INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
February 19, 2016
Nevada RIA LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxx #000,
Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Dear Sirs:
Focus Funds Series, a Delaware Business Trust (the "Focus Funds Series"), herewith confirms its agreement with you ("NEVADA RIA LLC") as follows:
The Focus Funds Series desires to employ its capital by investing and reinvesting
the same in investments of the type and in accordance with the limitations
specified in its Prospectus as from time to time in effect, copies of which have
been or will be submitted to NEVADA RIA LLC, and in such manner and to such extent as may from time to time be approved by the Board of Directors of the Focus Funds Series. The Focus Funds Series desires to employ NEVADA RIA LLC to act as the investment adviser and administrator for its investment portfolio A Fund (the "Fund").
Subject to the supervision and approval of the Board of Directors, NEVADA RIA LLC
will provide investment management of the Fund's portfolio in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and policies as stated in its most recent Prospectus delivered to NEVADA RIA LLC, upon which NEVADA RIA LLC shall be entitled to rely. In connection therewith, NEVADA RIA LLC will provide investment research and supervisionof the Fund's investments and conduct a continuous program of investment,evaluation and, if appropriate, sale and reinvestment of the Fund's assets. NEVADA RIA LLC will furnish to the Focus Funds Series such statistical information with respect to the investments which the Fund may hold or contemplate purchasing as the Focus Funds Series may reasonably request. The Board wishes to be kept in touch with important developments materially affecting its portfolio and shall expect NEVADA RIA LLC, on its own initiative, to furnish to the Board from time to time such information as NEVADA RIA LLC may believe appropriate for this purpose. In providing investment management services to the Focus Funds Series, NEVADA RIA LLC shall give primary consideration to securing the most favorable price and efficient execution. In so doing, NEVADA RIA LLC may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers or dealers who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which other clients of NEVADA RIA LLC may be a party. The Focus Funds Series recognizes that it is desirable that NEVADA RIA LLC have access to supplemental investment and market research and security and economic analyses provided by brokers and that such brokers may
execute brokerage transactions at a higher cost to the Focus Funds Series than may result when allocating brokerage to other brokers on the basis of seeking the most
favorable price and efficient execution. Therefore, NEVADA RIA LLC is authorized to pay
higher brokerage commissions for the purchase and sale of securities for the
Fund to brokers who provide such research and analyses, subject to review by the
Board of Directors from time to time with respect to the extent and continuation
of this practice. It is understood that the services provided by such brokers
may be useful to NEVADA RIA LLC in connection with its services to other clients.
On occasions when NEVADA RIA LLC deems the purchase or sale of a security to be
in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients, NEVADA RIA LLC, to the extent
permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be
sold or purchased in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage
commissions and 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 NEVADA RIA LLC in the manner it considers to be the most equitable and
consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients.
NEVADA RIA LLC shall maintain such office facilities and administrative services
necessary to perform its duties under this Agreement. In addition, NEVADA RIA LLC will
prepare and file various returns, reports and registrations required by Federal
and state law and respond to shareholder communications. Subject to the
direction of the Board of Directors, NEVADA RIA LLC shall be responsible for the overall
management of the business affairs of the Focus Funds Series.
NEVADA RIA LLC shall exercise its best judgment in rendering to the Focus Funds Series the services described above and the Focus Funds Series agrees as an inducement to NEVADA RIA LLC's undertaking the same that NEVADA RIA LLC shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake of judgment or in any other event whatsoever, provided that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect or purport to protect NEVADA RIA LLC against any liability to the Focus Funds Series or to its security holders to which NEVADA RIA LLC would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties hereunder, or by reason of NEVADA RIA LLC's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
NEVADA RIA LLC 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 or useful to the performance of its
obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the staff and personnel of NEVADA RIA LLC shall be deemed to include persons employed or otherwise retained by NEVADA RIA LLC to furnish statistical and other factual data, advice regarding economic factors and trends, information with respect to
technical and scientific developments, and such other information, advice and
assistance as NEVADA RIA LLC may desire. NEVADA RIA LLC shall, as agent for the Focus Funds Series, maintain the Focus Funds Series's records and books of account (other than those maintained by the Fund's transfer agent, registrar, custodian and other agencies), including records of portfolio transactions. All such books and records so maintained shall be the property of each Fund and, upon request therefore, NEVADA RIA LLC shall surrender to such Fund such of the books and records so requested.
