Exhibit i(2)
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart llp 1800 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Second Floor
Washington, DC 20036-1800
202.778.9000
www.kl.com
June 23, 2000
Variable Insurance Products Fund II
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Ladies and Gentlemen:
You have requested our opinion, as counsel to Variable Insurance
Products Fund II (the "Trust"), as to certain matters regarding the
issuance of Shares of the Trust. As used in this letter, the term
"Shares" means the Service Class shares of beneficial interest of
Index 500 Portfolio and Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, each a series
of the Trust.
As such counsel, we have examined certified or other copies, believed
by us to be genuine, of the Trust's Declaration of Trust and by-laws
and such resolutions and minutes of meetings of the Trust's Board of
Trustees as we have deemed relevant to our opinion, as set forth
herein. Our opinion is limited to the laws and facts in existence on
the date hereof, and it is further limited to the laws (other than the
conflict of law rules) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that in
our experience are normally applicable to the issuance of shares by
unincorporated voluntary associations and to the Securities Act of
1933 ("1933 Act"), the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") and
the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC")
thereunder.
Based on present laws and facts, we are of the opinion that the
issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized by the Trust and that,
when sold in accordance with the terms contemplated by Post-Effective
Amendment No. 34 to the Trust's Registration Statement on Form N-1A
and each subsequent Post-Effective Amendment ("PEA") to said
registration statement, including receipt by the Trust of full payment
for the Shares and compliance with the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, the
Shares will have been validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts
business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under
certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations
of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust states that all persons
extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the
Trust or the Trustees shall look only to the assets of the appropriate
series of the Trust for payment under such credit, contract or claim;
and neither the shareholders nor the Trustees, nor any of their
agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable
therefor. It also requires that every note, bond, contract or other
undertaking issued by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees
relating to the Trust shall include a recitation limiting the
obligation represented thereby to the Trust and its assets. The
Declaration of Trust further provides: (1) for indemnification from
the assets of the series of the Trust for all loss and expense of any
shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust by
virtue of ownership of shares of the Trust; and (2) for the series of
the Trust to assume the defense of any claim against the shareholder
for any act or obligation of the series of the Trust. Thus, the risk
of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder
liability is limited to circumstances in which the Trust or series
would be unable to meet its obligations.
We hereby consent to this opinion accompanying or being incorporated
by reference in the PEA when it is filed with the SEC.
Very truly yours,
KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART LLP
/s/Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP
