PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Under the registrant’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our By-laws and under Section 60 of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Business Corporations Act, or the BCA, the registrant may indemnify anyone who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that they are or were a director or officer of the corporation, or are or were serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.
A limitation on the foregoing is the statutory proviso (also found in the registrant’s By-laws) that, in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful.
Further, under Section 60 of the BCA and the registrant’s By-laws, the termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of no contest, or its equivalent, does not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner that they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful.
In addition, under Section 60 of the BCA and under the registrant’s By-laws, a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any threatened, pending, or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that they are or were a director or officer of the corporation, or are or were serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. Such indemnification may be made against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation. Again, this is provided that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses that the court shall deem proper.
The registrant’s By-laws further provide that any indemnification pursuant to the foregoing (unless ordered by a court) may be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director or officer is proper in the circumstances because they have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth above. Such determination may be made by the Board of Directors of the corporation by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to any action, suit or proceeding referred to in the foregoing instances, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or by the stockholder of the corporation.
Further, and as provided by both the registrant’s By-laws and Section 60 of the BCA, when a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in the foregoing instances, or in the defense of a related claim, issue or matter, they will be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with such matter.
Likewise, pursuant to the registrant’s By-laws and Section 60 of the BCA, expenses (such By-laws specifically include attorneys’ fees in expenses) incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding by an officer or director may be paid in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that they are not entitled to indemnification. The By-laws further provide that with respect to other employees, such expenses may be paid on the terms and conditions, if any, as the Board may deem appropriate.
Both Section 60 of the BCA and the registrant’s By-laws further provide that the foregoing indemnification and advancement of expenses are not exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholder or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in their official capacity and/or as to action in another capacity while holding office.
Under both Section 60 of the BCA and the registrant’s By-laws, the registrant also has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in such capacity, or arising out of their status as such, regardless of whether the corporation would have the power to indemnify them against such liability under the foregoing.
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