EX-10.5: INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENTIndemnification Agreement |
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EXHIBIT 10.5
DIRECTOR INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This DIRECTOR INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (the Agreement) made and entered into this
10th day of August, 2007, by and between Haights Cross Communications, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the Company), and Phil Maslow (the Indemnitee).
WHEREAS, it is essential that the Company be able to retain and attract as directors, officers
and employees the most capable persons available;
WHEREAS, increased corporate litigation has subjected directors to litigation risks and
expenses, and the limitations on the availability of director and officer liability insurance has
made it increasingly difficult for the Company to attract and retain such persons;
WHEREAS, the Companys By-laws permit it to enter into indemnification arrangements and
agreements;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide the Indemnitee with specific contractual assurances of
the Indemnitees rights to full indemnification against litigation risks and expenses (regardless,
among other things, of any amendment to or revocation of the Companys By-laws or any change in the
ownership of the Company or the composition of its Board of Directors), which indemnification is
intended to be greater than that which is afforded by the Companys Certificate of Incorporation
and By-laws and, to the extent insurance is available, the coverage of the Indemnitee under the
Companys directors and officers liability insurance policies; and
WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is relying upon the rights afforded under this Agreement in accepting
Indemnitees position as a director, officer or employee of the Company.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, the
Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
1. Definitions.
(a) Corporate Status describes the status of a person who is serving or has served (i) as a
director, officer or employee of the Company, (ii) in any capacity with respect to any employee
benefit plan of the Company, or (iii) as a director, partner, member, trustee, officer, employee,
or agent of any other Entity at the request of the Company.
(b) Entity shall mean any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint
venture, trust, foundation, association, organization or other legal entity and any group or
division of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(c) Expenses shall mean all reasonable fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with
any Proceeding (as defined below), including, without limitation, attorneys fees, disbursements
and retainers (including, without limitation, any such fees, disbursements and retainers incurred
by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement), fees and
disbursements of expert witnesses, private investigators and professional advisors (including,
without limitation, accountants and investment bankers), court costs, transcript costs, fees of
experts, travel expenses, duplicating, printing and binding costs, telephone and fax transmission
charges, postage, delivery services, secretarial services, and other disbursements and expenses.
(d) Indemnifiable Expenses, Indemnifiable Liabilities and Indemnifiable Amounts shall
have the meanings ascribed to those terms in Section 3(a) below.
(e) Liabilities shall mean judgments, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties, excise taxes,
fines and amounts paid in settlement.
(f) Proceeding shall mean any threatened, pending or completed claim, action, suit,
arbitration, alternate dispute resolution process, investigation, administrative hearing, appeal,
or any other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, whether formal
or informal, including a proceeding initiated by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 10 of this
Agreement to enforce Indemnitees rights hereunder.
2. Services of Indemnitee. In consideration of the Companys covenants and
commitments hereunder, Indemnitee agrees to serve or continue to serve as a director, officer or
employee of the Company. However, this Agreement shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or
the Company to continue Indemnitees service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by
law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any.
3. Agreement to Indemnify. The Company agrees to indemnify Indemnitee as follows:
(a) Subject to the exceptions contained in Section 4(a) below, if Indemnitee was or is a party
or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of
the Company) by reason of Indemnitees Corporate Status, Indemnitee shall be indemnified by the
Company against all Expenses and Liabilities incurred or paid by Indemnitee in connection with such
Proceeding (referred to herein as Indemnifiable Expenses and Indemnifiable Liabilities,
respectively, and collectively as Indemnifiable Amounts).
(b) Subject to the exceptions contained in Section 4(b) below, if Indemnitee was or is a party
or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure
a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitees Corporate Status, Indemnitee shall be indemnified
by the Company against all Indemnifiable Expenses.
4. Exceptions to Indemnification. Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification
under Sections 3(a) and 3(b) above in all circumstances other than the following:
(a) If indemnification is requested under Section 3(a) and it has been adjudicated finally by
a court of competent jurisdiction that, in connection with the subject of the
Proceeding out of which the claim for indemnification has arisen, (i) Indemnitee failed to act
in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Company, (ii) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, Indemnitee had
reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitees conduct was unlawful or (iii) Indemnitees conduct
constituted willful misconduct or recklessness, then Indemnitee shall not be entitled to payment of
Indemnifiable Amounts hereunder.
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(b) If indemnification is requested under Section 3(b) and
(i) it has been adjudicated finally by a court of competent jurisdiction that, in
connection with the subject of the Proceeding out of which the claim for indemnification has
arisen, Indemnitee failed to act in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, Indemnitee shall not
be entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Expenses hereunder; or
(ii) it has been adjudicated finally by a court of competent jurisdiction that
Indemnitee is liable to the Company with respect to any claim, issue or matter involved in
the Proceeding out of which the claim for indemnification has arisen, including, without
limitation, a claim that Indemnitee received an improper personal benefit or improperly took
advantage of a corporate opportunity, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to payment of
Indemnifiable Expenses hereunder with respect to such claim, issue or matter unless the
court in which such 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 Indemnifiable Expenses which such
court shall deem proper.
5. Procedure for Payment of Indemnifiable Amounts. Indemnitee shall submit to the
Company a written request specifying the Indemnifiable Amounts for which Indemnitee seeks payment
under Section 3 of this Agreement and the basis for the claim. The Company shall pay such
Indemnifiable Amounts to Indemnitee within twenty (20) calendar days of receipt of the request. At
the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall furnish such documentation and information as are
reasonably available to Indemnitee and necessary to establish that Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification hereunder.
6. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, and without limiting any such provision, to
the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitees Corporate Status, a party to and is
successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against
all Expenses reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitees behalf 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 those Expenses reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on
Indemnitees behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For
purposes of this Agreement, 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.
7. Effect of Certain Resolutions. Neither the settlement nor termination of any
Proceeding nor the failure of the Company to award indemnification or to determine that
indemnification is payable shall create an adverse presumption that Indemnitee is not entitled to
indemnification hereunder. In addition, the termination of any proceeding by judgment, order,
settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not create a
presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee
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reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitees action was
unlawful.







