Exhibit 10.1
INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
This INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT is
made and entered into as of _________ (this
“Agreement”), by and among FelCor Lodging Trust
Incorporated, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”),
FelCor Lodging Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership
(“FLLP”), and the individual executing this Agreement
as “Indemnitee” below
(“Indemnitee”).
WHEREAS, at the request of the
Company, Indemnitee currently serves as a director or officer of
the Company and may, therefore, be subjected to claims, suits or
proceedings arising as a result of his or her service;
and
WHEREAS, as an inducement to
Indemnitee to continue to serve as such director or officer, the
Company has agreed to indemnify and to advance expenses and costs
incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any such claims, suits or
proceedings, to the fullest extent permitted by law;
WHEREAS, the Company is the general
partner of FLLP and holds, indirectly, a limited partner interest
in FLLP that, together with the general partner interest, comprises
more than 95% of the aggregate partnership interests in FLLP, and
substantially all of the Company’s business is conducted
through FLLP;
WHEREAS, as a further inducement to
Indemnitee to continue to serve as a director or officer of the
Company, FLLP has agreed to unconditionally guaranty performance of
the Company’s obligations under this Agreement, all in
accordance with the provisions hereof; and
WHEREAS, the parties, by this
Agreement, desire to set forth their agreement regarding
indemnification and advancement of expenses;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and
Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
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Section 1.
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Definitions
. For purposes of this
Agreement:
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(a) “Corporate
Status” means the status of a person who is or was a
director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Company or of
any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee
benefit plan or other enterprise for which such person is or was
serving at the request of the Company.
(b) “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.
(c) “Expenses”
shall include all reasonable and out of pocket attorneys’
fees, disbursements and retainers, court costs, transcript costs,
fees and disbursements of experts, witness fees, travel expenses,
duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges,
postage, delivery service fees, telephone and fax
transmission charges, and all other
disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in
connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or
defend, investigating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a
Proceeding, including a Proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce
indemnification or advance of Expenses.
(d) “Liabilities”
shall mean judgments, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties,
excise taxes, fines and amounts paid in settlement.
(e) “Proceeding”
includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit,
arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation,
administrative hearing or any other proceeding, whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative (including on appeal),
including a proceeding initiated by Indemnitee pursuant to
Section 12 of this Agreement to enforce Indemnitee’s
rights hereunder.
Section
2. Services by
Indemnitee . Indemnitee will serve as a director or officer of
the Company. However, this Agreement shall not impose any
obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue
Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period
otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of
the parties, if any.
Section
3.
Indemnification - General . The Company shall indemnify, and
advance Expenses to, Indemnitee (a) as provided in this
Agreement and (b) otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by
Maryland law in effect on the date hereof and as amended from time
to time; provided, however, that no change in Maryland law shall
have the effect of reducing the benefits available to Indemnitee
hereunder based on Maryland law as in effect on the date hereof.
The rights of Indemnitee provided in this Section 3 shall include
any indemnification of Indemnitee permitted by Section 2-418(g) of
the Maryland General Corporation Law
(“MGCL”).
Section
4. Proceedings
Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company .
Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification
provided in this Section 4 if, by reason of his or her Corporate
Status, he or she is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a
witness in any threatened, pending or completed Proceeding, other
than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to
this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all
Liabilities and Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or
her or on his or her behalf in connection with a Proceeding by
reason of his or her Corporate Status unless it is established that
(i) the act or omission of Indemnitee was material to the
matter giving rise to the Proceeding and (a) was committed in
bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate
dishonesty, (ii) Indemnitee actually received an improper
personal benefit in money, property or services, or (iii) in
the case of any criminal Proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable
cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section
5. Proceedings
by or in the Right of the Company . Indemnitee shall be
entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section
5 if, by reason of his or her Corporate Status, he or she is, or is
threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened,
pending or completed Proceeding brought by or in the right of the
Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this
Section 5, Indemnitee shall be indemnified
against all amounts paid in
settlement and all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him
or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding
unless it is established that (i) the act or omission of
Indemnitee was material to the matter giving rise to such a
Proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was
the result of active and deliberate dishonesty or
(ii) Indemnitee actually received an improper personal benefit
in money, property or services; provided, however, that no
indemnification against such Expenses shall be made in respect of
any Proceeding in which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged
to be liable to the Company.
