TRANSFER AGENT SERVICING AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into
as of this 17th day
of December, 2003, by and between FMI Funds, Inc., a Maryland
corporation (the "Company") and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services,
LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company ("USBFS").
WHEREAS, the Company is registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an
open-end management investment company, and is authorized to issue shares of
beneficial interest in separate series, with each such series representing
interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, USBFS is, among other things,
in the business of administering transfer and dividend disbursing agent
functions for the benefit of its customers; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain
USBFS to provide transfer and dividend disbursing agent services to each series
of the Company listed on Exhibit A hereto (as amended from time to time)
(each a “Fund”, collectively the “Funds”).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the
promises and mutual covenants herein contained, and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto,
intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:
1.
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Appointment
of USBFS as Transfer Agent
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The Company hereby appoints USBFS as transfer agent of the Company on the terms
and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and USBFS hereby accepts
such
appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in
this Agreement.
2.
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Services
and Duties of USBFS
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USBFS shall perform all of the customary services of a transfer agent and
dividend disbursing agent for the Funds, and as relevant, agent in connection
with accumulation,
open account or similar plans (including without limitation any periodic
investment plan or periodic withdrawal program), including but not limited
to:
A.
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Receive
and process all orders for the purchase, exchange, and/or redemption of
shares in accordance with Rule 22c-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(“the 1940 Act”).
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B.
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Process
purchase orders with prompt delivery, where appropriate, of payment and
supporting documentation to the Company’s custodian, and issue the
appropriate number of uncertificated shares with such uncertificated
shares being held in the appropriate shareholder
account.
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1
C.
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Arrange
for issuance of shares obtained through transfers of funds from Fund
shareholders’ accounts at financial institutions and arrange for the
exchange of shares for shares of other eligible investment companies, when
permitted by the Fund’s current prospectus
(“Prospectus”).
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D.
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Process
redemption requests received in good order and, where relevant, deliver
appropriate documentation to the Company's
custodian.
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E.
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Pay
monies upon receipt from the Company's custodian, where relevant, in
accordance with the instructions of redeeming
shareholders.
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F.
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Process
transfers of shares in accordance with the shareholder's
instructions.
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G.
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Process
exchanges between Funds and/or classes of shares of Funds both within the
same family of funds and with a First American Money Market Fund, if
applicable.
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H.
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Prepare
and transmit payments for dividends and distributions declared by the
Company with respect to the Fund, after deducting any amount required to
be withheld by any applicable laws, rules and regulations and in
accordance with shareholder
instructions.
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I.
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Make
changes to shareholder records, including, but not limited to, address
changes in plans (e.g., systematic withdrawal, automatic investment,
dividend reinvestment).
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J.
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Record
the issuance of shares of the Fund and maintain, pursuant to Rule
17Ad-10(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act"), a record of the total number of shares of
the Fund which are authorized, issued and
outstanding.
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K.
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Prepare
shareholder meeting lists and, if applicable, mail, receive and tabulate
proxies.
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L.
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Mail
shareholder reports and Prospectuses to current
shareholders.
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M.
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Prepare
and file U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other appropriate
information returns required with respect to dividends and distributions
for all shareholders.
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N.
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Provide
shareholder account information upon request and prepare and mail
confirmations and statements of account to shareholders for all purchases,
redemptions and other confirmable transactions as agreed upon with the
Company.
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2
O.
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Mail
requests for shareholders’ certifications under penalties of perjury and
pay on a timely basis to the appropriate federal authorities any taxes to
be withheld on dividends and distributions paid by the Company, all as
required by applicable federal tax laws and
regulations.
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P.
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Provide
a Blue Sky system that will enable the Company to monitor the total number
of shares of the Fund sold in each state. In addition, the
Company or its agent, including USBFS, shall identify to USBFS in writing
those transactions and assets to be treated as exempt from the Blue Sky
reporting for each state. The responsibility of USBFS for the
Company's Blue Sky state registration status is solely limited to the
initial compliance by the Company and the reporting of such transactions
to the Company or its agent.
