Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended (“DGCL”) allows a corporation to eliminate or limit the personal liability of directors to a corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase or redemption in violation of Delaware corporate law or engaged in a transaction from which the director obtained an improper personal benefit.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides, among other things, 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 (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the corporation’s request as a director, officer, employee or agent of 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 by the person in connection with the action, suit or proceeding. The power to indemnify applies if (i) 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 conduct was unlawful or, (ii) to the extent that such person is a present or former director or officer of a corporation, such person is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding. The power to indemnify applies to actions brought by or in the right of the corporation as well, but only to the extent of defense expenses (including attorneys’ fees but excluding amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred and not to any satisfaction of judgment or settlement of the claim itself, and with the further limitation that in such actions no indemnification shall be made in the event such person is adjusted to be liable to the corporation, unless a court determines that in light of all the circumstances indemnification should apply.
Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a director who willfully and negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption may be held liable for such actions to the full amount of the dividend unlawfully paid or the purchase or redemption of the corporation’s stock, with interest from the time such liability accrued. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered on the books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time the action occurred or immediately after the absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.
The Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that no director shall be personally liable to the Registrant or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL.
The Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws provide that it will indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, any person made or threatened to be made a party to any action by reason of the fact that the person is or was our director or officer, or our director or officer who, while a director or officer, is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee, agent or manager of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan. Expenses incurred by a director or officer in defending against such legal proceedings are payable before the final disposition of the action, provided that the director or officer undertakes to repay the Registrant if it is later determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification. Our amended and restated bylaws also provide that, subject to applicable law, the Registrant may, by action of its board of directors, grant rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to persons other than its directors and officers with such scope and effect as the board of directors may then determine.
The Registrant has entered into customary indemnification agreements with its directors that provide them, in general, with customary indemnification in connection with their service to us or on our behalf.
The Registrant maintains standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to its directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, and (b) to the Registrant with respect to payments which it may make to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
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