Exhibit 10.2
INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
Indemnification Agreement (this
“ Agreement ”), dated as of July 30, 2008
between E*TRADE Financial Corporation, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the “ Company ”), and
(“ Indemnitee ”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, highly competent persons
have become more reluctant to serve as directors of publicly-held
corporations unless they are provided with adequate protection
through insurance and indemnification against risks of claims and
actions against them arising out of their service to and activities
on behalf of the corporation.
WHEREAS, directors are increasingly
being subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating
to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been
brought only against the corporation itself.
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of
the Company (the “ Board ”) has determined that,
in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company
will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense,
liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its
subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Nevertheless, the Board
recognizes the limitations on the protection provided by liability
insurance and the uncertainties as to the scope and level of such
coverage that may be available in the future.
WHEREAS, the Company’s
directors have certain existing indemnification arrangements
pursuant to the Company’s certificate of incorporation and
bylaws and may be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“
DGCL ”). Nevertheless, the Board recognizes the
limitations on the protection provided by such indemnification and
the uncertainties as to its availability in any particular
situation.
WHEREAS, the Board believes that in
light of the limitations and uncertainties about the protection
provided by the Company’s liability insurance and existing
indemnification arrangements and the impact these uncertainties may
have on the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified
individuals to serve as directors, the Company should act to assure
such persons that there will be increased certainty of such
protection in the future.
WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent
and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to
indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to
the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will
serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that
they will not be adequately protected or that actions taken by the
Company in the future (including any change in the Company’s
certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or in the composition of
the Board, or a change in control of the Company) could deprive
them of indemnification benefits for decisions made during their
tenure of service on the Board.
WHEREAS, Article 5 of the
Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company empower the Company, to
the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, to
indemnify directors and officers against any expenses and
liabilities incurred by them by reason of their being directors and
officers.
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WHEREAS, this Agreement is a
supplement to and in furtherance of the charter of the Company and
any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto and shall not be deemed a
substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of
Indemnitee thereunder.
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is concerned
that the protection provided under the Company’s liability
insurance and existing indemnification arrangements may not be
adequate and may not be willing to serve as a director of the
Company without greater certainty concerning such protection, and
the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity and is
willing to provide such greater certainty.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and
Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
C ERTAIN D EFINITIONS
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(a)
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As used in this
Agreement:
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“ Corporate Status
” means the status of a person who is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company or who is or was serving
at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or
agent of any other Enterprise.
“ Enterprise ”
means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other person or
enterprise.
“ Exchange Act ”
means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“ Expenses ”
means all costs and expenses (including fees and expenses of
counsel) paid or incurred in connection with investigating,
defending, being a witness in or otherwise participating in, or
preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, a
Proceeding (or any appeal therefrom). Expenses shall include
expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any
Proceeding, including the premium, security for and other costs
relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond or other appeal bond or
its equivalent.
“ Liabilities ”
means all judgments, fines (including any excise taxes assessed
with respect to any employee benefit plan), penalties and amounts
paid in settlement and other liabilities (including all interest,
assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or
in respect of any such amounts) arising out of or in connection
with any Proceeding; provided that Liabilities shall not
include any Expenses.
“ person ” means
an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company,
association, trust or other entity or organization.
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“ Proceeding ”
includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or other
proceeding (which shall include an arbitration or other alternate
dispute resolution mechanism), whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative in nature (including any appeal
therefrom) and whether instituted by or on behalf of the Company or
any other party, in any such case, in which Indemnitee was, is or
may be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of any Corporate
Status of Indemnitee or by reason of any action taken (or failure
to act) by him or on his part while serving in any Corporate Status
(in each case, whether or not serving in such capacity at the time
any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification or
advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement), or
any inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes
might lead to the institution of any such action, suit or other
proceeding; provided that Proceeding shall not include an
action, suit or other proceeding contemplated by
Section 7.07(b).
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(b)
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For the
purposes of this Agreement:
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References to the
“Company” shall include, in addition to the surviving
or resulting corporation in any merger or consolidation, any
constituent corporation (including any constituent of a
constituent) absorbed in a merger or consolidation 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 Enterprise, then
Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of
this Agreement with respect to the surviving or resulting
corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such
constituent corporation if its separate existence had
continued.
References to “director,
officer, employee or agent” shall include a trustee, general
partner, managing member, fiduciary or board of directors’
committee member.
References to “serving at the
request of the Company” shall include any service as a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or any other
Enterprise 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; and a person who
acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries
of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a
manner “not opposed to the best interests of the
Company”.
ARTICLE 2
S ERVICES BY I
NDEMNITEE
Section 2.01 . Services by
Indemnitee. Indemnitee hereby agrees to serve or continue to
serve as a director of the Company, for so long as Indemnitee is
duly elected or appointed or until Indemnitee tenders his
resignation or is removed.
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ARTICLE 3
I NDEMNIFICATION AND A DVANCEMENT OF E
XPENSES
Section 3.01 .
