Exhibit 10.1
INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement
(“Agreement”) is made as of
, 2008 by and between International
Rectifier Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), and
(“Indemnitee”). This Agreement supersedes and
replaces any and all previous Agreements between the Company and
Indemnitee covering the subject matter of this
Agreement.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, highly competent persons
have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as
[directors] [officers] or in other capacities unless they are
provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate
indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions
against them arising out of their service to and activities on
behalf of the corporation;
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. Although the
furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread
practice among United States-based corporations and other business
enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market
conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the
future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At
the same time, directors, officers, and other persons in service to
corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly
subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to,
among other things, matters that traditionally would have been
brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself.
The By-laws of the Company require indemnification of the
officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be
entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). The
By-laws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification
provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby
contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company
and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons
with respect to indemnification;
WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating
to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the
difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;
WHEREAS, the Board has determined
that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such
persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders and that 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 so indemnified;
WHEREAS, this Agreement is a
supplement to and in furtherance of the By-laws 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 does not regard
the protection available under the Company’s By-laws and
insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, and may not be
willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate
protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such
capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve
and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company
on the condition that he be so indemnified; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and
Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
Section 1.
Services to
the Company. Indemnitee agrees
to serve as a [director] [officer] of the Company or, at the
request of the Company, as a director, officer, employee or agent
of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee
benefit plan or other enterprise. Indemnitee may at any time
and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other
contractual obligation or any obligation imposed by operation of
law), in which event the Company shall have no obligation under
this Agreement to continue Indemnitee in such position. This
Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the
Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and
Indemnitee. Indemnitee specifically acknowledges that
Indemnitee’s employment with the Company (or any of its
subsidiaries or any Enterprise), if any, is at will, and the
Indemnitee may be discharged at any time for any reason, with or
without cause, except as may be otherwise provided in any written
employment contract between Indemnitee and the Company (or any of
its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), other applicable formal
severance policies duly adopted by the Board, or, with respect to
service as a director or officer of the Company, by the
Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s
By-laws, and the DGCL. The foregoing notwithstanding, this
Agreement shall continue in force after Indemnitee has ceased to
serve as an [officer] [director] [employee] of the
Company.
Section 2.
Definitions.
As
used in this Agreement:
(a)
References to
“agent” shall mean any person who is or was a director,
officer, or employee of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company
or other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company,
to include such person serving in such capacity as a director,
officer, employee, fiduciary or other official of another
corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture,
trust or other Enterprise at the request of, for the convenience
of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a Subsidiary of
the Company.
(b)
A “Change
in Control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to
occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following
events:
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i.
Acquisition of
Stock by Third Party. Any Person (as defined below) is or
becomes the Beneficial Owner (as defined below), directly or
indirectly, of securities of the Company representing twenty
percent (20%) or more of the combined voting power of the
Company’s then outstanding securities;
ii.
Change in Board
of Directors. During any period of two (2) consecutive
years (not including any period prior to the execution of this
Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period
constitute the Board, and any new director (other than a director
designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the
Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 2(b)(i),
2(b)(iii) or 2(b)(iv)) whose election by the Board or
nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was
approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then
still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the
period or whose election or nomination for election was previously
so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority
of the members of the Board;
iii.
Corporate
Transactions. The effective date of a merger or consolidation
of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or
consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the
Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or
consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining
outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the
surviving entity) more than 51% of the combined voting power of the
voting securities of the surviving entity outstanding immediately
after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at
least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body
of such surviving entity;
iv.
Liquidation. The
approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete
liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or
disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the
Company’s assets; and
v.
Other
Events. There occurs any other event of a nature that would
be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of
Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item
on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act
(as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to
such reporting requirement.
For purposes of this Section 2(b), the
following terms shall have the following meanings:
(A)
“Exchange Act” shall
mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to
time.
(B)
“Person” shall have the
meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the
Exchange Act; provided, however, that Person shall exclude
(i) the Company, (ii) any trustee or other fiduciary
holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company,
and (iii) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by
the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same
proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.
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(C)
“Beneficial Owner” shall
have the meaning given to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the
Exchange Act; provided, however, that Beneficial Owner shall
exclude any Person otherwise becoming a Beneficial Owner by reason
of the stockholders of the Company approving a merger of the
Company with another entity.
