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EXHIBIT 9(a)
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
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THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 1st day of April, 1998, by and
between The Coventry Group, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Company"), and
BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, d/b/a BISYS FUND SERVICES (the
"Administrator"), an Ohio limited partnership.
WHEREAS, the Company is an open-end management investment company
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940
Act"), consisting of several series of shares of beneficial interest ("Shares");
and
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Administrator to provide, and the
Administrator is willing to provide, management and administrative services to
such series of the Company as the Company and the Administrator may agree on
("Portfolios") and as listed on Schedule A attached hereto and made a part of
this Agreement, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Company and the Administrator hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE 1. RETENTION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Company hereby retains
the Administrator to act as the administrator of the Portfolios and to furnish
the Portfolios with the management and administrative services as set forth in
Article 2 below. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment to perform the
duties set forth below.
The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an
independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized,
shall have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way and shall
not be deemed an agent of the Company.
ARTICLE 2. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. The Administrator shall perform or
supervise the performance by others of other administrative services in
connection with the operations of the Portfolios, and, on behalf of the Company,
will investigate, assist in the selection of and conduct relations with
custodians, depositories, accountants, legal counsel, underwriters, brokers and
dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and persons in any other
capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable for the Portfolios' operations. The
Administrator shall provide the Trustees of the Company with such reports
regarding investment performance as they may reasonably request but shall have
no responsibility for supervising the performance by any investment adviser or
sub-adviser of its responsibilities.
The Administrator shall provide the Company with regulatory reporting,
all necessary office space, equipment, personnel, compensation and facilities
(including facilities for Shareholders' and Trustees' meetings) for handling the
affairs of the Portfolios and such other services as the Administrator shall,
from time to time, determine to be necessary to perform its obligations under
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this Agreement. In addition, at the request of the Board of Trustees, the
Administrator shall make reports to the Company's Trustees concerning the
performance of its obligations hereunder.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator
shall:
(a) calculate contractual Company expenses and control all
disbursements for the Company, and as appropriate compute the
Company's yields, total return, expense ratios, portfolio,
turnover rate and, if required, Portfolio average
dollar-weighted maturity;
(b) assist Company counsel with the preparation of prospectuses,
statements of additional information, registration statements
and proxy materials;
(c) prepare such reports, applications and documents (including
reports regarding the sale and redemption of Shares as may be
required in order to comply with Federal and state securities
law) as may be necessary or desirable to register the
Company's Shares with state securities authorities, monitor
the sale of Company Shares for compliance with state
securities laws, and file with the appropriate state
securities authorities the registration statements and reports
for the Company and the Company's Shares and all amendments
thereto, as may be necessary or convenient to register and
keep effective the Company and the Company's Shares with state
securities authorities to enable the Company to make a
continuous offering of its Shares;
(d) develop and prepare, with the assistance of the Company's
investment adviser, communications to Shareholders, including
the annual report to Shareholders, coordinate the mailing of
prospectuses, notices, proxy statements, proxies and other
reports to Company Shareholders, and supervise and facilitate
the proxy solicitation process for all shareholder meetings,
including the tabulation of shareholder votes;
(e) administer contracts on behalf of the Company with, among
others, the Company's investment adviser, distributor,
custodian, transfer agent and fund accountant;
(f) supervise the Company's transfer agent with respect to the
payment of dividends and other distributions to Shareholders;
(g) calculate performance data of the Portfolios for dissemination
to information services covering the investment company
industry;
(h) coordinate and supervise the preparation and filing of the
Company's tax returns;
(i) examine and review the operations and performance of the
various organizations providing services to the Company or any
Portfolio of the Company, including,
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without limitation, the Company's investment adviser,
