SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGREEMENT ADVISOR SHARES
Exhibit h(9)
ADVISOR SHARES
THIS SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGREEMENT, dated as of August 22, 2006 (this “Servicing
Agreement”), by and between: (i) CRM Mutual Fund Trust, a Delaware business trust (the
“Trust”), on behalf of its Portfolios, CRM Small/Mid Cap Value Fund, CRM Mid/Large Cap
Value Fund and CRM All Cap Value Fund, and such other Portfolios of the Trust as may from time to
time join this Servicing Agreement (the “Funds”), and (ii) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx XxXxxxx, LLC
(the “Service Provider”);
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) with respect to
Advisor Shares (“Shares”) of each Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Service Provider wishes to maintain, and provide certain administrative and
servicing functions in relation to, the accounts of shareholders of the Shares (the
“Customers”), either directly or indirectly through arrangements with other investment
advisers, financial institutions and other persons (each, a “Third Party Service
Providers”); and
WHEREAS, this Servicing Agreement has been approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust,
and by the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Trust and have no direct or
indirect financial interest in the Plan or any agreement related thereto (the “Independent
Trustees”); and
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the Trust to make the services of the Service Provider
available to Customers who are or may become shareholders of the Trust;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Service Provider hereby agree as
follows:
SECTION 1. GENERAL.
(a) Term. This Servicing Agreement shall continue from the date hereof for a period of more
than one year only so long as such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the
Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval. This Servicing Agreement may be terminated at any time in
accordance with Section 6.
(b) Non-Exclusive Relationship. The arrangements under this Servicing Agreement are
non-exclusive. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Trust may from time to
time in its discretion enter into other shareholder servicing agreements with, and arrange for
shareholder services for Fund shareholders to be provided by, other investment advisers, financial
institutions and other persons, and (b) the Service Provider may from time to time in its
discretion enter into shareholder servicing agreements with, and provide shareholder servicing in
relation to, other mutual funds.
(c) Nature of Relationship. The Trust and the Service Provider are independent
contractors under this Servicing Agreement. This Servicing Agreement does not establish any
employment, partnership, agency, or fiduciary relationship between the Trust and the Service
Provider.
(d) Rights of Trust in relation to Share Offering. Nothing in this Servicing Agreement shall
limit the rights of the Trust, in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law and without
notice, to terminate, suspend, or withdraw the offer and sale of Shares or to amend or modify the
terms of any such offering.
SECTION 2. SERVICE TO BE PERFORMED; DELEGATION
(a) Servicing Activities. The Service Provider shall maintain, and provide administrative and
servicing functions in relation to, the accounts of Customers (the “Servicing Activities”),
which shall, except as the parties may otherwise agree from time to time, include without
limitation:
(i) | answering Customer inquiries regarding account status and history, the manner in which purchases, exchanges and redemptions of the Shares may be effected, the proxy voting policies and record of the Trust, and other matters pertaining to the Funds; | ||
(ii) | assisting Customers in designating and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; | ||
(iii) | establishing and maintaining certain shareholder accounts and records, as may reasonably be requested from time to time by the Trust; | ||
(iv) | assisting in processing Share purchase, exchange, and redemption transactions; | ||
(v) | arranging for the wiring of funds relating to transactions in Shares; | ||
(vi) | transmitting and receiving funds in connection with Customer orders to purchase, exchange, or redeem Shares; | ||
(vii) | verifying and guaranteeing Customer signatures in connection with redemption orders, transfers among and changes in Customer-designated accounts; | ||
(viii) | providing periodic statements showing a Customer’s account balances and, to the extent practicable, integration of such information with information concerning other client transactions otherwise effected with or through the Service Provider; | ||
(ix) | furnishing on behalf of the Trust’s distributor (either separately or on an integrated basis with other reports sent to a Customer by the Service Provider) periodic statements and confirmations of all purchases, exchanges, and redemptions of Shares in a Customer’s account required by applicable federal or state law, all such confirmations and statements to conform to Rule 10b-10 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and other applicable legal requirements; | ||
(x) | transmitting proxy statements, annual reports, updating prospectuses, and other communications from the Trust to Customers; | ||
(xi) | receiving, tabulating, and transmitting to the Trust proxies executed by |
Customers with respect to annual and special meetings of shareholders of the Trust; | |||
(xii) | providing reports (at least monthly, but more frequently if so requested by the Trust’s distributor) containing state-by-state listings of the principal residences of the beneficial owners of the Shares; | ||
(xiii) | completing all customer identification procedures in relation to the Customers under the Trust’s anti-money laundering program and taking all appropriate action in relation to Customers under anti-money laundering requirements, including closing Customer accounts, notifying appropriate authorities of money laundering concerns and deferring payments of redemption proceeds while money laundering concerns are investigated; | ||
(xiv) | providing to Customers who are individuals all privacy notices and other communications required under Regulation S-P, which shall be given on the basis that any such Customer is a “customer” as defined in Rule 3(j) of Regulation S-P of the Service Provider rather than of the Trust; and | ||
(xv) | providing such other related services as the Trust or a Customer may reasonably request. |
(b) Facilities and Personnel. The Service Provider shall provide at its own expense and risk
all personnel and facilities necessary or appropriate for the Service Provider to perform the
functions described in Section 2(a).
(c) Standard of Services. All services to be rendered by the Service Provider hereunder shall
be performed in a professional, competent, and timely manner. The details of the operating
standards and procedures to be followed by the Service Provider in performance of the services
described above shall be determined from time to time by agreement between the Service Provider and
the Trust.
