SCHEDULE 14C INFORMATION
Information Statement Pursuant To Section 14(c)
of the Securities Exchange Act 1934
Filed by the Registrant ☒
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐
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Preliminary Information Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14c-5(d)(2)) |
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Definitive Information Statement |
LITMAN GREGORY FUNDS TRUST
(Name of Registrant As Specified In Its Charter)
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Fee not required |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14c-5(g) and 0-11 |
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the
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LITMAN GREGORY FUNDS TRUST
iMGP SMALL COMPANY FUND
2301 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 2150,
El Segundo, California 94596
INFORMATION STATEMENT
September 9, 2025
Dear Shareholder:
The enclosed Information Statement discusses actions that have been taken with respect to the iMGP Small Company Fund (the
“Fund”), a series of Litman Gregory Funds Trust (the “Trust”). These actions were approved by the Board of Trustees and do not require shareholder approval. We are providing this notice to keep you informed of important
developments affecting your investment.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust has approved a new investment
sub-advisory agreement with D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. (“D.F. Dent”), which replaced Polen Capital Management, LLC as a sub-advisor to the Fund. D.F. Dent
will manage a portion of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s advisor believes that having D.F. Dent as one of the Fund’s sub-advisors would be beneficial to the Fund and its shareholders. There
will be no changes to the Fund’s investment objective, and the aggregate advisory fee of the Fund will not increase as a result of this change.
We are not asking you for a proxy and you are requested not to send us a proxy. If you have any questions, please call 1-925-254-8999 and we will be glad to assist you. Thank you for your continued support of Litman Gregory Funds Trust.
Very truly yours,
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| /s/ Jeffrey K. Seeley |
| Jeffrey K. Seeley
President |
LITMAN GREGORY FUNDS TRUST
iMGP SMALL COMPANY FUND
2301 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 2150,
El Segundo, California 94596
INFORMATION STATEMENT
September 9, 2025
This document is an Information Statement relating to the hiring of D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. (“D.F. Dent”), 400 East Pratt
Street, 7th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, as a sub-advisor to the iMGP Small Company Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Litman Gregory Funds Trust
(the “Trust”). This Information Statement is being furnished on behalf of the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) to shareholders of the Fund. This Information Statement is being mailed to shareholders of the Fund
on or about September 9, 2025.
iM Global Partner Fund Management, LLC (the “Advisor” or “iM Global”) serves as
the investment advisor to the Fund and is located at 2301 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 2150, El Segundo, California 94596. In addition to D.F. Dent, Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC serves as a sub-advisor to
the Fund. The principal office of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is located at 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900 Chicago, IL 60661. The Fund’s principal underwriter is ALPS Distributors, Inc., whose principal office is located at 1290
Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203. State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as the Fund’s administrator and custodian and is located at One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114-2016. SS&C Global Investor &
Distribution Solutions, Inc. serves as the Fund’s transfer agent and is located at 330 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, MO 64105.
This is not a proxy statement and does not relate to a meeting of shareholders of the Fund. We are not asking you for a proxy, and we are
not asking you for voting instructions. Please do not send us a proxy.
The expenses incurred in connection with preparing and
delivering this Information Statement will be borne by the Fund. Copies of the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders are available on the Trust’s website at http://www.imgpfunds.com or will be furnished without charge
upon request by writing to the Fund at Litman Gregory Funds Trust, c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., P.O. Box 219922, Kansas City, MO 64121-9922, or by calling 1-800-960-0188.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of the
Information Statement: This Information Statement and the Fund’s most recent annual report and semi-annual report to shareholders are available at http://www.imgpfunds.com.
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| By Order of the Board, |
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| /s/ Jeffrey K. Seeley |
| Jeffrey K. Seeley |
| President |
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| El Segundo, California |
| September 9, 2025 |
At a meeting held on June 4, 2025 (the “Meeting”), the Board, including the trustees of the Trust who are not
“interested persons” of the Trust (the “Independent Trustees”) as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), unanimously approved a new
investment sub-advisory agreement by and between iM Global Partner Fund Management, LLC (the “Advisor” or iM Global”) and D.F. Dent and Company Inc. (“D.F. Dent”) (the
“New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement) pursuant to which D.F. Dent will serve as a sub-advisor to the iMGP Small Company Fund (the “Fund”) and
manage a portion of the Fund’s assets
The Advisor recommended that the Board approve the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement because the Advisor believes that having D.F. Dent as a sub-advisor with respect to a portion of the Fund’s assets will be beneficial to both the
Fund and its shareholders. Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC continues to manage a value sleeve of the Fund’s portfolio and D.F. Dent would assume management of the growth sleeve of the portfolio from the previous sub-advisor. As a result of the hiring of D.F. Dent, there were no changes to the Fund’s investment objective, and the aggregate advisory fees paid by the Fund did not increase.
Pursuant to an exemptive order issued to the Trust and the Advisor by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on
June 13, 1997 (the “Order”), shareholder approval of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement was not required to be, and was not, obtained. The Order permits the Advisor, subject to the
approval of and oversight by the Board, to enter into sub-advisory agreements with sub-advisors with which it is not affiliated, and to make certain changes to existing sub-advisory agreements, without shareholder approval. Even though shareholder approval is not being sought with respect to the approval of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory
Agreement, the Order requires that the Trust provide shareholders with this Information Statement containing information about D.F. Dent, the circumstances surrounding the Board’s approval of the New D.F. Dent
Sub-Advisory Agreement, and the material terms of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement.
| II. |
D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. |
| A. |
Information Regarding D.F. Dent |
D.F. Dent is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. D.F. Dent was founded in 1976 by Daniel
Dent and is an investment firm that focuses on high-quality growth investing and manages concentrated, high-conviction portfolios. The investment team manages just three products: All Cap Growth, Mid Cap Growth and Small Cap Growth. There is a
single, unified investment philosophy across all three products, which is that high-quality growth investing leads to outperformance. As of June 30, 2025, D.F. Dent had approximately $10 billion in assets under management.
