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A
SPEN
E
XPLORATION
C
ORPORATION
I NDEMNITY
A
GREEMENT
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T HIS I NDEMNITY A GREEMENT (this “Agreement”)
is entered into as of December ___, 2008 between Aspen Exploration
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
and
___________ (“Indemnitee”).
WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company to retain and attract as
directors, officers and other agents the most capable persons
available; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is or has agreed to become a director, officer
and/or other agent of the Company, and both the Company and
Indemnitee recognize the risk of litigation and other claims being
asserted against such person; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of Indemnitee’s need for substantial
protection against personal liability and to enhance
Indemnitee’s continued and effective service to the Company,
the Company desires to provide for the indemnification of, and the
advancing of expenses to, Indemnitee to the fullest extent
permitted by law, subject to certain very limited exceptions, as
set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above premises and the
promises set forth herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. As used in
this Agreement, the capitalized terms listed below shall have the
meanings ascribed to them as follows:
1.1 Board. The Board of
Directors of the Company.
1.2
Expenses. Any
expense, liability, or loss, including attorneys’ fees,
judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties, amounts paid or
to be paid in settlement, any interest, assessments, or other
charges imposed thereon, and any federal, state, local, or foreign
taxes imposed as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any
payments under this Agreement, paid or incurred in connection with
investigating, defending, being a witness in, or participating in
(including on appeal), or preparing for any of the foregoing, in
any Proceeding relating to any Indemnifiable Event.
1.3 Indemnifiable
Event. Any event or
occurrence that takes place either prior to or after the execution
of this Agreement, related to the fact that Indemnitee
(a) is or was a director, officer or
other agent of the Company; or
(b)
while a director, officer or other agent of the Company is or was
serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer,
employee, trustee, agent, or
fiduciary of another foreign or domestic
corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan,
trust, or other enterprise; or
(c) was a director, officer or
other agent of a foreign or domestic corporation that was a
predecessor corporation of the Company or was a director, officer,
employee, trustee, agent, or fiduciary of another enterprise at the
request of such predecessor corporation; and related to anything
done or not done by Indemnitee in any such capacity, whether or not
the basis of the Proceeding is alleged action in an official
capacity while serving as described in clauses (a) through (c)
above.
1.4 Proceeding.
Any threatened, pending,
or completed action, suit, or proceeding, or any inquiry, hearing,
or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead
to the institution of any such action, suit, or proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other.
2. AGREEMENT TO INDEMNIFY. In the
event Indemnitee was, is, or becomes a party to, or witness or
other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to, or
witness or other participant in, a Proceeding by reason of (or
arising in part out of) an Indemnifiable Event, the Company shall
indemnify Indemnitee from and against any and all Expenses to the
fullest extent permitted by law, as the same exists or may
hereafter be amended or interpreted (but in the case of any such
amendment or interpretation, only to the extent that such amendment
or interpretation permits the Company to provide broader
indemnification rights than were permitted prior thereto). The
rights to receive indemnification and the advancement of Expenses
under this Agreement are not exclusive of any other rights which
Indemnitee may be entitled or subsequently entitled under any
statute, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or
Bylaws, by vote of the shareholders or the Board, or otherwise. To
the extent that a change in applicable law (whether by statute or
judicial decision) or the Bylaws permits greater indemnification
than is currently provided for an Indemnifiable Event, Indemnitee
shall be entitled to such greater indemnification under this
Agreement.
2.1 Partial
Indemnification. If
Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Company for a portion of Expenses, but not,
however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses
to which Indemnitee is entitled.
2.2 Contribution.
If the Indemnitee is not
entitled to the indemnification provided in this Agreement for any
reason, then in respect of any threatened, pending or completed
Proceedings in which the Company is jointly liable with the
Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceedings), the Company
shall contribute to the amount of Expenses payable by the
Indemnitee in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the
Indemnitee on the other hand from the transaction from which such
Proceeding arose and (ii) the relative fault of the Company on the
one hand and of the Indemnitee on the other hand in connection with
the Indemnifiable Events which resulted in such Expenses, as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault
of the Company on the one
2
hand and of the
Indemnitee on the other hand shall be determined by reference to,
among other things, the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access
to information and opportunity to correct or prevent the
circumstances resulting in such Expenses. The Company agrees that
it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this
section were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method
of allocation which does not take account of the foregoing
equitable considerations.
2.3
Mandatory Indemnification. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee has been
successful on the merits or otherwise (within the meaning of
Section 145(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law) in defense
of any Proceeding relating in whole or in part to an Indemnifiable
Event or in defense of any issue or matter therein, Indemnitee
shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred in connection
therewith.
3. EXPENSE ADVANCES.
3.1
Advance of Expenses to Indemnitee. Expenses incurred by
Indemnitee in any Proceeding for which indemnification may be
sought under this Agreement shall be advanced by the Company to
Indemnitee within 30 days after receipt by the Company of a
statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting such advance and
reasonably evidencing the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee (an
"Expense Advance"). If it is ultimately determined by a final
judicial decision (from which there is no right of appeal) that
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company,
Indemnitee hereby agrees to repay any amounts advanced by the
Company under this Section 3. The undertaking set forth in the
preceding sentence is intended to comply with the undertaking
required by Section 145(e) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Indemnitee agrees to execute any further agreements regarding the
repayment of Expenses as the Company may reasonably request prior
to receiving any such advance.
3.2
Exceptions. Notwithstanding Section 3.1, the
Company shall not be obligated for any Expense Advance under this
Section 3 for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee to the extent
such arise from a lawsuit filed directly by the Company against the
Indemnitee if an absolute majority of the members of the Board
reasonably determines in good faith, within forty-five (45) days of
Indemnitee's request to be advanced expenses, that the facts known
to them at the time such determination is made demonstrate clearly
and convincingly that the Indemnitee acted in bad faith. The
Company may not avail itself of this Section 3.2 as to a given
lawsuit if, at any time after the occurrence of the activities or
omissions that are the primary focus of the lawsuit, the Company
has undergone a change in control. For this purpose a change in
control shall mean a given shareholder or group of affiliated
shareholders increasing their beneficial ownership interest in the
Company by at least 20 percentage points without advance Board
approval.
4. NOTIFICATION AND DEFENSE OF
PROCEEDING.
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4.1
Notice of Claim. Indemnitee shall give written notice
to the Company promptly after Indemnitee has actual knowledge of
any Proceeding as to which indemnification may be sought under this
Agreement. The failure of Indemnitee to give notice, as provided in
this Section 4.1, shall not relieve the Company of its obligations
to provide indemnification under this Agreement; however, the
amounts to which Indemnitee may be indemnified shall be reduced
t