Section 145 of the DGCL further provides that to the extent a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith and that such expenses may be paid by 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 director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in Section 145 of the DGCL; that any indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled; that any indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Section 145 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and administrators; and empowers the corporation 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 as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under Section 145.
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides that a certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Charter and Bylaws. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or our charter, and our amended and restated bylaws, or our bylaws, include provisions which limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Section 102 of the DGCL. Article Ninth of our charter provides that no director shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by such director as a director. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, a director shall be liable to the extent provided by applicable law (i) for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Article V of our bylaws provides for indemnification by us of our directors, officers and certainnon-officer employees under certain circumstances against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of any threatened, pending or completed legal proceeding in which any such person is involved by reason of the fact that such person is or was our officer or employee if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to our best interests, and, with respect to criminal actions or proceedings, if such person had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The inclusion of these indemnification provisions in our charter and bylaws is intended to enable us to attract qualified persons to serve as directors and officers who might otherwise be reluctant to do so.
We maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance which would indemnify our directors and officers against damages arising out of certain kinds of claims which might be made against them based on their negligent acts or omissions while acting in their capacity as such.
Indemnification Agreements. We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify each such director or executive officer for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by him or her in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or executive officers.
Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