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Q.
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Answer
correspondence from shareholders, securities brokers and others relating
to USBFS’s duties hereunder and such other correspondence as may from time
to time be mutually agreed upon between USBFS and the
Company.
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R.
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Reimburse
the Fund each month for all material losses resulting from “as of”
processing errors for which USBFS is responsible in accordance with the
“as of” processing guidelines set forth on Exhibit C
hereto.
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3.
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Representations
of USBFS
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USBFS represents and warrants to the
Company that:
A.
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It
is a limited liability corporation duly organized, existing and in good
standing under the laws of
Wisconsin;
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B.
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It
is a registered transfer agent under the Exchange
Act.
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C.
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It
is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of
Wisconsin;
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D.
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It
is empowered under applicable laws and by its charter and bylaws to enter
into and perform this Agreement;
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E.
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All
requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter
and perform this Agreement;
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F.
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It
has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities,
equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this
Agreement; and
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G.
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It
will comply with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and the Exchange Act, the 1940 Act, and any laws, rules,
and regulations of governmental authorities having
jurisdiction.
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3
4.
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Representations
of the Company
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The
Company represents and warrants to USBFS that:
A.
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The
Company is an open-end investment company under the 1940
Act;
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B.
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The
Company is a corporation organized, existing, and in good standing under
the laws of Maryland;
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C.
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The
Company is empowered under applicable laws and by its Declaration of Trust
and Bylaws to enter into and perform this
Agreement;
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D.
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All
necessary proceedings required by the Declaration of Trust have been taken
to authorize it to enter into and perform this
Agreement;
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E.
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The
Company will comply with all applicable requirements of the Securities
Act, the Exchange Act, the 1940 Act, and any laws, rules and regulations
of governmental authorities having jurisdiction;
and
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F.
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A
registration statement under the Securities Act will be made effective and
will remain effective, and appropriate state securities law filings have
been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all shares of the
Company being offered for sale.
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5.
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Compensation
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USBFS shall be compensated for providing the services set forth in
this Agreement in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit B
hereto (as amended from time to time). The Company shall pay
all fees and reimbursable expenses within thirty (30) calendar days
following receipt of the billing notice, except for any fee or expense
subject to a good faith dispute. The Company shall notify USBFS
in writing within thirty (30) calendar days following receipt of each
invoice if the Company is disputing any amounts in good
faith. The Company shall settle such disputed amounts within
ten (10) calendar days of the day on which the parties agree to the amount
to be paid. With the exception of any fee or expense the
Company is disputing in good faith as set forth above, unpaid invoices
shall accrue a finance charge of one and one-half percent (1½%) per month,
after the due date. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary,
amounts owed by the Company to USBFS shall only be paid out of assets and
property of the particular Fund
involved.
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6.
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Indemnification;
Limitation of Liability
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A.
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USBFS
shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement. USBFS shall not be liable for any error of judgment
or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Company in connection
with matters to which this Agreement relates, including losses resulting
from mechanical breakdowns or the failure of communication or power
supplies beyond USBFS’s control, except a loss arising out of or relating
to USBFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement
or from bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct on its part in the
performance of its duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, if USBFS has exercised reasonable
care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Company
shall indemnify and hold harmless USBFS from and against any and all
claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature
(including reasonable attorneys' fees) which USBFS may sustain or incur or
which may be asserted against USBFS by any person arising out of any
action taken or omitted to be taken by it in performing the services
hereunder, except for any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and
liabilities arising out of or relating to USBFS’s refusal or failure to
comply with the terms of this Agreement or from bad faith, negligence or
from willful misconduct on its part in performance of its duties under
this Agreement, (i) in accordance with the foregoing standards, or (ii) in
reliance upon any written or oral instruction provided to USBFS by any
duly authorized officer of the Company, such duly authorized officer to be
included in a list of authorized officers furnished to USBFS and as
amended from time to time in writing by resolution of the Board of
Trustees of the Company (the “Board of Trustees” or
“Trustees”).