Section
6. Court-Ordered
Indemnification . Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, a court of appropriate jurisdiction, upon application of
Indemnitee and such notice as the court shall require, may order
indemnification in the following circumstances:
(a) if
it determines Indemnitee is entitled to reimbursement under Section
2-418(d)(1) of the MGCL, the court shall order indemnification, in
which case Indemnitee shall be entitled to recover the expenses of
securing such reimbursement; or
(b) if
it determines that Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether
or not Indemnitee (i) has met the standards of conduct set forth in
Section 2-418(b) of the MGCL or (ii) has been adjudged liable for
receipt of an improper personal benefit under Section 2-418(c) of
the MGCL, the court may order such indemnification as the court
shall deem proper. However, indemnification with respect to any
Proceeding by or in the right of the Company or in which liability
shall have been adjudged in the circumstances described in Section
2-418(c) of the MGCL shall be limited to Expenses actually and
reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in
connection with a Proceeding.
Section
7. Partial
Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision
of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for a portion
of the Expenses or Liabilities, 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.
Indemnification for Expenses of Party Who is Wholly or Partly
Successful . Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, and without limiting any such provision to the extent
that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate
Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise,
in any Proceeding, Indemnitee shall be indemnified for all Expenses
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf
in connection therewith. Without limiting any other rights of
Indemnitee in this Agreement, 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
for all Expenses reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on
Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with each successfully
resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Agreement,
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
9. Advance of
Expenses . The Company shall advance all reasonable Expenses
actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in
connection with any Proceeding (including a Proceeding brought by
Indemnitee to enforce indemnification or advance of Expenses under
this Agreement, applicable law, the Charter or Bylaws of the
Company, any agreement approved by the Board of Directors or a
resolution of the Board of Directors) to which Indemnitee is, or is
threatened to be made, a party or a witness, within ten days after
the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from
Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time,
whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding.
Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses
incurred by Indemnitee and shall include or be preceded or
accompanied by a written affirmation by Indemnitee of
Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct
necessary for indemnification by the Company as authorized by law
and by this Agreement has been met and a written undertaking by or
on behalf of Indemnitee, in substantially the form attached hereto
as Exhibit A or in such form as may be required under
applicable law as in effect at the time of the execution thereof,
to reimburse the portion of any Expenses advanced to Indemnitee
relating to claims, issues or matters in the Proceeding as to which
it shall ultimately be established that the standard of conduct has
not been met and which have not been successfully resolved as
described in Section 8. To the extent that Expenses advanced
to Indemnitee do not relate to a specific claim, issue or matter in
the Proceeding, such Expenses shall be allocated on a reasonable
and proportionate basis. The undertaking required by this
Section 9 shall be an unlimited general obligation by or on
behalf of Indemnitee and shall be accepted without reference to
Indemnitee’s financial ability to repay such advanced
Expenses and without any requirement to post security
therefor.
Section
10. Procedure for Payment of
Indemnifiable Amounts . Indemnitee shall submit to the Company
a written request specifying the applicable indemnifiable amounts
for which Indemnitee seeks payment under Sections 3, 4, 5, 7
or 8 of this Agreement and the basis for the claim. Subject to the
exceptions set forth in Sections 4 and 5, the Company shall
pay such applicable indemnifiable amounts to Indemnitee within 20
calendar days of receipt of the request. At the request of the
Company, Indemnitee shall furnish such documentation and
information as are reasonably available to Indemnitee and necessary
to establish that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification
hereunder.
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Section 11.
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Presumptions and Effect of
Certain Proceedings .
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(a) In
making any determination with respect to entitlement to
indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making
such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a
request for indemnification in accordance with Section 10 of
this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to
overcome that presumption in connection with the making of any
determination contrary to that presumption.
(b) The
termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement,
conviction, a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an
entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, does not create a
presumption that Indemnitee did not meet the requisite standard of
conduct described herein for indemnification or a presumption that
the act or omission of the Indemnitee was material to the matter
giving rise to the Proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was
the result of active and deliberate dishonesty or the Indemnitee
actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property
or services or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s action was
unlawful.
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Section 12.
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Remedies of Indemnitee
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(a) If
(i) a determination is made that Indemnitee is not entitled to
indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advance of Expenses
is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, or
(iii) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to
Section 10 of this Agreement within 20 days after receipt by
the Company of a written request therefor, Indemnitee shall be
entitled to an adjudication in an appropriate court located in the
State of Maryland, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction,
of his or her entitlement to such indemnification or advance of
Expenses. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his or her option, may seek
an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator
pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American
Arbitration Association.
(b) In
any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this
Section 12 the Company shall have the burden of proving that
Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advance of
Expenses, as the case may be.
(c) If
a determination shall have been made that Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination
in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to
this Section 12, absent a misstatement by Indemnitee of a
material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make
Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in
connection with the request for indemnification.
(d) In
the event that Indemnitee, pursuant to this Section 12, seeks
a judicial adjudication of