FORUM FUNDS
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of May 5, 2005, by and between Forum Funds, a
Delaware statutory trust, with its principal office and place of business at Two
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000 (the "Trust"), and Absolute Investment
Advisers LLC with its principal office and place of business at 00 Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000 (the "Adviser").
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end, management investment company
and may issue its shares of beneficial interest, no par value (the "Shares"), in
separate series; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires that the Adviser perform investment advisory
services for each series of the Trust listed in Appendix A hereto (the "Fund"),
and the Adviser is willing to provide those services on the terms and conditions
set forth in this Agreement;
NOW THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and
agreements contained herein, the Trust and the Adviser hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. APPOINTMENT; DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS
(a) The Trust hereby employs the Adviser, subject to the direction and
control of the Board, to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets in
the Fund and to provide other services as specified herein. The Adviser accepts
this employment and agrees to render its services for the compensation set forth
herein.
(b) In connection therewith, the Trust shall deliver to the Adviser
copies of: (i) the Trust's Trust Instrument and Bylaws (collectively, as amended
from time to time, "Organic Documents"); (ii) the Trust's Registration Statement
and all amendments thereto with respect to the Fund filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") pursuant to the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the 1940 Act (the "Registration
Statement"); (iii) the Trust's current Prospectuses and Statements of Additional
Information of the Fund (collectively, as currently in effect and as amended or
supplemented, the "Prospectus"); (iv) each plan of distribution or similar
documents adopted by the Trust on behalf of the Fund under Rule 12b-1 of the
1940 Act and each current shareholder service plan or similar document adopted
by the Trust on behalf of the Fund; and (v) all written policies and procedures
adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund that are relevant to the services
provided by the Adviser (e.g., repurchase agreement procedures, Rule 17a-7
Procedures and Rule 17e-1 Procedures), and shall promptly furnish the Adviser
with all amendments of or supplements to the foregoing (collectively the
"Procedures"). The Trust shall deliver to the Adviser: (v) a certified copy of
the resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board"), including a
majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940
Act), appointing the Adviser and any subadviser and approving this Agreement and
any subadvisory agreement; (w) a certified copy of the resolution of the Fund's
shareholder(s), if applicable, appointing the Adviser and each subadviser; (x) a
copy of all proxy statements and related materials relating to the Fund; and
(y) a certified copy of the resolution of the Trust electing the officers of the
Trust; and (z) any other documents, materials or information that the Adviser
shall reasonably request to enable it to perform its duties pursuant to this
Agreement.
(c) The Adviser has delivered, or will deliver within 45 days, to the
Trust a copy of its code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1
under the 1940 Act (the "Code"). The Adviser shall promptly furnish the Trust
with all amendments of or supplements to the foregoing.
SECTION 2. DUTIES OF THE TRUST
In order for the Adviser to perform the services required by this
Agreement, the Trust: (i) shall cause all service providers to the Trust to
furnish information to the Adviser and to assist the Adviser as may be required;
and (ii) shall ensure that the Adviser has reasonable access to all records and
documents maintained by the Trust or any service provider to the Trust.
SECTION 3. DUTIES OF THE ADVISER
Subject to the delegation of any of the following duties to one or more
persons as permitted by Section 10 of this Agreement, the Adviser, at its own
expense, shall render the following services to the Trust:
(a) The Adviser will make decisions with respect to all purchases and
sales of securities and other investment assets on behalf of the Fund consistent
with the Fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions. 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
Fund. In all purchases, sales and other transactions in securities and other
investments for the Fund, 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, including voting of proxies with respect to securities owned by
the Fund, subject to such proxy voting policies as approved by the Board.
Consistent with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the "1934 Act") and applicable regulations and interpretations, the
Adviser may allocate brokerage on behalf of the Fund to a broker-dealer who
provide research services. Subject to compliance with Section 28(e), the Adviser
may cause Fund to pay to broker-dealer who provides research services a
commission that exceeds the commission the Fund might have paid to a different
broker-dealer for the same transaction if the Adviser determines, in good faith,
that such amount of commission is reasonable in relationship to the value of
such brokerage or research services provided viewed in terms of that particular
transaction or the Adviser's overall responsibilities to the Fund or its other
advisory clients. The Adviser may aggregate sales and purchase orders of the
assets of the Fund with similar orders being made simultaneously for other
accounts advised by the Adviser or
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its affiliates. Whenever the Adviser simultaneously places orders to purchase or
sell the same asset on behalf of a Fund and one or more other accounts advised
by the Adviser, the orders will be allocated as to price and amount among all
such accounts in a manner believed to be equitable over time to each account.
