Location of Business and Offices The Borrower’s jurisdiction of organization is Delaware; the name of the Borrower as listed in the public records of its jurisdiction of organization is Constellation Energy Partners LLC, and the organizational identification number of the Borrower in its jurisdiction of organization is 3922446 (or, in each case, as set forth in a notice delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.01(n) in accordance with Section 12.01). The Borrower’s principal place of business and chief executive offices are located at the address specified in Section 12.01 (or as set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section 8.01(n) and Section 12.01(c)). Each Subsidiary’s jurisdiction of organization, name as listed in the public records of its jurisdiction of organization, organizational identification number in its jurisdiction of organization, and the location of its principal place of business and chief executive office is stated on Schedule 7.14 (or as set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section 8.01(n)).
Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification and Insurance (a) The Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation shall contain provisions no less favorable with respect to indemnification than are set forth in Article Eighth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, which provisions shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise modified for a period of ten years from the Effective Time in any manner that would affect adversely the rights thereunder of individuals who at the Effective Time were directors, officers, employees, fiduciaries or agents of the Company, unless such modification shall be required by law.
(b) The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law and regardless of whether the Merger becomes effective, indemnify and hold harmless, and, after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, indemnify and hold harmless, each present and former director, officer, employee, fiduciary and agent of the Company (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") against all costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages, liabilities and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation (whether arising before or after the Effective Time), whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to any action or omission in their capacity as an officer, director, employee, fiduciary or agent, whether occurring before or after the Effective Time, for a period of ten years after the date hereof. In the event of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, (i) the Company or the Surviving Corporation, as the case may be, shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel selected by the Indemnified Parties, which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company or the Surviving Corporation, promptly after statements therefor are received and (ii) the Company and the Surviving Corporation shall cooperate in the defense of any such matter; provided, however, that neither the Company nor the Surviving Corporation shall be liable for any settlement effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld); and provided, further, that neither the Company nor the surviving Corporation shall be obligated pursuant to this Section 5.03(b) to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all Indemnified Parties in any single action except to the extent that two or more of such Indemnified Parties shall have conflicting interests in the outcome of such action; and provided, further, that, in the event that any claim for indemnification is asserted or made within such ten-year period, all rights to indemnification in respect of such claim shall continue until the disposition of such claim.
(c) The Surviving Corporation shall use its best efforts to maintain in effect for six years from the Effective Time, if available, the current directors' and officers' liability insurance policies maintained by the Company (provided that the Surviving Corporation may substitute therefor policies of at least the same coverage containing terms and conditions which are not materially less favorable) with respect to matters occurring prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that in no event shall the Surviving Corporation be required to expend pursuant to this Section 5.03(c): (i) for period beginning at Effective Time and ending three years thereafter, more than an amount per year equal to 300% of current annual premiums (the "Current Annual Premiums") paid by the Company for such insurance (which premiums the Company represents and warrants to be approximately $63,000 in the aggregate), and (ii) for the period beginning on the third anniversary of the Effective Time and ending three years thereafter, more than an amount per year equal to 200% of the Current Annual Premiums.
Formation and Name Office; Purpose; Term
Director and Officer Indemnification and Insurance (a) From and after the Purchase Date, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the individuals who at or prior to the Purchase Date were directors or officers of the Company or subsidiaries of the Company (collectively, the "Indemnitees") with respect to all acts or omissions by them in their capacities as such or taken at the request of the Company or such subsidiaries at any time prior to the Purchase Date, to the fullest extent (A) permitted by the Company Charter Documents and the Subsidiary Documents of such subsidiaries as currently in effect and (B) permitted under applicable Law.
(b) An Indemnitee shall notify the Company in writing promptly upon learning of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, investigation or other matter in respect of which such indemnification may be sought, provided that the failure to provide such notice shall not relieve the Company of its obligations under this Section 4.7 except to the extent that it is materially prejudiced as a result of such failure. The Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, to control the defense of, including the investigation of, and corrective action required to be undertaken in response to, any litigation, claim or proceeding (each, a "Claim") relating to any acts or omissions covered under this Section 4.7 with counsel selected by the Company, which counsel shall be reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitee (and, if the Company shall have assumed such defense, it shall not be liable for the fees or expenses of any separate counsel retained by the Indemnitee); provided, however, that the Indemnitee shall be permitted to participate in the defense of such Claim at his or her own expense. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event shall the Company be liable for any settlement or compromise effected without its written consent.
(c) In the event any Claim is asserted or made, any determination required to be made with respect to whether an Indemnitee's conduct complies with the standards set forth under applicable Law, the applicable Company Charter Documents and Subsidiary Documents as the case may be, shall be made by independent legal counsel selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitee; provided that nothing in this Section 4.7 shall impair any rights of any current or former director or officer of the Company or such subsidiaries, including pursuant to the respective Company Charter Documents and the Subsidiary Documents of such subsidiaries, under applicable Law or otherwise.