distributor, custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent,
outside legal counsel and independent public accountants, and
at the request of the Board of Trustees, report to the Board
on the performance of organizations;
(j) assist with the layout and printing of publicly disseminated
prospectuses and assist with and coordinate layout and
printing of the Company's semi-annual and annual reports to
Shareholders;
(k) assist with the design, development, and operation of the
Portfolios, including new classes, investment objectives,
policies and structure;
(l) provide individuals reasonably acceptable to the Company's
Board of Trustees to serve as officers of the Company, who
will be responsible for the management of certain of the
Company's affairs as determined by the Company's Board of
Trustees;
(m) advise the Company and its Board of Trustees on matters
concerning the Company and its affairs;
(n) obtain and keep in effect fidelity bonds and directors and
officers/errors and omissions insurance policies for the
Company in accordance with the requirements of Rules 17g-1 and
17d-1(7) under the 1940 Act as such bonds and policies are
approved by the Company's Board of Trustees;
(o) monitor and advise the Company and its Portfolios on their
registered investment company status under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
(p) perform all administrative services and functions of the
Company and each Portfolio to the extent administrative
services and functions are not provided to the Company or such
Portfolio pursuant to the Company's or such Portfolio's
investment advisory agreement, distribution agreement,
custodian agreement, transfer agent agreement and fund
accounting agreement;
(q) furnish advice and recommendations with respect to other
aspects of the business and affairs of the Portfolios as the
Company and the Administrator shall determine desirable; and
(r) prepare and file with the SEC the semi-annual report for the
Company on Form N-SAR and all required notices pursuant to
Rule 24f-2.
The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Company
that are mutually agreed upon by the parties from time to time. Such services
may include performing internal audit examinations; mailing the annual reports
of the Portfolios; preparing an annual list of Shareholders;
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and mailing notices of Shareholders' meetings, proxies and proxy statements, for
all of which the Company will pay the Administrator's out-of-pocket expenses.
ARTICLE 3. Allocation of Charges and Expenses.
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(A) THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Administrator shall furnish at its own
expense the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform
its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the
items which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement, and shall pay all
compensation, if any, of officers of the Company as well as all Trustees of the
Company who are affiliated persons of the Administrator or any affiliated
corporation of the Administrator; provided, however, that unless otherwise
specifically provided, the Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the
compensation of any employee of the Company retained by the Trustees of the
Company to perform services on behalf of the Company.
(B) THE COMPANY. The Company assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid
all other expenses of the Company not otherwise allocated herein, including,
without limitation, organization costs, taxes, expenses for legal and auditing
services, the expenses of preparing (including typesetting), printing and
mailing reports, prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy
solicitation material and notices to existing Shareholders, all expenses
incurred in connection with issuing and redeeming Shares, the costs of custodial
services, the cost of initial and ongoing registration of the Shares under
Federal and state securities laws, fees and out-of-pocket expenses of Trustees
who are not affiliated persons of the Administrator or the Investment Adviser to
the Company or any affiliated corporation of the Administrator or the Investment
Adviser, insurance, interest, brokerage costs, litigation and other
extraordinary or nonrecurring expenses, and all fees and charges of investment
advisers to the Company.
ARTICLE 4. Compensation of the Administrator.
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(A) ADMINISTRATION FEE. For the services to be rendered, the facilities
furnished and the expenses assumed by the Administrator pursuant to this
Agreement, the Company shall pay to the Administrator compensation at an annual
rate specified in Schedule A attached hereto. Such compensation shall be
calculated and accrued daily, and paid to the Administrator quarterly. The
Company shall also reimburse the Administrator for its reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses, including the travel and lodging expenses incurred by officers and
employees of the Administrator in connection with attendance at Board meetings.
If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the first
day of a month or terminates before the last day of a month, the Administrator's
compensation for that part of the month in which this Agreement is in effect
shall be prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set
forth above. Payment of the Administrator's compensation for the preceding month
shall be made promptly.
