Item 6. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) provides in relevant part that 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, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or serving at the request of the corporation in such capacity for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she 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 his or her conduct was unlawful.
The DGCL also permits a corporation to indemnify such persons against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) in connection with the defense or settlement of an action by or in the right of the corporation under the same conditions, except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if such person is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where a present or former director or officer is successful in the defense of such an action, suit or proceeding referenced above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses which such officer or director actually and reasonably incurred. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such persons in defending any action, suit or proceeding may be paid in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon, in the case of a current officer or director, 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 described above is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. The Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification by the Company of its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains a provision to limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for violations of the directors’ fiduciary duty, except (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) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, for liability of directors for unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions or (iv) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.
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 such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such 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. Policies of insurance are maintained by the Company under which our directors and officers are insured, within the limits and subject to the terms of the policies, against certain expenses in connection with the defense of, and certain liabilities which might be imposed as a result of, actions, suits or proceedings to which they are parties by reason of being or having been directors or officers.
The foregoing statements are subject to the detailed provisions of the DGCL and the full text of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto.
We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers that will provide, subject to their terms, the maximum indemnity allowed to directors and officers by Section 145 of the DGCL and certain additional procedural protections. In addition, pursuant to and in accordance with Section 1.3.4 of the Plan, the Registrant will indemnify employees and directors in respect of liabilities imposed upon or incurred by such persons in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such person may be a party or in which such person may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken under the Plan or any award agreement thereunder.
Item 7. | Exemption From Registration Claimed |
Not applicable.
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