or suit was brought shall determine upon application that such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which such court shall deem proper.
To the extent that a present or former director or officer is successful in the defense of such an action, suit or proceeding (or of any claim, issue or matter therein), the corporation is required by the DGCL to indemnify such person for actual and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred thereby.
Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid (on terms and conditions satisfactory to the corporation) in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be so indemnified.
The DGCL provides that the indemnification and advancement of expenses described above shall not be deemed exclusive of other indemnification or advancement of expenses that may be granted by a corporation pursuant to its by-laws, a disinterested director vote, a stockholder vote, an agreement or otherwise.
The DGCL also provides corporations with the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation in a similar capacity for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability as described above.
Accordingly, the Charter provides that the Registrant shall, to the maximum extent permitted under the DGCL, indemnify each person who is or was a director or officer of the Registrant. The Registrant may, by action of the board of directors, indemnify other employees and agents of the Registrant, directors, officers, employees or agents of a subsidiary, and each person serving as a director, officer, partner, member, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the request of the Registrant, with the same scope and effect as the indemnification of directors and officers of the Registrant. However, the Registrant shall be required to indemnify any person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the board of directors or is a proceeding to enforce such person’s claim to indemnification pursuant to the rights granted by the Charter or otherwise by the Registrant. The Registrant may also enter into one or more agreements with any person which provide for indemnification greater or different than that provided in the Charter.
Furthermore, the Charter provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as currently in effect or hereafter amended, a director or officer of the Registrant shall not be personally liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of his or her fiduciary duty as a director or officer.
The By-laws provide that each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any manner in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative is or was a director or officer of the Registrant or, while a director or officer of the Registrant, a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. Such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided, however, that the Registrant shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such Proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the board of directors or is a Proceeding to enforce such person’s claim to indemnification pursuant to the rights
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