NEVADA RIA LLC shall bear the cost of rendering the investment management,
supervisory and administrative services to be performed by it under this
Agreement, and shall, at its own expense, pay the compensation of the officers
and employees, if any, of the Focus Funds Series who are employees of NEVADA RIA LLC. The Focus Funds Series shall bear all other expenses to be incurred in the operation of the Focus Funds Series, including charges and expenses of any registrar, custodian, stock transfer and dividend disbursing agent; brokerage commissions; taxes; engraving and printing stock
certificates, if any; registration costs of the Focus Funds Series and its shares under
Federal and state securities laws; the cost and expense of printing and
distributing prospectuses to the Focus Funds Series's shareholders; all expenses of
shareholders' and directors' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing
proxy statements and reports to shareholders; fees and travel expenses of
directors' or members of any advisory board or committee who are not employees of
NEVADA RIA LLC or any corporate affiliate of NEVADA RIA LLC; all expenses incident to any dividend, withdrawal or redemption options; charges and expenses of any outside service
used for pricing of each Fund's portfolio securities; fees and expenses of legal
counsel, including counsel to the directors who are not interested persons of the
Focus Funds Series or of NEVADA RIA LLC and independent accountants; membership dues of industry associations; interest on Fund borrowings; postage; liability insurance premiums on property or personnel (including officers and directors) of the Focus Funds Series which inure to their benefit; and extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited
to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification
relating thereto).
In consideration of services rendered pursuant to this Agreement, the
Focus Funds Series will pay NEVADA RIA LLC on the first business day of each
month a fee at the annual rate of one percent (1%) of the average value of each
Fund's daily net assets, and an administrative fee, computed and paid monthly, at an
annual rate of 0.75% of the average value of the Fund's daily net assets.
Net asset value shall be computed at least once each business day. The fee for
the period from the date the initial registration statement of the Fund is
declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission to the end of the
month during which such initial registration shall have been declared effective
by the Securities and Exchange Commission shall be prorated according to the
proportion which such period bears to the full monthly period, and upon any termination of this Agreement before the end of any month, such fee for such
part of a month shall be prorated according to the proportion which such period bears to the full monthly period and shall be payable upon the date of
termination of this Agreement. For the purpose of determining fees payable to
NEVADA RIA LLC, the value of each Fund's net assets shall be computed in the manner
specified in such Fund's Prospectus for the computation of the value of such net
assets.
The Focus Funds Series understands that NEVADA RIA LLC now acts and will continue to act as investment adviser to various fiduciary or other managed accounts, and the Focus Funds Series has no objection to NEVADA RIA LLC's so acting. In addition, it is understood that the persons employed by NEVADA RIA LLC to assist in the performance of its duties hereunder will not devote their full time to such service and nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right of NEVADA RIA LLC or any affiliate of NEVADA RIA LLC to engage in and devote time and attention to other businesses or to render services of whatever kind or nature.
The Focus Funds Series understands that NEVADA RIA LLC now acts and may in the future act as investment adviser to one or more other investment companies, and the Focus Funds Series has no objection to NEVADA RIA LLC's so acting, provided that when two or more companies managed by NEVADA RIA LLC have available funds for investment in money market instruments, available money market investments will be allocated in accordance with a formula believed to be equitable to each company. It is recognized that in some cases this procedure may adversely affect the size of the position obtainable
for the Funds.
NEVADA RIA LLC shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or
for any loss suffered by any Fund in connection with the matters to which this
Agreement relates, except for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from
reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any
person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of NEVADA RIA LLC who may be or become an officer, director, employee or agent of the Focus Funds Series, shall be
deemed, when rendering services to the Focus Funds Series or acting on any business of the
Focus Funds Series, to be rendering such services to, or acting solely for, the Fund and not
as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction
of NEVADA RIA LLC even though paid by it.
This Agreement shall become effective on the date hereof and shall
continue in force for a period of two (2) years and from year to year
thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually