AMENDED AND RESTATED DIRECTOR
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Amended and
Restated Director Indemnification Agreement, dated as of
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(this “ Agreement ”), is made by and
between Bell Microproducts Inc., a California corporation (the
“ Company ”), and
(“ Indemnitee ”).
A. Section 300
of the California Corporations Code provides that the business and
affairs of a corporation shall be managed by or under the direction
of its board of directors.
B. By virtue
of the managerial prerogatives vested in the directors of a
California corporation, directors act as fiduciaries of the
corporation and its stockholders.
C. Thus, it
is critically important to the Company and its stockholders that
the Company be able to attract and retain the most capable persons
reasonably available to serve as directors of the
Company.
D. In
recognition of the need for corporations to be able to induce
capable and responsible persons to accept positions in corporate
management, California law authorizes (and in some instances
requires) corporations to indemnify their directors and officers,
and further authorizes corporations to purchase and maintain
insurance for the benefit of their directors and
officers.
E. The
California courts, as well as courts of other states have
recognized that indemnification by a corporation serves the dual
policies of (1) allowing corporate officials to resist
unjustified lawsuits, secure in the knowledge that, if vindicated,
the corporation will bear the expense of litigation and
(2) encouraging capable women and men to serve as corporate
directors and officers, secure in the knowledge that the
corporation will absorb the costs of defending their honesty and
integrity.
F. The number
of lawsuits challenging the judgment and actions of directors of
corporations, the costs of defending those lawsuits, and the threat
to directors’ personal assets have all materially increased
over the past several years, chilling the willingness of capable
women and men to undertake the responsibilities imposed on
corporate directors.
G. Federal
legislation and rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the national securities exchanges have imposed
additional disclosure and corporate governance obligations on
directors of public companies and have exposed such directors to
new and substantially broadened civil liabilities.
H. These
legislative and regulatory initiatives have also exposed directors
of public companies to a significantly greater risk of criminal
proceedings, with attendant defense costs and potential criminal
fines and penalties.
I. Under
California law, a director’s right to be reimbursed for the
costs of defense of criminal actions, whether such claims are
asserted under state or federal law, does not depend upon the
merits of the claims asserted against the director and is separate
and distinct from any right to indemnification the director may be
able to establish, and indemnification of the director against
criminal fines and penalties is permitted if the director satisfies
the applicable standard of conduct.
J. Indemnitee
is a director of the Company and his/her willingness to continue to
serve in such capacity is predicated, in substantial part, upon the
Company’s willingness to indemnify him/her in accordance with
the principles reflected above, to the fullest extent permitted by
the laws of the state of California, and upon the other
undertakings set forth in this Agreement.
K. In
recognition of the need to provide Indemnitee with substantial
protection against personal liability, the Company and Indemnitee
previously entered into an indemnification agreement dated
April 7, 1993 (the “Prior Agreement”)
L. In order
to procure Indemnitee’s continued service as a director of
the Company and to enhance Indemnitee’s ability to serve the
Company in an effective manner, and in order to provide such
protection pursuant to express contract rights (intended to be
enforceable irrespective of, among other things, any amendment to
the Company’s articles of incorporation or bylaws
(collectively, the “ Constituent Documents
”), any change in the composition of the Company’s
Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) or any
change-in-control or business combination transaction relating to
the Company), the Company wishes to amend and restate the Prior
Agreement as set forth in this Agreement, and provide in this
Agreement for the indemnification of and the advancement of
Expenses (as defined in Section 1(e)) to Indemnitee as set
forth in this Agreement and for the continued coverage of
Indemnitee under the Company’s directors’ and
officers’ liability insurance policies.
M. In light
of the considerations referred to in the preceding recitals, it is
the Company’s intention and desire that the provisions of
this Agreement be construed liberally, subject to their express
terms, to maximize the protections to be provided to Indemnitee
hereunder.
NOW, THEREFORE,
the parties hereby agree that the Prior Agreement shall be amended
and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
1. Certain Definitions. In addition to terms defined
elsewhere herein, the following terms have the following meanings
when used in this Agreement with initial capital
letters:
(a)
“ Change in Control ” means the
occurrence after the date of this Agreement of any of the following
events:
(i) the
acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning
of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (a
“ Person ”) of beneficial ownership
(within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange
Act) of 20% or more of the combined voting power of the
then-outstanding Voting Stock of the Company; provided ,
however , that:
(A) for
purposes of this Section 1(a)(i), the following acquisitions
shall not constitute a Change in Control: (1) any acquisition
of Voting Stock of the
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Company
directly from the Company that is approved by a majority of the
Incumbent Directors, (2) any acquisition of Voting Stock of
the Company by the Company or any Subsidiary, (3) any
acquisition of Voting Stock of the Company by any employee benefit
plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or
any Subsidiary, and (4) any acquisition of Voting Stock of the
Company by any Person pursuant to a Business Combination that
complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of
Section 1(a)(iii) below;
(B) if
any Person acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of combined
voting power of the then-outstanding Voting Stock of the Company as
a result of a transaction described in clause (A)(1) of
Section 1(a)(i) and such Person thereafter becomes the
beneficial owner of any additional shares of Voting Stock of the
Company representing 1% or more of the then-outstanding Voting
Stock of the Company, other than in an acquisition directly from
the Company that is approved by a majority of the Incumbent
Directors or other than as a result of a stock dividend, stock
split or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all
holders of Voting Stock are treated equally, such subsequent
acquisition shall be deemed to constitute a Change in
Control;
(C) a
Change in Control will not be deemed to have occurred if a Person
acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Voting Stock of
the Company as a result of a reduction in the number of shares of
Voting Stock of the Company outstanding unless and until such
Person thereafter becomes the beneficial owner of any additional
shares of Voting Stock of the Company representing 1% or more of
the then-outstanding Voting Stock of the Company, other than in an
acquisition directly from the Company that is approved by a
majority of the Incumbent Directors or other than as a result of a
stock dividend, stock split or similar transaction effected by the
Company in which all holders of Voting Stock are treated equally;
and
(D) if
at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors determine in good
faith that a Person has acquired beneficial ownership of 20% or
more of the Voting Stock of the Company inadvertently, and such
Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of
shares so that such Person beneficially owns less than 20% of the
Voting Stock of the Company, then no Change in Control shall have
occurred as a result of such Person’s acquisition;
or
(ii) a
majority of the Directors are not Incumbent Directors;
or
(iii) the
consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation, or sale
or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company or the acquisition of assets of another corporation, or
other transaction (each, a “ Business
Combination ”), unless, in each case, immediately
following such Business Combination (A) all or substantially
all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners
of Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such Business
Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 60%
of the combined voting power of the then outstanding shares of
Voting Stock of the entity resulting from such Business Combination
(including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such
transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the
Company’s assets either directly or through one or more
subsidiaries), (B) no Person (other than the Company, such
entity resulting from such Business Combination, or any employee
benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the
Company, any Subsidiary or such entity
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resulting from
such Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or
indirectly, 20% or more of the combined voting power of the then
outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the entity resulting from
such Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the
members of the Board of Directors of the entity resulting from such
Business Combination were Incumbent Directors at the time of the
execution of the initial agreement or of the action of the Board
providing for such Business Combination; or
(iv) approval
by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Company, except pursuant to a Business
Combination that complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of
Section 1(a)(iii).
(v) For
purposes of this Section 1(a) and as used elsewhere in this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(A) “
Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(B) “
Incumbent Directors ” means the individuals
who, as of the date hereof, are Directors of the Company and any
individual becoming a Director subsequent to the date hereof whose
election, nomination for election by the Company’s
stockholders, or appointment, was approved by a vote of at least
two-thirds of the then Incumbent Directors (either by a specific
vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which
such person is named as a nominee for director, without objection
to such nomination); provided , however , that an
individual shall not be an Incumbent Director if such
individual’s election or appointment to the Board occurs as a
result of an actual or threatened election contest (as described in
Rule 14a-12(c) of the Exchange Act) with respect to the
election or removal of Directors or other actual or threatened
solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person
other than the Board.
(C) “
Subsidiary ” means an entity in which the
Company directly or indirectly beneficially owns 50% or more of the
outstanding Voting Stock.
(D) “
Voting Stock ” means securities entitled to
vote generally in the election of directors (or similar governing
bodies).
(b)
“ Claim ” means (i) any threatened,
asserted, pending or completed claim, demand, action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative,
investigative or other, and whether made pursuant to federal, state
or other law; and (ii) any threatened, pending or completed
inquiry or investigation, whether made, instituted or conducted by
the Company or any other person, including without limitation any
federal, state or other governmental entity, that Indemnitee
determines might lead to the institution of any such claim, demand,
action, suit or proceeding.
(c)
“ Controlled Affiliate ” means any
corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other entity or enterprise, whether or not for profit,
that is directly or indirectly controlled by the Company. For
purposes of this definition, “control” means the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause
the direction of the management or policies of an entity or
enterprise, whether through the ownership of voting securities,
through other voting rights, by contract or otherwise;
provided that direct or indirect
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beneficial
ownership of capital stock or other interests in an entity or
enterprise entitling the holder to cast 20% or more of the total
number of votes generally entitled to be cast in the election of
directors (or persons performing comparable functions) of such
entity or enterprise shall be deemed to constitute control for
purposes of this definition.
