EXHIBIT 10.1
ULURU Inc.
INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
THIS
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (the “ Agreement ”) is
made and entered into as of July 13, 2009 between ULURU Inc., a
Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), and
___________ (“ Indemnitee
”).
WITNESSETH THAT:
WHEREAS, highly
competent persons have become more reluctant to serve corporations
as directors and 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 directors,
officers, employees, fiduciaries and agents of the
Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to
indemnification pursuant to Chapter 78 - Private Corporations, of
the Nevada Revised Statutes (the “ NRS
”). The NRS expressly provides 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 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's 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 any
indemnification provisions in the Articles of Incorporation and/or
the By-laws of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant
thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefore, nor to
diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee
thereunder;
WHEREAS,
Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the NRS,
the Company's By-laws and insurance as adequate in the present
circumstances, and may not be willing to serve as an officer or a
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
services for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he
be so indemnified; and
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of Indemnitee’s agreement to serve as a
director from and after the date hereof, the parties hereto agree
as follows:
1.
Indemnity of
Indemnitee . The Company hereby agrees to hold
harmless and indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted
by law, as such may be amended from time to time. In
furtherance of the foregoing indemnification, and without limiting
the generality thereof:
(a)
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 l(a) if, by reason of his Corporate Status (as
hereinafter defined), Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a
party to or participant in any Proceeding (as hereinafter defined)
other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the
Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(a) , the
Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses (as
hereinafter defined), judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid
in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him, or on his
behalf, in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or
matter therein, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a
manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed
to the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any
criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.
(b)
Proceedings by or in the Right of
the Company . Indemnitee shall be entitled to the
rights of indemnification provided in this Section 1(b) if,
by reason of his Corporate Status, the Indemnitee is, or is
threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding
brought by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to
this Section 1(b) , the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee
against all Expenses and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee, or on Indemnitee’s behalf,
in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matters
therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Company; provided, however , if applicable
law so provides, no indemnification against such Expenses shall be
made in respect of any claim, issue or matter in such Proceeding as
to which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged by a court of
competent jurisdiction, after exhaustion of all appeals therefrom,
to be liable to the Company unless and to the extent that a court
of competent jurisdiction shall determine that such indemnification
may be made.
(c)
Indemnification under NRS 78.138 . Indemnitee
shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided under
Section 1(a) and Section 1(b) if Indemnitee is not liable pursuant
to NRS 78.138.
(d)
Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly
Successful . Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his
Corporate Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or
otherwise, in any Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law, as such may be
amended from time to time, against all Expenses actually and
reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf 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 each successfully resolved claim, issue or
matter. 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.
Additional
Indemnity . In
addition to, and without regard to any limitations on, the
indemnification provided for in Section 1 of this Agreement,
the Company shall and hereby does indemnify and hold harmless
Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by law, as may be
amended from time to time, against all Expenses, judgments,
penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf if, by reason of his
Corporate Status, he is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or
participant in any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the
right of the Company), including, without limitation, all liability
arising out of the negligence or active or passive wrongdoing of
Indemnitee. The only limitation that shall exist upon
the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement shall be
that the Company shall not be obligated to make any payment to
Indemnitee that is finally determined (under the procedures, and
subject to the presumptions, set forth in Sections 6 and
7 hereof) to be unlawful.
(a)
Whether or not the indemnification
provided in Sections 1 and 2 hereof is available, in
respect of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or
proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee
(or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the
Company shall pay the entire amount of any judgment or settlement
of such action, suit or proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to
contribute to such payment and the Company hereby waives and
relinquishes any right of contribution it may have against
Indemnitee. The Company shall not enter into any
settlement of any action, suit or proceeding in which the Company
is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such
action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a
full and final release of all claims asserted against
Indemnitee.
(b)
Without diminishing or impairing the
obligations of the Company set forth in the preceding subparagraph,
if, for any reason, Indemnitee shall elect or be required to pay
all or any portion of any judgment or settlement in any threatened,
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the
Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in
such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall contribute to
the amount of Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred and paid or payable by
Indemnitee in proportion to the relative benefits received by the
Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company,
other than Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or
would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one
hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, from the transaction from
which such action, suit or proceeding arose; provided ,
however , that the proportion determined on the basis of
relative benefit may, to the extent necessary to conform to law, be
further adjusted by reference to the relative fault of the Company
and all officers, directors or employees of the Company other than
Indemnitee who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if
joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and
Indemnitee, on the other hand, in connection with the events that
resulted in such expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts,
as well as any other equitable considerations which applicable law
may require to be considered. The relative fault of the
Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company,
other than Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or
would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one
hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, the degree to which their actions
were motivated by intent to gain personal profit or advantage, the
degree to which their liability is primary or secondary and the
degree to which their conduct is active or passive.
(c)
The Company hereby agrees to fully
indemnify and hold Indemnitee harmless from any claims of
contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or
employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who may be jointly
liable with Indemnitee .
(d)
To the fullest extent permissible
under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this
Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever,
the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute
to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines,
penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement
and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an
indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is
deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of
such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits
received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s)
and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (ii)
the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers,
employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such
event(s) and/or transaction(s).
