE ADVISOR PROVIDES SERVICES AND
INVESTMENT ADVISOR'S COMPENSATION SCHEDULE
For the services delineated in the INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, the
Investment Advisor shall be compensated monthly by the Blue Ridge Total Return
Fund, as of the last day of each month, within five business days of the month
end, a fee based upon the daily average net assets of the Fund according to the
following schedule.
Annual
Net Assets Fee
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$20 Million and Less 0.750%
Next $30 Million 0.625%
Greater than $50 Million 0.500%
