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ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
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THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 15th day of September, 1999, by and
between AMERICAN PERFORMANCE FUNDS, a Massachusetts business trust (the
"Trust"), and BISYS FUND SERVICES OHIO, INC., an Ohio corporation (the
"Administrator").
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company
registered under the Investment Trust Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"),
consisting of several series of shares of beneficial interest ("Shares"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires the Administrator to provide, and the
Administrator is willing to provide, management and administrative services to
such series of the Trust as the Trust and the Administrator may agree on
("Portfolios") and as listed on Schedule A attached hereto and made a part of
this Agreement, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Trust and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. RETENTION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Trust hereby retains the
Administrator to act as the administrator of the Portfolios and to furnish the
Portfolios with the management and administrative services as set forth in
Article 2 below. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment to perform the
duties set forth below.
The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an
independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized,
shall have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way and shall
not be deemed an agent of the Trust.
ARTICLE 2. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. The Administrator shall perform or
supervise the performance by others of administrative services in connection
with the operations of the Portfolios, and, on behalf of the Trust, will
investigate, assist in the selection of and conduct relations with custodians,
depositories, accountants, legal counsel, underwriters, brokers and dealers,
corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and persons in any other capacity deemed
to be necessary or desirable for the Portfolios' operations. The Administrator
shall provide the Trustees of the Trust with such reports regarding investment
performance as they may reasonably request but shall have no responsibility for
supervising the performance by any investment adviser or sub-adviser of its
responsibilities.
The Administrator shall provide the Trust with regulatory reporting,
all necessary office space, equipment, personnel, compensation and facilities
(including facilities for Shareholders' and Trustees' meetings) for handling the
affairs of the Portfolios and such other services as the Administrator shall,
from time to time, determine to be necessary to perform its obligations under
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this Agreement. In addition, at the request of the Board of Trustees, the
Administrator shall make reports to the Trust's Trustees concerning the
performance of its obligations hereunder.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator
shall:
(a) calculate contractual Trust expenses and control all
disbursements for the Trust, and as appropriate, compute the
Trust's yields, total return, expense ratios, portfolio
turnover rate and, if required, Portfolio average
dollar-weighted maturity;
(b) assist Trust counsel with the preparation of prospectuses,
statements of additional information, registration statements
and proxy materials;
(c) prepare such reports, applications and documents (including
reports regarding the sale and redemption of Shares as may be
required in order to comply with Federal and state securities
law) as may be necessary or desirable to register the Trust's
Shares with state securities authorities, monitor the sale of
Trust Shares for compliance with state securities laws, and
file with the appropriate state securities authorities the
registration statements and reports for the Trust and the
Trust's Shares and all amendments thereto, as may be necessary
or convenient to register and keep effective the Trust and the
Trust's Shares with state securities authorities to enable the
Trust to make a continuous offering of its Shares;
(d) develop and prepare, with the assistance of the Trust's
investment adviser and independent auditors, communications to
Shareholders, including the semi-annual and annual reports to
Shareholders;
(e) supervise the Trust's transfer agent with respect to the
payment of dividends and other distributions to Shareholders;
(f) calculate performance data of the Portfolios for dissemination
to information services covering the investment Trust
industry;
(g) coordinate and supervise the preparation and filing of the
Trust's tax returns;
(h) examine and review the operations and performance of the
various organizations providing services to the Trust or any
Portfolio of the Trust, including, without limitation, the
Trust's investment adviser, distributor, custodian, fund
accountant, transfer agent, outside legal counsel and
independent public accountants, and at the request of the
Board of Trustees, report to the Board on the performance of
organizations;
(i) assist with the design, development, and operation of the
Portfolios, including new
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classes, investment objectives, policies and structure;
(j) provide individuals reasonably acceptable to the Trust's Board
of Trustees to serve as officers of the Trust, who will be
responsible for the management of certain of the Trust's
affairs as determined by the Trust's Board of Trustees;
(k) obtain and keep in effect fidelity bonds and directors and
officers/errors and omissions insurance policies for the Trust
in accordance with the requirements of Rules 17g-1 and
17d-1(7) under the 1940 Act as such bonds and policies are
approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees;
(l) monitor and advise the Trust and its Portfolios on their
regulated investment company status under the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended;
(m) perform all administrative services and functions of the Trust
and each Portfolio to the extent administrative services and
functions are not provided to the Trust or such Portfolio
pursuant to the Trust's or such Portfolio's investment
advisory agreement, distribution agreement, custodian
agreement, transfer agent agreement and fund accounting
agreement;
(n) furnish advice and recommendations with respect to other
aspects of the business and affairs of the Portfolios as the
Trust and the Administrator shall determine desirable;
(o) prepare and file with the SEC the semi-annual report for the
Trust on Form N-SAR and all required notices pursuant to Rule
24f-2;
(p) assist in monitoring and developing compliance procedures for
each Portfolio which will include, among other matters,
procedures to monitor compliance with each Portfolio's
investment objective, policies, restrictions, tax matters and
applicable laws and regulations;
(q) provide legal support to the Trust with respect to regulatory
matters including: monitoring regulatory and legislative
developments which may affect the Trust and assisting in the
strategic response to such developments, assisting the Trust
in routine regulatory examinations or investigations of the
Trust, and working closely with outside counsel to the Trust
in response to any litigation or non-routine regulatory
matters; and
(r) assist the Trust in preparing for Board meetings by (i)
coordinating board book production and distribution, (ii)
assisting in the preparation of Board agendas, (iii) attending
Board meetings, (iv) preparing the BISYS section of Board
materials, (v) preparing Board meeting materials, including
but not limited to, materials relating to annual contract
approvals and 12b-1 plan approvals, as agreed upon by the
parties,
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and (vi) such other Board meeting functions that are agreed
upon by the parties.
