for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except: (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to Tenneco or its stockholders; (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (3) under Section 174 of the DGCL; which concerns unlawful payments of dividends, stock purchases or redemptions; or (4) for any transactions from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
While these provisions give directors protection from awards for monetary damages for breaches of their duty of care, they do not eliminate the duty. Accordingly, Tenneco’s certificate of incorporation will have no effect on the availability of equitable remedies such as injunction or rescission based on a director’s breach of his or her duty of care. The provisions of Tenneco’s certificate of incorporation described above apply to an officer of Tenneco only if he or she is a director of Tenneco and is acting in his or her capacity as director. They do not apply to officers of Tenneco who are not directors.
Tenneco’s by-laws include the following provisions:
“Article IV, Section 14.
(1) The corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person (an “Indemnitee”) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including appeals (a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he, or a person for whom he is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the corporation or, while a director or officer of the corporation is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by such Indemnitee. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3) of this Section 14, the corporation shall be required to indemnify an Indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Indemnitee only if the commencement of such proceeding (or part thereof) by the Indemnitee was authorized by the Board.
(2) The corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an Indemnitee in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Indemnitee to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section 14 or otherwise.
(3) If a claim for indemnification under this Section 14 (following the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding) or if a claim for any advancement of expenses under this Section 14 is not paid in full within thirty days after a written claim therefor by the Indemnitee has been received by the corporation, the Indemnitee may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action the corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.
(4) The rights conferred on any Indemnitee by this Section 14 shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such Indemnitee may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
(5) The corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or to advance expenses to any Indemnitee who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity shall be reduced by an amount such Indemnitee may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit enterprise.
(6) Any right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses of any Indemnitee arising hereunder shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to or repeal of these By-Laws after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought.
(7) This Section 14 shall not limit the right of the corporation, to the extent and in the manner permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than Indemnitees when and as authorized by appropriate corporate action.”
In addition, historically Tenneco’s directors entered into separate contractual indemnity arrangements with Tenneco, but no current director is a party to such arrangement. This arrangement provides for indemnification and the advancement of expenses to the former directors in certain circumstances and is subject to limitations substantially similar to those described above, and such rights continue in effect for 10 years following termination of service as a director.
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