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EXHIBIT (h)(3)
FUND ACCOUNTING AND SERVICES
AGREEMENT
Between
STONEBRIDGE FUNDS TRUST
and
ALPS MUTUAL FUNDS SERVICES, INC.
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FUND ACCOUNTING AND SERVICES AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of November, 1999, between Stonebridge Funds
Trust, a business trust established under the laws of the State of Delaware (the
"Trust") and ALPS Mutual Funds Services, Inc., a Colorado corporation having its
principal office at 000 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000 (the
"Agent").
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, presently consisting of
the following portfolios: Growth Fund and Aggressive Growth Fund; each of such
investment portfolios and any additional investment portfolios that may be
established by the Trust is referred to herein individually as a "Portfolio" and
collectively as the "Portfolios"; and
WHEREAS, ALPS Mutual Funds Services, Inc. provides certain fund accounting
services to investment companies; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to appoint the Agent as agent to perform certain
bookkeeping and pricing services for the Portfolios on behalf of the Trust, and
the Agent has indicated its willingness to so act, subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants
hereinafter contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Agent Appointed Bookkeeping and Pricing Agent. The Trust hereby appoints
the Agent as bookkeeping and pricing agent for the Portfolios and the Agent
agrees to provide the services contemplated herein upon the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth.
2. Definitions. In this Agreement the terms below have the following
meanings:
(a) Authorized Person. Authorized Person means any of the persons duly
authorized to giver Proper Instructions or otherwise act on behalf of
the Trust by appropriate resolution of the Board of Trustees of the
Trust. The Trust will at all times maintain on file with the Agent
certification, in such form as may be acceptable to the Agent, of (i)
the names and signatures of the Authorized Person(s) and (ii) the
names of the members of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, it being
understood that upon the occurrence of any change in the information
set forth in the most recent certification on file (including without
limitation any person named in the most recent certification who is no
longer an Authorized Person as designated therein), the Trust will
provide a new or amended certification setting forth the change. The
Agent will be entitled to rely upon any Proper Instruction (defined
below) which has been signed by person(s) named in the most recent
certification.
(b) Proper Instructions. Proper Instructions means any request,
instruction or certification signed by one or more Authorized Persons.
Oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions if the Agent
reasonably believes them to have been
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given by an Authorized Person and they are promptly confirmed in
writing to the address for notice, e-mail or facsimile set forth
below. Proper Instructions may include communications effected
directly between electro-mechanical or electronic devices as agreed
upon by the parties hereto.
3. Duties of the Agent. The Agent agrees to provide or to arrange to
provide at its expense the following services for the Trust:
(a) Maintain separate accounts for each Portfolio, all as directed from
time to time by Proper Instructions;
(b) Timely calculate and transmit to NASDAQ each Portfolio's daily net
asset value and public offering price (such determinations to be made
in accordance with the provisions of the Trust's Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust and the then-current prospectuses and statements
of additional information relating to the Portfolios, and any
applicable resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Trust) and
promptly communicate such values and prices to the Trust and the
Trust's transfer agent;
(c) Maintain and keep current all books and records of the Portfolios as
required by Section 31 and the rules thereunder under the 1940 Act
("Section 31") in connection with the Agent's duties hereunder. The
Agent shall comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to
the performance of its obligations hereunder. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Agent will prepare and maintain the
following records upon receipt of information in proper form from
Authorized Persons of the Trust:
(i) Cash receipts journal
(ii) Cash disbursements journal
(iii) Dividend records
(iv) Purchase and sales - portfolio securities journals
(v) Subscription and redemption journals
(vi) Security ledgers
(vii) Broker ledger
(viii) General ledger
(ix) Daily expense accruals
(x) Daily income accruals
(xi) Foreign currency journals
(xii) Trial balances
(d) Provide the Trust and its investment adviser(s) with daily Portfolio
values, net asset values and other statistical data for each Portfolio
as requested from time to time.
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(e) Compute the net income, exempt interest income and capital gains of
each Portfolio for dividend purposes in accordance with relevant
prospectus policies and resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the
Trust.
