FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of this ______
day of May 1997 by and between Forecross Corporation, a California corporation
(the "Company"), and __________ ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty
in obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the significant
increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the
coverage of such insurance;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial
increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors
to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage
of liability insurance has been severely limited;
WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as
adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other officers and
directors of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve as officers and
directors without additional protection; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of
highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve as officers and
directors of the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to
provide them with the maximum protection permitted by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. Indemnification.
(a) Third Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify
indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the
right of the Company) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the
Company, by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an
officer or director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving
at the request of the Company 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 (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with such action or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in
good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best
interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's conduct was
unlawful. The termination of any action or proceeding by judgment, order,
settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent,
shall not, of itself, create a presumption that (i) Indemnitee
did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed
to be in the best interests of the Company, or (ii) with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that
Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful.
(b) Proceedings By or in the Right of the Company. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to
be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding by
or in the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to procure a
judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the
Company, by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an
officer or director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving
at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) and, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement, in each case to the extent
actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense or
settlement of such action or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in
a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the
Company and its shareholders, except that no indemnification shall be made in
respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been
adjudged to be liable to the Company in the performance of indemnitee's duty to
the Company and its shareholders unless and only to the extent that the court in
which such action or proceeding is or was pending shall determine upon
application that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is
fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for expenses and then only to the
extent that the court shall determine.
2. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.
(a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all
expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense,
settlement or appeal of any civil or criminal action or proceeding referenced in
Section l(a) or (b) hereof (but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any
such action or proceeding). Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts
advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized
hereby. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to
Indemnitee within twenty (20) days following delivery of a written request
therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a
condition precedent to his right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give
the company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made against
Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this
Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to
Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed received three business days after the date
postmarked if sent by domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed;
otherwise notice shall be deemed received when such notice
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shall actually be received by the Company. In addition, Indemnitee shall give
the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as
shall be within Indemnitee's power.
(c) Procedure. Any indemnification provided for in Section 1
shall be made no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of the written
request of Indemnitee. If a claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or
under any provision of the Company's Articles of Incorporation or By-laws
providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within
forty-five (45) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been
received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time thereafter
bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim
and, subject to Section 12 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall also be entitled
to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees) of bringing such action.
It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to
enforce a claim for expenses incurred in connection with any action or
proceeding in advance of its final disposition) that indemnitee has not met the
standards of conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for the
company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed, but the burden of
proving such defense shall be on the Company and Indemnitee shall be entitled to
receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection 2(a) unless and
until such defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from
which no further right of appeal exists. It is the parties' intention that if
the Company contests Indemnitee's right to indemnification, the question of
Indemnitee's right to indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and
neither the failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors, any
committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or
its shareholders) to have made a determination that indemnification of
Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the
applicable standard of conduct required by applicable law, nor an actual
determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee or
subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its
shareholders) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct,
shall create a presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable
standard of conduct.
(d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt of a
notice of a claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has director and
officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of
the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter
take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf
of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in
accordance with the terms of such policies.
(e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be
obligated under Section 2(a) hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding
against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the
defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written
notice of its election to do so. After delivery of such notice, approval of such
counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the
Company will not be liable
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to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred
by indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee
shall have the right to employ his counsel in any such proceeding at
Indemnitee's expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee
has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have
reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the
Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense or (C) the Company
shall not, in fact, have employed counsel to assume the defense of such
proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the
expense of the Company.
3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.
(a) Scope. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest
extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not
specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company's
Articles of Incorporation, the Company's By-laws or by statute. In the event of
any change, after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute or
rule which expands the right of a California corporation to indemnify a member
of its board of directors or an officer, such changes shall be, ipso facto,
within the purview of Indemnitee's rights and Company's obligations, under this
Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule
which narrows the right of a California corporation to indemnify a member of its
Board of Directors or an officer, such changes, to the extent not otherwise
required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement shall have
no effect on this Agreement or the parties' rights and obligations hereunder.
(b) Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this
Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be
entitled under the Company's Articles of Incorporation, its By-laws, any
agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the California
General Corporation Law, or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee's
official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such
office. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to
Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified
capacity even though he may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time of
any action or other covered proceeding.
4. Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a
portion of the expenses, judgments, fines or penalties actually or reasonably
incurred by him in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil
or criminal action or proceeding, but not, however, for the total amount
thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of
such expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to which Indemnitee is entitled.
5. Mutual Acknowledgment. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge
that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit
the Company from indemnifying its directors and officers under this Agreement or
otherwise. Indemnitee
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understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required
in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit
the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a
determination of the Company's right under public policy to indemnify
Indemnitee.
6. Directors, and Officers' Liability Insurance. The Company shall,
from time to time, make the good faith determination whether or not it is
practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of
insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the officers and
directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to
ensure the Company's performance of its indemnification obligations under this
Agreement. Among other considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of
obtaining such insurance coverage against the protection afforded by such
coverage. In all policies of directors' and officers' liability insurance,
Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide
Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably
insured of the Company's directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the
Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an
officer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to
obtain or maintain such insurance if the Company determines in good faith that
such insurance is not reasonably available, if the premium costs for such
insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided, if the
coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to provide an
insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance
maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company.
7. Severability. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or
shall be construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in
violation of applicable law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order,
to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of
this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided
in this Section 7. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated
on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated, and the balance
of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in accordance with its
terms.
8. Exceptions. Any other provision herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement:
(a) Excluded Acts. To indemnify Indemnitee for any acts or
omissions or transactions from which a director may not be relieved of liability
under the California General Corporation Law; or
(b) Claims Initiated by Indemnitee. To indemnify or advance
expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or
brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect
to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required
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under Section 317 of the California General Corporation Law, but such
indemnification or advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in
specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing
of such suit; or
(c) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any
expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by
Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent
jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the
Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or
(d) Insured Claims. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or
liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) which
have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of
directors, and officers' liability insurance maintained by the Company; or
(e) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for
expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by
Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar successor statute.
9. Effectiveness of Agreement. To the extent that the indemnification
permitted under the terms of certain provisions of this Agreement exceeds the
scope of the indemnification provided for in the California General Corporation
Law, such provisions shall not be effective unless and until the Company's
Articles of Incorporation authorize such additional rights of indemnification.
In all other respects, the balance of this Agreement shall be effective as of
the date set forth on the first page and may apply to acts or omissions of
Indemnitee which occurred prior to such date if Indemnitee was an officer,
director, employee or other agent of the Company, or was serving at the request
of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the time such act or
omission occurred.
10. Construction of Certain Phrases.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the
"Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any
constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in
a conslidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would
have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or
agents, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent
of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such
constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee
shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with
respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with
respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
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(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other
enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall
include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee
benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall
include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company
which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer,
employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or
beneficiaries.
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
12. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Company and its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of
Indemnitee and Indemnitee's estate, heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
13. Attorneys' Fees. In the event that any action is instituted by
Indemnitee under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all court costs and expenses, including
reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action,
unless as a part of such action, the court of competent jurisdiction determines
that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such
action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action
instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement or to enforce
or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to
be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys, fees, incurred by
Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such
action the court determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such
action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
14. Notice. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if
delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such
receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage
prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for
notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or
as subsequently modified by written notice.
15. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby
irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California
for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of
or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this
Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of the State of
California.
16. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its
provisions construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California as
applied to contracts between California residents entered into and to be
performed entirely within California.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
FORECROSS CORPORATION
By:
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Title:
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Address:
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
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(print name)
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(signature)
Address:
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