INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
This
Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of
March 23, 2009 by and between Stone Energy Corporation, a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Kenneth H.
Beer (“Indemnitee”). This Agreement supersedes and
replaces any and all previous Agreements between the Company and
Indemnitee covering the subject matter of this
Agreement.
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 Certificate of Incorporation of the
Company (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and the
Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) 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 Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws 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 Certificate
of Incorporation, Bylaws 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
Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws 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, employee and/or agent of the Company. 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 Certificate
of Incorporation, the Company’s Bylaws, and the DGCL. The
foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in force
after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director, officer,
employee and/or agent of the Company, as provided in
Section 16 hereof.
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:
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 fifteen
percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the
Company’s then outstanding securities;
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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.
(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.
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(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 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 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 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.
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(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 pursuant to his Corporate Status, or by
reason of the fact that he is or was serving at the request of the
Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of
another corporation, 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; including any Proceeding pending on
or before the date of 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 Certificate of Incorporation,
the Bylaws, vote of its stockholders or disinterested directors or
applicable law.
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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.
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.
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(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 Agreemen
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