indemnification is proper in the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct. Such determination shall be made:
| • | | by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the proceeding; |
| • | | if such a quorum is not obtainable, or if obtainable and a majority vote of a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; or |
Notwithstanding the above, under Section 1743 of the PBCL, a corporation is required to indemnify directors, officers, employees or agents of the corporation against expenses they may incur in defending actions to which they are made a party by reason of their status as such if they are successful on the merits, or otherwise, in the defense of such actions.
Under Section 1745 of the PBCL, a corporation may pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation incurred in defending an action or proceeding in advance of the final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking from such person to repay the amounts advanced, if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification from the corporation.
Section 1746 of the PBCL provides that the foregoing provisions shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification may be entitled under, among other things, any provision in the corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws, provided that no indemnification may be made in any case where the act or failure to act giving rise to the claim for indemnification is determined by a court to have constituted willful misconduct or recklessness.
Section 1747 of the PBCL permits a Pennsylvania business 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 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 the person against such liability under the provisions described above.
Sections 1748 and 1749 of the PBCL extend the indemnification and advancement of expenses provisions to successor corporations in consolidations, mergers or divisions and to representatives serving as fiduciaries of employee benefit plans. Section 1750 of the PBCL provides that the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Subchapter E of the PBCL, shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a representative of the corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and personal representative of such person.
Articles
Article 9 of the Company’s Articles provide that we will indemnify and hold harmless, to the full extent permitted by law, each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in (as witness or otherwise) any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative and whether or not by or in the right of the Company or otherwise (hereinafter, a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person of whom he or she is the heir, executor or administrator, is or was a director or executive officer of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including without limitation service with respect to employee benefit plans), or where the basis of such proceeding is any alleged action or failure to take any action by such person while acting in an official capacity as a director or executive officer of the Company, or in any other capacity on behalf of the
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