(f) Provide the Trust and its investment adviser(s) with information
necessary to print the semi-annual and annual financial statements to
be furnished to shareholders of each Portfolio and all raw financial
data necessary for the timely preparation of tax returns, Form N-SAR,
prospectus updates, Rule 24f-2 filings and proxy statements.
(g) Provide facilities, information and personnel to accommodate annual
audits and any audits with the Trust's independent accountants or
examinations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other governmental entities.
(h) Provide audited financial statements regarding the Agent on an annual
basis, as requested. Such audits shall be conducted by an independent
accounting firm selected by the Agent.
(i) Furnish to the Trust at the end of every month, and at the close of
each quarter of the Fund's fiscal year, a list of the portfolio
securities and the aggregate amount of cash in the Portfolios.
(j) Assist in the preparation of certain reports, audits of accounts, and
other matters of like nature, as reasonably requested from time to
time by the Trust.
The Agent shall for all purposes be deemed to be an independent contractor
and shall, unless otherwise expressly authorized, have no authority to act for
or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust.
4. Instructions to the Agent. The Agent shall promptly take all appropriate
steps necessary to carry out or comply with any Proper Instructions received
from the Trust.
5. Agent Compensation. In consideration for the services to be performed by
the Agent, the Agent shall be entitled to receive from the Trust such
compensation and reimbursement for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as may
be agreed upon from time to time between the Agent and the Trust in advance and
in writing. The Trust agrees to pay the Agent compensation as described in the
schedule attached as Exhibit A. It is agreed that fees set forth in Exhibit A
may be increased with not less than 60 days written notice upon written
agreement of the parties.
6. Right to Receive Advice.
(a) Advice of the Trust. If Agent is in doubt as to any action it should
or should not take, Agent shall request directions or advice,
including Proper Instructions, from the Trust.
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(b) Advice of Counsel. If Agent shall be in doubt as to any question of
law pertaining to any action it should or should not take, Agent shall
request advice from the Trust's counsel at the Trust's expense or from
counsel of its own choosing at its own expense (being understood that
it may be necessary for Agent to consult its own counsel due to
conflict of interest issues which may be raised by Trust counsel.)
(c) Conflicting Advice. In the event of a conflict between directions,
advice or Proper Instructions Agent receives from the Trust and the
advice Agent receives from counsel, Agent shall inform the Trust of
the conflict and seek resolution.
7. Liability of the Agent.
(a) The Agent may rely upon the written advice of counsel for the Trust
and the Trust's independent accountants, and upon oral or written
statements of brokers and other persons reasonably believed by the
Agent in good faith to be expert in the matters upon which they are
consulted and, for any actions reasonably taken in good faith reliance
upon such advice or statements and without negligence, the Agent shall
not be liable to anyone.
(b) Nothing herein contained shall be construed to protect the Agent
against any liability to the Trust or its share holders to which the
Agent would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith or negligence in the performance of its duties.
(c) Except as may otherwise be provided by applicable law, neither the
Agent nor its shareholders, officers, directors, employees or agents
shall be subject to, and the Trust shall indemnify and hold such
persons harmless from and against, any liability for and any damages,
expenses or losses incurred by reason of the inaccuracy of factual
information furnished to the Agent or any subcontractor(s) by an
Authorized Person of the Trust.
(d) The Agent shall ensure that it or any subcontractors have and maintain
Errors and Omissions Insurance for the services rendered under this
Agreement of at least $1 million (provided the Board of Trustees of
the Trust may by resolution approve some lesser amount). The Agent
shall provide to the Trust annually upon request a certificate from
the appropriate errors and omissions insurance carrier(s) certifying
that such Errors and Omissions Insurance is in full force and effect.
8. Reports. Whenever, in the course of performing its duties under this
Agreement, the Agent determines, on the basis of information supplied to the
Agent by the Trust or its authorized agents, that a violation of applicable law
has occurred or that, to its knowledge, a possible violation of applicable law
may have occurred or, with the passage of time, would occur, the Agent shall
promptly notify the Trust and its counsel.
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9. Activities of the Agent. The services of the Agent under this Agreement
are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Agent shall be free to render similar
services to others so long as its services hereunder are not impaired thereby.
