INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
TO: Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC
00 Xxxxxxxx Xx., Xxxxx 000,
San Xxxx, PR 00901
Dear Sirs:
Catalyst Strategic Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) herewith confirms our agreement with you.
The Fund has been organized to engage in the business of a closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) operating as an interval fund.
You have been selected to act as the sole investment adviser of the series of the Fund and to provide certain other services, as more fully set forth below, and you are willing to act as such investment adviser and to perform such services under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. Accordingly, the Fund agrees with you as follows effective upon the date of the execution of this Agreement.
1. ADVISORY SERVICES
Subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Fund, you will provide or arrange to be provided to the Fund such investment advice as you in your discretion deem advisable and will furnish or arrange to be furnished a continuous investment program for the Fund consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. You will determine or arrange for others to determine the securities to be purchased for the Fund, the portfolio securities to be held or sold by the Fund and the portion of the Fund’s assets to be held uninvested, subject always to the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions, as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect, and subject further to such policies and instructions as the Board may from time to time establish. You will furnish such reports, evaluations, information or analyses to the Fund as the Board of Trustees of the Fund may request from time to time or as you may deem to be desirable. You also will advise and assist the officers of the Fund in taking such steps as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the decisions of the Board and the appropriate committees of the Board regarding the conduct of the business of the Fund.
2. USE OF SUB-ADVISERS
You may delegate any or all of the responsibilities, rights or duties described above to one or more sub-advisers who shall enter into agreements with you, provided the agreements are approved and ratified (i) by the Board including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of you or of the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) if required under interpretations of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”) by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff, by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund (unless the Fund has obtained an exemption from the provisions of Section 15(a) of the Act). Any such delegation shall not relieve you from any liability hereunder.
3. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES
You will pay the compensation of any sub-adviser retained pursuant to paragraph 2 above.
The Fund will be responsible for the payment of all operating expenses of the Fund, including the compensation and expenses of any employees, officers and trustees of the Fund and of any other persons rendering any services to the Fund; clerical and shareholder service staff salaries; office space and other office expenses; fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with membership in investment company organizations; legal, auditing and accounting expenses; expenses of registering shares under federal and state securities laws, including expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with the organization and initial registration of shares of the Fund; insurance expenses; fees and expenses of the custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder service agent, plan agent, administrator, accounting and pricing services agent and underwriter of the Fund; expenses, including clerical expenses, of issue, sale, redemption or repurchase of shares of the Fund; the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the cost of printing or preparing prospectuses and statements of additional information for delivery to shareholders; the cost of printing or preparing stock certificates or any other documents, statements or reports to shareholders; expenses of shareholders’ meetings and proxy solicitations; advertising, promotion and other expenses incurred directly or indirectly in connection with the sale or distribution of the Fund’s shares that the Fund is authorized to pay pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act; and all other operating expenses not specifically assumed by you. The Fund will also pay all brokerage fees and commissions, taxes, borrowing costs (such as (a) interest and (b) dividend expenses on securities sold short), fees and expenses of the non-interested person Trustees and such extraordinary or non-recurring expenses as may arise, including regulatory examinations, and litigation to which the Fund may be a party and indemnification of the Fund’s Trustees and officers with respect thereto.
You may obtain reimbursement from the Fund, at such time or times as you may determine in your sole discretion, for any of the expenses advanced by you, which the Fund is obligated to pay, and such reimbursement shall not be considered to be part of your compensation pursuant to this Agreement.
4. COMPENSATION OF THE ADVISER
For all of the services to be rendered as provided in this Agreement, as of the last business day of each month, the Fund will pay you a fee based on the average value of the daily net assets of the Fund and paid at an annual rate of 1.50%.
The average value of the daily net assets of the Fund shall be determined pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or a resolution of the Board of Trustees, if required. If, pursuant to such provisions, the determination of net asset value of the Fund is suspended for any particular business day, then for the purposes of this paragraph, the value of the net assets of the Fund as last determined shall be deemed to be the value of the net assets as of the close of the business day, or as of such other time as the value of the Fund’s net assets may lawfully be determined, on that day. If the determination of the net asset value of the Fund has been suspended for a period including such month, your compensation payable at the end of such month shall be computed on the basis of the value of the net assets of the Fund as last determined (whether during or prior to such month).
5. EXECUTION OF PURCHASE AND SALE ORDERS
In connection with purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the account of the Fund, it is understood that you (or the applicable sub-adviser retained pursuant to paragraph 2 above) will arrange for the placing of all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the account with brokers or dealers selected by you (or the sub-adviser), subject to review of this selection by the Board of Trustees from time to time. You (or the sub-adviser) will be responsible for the negotiation and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage. In the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, you (or the sub-adviser) are directed at all times to seek for the Fund the best qualitative execution, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer.
