Exhibit 10.44
INDEMNITY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into this 19th day of October, 1997 by and
between CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Corporation"), and JOHN R. HARDING ("Agent").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Agent performs a valuable service to the Corporation in his
capacity as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation;
WHEREAS, the stockholders of the Corporation have adopted bylaws (the
"Bylaws") providing for the indemnification of the directors, officers,
employees and other agents of the Corporation, including persons serving at
the request of the Corporation in such capacities with other corporations or
enterprises, as authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as
amended (the "Code");
WHEREAS, the Bylaws and the Code, by their non-exclusive nature, permit
contracts between the Corporation and its agents, officers, employees and
other agents with respect to indemnification of such persons; and
WHEREAS, in order to induce Agent to continue to serve as President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, the Corporation has determined
and agreed to enter into this Agreement with Agent;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of Agent's continued service as
President and Chief Executive Officer after the date hereof, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1. SERVICES TO THE CORPORATION. Agent will serve, under separate
contract, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation or as a
director or other fiduciary of the Corporation or an affiliate of the
Corporation (including any employee benefit plan of the Corporation)
faithfully and to the best of his ability so long as he is duly elected and
qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws or other applicable
charter documents of the Corporation or such affiliate; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that Agent may at any time and for any reason resign from such position
(subject to any contractual obligation that Agent may have assumed apart from
this Agreement) and that the Corporation or any affiliate shall have no
obligation under this Agreement to continue Agent in any such position.
2. INDEMNITY OF AGENT. The Corporation hereby agrees to hold harmless
and indemnify Agent to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by the
provisions of the Bylaws
and the Code, as the same may be amended from time to time (but, only to the
extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader
indemnification rights than the Bylaws or the Code permitted prior to adoption
of such amendment).
3. ADDITIONAL INDEMNITY. In addition to and not in limitation of the
indemnification otherwise provided for herein, and subject only to the
exclusions set forth in Section 4 hereof, the Corporation hereby further
agrees to hold harmless and indemnify Agent:
(a) against any and all expenses (including attorneys' fees),
witness fees, damages, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and
any other amounts that Agent becomes legally obligated to pay because of any
claim or claims made against or by him in connection with any threatened,
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
arbitrational, administrative or investigative (including an action by or in
the right of the Corporation) to which Agent is, was or at any time becomes a
party, or is threatened to be made a party, by reason of the fact that Agent
is, was or at any time becomes a director, officer, employee or other agent
of Corporation, or is or was serving or at any time serves at the request of
the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or other agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise; and
(b) otherwise to the fullest extent as may be provided to Agent by
the Corporation under the non-exclusivity provisions of the Code and Article
VI of the Bylaws.
4. LIMITATIONS ON ADDITIONAL INDEMNITY. No indemnity pursuant to
Section 3 hereof shall be paid by the Corporation:
(a) on account of any claim against Agent for an accounting of
profits made from the purchase or sale by Agent of securities of the
Corporation pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and amendments thereto or similar provisions of any
federal, state or local statutory law;
(b) on account of Agent's conduct that was knowingly fraudulent or
deliberately dishonest or that constituted willful misconduct;
(c) on account of Agent's conduct that constituted a breach of
Agent's duty of loyalty to the Corporation or resulted in any personal profit
or advantage to which Agent was not legally entitled;
(d) for which payment is actually made to Agent under a valid and
collectible insurance policy or under a valid and enforceable indemnity
clause, bylaw or agreement, except in respect of any excess beyond payment
under such insurance, clause, bylaw or agreement;
(e) if indemnification is not lawful (and, in this respect, both
the Corporation and Agent have been advised that the Securities and Exchange
Commission believes that indemnification for liabilities arising under the
federal securities laws is against public policy
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and is, therefore, unenforceable and that claims for indemnification should
be submitted to appropriate courts for adjudication); or
(f) in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated
by Agent, or any proceeding by Agent against the Corporation or its
directors, officers, employees or other agents, unless (i) such
indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) the proceeding
was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, (iii) such
indemnification is provided by the Corporation, in its sole discretion,
pursuant to the powers vested in the Corporation under the Code, or (iv) the
proceeding is initiated pursuant to Section 9 hereof.
