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Exhibit (D)
THE COVENTRY GROUP
ON BEHALF OF
THE COUNTER BOND FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT, effective commencing on October 1, 1999, between Proprietary
Capital LLC (the "Adviser") and The Coventry Group (the "Group"), on behalf of
The Counter Bond Fund (the "Fund").
WHEREAS, the Group is a Massachusetts business trust of the series type
organized under a Declaration of Trust dated January 8, 1992 (the
"Declaration"), and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end, diversified management investment
company, and the Fund is a series of the Group;
WHEREAS, the Group wishes to retain the Adviser to render investment
advisory services to the Fund, and the Adviser is willing to furnish such
services to the Fund;
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("Advisers Act");
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants
herein contained, it is agreed between the Group and the Adviser as follows:
1. APPOINTMENT. The Group hereby appoints the Adviser to act as
investment adviser to the Fund for the periods and on the terms set forth in
this Agreement. The Adviser accepts such appointment and agrees to furnish the
services herein set forth, for the compensation herein provided.
2. INVESTMENT ADVISORY DUTIES. Subject to the supervision of the
Trustees of the Group, the Adviser will (a) provide a program of continuous
investment management for the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment
objectives, policies and limitations as stated in the Fund's prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information included as part of the Group's Registration
Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as they may be
amended from time to time, copies of which shall be provided to the Adviser by
the Group; (b) make investment decisions for the Fund; and (c) place orders to
purchase and sell securities for the Fund.
In performing its investment management services to the Fund hereunder,
the Adviser will provide the Fund with ongoing investment guidance and policy
direction, including oral and written research, analysis, advice, statistical
and economic data and judgments regarding
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individual investments, general economic conditions and trends and long-range
investment policy. The Adviser will determine the securities, instruments,
repurchase agreements, options and other investments and techniques that the
Fund will purchase, sell, enter into or use, and will provide an ongoing
evaluation of the Fund's portfolio. The Adviser will determine what portion of
the Fund's portfolio shall be invested in securities and other assets, and what
portion if any, should be held uninvested.
The Adviser further agrees that, in performing its duties hereunder, it
will:
(a) comply with the 1940 Act and all rules and regulations thereunder, the
Advisers Act, the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and all other applicable
federal and state laws and regulations, and with any applicable procedures
adopted by the Trustees;
(b) use reasonable efforts to manage the Fund so that it will qualify, and
continue to qualify, as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the
Code and regulations issued thereunder;
(c) place orders pursuant to its investment determinations for the Fund
directly with the issuer, or with any broker or dealer, in accordance with
applicable policies expressed in the Fund's prospectus and/or Statement of
Additional Information and in accordance with applicable legal requirements;
(d) furnish to the Group whatever statistical information the Group may
reasonably request with respect to the Fund's assets or contemplated
investments. In addition, the Adviser will keep the Group and the Trustees
informed of developments materially affecting the Fund's portfolio and shall, on
the Adviser's own initiative, furnish to the Group from time to time whatever
information the Adviser believes appropriate for this purpose;
(e) make available to the Group's administrator (the "Administrator"), and
the Group, promptly upon their request, such copies of its investment records
and ledgers with respect to the Fund as may be required to assist the
Administrator and the Group in their compliance with applicable laws and
regulations. The Adviser will furnish the Trustees with such periodic and
special reports regarding the Fund as they may reasonably request;
(f) immediately notify the Group in the event that the Adviser or any of
its affiliates: (1) becomes aware that it is subject to a statutory
disqualification that prevents the Adviser from serving as investment adviser
pursuant to this Agreement; or (2) becomes aware that it is the subject of an
administrative proceeding or enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") or other regulatory authority. The Adviser further agrees to
notify the Group immediately of any material fact known to the Adviser
respecting or relating to the Adviser that is not contained in the Group's
Registration Statement regarding the Fund, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, but that is required to be disclosed therein, and of any statement
contained therein that becomes untrue in any material respect;
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(g) in making investment decisions for the Fund, use no inside information
that may be in its possession or in the possession of any of its affiliates, nor
will the Adviser seek to obtain any such information.
3. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES. Except as otherwise specifically
provided in this section 3, the Adviser shall pay the compensation and expenses
of all its Trustees, officers and employees who serve as officers and executive
employees of the Group (including the Group's share of payroll taxes), and the
Adviser shall make available, without expense to the Fund, the service of its
Trustees, officers and employees who may be duly elected officers of the Group,
subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by
law.