(b) The Adviser will report to the Board at each meeting thereof as
requested by the Board all material changes in the Fund since the prior report,
and will also keep the Board informed of important developments affecting the
Trust, the Fund and the Adviser, and on its own initiative, or as requested by
the Board, 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 the Fund's holdings, the
industries in which they engage, the economic, social or political conditions
prevailing in each country in which the Fund maintain investments, or otherwise.
The Adviser will also furnish the Board with such statistical and analytical
information with respect to investments of the Fund as the Adviser may believe
appropriate or as the Board reasonably may request. In making purchases and
sales of securities and other investment assets for the Fund, the Adviser shall
comply with the directions and policies set from time to time by the Board as
well as the limitations imposed by the Trust's or the Fund's policies and
procedures, the Registration Statement, the 1940 Act, the Securities Act, the
1934 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,, and other applicable
laws.
(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 will report to the Board all matters related to the
Adviser that are material to Adviser's performance of this Agreement. On an
annual basis, the Adviser shall report on its compliance with its Code to the
Board and upon the written request of the Trust, the Adviser shall permit the
Trust or its representatives to examine the reports required to be made to the
Adviser under the Code. The Adviser will notify the Trust of any change of
control of the Adviser and any changes in the key personnel who are either the
portfolio manager(s) of a Fund or senior management of the Adviser, in each case
prior to or promptly after such change.
(e) The Adviser will maintain records relating to its portfolio
transactions and placing and allocation of brokerage orders as are required to
be maintained by the Trust under the 1940 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 Adviser or the Trust
pursuant to applicable law. To the extent required by law, 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 its 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 its representatives.
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(f) The Adviser will cooperate with the Fund's independent public
accountants and shall take reasonable action to make all necessary information
available to those accountants for the performance of the accountants' duties.
(g) The Adviser will provide the Fund and the Fund's custodian and fund
accountant on each business day with such information relating to all
transactions concerning the Fund's assets as the Fund or the Fund's custodian
and fund accountant may reasonably require, including but not limited to
information required to be provided under the Trust's Portfolio Securities
Valuation Procedures, provided, however, the Adviser shall not be deemed to be
the pricing agent for the Fund.
SECTION 4. COMPENSATION; EXPENSES
(a) In consideration of the foregoing, the Trust shall pay the Adviser,
with respect to the Fund, a fee at an annual rate as listed in Appendix A
hereto. Such fees shall be accrued by the Trust daily and shall be payable
monthly in arrears on the first business day of each calendar month for services
performed hereunder during the prior calendar month. If fees begin to accrue in
the middle of a month or if this Agreement terminates before the end of any
month, all fees for the period from that date to the end of that month or from
the beginning of that month to the date of termination, as the case may be,
shall be prorated according to the proportion that the period bears to the full
month in which the effectiveness or termination occurs. Upon the termination of
this Agreement with respect to a Fund, the Trust shall pay to the Adviser such
compensation as shall be payable prior to the effective date of termination.
(b) The Adviser shall reimburse expenses of the Fund or waive its fees
to the extent necessary to maintain a Fund's expense ratio at an agreed-upon
amount for a period of time specified in a separate letter of agreement. The
Adviser's reimbursement of a Fund's expenses shall be estimated and paid to the
Trust monthly in arrears, at the same time as the Trust's payment to the Adviser
for such month.
(c) With respect to Fund assets invested in the proprietary mutual
funds of a subadviser, the Adviser shall reduce the advisory fee applicable to
these assets by an amount equal to the excess of the expense of investing the
Fund's assets in the proprietary mutual funds over the expenses of investing the
Fund's assets directly in securities by the Sub-Adviser.
