Section 1745 of the PBCL states that expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in defending any third-party or derivative action or proceeding may be paid by a business corporation in advance of the final disposition of the action or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Representative to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized by the PBCL or otherwise. Except as otherwise provided in the corporation’s bylaws, advancement of expenses must be authorized by the board of directors of the corporation and shall not be authorized in connection with proceedings related to transactions with interested directors or officers, or interested shareholders (Sections 1728 and 2538 of the PBCL).
Section 1746(a) states that the statutory rights of indemnification and advancement of expenses shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person might be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to the action in his or her official capacity and as to the action or proceeding in another capacity while holding that office. However, Section 1746(b) forbids indemnification to be made in any case where the act or failure to act giving rise to the claim is determined by a court to be willful misconduct or recklessness. A corporation’s articles of incorporation may not provide for indemnification in the case of willful misconduct or recklessness.
The PBCL, in Section 1747, also authorizes corporations to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a Representative or a person who is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a representative of another domestic or foreign entity, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her, unless otherwise restricted in its bylaws. Such insurance is declared to be consistent with Pennsylvania’s public policy.
Section 1750 of the PBCL provides that the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to Subchapter B of the PBCL shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Representative and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and personal representatives of that person.
Section 6.02 of the Company’s Amended and RestatedBy-Laws (the“By-Laws”) provides that a director shall not be personally liable for monetary damages for any action taken or failed to be taken unless the director has breached or failed to perform the duties of his or her office (relating to standard of care and justifiable reliance) and such breach or failure to perform constitutes self-dealing, willful misconduct or recklessness. A director’s criminal or tax liability is not limited by the foregoing provision.
Section 6.03 of theBy-Laws requires the Company to indemnify any director or officer of the Company, who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any action, suit or proceeding (third-party or derivative), arising out of such person’s service to the Company or to another entity at the request of the Company, if the person acted in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interest of the corporation, and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, with reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was lawful. The Company will not indemnify any director of officer in connection with a proceeding initiated by such director or officer (other than a proceeding to enforce such person’s right to indemnification under theBy-Laws) unless such proceeding was authorized by the board of directors. The right to indemnification conferred by this provision includes payment of all reasonable expenses (including attorney’s fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with such action, suit or proceeding. Section 6.04 of theBy-Laws permits the Company to indemnify any employee or agent of the Company who is not a director or officer, with such scope and effect as determined by the Company.
Section 6.06 of theBy-Laws permits the Company to purchase and maintain insurance to protect itself and any director, officer, agent or employee against any liability asserted against and incurred by such person in respect of such person’s service, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability by law or under the provisions of theBy-Laws.