PCM, INC. FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT 10.1

 

PCM, INC.

 

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of ________________ by and between PCM, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and ____________ (“Indemnitee”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company;

 

WHEREAS, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law;

 

WHEREAS, the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company, and Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”);

 

WHEREAS, the Bylaws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the continued difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for the Company’s directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant and continual increases in the cost of such insurance and the general trend of insurance companies to reduce the scope of coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and scope of coverage of liability insurance provide increasing challenges for the Company;

 

WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection currently provided by applicable law, the Company’s governing documents and available insurance as adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee may not be willing to continue to serve the Company without additional protection;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining highly qualified persons such as Indemnitee is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure Indemnitee that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

 

 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, regardless of any amendment or revocation of the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) or Bylaws, so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; and

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the indemnification provided in the Bylaws and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

 

Section 1. Services to the Company. Indemnitee agrees to serve as a [director] [officer] [director and officer] of the Company. Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or any obligation imposed by law), in which event the Company shall have no obligation under this Agreement to continue Indemnitee in such position. This Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and Indemnitee. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in force after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a [director] [officer] [director and officer] of the Company.

 

Section 2. Definitions.

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

(a) A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if: (i) any “person,” as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Exchange Act”) (other than (a) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or (b) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company) after the date of this Agreement becomes the “beneficial owner,” as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 20% or more of the total combined voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities; (ii) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board and any new director whose election or appointment by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election, appointment or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or (iii) the stockholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or voting securities of such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company, in one transaction or a series of transactions, of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

 

(b) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person as a current or former director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person is or was serving on behalf of the Company.

 

(c) “Eligible Parties” means Indemnitee and any other person who, as of immediately prior to the Potential Change in Control, is party to an indemnification agreement with the Company in substantially the form of this Agreement (which agreement includes, for the avoidance of doubt, a provision substantially similar to Section 17(c) hereof).

 

(d) “Enforcement Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with an action to enforce indemnification or advancement rights, or any other rights set forth in this Agreement, or an appeal from such action, including, without limitation, the premium, security for and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond or other appeal bond or its equivalent, and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments of Enforcement Expenses under this Agreement.

 

(e) “Enterprise” shall mean any corporation (other than the Company), partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other legal entity of which Indemnitee is or was serving on behalf of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee.

 

(f) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding or an appeal resulting from a Proceeding, including, without limitation, the premium, security for and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond or other appeal bond or its equivalent, and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

 

(g) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a partner (or, if applicable, member) of such a law firm, that is experienced in matters of Delaware corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company, any Enterprise or Indemnitee in any matter material to any such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

 

(h) “Potential Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur if: (i) the Company enters into an agreement or arrangement, the consummation of which would result in the occurrence of a Change in Control; (ii) any person (including the Company) publicly announces an intention to take or to consider taking actions which, if consummated, would constitute a Change in Control; or (iii) the Board adopts a resolution to the effect that, for purposes of this Agreement, a Potential Change in Control has occurred.

 

(i) The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or is or was serving on behalf of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of any Enterprise or by reason of any action taken by him or her or of any action taken on his or her part while acting as director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or while serving on behalf of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of any Enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement; provided, however, that the term “Proceeding” shall not include any action, suit or arbitration, or part thereof, initiated by Indemnitee to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement as provided for in Section 13(e) of this Agreement.

 

(j) “Requisite Request” means a written request to create a Trust signed by (a) at least two Eligible Parties and (b) a majority of the Eligible Parties party to the Proceeding for which the creation of a Trust is requested.

 

(k) “Voting Securities” shall mean any securities of the Company which vote generally in the election of directors.

 

Section 3. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, was or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement (including any interest, assessments, or other charges imposed thereon) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall not be liable to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement (a) for any amounts paid in settlement of any action or claim effected without the Company’s written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or (b) for any judicial award if the Company was not given a reasonable and timely opportunity, at its expense, to participate in the defense of such action.

 

 

Section 4. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, was or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. No indemnification for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Delaware Court”) or any court in which the Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such Expenses as the Delaware Court or such other court shall deem proper.

