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EXHIBIT (e)
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of August, 2000, between AMBASSADOR FUNDS
(the "Company"), a Delaware business trust, and BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP D/B/A BISYS FUND SERVICES ("Distributor"), having its principal
place of business at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000.
WHEREAS, the Company is an open-end management investment company,
organized as a Delaware business trust and registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, it is intended that Distributor act as the distributor of the
shares of beneficial interest or common stock ("Shares") of each of the
investment portfolios of the Company all as now in existence or hereafter
established from time to time (such portfolios being referred to individually as
a "Fund" and collectively as the "Funds").
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants
herein set forth, the parties agree as follows:
1. SERVICES AS DISTRIBUTOR
1.1 Distributor will act as agent for the distribution of the Shares
covered by the registration statement of the Company then in effect under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). As used in this
Agreement, the term "registration statement" shall mean Parts A (one or more
prospectuses), B (one or more Statements of Additional Information) and C of
each registration statement that is filed on Form N-1A, or any successor
thereto, with the Commission, together with any amendments thereto. The term
"prospectus" shall mean each form of prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information used by the Funds for delivery to shareholders and prospective
shareholders after the effective dates of the above referenced registration
statements, together with any amendments and supplements thereto.
1.2 Distributor agrees to use appropriate efforts to solicit orders for
the sale of the Shares and will undertake such advertising and promotion as it
believes reasonable in connection with such solicitation. The Company
understands that Distributor is now and may in the future be the distributor of
the shares of several investment companies or series (together, "Investment
Companies") including Investment Companies having investment objectives similar
to those of the Company. The Company further understands that investors and
potential investors in the Company may invest in shares of such other Investment
Companies. The Company agrees that Distributor's duties to such Investment
Companies shall not be deemed in conflict with its duties to the Company under
this paragraph 1.2.
Except as provided in Section 2 herein, Distributor shall, at its own
expense, finance appropriate activities which it deems reasonable, which are
primarily intended to result in the sale of
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the Shares, including, but not limited to, advertising, compensation of
underwriters, dealers and sales personnel, the printing and mailing of
prospectuses to other than current Shareholders, and the printing and mailing of
sales literature.
1.3 In its capacity as distributor of the Shares, all activities of
Distributor and its partners, agents, and employees shall comply with all
applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the 1940
Act, all rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder and all
rules and regulations adopted by any securities association registered under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
1.4 Distributor will provide one or more persons, during normal
business hours, to respond to telephone questions with respect to the Company.
1.5 Distributor will transmit any orders received by it for purchase or
redemption of the Shares to the transfer agent and custodian for the Funds.
1.6 Whenever in their judgment such action is warranted by unusual
market, economic or political conditions, or by abnormal circumstances of any
kind, the Company's officers may decline to accept any orders for, or make any
sales of, the Shares until such time as those officers deem it advisable to
accept such orders and to make such sales.
1.7 Distributor will act only on its own behalf as principal if it
chooses to enter into selling agreements with selected dealers or others.
1.8 The Company agrees at its own expense to execute any and all
documents and to furnish any and all information and otherwise to take all
actions that may be reasonably necessary in connection with the qualification of
the Shares for sale in such states as Distributor may designate.
1.9 The Company shall furnish from time to time, for use in connection
with the sale of the Shares, such information with respect to the Funds and the
Shares as Distributor may reasonably request; and the Company warrants that the
statements contained in any such information shall fairly show or represent what
they purport to show or represent. The Company shall also furnish Distributor
upon request with: (a) unaudited semi-annual statements of the Funds' books and
accounts prepared by the Company, (b) a monthly itemized list of the securities
in the Funds, (c) monthly balance sheets as soon as practicable after the end of
each month, and (d) from time to time such additional information regarding the
financial condition of the Funds as Distributor may reasonably request.
