Exhibit 10.21
[FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT]
INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
This
Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of
[DATE] by and between [COMPANY] (“Company”), and [NAME]
(“Indemnitee”)[.][, and amends and restates in its
entirety the Indemnification agreement dated as of [DATE] between
the Company and Indemnitee.]
R E C I T A L S
A.
The Indemnitee is currently serving as [POSITIONS], [each, either
directly or indirectly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company,]
and in such capacities has rendered valuable services to the
Company.
B.
The Company may from time to time request Indemnitee to serve as a
director or executive officer of [other] subsidiaries of [COMPANY]
(the “New Subsidiaries”) formed after the date
hereof.
C.
The Company has investigated the availability and sufficiency of
liability insurance and California statutory indemnification
provisions to provide the directors and officers of the Company and
the directors and officers of its wholly owned subsidiaries with
adequate protection against various legal risks and potential
liabilities to which such individuals are subject due to their
positions with the Company and/or its wholly owned subsidiaries and
has concluded that such insurance and statutory provisions may
provide inadequate and unacceptable protection to certain
individuals requested to serve as directors and/or officers of the
Company and/or its wholly owned subsidiaries.
D.
In order to induce and encourage highly experienced and capable
persons such as the Indemnitee to continue to serve as [POSITIONS],
the Board of Directors has determined, after due consideration and
investigation of the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the
various other options available to the Company and the Indemnitee
in lieu hereof, that this Agreement is not only reasonable and
prudent but necessary to promote and ensure the best interests of
the Company and its shareholders.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE , in
consideration of the continued services of the Indemnitee and in
order to induce the Indemnitee to continue to serve as an executive
officer of [COMPANY] and to serve, at the request of the Company,
as a director or executive officer of any New Subsidiary, the
Company and the Indemnitee do hereby agree as follows:
1.
Definitions . As used
in this Agreement:
(a)
The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened,
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, formal or
informal, whether brought in the name of the Company or one of its
wholly owned subsidiaries or otherwise and whether of a
civil,
criminal or administrative or investigative
nature, against the Indemnitee by reason of the fact that the
Indemnitee is or was a director and/or officer of the Company, or
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, including, without
limitation, any subsidiary or affiliated company, whether or not
the Indemnitee is serving in such capacity at the time any
liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification or
reimbursement is to be provided under this Agreement.
(b)
The term “change of control” includes any change in the
ownership of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Company or in the composition of a majority of the members of the
board of directors of the Company.
(c)
The term “Expenses” includes, without limitation,
attorneys’ fees, disbursements and retainers, accounting and
witness fees, travel and deposition costs, expenses of
investigations, judicial or administrative proceedings and appeals,
amounts paid in settlement by or on behalf of Indemnitee, and any
expenses of establishing a right to indemnification, pursuant to
this Agreement or otherwise, including reasonable compensation for
time spent by the Indemnitee in connection with the investigation,
defense or appeal of a Proceeding or action for indemnification for
which the Indemnitee is not otherwise compensated by the Company or
any third party. The term “Expenses” does not
include the amount of judgments, fines, penalties or ERISA excise
taxes actually levied against the Indemnitee.
(d)
The term “fines” shall include any excise taxes
assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit
plan.
(e)
The term “serving at the request of the Company”
includes any service, at the request or with the express or implied
authorization of the Company, as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise, which service imposes duties on, or involves
services by, Indemnitee with respect to such corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, its
participants or beneficiaries. If Indemnitee acted in good
faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interests of such other enterprise, its
participants or beneficiaries, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have
acted in a manner not opposed to the best interests of the
Company.
2.
Agreement to Serve .
In reliance on this Agreement, the Indemnitee agrees to continue to
serve as a director and/or officer of the Company and/or one or
more of its wholly owned subsidiaries for so long as the Indemnitee
is duly elected or appointed or until such time as the Indemnitee
tenders the Indemnitee’s resignation in writing or is removed
from all positions as a director and/or officer of the Company
and/or its wholly owned subsidiaries.
3.
Indemnification in Third Party
Actions . The Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee
if the Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to
or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding
by or in the name of the Company to procure a judgment in its
favor), by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a
director
2
and/or officer of
the Company, or 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, including,
without limitation, any subsidiary or affiliated company, against
all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and ERISA excise taxes
actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection
with the defense or settlement of such a Proceeding, to the fullest
extent permitted by California law and the Company’s Articles
of Incorporation and Bylaws; provided that any settlement of a
Proceeding be approved in writing by the Company.
4.
Indemnification in Proceedings By
or In the Name of the Company . The Company shall
indemnify the Indemnitee if the Indemnitee is a party to or
threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any
Proceeding by or in the name of the Company to procure a judgment
in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee was or is a
director and/or officer of the Company, or 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 all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and
ERISA excise taxes actually and reasonably incurred by the
Indemnitee in connection with the defense or settlement of such a
Proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and
the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws.
5.
Conclusive Presumption Regarding
Standards of Conduct . The Indemnitee shall be
conclusively presumed to have met the relevant standards of
conduct, if any, as defined by California law, for indemnification
pursuant to this Agreement, unless a determination is made that the
Indemnitee has not met such standards (i) by the Board of Directors
by a majority vote of a quorum thereof consisting of directors who
were not parties to the Proceeding for which a claim is made under
this Agreement, (ii) by the shareholders of the Company by majority
vote of a quorum thereof consisting of shareholders who are not
parties to the Proceeding due to which a claim is made under this
Agreement, (iii) in a written opinion by independent counsel, the
selection of whom has been approved by the Indemnitee in writing,
or (iv) by a court of competent jurisdiction.
6.
Indemnification of Expenses of
Successful Party . Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee has
been successful in defense of any Proceeding or in defense of any
claim, issue or matter therein, on the merits or otherwise,
including the dismissal of a Proceeding without prejudice or the
settlement of a Proceeding without an admiss