The Advisor has allocated a portion of the Fund’s assets to D.F. Dent (the “D.F. Dent Allocated Assets”) to be managed by
Gary Wu and Brady Cox. Messrs. Wu and Cox are the portfolio managers for the segment of the Fund’s assets managed by D.F. Dent.
Gary Wu, Ph.D., CFA, joined D.F. Dent in 2012 with eight years of experience in the investment industry. Prior to joining the firm, he served
as a Senior Vice President at BDT Capital Partners, a Securities Analyst and Co-Portfolio Manager at Legg Mason Capital Management, a healthcare investment banker at Legg Mason Wood Walker (now Stifel
Nicolaus), and a management consultant at Mars & Company. Dr. Wu earned a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Columbia University and holds a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Peking University Medical School. He is a CFA
Charterholder and currently serves as a portfolio manager, analyst, and Chief Risk Officer.
Brady Cox, CFA, joined the firm in 2018 with
seven years of experience in the investment industry. Prior to joining D.F. Dent, he served as an equity research associate analyst at Stifel Nicolaus. Mr. Cox is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he received a B.S.B.A. with
focuses in Finance and Economics, and is a CFA Charterholder. He currently serves as a portfolio manager on the Small Cap Growth strategy and as a research analyst.
1
Approximately 50% of the Fund’s assets are managed by Mr. Wu and Mr. Cox.
Additional information about D.F. Dent, including its principal executive officers and directors, is provided in Exhibit B.
| B. |
Material Terms of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement
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The following discussion is a description of the material terms of the New D.F. Dent
Sub-Advisory Agreement. This description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit
C to this Information Statement.
Pursuant to the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement, D.F. Dent
will provide, subject to the supervision and direction of the Advisor and the Board, investment advice and related services with respect to the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets. D.F. Dent is responsible for providing the personnel, office space, and
equipment reasonably necessary to fulfill its obligations under the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement. The New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement will be in effect for
an initial term of two years upon approval by the Board and will continue to be in effect thereafter for additional periods not exceeding one (1) year so long as such continuation is approved at least annually by (i) the Board or by the
vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act, (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval, and (iii) the Advisor. The New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement is not assignable and may be terminated without penalty (i) by the Board or by vote of a “majority of the outstanding
voting securities” of the Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act, upon 60 days’ written notice to D.F. Dent and the Advisor; and (ii) by the Advisor or D.F. Dent upon 60 days’ written notice to the Trust and the other party.
The New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that D.F. Dent may render similar or different services to other clients so long as D.F. Dent’s ability to render the services provided for in the New
D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement is not impaired thereby.
The New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that D.F. Dent shall exercise reasonable care and prudence in fulfilling its obligations thereunder. The New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement
also provides that D.F. Dent shall be liable for (i) any material inaccuracy or incompleteness of the statements furnished in writing by D.F. Dent for use by the Advisor in the Fund’s offering materials; and (ii) any loss incurred by
the Fund as a result of any investment made by D.F. Dent in violation of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement or if such loss was due to D.F. Dent’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence,
or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties under the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement (“Disabling Conduct”). In the absence of any Disabling Conduct on the part of D.F. Dent, D.F. Dent
will not be subject to liability to the Advisor, the Trust, or the Fund or any shareholder of the Fund for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services under the New D.F. Dent
Sub-Advisory Agreement or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any securities by the Fund.
Under the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement, each party to the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement (as an “Indemnifying Party”), including the Trust on behalf of the Fund, shall indemnify and hold harmless the other party and the shareholders, directors, officers and employees
of the other party (any such person, an “Indemnified Party”) against any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating and defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense and
reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of the Indemnifying Party’s performance or non-performance of any duties under the New D.F. Dent
Sub-Advisory Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement shall be deemed to protect any Indemnified Party against any
liability to which such Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of its willful misfeasance, bad faith, or negligence in the performance of its duties in the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement
or by reason of reckless disregard of obligations and duties under the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement.
Under the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement, D.F. Dent will (i) furnish the Fund with advice
and recommendations with respect to the investment of the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets; (ii) effect the purchase and
2
sale of portfolio securities for the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets; (iii) determine that portion of the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets that will remain uninvested, if any; (iv) manage and
oversee the investments of the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets, subject to the ultimate supervision and direction of the Board; (v) vote proxies, file required ownership reports and take other actions with respect to the securities in the D.F. Dent
Allocated Assets; (vi) maintain the books and records required to be maintained with respect to the securities in the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets; (vii) furnish reports, statements and other data on securities, economic conditions and other
matters related to the investment of the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets which the Advisor, the Trustees, or the officers of the Trust may reasonably request; and (viii) render to the Board such periodic and special reports with respect to the D.F.
Dent Allocated Assets as the Board may reasonably request.
The Advisor, and not the Fund, is responsible for payment of the sub-advisory fees to D.F. Dent under the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement. The fees payable to D.F. Dent pursuant to the New D.F. Dent
Sub-Advisory Agreement are included in the advisory fees paid to the Advisor.
| C. |
Approval of the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement by the Board
and the Independent Trustees |
At the Meeting, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, unanimously approved the
hiring of D.F. Dent as a sub-advisor to the Fund and the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement. In determining whether to approve the New D.F. Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board and the Independent Trustees considered the materials prepared by the Advisor and received in advance of and at the Meeting and other information, which included, without
limitation: (i) confirmation that the standard form of the sub-advisory agreement used by the Fund would be used in substantially that form for the New D. F.