The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Trust that
are mutually agreed upon in writing by the parties from time to time.
ARTICLE 3. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES.
(A) THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Administrator shall furnish at its own
expense the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform
its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the
items which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement, and shall pay all
compensation, if any, of officers and Trustees of the Trust who are affiliated
persons of the Administrator or any affiliated corporation of the Administrator;
provided, however, that unless otherwise specifically provided, the
Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the compensation of any employee of
the Trust retained by the Trustees of the Trust to perform services on behalf of
the Trust.
(B) THE TRUST. The Trust assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all
other expenses of the Trust not otherwise allocated herein, including, without
limitation, organization costs, taxes, expenses for legal and auditing services,
the expenses of preparing (including typesetting), printing and mailing reports,
prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy solicitation material
and notices to existing Shareholders, all expenses incurred in connection with
issuing and redeeming Shares, the costs of custodial services, the cost of
initial and ongoing registration of the Shares under Federal and state
securities laws, fees and out-of-pocket expenses of Trustees who are not
affiliated persons of the Administrator or the Investment Adviser to the Trust
or any affiliated corporation of the Administrator or the Investment Adviser,
insurance, interest, brokerage costs, litigation and other extraordinary or
nonrecurring expenses, and all fees and charges of investment advisers to the
Trust.
ARTICLE 4. COMPENSATION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR.
(A) ADMINISTRATION FEE. For the services to be rendered, the facilities
furnished and the expenses assumed by the Administrator pursuant to this
Agreement, the Trust shall pay to the Administrator compensation at an annual
rate specified in Schedule A attached hereto. Such compensation shall be
calculated and accrued daily, and paid to the Administrator monthly. The Trust
shall also reimburse the Administrator for its out-of-pocket expenses,
including, but not limited to, the travel and lodging expenses incurred by
officers and employees of the Administrator that are also Trustees of the Trust
in connection with attendance at Board meetings.
If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the first
day of a month or terminates before the last day of a month, the Administrator's
compensation for that part of the month in which this Agreement is in effect
shall be prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set
forth above. Payment of the Administrator's compensation for the preceding month
shall be made promptly.
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(B) SURVIVAL OF COMPENSATION RIGHTS. All rights of compensation under
this Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive
the termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The duties of
the Administrator shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein, and no
implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Administrator
hereunder. The Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or
mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any act or omission in carrying
out its duties hereunder, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad
faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder, except as may otherwise be
provided under provisions of applicable law which cannot be waived or modified
hereby. (As used in this Article 5, the term "Administrator" shall include
directors, officers, employees and other agents of the Administrator as well as
the Administrator itself.)
The Administrator may apply to the Trust at any time for instructions
and may consult counsel for the Trust or its own counsel and with accountants
and other experts with respect to any matter arising in connection with the
Administrator's duties, and the Administrator shall not be liable or accountable
for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such
instruction or with the opinion of such counsel, accountants or other experts.
Also, the Administrator shall be protected in acting upon any document
which it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed or presented
by the proper person or persons. The Administrator will not be held to have
notice of any change of authority of any officers, employees or agents of the
Trust until receipt of written notice thereof from the Trust.