 

Section 5. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement and except as provided in Section 8, to the extent that Indemnitee is or was a party to or a participant in and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

Section 6. Indemnification For Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is or was, by reason of his or her Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party and is not threatened to be made a party, he or she shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection therewith.

 

Section 7. Additional Indemnification.

 

(a) Except as provided in Section 8, notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4 or 5, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee is or was a party to or is or was threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement (including any interest, assessments, or other charges imposed thereon) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

 

 

(b) For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted by law” shall include, but not be limited to:

 

(i) to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or replacement of the DGCL or such provision thereof; and

 

(ii) to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and directors.

 

Section 8. Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement:

 

(a) to make any indemnity for amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder (or for which advancement is provided hereunder) if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such amounts under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise;

 

(b) to make any indemnity for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law;

 

(c) to make any indemnity or advancement that is prohibited by applicable law; or

 

(d) to make any indemnity or advancement for claims initiated or brought by Indemnitee (including Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defending any affirmative defenses or counterclaims brought or made in connection with a claim initiated by Indemnitee), except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right (including to receive Expenses, Enforcement Expenses or indemnification) under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Charter or Bylaws now or hereafter in effect relating to indemnification or advancement (which shall be governed by Section 13(e) of this Agreement), (ii) if the Board has approved the initiation or bringing of such claim, or (iii) as otherwise required under Delaware law. For the avoidance of doubt, Indemnitee shall not be deemed, for purposes of this subsection, to have initiated or brought any claim by reason of (a) having asserted any affirmative defenses in connection with a claim not initiated by Indemnitee or (b) having made any counterclaim (whether permissive or mandatory) in connection with any claim not initiated by Indemnitee.

 

 

Section 9. Advances of Expenses. The Company shall advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding, and such advancement shall be made within twenty (20) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances (which shall include invoices received by Indemnitee in connection with such Expenses but, in the case of invoices in connection with legal services, any references to legal work performed or to expenditures made that would cause Indemnitee to waive any privilege accorded by applicable law shall not be included with the invoice) from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement. Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement which shall constitute an undertaking providing that Indemnitee undertakes to the fullest extent required by law to repay the advance if and to the extent that it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment, not subject to appeal, that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company. The right to advances under this paragraph shall in all events continue until final disposition of any Proceeding, including any appeal therein. Nothing in this Section 9 shall limit Indemnitee’s right to advancement pursuant to Section 13(e) of this Agreement.

 

Section 10. Procedure for Notification and Defense of Claim.

 

(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request therefor and, if a Change in Control has occurred and Indemnitee so chooses pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement, such written request shall also include a request for Indemnitee to have the right to indemnification determined by Independent Counsel.

 

(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

 

Section 11. Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.

 

(a) Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a), a determination, if such determination is required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case: (i) by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board if Indemnitee so requests in such written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) and a Change in Control has occurred or (ii) by the Company in accordance with applicable law if Indemnitee does not so request such determination be made by Independent Counsel. In the case that such determination is made by Independent Counsel, a copy of Independent Counsel’s written opinion shall be delivered to Indemnitee and, if it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the Independent Counsel or the Company, as applicable, making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such counsel or the Company, upon reasonable advance request, any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the Independent Counsel or the Company shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

 

 

(b) In the event that Indemnitee exercises his or her right to have his or her entitlement to indemnification determined by Independent Counsel pursuant to Sections 10(a) and 11(a)(i), the Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee. The Company may, within ten (10) days after written notice of such selection, deliver to Indemnitee a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after the later of (i) submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification and Independent Counsel pursuant to Sections 10(a) and 11(a)(i) hereof, respectively, and (ii) the final disposition of the Proceeding, including any appeal therein, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected without objection, Indemnitee may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company to the selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate. The person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 11(a) hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

 

Section 12. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

 

(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, it shall be presumed that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 10(a) of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither (i) the failure of the Company or of Independent Counsel to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor (ii) an actual determination by the Company or by Independent Counsel that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

(b) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of guilty, nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

 

(c) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent, trustee or employee of the Company or any Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

Section 13. Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a) Subject to Section 13(f), in the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification that does not include a request for Independent Counsel, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5 or 6 or the last sentence of Section 11(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor or (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3, 4 or 7 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of his or her entitlement to such indemnification or advancement. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his or her option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within 180 days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 13(a); provided, however, that the foregoing time limitation shall not apply in respect of a proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce his or her rights under Section 5 of this Agreement. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

 

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement, as the case may be.