Dent Sub-Advisory Agreement; (ii) information regarding the process the Advisor undertook in recommending D.F. Dent for Board approval; (iii) information regarding the nature, extent and
quality of the services that D.F. Dent is expected to provide to the Fund; (iv) information regarding D.F. Dent’s reputation, investment management business, personnel, and operations; (v) information regarding D.F. Dent’s
brokerage and trading policies and practices; (vi) information regarding the level of sub-advisory fees to be charged by D.F. Dent; (vii) information regarding D.F. Dent’s compliance
program; (viii) information regarding D.F. Dent’s historical performance returns managing its various strategies, including the small cap growth strategy that corresponds to the Fund; and (ix) information regarding D.F. Dent’s
financial condition. The Board also considered the substance of its discussions with representatives of the Advisor at the Meeting. In particular, the Board and the Independent Trustees focused on the following:
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1. |
The Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Expected to be Provided |
The Board reviewed the services expected to be provided to the Small Company Fund by D.F. Dent. The Board considered D.F. Dent’s
investment experience, philosophy and process. It was noted that D.F. Dent looks for companies that are financially strong and have sustainable growth models and prioritizes companies led by management teams it believes to be talented and ethical,
as such leadership can support long-term investment success. The Board also considered the due diligence process undertaken by the Advisor and the Advisor’s favorable assessment of the nature and quality of the
investment sub-advisory services expected to be provided to the Small Company Fund by D.F. Dent.
In light of the foregoing, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, concluded that the services expected to be provided by D.F. Dent
would have the potential to benefit the Small Company Fund.
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2. |
Investment Performance of D.F. Dent |
The Board considered D.F. Dent’s performance record with respect to its strategy that corresponds to that of the Small Company Fund. The
Advisor’s conviction in D.F. Dent’s small cap growth strategy was noted, as well as the factors that the Advisor considered in connection with its recommendation to approve D.F. Dent as
a sub-advisor to the Small Company Fund.
3
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3. |
Cost of the Services to be Provided and Profits to be Realized from the Relationship with the Small Company
Fund |
The Board considered the proposed sub-advisory fees payable
to D.F. Dent under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, noting that such fees would be paid by the Advisor, and not the Small Company Fund, and, thus, would not directly impact the fees to be paid by the Small Company
Fund. The Board considered that the proposed sub-advisory fees to be paid to D.F. Dent by the Advisor under the Sub-Advisory Agreement had been negotiated at arm’s length and fairly reflected the services to be provided by the Advisor and D.F.
Dent, respectively. Given the arm’s-length nature of the arrangement, the Board concluded that the proposed sub-advisory fees payable to D.F. Dent by the Advisor under the Sub-Advisory Agreement are
reasonable and appropriate. The Board noted that a detailed analysis of profitability in general was more appropriate in the context of the Board’s consideration of the advisory agreement with the Advisor. Accordingly, considerations of D.F.
Dent’s profitability were not directly relevant to the Board’s determination to approve the Sub-Advisory Agreement.
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4. |
The Extent to Which Economies of Scale Would be Realized as the Small Company Fund Grows and Whether Fee
Levels Would Reflect Such Economies of Scale |
The Board considered the extent to which economies of scale would be
realized as the Small Company Fund grows and whether fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of shareholders. The Board recognized that this consideration is less relevant with respect to the
proposed sub-advisory fee because the Advisor will pay D.F. Dent out of its advisory fees received from the Small Company Fund and noted that the Board considered economies of scale for the Small
Company Fund in connection with the renewal of the Advisor’s advisory agreement with the Small Company Fund during the Annual 15(c) Process.
The Board considered that there may be financial benefits that D.F. Dent derives from its relationship with the Advisor and the Small Company
Fund, including soft dollar commission benefits generated through Fund portfolio transactions. The Board did not view this consideration as having a material effect on its overall view of the reasonableness of the
proposed sub-advisory fee to D.F. Dent.
Conclusion
The Independent Trustees did not identify any single factor discussed previously
as all-important or controlling. The Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, concluded that the terms of the Sub-Advisory Agreement
were fair and reasonable, and that the fees are reasonable in light of the services expected to be provided to the Small Company Fund. Based on its discussion and such other matters as were deemed relevant, the Board, including the Independent
Trustees, concluded that the Sub-Advisory Agreement was in the best interest of the Small Company Fund and its shareholders and does not involve a conflict of interest from which the Advisor or a sub-advisor affiliated with the Advisor’s parent company derives an inappropriate advantage.
Investment Advisory Fees
For the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2024, the Fund paid advisory fees of 0.80% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, of which 0.35% was retained by the Advisor after payment of the
Fund’s sub-advisors, before waivers or expense subsidies. The aggregate sub-advisory fee paid by the Advisor to the Fund’s sub-advisors was 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, or $280,903 net of waivers. Aggregate advisory fees paid by the Fund for the same period were $381,488 net of waivers, of
which $93,987 was retained by the Advisor.
4
Effective as of June 9, 2025 and the commencement of D.F. Dent’s management of
the Fund, the Fund continues to pay advisory fees of 0.80% of the Fund’s average daily assets (the “New Advisory Fee”), of which 0.35% is retained by the Adviser after payment of the
Fund’s sub-advisors, after waivers and expense subsidies.
Information Regarding the Trust
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on August 1, 1996, and is registered with the SEC as an
open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act.
Ownership of Shares
Exhibit A lists the shareholders who, to the knowledge of the Trust, are beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a class
of the Fund as of August 29, 2025. Any shareholder who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the Fund’s voting securities may be deemed to “control” (as defined in the 1940 Act) the Fund. A control person
can have a significant impact on the outcome of a shareholder vote.
As of August 29, 2025, no Trustees of the Trust owned 1% or more
of the outstanding shares of a class of the Fund, and all Trustees and officers of the Trust owned, as a group, less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the Fund.
Shareholder Proposals
As a general
matter, the Fund does not hold annual or regular meetings of the shareholders. Ordinarily, there will be no shareholder meeting unless required by the 1940 Act or otherwise. Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for inclusion in a proxy statement
for a subsequent meeting of the shareholders should send their written proposals to the Secretary of the Fund, 2301 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 2150, El Segundo, California 94596. They must be received by the Fund within a reasonable period of time
prior to any such shareholder meeting.
