Exhibit d(43)
FORM OF
SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
between
FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT ADVISORS (U.K.) LIMITED
and
FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT ADVISORS
AGREEMENT made this ___ day of ____, 200_, by and between Fidelity
International Investment Advisors (U.K.) Limited, 00-00 Xxxxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx (hereinafter called the "U.K. Sub-Advisor") and
Fidelity International Investment Advisors, a Bermuda company with
principal offices at Pembroke Hall, Pembroke, Bermuda (hereinafter
called the "Sub-Advisor").
WHEREAS Fidelity Management & Research Company, a Massachusetts
corporation (hereinafter called the "Advisor"), has entered into a
Management Contract with Variable Insurance Products Fund III, a
Massachusetts business trust which may issue one or more series of
shares of beneficial interest (hereinafter called the "Trust"), on
behalf of Japan Portfolio (hereinafter called the "Portfolio"),
pursuant to which the Advisor is to act as investment advisor to the
Portfolio, and
WHEREAS, the Sub-Advisor has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement
with the Advisor (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement") pursuant to which the
Sub-Advisor, directly or through certain of its subsidiaries or other
affiliated persons, shall provide investment advice or investment
management and order execution services to the Portfolio, and
WHEREAS the U.K. Sub-Advisor has personnel in Western Europe and has
been formed in part for the purpose of researching and compiling
information and recommendations with respect to the economies of
various countries, and securities of issuers located outside of North
America, principally in the U.K. and Europe.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
promises hereinafter set forth, the Sub-Advisor and the U.K.
Sub-Advisor agree as follows:
1. DUTIES: The Sub-Advisor may, in its discretion, appoint the U.K.
Sub-Advisor to perform one or more of the following services with
respect to all or a portion of the investments of the Portfolio, in
connection with the Sub-Advisor's duties under the Sub-Advisory
Agreement. The services and the portion of the investments of the
Portfolio advised or managed by the U.K. Sub-Advisor shall be as
agreed upon from time to time by the Sub-Advisor and the U.K.
Sub-Advisor. The U.K. Sub-Advisor shall pay the salaries and fees of
all personnel of the U.K. Sub-Advisor performing services for the
Portfolio relating to research, statistical and investment activities.
(a) INVESTMENT ADVICE: If and to the extent requested by the
Sub-Advisor, the U.K. Sub-Advisor shall provide investment advice to
the Sub-Advisor with respect to all or a portion of the investments of
the Portfolio, and in connection with such advice shall furnish the
Sub-Advisor such factual information, research reports and investment
recommendations as the Advisor may reasonably require. Such
information may include written and oral reports and analyses.
(b) INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT: If and to the extent requested by the
Sub-Advisor, the U.K. Sub-Advisor shall manage all or a portion of the
investments of the Portfolio in accordance with the investment
objective, policies and limitations provided in the Portfolio's
Prospectus or other governing instruments, as amended from time to
time, the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and rules
thereunder, as amended from time to time, and such other limitations
as the Trust or the Advisor may impose with respect to the Portfolio
by notice to the U.K. Sub-Advisor. With respect to the portion of the
investments of the Portfolio under its management, the U.K.
Sub-Advisor is authorized to make investment decisions on behalf of
the Portfolio with regard to any stock, bond, other security or
investment instrument, and to place orders for the purchase and sale
of such securities through such broker-dealers as the U.K. Sub-Advisor
may select. The U.K. Sub-Advisor may also be authorized, but only to
the extent such duties are delegated in writing by the Sub-Advisor, to
provide additional investment management services to the Portfolio,
including but not limited to services such as managing foreign
currency investments, purchasing and selling or writing futures and
options contracts, borrowing money or lending securities on behalf of
the Portfolio. All investment management and any other activities of
the U.K. Sub-Advisor shall at all times be subject to the control and
direction of the Sub-Advisor, the Advisor and the Trust's Board of
Trustees.
2. INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED TO THE TRUST AND THE ADVISOR: The
U.K. Sub-Advisor shall furnish such reports, evaluations, information
or analyses to the Trust, the Advisor, and the Sub-Advisor as the
Trust's Board of Trustees, the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may
reasonably request from time to time, or as the U.K. Sub-Advisor may
deem to be desirable.
3. BROKERAGE: In connection with the services provided under
subparagraph (b) of paragraph 1 of this Agreement, the U.K.
Sub-Advisor shall place all orders for the purchase and sale of
portfolio securities for the Portfolio's account with brokers or
dealers selected by the U.K. Sub-Advisor, which may include brokers or
dealers affiliated with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or U.K. Sub-Advisor.
The U.K. Sub-Advisor shall use its best efforts to seek to execute
portfolio transactions at prices which are advantageous to the
Portfolio and at commission rates which are reasonable in relation to
the benefits received. In selecting brokers or dealers qualified to
execute a particular transaction, brokers or dealers may be selected
who also provide brokerage and research services (as those terms are
defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of l934) to
the Portfolio and/or to the other accounts over which the U.K.
Sub-Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or Advisor exercise investment
discretion. The U.K. Sub-Advisor is authorized to pay a broker or
dealer who provides such brokerage and research services a commission
for executing a portfolio transaction for the Portfolio which is in
excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have
charged for effecting that transaction if the U.K. Sub-Advisor
determines in good faith that such amount of commission is reasonable
in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker or dealer. This determination may be viewed
in terms of either that particular transaction or the overall
responsibilities which the U.K. Sub-Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the
Advisor have with respect to accounts over which they exercise
investment discretion. The Trustees of the Trust shall periodically
review the commissions paid by the Portfolio to determine if the
commissions paid over representative periods of time were reasonable
in relation to the benefits to the Portfolio.
4. COMPENSATION: The Sub-Advisor shall compensate the U.K.
Sub-Advisor on the following basis for the services to be furnished
hereunder.
(a) SUB-ADVISORY FEE: For services provided under subparagraph (a)
of paragraph 1 of this Agreement, the Sub-Advisor agrees to pay the
U.K. Sub-Advisor a monthly sub-advisory fee (the "U.K. Sub-Advisory
Fee"). The U.K. Sub-Advisory Fee shall be equal to 110% of the U.K.
Sub-Advisor's costs incurred in connection with rendering the services
referred to in subparagraph (a) of paragraph 1 of this Agreement.
The U.K. Sub-Advisory Fee shall not be reduced to reflect expense
reimbursements or fee waivers by the Sub-Advisor or Advisor, if any,
in effect from time to time.
(b) INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEE: For services provided under
subparagraph (b) of paragraph 1 of this Agreement, the Sub-Advisor
agrees to pay the U.K. Sub-Advisor a monthly investment management fee
(the "UK Investment Management Fee"). The UK Investment Management
Fee shall be equal to a percentage of the monthly average net assets
of the Portfolio managed by the U.K. Sub-Advisor pursuant to
subparagraph 1(b) of this Agreement, calculated on a cumulative basis
based upon a monthly average of the aggregate of all net assets
managed by the U.K. Sub-Advisor on behalf of the Sub-Advisor pursuant
to sub-advisory arrangements ("Average Group Assets") in accordance
with the following fee schedule:
Annualized Fee Rate
Average Group Assets (For Each Level)__
$0 - $500 million 0.30 %
$500 million - $1 billion 0.25 %
over $1 billion 0.20 %
, provided that in no event shall the UK Investment Management Fee
exceed 50% of the sub-advisory fees received by the Sub-Advisor in
respect of the Portfolio from the Advisor pursuant to the Sub-Advisory
Agreement, and provided further that, for purposes of calculating the
fee rates set forth above, any assets managed by the U.K. Sub-Advisor
on behalf of the Sub-Advisor pursuant to a sub-advisory arrangement
where a fee cap is being applied to reduce the U.K. Sub-Advisor's fee
to less than the rates set forth above shall be excluded from Average
Group Assets.