 

(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification.

 

(d) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 or pursuant to Section 17(c) that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

 

 

(e) The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Enforcement Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such Enforcement Expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advancement from the Company under this Agreement, the Bylaws or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, in the case of advancement of Enforcement Expenses regardless of whether Indemnitee will ultimately be successful in such action. In addition, and notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if requested by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, the Company shall indemnify the Trust Beneficiaries against any and all Enforcement Expenses and, if requested by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such Enforcement Expenses to the Trust Beneficiaries, which are incurred by the Trust Beneficiaries in connection with any action brought by the Trust Beneficiaries to enforce the provisions of Section 17(c) of this Agreement, in the case of advancement of Enforcement Expenses regardless of whether the Trust Beneficiaries will ultimately be successful in such action.

 

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding, including any appeal therein.

 

Section 14. Non-exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Subrogation; Period of Limitations.

 

(a) The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Charter, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his or her Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in Delaware law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or advancement than would be afforded currently under the Charter, Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

 

(b) For the duration of Indemnitee’s service as a [director] [officer] [director and officer] of the Company, and until the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts (taking into account the scope and amount of coverage available relative to the cost thereof) to cause to be maintained in effect a policy or policies of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance providing coverage for directors and/or officers of the Company that is at least substantially comparable in scope and amount to that provided by the Company’s policies of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in effect as of the date of this Agreement. In the event of a Change in Control occurring prior to the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Company shall maintain (or cause to be maintained) for the benefit of Indemnitee, the same policy or policies of liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries of the Company or of any other Enterprise that existed for the benefit of Indemnitee prior to the Change in Control (or a policy or policies no less favorable to Indemnitee) for a period of six years thereafter. The minimum AM Best rating for the insurance carrier of such insurance shall not be less than A-VI. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the Company has directors’ and officers’ 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 Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies. To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, agents or trustees of the Company or of any other Enterprise, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee, agent or trustee under such policy or policies.

 

(c) In the event of any 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 papers reasonably required and take all action reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are reasonably necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

(d) The Company’s obligation to provide indemnification or advancement hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving on behalf of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement from such other Enterprise.

 

(e) To the fullest extent permitted by law, no legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or on behalf of the Company or any affiliate of the Company against the Indemnitee or the Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, or such longer period as may be required by state law under the circumstances, and any claim or cause of action of the Company or its affiliates shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

 

Section 15. Duration of Agreement. This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the later of: (a) ten (10) years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve as a [director] [officer] [director and officer] of the Company or (b) one (1) year after the final termination of any Proceeding, including any appeal, then pending in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advancement hereunder and of any proceeding, including any appeal, commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13 or Section 17(c) of this Agreement relating thereto. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his or her heirs, executors and administrators. The Company shall require and cause any successor, and any direct or indirect parent of any successor, whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.

 

Section 16. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

 

Section 17. Enforcement; Trust.

 

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a [director] [officer] [director and officer] of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a [director] [officer] [director and officer] of the Company.

 

(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any prior indemnification agreements entered into between Indemnitee and the Company); provided, however, that this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Charter, the Bylaws and applicable law, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

 

 