Indemnification. (a) The Company hereby agrees to and
shall indemnify Indemnitee and hold him harmless, to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all
Expenses and Liabilities actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf.
(b) To the extent that Indemnitee is
a party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits
or otherwise, in the defense of any Proceeding or any claim, issue
or matter therein, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against
all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his
behalf in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is successful, on the
merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims,
issues or matters in any Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by
him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved
claim, issue or matter and any claim, issue or matter related to
each such successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For
purposes of this Section 3.01(b) and without limitation, the
termination of any Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter in a
Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed
to be a successful result as to such Proceeding, claim, issue or
matter.
(c) To the extent that Indemnitee
is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding
to which Indemnitee is not a party, he shall be indemnified against
all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his
behalf in connection therewith.
Section 3.02 . Advancement
of Expenses. (a) The Company shall advance any Expenses
actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his behalf in
connection with a Proceeding within 20 days after receipt by the
Company of a written request for advancement of expenses, which
request may be delivered to the Company at such time and from time
to time as Indemnitee deems appropriate in his sole discretion
(whether prior to or after final disposition of any such
Proceeding). Advances shall be made without regard to
Indemnitee’s ability to repay such amounts and without regard
to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under
this Agreement or otherwise. Any such advances shall be made on an
unsecured basis and be interest free.
(b) Indemnitee agrees that
Indemnitee shall reimburse the Company for all amounts advanced by
the Company pursuant to Section 3.02 if and only to the extent
it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be
indemnified by the Company for such Expenses. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if Indemnitee seeks a judicial adjudication or an
arbitration pursuant to Section 5.01(a), Indemnitee shall not
be required to reimburse the Company pursuant to this
Section 3.02(b) until a final determination (as to which all
rights of appeal have been exhausted or lapsed) has been
made.
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Section 3.03 .
Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to
the contrary (including Section 3.01 and Section 3.02),
the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to
indemnify (or advance expenses) in connection with:
(a) any claim made against
Indemnitee (i) for an accounting of profits made from the
purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of
securities of the Company pursuant to Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common
law or (ii) for reimbursement to the Company of any bonus or
other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any
profits realized by Indemnitee from the sale of securities of the
Company in each case as required under the Exchange Act;
or
(b) except for an action, suit or
other proceeding contemplated by Section 7.07(b), any action,
suit or other proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by Indemnitee
(including any such action, suit or other proceeding (or part
thereof) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its
directors, officers, employees, agents or other indemnitees),
unless (i) the Board authorized the action, suit or other
proceeding (or part thereof) prior to its initiation or
(ii) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole
discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under
applicable law.
Section 3.04 . Defense of
Claims. The Company will be entitled to participate in any
Proceeding at its own expense. The Company shall not settle any
Proceeding (in whole or in part) which would impose any Expense,
Liability or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s
prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld. Indemnitee shall not settle any Proceeding (in whole or
in part) which would impose any Expense, Liability or limitation on
the Company without the Company’s prior written consent, such
consent not to be unreasonably withheld.
ARTICLE 4
P ROCEDURES FOR D ETERMINING E NTITLEMENT TO I
NDEMNIFICATION
Section 4.01 . Request for
Indemnification. (a) Indemnitee shall notify the Company
in writing as soon as reasonably practicable (i) after being
served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment,
information or other document relating to any Proceeding or
(ii) if the Company has not been previously notified, after
receipt of written notice of any other matter with respect to which
Indemnitee intends to seek indemnification or advancement of
expenses under Section 3.01 or Section 3.02. The omission
by Indemnitee to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company
from any liability which it may have to Indemnitee (i) under
this Agreement except and only to the extent the Company can
establish that such omission to notify resulted in actual material
prejudice to the Company or (ii) otherwise than under this
Agreement.
(b) Indemnitee may thereafter
deliver to the Company a written request for indemnification
pursuant to this Agreement at such time and from time to time as
Indemnitee deems appropriate in his sole discretion, which request
shall also be deemed a request for advancement of expenses under
Section 3.02.
Section 4.02 . Determination
of Entitlement. (a) Except as otherwise provided pursuant
to Section 3.01(b) and Section 3.01(c), upon the final
disposition of the matter that is the subject of the request for
indemnification delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(b), a
determination shall be made with respect to Indemnitee’s
entitlement thereto in the specific case. If a Change in
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Control shall not have occurred, such
determination shall be made (i) by a majority vote of the
Disinterested Directors or of a committee of Disinterested
Directors designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested
Directors (in either case, even though less than a quorum of the
Board) or (ii) if there are no Disinterested Director or the
Disinterested Directors so direct, by Independent Counsel. If a
Change in Control shall have occurred, such determination shall be
made by Independent Counsel. Any determination made by Independent
Counsel pursuant to this Section 4.02(a) shall be in the form
of a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be
delivered to Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with
the person or persons making such determination including providing
to such person or persons upon reasonable advance request any
documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise
protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to
Indemnitee and