EXHIBIT 10.1
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇, INC.
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of ____________
by and between ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
and ___________________ ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty
in obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the significant
increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the
coverage of such insurance;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial
increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors
to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the coverage of liability
insurance has been limited;
WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as
adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other officers and
directors of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve as officers and
directors without additional protection; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of
highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve as officers and
directors of the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to
provide them with the maximum protection permitted by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) THIRD PARTY PROCEEDINGS. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the
right of the Company) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the
Company, by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an
officer or director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving
at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with such action or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in
good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's conduct
was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment,
order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of NOLO CONTENDERE or its
equi-
valent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that (i) Indemnitee did
not act in good faith, (ii) Indemnitee did not act in a manner which Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company, or (iii) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, Indemnitee
had no reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful.
(b) PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to
be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in
the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to procure a judgment
in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, by
reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or
director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees) and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, amounts paid in settlement, in each case to the extent actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense or settlement
of such action or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Company and its stockholders, except that no indemnification shall be made
in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been
adjudged to be liable to the Company in the performance of Indemnitee's duty to
the Company and its stockholders unless and only to the extent that the court in
which such action or suit is or was pending shall determine upon application
that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and
reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses and then only to the extent
that the court shall determine.
2. AGREEMENT TO SERVE.
In consideration of the protection afforded by this Agreement, if
Indemnitee is a director of the Company, he agrees to serve at least for the
balance of the current term as a director and not to resign voluntarily during
such period without the written consent of a majority of the Board of Directors.
If Indemnitee is an officer of the Company not serving under an employment
contract, he agrees to serve in such capacity at least for the balance of the
current fiscal year of the Company and not to resign voluntarily during such
period without the written consent of a majority of the Board of Directors.
Following the applicable period set forth above, Indemnitee agrees to continue
to serve in such capacity at the will of the Company (or under separate
agreement, if such agreement exists) so long as he is duly appointed or elected
and qualified in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bylaws of the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company or until such time as he tenders his
resignation in writing. Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to or
shall create in Indemnitee any right to continued employment.
3. EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE.
(a) ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company shall advance all
expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense,
settlement or appeal of any
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civil or criminal action or proceeding referenced in Section 1(a) or (b) hereof
(but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any such action or proceeding).
Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such expenses advanced only if, and to the
extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled
to be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby. The advances to be made
hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee within twenty (20) days
following delivery of a written request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) NOTICE/COOPERATION BY INDEMNITEE. Indemnitee shall, as a
condition precedent to his right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give
the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made against
Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this
Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to
Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed received three business days after the date
postmarked if sent by domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed;
otherwise notice shall be deemed received when such notice shall actually be
received by the Company. In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such
information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within
Indemnitee's power.
(c) PROCEDURE. Any indemnification provided for in Section 1
shall be made no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of the written
request of Indemnitee. If a claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or
under any provision of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws
providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within
forty-five (45) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been
received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time thereafter
submit his claim to arbitration as described in Section 14 to recover the unpaid
amount of the claim and, subject to Section 15 of this Agreement, Indemnitee
shall also be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees)
of bringing such claim. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than a
claim brought for expenses incurred in connection with any action or proceeding
in advance of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the standards
of conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for the Company to
indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such
defense shall be on the Company, and Indemnitee shall be entitled to receive
interim payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection 3(a) unless and until such
defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from which no
further right of appeal exists or an arbitration panel as described in Section
14. It is the parties' intention that if the Company contests Indemnitee's right
to indemnification, the question of Indemnitee's right to indemnification shall
be for the court or arbitration panel to decide, and neither the failure of the
Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee or subgroup of the
Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made
a determination that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the
circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct
required by applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Company
(including its Board of Directors, any committee or subgroup of the Board of
Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that Indemnitee has
not met such applicable standard
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of conduct, shall create a presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the
applicable standard of conduct.
(d) NOTICE TO INSURERS. If, at the time of the receipt of a
notice of a claim pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof, the Company has director and
officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of
the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter
take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf
of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in
accordance with the terms of such policies.
(e) SELECTION OF COUNSEL. In the event the Company shall be
obligated under Section 3(a) hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding
against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the
defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written
notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such
counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the
Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of
counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding,
provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his own counsel in
any such proceeding at Indemnitee's expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of
counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B)
Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of
interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense
or (C) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed counsel to assume the
defense of such proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee's counsel
shall be at the expense of the Company.
4. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS; NONEXCLUSIVITY.
(a) SCOPE. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest
extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not
specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation or the Company's Bylaws, as amended, or by statute.
In the event of any change, after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable
law, statute or rule which expands the right of a Delaware corporation to
indemnify a member of its Board of Directors or an officer, such changes shall
be, IPSO FACTO, within the purview of Indemnitee's rights and Company's
obligations under this Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable
law, statute or rule which narrows the right of a Delaware corporation to
indemnify a member of its Board of Directors or an officer, such changes, to the
extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this
Agreement shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties' rights and
obligations hereunder.
(b) NONEXCLUSIVITY. The indemnification provided by this
Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be
entitled under the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any
agreement, any vote of stockholders or disinterested
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directors, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or otherwise,
both as to action in Indemnitee's official capacity and as to action in another
capacity while holding such office. The indemnification provided under this
Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken
while serving in an indemnified capacity even though he may have ceased to serve
in such capacity at the time of any action or other covered proceeding.
5. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION.
If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the expenses, judgments,
fines, penalties or amounts paid in settlement actually or reasonably incurred
by him in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or
criminal action or proceeding, but not, however, for the total amount thereof,
the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such
expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to which Indemnitee is entitled.
6. MUTUAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances,
Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from
indemnifying its directors and officers under this Agreement or otherwise.
Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may
be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange
Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain
circumstances for a determination of the Company's right under public policy to
indemnify Indemnitee.
7. DIRECTORS' AND OFFICERS' LIABILITY INSURANCE.
The Company shall, from time to time, make a good faith determination
whether or not it is practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy
or policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the
officers and directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful
acts, or to ensure the Company's performance of its indemnification obligations
under this Agreement. Among other considerations, the Company will weigh the
costs of obtaining such insurance coverage against the protection afforded by
such coverage. In all policies of directors' and officers' liability insurance,
Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide
Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably
insured of the Company's directors, if Indemnitee is a director, or of the
Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an
officer, or of the Company's key employees, if Indemnitee is not an officer or
director but is a key employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall
have no obligation to obtain or maintain such insurance if the Company
determines in good faith that such insurance is not reasonably available, if the
premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage
provided, if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so
as to provide an insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar
insurance maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company.
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8. SEVERABILITY.
Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or shall be construed
as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in violation of applicable
law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order, to perform its
obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of this
Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided in
this Section 8. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on
any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated, and the balance
of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in accordance with its
terms.
9. EXCEPTIONS.
Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, the Company
shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:
(a) EXCLUDED ACTS. To indemnify Indemnitee for any acts or
omissions or transactions from which a director may not be indemnified under the
Delaware General Corporation Law;
(b) CLAIMS INITIATED BY INDEMNITEE. To indemnify or advance
expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or
brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect
to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required under
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, but such indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the
Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such claim;
(c) LACK OF GOOD FAITH. To indemnify Indemnitee for any
expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by
Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent
jurisdiction or the arbitration panel determines that each of the material
assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith
or was frivolous;
(d) INSURED CLAIMS. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or
liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) which
have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of
directors' and officers' liability insurance maintained by the Company; or
(e) CLAIMS UNDER SECTION 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for
expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by
Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar successor statute.
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10. EFFECTIVENESS OF AGREEMENT.
To the extent that the indemnification permitted under the terms of
certain provisions of this Agreement exceeds the scope of the indemnification
provided for in the Delaware General Corporation Law, such provisions shall not
be effective unless and until the Company's Certificate of Incorporation
authorizes such additional rights of indemnification. In all other respects, the
balance of this Agreement shall be effective as of the date set forth on the
first page and may apply to acts or omissions of Indemnitee which occurred prior
to such date if Indemnitee was an officer, director, employee or other agent of
the Company, or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other enterprise, at the time such act or omission occurred.
11. CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PHRASES.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the
"Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any
constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in
a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would
have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or
agents, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent
of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such
constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee
shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with
respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with
respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other
enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall
include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee
benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall
include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company
which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer,
employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or
beneficiaries.
12. COUNTERPARTS.
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of
which shall constitute an original.
13. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.
This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and
assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee's estate,
heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
14. ARBITRATION.
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It is understood and agreed that the Company and Indemnitee shall carry
out this Agreement in the spirit of mutual cooperation and good faith and that
any differences, disputes or controversies shall be resolved and settled
amicably among the parties hereto. In the event that the dispute, controversy or
difference is not so settled in the above manner within forty-five (45) days,
then the matter shall be exclusively submitted to arbitration in New York
County, New York before three independent technically qualified arbitrators in
accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration
Association and under the laws of Delaware, without reference to conflict of
laws principles. Subject to Sections 1(b) and 6, arbitration shall be the
exclusive forum and the decision and award by the arbitrator(s) shall be final
and binding upon the parties concerned and may be entered in any state court of
New York having jurisdiction.
15. ATTORNEYS' FEES.
In the event that any action is instituted or claim is submitted to
arbitration by Indemnitee under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of
the terms hereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all court costs and
expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee with
respect to such action or arbitration, unless as a part of such action, a court
of competent jurisdiction or the arbitrator(s) determines that each of the
material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such claim were not made
in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted or a claim
submitted to arbitration by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement
or to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall
be entitled to be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees,
incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action or claim (including with
respect to Indemnitee's counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action or
arbitration), unless as a part of such action the court or the arbitrator(s)
determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such action or claim
were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
16. NOTICE.
All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by
hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or
(ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on
the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either
party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently
modified by written notice.
17. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION.
The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the
jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Illinois for all purposes in
connection with any proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement
and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be brought only
in the state courts of the State of Illinois in ▇▇▇▇ County and that any
arbitration proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement shall be
held in ▇▇▇▇ County, Illinois.
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18. CHOICE OF LAW.
This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware as applied to contracts
between Delaware residents entered into and performed entirely within Delaware.
19. SUBROGATION.
In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be
subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of
Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that
may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the corporation effectively
to bring suit to enforce such rights.
20. CONTINUATION OF INDEMNIFICATION.
All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall
continue during the period that Indemnitee is a director, officer or agent of
the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject
to any possible claim or threatened, pending or completed action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that Indemnitee was serving in the capacity
referred to herein.
21. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION.
Subject to Section 20, no amendment, modification, termination or
cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing signed by
both parties hereto.
22. INTEGRATION AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT.
This Agreement (a) sets forth the entire understanding between the
parties, (b) supersedes all previous written or oral negotiations, commitments,
understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof and (c)
merges all prior and contemporaneous discussions between the parties.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this
Agreement as of the date first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇, INC.
By: _________________________________
Title:_______________________________
Address: ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇. #▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
______________________________
SIGNATURE
______________________________
PRINT NAME
______________________________
______________________________
ADDRESS
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