ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of February __, 2000 by and between whatifi Funds, a
business trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Fund"),
and INVESTORS BANK & TRUST COMPANY, a Massachusetts trust company (the "Bank").
WHEREAS, the Fund, a registered investment company under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), consisting of the separate
portfolios listed on Appendix A hereto; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain the Bank to render certain
administrative services to the Fund and the Bank is willing to render such
services.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein set
forth, it is agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Appointment. The Fund hereby appoints the Bank to act as
Administrator of the Fund on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Bank
accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services herein set forth for
the compensation herein provided.
2. Delivery of Documents. The Fund has furnished the Bank with copies
properly certified or authenticated of each of the following:
(a) Resolutions of the Fund's Board of Directors authorizing
the appointment of the Bank to provide certain administrative services to the
Fund and approving this Agreement;
(b) The Fund's incorporating documents filed with the state of
[state] on [date] and all amendments thereto (the "Articles");
(c) The Fund's by-laws and all amendments thereto (the
"By-Laws");
(d) The Fund's agreements with all service providers which
include any investment advisory agreements, sub-investment advisory agreements,
custody agreements, distribution agreements and transfer agency agreements
(collectively, the "Agreements");
(e) The Fund's most recent Registration Statement on Form N-1A
(the "Registration Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933 and under the
1940 Act and all amendments thereto; and
(f) The Fund's most recent prospectus and statement of
additional information (the "Prospectus"); and
(g) Such other certificates, documents or opinions as may
mutually be deemed necessary or appropriate for the Bank in the proper
performance of its duties hereunder.
The Fund will immediately furnish the Bank with copies of all
amendments of or supplements to the foregoing. Furthermore, the Fund will notify
the Bank as soon as possible of any
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matter which may materially affect the performance by the Bank of its services
under this Agreement.
3. Duties of Administrator. Subject to the supervision and direction of
the Board of Directors of the Fund, the Bank, as Administrator, will assist in
conducting various aspects of the Fund's administrative operations and
undertakes to perform the services described in Appendix B hereto. The Bank may,
from time to time, perform additional duties and functions which shall be set
forth in an amendment to such Appendix B executed by both parties. At such time,
the fee schedule included in Appendix C hereto shall be appropriately amended.
In performing all services under this Agreement, the Bank
shall act in conformity with the Fund's Articles and By-Laws and the 1940 Act,
as the same may be amended from time to time, and the investment objectives,
investment policies and other practices and policies set forth in the Fund's
Registration Statement, as the same may be amended from time to time.
Notwithstanding any item discussed herein, the Bank has no discretion over the
Fund's assets or choice of investments and cannot be held liable for any problem
relating to such investments.
4. Duties of the Fund.
(a) The Fund is solely responsible (through its transfer agent
or otherwise) for (i) providing timely and accurate reports ("Daily Sales
Reports") which will enable the Bank as Administrator to monitor the total
number of shares sold in each state on a daily basis and (ii) identifying any
exempt transactions ("Exempt Transactions") which are to be excluded from the
Daily Sales Reports.
(b) The Fund agrees to make its legal counsel available to the
Bank for instruction with respect to any matter of law arising in connection
with the Bank's duties hereunder, and the Fund further agrees that the Bank
shall be entitled to rely on such instruction without further investigation on
the part of the Bank.
5. Fees and Expenses.
(a) For the services to be rendered and the facilities to be
furnished by the Bank, as provided for in this Agreement, the Fund will
compensate the Bank in accordance with the fee schedule attached as Appendix C
hereto. Such fees do not include out-of-pocket disbursements (as delineated on
the fee schedule or other expenses with the prior approval of the Fund's
management) of the Bank for which the Bank shall be entitled to xxxx the Fund
separately and for which the Fund shall reimburse the Bank.
(b) The Bank shall not be required to pay any expenses
incurred by the Fund.