1.10 The Company represents to Distributor that, with respect to the
Shares, all registration statements and prospectuses filed by the Company with
the Commission under the Securities Act have been carefully prepared in
conformity with requirements of said Act and rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder. The registration statement and prospectus contain all
statements required to be stated therein in conformity with said Act and the
rules and regulations of said
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Commission and all statements of fact contained in any such registration
statement and prospectus are true and correct. Furthermore, neither any
registration statement nor any prospectus includes an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of the
Shares. The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, propose from time to
time such amendment or amendments to any registration statement and such
supplement or supplements to any prospectus as, in the light of future
developments, may, in the opinion of the Company's counsel, be necessary or
advisable. If the Company shall not propose such amendment or amendments and/or
supplement or supplements within fifteen days after receipt by the Company of a
written request from Distributor to do so, Distributor may, at its option,
terminate this Agreement. The Company shall not file any amendment to any
registration statement or supplement to any prospectus without giving
Distributor reasonable notice thereof in advance; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this Agreement shall in any way limit the Company's right
to file at any time such amendments to any registration statement and/or
supplements to any prospectus, of whatever character, as the Company may deem
advisable, such right being in all respects absolute and unconditional.
1.11 The Company authorizes Distributor and dealers to use any
prospectus in the form furnished from time to time in connection with the sale
of the Shares. The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Distributor, its
several partners and employees, and any person who controls Distributor within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and
against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the
cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which Distributor, its partners
and employees, or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities
Act or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon (i) any
untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in
any registration statement or any prospectus, (ii) any omission, or alleged
omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in any registration
statement or any prospectus or necessary to make the statements in either
thereof not misleading or (iii) any Company advertisement or sales literature
that is not in compliance with applicable laws, rules or regulations (including,
but not limited to the Conduct Rules of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc.); provided, however, that the Company's agreement to indemnify
Distributor, its partners or employees, and any such controlling person shall
not be deemed to cover any claims, demands, liabilities or expenses arising out
of any statements or representations as are contained in any prospectus,
advertisement or sales literature and in such financial and other statements as
are furnished in writing to the Company by Distributor and used in the answers
to the registration statement or in the corresponding statements made in the
prospectus, advertisement or sales literature, or arising out of or based upon
any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with the
giving of such information required to be stated in such answers or necessary to
make the answers not misleading; and further provided that the Company's
agreement to indemnify Distributor and the Company's representations and
warranties hereinbefore set forth in paragraph 1.10 shall not be deemed to cover
any liability to the Company or its Shareholders to which Distributor would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence
in the performance of its duties, or by reason of Distributor's reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. The Company's
agreement to indemnify Distributor, its partners and
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employees and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly
conditioned upon the Company being notified of any action brought against
Distributor, its partners or employees, or any such controlling person, such
notification to be given by letter or by telegram addressed to the Company at
its principal office in Columbus, Ohio and sent to the Company by the person
against whom such action is brought, within 10 days after the summons or other
first legal process shall have been served. The failure to so notify the Company
of any such action shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the
Company may have to the person against whom such action is brought by reason of
any such untrue, or allegedly untrue, statement or omission, or alleged
omission, otherwise than on account of the Company's indemnity agreement
contained in this paragraph 1.11. The Company will be entitled to assume the
defense of any suit brought to enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but,
in such case, such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing chosen
by the Company and approved by Distributor, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld. In the event the Company elects to assume the defense of
any such suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by Distributor, the
defendant or defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by any of them; but in case the Company does not
elect to assume the defense of any such suit, or in case Distributor reasonably
does not approve of counsel chosen by the Company, the Company will reimburse
Distributor, its partners and employees, or the controlling person or persons
named as defendant or defendants in such suit, for the fees and expenses of any
counsel retained by Distributor or them. The Company's indemnification agreement
contained in this paragraph 1.11 and the Company's representations and
warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect
regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of Distributor, its
partners and employees, or any controlling person, and shall survive the
delivery of any Shares.
This Agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to Distributor's
benefit, to the benefit of its several partners and employees, and their
respective estates, and to the benefit of the controlling persons and their
successors. The Company agrees promptly to notify Distributor of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its
officers or Directors in connection with the issue and sale of any Shares.