The Adviser shall not be required to pay any expenses of the Fund other
than those specifically allocated to the Adviser in this section 3. In
particular, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Adviser
shall not be responsible, except to the extent of the reasonable compensation of
such of the Group's employees as are officers or employees of the Adviser whose
services may be involved, for the following expenses of the Fund: organization
and certain offering expenses of the Fund (including out-of-pocket expenses, but
not including the Adviser's overhead and employee costs); fees payable to the
Adviser and to any other Fund advisers or consultants; legal expenses; auditing
and accounting expenses; interest expenses; telephone, telex, facsimile, postage
and other communications expenses; taxes and governmental fees; fees, dues and
expenses incurred by or with respect to the Fund in connection with membership
in investment company trade organizations; cost of insurance relating to
fidelity coverage for the Group's officers and employees; fees and expenses of
the Fund's Administrator or of any custodian, subcustodian, transfer agent,
registrar, or dividend disbursing agent of the Fund; payments to the
Administrator for maintaining the Fund's financial books and records and
calculating its daily net asset value; other payments for portfolio pricing or
valuation services to pricing agents, accountants, bankers and other
specialists, if any; expenses of preparing share certificates; other expenses in
connection with the issuance, offering, distribution or sale of securities
issued by the Fund; expenses relating to investor and public relations; expenses
of registering shares of the Fund for sale and fees related to notification and
other filings required by states in which Fund shares are sold; freight,
insurance and other charges in connection with the shipment of the Fund's
portfolio securities; brokerage commissions or other costs of acquiring or
disposing of any portfolio securities or other assets of the Fund, or of
entering into other transactions or engaging in any investment practices with
respect to the Fund; expenses of printing and distributing prospectuses,
Statements of Additional Information, reports, notices and dividends to
stockholders; costs of stationery or other office supplies; any litigation
expenses; costs of stockholders' and other meetings; the compensation and all
expenses (specifically including travel expenses relating to the Fund's
business) of officers, Trustees and employees of the Group who are not
interested persons of the Adviser; and travel expenses (or an appropriate
portion thereof) of officers or Trustees of the Group who are officers, Trustees
or employees of the Adviser to the extent that such expenses relate to
attendance at meetings of the Board of
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Trustees of the Group with respect to matters concerning the Fund, or any
committees thereof or advisers thereto.
4. COMPENSATION. As compensation for the services provided and expenses
assumed by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Trust will arrange for the Fund
to pay the Adviser at the end of each calendar month an advisory fee computed
daily at an annual rate equal to 0.80% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
The "average daily net assets" of the Fund shall mean the average of the values
placed on the Fund's net assets as of 4:00 p.m. (New York time) on each day on
which the net asset value of the Fund is determined consistent with the
provisions of Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act or, if the Fund lawfully determines
the value of its net assets as of some other time on each business day, as of
such other time. The value of net assets of the Fund shall always be determined
pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Declaration and the Registration
Statement. If, pursuant to such provisions, the determination of net asset value
of the Fund is suspended for any particular business day, then for the purposes
of this section 4, the value of the net assets of the Fund as last determined
shall be deemed to be the value of its net assets as of the close of the New
York Stock Exchange, or as of such other time as the value of the net assets of
the Fund may lawfully be determined, on that day. If the determination of the
net asset value of the shares of the Fund has been so suspended for a period
including any month end when the Adviser's compensation is payable pursuant to
this section, then the Adviser's compensation payable at the end of such month
shall be computed on the basis of the value of the net assets of the Fund as
last determined (whether during or prior to such month). If the Fund determines
the value of its net assets more than once on any day, then the last such
determination thereof on that day shall be deemed to be the sole determination
thereof on that day for the purposes of this section 4.
5. BOOKS AND RECORDS. The Adviser agrees to maintain such books and
records with respect to its services to the Fund as are required by Section 31
under the 1940 Act, and rules adopted thereunder, and by other applicable legal
provisions, and to preserve such records for the periods and in the manner
required by that Section, and those rules and legal provisions. The Adviser also
agrees that records it maintains and preserves pursuant to Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2
under the 1940 Act and otherwise in connection with its services hereunder are
the property of the Group and will be surrendered promptly to the Group upon its
request. And the Adviser further agrees that it will furnish to regulatory
authorities having the requisite authority any information or reports in
connection with its services hereunder which may be requested in order to
determine whether the operations of the Fund are being conducted in accordance
with applicable laws and regulations.
6. STANDARD OF CARE AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. The Adviser shall
exercise its best judgment in rendering the services provided by it under this
Agreement. The Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake
of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund or the holders of the Fund's shares
in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, provided that
nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to protect or purport to protect the
Adviser against any liability to the Group, the Fund or to holders of the Fund's
shares to which
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the Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or by
reason of the Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under
this Agreement. As used in this Section 6, the term "Adviser" shall include any
officers, Trustees, employees or other affiliates of the Adviser performing
services with respect to the Fund.