5. CONTINUATION OF INDEMNITY. All agreements and obligations of the
Corporation contained herein shall continue during the period Agent is a
director, officer, employee or other agent of the Corporation (or is or was
serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or
other agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust,
employee benefit plan or other enterprise) and shall continue thereafter so
long as Agent shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending
or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
arbitrational, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that
Agent was serving in the capacity referred to herein.
6. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. Agent shall be entitled under this
Agreement to indemnification by the Corporation for a portion of the expenses
(including attorneys' fees), witness fees, damages, judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement and any other amounts that Agent becomes legally
obligated to pay in connection with any action, suit or proceeding referred
to in Section 3 hereof even if not entitled hereunder to indemnification for
the total amount thereof, and the Corporation shall indemnify Agent for the
portion thereof to which Agent is entitled.
7. NOTIFICATION AND DEFENSE OF CLAIM. Not later than thirty (30) days
after receipt by Agent of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or
proceeding, Agent will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against
the Corporation under this Agreement, notify the Corporation of the
commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the Corporation will not
relieve it from any liability which it may have to Agent otherwise than under
this Agreement. With respect to any such action, suit or proceeding as to
which Agent notifies the Corporation of the commencement thereof:
(a) the Corporation will be entitled to participate therein at its
own expense;
(b) except as otherwise provided below, the Corporation may, at its
option and jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified and
electing to assume such defense, assume the defense thereof, with counsel
reasonably satisfactory to Agent. After notice from the Corporation to Agent
of its election to assume the defense thereof, the Corporation will not be
liable to Agent under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by Agent in connection with the defense thereof except
for reasonable costs of investigation or otherwise as provided below. Agent
shall have the right to employ separate counsel in such
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action, suit or proceeding but the fees and expenses of such counsel incurred
after notice from the Corporation of its assumption of the defense thereof
shall be at the expense of Agent unless (i) the employment of counsel by
Agent has been authorized by the Corporation, (ii) Agent shall have
reasonably concluded, and so notified the Corporation, that there is an
actual conflict of interest between the Corporation and Agent in the conduct
of the defense of such action or (iii) the Corporation shall not in fact have
employed counsel to assume the defense of such action, in each of which cases
the fees and expenses of Agent's separate counsel shall be at the expense of
the Corporation. The Corporation shall not be entitled to assume the defense
of any action, suit or proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Corporation
or as to which Agent shall have made the conclusion provided for in clause
(ii) above; and
(c) the Corporation shall not be liable to indemnify Agent under
this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action or claim
effected without its written consent, which shall not be unreasonably
withheld. The Corporation shall be permitted to settle any action except
that it shall not settle any action or claim in any manner which would impose
any adverse consequences on Agent without Agent's written consent, which may
be given or withheld in Agent's sole discretion.
8. EXPENSES. The Corporation shall advance, prior to the final
disposition of any proceeding, promptly following request therefor, but in
any event no later than twenty (20) days following such request, all expenses
incurred by Agent in connection with such proceeding upon receipt of an
undertaking by or on behalf of Agent to repay said amounts if it shall be
determined ultimately that Agent is not entitled to be indemnified under the
provisions of this Agreement, the Bylaws, the Code or otherwise.
9. ENFORCEMENT. Any right to indemnification or advances granted by
this Agreement to Agent shall be interpreted and enforced through
confidential, final and binding arbitration conducted by Judicial Arbitration
and Mediation Services ("JAMS") under the then-existing JAMS rules, rather
than by litigation in court, trial by jury, administrative proceeding, or any
other forum, but only if (i) the claim for indemnification or advances is
denied, in whole or in part, or (ii) no disposition of such claim is made
within ninety (90) days of request therefor. Agent, in such enforcement
action, unless Agent's claims are frivolous or made in bad faith, shall be
entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting his claim, including but
not limited to the actually incurred and reasonable costs related to the
investigation, defense or appeal of such claim. It shall be a defense to any
action for which a claim for indemnification is made under Section 3 hereof
(other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses pursuant to
Section 8 hereof, provided that the required undertaking has been tendered to
the Corporation) that Agent is not entitled to indemnification because of the
limitations set forth in Section 4 hereof. Neither the failure of the
Corporation (including its Board of Directors or its stockholders) to have
made a determination prior to the commencement of such enforcement action
that indemnification of Agent is proper in the circumstances, nor an actual
determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors or its
stockholders) that such indemnification is improper shall be a defense to the
action or create a presumption that Agent is not entitled to indemnification
under this Agreement or otherwise.
