EXHIBIT (G)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT, made as of the ____ day of ________, 1998, by and between
MUNIHOLDINGS FLORIDA INSURED FUND III, a Massachusetts business trust (the
"Fund"), and FUND ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the
"Investment Adviser").
W I T N E S S E T H:
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WHEREAS, the Fund is engaged in business as a closed-end, non-diversified,
management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Investment Adviser is engaged principally in rendering
management and investment advisory services and is registered as an investment
adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain the Investment Adviser to provide
management and investment advisory services to the Fund in the manner and on the
terms hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, the Investment Adviser is willing to provide management and
investment advisory services to the Fund on the terms and conditions hereinafter
set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Fund and the Investment Adviser hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
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Duties of the Investment Adviser
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The Fund hereby employs the Investment Adviser to act as a manager and
investment adviser of the Fund and to furnish, or arrange for its affiliates to
furnish, the management and
investment advisory services described below, subject to the policies of, review
by and overall control of the Board of Trustees of the Fund, for the period and
on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Investment Adviser
hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period, at its own
expense, to render, or arrange for the rendering of, such services and to assume
the obligations herein set forth for the compensation provided for herein. The
Investment Adviser and its affiliates for all purposes herein shall be deemed to
be independent contractors and, unless otherwise expressly provided or
authorized, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way
or otherwise be deemed agents of the Fund.
(a) Management and Administrative Services. The Investment Adviser shall
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perform, or arrange for its affiliates to perform, the management and
administrative services necessary for the operation of the Fund, including
administering shareholder accounts and handling shareholder relations. The
Investment Adviser shall provide the Fund with office space, facilities,
equipment and necessary personnel and such other services as the Investment
Adviser, subject to review by the Board of Trustees, from time to time shall
determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations under this
Agreement. The Investment Adviser, also on behalf of the Fund, shall conduct
relations with custodians, depositories, transfer agents, pricing agents,
dividend disbursing agents, other shareholder servicing agents, accountants,
attorneys, underwriters, brokers and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers,
banks and such other persons in any such other capacity deemed to be necessary
or desirable. The Investment Adviser generally shall monitor the Fund's
compliance with investment policies and restrictions as set forth in filings
made by the Fund under the Federal securities laws. The Investment Adviser shall
make reports to the Board of Trustees of its performance of obligations
hereunder and
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furnish advice and recommendations with respect to such other aspects of the
business and affairs of the Fund as it shall determine to be desirable.
(b) Investment Advisory Services. The Investment Adviser shall provide, or
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arrange for its affiliates to provide, the Fund with such investment research,
advice and supervision as the latter from time to time may consider necessary
for the proper supervision of the assets of the Fund, shall furnish continuously
an investment program for the Fund and shall determine from time to time which
securities shall be purchased, sold or exchanged and what portion of the assets
of the Fund shall be held in the various securities in which the Fund invests,
options, futures, options on futures or cash, subject always to the
restrictions of the Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws of the Fund, as amended
from time to time, the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the
statements relating to the Fund's investment objective, investment policies and
investment restrictions as the same are set forth in filings made by the Fund
under the Federal securities laws. The Investment Adviser shall make decisions
for the Fund as to the manner in which voting rights, rights to consent to
corporate action and any other rights pertaining to the Fund's portfolio
securities shall be exercised. Should the Board of Trustees at any time,
however, make any definite determination as to investment policy and notify the
Investment Adviser thereof in writing, the Investment Adviser shall be bound by
such determination for the period, if any, specified in such notice or until
similarly notified that such determination has been revoked. The Investment
Adviser shall take, on behalf of the Fund, all actions which it deems necessary
to implement the investment policies determined as provided above, and in
particular to place all orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities
for the Fund's account with brokers or dealers selected by it, and to that end,
the Investment Adviser is authorized as the agent of the Fund to give
instructions to the custodian of the Fund as to
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deliveries of securities and payments of cash for the account of the Fund. In
connection with the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such
orders with respect to assets of the Fund, the Investment Adviser is directed at
all times to seek to obtain execution and prices within the policy guidelines
determined by the Board of Trustees and set forth in filings made by the Fund
under the Federal securities laws. Subject to this requirement and the
provisions of the Investment Company Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, and other applicable provisions of law, the Investment Adviser may
select brokers or dealers with which it or the Fund is affiliated.
(c) Notice Upon Change in Partners of the Investment Adviser. The
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Investment Adviser is a limited partnership and its limited partner is Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx & Co., Inc. and its general partner is Princeton Services, Inc. The
Investment Adviser will notify the Fund of any change in the membership of the
partnership within a reasonable time after such change.
ARTICLE II
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Allocation of Charges and Expenses
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(a) The Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser shall provide the staff
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and personnel necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement, shall
assume and pay or cause to be paid all expenses incurred in connection with the
maintenance of such staff and personnel, and, at its own expense, shall provide
the office space, facilities, equipment and necessary personnel which it is
obligated to provide under Article I hereof, and shall pay all compensation of
officers of the Fund and all Trustees of the Fund who are affiliated persons of
the Investment Adviser.
(b) The Fund. The Fund assumes, and shall pay or cause to be paid, all
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other expenses of the Fund including, without limitation: taxes, expenses for
legal and auditing
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services, costs of printing proxies, share certificates, shareholder reports and
prospectuses, charges of the custodian, any sub-custodian and transfer agent,
charges of any auction agent and broker dealers in connection with preferred
shares of the Fund, expenses of portfolio transactions, Securities and Exchange
Commission fees, expenses of registering the common shares and preferred shares
under Federal, state and foreign laws, fees and actual out-of-pocket expenses of
Trustees who are not affiliated persons of the Investment Adviser, accounting
and pricing costs (including the daily calculation of the net asset value),
insurance, interest, brokerage costs, litigation and other extraordinary or non-
recurring expenses, and other expenses properly payable by the Fund. It also is
understood that the Fund will reimburse the Investment Adviser for its costs
incurred in providing accounting services to the Fund.