ARTICLE 6. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The services of the
Administrator rendered to the Trust are not to be deemed to be exclusive. The
Administrator is free to render such services to others and to have other
businesses and interests. It is understood that directors, officers, employees
and Shareholders of the Trust are or may be or become interested in the
Administrator, as officers, employees or otherwise and that partners, officers
and employees of the Administrator and its counsel are or may be or become
similarly interested in the Trust, and that the Administrator may be or become
interested in the Trust as a Shareholder or otherwise.
ARTICLE 7. DURATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. The Term of this Agreement shall
be as specified in Schedule A hereto.
ARTICLE 8. ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement shall not be assignable by either
party without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that
the Administrator may, at its expense, subcontract with any entity or person
concerning the provision of the services contemplated hereunder. The
Administrator shall not, however, be relieved of any of its obligations under
this Agreement by the appointment of such subcontractor and provided further,
that the Administrator shall be responsible, to the extent provided in Article 5
hereof, for all acts of such subcontractor as if such acts were its own. This
Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the parties
hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
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ARTICLE 9. AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may be amended by the parties
hereto only if such amendment is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the
Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested
persons of any such party, cast in person at a Board of Trustees meeting called
for the purpose of voting on such approval.
ARTICLE 10. CERTAIN RECORDS. The Administrator shall maintain customary
records in connection with its duties as specified in this Agreement. Any
records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to Rules 31a-1 and
31a-2 under the 1940 Act which are prepared or maintained by the Administrator
on behalf of the Trust shall be prepared and maintained at the expense of the
Administrator, but shall be the property of the Trust and will be made available
to or surrendered promptly to the Trust on request.
In case of any request or demand for the inspection of such records by
another party, the Administrator shall notify the Trust and follow the Trust's
instructions as to permitting or refusing such inspection; provided that the
Administrator may exhibit such records to any person in any case where it is
advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for failure to do so, unless
(in cases involving potential exposure only to civil liability) the Trust has
agreed to indemnify the Administrator against such liability.
ARTICLE 11. DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN TERMS. The terms "interested person"
and "affiliated person," when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective
meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
ARTICLE 12. NOTICE. Any notice required or permitted to be given by
either party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the
other party at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000 or at the last address
furnished in writing by the other party to the party giving notice pursuant to
this Article.
ARTICLE 13. GOVERNING LAW AND MATTERS RELATING TO THE TRUST AS A
MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESS TRUST. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The names "American Performance Funds" and
"Trustees of American Performance Funds" refer respectively to the Trust created
and the Trustees, as trustees but not individually or personally, acting from
time to time under an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated as of October 1,
1987 to which reference is hereby made and a copy of which is on file at the
office of the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
elsewhere as required by law, and to any and all amendments thereto so filed or
hereafter filed. The obligations of "American Performance Funds" 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 assets of the Trust, and all persons dealing with any series of
shares of the Trust must look solely to the
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assets of the Trust belonging to such series for the enforcement of any claims
against the Trust.
ARTICLE 14. MULTIPLE ORIGINALS. This Agreement may be executed in two
or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
AMERICAN PERFORMANCE FUNDS
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
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Title: Vice President
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BISYS FUND SERVICES OHIO, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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Title: President
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SCHEDULE A
TO THE ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
BETWEEN AMERICAN PERFORMANCE FUNDS
AND
BISYS FUND SERVICES OHIO, INC.
PORTFOLIOS: This Agreement shall apply to all Portfolios of the Trust
either now or hereafter created. The current portfolios of the
Trust are set forth below:
Equity Fund
Small Cap Equity Fund
Balanced Fund
Growth Equity Fund
Bond Fund
Intermediate Bond Fund
Intermediate Tax-Free Bond Fund
Short-Term Income Fund
U.S. Treasury Fund
Cash Management Fund
(collectively, the "Portfolios").
FEES: Pursuant to Article 4, in consideration of services rendered
and expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, the Trust
will pay the Administrator on the first business day of each
month, or at such time(s) as the Administrator shall request
and the parties hereto shall agree, a fee computed daily at
the annual rate of:
Twenty one-hundredths of one percent (.20%) of each
Portfolio's average daily net assets.
The fee for the period from the day of the month this
Agreement is entered into until the end of that month shall be
prorated according to the proportion which such period bears
to the full monthly period. Upon any termination of this
Agreement before the end of any month, the 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 purposes of determining the fees payable to the
Administrator, the value of the net assets of a particular
Fund shall be computed in the manner described in the Fund's
Declaration of Trust or in the Prospectus or Statement of
Additional
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Information respecting that Fund as from time to time is in
effect for the computation of the value of such net assets in
connection with the determination of the liquidating value of
the shares of such Fund.