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10. SUBROGATION. In the event of payment under this Agreement, the
Corporation shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the
rights of recovery of Agent, who shall execute all documents required and
shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable
the Corporation effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.
11. NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS. The rights conferred on Agent by this
Agreement shall not be exclusive of any other right which Agent may have or
hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Corporation's
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or
directors, or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to
action in another capacity while holding office.
12. SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS.
(a) The rights conferred on Agent by this Agreement shall continue
after Agent has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or other agent of
the Corporation or to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director,
officer, employee or other agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and shall inure to
the benefit of Agent's heirs, executors and administrators.
(b) The Corporation shall require any successor (whether direct or
indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or
substantially all of the business or assets of the Corporation, expressly to
assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same
extent that the Corporation would be required to perform if no such
succession had taken place.
13. SEPARABILITY. Each of the provisions of this Agreement is a
separate and distinct agreement and independent of the others, so that if any
provision hereof shall be held to be invalid for any reason, (i) such
invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or
enforceability of the other provisions hereof, and (ii) to the fullest extent
possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation,
all portions of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or
unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent
manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable and to
give effect to Sections 2 and 3 of this Agreement. Furthermore, if this
Agreement shall be invalidated in its entirety on any ground, then the
Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify Agent to the fullest extent provided
by the Bylaws, the Code or any other applicable law.
14. GOVERNING LAW. Subject to the provisions of Section 9, this
Agreement shall be interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of
the State of Delaware. The Corporation and Agent each hereby irrevocably
consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware for all
purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or
relates to this Agreement and which is to be resolved by a judicial
proceeding.
15. LIMITATIONS OF ACTIONS AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS. No proceeding shall
be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or on behalf of the
Corporation or any affiliate of the
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Corporation against the Agent, his spouse, heirs, estate, executors,
administrators, successors or assigns after the expiration of two years from
the act or omission of the Agent upon which such proceeding is based;
however, in a case where the Agent fraudulently conceals the facts underlying
such cause of action, no proceeding shall be brought and no cause of action
shall be asserted after the expiration of two years from the earlier of (i)
the date the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation discovers such
facts, or (ii) the date the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation
could have discovered such facts by the exercise of reasonable diligence.
Any claim or cause of action of the Corporation or any affiliate of the
Corporation, including claims predicated upon the negligent act or omission
of the Agent, shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by
filing of a claim within such period. This Section 15 shall not apply to any
cause of action which has accrued on the date hereof and of which the Agent
is aware on the date hereof, but as to which the Corporation has no actual
knowledge apart from Agent's knowledge.
16. NO WAIVER OF CLAIMS. No waiver of any of the provisions of this
Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provision
hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing
waiver.
17. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION. No amendment, modification, termination
or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing signed
by both parties hereto.
18. IDENTICAL COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or
more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an
original but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same
Agreement. Only one such counterpart need be produced to evidence the
existence of this Agreement.
19. HEADINGS. The headings of the sections of this Agreement are
inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of
this Agreement or to affect the construction hereof.
20. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i)
upon delivery if delivered by hand to the party to whom such communication
was directed or (ii) upon the third business day after the date on which such
communication was mailed if mailed by certified or registered mail with
postage prepaid:
(a) If to Agent, at the address indicated on the signature page
hereof.
(b) If to the Corporation, to
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
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Attn: VP and General Counsel
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2655 Seeley Ave. Bldg. 5
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San Jose, CA 95134
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or to such other address as may have been furnished to Agent by the
Corporation.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on and
as of the day and year first above written.
CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.
By: /s/ R.L. Smith McKeithen
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Title: Vice President and General Counsel
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AGENT
/s/ John R. Harding
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John R. Harding
Address:
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