ADVISORS SERIES TRUST
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
OAM Avatar, LLC
THIS INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT is made as of the __ day of
_____________, 2003, by and between ADVISORS SERIES TRUST, a Delaware statutory
trust (hereinafter referred to as the "Trust"), on behalf of its series of the
Trust, The Avatar Advantage Equity Allocation Fund and The Avatar Advantage
Balanced Fund (together, the "Funds") and OAM Avatar, LLC (herein after referred
to as the "Advisor").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered
as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Investment Company Act");
and
WHEREAS, the Funds are each a separate series of the Trust having separate
assets and liabilities; and
WHEREAS, the Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act") (or is exempt from
registration) and is engaged in the business of supplying investment advice as
an independent contractor; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Advisor to render advice and
services to the Funds pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement,
and the Advisor desires to furnish said advice and services;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises
hereinafter set forth, the parties to this Agreement, intending to be legally
bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:
1. APPOINTMENT OF ADVISOR. The Trust hereby employs the Advisor and the
Advisor hereby accepts such employment, to render investment advice and related
services with respect to the assets of the Funds for the period and on the terms
set forth in this Agreement, subject to the supervision and direction of the
Trust's Board of Trustees.
2. DUTIES OF ADVISOR.
(a) GENERAL DUTIES. The Advisor shall act as investment adviser to the
Funds and shall supervise investments of the Funds on behalf of the Funds in
accordance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the
Funds as set forth in the Funds' and Trust's governing documents, including,
without limitation, the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws;
the Funds' prospectus, statement of additional information and undertakings; and
such other limitations, policies and procedures as the Trustees may impose from
time to time in writing to the Advisor. In providing such services, the Advisor
shall at all times adhere to the provisions and restrictions contained in the
federal securities laws, applicable state securities laws, the Internal Revenue
Code, the Uniform Commercial Code and other applicable law.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Advisor shall: (i)
furnish the Funds with advice and recommendations with respect to the investment
of the Funds' assets and the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the
Funds, including the taking of such steps as may be necessary to implement such
advice and recommendations (i.e., placing the orders); (ii) manage and oversee
the investments of the Funds, subject to the ultimate supervision and direction
of the Trust's Board of Trustees; (iii) vote proxies for the Funds, file
ownership reports under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for
the Funds, and take other actions on behalf of the Funds; (iv) maintain the
books and records required to be maintained by the Funds except to the extent
arrangements have been made for such books and records to be maintained by the
administrator or another agent of the Funds; (v) furnish reports, statements and
other data on securities, economic conditions and other matters related to the
investment of the Funds' assets which the Funds' administrator or distributor or
the officers of the Trust may reasonably request; and (vi) render to the Trust's
Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports with respect to each Funds'
investment activities as the Board may reasonably request, including at least
one in-person appearance annually before the Board of Trustees.
(b) BROKERAGE. The Advisor shall be responsible for decisions to buy and
sell securities for the Funds, for broker-dealer selection, and for negotiation
of brokerage commission rates, provided that the Advisor shall not direct order
to an affiliated person of the Advisor without general prior authorization to
use such affiliated broker or dealer for the Trust's Board of Trustees. The
Advisor's primary consideration in effecting a securities transaction will be
execution at the most favorable price. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute
each particular transaction, the Advisor may take the following into
consideration: the best net price available; the reliability, integrity and
financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size of and difficulty in
executing the order; and the value of the expected contribution of the
broker-dealer to the investment performance of the Funds on a continuing basis.
The price to the Funds in any transaction may be less favorable than that
available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified
by other aspects of the portfolio execution services offered.
Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may
determine, the Advisor shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have
breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of its
having caused the Funds to pay a broker or dealer that provides (directly or
indirectly) brokerage or research services to the Advisor an amount of
commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of
commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that
transaction, if the Advisor determines in good faith that such amount of
commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research
services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that
particular transaction or the Advisor's overall responsibilities with respect to
the Trust. The Advisor is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it
on behalf of the Funds to such brokers or dealers who also provide research or
statistical material, or other services, to the Trust, the Advisor, or any
affiliate of either. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as
the Advisor shall determine, and the Advisor shall report on such allocations
regularly to the Trust, indicating the broker-dealers to whom such allocations
have been made and the basis therefor. The Advisor is also authorized to
consider sales of shares as a factor in the selection of brokers or dealers to
execute portfolio transactions, subject to the requirements of best execution,
i.e., that such brokers or dealers are able to execute the order promptly and at
the best obtainable securities price.