(d) The Trust shall be responsible for and assumes the obligation for
payment of all of its expenses including but not limited to: (i) the fee payable
under this Agreement; (ii) the fees payable to each administrator under an
agreement between the administrator and the Trust; (iii) expenses of issue,
repurchase and redemption of Shares; (iv) interest charges, taxes and brokerage
fees and commissions; (v) premiums of insurance for the Trust, its trustees and
officers, and fidelity bond premiums; (vi) fees and expenses of third parties,
including the Trust's independent public accountant, custodian, transfer agent,
dividend disbursing agent and fund accountant; (vii) fees of pricing, interest,
dividend, credit and other reporting services; (viii) costs of membership in
trade associations; (ix) telecommunications expenses; (x) funds' transmission
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expenses; (xi) auditing, legal and compliance expenses; (xii) costs of forming
the Trust and maintaining its existence; (xiii) costs of preparing, filing and
printing the Trust's Prospectuses, subscription application forms and
shareholder reports and other communications and delivering them to existing
shareholders, whether of record or beneficial; (xiv) expenses of meetings of
shareholders and proxy solicitations therefor; (xv) costs of maintaining books
of original entry for portfolio and fund accounting and other required books and
accounts, of calculating the net asset value of Shares and of preparing tax
returns; (xvi) costs of reproduction, stationery, supplies and postage; (xvii)
fees and expenses of the Trust's trustees and officers; (xviii) the costs of
personnel (who may be employees of the Adviser, an administrator or their
respective affiliated persons) performing services for the Trust; (xix) costs of
Board, Board committee and other corporate meetings; (xx) SEC registration fees
and related expenses; (xxi) state, territory or foreign securities laws
registration fees and related expenses; and(xxii) all fees and expenses paid by
the Trust in accordance with any distribution or service plan or agreement
related to similar matters.
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. The Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any
mistake of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any
investment or for any act or omission taken or in any event whatsoever with
respect to the Trust, the Fund or any of the Fund's shareholders in the absence
of bad faith, willful misfeasance or gross negligence in the performance of the
Adviser's duties or obligations under this Agreement or by reason of the
Adviser's reckless disregard of its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
..
(b) Adviser shall not be liable for the errors of other service
providers to the Trust, including the errors of pricing services, administrator,
fund accountant, custodian or transfer agent to the Trust. The Adviser shall not
be liable to the Trust for any action taken or failure to act in good faith
reliance upon: (i) information, instructions or requests, whether oral or
written, with respect to the Fund made to the Adviser by a duly authorized
officer of the Trust; (ii) the advice of counsel to the Trust; and (iii) any
written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board or any
agent of the Board.
(c) The Adviser shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or
delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or
caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control
including, without limitation, acts of civil or military authority, national
emergencies, labor difficulties (other than those related to the Adviser's
employees), fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God,
insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails, transportation, communication
or power supply.
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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVENESS, DURATION AND TERMINATION
(a) This Agreement shall become effective with respect to a Fund on the
date above after approval by (i) a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of that Fund and (ii) a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons
(as defined in the 1940 Act).
(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 annual periods with respect to the Fund;
provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually: (i)
by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
the Fund, and in, either case, (ii) by a majority of the Trust's Trustees who
are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act); provided further,
however, that if 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 1940 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 securities of the 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 immediately upon its assignment.
SECTION 7. 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 directors, officers or employees 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 entity.
SECTION 8. REPRESENTATIONS OF ADVISER.
The Adviser represents and warrants that: (i) it is either registered
as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended
("Advisers Act") (and will continue to be so registered for so long as this
Agreement remains in effect) or exempt from registration under the Advisers Act;
(ii) is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from performing the
services contemplated by this Agreement; (iii) has met, and will seek to
continue to meet for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, any other
applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any
self-regulatory agency, necessary to be met in order to perform the services
contemplated by this Agreement; and (iv) will promptly notify the Trust of the
occurrence of any event that would disqualify the Adviser from serving as an
investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940
Act or otherwise.
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SECTION 9. SUBADVISERS
(a) At its own expense, the Adviser may carry out any of its
obligations under this Agreement by employing, subject to the approval,
direction and control of the Board, one or more persons who are registered as
investment advisers pursuant to the Advisers Act or who are exempt from
registration thereunder ("Subadvisers"). The Adviser may (i) evaluate, select,
and recommend Subadvisers to manage all or a portion of each Fund's assets, (ii)
allocate and, when appropriate, reallocate each Fund's assets among multiple
Subadvisers; (iii) terminate any Subadviser; (iv) monitor and evaluate each
Subadviser's performance; and (v) implement procedures reasonably designed to
seek to ensure that Subadvisers comply with the each applicable Fund's
investment objective, policies, and restrictions. Despite the Advisor's ability
to employ Subadvisers to perform the duties set forth in Section 3 of this
Agreement, the Adviser shall retain overall supervisory responsibility for the
general management and investment of the Fund's assets.
