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INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

Indemnification Agreement

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT | Document Parties: COVANCE INC You are currently viewing:
This Indemnification Agreement involves

COVANCE INC

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Title: INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
Governing Law: Delaware     Date: 2/25/2009
Industry: Biotechnology and Drugs     Sector: Healthcare

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT, Parties: covance inc
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Exhibit 10.1

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of                      , 2009 by and between Covance Inc., 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 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, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, directors to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and to set forth the procedures pursuant to which such indemnification and advancement of expenses will be provided, so that such directors 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 (“By-laws”), the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (“Certificate of Incorporation”) and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; 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.                                             Definitions.   As used in this Agreement:

 

(a)                                             “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 or other enterprise which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.

 

(b)                                            “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur if and when:  (i)  any person (including as such term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the 1934 Act, as defined herein) becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities representing 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Corporation’s then outstanding securities; or (ii)  as a result of a proxy contest or contests or other forms of contested shareholder votes (in each case either individually or in the aggregate), a majority of the individuals elected to serve on the Corporation’s Board of Directors are different than the individuals who served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors at any time within the two years prior to such proxy contest or contests or other forms of contested shareholder votes (in each case either individually or in the aggregate); or (iii)  when  the Corporation’s shareholders approve a merger, or consolidation

 



 

(where in each case the Corporation is not the survivor thereof), or sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets or a plan or partial or complete liquidation; or (iv)  when an offeror (other than the Corporation) purchases shares of the Corporation’s Common Stock pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for securities representing 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Corporation’s then outstanding securities.  For purposes of this definition, “1934 Act” means the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(c)                                             “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.

 

(d)                                            “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

(e)                                             “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) 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.

 

(f)                                               “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 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,

 

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liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(g)                                            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 pursuant to his Corporate Status, 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 reasonably believes in good faith that a given situation may lead to or culminate in the institution of a Proceeding, such situation shall be considered a Proceeding under this paragraph.

 

(h)                                            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 2.                                             Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings.   The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2 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 2, 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.

 

Section 3.                                             Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company.   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 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 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

 

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indemnification for Expenses shall be made under this Section 3 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 entitled to indemnification.

 

Section 4.                                             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 5.                                             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 6.                                             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 provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision (In the event that such actual payment is made under any insurance policy or indemnity provision after the Company has made an indemnity under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall promptly reimburse the Company for such indemnity in the amount of such payment.); or

 

(b)                                            for (i) an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law, or (ii) any reimbursement of the Company by the Indemnitee of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensa


 
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