Affiliated Brokerage
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, the Fund did not pay brokerage commissions to affiliated broker-dealers.
Householding
Only one copy of this
Information Statement is being delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless the Fund has received contrary instructions from one or more of the shareholders, in which case the Fund will deliver promptly separate copies of this
Information Statement to such shared address. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for shareholders and cost savings for the Fund.
Shareholders sharing an address who currently receive multiple copies of annual reports to shareholders, information statements or proxy
materials at the same address and would like to request “householding” of their communications, and shareholders who no longer wish to participate in “householding” and prefer to receive a separate copy of annual reports to
shareholders, information statements and proxy materials, should contact the Fund at Litman Gregory Funds Trust c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., P.O. Box 219922, Kansas City, MO 64121-9922.
PLEASE RETAIN THIS INFORMATION STATEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
5
EXHIBIT A
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
As of August 29, 2025, to the Trust’s knowledge, the following persons are beneficial owners of more than 5% of the
outstanding shares of a class of the Fund:
Institutional Class
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| Name and
Address |
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Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned |
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% of Class
Owned |
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Type of Owner |
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1901 |
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2,005,872.7290 |
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55.99% |
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Record |
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1901 |
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537,175.0980 |
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14.99% |
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Record |
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National Financial Services Corp.
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
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219,332.1160 |
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6.12% |
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Record |
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Matrix Trust Company Cust. FBO
717 17th Street
Suite 1300
Denver, CO 80202-3304 |
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193,002.9940 |
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5.39% |
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Record |
6
EXHIBIT B
Additional Information Regarding D.F. Dent
D.F. Dent has its principal office located at 400 East Pratt Street, 7th Floor,
Baltimore, MD 21202. Schedules of the direct and indirect ownership of D.F. Dent can be found in Part 1A of D.F. Dent’s Form ADV available at http://www.sec.gov.
Set forth below are the names and titles of the principal executive officers of D.F. Dent. The address of each such officer is c/o 400 East
Pratt St 3720, Baltimore, MD 21202.
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| Name |
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Title |
| Daniel F. Dent |
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Chairman |
| Matthew Dent |
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President |
| Brooke E. Hrimnak |
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Chief Operating Officer |
| Carolyn E. Gaynor |
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Chief Compliance Officer |
D.F. Dent acts as investment adviser to the following registered investment company that has a similar
objective to the D.F. Dent Allocated Assets of the Fund:
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| Fund Name |
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Net Assets Managed
by D.F. Dent as of
June 30, 2025 |
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Advisory Fee Rate Paid to
D.F. Dent
(of average daily net assets) |
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| D.F. Dent Small Cap Growth Fund |
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$ |
188 million |
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0.85 |
% |
It is D.F. Dent’s policy to limit its use of soft dollars to arrangements falling within the safe-harbor
of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Only bona fide research and brokerage products and services that provide assistance to D.F. Dent in the performance of its investment decision-making responsibilities are
permitted and any allocation of brokerage commissions must be reasonable in relation to the research, service or product provided.
None
of the current Trustees or officers of the Fund is an officer, employee, director, general partner or shareholder of D.F. Dent. None of the current Trustees or officers of the Fund owns securities or has any other material direct or indirect
interest in D.F. Dent or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with D.F. Dent, or has purchased or sold securities or ownership interests of D.F. Dent, its parents, or subsidiaries of either, since the beginning of the
Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year.
7
EXHIBIT C
IMGP SMALL COMPANY FUND
LITMAN GREGORY FUNDS TRUST
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT is made as of the 9th day of June, 2025 by and between iM
Global Partner Fund Management LLC (the “Advisor”) and DF Dent &Company, Inc, (the “Sub-Advisor”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the
Advisor has been retained as the investment adviser to the iMGP Small Company Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Litman Gregory Funds Trust (the “Trust”), an open-end management
investment company, registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Advisor has been authorized by the Trust to retain one or more investment advisers (each an “investment manager”) to
serve as portfolio managers for a specified portion of the Fund’s assets (the “Allocated Portion”); and
WHEREAS, the Sub-Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Advisers Act”), and is engaged in the business of supplying investment advisory
services as an independent contractor; and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Advisor desire to retain the
Sub-Advisor as an investment manager to render portfolio advice and services to the Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Sub-Advisor
desires to furnish said advice and services; and
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Fund are third party beneficiaries of such arrangements;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties to this Agreement, which shall
include the Trust on behalf of the Fund for purposes of the indemnification provisions of section 1 1 hereof, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Sub-Advisor.
(a) The Advisor hereby appoints the Sub-Advisor, and the
Sub-Advisor hereby accepts such appointment, to render investment advice and related services with respect to the Allocated Portion of the assets of the Fund for the period and on the terms set forth in this
Agreement, subject to the supervision and direction of the Advisor and the Trust’s Board of Trustees.
(b) The Sub-Advisor’s appointment shall be solely with respect to an Allocated Portion of the Fund’s assets, such Allocated Portion to be specified by the Advisor and subject to periodic increases or decreases
at the Advisor’s sole discretion.
(c) Nature of Fund. The Sub-Advisor and the
Advisor both acknowledge that the Fund is a mutual fund that operates as a series of an open-end series investment company under the plenary authority of the Trust’s Board of Trustees. In managing the
Allocated Portion, the Sub-Advisor shall do so subject always to the plenary authority of the Board of Trustees.
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2. Duties of Sub-Advisor.