(b) Subject to the review and approval of the Board, the Adviser may
(i) enter into and amend Sub-Advisory Agreements with new or current
Subadvisers; and (ii) replace any Subadviser.
(c) Each Subadviser's employment will be evidenced by a separate
written agreement approved by the Board to the extent required by law or
regulation, and by the shareholders of each applicable Fund.
SECTION 11. LIMITATION OF SHAREHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Trustees of the Trust and the shareholders of the Fund shall not be
personally liable for any obligations of the Trust or of any Fund 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
Fund 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 shareholders of any Fund.
SECTION 12. RIGHTS TO NAME
If the Adviser ceases to act as investment adviser to the Trust or any
Fund whose name includes the term "Absolute" (the "Xxxx") or if the Adviser
requests in writing, the Trust shall take prompt action to change the name of
the Trust or any such Fund to a name that does not include the Xxxx. The Adviser
may from time to time make available without charge to the Trust for the Trust's
use any marks or symbols owned by the Adviser, including marks or symbols
containing the Xxxx or any variation thereof, as the Adviser deems appropriate.
Upon the Adviser's request in writing, the Trust shall cease to use any such
xxxx or symbol at any time. The Trust acknowledges that any rights in or to the
Xxxx and any such marks or symbols which may exist on the date of this Agreement
or arise hereafter are, and under any and all circumstances shall continue to
be, the sole property of the Adviser. The Adviser may permit other parties,
including other investment companies, to use the Xxxx in their names without the
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consent of the Trust. The Trust shall not use the Xxxx in conducting any
business other than that of an investment company registered under the 1940 Act
without the permission of the Adviser.
SECTION 13. 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 1940 Act, by a vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of any Fund thereby affected.
(b) No amendment to this Agreement or the termination of this Agreement
with respect to a Fund shall affect this Agreement as it pertains to any other
Fund, nor shall any such amendment require the vote of the shareholders of any
other Fund.
(c) Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party
for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement.
(d) This Agreement shall be governed by, and the provisions of this Agreement
shall be construed and interpreted under and in accordance with, the laws of the
State of New York.
(e) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties
hereto and supersedes any prior agreement between those parties with respect to
the subject matter hereof, whether oral or written.
(f) This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number
of counterparts, and all of the counterparts taken together shall be deemed to
constitute one and the same instrument.
(g) 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.
(h) Section headings in this Agreement are included for convenience
only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.
(i) Notices, requests, instructions and communications received by the
parties at their respective principal places of business, as indicated above, or
at such other address as a party may have designated in writing, shall be deemed
to have been properly given.
(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the parties
agree that the assets and liabilities of the Fund of the Trust are separate and
distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Fund and that no Fund
shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any
other Fund, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise.
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(k) No affiliated person, employee, agent, director, officer or manager
of the Adviser shall be liable at law or in equity for the Adviser's obligations
under this Agreement.
(l) The terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities", "interested person", "affiliated person," "control" and
"assignment" shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the 1940 Act.
(m) Each of the undersigned warrants and represents that they have full
power and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated and
that their signature will bind the party indicated to the terms hereof and each
party hereto warrants and represents that this Agreement, when executed and
delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the party,
enforceable against the party in accordance with its terms, subject to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general
application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties.
(n) The Adviser shall not use the name of the Trust or any Fund on any
checks, bank drafts, bank statements or forms for other than internal use in a
manner not approved by the Trust prior thereto in writing; provided however,
that the approval of the Trust shall not be required for the use of the Trust's
or Fund's name which merely refers in accurate and factual terms to the Trust or
Fund in connection with Adviser's role hereunder or which is required by any
appropriate regulatory, governmental or judicial authority; and further provided
that in no event shall such approval be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(o) The provisions of Sections 5, 6, 11 and 13 shall survive any
termination of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.
FORUM FUNDS
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Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
President
ABSOLUTE INVESTMENT ADVISERS LLC
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By:
Title:
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FORUM FUNDS
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Appendix A
FEE AS A % OF THE ANNUAL
FUNDS OF THE TRUST AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS OF THE FUND
Absolute Strategies Fund 1.60
