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Statement of Additional Information

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Expense Limitation Agreement

This Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of by and between (the “Advisor”) and (the “Trust”), on behalf of each series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A attached hereto (each a “Fund,” and collectively, the “Funds”).

WHEREAS, the Trust is a Massachusetts business trust organized under the Agreement and Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”), and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management company of the series type, and each Fund is a series of the Trust;

WHEREAS, the Trust and the Advisor have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated (“Advisory Agreement”), pursuant to which the Advisor provides investment advisory services to each Fund listed in Schedule A, which may be amended from time to time, for compensation based on the value of the average daily net assets of each such Fund;

WHEREAS, the Trust and the Advisor have determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of each Fund and its shareholders to maintain the expenses of each Fund, and, therefore, have entered into this Expense Limitation Agreement, in order to maintain each Fund's expense ratios at the levels specified in Schedule A attached hereto;

NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree that the Expense Limitation Agreement provides as follows:

1. Expense Limitation.

1.1. Applicable Expense Limit. To the extent that the aggregate expenses of every character incurred by a Fund in any fiscal year, including but not limited to investment advisory fees of the Advisor (but excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of such Fund's business, and amounts, if any, payable pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act) (“Fund Operating Expenses”), exceed the Operating Expense Limit, as defined in Section 1.2 below, such excess amount (the “Excess Amount”) shall be the liability of the Advisor.

1.2. Operating Expense Limit. The maximum Operating Expense Limit in any year with respect to each Fund shall be the amount specified in Schedule A based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund.

1.3. Method of Computation. To determine the Advisor's liability with respect to the Excess Amount, each month the Fund Operating Expenses for each Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses for any month of a Fund exceed the Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, the Advisor shall first waive or reduce its investment advisory fee for such month by an amount sufficient to reduce the annualized Fund Operating Expenses to an amount no higher than the Operating Expense Limit. If the amount of the waived or reduced investment advisory fee for any such month is insufficient to pay the Excess Amount, the Advisor may also remit to the appropriate Fund or Funds an amount that, together with the waived or reduced investment advisory fee, is sufficient to pay such Excess Amount.

1.4. Year-End Adjustment. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year, an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the amount of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Advisor to the Fund or Funds with respect to the previous fiscal year shall equal the Excess Amount.

2. Reimbursement of Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements.

2.1. Reimbursement. If in any year during which the total assets of a Fund are greater than and in which the Advisory Agreement is still in effect, the estimated aggregate Fund Operating Expenses of such Fund for the fiscal year are less than the Operating Expense Limit for that year, subject to quarterly approval by the Trust's Board of Trustees as provided in Section 2.2 below, the Advisor shall be entitled to reimbursement by such Fund, in whole or in part as provided below, of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Advisor to such Fund pursuant to Section 1 hereof.

2.2. Board Approval. No reimbursement shall be paid to the Advisor with respect to any Fund pursuant to this provision in any fiscal quarter, unless the Trust's Board of Trustees has determined that the payment of such reimbursement is in the best interests of such Fund and its shareholders. The Trust's Board of Trustees shall determine quarterly in advance whether any reimbursement may be paid to the Advisor with respect to any Fund in such quarter.

2.3. Method of Computation. To determine each Fund's payments, if any, to reimburse the Advisor for the Reimbursement Amount, each month the Fund Operating Expenses of each Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses of a Fund for any month are less than the Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, such Fund, only with the prior approval of the Trust's Board of Trustees, shall pay to the Advisor an amount sufficient to increase the annualized Fund Operating Expenses of that Fund to an amount no greater than the Operating Expense Limit of that Fund, provided that such amount paid to the Advisor will in no event exceed the total Reimbursement Amount.

2.4. Year-End Adjustment. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year, an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the actual Fund Operating Expenses of a Fund for the prior fiscal year (including any reimbursement payments hereunder with respect to such fiscal year) do not exceed the Operating Expense Limit.