(c) PROVISION OF MULTIPLE SERVICES: If the U.K. Sub-Advisor shall
have provided both investment advisory services under subparagraph (a)
and investment management services under subparagraph (b) of paragraph
1 for the same portion of the investments of the Portfolio for the
same period, the fees paid to the U.K. Sub-Advisor with respect to
such investments shall be calculated exclusively under subparagraph
(b) of this paragraph 4.
5. EXPENSES: It is understood that the Portfolio will pay all of its
expenses other than those expressly stated to be payable by the U.K.
Sub-Advisor hereunder, by the Sub-Advisor under the Sub-Advisory
Agreement or by the Advisor under the Management Contract with the
Portfolio.
6. INTERESTED PERSONS: It is understood that the Trustees,
officers, and shareholders of the Trust are or may be or become
interested in the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the U.K. Sub-Advisor as
directors, officers or otherwise and that directors, officers and
stockholders of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the U.K. Sub-Advisor
are or may be or become similarly interested in the Trust, and that
the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the U.K. Sub-Advisor may be or become
interested in the Trust as a shareholder or otherwise.
7. SERVICES TO OTHER COMPANIES OR ACCOUNTS: The Services of the
U.K. Sub-Advisor to the Sub-Advisor are not to be deemed to be
exclusive, the U.K. Sub-Advisor being free to render services to
others and engage in other activities, provided, however, that such
other services and activities do not, during the term of this
Agreement, interfere, in a material manner, with the U.K.
Sub-Advisor's ability to meet all of its obligations hereunder. The
U.K. Sub-Advisor shall for all purposes be an independent contractor
and not an agent or employee of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the
Trust.
8. STANDARD OF CARE: In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties
hereunder on the part of the U.K. Sub-Advisor, the U.K. Sub-Advisor
shall not be subject to liability to the Sub-Advisor, the Advisor, the
Trust or to any shareholder of the Portfolio 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.
9. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT; AMENDMENTS:
(a) Subject to prior termination as provided in subparagraph (d) of
this paragraph 9, this Agreement shall continue in force until July
31, 200_ and indefinitely thereafter, but only so long as the
continuance after such period shall be specifically approved at least
annually by vote of the Trust's Board of Trustees or by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio.
(b) This Agreement may be modified by mutual consent of the Advisor,
the U.K. Sub-Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and the Portfolio subject to the
provisions of Section 15 of the 1940 Act, as modified by or
interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") or any rules or regulations
adopted by, or interpretative releases of, the Commission.
(c) In addition to the requirements of subparagraphs (a) and (b) of
this paragraph 9, the terms of any continuance or modification of this
Agreement must have been approved by the vote of a majority of those
Trustees of the Trust 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.
(d) Either the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, the U.K. Sub-Advisor or the
Portfolio may, at any time on sixty (60) days' prior written notice to
the other parties, terminate this Agreement, without payment of any
penalty, by action of its Board of Trustees or Directors, or with
respect to the Portfolio by vote of a majority of its outstanding
voting securities. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in
the event of its assignment.
10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: The U.K. Sub-Advisor is hereby
expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as
set forth in the Declaration of Trust or other organizational document
of the Trust and agrees that any obligations of the Trust or the
Portfolio arising in connection with this Agreement shall be limited
in all cases to the Portfolio and its assets, and the U.K. Sub-Advisor
shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the
shareholders or any shareholder of the Portfolio. Nor shall the U.K.
Sub-Advisor seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the Trustees
or any individual Trustee.
11. GOVERNING LAW: This Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, without giving effect to the choice of laws provisions
thereof.
The terms "registered investment company," "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "assignment," and "interested
persons," when used herein, shall have the respective meanings
specified in the 1940 Act as now in effect or as hereafter amended.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be signed in their behalf by their respective officers thereunto duly
authorized, and their respective seals to be hereunto affixed, all as
of the date written above.
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