(d)
“ Disinterested Director ” means a
director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Claim
in respect of which indemnification is sought by
Indemnitee.
(e)
“ Expenses ” means attorneys’ and
experts’ fees and expenses and all other costs and expenses
paid or payable in connection with investigating, defending, being
a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or
preparing to investigate, defend, be a witness in or participate in
(including on appeal), any Claim.
(f)
“ Indemnifiable Claim ” means any Claim
based upon, arising out of or resulting from (i) any actual,
alleged or suspected act or failure to act by Indemnitee in his or
her capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the
Company or as a director, officer, employee, member, manager,
trustee or agent of any other corporation, limited liability
company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity or
enterprise, whether or not for profit, as to which Indemnitee is or
was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer,
employee, member, manager, trustee or agent, (ii) any actual,
alleged or suspected act or failure to act by Indemnitee in respect
of any business, transaction, communication, filing, disclosure or
other activity of the Company or any other entity or enterprise
referred to in clause (i) of this sentence, or (iii)
Indemnitee’s status as a current or former director, officer,
employee or agent of the Company or as a current or former
director, officer, employee, member, manager, trustee or agent of
the Company or any other entity or enterprise referred to in clause
(i) of this sentence or any actual, alleged or suspected act
or failure to act by Indemnitee in connection with any obligation
or restriction imposed upon Indemnitee by reason of such status. In
addition to any service at the actual request of the Company, for
purposes of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be deemed to be
serving or to have served at the request of the Company as a
director, officer, employee, member, manager, trustee or agent of
another entity or enterprise if Indemnitee is or was serving as a
director, officer, employee, member, manager, trustee or agent of
such entity or enterprise and (i) such entity or enterprise is or
at the time of such service was a Controlled Affiliate,
(ii) such entity or enterprise is or at the time of such
service was an employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored
or maintained by the Company or a Controlled Affiliate, or
(iii) the Company or a Controlled Affiliate directly or
indirectly caused or authorized Indemnitee to be nominated,
elected, appointed, designated, employed, engaged or selected to
serve in such capacity.
(g)
“ Indemnifiable Losses ” means any and
all Losses relating to, arising out of or resulting from any
Indemnifiable Claim.
(h)
“ Independent Counsel ” means a law firm,
or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of
corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five
years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company (or any
Subsidiary) or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such
party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee
under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar
indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other named (or, as
to a threatened matter, reasonably likely to be named) party to the
Indemnifiable Claim giving rise to a claim for indemnification
hereunder. Notwithstanding the
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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.
(i)
“ Losses ” means any and all Expenses,
damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties (whether
civil, criminal or other) and amounts paid in settlement, including
without limitation all interest, assessments and other charges paid
or payable in connection with or in respect of any of the
foregoing.
2. Indemnification Obligation. Subject to
Section 7, the Company shall indemnify, defend and hold
harmless Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted or required by
the laws of the State of California in effect on the date hereof or
as such laws may from time to time hereafter be amended to increase
the scope of such permitted indemnification, against any and all
Indemnifiable Claims and Indemnifiable Losses; provided ,
however , that, except as provided in Sections 4 and
20, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification pursuant to
this Agreement in connection with any Claim initiated by Indemnitee
against the Company or any director or officer of the Company
unless the Company has joined in or consented to the initiation of
such Claim.
3. Advancement of Expenses. Indemnitee shall have the
right to advancement by the Company prior to the final disposition
of any Indemnifiable Claim of any and all Expenses relating to,
arising out of or resulting from any Indemnifiable Claim paid or
incurred by Indemnitee or which Indemnitee determines are
reasonably likely to be paid or incurred by Indemnitee.
Indemnitee’s right to such advancement is not subject to the
satisfaction of any standard of conduct. Without limiting the
generality or effect of the foregoing, within five business days
after any request by Indemnitee, the Company shall, in accordance
with such request (but without duplication), (a) pay such
Expenses on behalf of Indemnitee, (b) advance to Indemnitee
funds in an amount sufficient to pay such Expenses, or
(c) reimburse Indemnitee for such Expenses; provided
that Indemnitee shall repay, without interest, any amounts actually
advanced to Indemnitee that, at the final disposition of the
Indemnifiable Claim to which the advance related, were in excess of
amounts paid or payable by Indemnitee in respect of Expenses
relating to, arising out of or resulting from such Indemnifiable
Claim. In connection with any such payment, advancement
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