(d) Delegation to Third Party Service Providers. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Servicing Agreement, the Service Provide may delegate its duties under this Servicing
Agreement, including its duty to provide the Servicing Activities, to a Third Party Service
Provider, provided that the Service Provider shall (i) remain fully responsible for the performance
of all duties under this Servicing Agreement and (ii) supervise the activities of each Third Party
Service Provider.
SECTION 3. FEES.
(a) Servicing Fees. In consideration for Servicing Activities, the Service Provider shall
receive an annual servicing fee (a “Servicing Fee”) to be to be paid quarterly in arrears
as determined by agreement between the Trust and the Service Provider, provided that in
no event shall the Servicing Fee exceed 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the
Shares of a Fund with which the Service Provider maintains a service relationship or (ii) any
applicable limits imposed by law. For purposes of determining the fees payable to the Service
Provider hereunder, the value of the Trust’s net assets shall be computed in the manner specified
in the Trust’s then-current prospectus for computation of the net asset value of the Trust’s
Shares. The above fees constitute all fees to be paid to the Service Provider by the Trust with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby.
(b) Additional Fees Imposed by Third Party Service Providers. In the event of a delegation to
a Third Party Service Provider pursuant to Section 2(d), the Service Provider may permit a Third
Party Service Provider to, in compliance with applicable law, impose certain conditions and fees on
Customers that hold Shares through such Third Party Service Provider in addition to or different
from those imposed by the Trust on Fund shareholders generally, provided that any such conditions
and fees are (i) disclosed by the Third Party Service Provider to its customers, and (ii)
authorized by its customers.
SECTION 4. REPORTS OF SERVICE PROVIDER ON EXPENDITURES.
The Service Provider shall supply to the Board of Trustees of the Trust promptly after the end of
each calendar quarter, and the Board shall review, a written report in reasonable detail of the
amounts expended by the Service Provider pursuant to this Servicing Agreement, including any
payments made to any Third Party Service Provider, and the purposes for which such expenditures
were made. Such written reports shall be in a form satisfactory to the Trust and shall supply all
information necessary for the Trust to discharge its responsibilities under applicable laws and
regulations
SECTION 5. RECORD KEEPING.
The Service Provider shall maintain records concerning its performances under this Servicing
Agreement and Customer transactions in Shares in a form reasonably acceptable to the Trust and in
compliance with applicable legal requirements, including the record-keeping requirements of Section
31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the rules
thereunder. Such records shall be the property of the Trust and will be made available, at the
Trust’s request, for inspection and use by the Trust, representatives of the Trust, and any of
their respective delegees. The record-keeping obligations imposed in this Section 5 shall survive
the termination of this Servicing Agreement for a period of six years.
SECTION 6. TERMINATION.
(a) Termination by the Trust. This Servicing Agreement may be terminated by the Trust either
generally or with respect to Shares of any Fund without the payment of any penalty, at any time
upon not more than 60 days’ notice to the Service Provider, by a vote of a majority of Independent
Trustees, or by “a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 0000
Xxx) of the Trust or of the Shares of the Fund concerned.
(b) Termination by the Service Provider. The Service Provider may terminate this Servicing
Agreement upon not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ notice to the
Trust either generally or with respect to Shares of any Fund.
(c) Termination on Assignment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this
Servicing Agreement may not be assigned and shall terminate automatically without notice to either
party upon any assignment.
SECTION 7. AMENDMENTS.
This Servicing Agreement may be amended or modified only by written instrument signed by both
parties. Any such Amendment shall be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and by the
Independent Trustees in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
SECTION 8. NOTICE.
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing addressed and delivered or mailed postage
prepaid to the other party to this Agreement at its principal place of business.
SECTION 9. GOVERNING LAW.
To the extent that state law has not been preempted by the provisions of any law of the United
States heretofore or hereafter enacted, as the same may be amended from time to time, this
Agreement shall be administered, construed and enforced according to the laws of the state of
Delaware.
SECTION 10. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Servicing Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision,
statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
SECTION 11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF TRUSTEES AND OTHERS.
The Service Provider acknowledges that the trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders of
the Trust shall not be liable for any obligations of the Trust or of the Funds this Servicing
Agreement and agrees that, in asserting any rights or claims under this Servicing Agreement or the
Plan, it shall look only to the assets and property of the Fund to which the Service Provider’s
rights or claims relate in settlement of such rights or claims, and not to the trustees, officers,
employees, agents or shareholders of the Trust.
SECTION 12. RULES OF INTERPRETATION.
The following rules shall apply in the interpretation of this Servicing Agreement:
(a) The singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular.
(b) A reference to any gender shall include each other gender.
(c) A reference to any Section shall, unless otherwise specified, be to a Section
of this Servicing Agreement.
(d) A reference to any agreement, instrument, organizational document, law, regulation,
program, policy, procedure, or other document shall include any amendments, modifications,
restatements, or supplements thereof.
(e) The words “include” and “including” shall not be limiting.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Servicing Agreement as of the
day and year first set forth above.
CRM MUTUAL FUND TRUST, on behalf of CRM Small/Mid Cap Value Fund, CRM Mid/Large Cap Value Fund and CRM All Cap Value Fund | ||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. XxXxxxx | |||
Name: Xxxxxx X. XxXxxxx | ||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||||
XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX, LLC |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxx | |||
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxx | ||||
Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||||