(c)
“Corporate
Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or of any other
corporation, limited liability company, partnership or joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which
such person is or was serving at the request of the
Company.
(d)
“Disinterested
Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was
not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification
is sought by Indemnitee.
(e)
“Enterprise”
shall mean the Company and any other corporation, limited liability
company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan
or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or
fiduciary.
(f)
“Expenses” shall
include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court
costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel
expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone
charges, postage, delivery service fees, any federal, state, local
or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or
deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement, ERISA excise
taxes and penalties, and all other disbursements or expenses of the
types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting,
defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being
or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a
Proceeding. Expenses also shall include (i) Expenses
incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any
Proceeding, including without limitation the premium, security for,
and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or
other appeal bond or its equivalent, and (ii) for purposes of
Section 14(d) only, Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
connection with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of
Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement, by litigation or
otherwise. The parties agree that for the purposes of any
advancement of Expenses for which Indemnitee has made written
demand to the Company in accordance with this Agreement, all
Expenses included in such demand that are certified by affidavit of
Indemnitee’s counsel as being reasonable shall be presumed
conclusively to be reasonable. Expenses, however, shall not
include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of
judgments or fines against Indemnitee.
(g)
“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 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 party
to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification
hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term
“Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who,
under the applicable standards
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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. The Company
agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent
Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel
against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement
pursuant hereto.
(h)
The term
“Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or
completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution
mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any
other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought
in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil,
criminal, administrative legislative, or investigative (formal or
informal) nature, including any appeal therefrom, in which
Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party, potential party,
non-party witness or otherwise by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company, by
reason of any action taken by him or of any action on his part
while acting as director or officer of the Company, or by reason of
the fact that he is or was serving at the request of the Company as
a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation,
limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such
capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which
indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of expenses can be
provided under this Agreement. If the Indemnitee believes in
good faith that a given situation may lead to or culminate in the
institution of a Proceeding, this shall be considered a Proceeding
under this paragraph.
(i)
Reference to
“other enterprise” shall include employee benefit
plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise
tax assessed with respect to any employee benefit plan; references
to “serving at the request of the Company” shall
include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of
the Company 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 he 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 manner
“not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as
referred to in this Agreement.
Section 3.
Indemnity in
Third-Party Proceedings. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of
this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made,
a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a
Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment
in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee
shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his
behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or
matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner
he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal proceeding
had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was
unlawful. The parties hereto intend that this Agreement shall
provide to the fullest extent permitted by law for indemnification
in excess of that expressly permitted by statute, including,
without limitation, any indemnification provided by the
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Company’s Certificate
of Incorporation, its Bylaws, vote of its stockholders or
disinterested directors or applicable law.
Section 4.
Indemnity in
Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company.
The
Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or is
threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any
Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment
in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee
shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or
on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim,
issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a
manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Company. No indemnification for Expenses
shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim,
issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally
adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to
the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or any court in
which the 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 indemnification.
Section 5.
Indemnification for Expenses
of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful.
Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Agreement, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law and to the extent that Indemnitee is a
party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits or
otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or
matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by
him 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 all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on
his behalf in connection with or related to each successfully
resolved claim, issue or matter to the fullest extent permitted by
law. For purposes of this Section and without
limitation, 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.
Section 6.
Indemnification For Expenses
of a Witness. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law and to the extent that Indemnitee is,
by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness or otherwise asked to
participate 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 7.
Partial
Indemnification. If Indemnitee is
entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification
by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses, but not, however,
for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless
indemnify Indemnitee for the portion thereof to which Indemnitee is
entitled.
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Section 8.
Additional
Indemnification.
(a)
Notwithstanding
any limitation in Sections 3, 4, or 5, the Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law if
Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any
Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the
Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses,
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the
Proceeding.
(b)
For purposes of
Section 8(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law” shall include, but not be
limited to:
i.
to the fullest
extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or
contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the
corresponding provision of any amendment to or replacement of the
DGCL, and
ii.
to the fullest
extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements
of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase
the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and
directors.
Section 9.
Exclusions.
Notwithstanding
any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated
under this Agreement to make any indemnity in connection with any
claim made against Indemnitee:
(a)
for which payment
has actually been made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any
insurance policy or other indemnity provi
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