The parties hereby confirm that the fees payable hereunder
shall be applied to each Portfolio as a whole, and not to
separate classes of shares within the Portfolios.
The fee payable by the Trust hereunder shall be allocated to
each Portfolio based upon its pro rata share of the total fee
payable hereunder. Such fee as is attributable to each
Portfolio shall be a separate (and not joint or joint and
several) obligation of each such Portfolio. The Administrator
may agree, from time to time, to waive any fees payable under
this Agreement. Such waiver shall be at the Administrator's
sole discretion.
TERM: Pursuant to Article 7, the term of this Agreement shall
commence on September 15, 1999, and shall remain in effect
until May 1, 2002 ("Initial Term"). Thereafter, unless
otherwise terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall
be renewed automatically for successive one-year periods
("Rollover Periods"). This Agreement may be terminated without
penalty (i) by provision of a notice of nonrenewal in the
manner set forth below, (ii) by mutual agreement of the
parties or (iii) for "cause," as defined below, upon the
provision of 60 days advance written notice by the party
alleging cause. Written notice of nonrenewal must be provided
at least 60 days prior to the end of the Initial Term or any
Rollover Period, as the case may be.
For purposes of this Agreement, "cause" shall mean (a) a
material breach of this Agreement that has not been remedied
for thirty (30) days following written notice of such breach
from the non-breaching party; (b) a final, unappealable
judicial, regulatory or administrative ruling or order in
which the party to be terminated has been found guilty of
criminal or unethical behavior in the conduct of its business;
or (c) financial difficulties on the part of the party to be
terminated which are evidenced by the authorization or
commencement of, or involvement by way of pleading, answer,
consent or acquiescence in, a voluntary or involuntary case
under Title 11 of the United States Code, as from time to time
is in effect, or any applicable law, other than said Title 11,
of any jurisdiction relating to the liquidation or
reorganization of debtors or to the modification or alteration
of the rights of creditors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after such termination for so
long as the Administrator, with the written consent of the
Trust, in fact continues to perform any one or more of the
services contemplated by this Agreement or any schedule or
exhibit hereto, the provisions of this Agreement, including
without limitation the provisions dealing with
indemnification, shall continue in full force and effect.
Compensation due the Administrator and unpaid by the Trust
upon such termination shall be immediately due and payable
upon and notwithstanding such termination. The Administrator
shall be entitled to collect from the Trust, in addition to
the
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compensation described in this Schedule A, the amount of all
of the Administrator's cash disbursements for services in
connection with the Administrator's activities in effecting
such termination, including without limitation, the delivery
to the Trust and/or its designees of the Trust's property,
records, instruments and documents, or any copies thereof.
Subsequent to such termination, for a reasonable fee, the
Administrator will provide the Trust with reasonable access to
any Trust documents or records remaining in its possession.
If, for any reason other than nonrenewal, mutual agreement of
the parties or "cause," as defined above, the Administrator is
replaced as administrator, or if a third party is added to
perform all or a part of the services provided by the
Administrator under this Agreement (excluding any
sub-administrator appointed by the Administrator as provided
in Article 8 hereof), then the Trust shall make a one-time
cash payment, as liquidated damages, to the Administrator
equal to the balance due the Administrator under this
Agreement for the lesser of (A) the next six months of the
Initial Term or (B) the remainder of such Initial Term,
assuming for purposes of calculation of the payment that (i)
such balance shall be based upon the average amount of the
Trust's assets for the twelve months prior to the date the
Administrator is replaced or a third party is added and (ii)
such payment shall be based upon the actual fee being charged,
which may or may not be lower than the contractual fee amount;
provided, however, that, in the event the Administrator is
replaced or a third party is added to perform services at any
time after May 1, 2001, the Trust shall not be required to
make a liquidated damages payment.
In the event the Trust is merged into another legal entity in
part or in whole pursuant to any form of business
reorganization or is liquidated in part or in whole prior to
the expiration of the then-current term of this Agreement, the
parties acknowledge and agree that the liquidated damages
provision set forth above shall be applicable in those
instances in which the Administrator is not retained to
provide administration services. Under such circumstances, the
one-time cash payment referenced above shall be due and
payable on the day prior to the first day during which assets
are transferred pursuant to the plan of reorganization or
liquidation.
The parties further acknowledge and agree that, in the event
the Administrator ceases to be retained, as set forth above,
(i) a determination of actual damages incurred by the
Administrator would be extremely difficult, and (ii) the
liquidated damages provision contained herein is intended to
adequately compensate the Administrator for damages incurred
and is not intended to constitute any form of penalty.
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