3. Term and Termination of Agreement.

This Agreement with respect to the Funds shall continue in effect on and from year to year thereafter provided each such continuance is specifically approved by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who (i) are not “interested persons” of the Trust or any other party to this Agreement, as defined in the 1940 Act, and (ii) have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Agreement (“Non-Interested Trustees”). Nevertheless, this Agreement may be terminated by either party hereto, without payment of any penalty, upon days' prior written notice to the other party at its principal place of business; provided that, in the case of termination by the Trust, such action shall be authorized by resolution of a majority of the Non-Interested Trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust.

4. Miscellaneous.

4.1. Captions. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no other way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.

4.2. Interpretation. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust or the Funds to take any action contrary to the Trust's Declaration of Trust or By-Laws, or any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Trust's Board of Trustees of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust or the Funds.

4.3. Definitions. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement, including but not limited to the investment advisory fee, the computations of net asset values, and the allocation of expenses, having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from the terms and provisions of the Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act, shall have the same meaning as and be resolved by reference to such Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed, as of the day and year first above written.

GARDNER LEWIS INVESTMENT TRUST

ON BEHALF OF EACH OF ITS SERIES LISTED IN SCHEDULE A

By:

Name:

Title:

GARDNER LEWIS ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.

By:

Name:

Title:

Enter text✕

What the Statement of Additional Information Is and when it matters

The Statement of Additional Information is a complementary disclosure document that supplements a primary offering document by providing detailed legal, operational, and financial information that is not included in the main prospectus or summary. It typically explains investment policies, fee schedules, portfolio management biographies, shareholder rights, and governance procedures. Issuers produce an SAI to satisfy regulatory disclosure duties and to give investors and examiners access to detailed materials for due diligence; it remains secondary to the prospectus but is an important part of the disclosure record.

Why a clear Statement of Additional Information reduces risk

A clear SAI provides investors and regulators with the detailed disclosures needed for informed decisions, supports regulatory compliance, and reduces repetitive information requests by placing technical or operational details outside the prospectus.

Why a clear Statement of Additional Information reduces risk

Who typically prepares and consults the SAI

Typical users include investment managers, compliance officers, and investor relations teams who prepare or reference the SAI.

  • Investment managers preparing fund disclosures and policy explanations for regulators and investors.
  • Compliance officers verifying regulatory completeness, retention rules, and disclosure consistency across documents.
  • Investor relations and advisers providing deeper technical or historical details beyond the prospectus summary.

Step-by-step: preparing and submitting the Statement of Additional Information

Follow these steps to prepare and submit a Statement of Additional Information accurately and in compliance with applicable disclosure rules.

  • 01
    Gather Documents: Collect prospectus, offering documents, financial statements, and prior SAIs.
  • 02
    Complete Fields: Fill each required field with validated data and correct formats.
  • 03
    Verify Signatures: Confirm authorized signers and obtain notarizations or witness signatures where required.
  • 04
    Distribute and File: Provide copies to investors on request and file with regulators if required by law or policy.

Configuring an online workflow for collaborative SAI completion

Configure online workflow for collaborative editing, review, and controlled e-signature execution, including role-based routing and audit capture.

Field Configuration
User Roles Assign preparer, reviewer, and signer roles.
Authentication Use email plus SMS code or enterprise SSO for signer verification.
Field Types Use text, date, checkbox, and conditional fields as needed.
Retention Set automatic retention period and secure export options.

Standard eSubmission flow for the Statement of Additional Information

Typical electronic workflow for completing and delivering the Statement of Additional Information online to stakeholders.

  • Upload Document: Sender uploads the final SAI PDF or DOCX.
  • Place Fields: Add signature, initial, date, and conditional fields where required.
  • Invite Signers: Send signer invites via email or provide a secure signing link.
  • Capture Audit Trail: System records timestamps, IP addresses, and actions for compliance.

Platform and technical requirements for compliant eSigning

Review platform requirements for secure eSigning, strong signer authentication, audit trails, and compliant retention policies.

  • File Types: PDF, DOCX, and HTML supported.
  • Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace, Box.
  • Security: TLS 1.2/1.3; AES-256 at rest.