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(B) SURVIVAL OF COMPENSATION RIGHTS. All rights of compensation under
this Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive
the termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The duties of
the Administrator shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein, and no
implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Administrator
hereunder. The Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or
mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any act or omission in carrying
out its duties hereunder, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad
faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder, except as may otherwise be
provided under provisions of applicable law which cannot be waived or modified
hereby. (As used in this Article 5, the term "Administrator" shall include
partners, officers, employees and other agents of the Administrator as well as
the Administrator itself.)
So long as the Administrator acts in good faith and with due diligence
and without negligence, the Company assumes full responsibility and shall
indemnify the Administrator and hold it harmless from and against any and all
actions, suits and claims, whether groundless or otherwise, and from and against
any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and
disbursements, payments, expenses and liabilities (including reasonable
investigation expenses) arising directly or indirectly out of the
Administrator's actions taken or nonactions with respect to the performance of
services hereunder. The indemnity and defense provisions set forth herein shall
indefinitely survive the termination of this Agreement.
The rights hereunder shall include the right to reasonable advances of
defense expenses in the event of any pending or threatened litigation with
respect to which indemnification hereunder may ultimately be merited. In order
that the indemnification provision contained herein shall apply, however, it is
understood that if in any case the Company may be asked to indemnify or hold the
Administrator harmless, the Company shall be fully and promptly advised of all
pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further
understood that the Administrator will use all reasonable care to identify and
notify the Company promptly concerning any situation which presents or appears
likely to present the probability of such a claim for indemnification against
the Company, but failure to do so in good faith shall not affect the rights
hereunder.
The Company shall be entitled to participate at its own expense or, if
it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims
subject to this indemnity provision. If the Company elects to assume the defense
of any such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the
Company and satisfactory to the Administrator, whose approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld. In the event that the Company elects to assume the
defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Administrator shall bear the fees
and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it. If the Company does not
elect to assume the defense of a suit, it will reimburse the Administrator for
the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by the Administrator.
The Administrator may apply to the Company at any time for instructions
and may consult counsel for the Company or its own counsel and with accountants
and other experts with respect to
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any matter arising in connection with the Administrator's duties, and the
Administrator shall not be liable or accountable for any action taken or omitted
by it in good faith in accordance with such instruction or with the opinion of
such counsel, accountants or other experts.
Also, the Administrator shall be protected in acting upon any document
which it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed or presented
by the proper person or persons. The Administrator will not be held to have
notice of any change of authority of any officers, employees or agents of the
Company until receipt of written notice thereof from the Company.
ARTICLE 6. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The services of the
Administrator rendered to the Company are not to be deemed to be exclusive. The
Administrator is free to render such services to others and to have other
businesses and interests. It is understood that directors, officers, employees
and Shareholders of the Company are or may be or become interested in the
Administrator, as officers, employees or otherwise and that partners, officers
and employees of the Administrator and its counsel are or may be or become
similarly interested in the Company, and that the Administrator may be or become
interested in the Company as a Shareholder or otherwise.
ARTICLE 7. DURATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. The Term of this Agreement shall
be as specified in Schedule A hereto.
ARTICLE 8. ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement shall not be assignable by either
party without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that
the Administrator may, at its expense, subcontract with any entity or person
concerning the provision of the services contemplated hereunder. The
Administrator shall not, however, be relieved of any of its obligations under
this Agreement by the appointment of such subcontractor and provided further,
that the Administrator shall be responsible, to the extent provided in Article 5
hereof, for all acts of such subcontractor as if such acts were its own. This
Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the parties
hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
ARTICLE 9. AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may be amended by the parties
hereto only if such amendment is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees of the Company, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of
the Trustees of the Company who are not parties to this Agreement or interested
persons of any such party, cast in person at a Board of Trustees meeting called
for the purpose of voting on such approval.
For special cases, the parties hereto may amend such procedures set
forth herein as may be appropriate or practical under the circumstances, and the
Administrator may conclusively assume that any special procedure which has been
approved by the Company does not conflict with or violate any requirements of
its Declaration of Trust or then current prospectuses, or any rule, regulation
or requirement of any regulatory body.