6. Limitation of Liability.
(a) The Bank, its directors, officers, employees and agents
shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss
suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of its obligations and
duties under this Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful
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misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of such
obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof. The Fund
will indemnify the Bank, its directors, officers, employees and agents against
and hold it and them harmless from any and all losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or expenses (including legal fees and expenses) resulting from any
claim, demand, action or suit (i) arising out of the actions or omissions of the
Fund, including, but not limited to, inaccurate Daily Sales Reports and
misidentification of Exempt Transactions; (ii) arising out of the offer or sale
of any securities of the Fund in violation of (x) any requirement under the
federal securities laws or regulations, (y) any requirement under the securities
laws or regulations of any state, or (z) any stop order or other determination
or ruling by any federal or state agency with respect to the offer or sale of
such securities; or (iii) not resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence of the Bank in the performance of such obligations and
duties or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.
(b) The Bank may apply to the Fund at any time for
instructions and may consult counsel for the Fund, or its own counsel, and with
accountants and other experts with respect to any matter arising in connection
with its duties hereunder, and the Bank 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.
The Bank shall not be liable for any act or omission taken or not taken in
reliance upon any document, certificate or instrument which it reasonably
believes to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or
persons. The Bank shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of
any officers, employees, or agents of the Fund until receipt of written notice
thereof has been received by the Bank from the Fund.
(c) In the event the Bank is unable to perform, or is delayed
in performing, its obligations under the terms of this Agreement because of acts
of God, strikes, legal constraint, government actions, war, emergency
conditions, interruption of electrical power or other utilities, equipment or
transmission failure or damage reasonably beyond its control or other causes
reasonably beyond its control, the Bank shall not be liable to the Fund for any
damages resulting from such failure to perform, delay in performance, or
otherwise from such causes.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, in no event shall the Bank be liable for special, incidental or
consequential damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
7. Termination of Agreement.
(a) The term of this Agreement shall be three years commencing
upon the date hereof (the "Initial Term"), unless earlier terminated as provided
herein. After the expiration of the Initial Term, the term of this Agreement
shall automatically renew for successive three-year terms (each a "Renewal
Term") unless notice of non-renewal is delivered by the non-renewing party to
the other party no later than ninety days prior to the expiration of the Initial
Term or any Renewal Term, as the case may be.
Either party hereto may terminate this Agreement prior to the expiration of
the Initial Term or any Renewal Term in the event the other party violates any
material provision of this Agreement, provided that the violating party does not
cure such violation within ninety days of receipt of
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written notice from the non-violating party of such violation.
(b) At any time after the termination of this Agreement, the
Fund may, upon written request, have reasonable access to the records of the
Bank relating to its performance of its duties as Administrator.
8. Miscellaneous.
(a) Any notice or other instrument authorized or required by
this Agreement to be given in writing to the Fund or the Bank shall be
sufficiently given if addressed to that party and received by it at its office
set forth below or at such other place as it may from time to time designate in
writing.
To the Fund: whatifi Funds
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
With a copy to:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq.
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
To the Bank:
Investors Bank & Trust Company
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, X.X. Xxx 0000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: _____________, Director, Client Management
With a copy to: Xxxx X. Xxxxx, General Counsel
(b) This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided,
however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable without the written consent
of the other party.
(c) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the
laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of
laws provisions.
(d) This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts each of which shall be deemed to be an original and which
collectively shall be deemed to constitute only one instrument.
(e) The captions of this Agreement are included for
convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
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9. Confidentiality. All books, records, information and data pertaining
to the business of the other party which are exchanged or received pursuant to
the negotiation or the carrying out of this Agreement shall remain confidential,
and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any other person, except as may be
required in the performance of duties hereunder or as otherwise required by law.
10. Use of Name. The Fund shall not use the name of the Bank or any of
its affiliates in any prospectus, sales literature or other material relating to
the Fund in a manner not approved by the Bank prior thereto in writing; provided
however, that the approval of the Bank shall not be required for any use of its
name which merely refers in accurate and factual terms to its appointment
hereunder or which is required by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
state securities authority or any other appropriate regulatory, governmental or
judicial authority; provided further, that in no event shall such approval be
unreasonably withheld or delayed.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be duly executed and delivered by their duly authorized officers as of the date
first written above.
whatifi Funds
By:
Name:
Title:
INVESTORS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
By:
Name:
Title:
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Appendices
Appendix A..................................................Portfolios
Appendix B..................................................Services
Appendix C..................................................Fee Schedule
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