(d) Each of the Company and the Indemnitees shall cooperate in the defense of any Claim and shall provide access to properties and individuals as reasonably requested and furnish or cause to be furnished records, information and testimony, and attend such conferences, discovery proceedings, hearings, trials or appeals, as may be reasonably requested in connection therewith.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 4.7 shall not be terminated or modified in such a manner as to adversely affect the rights of any Indemnitee to whom this Section 4.7 applies unless (x) such termination or modification is required by applicable Law or (y) the affected Indemnitee shall have consented to such termination or modification (it being expressly agreed that the Indemnitees to whom this Section 4.7 applies shall be third party beneficiaries of this Section 4.7). The provisions of this Section 4.7 are (i) intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each Indemnitee, his or her heirs and his or her representatives and (ii) in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other rights to indemnification or contribution that any such Person may have by contract or otherwise.
(f) In the event that the Company or any of its successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers or conveys all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of the Company shall assume all of the obligations thereof set forth in this Section 4.7.
Indemnification and Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance (a) From and after the Closing, Acquiror shall, and shall cause the Company to, indemnify and hold harmless each present and former director/manager and officer of Acquiror, the Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries, or any individual who, at any time prior to the Closing, is or was serving at the request of Acquiror, the Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries as a director/manager or officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred in connection with any Action, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to matters existing or occurring at or prior to the Closing, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Closing and relating to the fact that such Person was a director/manager or officer of Acquiror, the Company, or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, to the fullest extent that Acquiror, the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries would have been permitted under applicable Law and their respective certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational documents in effect on the Original Agreement Date to indemnify such Person in its capacity as a director/manager or officer (including, within twenty (20) days after any written request is received by Acquiror, the advancing of expenses as incurred to the fullest extent permitted under such organizational documents or under any employment or indemnification agreement set forth on Schedule 7.01(a), which such advancement right shall include any expenses incurred by such Person in connection with enforcing any rights to indemnification under this Section 7.01, in each case, without the requirement of any bond or security). Without limiting the foregoing, Acquiror shall, and shall cause the Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries to, (i) maintain for a period of not less than six years from the Closing provisions in its respective certificate of incorporation, bylaws and other organizational documents concerning the indemnification and exoneration (including provisions relating to expense advancement) of officers and directors/managers that are no less favorable to those Persons than the provisions of such certificates of incorporation, bylaws and other organizational documents as of the Original Agreement Date and (ii) not amend, repeal or otherwise modify such provisions in any respect that would adversely affect the rights of those Persons thereunder, in each case, except as required by Law. All rights to indemnification and advancement conferred under this Section 7.01 shall continue as to any indemnified Person who has ceased to be a director/manager or officer of Acquiror, the Company or the Company’s Subsidiaries at or after the Closing and inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives.
(b) Acquiror shall purchase, at or prior to the Closing, and Acquiror shall or shall cause one or more of its Subsidiaries to maintain in effect for a period of six years from the Closing Date, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering those Persons who are currently covered by Acquiror or the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries’ directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies (true, correct and complete copies of which have been heretofore made available to Acquiror or its agents or representatives) on terms not less favorable than the terms of such current insurance coverage, except that in no event shall Acquiror or its Subsidiaries be required to pay an aggregate premium for such insurance in excess of 300% of the annual premium payable in the aggregate by Acquiror, the Company, and the Company’s Subsidiaries for such insurance policies for the year ended December 31, 2021; provided, however, that (i) Acquiror may cause coverage to be extended under the current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance by obtaining a six-year “tail” policy containing terms not materially less favorable than the terms of such current insurance coverage with respect to claims existing or occurring at or prior to the Closing (the “D&O Tail”) and (ii) if any claim is asserted or made within such six-year period, any insurance required to be maintained under this Section 7.01 shall be continued in respect of such claim until the final disposition thereof.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, this Section 7.01 shall survive the consummation of the Transactions indefinitely and shall be binding, jointly and severally, on Acquiror and the Company and all successors and assigns of Acquiror and the Company. If Acquiror or the Company or any of their respective successors or assigns consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or transfers or conveys all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Acquiror or the Company, as the case may be, shall succeed to the obligations set forth in this Section 7.01.
Formation of LLC THIS OPERATING AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into on , by the following: Single-Member: _ _, with a mailing address: _ _ (“Member”). The Member in the above-described Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) agrees as follows:
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers Unless otherwise determined by Parent prior to the Effective Time:
(a) the Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated as of the Effective Time to conform to Exhibit B;
(b) the Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated as of the Effective Time to conform to the Bylaws of Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time; and
(c) the directors and officers of the Surviving Corporation immediately after the Effective Time shall be the respective individuals who are directors and officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time.