ARTICLE 10. CERTAIN RECORDS. The Administrator shall maintain customary
records in connection with its duties as specified in this Agreement. Any
records required to be maintained and
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preserved pursuant to Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 under the 1940 Act which are
prepared or maintained by the Administrator on behalf of the Company shall be
prepared and maintained at the expense of the Administrator, but shall be the
property of the Company and will be made available to or surrendered promptly to
the Company on request.
In case of any request or demand for the inspection of such records by
another party, the Administrator shall notify the Company and follow the
Company's instructions as to permitting or refusing such inspection; provided
that the Administrator may exhibit such records to any person in any case where
it is advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for failure to do so,
unless (in cases involving potential exposure only to civil liability) the
Company has agreed to indemnify the Administrator against such liability.
ARTICLE 11. DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN TERMS. The terms "interested person"
and "affiliated person," when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective
meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
ARTICLE 12. NOTICE. Any notice required or permitted to be given by
either party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the
other party at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving
notice; if to the Company, at 0000 X Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X. 00000; and if to
the Administrator at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000.
ARTICLE 13. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio and the applicable provisions of
the 1940 Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Ohio, or
any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the
1940 Act, the latter shall control.
ARTICLE 14. MULTIPLE ORIGINALS. This Agreement may be executed in two
or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
ARTICLE 15. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE TRUSTEES AND SHAREHOLDERS.
It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be
binding upon any of the Trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or
employees of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the
Trust. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the
Trustees, and this Agreement has been signed and delivered by an authorized
officer of the Trust, acting as such, and neither such authorization by the
Trustees nor such execution and delivery by such officer shall be deemed to have
been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them
personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in
the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
THE COVENTRY GROUP
By:
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Title:
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BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
BY: BISYS FUND SERVICES, INC.,
GENERAL PARTNER
By:
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Title:
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SCHEDULE A
TO THE ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF APRIL 1, 1998
BETWEEN THE COVENTRY GROUP
AND
BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
Portfolios: This Agreement shall apply to all Stewardship Portfolios of
The Coventry Group either now or hereafter created. The
current Stewardship Portfolios are set forth below:
Stewardship Aggressive Growth Fund, Stewardship Moderate
Growth Fund and Stewardship Conservative Growth Fund
(collectively, the "Portfolios").
Fees: Pursuant to Article 4, in consideration of services rendered
and expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, the Company
will pay the Administrator on the first business day of each
month, or at such time(s) as the Administrator shall request
and the parties hereto shall agree, a fee computed daily at an
annual rate of: .13% of the first $250 million, .115% of the
next $250 million, .095% of the next $250 million and .08%
over $750 million, based on the Portfolio's average daily net
assets, subject to an annual minimum of $100,000 per portfolio
plus $10,000 for each additional class.
The fee for the period from the day of the month this
Agreement is entered into until the end of that month shall be
prorated according to the proportion which such period bears
to the full monthly period. Upon any termination of this
Agreement before the end of any month, the fee for such part
of a month shall be prorated according to the proportion which
such period bears to the full monthly period and shall be
payable upon the date of termination of this Agreement.
For purposes of determining the fees payable to the
Administrator, the value of the net assets of a particular
Fund shall be computed in the manner described in the Fund's
Declaration of Trust or in the Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information respecting that Fund as from time to
time is in effect for the computation of the value of such net
assets in connection with the determination of the liquidating
value of the shares of such Fund.
The parties hereby confirm that the fees payable hereunder
shall be applied to each Portfolio as a whole, and not to
separate classes of shares within the Portfolios.
The fee payable by the Company hereunder shall be allocated to
each Portfolio based upon its pro rata share of the total fee
payable hereunder. Such fee as is attributable to each
Portfolio shall be a separate (and not joint or joint and
several) obligation of each such Portfolio. The Administrator
may agree, from time to time, to waive any
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fees payable under this Agreement. Such waiver shall be at the
Administrator's sole discretion.