On occasions when the Advisor deems the purchase or sale of a security to
be in the best interest of the Funds as well as of other clients, the Advisor,
to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the
securities to be so purchased or sold in order to obtain the most favorable
price or lower brokerage commissions and the most efficient execution. In such
event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the
expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Advisor in the manner
it considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary
obligations to the Funds and to such other clients.
3. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE ADVISOR.
(a) The Advisor shall use its best judgment and efforts in rendering the
advice and services to the Funds as contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) The Advisor shall maintain all licenses and registrations necessary to
perform its duties hereunder in good order.
(c) The Advisor shall conduct its operations at all times in conformance
with the Advisers Act, the Investment Company Act, and any other applicable
state and/or self-regulatory organization regulations.
(d) The Advisor shall maintain errors and omissions insurance in an amount
at least equal to that disclosed to the Board of Trustees in connection with
their approval of this Agreement.
4. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. The Advisor shall, for all purposes herein, be
deemed to be an independent contractor, and shall, unless otherwise expressly
provided and authorized to do so, have no authority to act for or represent the
Trust or the Funds in any way, or in any way be deemed an agent for the Trust or
for the Funds. It is expressly understood and agreed that the services to be
rendered by the Advisor to the Funds under the provisions of this Agreement are
not to be deemed exclusive, and the Advisor shall be free to render similar or
different services to others so long as its ability to render the services
provided for in this Agreement shall not be impaired thereby.
5. ADVISOR'S PERSONNEL. The Advisor shall, at its own expense, maintain
such staff and employ or retain such personnel and consult with such other
persons as it shall from time to time determine to be necessary to the
performance of its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the staff and personnel of the Advisor shall be
deemed to include persons employed or retained by the Advisor to furnish
statistical information, research, and other factual information, advice
regarding economic factors and trends, information with respect to technical and
scientific developments, and such other information, advice and assistance as
the Advisor or the Trust's Board of Trustees may desire and reasonably request.
6. EXPENSES.
(a) With respect to the operation of the Funds, the Advisor shall be
responsible for (i) providing the personnel, office space and equipment
reasonably necessary for the operation of the Funds, (ii) the expenses of
printing and distributing extra copies of the Funds' prospectus, statement of
additional information, and sales and advertising materials (but not the legal,
auditing or accounting fees attendant thereto) to prospective investors (but not
to existing shareholders), and (iii) the costs of any special Board of Trustees
meetings or shareholder meetings convened for the primary benefit of the
Advisor. If the Advisor has agreed to limit the operating expenses of the Funds,
the Advisor shall also be responsible on a monthly basis for any operating
expenses that exceed the agreed upon expense limit.
(b) The Funds are responsible for and has assumed the obligation for
payment of all of its expenses, other than as stated in Subparagraph 6(a) above,
including but not limited to: fees and expenses incurred in connection with the
issuance, registration and transfer of its shares; brokerage and commission
expenses; all expenses of transfer, receipt, safekeeping, servicing and
accounting for the cash, securities and other property of the Trust for the
benefit of the Funds including all fees and expenses of its custodian,
shareholder services agent and accounting services agent; interest charges on
any borrowings; costs and expenses of pricing and calculating its daily net
asset value and of maintaining its books of account required under the
Investment Company Act; taxes, if any; a pro rata portion of expenditures in
connection with meetings of the Funds' shareholders and the Trust's Board of
Trustees that are properly payable by the Funds; salaries and expenses of
officers and fees and expenses of members of the Trust's Board of Trustees or
members of any advisory board or committee who are not members of, affiliated
with or interested persons of the Advisor; insurance premiums on property or
personnel of each Funds which inure to its benefit, including liability and
fidelity bond insurance; the cost of preparing and printing reports, proxy
statements, prospectuses and statements of additional information of the Funds
or other communications for distribution to existing shareholders; legal,
auditing and accounting fees; trade association dues; fees and expenses
(including legal fees) of registering and maintaining registration of its shares
for sale under federal and applicable state and foreign securities laws; all
expenses of maintaining and servicing shareholder accounts, including all
charges for transfer, shareholder recordkeeping, dividend disbursing,
redemption, and other agents for the benefit of the Funds, if any; and all other
charges and costs of its operation plus any extraordinary and non-recurring
expenses, except as herein otherwise prescribed.