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4
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USBFS
shall indemnify and hold the Company harmless from and against any and all
claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature
(including reasonable attorneys' fees) that the Company may sustain or
incur or that may be asserted against the Company by any person arising
out of any action taken or omitted to be taken by USBFS as a result of
USBFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement, its
bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct.
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In
the event of a mechanical breakdown or failure of communication or power
supplies beyond its control, USBFS shall take all reasonable steps to
minimize service interruptions for any period that such interruption
continues beyond USBFS’s control. USBFS will make every
reasonable effort to restore any lost or damaged data and correct any
errors resulting from such a breakdown at the expense of
USBFS. USBFS agrees that it shall, at all times, have
reasonable contingency plans with appropriate parties, making reasonable
provision for emergency use of electrical data processing equipment to the
extent appropriate equipment is available. Representatives of
the Company shall be entitled to inspect USBFS’s premises and operating
capabilities at any time during regular business hours of USBFS, upon
reasonable notice to USBFS.
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Notwithstanding
the above, USBFS reserves the right to reprocess and correct
administrative errors at its own
expense.
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5
B.
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In
order that the indemnification provisions contained in this section shall
apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to
indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor shall be fully
and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in
question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use all
reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation
that presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim for
indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend
the indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this
indemnification. In the event that the indemnitor so elects, it
will so notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over
complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation
initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek
indemnification under this section. The indemnitee shall in no
case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the
indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the
indemnitor’s prior written consent.
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7.
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Proprietary
and Confidential Information
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USBFS agrees on behalf of itself
and its directors, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as
proprietary information of the Company all records and other information
relative to the Company and prior, present, or potential shareholders (and
clients of said shareholders) and not to use such records and information
for any purpose
other than the 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 USBFS may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for
failure to comply after being requested to divulge such information by
duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by the
Company.
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Further, USBFS will adhere to the privacy policies adopted by the
Company pursuant to Title V of the Xxxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Act, as may be
modified from time to time (the “Act”). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, USBFS will not share any nonpublic personal information
concerning any of the Company’s shareholders with any third party unless
specifically directed by the Company or allowed under one of the
exceptions noted under the
Act.
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8.
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Anti-Money
Laundering Program
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The
Company acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to review, consider and
comment upon the procedures provided by USBFS describing various tools designed
to promote the detection and reporting of potential money laundering activity by
monitoring certain aspects of shareholder activity (the “Monitoring Procedures”)
as well as written procedures for verifying a customer’s identity (the “Customer
Identification Procedures”), together referred to as the “Procedures,” and the
Company has determined that the Procedures, as part of the Company’s overall
anti-money laundering program, are reasonably designed to prevent the Fund from
being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities and to
achieve compliance with the applicable provision of the Bank Secrecy Act and the
implementing regulations thereunder.
6
Based on
this determination, the Company hereby instructs and directs USBFS to implement
the Procedures on the Company’s behalf, as such may be amended or revised from
time to time.
It is
contemplated that these Procedures will be amended from time to time by the
parties as additional regulations are adopted and/or regulatory guidance is
provided relating to the Company’s anti-money laundering
responsibilities.
USBFS
agrees to provide to the Company:
(a)
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Prompt
written notification of any transaction or combination of transactions
that USBFS believes, based on the Procedures, evidence money laundering
activity in connection with the Company or any shareholder of the
Fund;
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(b)
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Prompt
written notification of any customer(s) that USBFS reasonably believes,
based upon the Procedures, to be engaged in money laundering activity,
provided that the Company agrees not to communicate this information to
the customer;
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(c)
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Any
reports received by USBFS from any government agency or applicable
industry self-regulatory organization pertaining to USBFS’s anti-money
laundering monitoring on behalf of the
Company;
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(d)
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Prompt
written notification of any action taken in response to anti-money
laundering violations as described in (a), (b) or (c);
and
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(e)
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An
annual report of its monitoring and customer identification activities on
behalf of the Company. USBFS shall provide such other reports
on the monitoring and customer identification activities conducted at the
direction of the Company as may be agreed to from time to time by USBFS
and the Company.
