1
EXHIBIT 10.3
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of this 10th day of
April, 1998 by and between LIDAK Pharmaceuticals, a California corporation (the
"Company"), and _______________ ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the existence of a
substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and
directors to expensive litigation risks many of which are not covered by
reasonably available liability insurance;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the existence of
specific threats of litigation against the Company and its officers and
directors by the Company's former Chief Executive Officer, who is also currently
a director of the Company;
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, witness or participant or is threatened to be made
a party, witness or participant 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 (i) 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),
and (ii) any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed as a result of the
actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement relating to any
indemnifiable event, provided that (A) the foregoing were actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action or proceeding,
and (B) Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably
believed to be in 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 Indemnitee did not
act in
1
2
good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the
best interests of the Company, or, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, 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 is or was a party, witness or participant or
is threatened to be made a party, witness or participant 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 the best interests
of the Company and its shareholders, 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 shareholders unless and only to the extent that the
court in which such action or proceeding 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 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. Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to create in
Indemnitee, if an employee of the Company, 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 civil, criminal, administrative or investigative 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 amounts 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.
2
3
(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 action or proceeding against or
involving the 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. Other than an advancement of expenses, the time of which is
specified separately in Section 3(a), 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 Articles of Incorporation or
By-laws providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within
twenty (20) days in the case of an advancement of expenses or, in the case of
all other indemnification, within forty-five (45) days after a written request
for payment thereof has first been received by the Company, then Indemnitee may
request that the right to advancement or other indemnification be determined by
binding arbitration to be conducted as expeditiously as possible in San Diego,
California. To initiate such arbitration, the Indemnitee shall nominate three
retired federal or California Superior Court judges and provide written notice
of those nominations to the Company; the Company shall select one of those
nominees and provide the Indemnitee with notice of such selection within ten
(10) working days after the Indemnitee=s notice of nomination has been received
by the Company. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American
Arbitration Association, and a final award by such arbitrator may be enforced by
the San Diego County Superior Court. The Arbitrator=s fees shall be paid by the
Company, and subject to Section 14 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall also be
entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees) of bringing and
conducting such arbitration proceeding. It shall be a defense to any such
proceeding (other than a proceeding brought to enforce a claim for advancement
of 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 a final award of the Arbitrator. 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
Arbitrator 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 shareholders) 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
3
4
of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its shareholders) 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 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 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 Articles of
Incorporation, the Company's By-laws 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 California 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 the 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 California 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 Articles of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of
shareholders or disinterested directors, the
4
5
statutory or common law of California, 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 or penalties actually or reasonably incurred by him
in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative 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 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.
7. Directors' and Officers' 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 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.
8. Severability. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to required 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
5
6
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. 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 relieved of liability under the
California 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 317 of the California 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 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.
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 California General Corporation
Law, such provisions shall not be effective unless and until the Company's
Articles 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.
11. Construction of Certain Phrases.
6
7
(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. 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 Indemnitee's material defenses to such
action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
15. 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.
7
8
16. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby
irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California
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 brought only in the state courts of the State of California.
17. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California as applied to
contracts between California residents entered into and to be performed entirely
within California.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of
the date first above written.
LIDAK PHARMACEUTICALS
By:
------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: President & CEO
Address: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
-------------------------------------
Address:-----------------------------
-----------------------------
8