(c) The Advisor may voluntarily absorb certain Fund expenses or waive the
Advisor's own advisory fee.
(d) To the extent the Advisor incurs any costs by assuming expenses which
are an obligation of the Funds as set forth herein, the Funds shall promptly
reimburse the Advisor for such costs and expenses, except to the extent the
Advisor has otherwise agreed to bear such expenses. To the extent the services
for which the Funds are obligated to pay are performed by the Advisor, the
Advisor shall be entitled to recover from such Fund to the extent of the
Advisor's actual costs for providing such services. In determining the Advisor's
actual costs, the Advisor may take into account an allocated portion of the
salaries and overhead of personnel performing such services.
7. INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND MANAGEMENT FEE.
(a) The Funds shall pay to the Advisor, and the Advisor agrees to accept,
as full compensation for all investment management and advisory services
furnished or provided to such Funds pursuant to this Agreement, an annual
management fee at the rate set forth in Schedule A to this Agreement.
(b) The management fee shall be accrued daily by the Funds and paid to the
Advisor on the first business day of the succeeding month.
(c) The initial fee under this Agreement shall be payable on the first
business day of the first month following the effective date of this Agreement
and shall be prorated as set forth below. If this Agreement is terminated prior
to the end of any month, the fee to the Advisor shall be prorated for the
portion of any month in which this Agreement is in effect which is not a
complete month according to the proportion which the number of calendar days in
the month during which the Agreement is in effect bears to the number of
calendar days in the month, and shall be payable within ten (10) days after the
date of termination.
(d) The fee payable to the Advisor under this Agreement will be reduced to
the extent of any receivable owed by the Advisor to the Funds and as required
under any expense limitation applicable to a Fund.
(e) The Advisor voluntarily may reduce any portion of the compensation or
reimbursement of expenses due to it pursuant to this Agreement and may agree to
make payments to limit the expenses which are the responsibility of a Fund under
this Agreement. Any such reduction or payment shall be applicable only to such
specific reduction or payment and shall not constitute an agreement to reduce
any future compensation or reimbursement due to the Advisor hereunder or to
continue future payments. Any such reduction will be agreed to prior to accrual
of the related expense or fee and will be estimated daily and reconciled and
paid on a monthly basis.
(f) Any such reductions made by the Advisor in its fees or payment of
expenses which are the Funds' obligation are subject to reimbursement by the
Funds to the Advisor, if so requested by the Advisor, in subsequent fiscal years
if the aggregate amount actually paid by the Funds toward the operating expenses
for such fiscal year (taking into account the reimbursement) does not exceed the
applicable limitation on the Funds' expenses. Under the expense limitation
agreement, the Advisor may recoup reimbursements made in any fiscal year of the
Funds over the following three fiscal years. Any such reimbursement is also
contingent upon Board of Trustees review and approval at time the reimbursement
is made. Such reimbursement may not be paid prior to the Funds' payment of
current ordinary operating expenses.
(g) The Advisor may agree not to require payment of any portion of the
compensation or reimbursement of expenses otherwise due to it pursuant to this
Agreement. Any such agreement shall be applicable only with respect to the
specific items covered thereby and shall not constitute an agreement not to
require payment of any future compensation or reimbursement due to the Advisor
hereunder.
8. NO SHORTING; NO BORROWING. The Advisor agrees that neither it nor any of
its officers or employees shall take any short position in the shares of the
Funds. This prohibition shall not prevent the purchase of such shares by any of
the officers or employees of the Advisor or any trust, pension, profit-sharing
or other benefit plan for such persons or affiliates thereof, at a price not
less than the net asset value thereof at the time of purchase, as allowed
pursuant to rules promulgated under the Investment Company Act. The Advisor
agrees that neither it nor any of its officers or employees shall borrow from
the Funds or pledge or use the Funds' assets in connection with any borrowing
not directly for the Funds' benefit. For this purpose, failure to pay any amount
due and payable to the Funds for a period of more than thirty (30) days shall
constitute a borrowing.
9. CONFLICTS WITH TRUST'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS AND APPLICABLE LAWS. Nothing
herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust or the Funds to take any
action contrary to the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws, or
any applicable statute or regulation, or to relieve or deprive the Board of
Trustees of the Trust of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of
the affairs of the Trust and Funds. In this connection, the Advisor acknowledges
that the Trustees retain ultimate plenary authority over the Funds and may take
any and all actions necessary and reasonable to protect the interests of
shareholders.