(a) General Duties. The Sub-Advisor shall act as one of several investment managers to
the Fund and shall invest the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion of the assets of the Fund in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund as set forth in the
Fund’s and the Trust’s governing documents, including, without limitation, the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws; the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional
information and undertakings; and such other limitations, policies and procedures as the Advisor or the Trustees of the Trust may impose from time to time in writing to the Sub-Advisor. In providing such
services, the Sub-Advisor shall at all times adhere to the provisions and restrictions contained in the federal securities laws, applicable state securities laws, the Internal Revenue Code, and other
applicable law. Advisor shall provide to the Sub-Advisor such information with respect to the Fund such that the Sub-Advisor will be able to maintain compliance with
applicable regulations, laws, policies, and restrictions with respect to the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Sub-Advisor shall: (i) furnish the Fund
with advice and recommendations with respect to the investment of the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion of the Fund’s assets; (ii) effect the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion; (iii) determine that portion of the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion that will remain uninvested, if any; (iv) manage and
oversee the investments of the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion, subject to the ultimate supervision and direction of the Trust’s Board of Trustees; (v) vote proxies, file required ownership
reports, and take other actions with respect to the securities in the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion; (vi) maintain the books and records required to be maintained with respect to the securities in
the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion; (vii) furnish reports, statements and other data on securities, economic conditions and other matters related to the investment of the Fund’ assets which
the Advisor, the Trustees, or the officers of the Trust may reasonably request; and (viii) render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports with respect to the
Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion as the Board may reasonably request.
(b) Brokerage. With respect to the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion, the Sub-Advisor shall be responsible for broker-dealer selection and for negotiation of brokerage commission rates. The Sub-Advisor may direct orders to an affiliated person of
the Sub-Advisor or to any other broker-dealer who has been identified by the Advisor to the Sub-Advisor as an affiliate of any other investment manager without prior
authorization to use such affiliated broker or dealer by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, provided that the Sub-Advisor does so in a manner consistent with Sections 17(a) and 17(e) of the Investment
Company Act, Rule 17e-l thereunder and the Rule 17e-1 procedures adopted by the Trust (a copy of which shall by provided by the Advisor). The Sub-Advisor’s primary consideration in effecting a securities transaction will be best execution. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction, the
Sub-Advisor may take the following into consideration: the best net price available; the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size of and difficulty in executing the order;
and the value of the expected contribution of the broker-dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on a continuing basis. The price to the Fund in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the
difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the portfolio execution services offered.
Subject to such policies as the Advisor
and the Board of Trustees of the Trust may determine, the Sub-Advisor shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of its
having caused the Fund to pay a broker or dealer that provides (directly or indirectly) brokerage or research services to the Sub-Advisor an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess
of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Sub-Advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to
the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Sub-Advisor’s or the Advisor’s overall
responsibilities with respect to the Fund. The Sub-Advisor is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the Fund to such brokers or dealers who also provide research or statistical
material, or other services, to the Trust,
9
the Advisor, any affiliate of either, or the Sub-Advisor. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as the
Sub-Advisor shall determine, and the Sub-Advisor shall report on such allocations regularly to the Advisor and the Trust, indicating the broker-dealers to whom such
allocations have been made and the basis therefor.
On occasions when the Sub-Advisor deems the
purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients of the Sub-Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, to the extent permitted by applicable
laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be so purchased or sold in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and the most efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or
sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Sub-Advisor in the manner it considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to
such other clients.
(c) Proxy Voting. The Advisor hereby delegates to the
Sub-Advisor, the Advisor’s discretionary authority to exercise voting rights with respect to the securities and other investments in the Allocated Portion. The
Sub-Advisor’s proxy voting policies shall comply with any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC. The Sub-Advisor shall maintain and preserve a record, in an
easily-accessible place for a period of not less than three (3) years (or longer, if required by law), of the Sub-Advisor’s voting procedures, of the
Sub-Advisor’s actual votes, and such other information required for the Fund to comply with any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC. The Sub-Advisor shall
supply updates of this record to the Advisor or any authorized representative of the Advisor, or to the Fund on a quarterly basis (or more frequently, if required by law). shall provide the Advisor and the Fund with information regarding the
policies and procedures that the Sub-Advisor uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to the Allocated Portion. The Fund may request that the Sub-Advisor vote
proxies for the Allocated Portion in accordance with the Fund’s proxy voting policies.
(d) Books and Records. In
compliance with the requirements of Rule 31 a-3 under the Investment Company Act, the Sub-Advisor hereby agrees that all records which it maintains for the Fund are the
property of the Fund and further agrees to surrender promptly to the Fund copies of any of such records upon the Fund’s request. The Sub-Advisor further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by
Rule 3 la-2 under the Investment Company Act the records required to be maintained by Rule 31 a-I under the Investment Company Act with respect to the Fund and to
preserve the records required by Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act with respect to the Fund for the period specified in the Rule. The Sub-Adviser will be responsible for
meeting its regulatory obligations, including the preparation and filing of such reports with respect to the assets of the Fund reflecting holdings over which the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates have investment
discretion as may be required from time to time, including but not limited to Schedule 13G and Form 13F.
(e) Custody. Title
to all investments shall be made in the name of the Fund, provided that for convenience in buying, selling, and exchanging securities (stocks, bonds, commercial paper, etc.), title to such securities may be held in the name of the Fund’s
custodian bank, or its nominee or as otherwise provided in the Fund’s custody agreement. The Fund shall notify the Sub-Advisor of the identity of its custodian bank and shall give the Sub-Advisor fifteen (15) days’ written notice of any changes in such custody arrangements. Neither the Sub-Advisor, nor any parent, subsidiary or related firm,
shall take possession of or handle any cash or securities, mortgages or deeds of trust, or other indicia of ownership of the Fund’s investments, or otherwise act as custodian of such investments. All cash and the indicia of ownership of all
other investments shall be held by the Fund’s custodian bank. The Fund shall instruct its custodian bank to (a) carry out all investment instructions as may be directed by the Sub-Advisor with
respect thereto (which may be orally given if confirmed in writing); and (b) provide the Sub-Advisor with all operational information necessary for the Sub-Advisor
to trade on behalf of the Fund.
(f) (1) Consulting with Certain Affiliated Sub-Advisors.