You (or the sub-adviser) should generally seek favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received. In seeking best qualitative execution, you (or the sub-adviser) are authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which you exercise investment discretion. You (or the sub-adviser) are authorized to pay a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services a commission for executing the Fund portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if you (or the sub-adviser) determine in good faith that the amount of the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the executing broker or dealer. The determination may be viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or your (or the sub-adviser’s) overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and to accounts over which you (or the sub-adviser) exercise investment discretion. The Fund and you (and the sub-adviser) understand and acknowledge that, although the information may be useful to the Fund and you (and the sub-adviser), it is not possible to place a dollar value on such information. The Board of Trustees shall periodically review the commissions paid by the Fund to determine if the commissions paid over representative periods of time were reasonable in relation to the benefits to the Fund.
A broker’s or dealer's sale or promotion of Fund shares shall not be a factor considered by your personnel responsible for selecting brokers to effect securities transactions on behalf of the Fund. You and your personnel shall not enter into any written or oral agreement or arrangement to compensate a broker or dealer for any promotion or sale of Fund shares by directing to such broker or dealer (i) the Fund's portfolio securities transactions or (ii) any remuneration, including but not limited to, any commission, mark-up, mark down or other fee received or to be received from the Fund's portfolio transactions through such broker or dealer. However, you may place Fund portfolio transactions with brokers or dealers that sell or promote shares of the Fund provided the Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures under Rule 12b-1(h) under the Act and such transactions are conducted in compliance with those policies and procedures.
Subject to the provisions of the Act, and other applicable law, you (or the sub-adviser), any of your (and the sub-adviser’s) affiliates or any affiliates of your (or the sub-adviser’s) affiliates may retain compensation in connection with effecting the Fund’s portfolio transactions, including transactions effected through others. If any occasion should arise in which you (or the sub-adviser) give any advice to your clients (or clients of the sub-adviser) concerning the shares of the Fund, you (or the sub-adviser) will act solely as investment counsel for such client and not in any way on behalf of the Fund.
6. PROXY VOTING
You will vote, or make arrangements to have voted, all proxies solicited by or with respect to the issuers of securities in which assets of the Fund may be invested from time to time. Such proxies will be voted in a manner that you deem, in good faith, to be in the best interest of the Fund and in accordance with your proxy voting policy. You agree to provide a copy of your proxy voting policy, and any amendments thereto, to the Fund prior to the execution of this Agreement
7. CODE OF ETHICS
You have adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the Act and will provide the Fund with a copy of the code and evidence of its adoption. Within 60 days of the last calendar quarter of each year while this Agreement is in effect, you will provide to the Board of Trustees of the Fund a written report that describes any issues arising under the code of ethics since the last report to the Board of Trustees, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the code and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and which certifies that you have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent access persons (as that term is defined in Rule 17j-1) from violating the code.
8. SERVICES NOT EXCLUSIVE/USE OF NAME
Your services to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and it is understood that you may render investment advice, management and other services to others, including other registered investment companies, provided, however, that such other services and activities do not, during the term of this Agreement, interfere in a material manner, with your ability to meet all of your obligations with respect to rendering services to the Fund.
The Fund and you acknowledge that all rights to the name “Catalyst” or any variation thereof belong to you, and that the Fund is being granted a limited license to use such words in its Fund name or in any class name. In the event you cease to be the adviser to the Fund, the Fund’s right to the use of the name “Catalyst” shall automatically cease on the ninetieth day following the termination of this Agreement. The right to the name may also be withdrawn by you during the term of this Agreement upon ninety (90) days’ written notice by you to the Fund. Nothing contained herein shall impair or diminish in any respect, your right to use the name “Catalyst” in the name of, or in connection with, any other business enterprises with which you are or may become associated. There is no charge to the Fund for the right to use this name.
9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF ADVISER
You may rely on information reasonably believed by you to be accurate and reliable. Except as may otherwise be required by the Act or the rules thereunder, neither you nor your directors, officers, employees, shareholders, members, agents, control persons or affiliates of any thereof shall be subject to any liability for, or any damages, expenses or losses incurred by the Fund in connection with, any error of judgment, mistake of law, any act or omission connected with or arising out of any services rendered under, or payments made pursuant to, this Agreement or any other matter to which this Agreement relates, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of any such persons in the performance of your duties under this Agreement, or by reason of reckless disregard by any of such persons of your obligations and duties under this Agreement.