3.
Indemnification for Expenses of a
Witness . Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of
his Corporate Status, a witness, or is made (or asked) to respond
to discovery requests, in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not
a party, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all
Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf
in connection therewith.
4.
Advancement of
Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement, the Company shall advance all Expenses incurred
by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding by
reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status within thirty (30)
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, if
required by law at the time of such advance, shall include or be
preceded or accompanied by a written undertaking by or on behalf of
Indemnitee to repay any Expenses advanced if it shall ultimately be
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that Indemnitee is
not entitled to be indemnified against such
Expenses. Any advances and undertakings to repay
pursuant to this Section 5 shall be unsecured and interest
free. In furtherance of the foregoing the Indemnitee
hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced only if, and to
the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be
indemnified by the Company as authorized by this
Agreement.
5.
Procedures and Presumptions for
Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification
. It is the intent of
this Agreement to secure for Indemnitee rights of indemnity that
are as favorable as may be permitted under the NRS and public
policy of the State of Nevada. Accordingly, the parties
agree that the following procedures and presumptions shall apply in
the event of any question as to whether Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification under this Agreement:
(a)
To obtain indemnification under this
Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written
request, including therein or therewith such documentation and
information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is
reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent
Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary
of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for
indemnification, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has
requested indemnification. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any failure of Indemnitee to provide such a request to
the Company, or to provide such a request in a timely fashion,
shall not relieve the Company of any liability that it may have to
Indemnitee unless, and to the extent that, the Company is actually
and materially prejudiced as a direct result of such
failure.
(b)
Upon written request by Indemnitee
for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section
6(a) hereof, a determination with respect to Indemnitee’s
entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case by one of
the following three methods, which shall be at the election of the
Board: (i) by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of
Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined), (ii) if a
majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors so
orders, or if a quorum of Disinterested Directors cannot be
obtained, by Independent Counsel (as hereinafter defined) in a
written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to
Indemnitee, or (iii) by the stockholders of the Company.
(c)
Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary set forth in this Agreement, if a request for
indemnification is made after a Change in Control, at the election
of Indemnitee made in writing to the Company, any determination
required to be made pursuant to Section 6(b) above as
to whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall be made
by Independent Counsel selected as provided in this
Section 6(c) . The Independent Counsel shall be
selected by Indemnitee, unless Indemnitee shall request that such
selection be made by the Board. The party making the selection
shall give written notice to the other party advising it of the
identity of the Independent Counsel so selected. The party
receiving such notice may, within seven (7) days after such written
notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the other
party a written objection to such selection. Such objection may be
asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so
selected does not meet the requirements of “ Independent
Counsel ” as defined in Section 13 hereof,
and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual
basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely
objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent
Counsel. If a written objection is made, the Independent
Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and
until a court has determined that such objection is without
merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by
Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to
Section 6(a) hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been
selected (or, if selected, such selection shall have been objected
to) in accordance with this paragraph, then either the Company or
Indemnitee may petition the courts of the State of Nevada or other
court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection
which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the
other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the
appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the
court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the
person with respect to whom an objection is favorably resolved or
the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under
Section 6(c) hereof. The Company shall pay any
and all reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel
incurred by such Independent Counsel in connection with acting
pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof. The Company
shall pay any and all reasonable and necessary fees and expenses
incident to the procedures of this Section 6(c) , regardless
of the manner in which such Independent Counsel was selected or
appointed.
(d)
If the determination of entitlement
to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to
Section 6(b) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be
selected as provided in this Section 6(d) . The
Independent Counsel shall be selected by the
Board. Indemnitee may, within ten (10) days after such
written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the
Company a written objection to such selection; provided ,
however , that such objection may be asserted only on the
ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the
requirements of “ Independent Counsel ” as
defined in Section 13 of this Agreement, and the objection
shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such
assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the
person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If
a written objection is made and substantiated, the Independent
Counsel selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and
until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that
such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20)
days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for
indemnification pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, no
Independent Counsel shall have been selected (or, if selected, such
selection shall have been objected to) in accordance with this
paragraph, then either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the
appropriate courts of the State of Nevada or other court of
competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall
have been made by Indemnitee to the Company’s selection of
Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent
Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person
as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom
an objection is favorably resolved or the person so appointed shall
act as Independent Counsel under Section 6(b)
hereof. The Company shall pay any and all reasonable
fees and expenses of Independent Counsel incurred by such
Independent Counsel in connection with acting pursuant to
Section 6(b) hereof, and the Company shall pay any and all
reasonable fees and expenses incident to the procedures of this
Section 6(d) , regardless of the manner in which such
Independent Counsel was selected or appointed.
(e)
In making a 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. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption
shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by
clear and convincing evidence. Neither the failure of
the Company (including by its directors or independent legal
counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of
any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is
proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the
applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the
Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel)
that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct,
shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that
Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of
conduct.
(f)
Indemnitee shall be deemed to have
acted in good faith if Indemnitee
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