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The
Company hereby directs, and USBFS acknowledges, that USBFS shall (i) permit
federal regulators access to such information and records maintained by USBFS
and relating to USBFS’s implementation of the Procedures on behalf of the
Company, as they may request, and (ii) permit such federal regulators to inspect
USBFS’s implementation of the Procedures on behalf of the Company.
9.
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Term
of Agreement; Amendment
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This
Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and will
continue in effect for a period of three years. Subsequent to the
initial three-year term, this
Agreement may be terminated by either party upon giving ninety (90) days
prior written notice to the other party or such shorter period as is mutually
agreed upon by the
parties. However, this Agreement may be amended by mutual written
consent of the parties.
7
10.
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Duties
in the Event of Termination
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In
the event that, in connection with termination, a successor to any of USBFS’s
duties or responsibilities hereunder is designated by the Company by written
notice to
USBFS,
USBFS will promptly, upon such termination and at the expense of the Company,
transfer to such successor all relevant books, records, correspondence, and
other
data
established or maintained by USBFS under this Agreement in a form reasonably
acceptable to the Company (if such form differs from the form in which USBFS has
maintained,
the Company shall pay any expenses associated with transferring the data to such
form), and will cooperate in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities,
including
provision for assistance from USBFS’s personnel in the establishment of books,
records, and other data by such successor.
11.
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Records
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USBFS
shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder in the
form and manner, and for such period, as it may deem advisable and is agreeable
to the Company, but not inconsistent with the rules and regulations of
appropriate government authorities, in particular, Section 31 of the 1940 Act
and the rules thereunder. USBFS agrees that all such records prepared
or maintained by USBFS relating to the services to be performed by USBFS
hereunder are the property of the Company and will be preserved, maintained, and
made available in accordance with such applicable sections and rules of the 1940
Act and will be promptly surrendered to the Company on and in accordance with
its request. Further, federal examiners shall have access to
information and records relating to anti-money laundering activities performed
by USBFS hereunder and USBFS consents to any inspection authorized by law or
regulation in connection thereof.
12.
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Governing
Law
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This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Wisconsin, without regard to conflicts of law principles. To the
extent that the applicable laws
of the State of Wisconsin, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with
the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control, and nothing
herein shall be construed
in
a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or order of the Securities
and Exchange Commission thereunder.
13.
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Data
Necessary to Perform Services
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The
Company or its agent, which may be USBFS, shall furnish to USBFS the data
necessary to perform the services described herein at such times and in such
form as mutually agreed upon. If USBFS is also acting in another
capacity for the Company, nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve USBFS of any
of its obligations in such capacity.
8
14.
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Assignment
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This
Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent
of the other party.
15.
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Notices
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Any
notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be
in writing and shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered
personally or by courier service, or three (3) days after sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or on the date sent
and confirmed received by facsimile transmission to the other party’s address
set forth below:
Notice to
USBFS shall be sent to:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
XX 00000
and notice to the Company shall be sent
to:
FMI
Funds, Inc.
000 X Xxxxx Xx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by
a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above
written.
FMI
FUNDS,
INC. U.S.
BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC
By: /s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx By:
/s/ Xxxx X.
Xxxx
Title:
Title:
VP
9
Exhibit
A
to
the
Fund
Names
Separate
Series of FMI Funds, Inc.
