Item 4. | Description of Securities. |
Not applicable.
Item 5. | Interests of Named Experts and Counsel. |
Not applicable.
Item 6. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
The Company is a Maryland corporation.Section 2-405.2 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision expanding or limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from (1) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (2) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a judgment or other final adjudication and that is material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding. The Company’s charter contains a provision that eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by the MGCL.
Section 2-418(d) of the MGCL requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Company’s charter does not) to indemnify a director of the corporation who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which such director was made a party by reason of the director’s service in that capacity.Section 2-418(b) permits a corporation to indemnify its present or former directors against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by the director in connection with any proceeding to which the director is made a party by reason of the director’s service as a director, unless it is established that (1) the act or omission of the director was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (2) the director actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (3) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. If, however, the proceeding was one by or in the right of the corporation and the director was adjudged liable to the corporation, the corporation may not indemnify the director, unless ordered by a court and then only for expenses. The MGCL also permits a Maryland corporation to pay a director’s reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding to which the director is a party upon receipt by the corporation of (1) a written affirmation by the director of the director’s good faith belief that the director has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification and (2) a written undertaking by or on behalf of the director to repay the amount advanced if it is ultimately determined that the director did not meet the necessary standard of conduct.Section 2-418 of the MGCL defines a director as any person who is or was a director of a corporation and any person who, while a director of the corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company or other enterprise or employee benefit plan.Section 2-418(j)(2) of the MGCL also permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify and advance expenses to its officers, employees and agents to the same extent that it may indemnify and advance expenses to its directors.
The Company’s charter authorizes it, and the Company’s bylaws obligate it, to the maximum extent permitted by the MGCL, to indemnify any of the Company’s present or former directors or officers or those of the Company’s subsidiaries who (1) is made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by reason of such person’s service in that capacity or (2) while a director or officer and at the Company’s request, serves or served another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee and who is made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by reason of such person’s service in that capacity and to pay or reimburse that person’s reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. This indemnity could apply to liabilities under the Securities Act in certain circumstances.
The Company’s bylaws also permit the Company, with the approval of its board of directors, to indemnify and advance expenses to (1) a person who served a predecessor in any of the capacities described above or (2) any of the Company’s employees or agents, or any employee or agent of a predecessor.
The Company also maintains indemnity insurance as permitted bySection 2-418 of the MGCL, pursuant to which its officers and directors are indemnified or insured against liability or loss under certain circumstances, which may include liability or related losses under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.