Any person, even though also a director, officer, employee, shareholder, member or agent of you, who may be or become a trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Fund, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Fund or acting on any business of the Fund (other than services or business in connection
with your duties hereunder), to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Fund and not as a director, officer, employee, shareholder, member, or agent of you, or one under your control or direction, even though paid by you.
10. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT
The term of this Agreement shall begin on the date of this Agreement and shall continue in effect with respect to the Fund for a period of two (2) years. This Agreement shall continue in effect from year to year thereafter, subject to termination as hereinafter provided, if such continuance is approved at least annually by (a) a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund or by vote of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (b) by vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” of any party to this Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval
This Agreement may, on sixty (60) days written notice, be terminated with respect to the Fund, at any time without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees, by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by you. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
11. AMENDMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT
No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be effective until approved by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of you or of the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (if required under interpretations of the Act by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff) by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund to which the amendment relates.
12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY TO FUND PROPERTY
The term “Mutual Fund Series Trust” means and refers to the Trustees from time to time serving under the Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust as the same may subsequently thereto have been, or subsequently hereto be, amended. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Fund hereunder shall not be binding upon any of Trustees, officers, employees, agents or nominees of the Fund, or any shareholders of any series of the Fund, personally, but bind only the trust property of the Fund (and only the property of the applicable Fund), as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees and shareholders of the applicable Fund and signed by officers of the Fund, acting as such, and neither such authorization by such Trustees and shareholders nor such execution and delivery by such officers 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 Fund (and only the property of applicable Fund) as provided in its Agreement and Declaration of Trust. A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust is on file with the Secretary of State of Ohio.
13. SEVERABILITY
In the event any provision of this Agreement is determined to be void or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect the remainder of this Agreement, which shall continue to be in force.
14. BOOKS AND RECORDS
In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the Act, you agree that all records which you maintain for the Fund are the property of the Fund and you agree to surrender promptly to the Fund such records upon the Fund’s request. You further agree to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the Act all records which you maintain for the Fund that are required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1 under the Act.
15. QUESTIONS OF INTERPRETATION
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
(b) For the purpose of this Agreement, the terms “assignment,” “majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “control” and “interested person” shall have their respective meanings as defined in the Act and rules and regulations thereunder, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Act; and the term “brokerage and research services” shall have the meaning given in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(c) Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the United States courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is revised by rule, regulation, order or interpretation of the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation, order or interpretation.
16. NOTICES
Whenever any notice is required or permitted to be given under any provision of this Agreement, such notice shall be in writing, shall be signed by or on behalf of the party giving the notice and shall be mailed by first class or express mail, or sent by courier, or email to the other party at the mailing addresses, or email addresses specified below or to such other address as a party may from time to time specify to the other party by such notice hereunder. Any such notice shall be deemed duly given when delivered at such address.
If to the Fund:
| XxXxx Xxxxxxxx, Esq |
| Xxxxxxxx Xxxx LLP |
| 00 Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000 |
| Columbus, Ohio 43215-6101 |
| XxXxx.Xxxxxxxx@XxxxxxxxXxxx.xxx |
If to Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC:
|
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Chief Executive Officer Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC |
| 00 Xxxxxxxx Xx., Xxxxx 000, |
| San Xxxx, PR 00901 |
|
Email: XxxxxX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
|
17. CONFIDENTIALITY
You agree to treat all records and other information relating to the Fund and the securities holdings of the Fund as confidential and shall not disclose any such records or information to any other person unless (i) the Board of Trustees of the Fund has approved the disclosure or (ii) such disclosure is compelled by law. In addition, you, and your officers, directors and employees are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Fund, as a result of disclosing the Fund’s portfolio holdings. You agree that, consistent with your Code of Ethics, neither you nor your officers, directors or employees may engage in personal securities transactions based on nonpublic information about the Fund's portfolio holdings.
18. COUNTERPARTS
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
19. BINDING EFFECT
Each of the undersigned expressly warrants and represents that he has the full power and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated, and that his signature will operate to bind the party indicated to the foregoing terms.
20. CAPTIONS
The captions in 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.
If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of acceptance on the accompanying counterpart of this letter and return such counterpart to the Fund, whereupon this letter shall become a binding contract upon the date thereof.
Yours very truly,
Catalyst Strategic Income Opportunities Fund
Dated: as of April 30, 2024
By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Print Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Trustee
ACCEPTANCE:
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted.
Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC
Dated: as of April 30, 2024
By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Print Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Chief Executive Officer