Name of
Series Date
Added
FMI Focus
Fund 12/9/1996
FMI Large Cap
Fund 1/2/2002
10
Exhibit B to the Transfer Agent
Servicing Agreement
TRANSFER
AGENT & SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
FIDUCIARY/FMI
FUNDS
ANNUAL
FEE SCHEDULE-EFFECTIVE 10/01/2003
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Service
Charges to the Fund*
Shareholder
Account Fee (Subject to Minimum)
No-Load -
$[__] /account
Closed
Accounts - $[__] /account
Annual
Minimum
$[__]
FMI Focus Fund
$[__]
FMI Large Cap Fund, Common Stock, Provident Trust, Xxxxxxx Growth,
Woodland, Sasco Contrarian, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Activity
Charges
Telephone
Calls - $[__] /call
E-mail
Services
$[__]
/month administration
$[__]
/e-mail received
Draft
Check Processing - $[__] /draft
Daily
Valuation Trades - $[__] /trade
Lost
Shareholder Search - $[__] /search
XXX
Xxxx Xxxxxxx (xxxx Xxxxx 0 accounts)
[__]
accounts - $[__]/year
[__]
accounts - $[__]/year
[__]
accounts - $[__]/year
[__]+
accounts - $[__]/year
AML
New Account Service - $[__]/new domestic accounts and $[__]/new foreign
account
ACH/EFT
Shareholder Services:
$[__]
/month/fund group
$[__]
/ACH item, setup, change
$[__]
/correction, reversal
Out-of-pocket
Costs - Including but not limited to:
Telephone
toll-free lines, call transfers, etc.
Mailing,
sorting and postage
Stationery,
envelopes
Programming,
special reports
Insurance,
record retention, microfilm/fiche
Proxies,
proxy services
ACH
fees, NSCC charges
All
other out-of-pocket expenses
Fees
are billed monthly.
*
Subject to CPI increase.
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Service Charges to Investors
Qualified Plan Fees (Billed to Investors)
$[__] /qualified plan acct (Cap at $[__]/SSN)
$[__] /Xxxxxxxxx ESA acct (Cap at $[__]/SSN)
$[__] /transfer to successor Trustee
$[__] /participant distribution (Excluding SWPs)
$[__]/refund of excess contribution
Additional Shareholder Fees (Billed to Investors)
$[__]/outgoing wire transfer
$[__] /overnight delivery
$[__] /telephone exchange
$[__] /return check or ACH
$[__] /stop
payment
$[__]/research request per account (Cap at $[__]/request) (For
requested items of the second calendar year [or previous] to the
request)
Technology Charges
1. Fund Group Setup (first cusip) - $[__] /fund
group
2. Fund Setup - $[__] /cusip (beyond first
cusip)
3. NSCC Service Interface – All NSCC Services
Setup - $[__] /fund group
Annual - $[__]/cusip/year
4. Telecommunications and Voice Services
Service Setup - $[__] ATT transfer connect
VRU Setup - $[__] /fund group
VRU Maintenance - $[__] /cusip/month
$[__] /voice response call
$[__] /voice recognition call
5. Asset
Allocation Services - $[__] /account group/year ([__]
reallocations)
6. 12b-1
Aging - $[__] /account/year
7. Average
Cost - $[__] /account/year 1--$[__] Effective 10/01/04 and
thereafter
8. Development/Programming
- $[__] /hour
9. File
Transmissions – subject to requirements
10. Selects
- $[__] per select
11. Extraordinary
services – charged as incurred
Conversion
of Records (if necessary) – Estimate to be provided.
Custom
processing, re-processing
All
other extraordinary services
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11
Exhibit
C
Amendment
to the
As
Of Processing Policy
USBFS will reimburse each Fund for any
net material loss that may exist on the Fund’s books and for which USBFS is
responsible, at the end of each calendar month. “Net Material Loss”
shall be defined as any remaining loss, after netting losses against any gains,
which impacts a Fund’s net asset value per share by more than ½
cent. Gains and losses will be reflected on the Fund’s daily share
sheet, and the Fund will be reimbursed on a monthly basis for the amount
necessary to bring the net material loss to a level not more than
$.0045.
USBFS will reimburse each Fund
immediately, to a level under the materiality threshold, for any material loss
which impacts a Fund’s net asset value per share by more than 1
cent.
USBFS will notify the advisor to the
Fund on the daily share sheet of any losses for which the advisor may be held
accountable.
12