INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made as of this ___ day
of _______________, [____] by and between GenVec, 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 availability
and coverage of liability insurance has been severely limited;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee desire to have in place the
additional protection provided by an indemnification agreement, to provide
indemnification and advancement of expenses to the Indemnitee to the maximum
extent permitted by Delaware law;
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 agrees 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, by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
director or officer of the Corporation 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 or proceeding by judgment, order,
settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of NOLO CONTENDERE or its equivalent,
shall not, of itself, create a presumption that (i) Indemnitee did not act in
good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or
not opposed to, the best interests of the
Company, or (ii) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
Indemnitee had 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
proceeding 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 matters 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 Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or
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 indemnity for such expenses
which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
2. 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 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, which shall be governed by Section 1(a)).
Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced only if, and to
the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not
entitled to be identified 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, PROVIDED HOWEVER, that a delay in giving such notice shall
not deprive Indemnitee of any right to be indemnified under this Agreement
unless, and then only to the extent that, such delay is materially
prejudicial to the defense of such claim. 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
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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 bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount
of the claim and, subject to Section 13 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall
also be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees) of
bringing such action. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an
action brought to enforce a claim 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 providing such defense shall be on the Company,
and Indemnitee shall be entitled to receive interim payments of expenses
pursuant to Subsection 2(a) unless and until such defense may be finally
adjudicated by court order or judgement from which no further right of appeal
exists. 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 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 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 2(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 2(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 employ his 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
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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.
3. 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, the Company's Bylaws or 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 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.
4. 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 or penalties 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.
5. MUTUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 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.
6. DIRECTOR'S AND OFFICER'S LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Company shall,
from time to time, make the 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
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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. 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.
7. 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 7. 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.
8. EXCEPTIONS. Any other provision herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, 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
applicable 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 suit; or
(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 determines that each of the material assertions made by the
Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or
(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
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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 inuring to and recoverable by the Company
pursuant to Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
or any similar successor statute.
9. 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 authorize 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.
10. 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 constitutent 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 of 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.
11. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
12. 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.
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13. ATTORNEYS' FEES. In the event that any action is instituted 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, unless as a part of such action, the court of competent
jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by
Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were
frivolous. In the event of an action instituted 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 (including with respect to Indemnitee's counterclaims and
cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such action the court
determines that each of the Indemnitee's material defenses to such action
were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
14. 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.
15. CONSENT OF JURISDICTION. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby
irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of
Delaware for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which
arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action
instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued
only in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware in and for New Castle
County, which shall be exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such
a claim.
16. 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 to be
performed entirely within Delaware.
17. INTEGRATION AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement sets forth the
entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all
previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and
agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.
18. NO CONSTRUCTION AS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT. Nothing contained in this
Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in
the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated entities.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
GENVEC, INC.
By:
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Title:
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Address:
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
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ADDRESS:
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