With respect to any transaction the Fund enters into with an affiliated sub-advisor (or an affiliated person of such sub-advisor) in reliance on Rule IOf-3, Rule 17a-10 or Rule 12d3-l under the Investment Company Act, the Sub-Advisor agrees that
it will not consult with the affiliated sub-advisor concerning such transaction, except to the extent necessary to comply with the percentage limits of paragraphs (a) and (b) of Rule 12d3-l.
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(2) Transactions Among Sub-Advisors of the
Fund. In any case in which there are two or more sub-advisors responsible for providing investment advice to the Fund, the Sub-Advisor may enter into a transaction
on behalf of the Fund with another sub-advisor of the Fund (or an affiliated person of such sub-advisor) in reliance on Rule I
Of-3, Rule 17a-10 or Rule 12d3-1 under the Investment Company Act, only if (i) the
Sub-Advisor, under the terms of this Agreement, is responsible for providing investment advice with respect to its Allocated Portion, and (ii) the other sub-advisor
is responsible for providing investment advice with respect to a separate portion of the portfolio of the Fund.
3. Representations of Sub-Advisor.
(a) Sub-Advisor shall use its best judgment
and efforts in rendering the advice and services to the Fund as contemplated by this Agreement.
(b)
Sub-Advisor shall maintain all licenses and registrations necessary to perform its duties hereunder in good order.
(c) Sub-Advisor shall conduct its operations at all times in conformance with the Investment Advisers
Act, the Investment Company Act and any other applicable state and/or self-regulatory organization regulations.
(d) Sub-Advisor shall be covered by errors and omissions insurance. The company self-retention or deductible shall not exceed reasonable and customary standards, and Sub-Advisor
agrees to notify Advisor in the event the aggregate coverage of such insurance in any annual period is reduced below $5,000,000.
(e) The Sub-Advisor represents and warrants to the Advisor and the Fund that (i) the retention of the Sub-Advisor as contemplated by this Agreement is authorized by the Sub-Advisor’s governing documents; (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not violate any obligation by which the Sub-Advisor or its
property is bound, whether arising by contract, operation of law or otherwise; and (iii) this Agreement has been duly authorized by appropriate action of the Sub-Advisor and when executed and delivered by
the Sub-Advisor will be the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Sub-Advisor, enforceable against the Sub-Advisor in
accordance with its terms hereof, subject, as to enforcement, to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a
proceeding in equity or law).
4. Independent Contractor. The Sub-Advisor shall, for all
purposes herein, be deemed to be an independent contractor, and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided and authorized to do so, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust, the Fund, or the Advisor in any way, or in any way be deemed an
agent for the Trust, the Fund, or the Advisor. It is expressly understood and agreed that the services to be rendered by the Sub-Advisor to the Fund under the provisions of this Agreement are not to be deemed
exclusive, and the Sub-Advisor shall be free to render similar or different services to others so long as its ability to render the services provided for in this Agreement shall not be impaired thereby.
5. Sub-Advisor’s Personnel. The Sub-Advisor
shall, at its own expense, maintain such staff and employ or retain such personnel and consult with such other persons as it shall from time to time determine to be necessary to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the staff and personnel of the Sub-Advisor shall be deemed to include persons employed or retained by the Sub-Advisor to
furnish statistical information, research, and other factual information, advice regarding economic factors and trends, information with respect to technical and scientific developments, and such other information, advice, and assistance as the Sub-Advisor, the Advisor or the Trust’s Board of Trustees may desire and reasonably request.
6.
Expenses.
(a) The Sub-Advisor shall be responsible for (i) providing the personnel,
office space, and equipment reasonably necessary to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.
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(b) In the event this Agreement is terminated by an assignment in the nature of a change of
control as contemplated by Section 14(b) hereof, and the parties agree to enter into a new agreement, the Sub-Advisor shall be responsible for (i) the costs of any special notifications to the
Fund’s shareholders and any special meetings of the Trust’s Board of Trustees convened for the primary benefit of the Sub-Advisor, or (ii) its fair share of the costs of any special meetings
required for the benefit of the Sub-Advisor as well as for other purposes.
(c) The Sub-Advisor may voluntarily absorb certain Fund expenses or waive some or all of the Sub-Advisor’s own fee.
(d) To the extent the Sub-Advisor incurs any costs by assuming expenses which are an obligation of the
Advisor or the Fund, the Advisor or the Fund shall promptly reimburse the Sub-Advisor for such costs and expenses. To the extent the Sub-Advisor performs services for
which the Fund or the Advisor is obligated to pay, the Sub-Advisor shall be entitled to prompt reimbursement in such amount as shall be negotiated between the
Sub-Advisor and die Advisor but shall, under no circumstances, exceed the Sub-Advisor’s actual costs for providing such services.
7. Investment Sub-Advisory Fee.
(a) The Advisor shall pay to the Sub-Advisor, and the
Sub-Advisor agrees to accept, as full compensation for all investment advisory services furnished or provided to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement, an annual
sub-advisory fee based on the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion, as such Allocated Portion may be adjusted from time to time. Such fee shall be paid at the annual
rate specified on Exhibit A attached hereto on the net assets of the Fund attributable to the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion, computed on the value of such net assets as of the close of business each
day.
(b) The sub-advisory fee shall be paid by the Advisor to
Sub-Advisor monthly in arrears on the tenth business day of each month.
(c) The initial fee under
this Agreement shall be payable on the tenth business day of the first month following the effective date of this Agreement and shall be prorated as set forth below. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the end of any month, the fee to the Sub-Advisor shall be prorated for the portion of any month in which this Agreement is in effect which is not a complete month according to the proportion which the number of calendar days in the month during which
the Agreement is in effect bears to the number of calendar days in the month, and shall be payable within ten (10) days after the date of termination.
(d) The fee payable to the Sub-Advisor under this Agreement will be reduced to the extent of any
receivable owed by the Sub-Advisor to the Advisor or the Fund.