Term: Pursuant to Article 7, the term of this Agreement shall
commence on April 1, 1998 and shall remain in effect through
April 1, 2001 ("Initial Term"). Thereafter, unless otherwise
terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall be renewed
automatically for successive three-year periods ("Rollover
Periods"). This Agreement may be terminated without penalty
(i) by provision of a notice of nonrenewal in the manner set
forth below, (ii) by mutual agreement of the parties or (iii)
for "cause," as defined below, upon the provision of 60 days
advance written notice by the party alleging cause. Written
notice of nonrenewal must be provided within 60 days of the
end of the Initial Term or any Rollover Period, as the case
may be.
For purposes of this Agreement, "cause" shall mean (a) a
material breach of this Agreement that has not been cured
within thirty (30) days following written notice of such
breach from the non-breaching party; (b) a final, unappealable
judicial, regulatory or administrative ruling or order in
which the party to be terminated has been found guilty of
criminal or unethical behavior in the conduct of its business;
or (c) financial difficulties on the part of the party to be
terminated 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
is 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.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after such termination for so
long as the Administrator, with the written consent of the
Company, in fact continues to perform any one or more of the
services contemplated by this Agreement or any schedule or
exhibit hereto, the provisions of this Agreement, including
without limitation the provisions dealing with
indemnification, shall continue in full force and effect.
Compensation due the Administrator and unpaid by the Company
upon such termination shall be immediately due and payable
upon and notwithstanding such termination. The Administrator
shall be entitled to collect from the Company, in addition to
the compensation described in this Schedule A, the amount of
all of the Administrator's cash disbursements for services in
connection with the Administrator's activities in effecting
such termination, including without limitation, the delivery
to the Company and/or its designees of the Company's property,
records, instruments and documents, or any copies thereof.
Subsequent to such termination, for a reasonable fee, the
Administrator will provide the Company with reasonable access
to any Company documents or records remaining in its
possession.
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If, for any reason, the Administrator is replaced as fund
manager and administrator, or if a third party is added to
perform all or a part of the services provided by the
Administrator under this Agreement (excluding any sub-
administrator appointed by the Administrator as provided in
Article 7 hereof), then the Company shall make a one-time cash
payment, as liquidated damages, to the Administrator equal to
the balance due the Administrator for the remainder of the
term of this Agreement, assuming for purposes of calculation
of the payment that the asset level of the Company on the date
the Administrator is replaced, or a third party is added, will
remain constant for the balance of the contract term.
In the event the Company is merged into another legal entity
in part or in whole or is otherwise liquidated in part or in
whole pursuant to a business reorganization prior to the
expiration of the then-current term of this Agreement, the
parties acknowledge and agree that (i) the liquidated damages
provision set forth above shall be applicable in those
instances in which the Administrator is not retained by the
surviving entity to provide administration services and (ii)
for purposes of calculating the payment amount representing
liquidated damages, the appropriate asset level of the Company
shall be the greater of: (i) the asset level calculated for
the Company at the time the Company's Board of Trustees
receives notification of an intention on the part of Fund
management to effect such a business reorganization; (ii) the
asset level calculated for the Company at the time the
Company's Board of Trustees formally approves such a business
reorganization; or (iii) the asset level calculated for the
Company on the day prior to the first day during which assets
are transferred by the Company to the surviving entity
pursuant to the plan of reorganization. The one-time cash
payment referenced above shall be due and payable on the day
prior to the first day during which assets are transferred to
the surviving entity pursuant to the plan of reorganization.
The parties further acknowledge and agree that, in the event
the Administrator is replaced, or a third party is added, as
set forth above, (i) a determination of actual damages
incurred by the Administrator would be extremely difficult,
and (ii) the liquidated damages provision contained herein is
intended to adequately compensate the Administrator for
damages incurred and is not intended to constitute any form of
penalty.
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