10. REPORTS AND ACCESS. The Advisor agrees to supply such information to
the Funds' administrator and to permit such compliance inspections by the Funds'
administrator as shall be reasonably necessary to permit the administrator to
satisfy its obligations and respond to the reasonable requests of the Trustees.
11. ADVISOR'S LIABILITIES AND INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The Advisor shall have responsibility for the accuracy and completeness
(and liability for the lack thereof) of the statements in the Funds' offering
materials (including the prospectus, the statement of additional information,
advertising and sales materials), except for information supplied by the
administrator or the Trust or another third party for inclusion therein.
(b) The Advisor shall be liable to the Funds for any loss (including
brokerage charges) incurred by the Funds as a result of any improper investment
made by the Advisor.
(c) In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or
reckless disregard of the obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the
Advisor, the Advisor shall not be subject to liability to the Trust or the Funds
or to any shareholder of the Funds for any act or omission in the course of, or
connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be
sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by the Funds.
(d) Each party to this Agreement shall indemnify and hold harmless the
other party and the shareholders, directors, officers and employees of the other
party (any such person, an "Indemnified Party") against any loss, liability,
claim, damage or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating and
defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage or expenses and reasonable
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of the Indemnified
Party's performance or non-performance of any duties under this Agreement
provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect any
Indemnified Party against any liability to which such Indemnified Party would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence
in the performance of duties hereunder or by reason of reckless disregard of
obligations and duties under this Agreement.
(e) No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to protect any
Trustee or officer of the Trust, or officer of the Advisor, from liability in
violation of Sections 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act.
12. NON-EXCLUSIVITY; TRADING FOR ADVISOR'S OWN ACCOUNT. The Trust's
employment of the Advisor is not an exclusive arrangement. The Trust may from
time to time employ other individuals or entities to furnish it with the
services provided for herein. Likewise, the Advisor may act as investment
adviser for any other person, and shall not in any way be limited or restricted
from buying, selling or trading any securities for its or their own accounts or
the accounts of others for whom it or they may be acting, provided, however,
that the Advisor expressly represents that it will undertake no activities which
will adversely affect the performance of its obligations to the Funds under this
Agreement; and provided further that the Advisor will adhere to a code of ethics
governing employee trading and trading for proprietary accounts that conforms to
the requirements of the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act and has been
approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees.
13. TERM.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective at the time the Funds commences
operations pursuant to an effective amendment to the Trust's Registration
Statement under the Securities Act of 1933 and shall remain in effect for a
period of two (2) years, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided. This
Agreement shall continue in effect thereafter for additional periods not
exceeding one (l) year so long as such continuation is approved for the Funds at
least annually by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by the vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund and (ii) the vote of
a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement
nor interested persons thereof, cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval. The terms "majority of the outstanding
voting securities" and "interested persons" shall have the meanings as set forth
in the Investment Company Act.
(b) The Funds may use the names The Avatar Advantage Equity Allocation
Fundand The Avatar Advantage Balanced Fund or any name derived from or using the
name "Avatar" or "Avatar Advantage" only for so long as this Agreement or any
extension, renewal or amendment hereof remains in effect. Within sixty (60) days
from such time as this Agreement shall no longer be in effect, the Funds shall
cease to use such a name or any other name connected with the Advisor.
14. TERMINATION; NO ASSIGNMENT.
(a) This Agreement may be terminated by the Trust on behalf of the Funds at
any time without payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust
or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds, upon
sixty (60) days' written notice to the Advisor, and by the Advisor upon sixty
(60) days' written notice to the Funds. In the event of a termination, the
Advisor shall cooperate in the orderly transfer of the Funds' affairs and, at
the request of the Board of Trustees, transfer any and all books and records of
the Funds maintained by the Advisor on behalf of the Funds.
(b) This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of any
transfer or assignment thereof, as defined in the Investment Company Act.
15. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made
invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered
invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
16. CAPTIONS. 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.
17. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of California without giving effect to
the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be
construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or
rule, including the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act and any rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first
above written.
ADVISORS SERIES TRUST OAM AVATAR, LLC
on behalf of The Avatar Advantage Equity
Allocation Fund and The Avatar Advantage
Balanced Fund
By: ______________________ By: ______________________
Name: ______________________ Name: ______________________
Title: ______________________ Title: ______________________