ARTICLE III
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Compensation of the Investment Adviser
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(a) Investment Advisory Fee. For the services rendered, the facilities
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furnished and the expenses assumed by the Investment Adviser, the Fund shall pay
to the Investment Adviser at the end of each calendar month a fee based upon the
average weekly value of the net assets of the Fund at the annual rate of 0.55 of
1.0% (0.55%) of the average weekly net assets of the Fund (i.e., the average
weekly value of the total assets of the Fund, minus the sum of accrued
liabilities of the Fund and accumulated dividends on outstanding preferred
shares), commencing on the day following effectiveness hereof. For purposes of
this calculation, average weekly net assets are determined at the end of each
month on the basis of the average net assets of the Fund for each week during
the month. The assets for each weekly period are determined by averaging the net
assets at the last business day of a week with the net assets at the last
business day of the prior week. It is understood that the liquidation preference
of any outstanding preferred shares (other
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than accumulated dividends) is not considered a liability in determining the
Fund's average weekly net assets. If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent
to the first day of a month or shall terminate before the last day of a month,
compensation for that part of the month this Agreement is in effect shall be
prorated in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fee as set forth
above. Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) hereof, payment of the
Investment Adviser's compensation for the preceding month shall be made as
promptly as possible after completion of the computations contemplated by
subsection (b) hereof. During any period when the determination of net asset
value is suspended by the Board of Trustees, the average net asset value of a
share for the last week prior to such suspension for this purpose shall be
deemed to be the net asset value at the close of each succeeding week until it
is again determined.
(b) Expense Limitations. In the event the operating expenses of the Fund,
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including amounts payable to the Investment Adviser pursuant to subsection (a)
hereof, for any fiscal year ending on a date on which this Agreement is in
effect exceed the expense limitations applicable to the Fund imposed by
applicable state securities laws or regulations thereunder, as such limitations
may be raised or lowered from time to time, the Investment Adviser shall reduce
its management and investment advisory fee by the extent of such excess and, if
required pursuant to any such laws or regulations, will reimburse the Fund in
the amount of such excess; provided, however, to the extent permitted by law,
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there shall be excluded from such expenses the amount of any interest, taxes,
distribution fees, brokerage fees and commissions and extraordinary expenses
(including but not limited to legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs
and any indemnification related thereto) paid or payable by the Fund. Whenever
the expenses of the Fund exceed a pro rata portion of the applicable annual
expense limitations, the estimated amount of reimbursement under such
limitations shall be applicable as an offset against the
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monthly payment of the fee due to the Investment Adviser. Should two or
more such expense limitations be applicable as at the end of the last business
day of the month, that expense limitation which results in the largest reduction
in the Investment Adviser's fee shall be applicable.
ARTICLE IV
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Limitation of Liability of the Investment Adviser
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The Investment Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or
mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or
omission in the management of the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of
reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder. As used in this
Article IV, the term "Investment Adviser" shall include any affiliates of the
Investment Adviser performing services for the Fund contemplated hereby and
directors, officers and employees of the Investment Adviser and of such
affiliates.
ARTICLE V
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Activities of the Investment Adviser
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The services of the Investment Adviser to the Fund are not to be deemed to
be exclusive; the Investment Adviser and any person controlled by or under
common control with the Investment Adviser (for purposes of this Article V
referred to as "affiliates") are free to render services to others. It is
understood that trustees, officers, employees and shareholders of the Fund are
or may become interested in the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, as
directors, officers, employees, partners and shareholders or otherwise, and that
directors, officers, employees, partners and shareholders of the Investment
Adviser and of its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the
Fund, and that the Investment Adviser and directors, officers,
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employees, partners and shareholders of its affiliates may become interested in
the Fund as shareholders or otherwise.
ARTICLE VI
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Duration and Termination of this Agreement
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This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first above written
and shall remain in force until ________, 2000 and thereafter, but only so long
as such continuance specifically is approved at least annually by (i) the Board
of Trustees of the Fund, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees who
are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any
penalty, by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund, or by the Investment Adviser, on sixty (60) days'
written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically
in the event of its assignment.
ARTICLE VII
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Amendment of this Agreement
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This Agreement may be amended by the parties only if such amendment
specifically is approved by the vote of (i) a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund, and (ii) a majority of those Trustees who are not
parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
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ARTICLE VIII
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Definitions of Certain Terms
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The terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities",
"assignment", "affiliated person" and "interested person", when used in this
Agreement, shall have the respective meanings specified in the Investment
Company Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, subject, however, to such
exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under
said Act.
ARTICLE IX
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Governing Law
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This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Investment
Company Act. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of New York,
or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the
Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
ARTICLE X
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Personal Liability
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The Declaration of Trust establishing MuniHoldings Florida Insured Fund
III, dated June 10, 1998, a copy of which, together with all amendments thereto
("Declaration"), is on file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, provides that the name "Muniholdings Florida Insured Fund III"
refers to the Trustees under the Declaration collectively as Trustees, but not
as individuals personally; and no Trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or
agent of the Fund shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be
had to their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or
otherwise in connection with the affairs of the Fund, but the "Trust Property"
only shall be liable.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the date first above written.
MUNIHOLDINGS FLORIDA INSURED FUND III
By: ______________________________
Authorized Signatory
ATTEST:
____________________
Secretary
FUND ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
By: ______________________________
Authorized Signatory
ATTEST:
_____________________
Secretary
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