Security and compliance items to confirm before eSigning

In Transit: TLS 1.2/1.3 encryption.
At Rest: AES-256 encryption for stored data.
Certifications: ISO 27001; SOC 2 Type II; PCI DSS.
HIPAA: BAA available for covered entities.
21 CFR Part 11: Compliant controls for FDA records.
Audit Trail: Detailed timestamps, IP, and action log.

Principal risks and potential consequences of errors

Regulatory Fines: SEC penalties and enforcement actions.
Civil Liability: Investor claims and damages.
Contract Voidance: Incorrect signatures may be invalid.
Tax Consequences: Reporting errors trigger IRS penalties.
Operational Delay: Processing delays and increased costs.
Reputational Risk: Loss of investor trust.

Common mistakes when preparing the Statement of Additional Information

  • Using informal or mismatched names that do not match government ID can cause identity verification failures and require re-execution, delaying filing and investor delivery.
  • Failing to include required cross-references or exhibits leaves regulatory reviewers unable to confirm disclosures, often resulting in follow-up requests and extended review timelines.
  • Omitting signer capacity (for example: trustee or authorized officer) creates enforceability questions and may require corporate resolutions or additional documentation before acceptance.
  • Neglecting to retain the audit trail, notarization records, or RON recordings risks noncompliance with preservation rules and complicates dispute resolution.

Timing considerations and response expectations

Key timing and statutory deadlines related to distribution, filing, and retention of the Statement of Additional Information.

Availability to Investors:

Make SAI available upon investor request; no fixed federal deadline.

Regulatory Review Response:

Respond to regulator inquiries within the stated request timeframe.

Record Retention Start Date:

Retention counts from creation or signing date.

RON Record Retention:

Maintain audio-video record per applicable state RON rules.

Voluntary Updates:

Issue updates when material facts change promptly.

Sample eSignature vendor comparison for SAI workflows

Vendor pricing and feature availability vary; the table below summarizes commonly compared criteria with signNow listed first in accordance with platform data.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial Varies Varies Varies Varies
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HIPAA Compliant Yes Yes Yes No No
Envelope Cap None 100 envelopes/user/year Varies Varies Varies

Real-world examples of using an electronic SAI workflow

Below are two customer scenarios illustrating practical benefits when the SAI is managed electronically.

Optica Ventures

Optica Ventures used an online SAI workflow to centralize fund disclosures and speed investor responses.

  • User-friendly interface reduced help tickets.
  • The team reported faster responses from investors, fewer document clarifications, and an easier review process for counsel; auditors and prospective investors received required details without repeated requests.

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Fertility Centers moved SAI-related consent and disclosure handling online to improve tracking and retention.

  • Integration with existing systems simplified retrieval.
  • The organization highlighted responsive support and compliant audit trails that ensured records were accessible for reviews and minimized administrative overhead.

Practical steps to reduce errors and speed review

Adopt consistent practices that address identity, format, versioning, and reviewer workflows to cut errors and simplify audits.

Validate signer identities consistently
Use standardized identity checks (email+SMS, KBA, or enterprise SSO) and confirm signatory capacity before sending the SAI for signature to reduce rework and invalidation risk.
Standardize SAI templates and cross-references
Maintain a single template with numbered exhibits and cross-references to the prospectus; automated field population reduces typos and speeds regulatory review.
Maintain complete audit trails and version control
Keep tamper-evident records, version history, and any notarization or RON recordings to support future examinations or dispute resolution.
Schedule regular disclosure reviews and updates
Set periodic reviews to update fee schedules, manager bios, or policies and record amendments promptly to avoid outdated or misleading information.

Typical roles that sign documents and why their authority matters

Fund Manager

A fund manager or authorized portfolio executive signs SAIs to confirm investment policies and operational disclosures. Their signature attests to the accuracy of managerial statements and may be required for regulatory filings or investor attestations.

Compliance Officer

A compliance officer reviews and countersigns or certifies portions of the SAI to confirm regulatory completeness, record retention settings, and that required disclosures have been made according to governing securities rules and internal policies.

Answers to common questions and troubleshooting tips

Answers to common questions about preparing, electronically signing, authenticating, and retaining the Statement of Additional Information in a compliant workflow.


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