7. SERVICES NOT EXCLUSIVE. It is understood that the services of the
Adviser are not exclusive, and that nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the
Adviser from providing similar services to other investment companies or to
other series of investment companies, including the Group (whether or not their
investment objectives and policies are similar to those of the Fund) or from
engaging in other activities, provided such other services and activities do
not, during the term of this Agreement, interfere in a material manner with the
Adviser's ability to meet its obligations to the Fund hereunder. When the
Adviser recommends the purchase or sale of a security for other investment
companies and other clients, and at the same time the Adviser recommends the
purchase or sale of the same security for the Fund, it is understood that in
light of its fiduciary duty to the Fund, such transactions will be executed on a
basis that is fair and equitable to the Fund. In connection with purchases or
sales of portfolio securities for the account of the Fund, neither the Adviser
nor any of its Trustees, officers or employees shall act as a principal or agent
or receive any commission. If the Adviser provides any advice to its clients
concerning the shares of the Fund, the Adviser shall act solely as investment
counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of the Group or the Fund.
8. DURATION AND TERMINATION. This Agreement shall continue until
September 30, 2001, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive
annual periods, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least
annually by (i) the Trustees or (ii) a vote of a "majority" (as defined in the
0000 Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940
Act), provided that in either event the continuance is also approved by a
majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested
persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of any party to this Agreement, by vote
cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated: (a) at any time
without penalty by the Fund upon the vote of a majority of the Trustees or by
vote of the majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, upon sixty
(60) days' written notice to the Adviser or (b) by the Adviser at any time
without penalty, upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Group. This
Agreement will also terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as
defined in the 1940 Act).
9. AMENDMENTS. Except to the extent permitted by applicable law,
regulation or regulatory policy, no provision of this Agreement may be changed,
waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing
signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge
or termination is sought, and, except to the extent permitted by applicable law,
regulation or regulatory policy, no amendment of this Agreement shall be
effective until approved by an affirmative vote of (i) a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, and (ii) a majority of the Trustees,
including a majority of Trustees who
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are not interested persons of any party to this Agreement, cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, if such approval is
required by applicable law.
10. PROXIES. Unless the Group gives written instructions to the
contrary, the Adviser shall vote all proxies solicited by or with respect to the
issuers of securities in which assets of the Fund may be invested. The Adviser
shall use its best good faith judgment to vote such proxies in a manner which
best serves the interests of the Fund's shareholders.
11. NAME RESERVATION. The Group acknowledges and agrees that the
Adviser has property rights relating to the use of the term "Counter Bond" and
has permitted the use of such term by the Group and the Fund. The Group agrees
that: (i) it will use the term "Counter Bond" only as a component of the name of
the Fund and any other series for which the Adviser serves as investment
adviser, and for no other purposes; (ii) it will not purport to grant to any
third party any rights in such name; (iii) at the request of the Adviser, the
Group will take such action as may be required to provide its consent to use of
the term by the Adviser, or any affiliate of the Adviser to whom the Adviser
shall have granted the right to such use; and (iv) the Adviser may use or grant
to others the right to use the term, or any abbreviation thereof, as all or a
portion of a corporate or business name or for any commercial purpose, including
a grant of such right to any other investment company. Upon termination of this
Agreement, the Group shall, upon request of the Adviser, cease to use the term
"Counter Bond" as part of the name of the Fund or any series of the Group or in
any way not consented to by the Adviser. In the event of any request by the
Adviser that use of the term "Counter Bond" shall cease, the Group shall cause
its officers, Trustees and stockholders to take any and all such actions which
the Adviser may request to effect such request and to reconvey to the Adviser
any and all rights to the term "Counter Bond."
12. MISCELLANEOUS.
a. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
Colorado, provided that nothing herein shall be construed in a manner
inconsistent with the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, or rules or orders of the SEC
thereunder.
b. The captions of this Agreement are included for convenience only and
in no way define or limit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their
construction or effect.
c. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by
a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement
shall not be affected hereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this
Agreement shall be deemed to be severable.
d. Nothing herein shall be construed as constituting the Adviser as an
agent of the Group or the Fund.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be executed by their officers designated below as of October 1, 1999.
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THE COVENTRY GROUP
on behalf of The Counter Bond Fund
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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President
PROPRIETARY CAPITAL LLC
By:__________________________
President
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