Exhibit 10.7
INDEMNIFICATION
AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
("Agreement") is made as of the
1st day of April 2009, by and between 21
st Century Holding Company, a Florida corporation
(the “Corporation”), and Jenifer G. Kimbrough (the
“Indemnitee”).
WHEREAS , the Indemnitee is currently serving as a
director and/or executive officer of the Corporation and the
Corporation desires to continue to retain the services of the
Indemnitee as a director and/or executive officer of the
Company;
WHEREAS , through its Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws it is the express policy of the
Corporation to indemnify its executive officers and directors so as
to provide them with the maximum possible protection permitted by
law; and
WHEREAS , the Board of Directors has concluded that it
is in the best interests of the Corporation’s shareholders
for the Corporation to contractually reaffirm the
Shareholders’ expressed policy to indemnify
its executive officers and directors and to establish
procedures and presumptions with respect thereto to make the
process of indemnification more certain; and
WHEREAS , Florida Statutes, Section 607.0850,
empowers corporations to indemnify, among others, any person
serving as a executive officer and/or director of the Corporation,
and such Section 607.0850 specifies that the indemnification
set forth therein shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights
to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any
bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or Disinterested Directors,
or otherwise; and
WHEREAS , the Corporation desires to have Indemnitee
serve or continue to serve as an executive officer and/or director
of the Corporation or of any other corporation, subsidiary,
partnership, joint venture, or trust or other enterprise of which
Indemnitee has been or is serving at the request, or to represent
the interests, of the Corporation (hereinafter referred to as
“Affiliates(s) of the Corporation”) free from undue
concern for unpredictable, inappropriate or unreasonable claims for
damages by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status and
Indemnitee desires to serve or to continue to serve (provided that
Indemnitee is furnished the indemnity provided for hereinafter), in
one or more of such capacities;
NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants set
forth herein, the Corporation and Indemnitee hereby agrees as
follows:
1.
Indemnification . To the fullest extent
permitted by the laws of the State of Florida, the Corporation
shall indemnify and advance Expenses to Indemnitee as provided in
this Agreement. Capitalized terms are defined in Section
12 of this Agreement.
2.
Proceedings Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the
Corporation . Indemnitee shall be entitled to
the rights of indemnification, set forth in Section 1 if, by
reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, Indemnitee is, or is
threatened to be, made a party to any threatened, pending, or
completed Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of
the Corporation. Indemnitee shall be indemnified against
Expenses, liability and loss, including but not limited to,
judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by him/her or on Indemnitee’s behalf in
connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter
related thereto, if such Indemnification is permitted by applicable
law and Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests
of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal Proceeding,
had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee’s conduct was
unlawful.
3.
Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation
. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of
indemnification set forth in Section 1 if, by reason of
Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, Indemnitee is, or is
threatened to be, made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Corporation
to procure a judgment in its favor provided such Proceeding was
authorized by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation. Indemnitee shall be indemnified against
Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him/her or on
Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding 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 Corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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 to be liable, unless the court
in which the Proceeding was brought, or any other court of
competent jurisdiction, shall determine upon application that,
despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all
circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably
entitled to indemnity for such Expenses which such court shall deem
proper.
4.
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 Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a party to and is
successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or any
claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified
against all Expenses actually incurred by him/her or on
Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith. If
Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such a Proceeding but is
successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less
than all claims, issues or matters in such a Proceeding, the
Corporation shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses
actually incurred by him/her or on Indemnitee’s behalf in
connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or
matter. For purposes of this Section 4 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.
5.
Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness
. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement,
to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s
Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding, Indemnitee shall be
indemnified against all Expenses incurred by him/her or on
Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.
6.
Advancement of Expenses . The Corporation
shall pay all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in
connection with any Proceeding within sixty (60) days after
the receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements from
Indemnitee requesting such payment 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 an undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee to
repay any Expenses if it shall ultimately be determined that
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified against such
Expenses.
7.
Procedure for Determination of Entitlement to
Indemnification .
(a) To
obtain indemnification, Indemnitee shall submit to the Corporation
a written request, accompanied by 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 (hereinafter a
“Request for Indemnification”). The
Secretary of the Corporation shall, promptly upon receipt of such a
Request for Indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in
writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification.
(b) Upon
submission of a Request for Indemnification, a determination,
(unless otherwise ordered by a court), with respect to
Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto, shall be made as follows:
(1) by the Board of Directors of the Corporation by a majority
vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to
such proceeding; (2) if such quorum is not obtainable or, even
if obtainable, by majority vote of a committee duly designated by
the Board of Directors (in which directors who are parties may
participate) consisting solely of two or more directors not at the
time parties to the Proceeding; (3) by Independent Counsel:
(i) selected by the Board of Directors prescribed in
paragraph (a) or the committee prescribed in
paragraph (b); or (ii) if a quorum of the Directors
cannot be obtained for paragraph (a) and the committee cannot
be designated under paragraph (b), selected by majority vote
of the full Board of Directors (in which directors who are parties
may participate); or (4) by the Shareholders by a majority
vote of a quorum consisting of Shareholders who were not parties to
such proceeding, or if no such quorum is obtainable, by a majority
vote of Shareholders who were not parties to such
proceeding.
(c) If
a determination is to be made by Independent Counsel, the
Corporation shall pay all fees and expenses of Independent Counsel
in making such determination.
8.
Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings
.
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