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DECHERT PRICE & RHOADS
1775 Eye Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 261-3300
July 31, 2000
The Coventry Group
3435 Stelzer Road
Columbus, OH 43219
Re: The Coventry Group - The Brenton Mutual Funds
Dear Sirs:
We have acted as counsel for The Coventry Group ("Registrant") and
three of its investment series, the Brenton Value Equity Fund, the Brenton
Intermediate U.S. Government Securities Fund and the Brenton U.S. Government
Money Market Fund ("Funds"), and are familiar with Registrant's registration
statement with respect to the Funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, and with the registration statement relating to its shares under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (collectively, "Registration Statement").
Registrant is organized as a business trust under the laws of Massachusetts.
We have examined Registrant's Declaration of Trust and other materials
relating to the authorization and issuance of shares of beneficial interest of
Registrant, Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registration Statement and
such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary to enable us to
give this opinion.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that each Fund's shares
proposed to be sold pursuant to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the
Registration Statement, when it is made effective by the Securities and Exchange
Commission, will have been validly authorized and, when sold in accordance with
the terms of such Amendment and the requirements of applicable federal and state
law and delivered by Registrant against receipt of the net asset value of the
shares of the Funds and their classes of shares (as applicable), as described in
Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registration Statement, will have been
legally and validly issued and will be fully paid and non-assessable by
Registrant.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registration Statement, to be filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the continuous
offering of the Funds' shares of beneficial interest, as indicated above, and to
references to our firm, as counsel to Registrant, in the Funds' prospectuses and
Statement of Additional Information to be dated as of the effective date of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registration Statement and in any revised
or amended versions thereof, until such time as we revoke such consent.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Dechert Price & Rhoads