10. Accounts and Records. The accounts and records maintained by the Agent
shall be the property of the Trust, and shall be surrendered to the Trust
promptly upon receipt of Proper Instructions from the Trust in the form in which
such accounts and records have been maintained or preserved. The Agent agrees to
maintain a back-up set of accounts and records of the Trust (which back-up set
shall be updated on at least a weekly basis) at a location other than that where
the original accounts and records are stored. The Agent shall assist the Trust,
the Trust's independent auditors, or, upon approval of the Trust, any regulatory
body, in any requested review of the Trust's accounts and records, and reports
by the Agent or its independent accountants concerning its accounting system and
internal auditing controls will be open to such entities for audit or inspection
upon reasonable request. There shall be no additional fee for these services.
The Agent shall preserve the accounts and records as they are required to be
maintained and preserved by Section 31.
11. Confidentiality. The Agent agrees that it will, on behalf of itself and
its officers and employees, treat all transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and all other information germane thereto, as confidential and not to
be disclosed to any person except as may be authorized by the Trust in Proper
Instructions.
12. Duration and Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become
effective as of the date hereof. Either party may terminate this Agreement,
without penalty, upon sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other.
Upon termination of this Agreement, the Agent shall deliver to the
Trust or as otherwise directed in Proper Instructions (at the expense of the
Trust, unless such termination is for breach of this Agreement by the Agent) all
records and other documents made or accumulated in the performance of its duties
or the duties of any subcontractor(s) for the Trust hereunder.
13. Assignment. This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided,
however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Trust without the
prior written consent of the Agent, or by the Agent without the prior written
consent of the Trust; provided further, that no agreement with any
subcontractor(s) contemplated hereunder shall be entered into, terminated,
amended, assigned or permitted to be assigned without the prior written consent
of the Trust.
14. Governing Law. The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and
interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Delaware, and the
1940 Act and the rules thereunder. To the extent that the laws of the
Commonwealth of Delaware conflict with the 1940 Act or such rules, the latter
shall control.
15. Names. The names "Stonebridge Funds Trust" and "Trustees of Stonebridge
Funds Trust" refer respectively to the Trust created and the Trustees as
trustees but not
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individually or personally, acting from time to time under a Declaration of
Trust dated July 31, 1998 and may be amended from time to time which is hereby
referred to and a copy of which is on file at the office of the State Secretary
of the State of Delaware and the principal office of the Trust. The obligations
of "Stonebridge Funds Trust" entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by
any of the Trustees, representatives or agents are made not individually, but in
such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the Trustees, shareholders, or
representatives of the Trust personally, but bind only the Trust Property, and
all persons dealing with any class of shares of the Trust must look solely to
the Trust Property belonging to such class for the enforcement of any claims
against the Trust.
16. Amendments to this Agreement. This Agreement may only be amended by the
parties in writing.
17. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in
writing, shall be deemed to have been given when received or when sent
by telex or facsimile, and shall be given to the following addresses (or such
other addresses as to which notice is given):
To the Agent:
ALPS Mutual Funds Services, Inc.
000 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Fax: (000) 000-0000
e-mail: xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
To the Trust:
Stonebridge Funds Trust
c/o Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Esq.
Paul, Hastings, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP
Twenty Third Floor
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on
any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken
together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
day and year first above written.
STONEBRIDGE FUNDS TRUST
By
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ATTEST:
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ALPS MUTUAL FUNDS SERVICES, INC.
By
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ATTEST:
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EXHIBIT A
The fees payable to ALPS for the duration of this contract shall be:
YEAR 1
Greater of:
$2,400 for the Growth Fund per month or 3 basis points, plus pricing
and other out-of-pockets
$1,600 for the Aggressive Growth Fund per month or 3 basis points,
plus pricing and other out-of-pockets
YEARS 2 AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS THEREAFTER
Greater of:
$2,700 per Growth Fund per month or 3 basis points, plus pricing and
other out-of-pockets
$1,800 per Aggressive Growth Fund per month or 3 basis points, plus
pricing and other out-of-pockets
NOTES
o Fees are calculated and paid on a monthly basis.
o Out-of-pocket expenses include:
- pricing
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