1.12 Distributor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Company, its
several officers and Trustees/Directors (hereinafter referred to as "Directors")
and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands,
liabilities and expenses (including the costs of investigating or defending such
claims, demands, or liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection
therewith) which the Company, its officers or Directors or any such controlling
person, may incur under the Securities Act or under common law or otherwise, but
only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Company, its
officers or Directors or such controlling person resulting from such claims or
demands, shall arise out of or be based upon any untrue, or alleged untrue,
statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by
Distributor to the Company and used in the answers to any of the items of the
registration statement or in the corresponding statements made in the
prospectus, or shall arise out of or be based upon any omission, or alleged
omission, to state a material fact in connection with such information furnished
in writing by Distributor to the Company
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required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such information not
misleading. Distributor's agreement to indemnify the Company, its officers and
Directors, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly
conditioned upon Distributor being notified of any action brought against the
Company, its officers or Directors, or any such controlling person, such
notification to be given by letter or telegram addressed to Distributor at its
principal office in Columbus, Ohio, and sent to Distributor by the person
against whom such action is brought, within 10 days after the summons or other
first legal process shall have been served. Distributor shall have the right of
first control of the defense of such action, with counsel of its own choosing,
satisfactory to the Company, if such action is based solely upon such alleged
misstatement or omission on Distributor's part, and in any other event the
Company, its officers or Directors or such controlling person shall each have
the right to participate in the defense or preparation of the defense of any
such action. The failure to so notify Distributor of any such action shall not
relieve Distributor from any liability which Distributor may have to the
Company, its officers or Directors, or to such controlling person by reason of
any such untrue or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission,
otherwise than on account of Distributor's indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph 1.12.
1.13 No Shares shall be offered by either Distributor or the Company
under any of the provisions of this Agreement and no orders for the purchase or
sale of Shares hereunder shall be accepted by the Company if and so long as the
effectiveness of the registration statement then in effect or any necessary
amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of the
Securities Act or if and so long as a current prospectus as required by Section
10(b)(2) of said Act is not on file with the Commission; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this paragraph 1.13 shall in any way restrict or have an
application to or bearing upon the Company's obligation to repurchase Shares
from any Shareholder in accordance with the provisions of the Company's
prospectus, Declaration of Trust/Articles of Incorporation, or Bylaws.
1.14 The Company agrees to advise Distributor as soon as reasonably
practical by a notice in writing delivered to Distributor or its counsel:
(a) of any request by the Commission for amendments to the
registration statement or prospectus then in effect or for additional
information;
(b) in the event of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement or
prospectus then in effect or the initiation by service of process on
the Company of any proceeding for that purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event that makes untrue any
statement of a material fact made in the registration statement or
prospectus then in effect or which requires the making of a change in
such registration statement or prospectus in order to make the
statements therein not misleading; and
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(d) of all action of the Commission with respect to any
amendment to any registration statement or prospectus which may from
time to time be filed with the Commission.
For purposes of this section, informal requests by or acts of the Staff
of the Commission shall not be deemed actions of or requests by the Commission.
1.15 Distributor agrees on behalf of itself and its partners and
employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Company
all records and other information relative to the Company and its prior, present
or potential Shareholders, and not to use such records and information for any
purpose other than performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder,
except, after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Company,
which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where
Distributor may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure
to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted
authorities, or when so requested by the Company.
1.16 This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.
1.17 In the event Distributor purchases the initial shares of the
Company for purposes of satisfying the minimum net worth requirements set forth
in Section 14 (a) of the 1940 Act, and a notice of termination is subsequently
given or this Agreement is otherwise terminated pursuant to Section 6 herein for
any reason prior to the time that organizational expenses incurred by the
Company have been fully amortized, then the Company shall either (i) cause the
successor distributor of the shares (the "Successor Distributor") to pay to
Distributor, within ten (10) days prior to the termination of this Agreement, an
amount of cash that is sufficient to purchase the initial shares that are held
by Distributor or (ii) enable Distributor to redeem the initial shares of the
Company that it holds by causing the Successor Distributor to contribute to the
Company, within ten (10) days prior to the termination of this Agreement, any
unamortized organizational costs in the same proportion as the number of initial
shares being redeemed bears to the number of initial shares outstanding at the
time of such contribution. In the latter case, Distributor shall be entitled to
redeem any or all of the initial shares that it holds and receive redemption
proceeds without any reduction in the amount of such proceeds, prior to the
termination of this Agreement.
