EXHIBIT (k)(3)
XXXXX XXXXX INSURED MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL BOND FUND
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this 21st day of October, 2002, between Xxxxx Xxxxx Insured
Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Fund"),
and Xxxxx Xxxxx Management, a Massachusetts business trust (the
"Administrator").
1. DUTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Fund hereby employs the Administrator
to act as administrator for and to administer the affairs of the Fund, subject
to the supervision of the Trustees of the Fund for the period and on the terms
set forth in this Agreement.
The Administrator hereby accepts such employment, and agrees to administer
the Fund's business affairs and, in connection therewith, to furnish for the use
of the Fund office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and
personnel for administering the affairs of the Fund. The Administrator shall
also pay the salaries and compensation of all officers and Trustees of the Fund
who are members of the Administrator's organization and who render executive and
administrative services to the Fund, and the salaries and compensation of all
other personnel of the Administrator performing management and administrative
services for the Fund. The Administrator shall for all purposes herein be deemed
to be an independent contractor and shall, except as otherwise expressly
provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Fund in
any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund.
In connection with its responsibilities as Administrator of the Fund, the
Administrator (i) will assist in preparing all annual, semi-annual and other
reports required to be sent to Fund shareholders, and arrange for the printing
and dissemination of such reports to shareholders; (ii) will prepare and
assemble all reports required to be filed by the Fund with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Form N-SAR, or on such other form as the SEC may
substitute for Form N-SAR, and file such reports with the SEC; (iii) will review
the provision of services by the Fund's independent accountants, including, but
not limited to, the preparation by such accountants of audited financial
statements of the Fund and the Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; and
make such reports and recommendations to the Trustees of the Fund concerning the
performance of the independent accountants as the Trustees deem appropriate;
(iv) will arrange for the filing with the appropriate authorities all required
federal, state and local tax returns; (v) will arrange for the dissemination to
shareholders of the Fund's proxy materials, and will oversee the tabulation of
proxies by the Fund's transfer agent or other duly authorized proxy tabulator;
(vi) will review and supervise the provision of custodian services to the Fund;
and make such reports and recommendations to the Trustees concerning the
provision of such services as the Trustees deem appropriate; (vii) will value
all such portfolio investments and other assets of the Fund as may be designated
by the Trustees (subject to any guidelines, directions and instructions of the
Trustees), and review and supervise the calculation of the net asset value of
the Fund's shares by the custodian; (viii) will negotiate the terms and
conditions under which transfer agency and dividend disbursing services will be
provided to the Fund, and the fees to be paid by the Fund in connection
therewith; review and supervise the provision of transfer agency and dividend
disbursing services to the Fund; and make such reports and recommendations to
the Trustees concerning the performance of the Fund's transfer and dividend
disbursing agent as the Trustees deem appropriate; (ix) will establish the
accounting policies of the Fund; reconcile accounting issues which may arise
with respect to the Fund's operations; and consult with the Fund's independent
accountants, legal counsel, custodian, accounting and bookkeeping agents and
transfer and dividend disbursing agent as necessary in connection therewith; (x)
will determine the amount of all distributions to be paid by the Fund to its
shareholders; prepare and arrange for the printing of notices to shareholders
regarding such distributions and provide the Fund's transfer and dividend
disbursing agent and custodian with such information as is required for such
parties to effect the payment of distributions and to implement the Fund's
dividend reinvestment plan; (xi) will review the Fund's bills and authorize
payments of such bills by the Fund's custodian; (xii) will make recommendations
to the Trustees as to whether the Fund should make repurchase or tender offers
for its own shares; arrange for the preparation and filing of all documents
required to be filed by the Fund with the SEC; arrange for the preparation and
dissemination of all appropriate repurchase or tender offer documents and papers
on behalf of the Fund; and supervise and conduct the Fund's periodic repurchase
or tender offers for its own shares; (xiii) monitor any variance between the
market value and net asset value per share, and periodically report to the
Trustees available actions that may conform such values; (xiv) monitor the
activities of any shareholder servicing agent retained by the Administrator and
periodically report to the Trustees about such activities; (xv) will arrange for
the preparation and filing of all other reports, forms, registration statements
and documents required to be filed by the Fund with the SEC, the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and any securities exchange where Fund
shares are listed; and (xvi) will provide to the Fund such other internal legal,
auditing and accounting services and internal executive management and
administrative services as the Trustees deem appropriate to conduct the Fund's
business affairs.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator shall not be deemed to
have assumed any duties with respect to, and shall not be responsible for, the
management of the Fund's assets or the rendering of investment advice and
supervision with respect thereto or the distribution of shares of the Fund, nor
shall the Administrator be deemed to have assumed or have any responsibility
with respect to functions specifically assumed by any transfer agent, custodian
or shareholder servicing agent of the Fund.
SUB-ADMINISTRATORS. The Administrator may employ one or more
sub-administrators from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of
the Administrator and upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon
between the Administrator and such sub-administrators and approved by the
Trustees of the Fund.
2. COMPENSATION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The Board of Trustees of the Fund
have currently determined that, based on the current level of compensation
payable to Xxxxx Xxxxx Management by the Fund under the Fund's present
Investment Advisory Agreement with Xxxxx Xxxxx Management, the Administrator
shall receive no compensation from the Fund in respect of the services to be
rendered and the facilities to be provided by the Administrator under this
Agreement. If the Trustees subsequently determine that the Fund should
compensate the Administrator for such services and facilities, such compensation
shall be set forth in a new agreement or in an amendment to this Agreement to be
entered into by the parties hereto.
3. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES. It is understood that the Fund will
pay all its expenses other than those expressly stated to be payable by the
Administrator hereunder, which expenses payable by the Fund shall include,
without implied limitation (i) expenses of maintaining the Fund and continuing
its existence; (ii) registration of the Fund under the Investment Company Act of
1940; (iii) commissions, fees and other expenses connected with the acquisition,
holding and disposition of securities and other investments; (iv) auditing,
accounting and legal expenses; (v) taxes and interest; (vi) governmental fees;
(vii) expenses of repurchase and redemption (if any) of shares, including all
expenses incurred in conducting repurchase and tender offers for the purpose of
repurchasing Fund shares; (viii) expenses of registering and qualifying the Fund
and its shares under federal and state securities laws and of preparing
registration statements and amendments for such purposes; (ix) expenses of
reports and notices to shareholders and of meetings of shareholders and proxy
solicitations therefor; (x) expenses of reports to governmental officers and
commissions; (xi) insurance expenses; (xii) association membership dues; (xiii)
fees, expenses and disbursements of custodians and subcustodians for all
services to the Fund (including without limitation safekeeping of funds and
securities, keeping of books and accounts and determination of net asset value);
(xiv) fees, expenses and disbursements of transfer agents, dividend disbursing
agents, shareholder servicing agents and registrars for all services to the
Fund; (xv) expenses of listing shares with a stock exchange; (xvi) any direct
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charges to shareholders approved by the Trustees of the Fund; (xvii)
compensation of and any expenses of Trustees of the Fund who are not members of
the Administrator's organization; (xviii) all payments to be made and expenses
to be assumed by the Fund in connection with the distribution of Fund shares;
(xix) any pricing and valuation services employed by the Fund; (xx) any
investment advisory fee payable to an investment adviser; (xxi) all expenses
incurred in connection with leveraging the Fund's assets through a line of
credit, or issuing and maintaining preferred shares; and (xxii) such
non-recurring items as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with
litigation, proceedings and claims and obligation of the Fund to indemnify its
Trustees, officers and with respect thereto.
4. OTHER INTERESTS. It is understood that Trustees, officers and
shareholders of the Fund are or may be or become interested in the Administrator
as trustees, officers, employees, shareholders or otherwise and that trustees,
officers, employees and shareholders of the Administrator are or may be or
become similarly interested in the Fund, and that the Administrator may be or
become interested in the Fund as a shareholder or otherwise. It is also
understood that trustees, officers, employees and shareholders of the
Administrator may be or become interested (as directors, trustees, officers,
employees, stockholders or otherwise) in other companies or entities (including,
without limitation, other investment companies) that the Administrator may
organize, sponsor or acquire, or with which it may merge or consolidate, and
that the Administrator or its subsidiaries or affiliates may enter into
advisory, management or administration agreements or other contracts or
relationship with such other companies or entities.
5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. The services of the
Administrator to the Fund are not to be deemed to be exclusive, the
Administrator being free to render services to others and engage in other
business activities. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part
of the Administrator, the Administrator shall not be subject to liability to 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 which may be
sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other
investment.
6. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall become
effective upon the date of its execution, and, unless terminated as herein
provided, shall remain in full force and effect through and including March 31,
2004 and shall continue in full force and effect indefinitely thereafter, but
only so long as such continuance after March 31, 2004 is specifically approved
at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Fund, and (ii) by the vote
of a majority of those Trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons of
the Administrator or the Fund.
Either party hereto may, at any time on sixty (60) days' prior written
notice to the other, terminate this Agreement by action of the Trustees of the
Fund or the trustees of the Administrator, and the Fund may, at any time upon
such written notice to the Administrator, terminate the Agreement by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. This Agreement shall
terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
7. AMENDMENTS OF THE AGREEMENT. This Agreement may be amended by a writing
signed by both parties hereto, provided that no amendment to this Agreement
shall be effective until approved (i) by the vote of a majority of those
Trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons of the Administrator or the
Fund, and (ii) by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Fund.
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8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Each party expressly acknowledges the provision
in the other party's Agreement and Declaration of Trust limiting the personal
liability of its shareholders officers, and Trustees, and each party hereby
agrees that it shall have recourse to the other party for payment of claims or
obligations as between the Fund and the Administrator arising out of this
Agreement and shall not seek satisfaction from the Trustees, officers or
shareholders of the other party.
9. USE OF THE NAME "XXXXX XXXXX." The Administrator hereby consents to the
use by the Fund of the name "Xxxxx Xxxxx" as part of the Fund's name; provided,
however, that such consent shall be conditioned upon the employment of the
Administrator or one of its affiliates as the administrator of the Fund. The
name "Xxxxx Xxxxx" or any variation thereof may be used from time to time in
other connections and for other purposes by the Administrator and its affiliates
and other investment companies that have obtained consent to the use of the name
"Xxxxx Xxxxx." The Administrator shall have the right to require the Fund to
cease using the name "Xxxxx Xxxxx" as part of the Fund's name if the Fund
ceases, for any reason, to employ the Administrator or one of its affiliates as
the Fund's administrator. Future names adopted by the Fund for itself, insofar
as such names include identifying words requiring the consent of the
Administrator, shall be the property of the Administrator and shall be subject
to the same terms and conditions.
10. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. The terms "assignment" and "interested persons"
when used herein shall have the respective meanings specified in the Investment
Company Act of 1940 as now in effect or as hereafter amended subject, however,
to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission
by any rule, regulation or order. The term "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities" shall mean the vote of the lesser of (a) 67 per
centum or more of the shares of the Fund present or represented by proxy at the
meeting if the holders of more than 50 per centum of the outstanding shares of
the Fund are present or represented by proxy at the meeting, or (b) more than 50
per centum of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
XXXXX XXXXX INSURED MASSACHUSETTS XXXXX XXXXX MANAGEMENT
MUNICIPAL BOND FUND
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
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President, and not Individually Vice President, and not Individually
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