Exhibit (d)(xiv) under Form N-1A
Exhibit 10 under Item 601/Reg. S-K
VISION GROUP OF FUNDS
INVESTMENT ADVISORY CONTRACT
This Contract is made this 1st day of November, 2000, between
MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS TRUST COMPANY ("M&T Bank"), a New York state bank
and trust company, having its principal place of business in Buffalo, New
York (the "Adviser"), and VISION GROUP OF FUNDS, a Delaware business trust
having its principal place of business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the
"Trust").
WHEREAS the Trust is an open-end management investment company as that
term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and
is registered as such with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and
WHEREAS Adviser is engaged in the business of rendering investment
advisory and management services.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound,
hereby agree as follows:
1. The Trust hereby appoints Adviser as Investment Adviser for each
of the portfolios ("Funds") of the Trust which executes an exhibit to this
Contract, and Adviser accepts the appointments. Subject to the direction of
the Trustees of the Trust, Adviser shall provide investment research and
supervision of the investments of the Funds and conduct a continuous program
of investment evaluation and of appropriate sale or other disposition and
reinvestment of each Fund's assets.
2. Adviser, in its supervision of the investments of each of the
Funds will be guided by each of the Fund's investment objective and policies
and the provisions and restrictions contained in the Articles of
Incorporation and By-Laws of the Trust and as set forth in the Registration
Statements and exhibits as may be on file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
3. Each Fund shall pay or cause to be paid all of its own expenses
and its allocable share of Trust expenses, including, without limitation, the
expenses of organizing the Trust and continuing its existence; fees and
expenses of Trustees and officers of the Trust; fees for investment advisory
services and administrative personnel and services; expenses incurred in the
distribution of its shares ("Shares"), including expenses of administrative
support services; fees and expenses of preparing and printing its
Registration Statements under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended, and any amendments thereto; expenses of
registering and qualifying the Trust, the Funds, and Shares of the Funds
under federal and state laws and regulations; expenses of preparing,
printing, and distributing prospectuses (and any amendments thereto) to
shareholders; interest expense, taxes, fees, and commissions of every kind;
expenses of issue (including cost of Share certificates), purchase,
repurchase, and redemption of Shares, including expenses attributable to a
program of periodic issue; charges and expenses of custodians, transfer
agents, dividend disbursing agents, shareholder servicing agents, and
registrars; printing and mailing costs, auditing, accounting, and legal
expenses; reports to shareholders and governmental officers and commissions;
expenses of meetings of Trustees and shareholders and proxy solicitations
therefor; insurance expenses; association membership dues and such
nonrecurring items as may arise, including all losses and liabilities
incurred in administering the Trust and the Funds. Each Fund will also pay
its allocable share of such extraordinary expenses as may arise including
expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings, and claims and
the legal obligations of the Trust to indemnify its officers and Trustees and
agents with respect thereto.
4. Each of the Funds shall pay to Adviser, for all services rendered
to each Fund by Adviser hereunder, the fees set forth in the exhibits
attached hereto.
5. The net asset value of each Fund's Shares as used herein will be
calculated to the nearest 1/10th of one cent.
6. The Adviser may from time to time and for such periods as it deems
appropriate reduce its compensation (and, if appropriate, assume expenses of
one or more of the Funds) to the extent that any Fund's expenses exceed such
lower expense limitation as the Adviser may, by notice to the Fund,
voluntarily declare to be effective.
7. This Contract shall begin for each Fund as of the date of
execution of the applicable exhibit and shall continue in effect with respect
to each Fund presently set forth on an exhibit (and any subsequent Funds
added pursuant to an exhibit during the initial term of this Contract) for
two years from the date of this Contract set forth above and thereafter for
successive periods of one year, subject to the provisions for termination and
all of the other terms and conditions hereof if: (a) such continuation shall
be specifically approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of the
Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees who are not
parties to this Contract or interested persons of any such party cast in
person at a meeting called for that purpose; and (b) Adviser shall not have
notified a Fund in writing at least sixty (60) days prior to the anniversary
date of this Contract in any year thereafter that it does not desire such
continuation with respect to that Fund. If a Fund is added after the first
approval by the Trustees as described above, this Contract will be effective
as to that Fund upon execution of the applicable exhibit and will continue in
effect until the next annual approval of this Contract by the Trustees and
thereafter for successive periods of one year, subject to approval as
described above.
8. Notwithstanding any provision in this Contract, it may be
terminated at any time with respect to any Fund, without the payment of any
penalty, by the Trustees of the Trust or by a vote of the shareholders of
that Fund on sixty (60) days' written notice to Adviser.
9. This Contract may not be assigned by Adviser and shall
automatically terminate in the event of any assignment. Adviser may employ
or contract with such other person, persons, corporation, or corporations at
its own cost and expense as it shall determine in order to assist it in
carrying out this Contract.
10. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties under this
Contract on the part of Adviser, Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or
to any of the Funds or to any shareholder for any act or omission in the
course of or connected in any way with rendering services or for any losses
that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of any security.
11. This Contract may be amended at any time by agreement of the
parties provided that the amendment shall be approved both by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees
who are not parties to this Contract or interested persons of any such party
to this Contract (other than as Trustees of the Trust) cast in person at a
meeting called for that purpose, and on behalf of a Fund by a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of such Fund.
12. The Adviser acknowledges that all sales literature for investment
companies (such as the Trust) are subject to strict regulatory oversight.
The Adviser agrees to submit any proposed sales literature for the Trust (or
any Fund) or for itself or its affiliates which mentions the Trust (or any
Fund) to the Trust's distributor for review and filing with the appropriate
regulatory authorities prior to the public release of any such sales
literature, provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed so as
to create any obligation or duty on the part of the Adviser to produce sales
literature for the Trust (or any Fund). The Trust agrees to cause its
distributor to promptly review all such sales literature to ensure compliance
with relevant requirements, to promptly advise Adviser of any deficiencies
contained in such sales literature, to promptly file complying sales
literature with the relevant authorities, and to cause such sales literature
to be distributed to prospective investors in the Trust.
13. This Contract shall be construed in accordance with and governed
by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
14. This Contract will become binding on the parties hereto upon their
execution of the attached exhibits to this Contract.
15. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized
by the Trustees of the Trust and signed by an authorized officer of the
Trust, acting as such, and neither such authorization by such 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, and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding upon any of
the Trustees or shareholders of the Trust, but bind only the appropriate
property of the Fund, or Class, as provided in the Declaration of Trust.
EXHIBIT A
to the
Investment Advisory Contract
dated November 1, 2000
Vision U.S. Government Securities Fund
Vision New York Municipal Income Fund
For all services rendered by Adviser hereunder, the above-named Fund(s)
of the Trust shall pay to Adviser and Adviser agrees to accept as full
compensation for all services rendered hereunder, an annual investment
advisory fee equal to .70 of 1% of the average daily net assets of the
Fund(s).
The portion of the fee based upon the average daily net assets of the
Fund(s) shall be accrued at the rate of 1/365th of .70 of 1% applied to the
daily net assets of the Fund(s).
The advisory fee so accrued shall be paid to Adviser daily.
Witness the due execution hereof this 1st day of November, 2000.
MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS
TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
VISION GROUP OF FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
EXHIBIT B
to the
Investment Advisory Contract
between Manufacturer's and Traders Trust Company
and Vision Group of Funds,
dated November 1, 2000
Vision Large Cap Value Fund
For all services rendered by Adviser hereunder, the above-named Fund of
the Trust shall pay to Adviser and Adviser agrees to accept as full
compensation for all services rendered hereunder, an annual investment
advisory fee equal to .70 of 1% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
The portion of the fee based upon the average daily net assets of the
Fund shall be accrued at the rate of 1/365th of .70 of 1% applied to the
daily net assets of the Fund.
The advisory fee so accrued shall be paid to Adviser at least daily.
Witness the due execution hereof this 1st day of November, 2000.
MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS
TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
VISION GROUP OF FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
EXHIBIT C
to the
Investment Advisory Contract
between Manufacturer's and Traders Trust Company
and Vision Group of Funds
dated November 1, 2000
Vision Large Cap Growth Fund
For all services rendered by Adviser hereunder, the above-named Fund of
the Trust shall pay to Adviser and Adviser agrees to accept as full
compensation for all services rendered hereunder, an annual investment
advisory fee equal to .85 of 1% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
The portion of the fee based upon the average daily net assets of the
Fund shall be accrued at the rate of 1/365th of .85 of 1% applied to the
daily net assets of the Fund.
The advisory fee so accrued shall be paid to Adviser at least monthly.
Witness the due execution hereof this 1st day of November, 2000.
MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS
TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
VISION GROUP OF FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
EXHIBIT D
to the
Investment Advisory Contract
between Manufacturer's and Traders Trust Company
and Vision Group of Funds
dated November 1, 2000
Vision Mid Cap Stock Fund
For all services rendered by Adviser hereunder, the above-named Fund of
the Trust shall pay to Adviser and Adviser agrees to accept as full
compensation for all services rendered hereunder, an annual investment
advisory fee equal to .85 of 1% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
The portion of the fee based upon the average daily net assets of the
Fund shall be accrued at the rate of 1/365th of .85 of 1% applied to the
daily net assets of the Fund.
The advisory fee so accrued shall be paid to Adviser at least monthly.
Witness the due execution hereof this 1st day of November, 2000.
MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS
TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
VISION GROUP OF FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