2. FEE
If applicable, Distributor shall receive from the Funds identified in
the Distribution and Shareholder Service Plan (the "Distribution Plan") a
distribution fee at the rate and upon the terms and conditions set forth in such
Plan. The distribution fee shall be accrued daily and shall be paid on the first
business day of each month, or at such time(s) as the Distributor shall
reasonably request.
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3. SALE AND PAYMENT
Shares of a Fund may be subject to a sales load and may be subject to
the imposition of a distribution fee pursuant to the Distribution Plan referred
to above. To the extent that Shares of a Fund are sold at an offering price
which includes a sales load or at net asset value subject to a contingent
deferred sales load with respect to certain redemptions (either within a single
class of Shares or pursuant to two or more classes of Shares), such Shares shall
hereinafter be referred to collectively as "Load Shares" (in the case of Shares
that are sold with a front-end sales load or Shares that are sold subject to a
contingent deferred sales load), "Front-End Load Shares" or "CDSL Shares" and
individually as a "Load Share," a "Front-End Load Share" or a "CDSL Share." A
Fund that contains Front-End Load Shares shall hereinafter be referred to
collectively as "Load Funds" or "Front-End Load Funds" and individually as a
"Load Fund" or a "Front-end Load Fund." A Fund that contains CDSL Shares shall
hereinafter be referred to collectively as "Load Funds" or "CDSL Funds" and
individually as a "Load Fund" or a "CDSL Fund." Under this Agreement, the
following provisions shall apply with respect to the sale of, and payment for,
Load Shares.
3.1 Distributor shall have the right to purchase Load Shares at their
net asset value and to sell such Load Shares to the public against orders
therefor at the applicable public offering price, as defined in Section 4
hereof. Distributor shall also have the right to sell Load Shares to dealers
against orders therefor at the public offering price less a concession
determined by Distributor, which concession shall not exceed the amount of the
sales charge or underwriting discount, if any, referred to in Section 4 below.
3.2 Prior to the time of delivery of any Load Shares by a Load Fund to,
or on the order of, Distributor, Distributor shall pay or cause to be paid to
the Load Fund or to its order an amount in Boston or New York clearing house
funds equal to the applicable net asset value of such Shares. Distributor may
retain so much of any sales charge or underwriting discount as is not allowed by
Distributor as a concession to dealers.
4. PUBLIC OFFERING PRICE
The public offering price of a Load Share shall be the net asset value
of such Load Share, plus any applicable sales charge, all as set forth in the
current prospectus of the Load Fund. The net asset value of Shares shall be
determined in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration or
Trust/Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company and the then-current
prospectus of the Load Fund.
5. ISSUANCE OF SHARES
The Company reserves the right to issue, transfer or sell Load Shares
at net asset value (a) in connection with the merger or consolidation of the
Company or the Load Fund(s) with any other investment company or the acquisition
by the Company or the Load Fund(s) of all or substantially all of the assets or
of the outstanding Shares of any other investment company; (b) in connection
with a pro rata distribution directly to the holders of Shares in the nature of
a stock dividend or split; (c) upon the exercise of subscription rights granted
to the holders of Shares on a pro rata basis; (d) in
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connection with the issuance of Load Shares pursuant to any exchange and
reinvestment privileges described in any then-current prospectus of the Load
Fund; and (e) otherwise in accordance with any then-current prospectus of the
Load Fund.
6. TERM, DURATION AND TERMINATION
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written
above and, unless sooner terminated as provided herein, shall continue until
July 31, 2002. Thereafter, if not terminated, this Agreement shall continue with
respect to a particular Fund automatically for successive one-year terms,
provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a)
by the vote of a majority of those members of the Company's Directors who are
not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party, cast in
person at a meeting for the purpose of voting on such approval and (b) by the
vote of the Company's Directors or the vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of such Fund. This Agreement is terminable without penalty, on
not less than sixty days' prior written notice, by the Company's Directors, by
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company or by the
Distributor. This Agreement will also terminate automatically in the event of
its assignment. (As used in this Agreement, the terms "majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and "assignment" shall have
the same meanings as ascribed to such terms in the 1940 Act.)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first
written above.
AMBASSADOR FUNDS
BY: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
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TITLE: President
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DATE: July 24, 2000
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BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
BY: BISYS FUND SERVICES, INC.,
GENERAL PARTNER
BY: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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TITLE: President
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DATE: July 24, 2000
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