(c) The Company shall, if it receives a Requisite Request within four years of the occurrence of a Potential Change in Control, create a trust (the “Trust”) for the benefit of the Indemnitee and the other Eligible Parties who signed the Requisite Request (the “Trust Beneficiaries”), and from time to time upon written request of a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries shall fund such Trust, to the extent permitted by law, in an amount sufficient to satisfy any and all Expenses reasonably anticipated at the time of each such request to be incurred by the Trust Beneficiaries in connection with investigating, preparing for and defending any Proceeding, and any and all judgments, fines, penalties and settlement amounts of any and all Proceedings from time to time actually and reasonably paid by the Trust Beneficiaries or reasonably claimed, anticipated or proposed to be paid by the Trust Beneficiaries. The amount or amounts to be deposited in the Trust pursuant to the foregoing funding obligation shall be determined by mutual agreement of a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries and the Company or, if the Company and a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries are unable to reach such an agreement, by Independent Counsel chosen by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries in the manner set forth in Section 11(b) (provided, that (i) the provisions of Section 11(b) shall be applied mutatis mutandis, including to reflect that the Independent Counsel shall be chosen by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, (ii) for this purpose, references in the definition of “Independent Counsel” and “Enterprise” to “Indemnitee” shall be deemed references to any of the Trust Beneficiaries and (iii) a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company to the selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate if, within the later of 20 days after the submission by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries of a written request to fund the Trust and submission of a proposed Independent Counsel, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected without objection). In the event that Independent Counsel determines that the amount or amounts to be deposited in the Trust pursuant to the foregoing funding obligation should be equal to or greater than the amount requested by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries (a “Full Funding Determination”), the Company shall promptly (and in any event within 2 business days) fund the Trust in the amount determined by the Independent Counsel, and a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries shall be entitled to petition a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the determination of the Independent Counsel if the Company shall fail to so fund the Trust (and in such proceeding the Company shall be bound by the Full Funding Determination, which shall be final and binding). If the Independent Counsel does not make a Full Funding Determination within 20 days of being identified as Independent Counsel pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, or if prior to such time Independent Counsel determines that the amount or amounts to be deposited in the Trust pursuant to the foregoing funding obligation should be less than the amount requested by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for a determination of the amount or amounts to be deposited in the Trust pursuant to the foregoing funding obligation, such proceeding to be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial on the merits without prejudice by reason of any determination by Independent Counsel, and the Company shall have the burden of proving that the amount or amounts to be deposited in the Trust pursuant to the foregoing funding obligation should be less than that requested by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries. In lieu of commencing an action in a court of competent jurisdiction, a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries may, at their option, seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association; provided that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the same presumptions and procedures that would be applicable in a court proceeding will be applicable to such arbitration. The terms of the Trust shall provide that upon a Change in Control (i) the Trust shall not be revoked or the principal thereof invaded, without the written consent of a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, (ii) the trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”) shall advance, within ten business days of a request by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, any and all Expenses incurred by the Trust Beneficiaries in connection with investigating, preparing for and defending any Proceeding, to the extent permitted by law, (and the Indemnitee hereby agrees to reimburse the Trust under the circumstances under which the Indemnitee would be required to reimburse the Company under this Agreement), (iii) the Trust shall continue to be funded by the Company in accordance with the funding obligation set forth above, (iv) the Trustee shall, following the request of a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries, promptly pay to the Trust Beneficiaries all amounts for which the Trust Beneficiaries shall be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise, and (v) all unexpended funds in the Trust shall revert to the Company upon the earlier of a written request of a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries and a determination by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment, not subject to appeal, that the Trust Beneficiaries have been fully indemnified under the terms of this Agreement. The Trustee shall be a bank or trust company or other individual or entity chosen by a majority of the Trust Beneficiaries and acceptable to and approved of by the Company. Nothing in this Section 17(c) shall relieve the Company of any of its obligations under this Agreement. All income earned on the assets held in the Trust shall be reported as income by the Company for federal, state, local and foreign tax purposes.

 

 

Section 18. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment, or waiver of any provision, of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

Section 19. Notice by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement as provided hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

Section 20. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, (c) mailed by reputable overnight courier and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed or (d) sent by facsimile transmission, with receipt of oral confirmation that such transmission has been received:

 

(a) If to Indemnitee, at such address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Company.

 

(b) If to the Company to:

 

▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

[FAX: ]

 

 

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.

 

Section 21. Contribution. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement (including any interest, assessments, or other charges imposed thereon) and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee in connection with the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving rise to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transactions.

 

Section 22. Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court, and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) consent to service of process at the address set forth in, or provided in accordance with, Section 20 of this Agreement with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

 

Section 23. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

Section 24. Miscellaneous. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

	PCM, INC.
	By:
		[Name]
		[Office]
		[Indemnitee]
		[Name]