(e) The Sub-Advisor voluntarily may reduce any portion of the compensation or reimbursement of expenses due to it pursuant to this Agreement and may agree to make payments to limit the expenses which are the responsibility
of the Advisor of the Fund under this Agreement. Any such reduction or payment shall be applicable only to such specific reduction or payment and shall not constitute an agreement to reduce any future compensation or reimbursement due to the Sub-Advisor hereunder or to continue future payments. Any such reduction will be agreed to prior to accrual of the related expense or fee and will be estimated daily and reconciled and paid on a monthly basis.
(f) The Sub-Advisor may agree not to require payment of any portion of the compensation or
reimbursement of expenses otherwise due to it pursuant to this Agreement. Any such agreement shall be applicable only with respect to the specific items covered thereby and shall not constitute an agreement not to require payment of any future
compensation or reimbursement due to the Sub-Advisor hereunder.
8. No Shorting; No
Borrowing. The Sub-Advisor agrees that neither it nor any of its officers or employees shall take any short position in the shares of the Fund. This prohibition shall not prevent the purchase of such
12
shares by any of the officers or employees of the Sub-Advisor or any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for such persons or affiliates
thereof, at a price not less than the net asset value thereof at the time of purchase, as allowed pursuant to rules promulgated under the Investment Company Act. The Sub-Advisor agrees that neither it nor any
of its officers or employees shall borrow from the Fund or pledge or use the Funds assets in connection with any borrowing not directly for the Fund’s benefit.
9. Conflicts with Trust’s Governing Documents and Applicable Laws. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust
or the Fund to take any action contrary to the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws, or any applicable statute or regulation, or to relieve or deprive the Board of Trustees of the Trust of
its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust and the Fund. In this connection, the Sub-Advisor acknowledges that the Advisor and the Trust’s Board of Trustees retain
ultimate plenary authority over the Fund, including the Allocated Portion, and may take any and all actions necessary and reasonable to protect the interests of shareholders.
10. Reports and Access. The Sub-Advisor agrees to supply such information to the Advisor and to
permit such compliance inspections by the Advisor or the Fund as shall be reasonably necessary to permit the administrator to satisfy its obligations and respond to the reasonable requests of the Trustees.
11. Standard of Care, Liability and Indemnification.
(a) The Sub-Advisor shall exercise reasonable care and prudence in fulfilling its obligations under
this Agreement.
(b) The Sub-Advisor shall have responsibility for the accuracy and completeness
(and liability for the lack thereof) of the statements furnished by the Sub-Advisor for use by the Advisor in the Fund’s offering materials (including the prospectus, the statement of additional
information, advertising and sales materials) that pertain to the Sub-Advisor and the investment of the Sub-Advisor’s Allocated Portion of the Fund. The Sub-Advisor shall have no responsibility or liability with respect to other disclosures.
(c) The Sub-Advisor shall be liable to the Fund for any loss (including brokerage charges) incurred by the Fund as a result of any investment made by the Sub-Advisor in violation of
Section 2 hereof.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Sub-Advisor, the Sub-Advisor shall not be subject to liability to the
Advisor, the Trust, or the Fund or to any shareholder of the Fund for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by
the Fund.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, including without limitation paragraphs (c) and (d) above, each, party
to this Agreement (as an “Indemnifying Party”), including the Trust on behalf of the Fund, shall indemnify and hold harmless the other party and the shareholders, directors, officers, and employees of the other party (any such person, an
“Indemnified Party”) against any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating and defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in
connection therewith) arising out of the Indemnifying Party’s performance or non-performance of any duties under this Agreement provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect any
Indemnified Party against any liability to which such Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or negligence in the performance of duties hereunder or by reason of reckless disregard of obligations
and duties under this Agreement.
If indemnification is to be sought hereunder, then the Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the
Indemnifying Party of the assertion of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding in respect thereof; provided, however, that the failure so to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not relieve the Indemnifying
13
Party from any liability that it may otherwise have to the Indemnified Party provided such failure shall not affect in a material adverse manner the position of the Indemnifying Party or the
Indemnified Party with respect to such claim. Following such notification, the Indemnifying Party may elect in writing to assume the defense of such action or proceeding and, upon such election, it shall not be liable for any legal costs incurred by
the Indemnified Party (other than reasonable costs of investigation previously incurred) in connection therewith, unless (i) the Indemnifying Party has failed to provide counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party in a timely
manner or (ii) counsel which has been provided by the Indemnifying Party reasonably determines that its representation of the Indemnified Party would present it with a conflict of interest.
The provisions of this paragraph 11(e) shall not apply in any action where the Indemnified Party is the party adverse, or one of the parties
adverse, to the other party.
(f) No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust, or
officer of the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor, from liability in violation of Sections 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act.
12. Non-Exclusivity; Trading for Sub-Advisor’s Own
Account; Code of Ethics. The Advisor’s employment of the Sub-Advisor is not an exclusive arrangement. The Advisor anticipates that it will employ other individuals or entities to furnish it with the
services provided for herein. Likewise, the Sub-Advisor may act as investment adviser for any other person, and shall not in any way be limited or restricted from buying, selling, or trading any securities for
its or their own accounts or the accounts of others for whom it or they may be acting, provided, however, that the Sub-Advisor expressly represents that it will undertake no activities which will adversely
affect the performance of its obligations to the Fund under this Agreement; and provided further that the Sub-Advisor will adhere to a code of ethics governing employee trading and trading for proprietary
accounts that conforms to the requirements of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, a copy of which has been provided to the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
The Sub-Advisor will make such reports to the Advisor and the Fund as are required by Rule 17j-l and Rule 38a-l under the Investment Company Act. The Sub-Advisor agrees to provide the Advisor and the Fund with any information
required to satisfy the compliance program, code of ethics reporting or disclosure requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC. To the extent the Sub-Advisor
adopts or has adopted a separate code of ethics or amends or has amended its code of ethics to comply with such rules or regulations, the Sub-Advisor shall provide the Advisor with a copy of such code of
ethics and any amendments thereto.
13. Term.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective upon approval by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and shall remain in effect for a period of two
(2) years, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided. This Agreement shall continue in effect thereafter for additional periods not exceeding one (1) year so long as such continuation is approved for the Fund at least annually by
(i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement nor interested persons
thereof, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (iii) the Advisor. The terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities” and “interested persons” shall have the meanings as
set forth in the Investment Company Act.
(b) The Fund and its distributor may use the
Sub-Advisor’s trade name or any name derived from the Sub-Advisor’s trade name only in a manner consistent with the nature of this Agreement for so long as
this Agreement or any extension, renewal, or amendment hereof remains in effect. Within sixty (60) days from such time as this Agreement shall no longer be in effect, the Fund shall cease to use such a name or any other name connected with Sub-Advisor.
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14. Termination; No Assignment.
(a) This Agreement may be terminated at any time without payment of any penalty, by: the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Sub-Advisor and the Advisor. This Agreement also may be terminated at any time, without the
payment of any penalty, by the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Trust and the other party. In the event of a termination,
Sub-Advisor shall cooperate in the orderly transfer of the Fund’s affairs and, at the request of the Board of Trustees, transfer any and all books and records of the Fund maintained by Sub-Advisor on behalf of the Fund.
(b) This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of any
transfer or assignment thereof, as defined in the Investment Company Act.
15. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement
shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
16. Captions. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation
or rule, including the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
18.
Nonpublic Personal Information. Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, the Sub-Advisor hereto agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, trustees, shareholders, officers, and employees
(1) to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Advisor (on behalf of itself and the Fund) and the Trust (a) all records and other information relative to the Fund’s prior, present, or potential shareholders (and
clients of said shareholders) and (b) any Nonpublic Personal Information, as defined under Section 248.3(t) of Regulation S-P (“Regulation S-P”),
promulgated under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the “G-L-B Act”), and (2) except after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Advisor or the
Trust, not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, or as otherwise permitted by Regulation S-P or the G-L-B Act, and if in compliance therewith, the privacy policies adopted by the Advisor and the Fund and communicated in writing to the
Sub-Advisor. Such written approval shall not be unreasonably withheld by the Advisor or the Trust and may not be withheld where the Sub-Advisor may be exposed to civil
or criminal contempt or other proceedings for failure to comply after being requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities.
19. Anti-Money Laundering Compliance. The Sub-Advisor acknowledges that, in compliance with the
Bank Secrecy Act, as amended, the USA PATRIOT Act, and any respective implementing regulations (together, “AML Laws”), the Fund has adopted an Anti-Money Laundering Policy. The Sub-Advisor agrees
to comply with the Fund’s Anti-Money Laundering Policy and the AML Laws, as the same may apply to the Sub-Advisor, now and in the future. The Sub-Advisor further
agrees to provide to the Fund and/or the Advisor such reports, certifications and contractual assurances as may be requested by the Fund or the Advisor. The Advisor may disclose information respecting the
Sub-Advisor to governmental and/or regulatory or self-regulatory authorities to the extent required by applicable law or regulation and may file reports with such authorities as may be required by applicable
law or regulation.
20. Certifications Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The
Sub-Advisor acknowledges that, in compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the implementing regulations promulgated thereunder, the Fund is required to make certain certifications and has adopted disclosure
controls and procedures. To the extent reasonably
15
requested by the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor agrees to use its best efforts to assist the Advisor and the Fund in complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and
implementing the Fund’s disclosure controls and procedures. The Sub-Advisor agrees to inform the Fund of any material development related to the Allocated Portion that the
Sub-Advisor reasonably believes is relevant to the Fund’s certification obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
21. Provision of Certain Information by the Sub-Advisor. The
Sub-Advisor will promptly notify the Advisor in writing of the occurrence of any of the following events:
(a) the Sub-Advisor fails to be registered as investment adviser under the Advisers Act or under the
laws of any jurisdiction in which the Sub-Advisor is required to be registered as investment adviser in order to perform its obligations under this Agreement;
(b) the Sub-Advisor is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry,
or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, public board, or body, involving the affairs of the Advisor or the Fund;
(c) the Sub-Advisor suffers financial impairment which materially interferes with its ability to
manage the Allocated Portion or otherwise fulfill its duties under this Agreement;
(d) the
Sub-Advisor, its principal officers or its controlling stockholders are the subject of a government investigation or inquiry, administrative proceeding or any other type of legal action which, under the
Investment Company Act, would make it ineligible to serve as an investment adviser to an investment company;
(e) a change in the Sub-Advisor’s personnel materially involved in the management of the Allocated Portion; or
(f) a
change in control or management of the Sub-Advisor.
22. Confidentiality. The parties to
this Agreement shall not, directly or indirectly, permit their respective affiliates, directors, trustees officers, members, employees, or agents to, in any form or by any means, use, disclose, or furnish to any person or entity, records or
information concerning the business of any of the other parties except as necessary for the performance of duties under this Agreement or as required by law, without prior written notice to and approval of the relevant other parties, which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld by such other parties.
23. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts and by
the different parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed an original and all of which counterparts shall constitute but one and the same agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and
year first above written.
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| iM Global Partner Fund Management LLC |
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DF Dent & Company, Inc |
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/s/ John Coughlan |
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By: |
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/s/ Carolyn Gaynor |
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John M. Coughlan |
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Name: |
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Carolyn Gaynor |
| Title: |
|
Managing Director |
|
|
|
Title: |
|
Chief Compliance Officer |
16
As a Third Party Beneficiary,
Litman Gregory Funds Trust
on behalf of
iMGP Small Company Fund
|
|
|
| By: |
|
/s/ Jeff Seeley |
| Name: |
|
Jeff Seeley |
| Title: |
|
President |
17