Information and Observer Rights (a) As long as the Purchaser owns at least five percent (5%) of the Securities originally purchased hereunder, Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by Company pursuant to the Exchange Act. As long as the Purchaser owns at least five percent (5%) of the Securities originally purchased hereunder, if Company is not required to file reports pursuant to such laws, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchaser and simultaneously make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for the Purchaser to sell the Securities under Rule 144. Company further covenants that it will take such further action as any holder of Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable the Purchaser to sell the Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144. If Company fails to remain current in its reporting obligations or to provide currently publicly available information in accordance with Rule 144(c) and such failure extends for a period of more than fifteen Trading Days (the date which such fifteen Trading Day-period is exceeded, being referred to as “Event Date”), then in addition to any other rights the Purchaser may have hereunder or under applicable law, on each such Event Date and on each monthly anniversary of each such Event Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been cured by such date) until the information failure is cured, Company shall pay to the Purchaser an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to one percent (1%) of purchase price paid for the Securities held by the Purchaser at the Event Date. The partial liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily pro-rata basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an information failure (except in the case of the first Event Date).
(b) As long as the Purchaser owns at least five percent (5%) of the Securities, if the Purchaser notifies Company that it wishes to attend meetings of Company’s Board of Directors, Company shall invite a designated representative of the Purchaser to attend all meetings of Company’s Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, and subject to the Purchaser’s having informed Company that it wishes to attend, Company shall give such representative copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its directors at the same time and in the same manner as provided to such directors; provided, however, that such representative shall agree to hold in confidence and trust and to act in a fiduciary manner with respect to all information so provided; and provided further, that Company reserves the right to withhold any information and to exclude such representative from any meeting or portion thereof if access to such information or attendance at such meeting could adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between Company and its counsel or result in disclosure of trade secrets or a conflict of interest.
Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance and Indemnification For not less than six (6) years from and after the Effective Date, Aon agrees to indemnify and hold harmless all individuals who at or prior to the Effective Time are past or present directors, officers or employees of WTW or WTW Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) against any costs or expenses (including advancing attorneys’ fees and expenses in advance of the final disposition of any actual or threatened claim, suit, proceeding or investigation to each Indemnified Party to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law; provided such Indemnified Party agrees in advance to return any such funds to which a court of competent jurisdiction has determined in a final, nonappealable judgment such Indemnified Party is not ultimately entitled), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages, liabilities and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any actual or threatened claim, action, investigation, suit or proceeding in respect of acts or omissions occurring or alleged to have occurred at or prior to the Effective Time (including acts or omissions occurring in connection with the approval of this Agreement and the consummation of the Acquisition or any of the other Transactions), whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective Time, in connection with such persons serving as an officer, director, employee or other fiduciary of WTW or any of the WTW Subsidiaries or of any Person if such service was at the request or for the benefit of WTW or any of the WTW Subsidiaries, to the fullest extent permitted by Law or provided pursuant to WTW Governing Documents or the organizational documents of any WTW Subsidiary or any indemnification agreements, if any, in existence on the date of this Agreement. The Parties agree that all rights to elimination of liability, indemnification and advancement of expenses for acts or omissions occurring or alleged to have occurred at or prior to the Effective Time, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective Time, now existing in favor of the Indemnified Parties as provided in their respective certificate of incorporation or by-laws (or comparable organizational documents) or in any agreement shall survive the Acquisition and shall continue in full force and effect. For six (6) years after the Effective Time, Aon shall cause to be maintained in effect the provisions in (i) WTW Governing Documents and the organizational documents of any WTW Subsidiary and (ii) any other agreements of WTW and WTW Subsidiaries with any Indemnified Party, in each case, regarding elimination of liability, indemnification of officers, directors and employees and advancement of expenses that are in existence on the date of this Agreement, and no such provision shall be amended, modified or repealed in any manner that would adversely affect the rights or protections thereunder of any such Indemnified Party in respect of acts or omissions occurring or alleged to have occurred at or prior to the Effective Time (including acts or omissions occurring in connection with the approval of this Agreement and the consummation of the Acquisition or any of the other Transactions). Aon shall cause for an aggregate period of not less than six (6) years from the Effective Date, the purchase of an insurance and indemnification policy in favor of WTW’s current directors and officers that provides coverage for events occurring prior to the Effective Time (the “D&O Insurance”) that is no less favorable that WTW’s existing policy or, if insurance coverage that is no less favorable is unavailable, the best available coverage; provided, however, that WTW shall not be required to pay an annual premium for the D&O Insurance in excess of three-hundred (300%) of the last annual premium paid prior to the date of this Agreement (it being understood that Aon shall nevertheless be obligated to provide as much coverage as may be obtained for such amount); provided further that WTW may prior to the Effective Time substitute therefor a single premium six-year tail coverage with respect to D&O Insurance with an annual cost not in excess of three-hundred (300%) of the last annual premium paid prior to the date of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if any Indemnified Party notifies Aon on or prior to the sixth (6th) anniversary of the Effective Time of a matter in respect of which such Person may seek indemnification pursuant to this Section 8.4, the provisions of this Section 8.4 shall continue in effect with respect to such matter until the final disposition of all claims, actions, investigations, suits and proceedings relating thereto. In the event following the Effective Time Aon or any of its respective successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Aon, as the case may be, shall assume the obligations set forth in this Section 8.4. The rights and obligations under this Section 8.4 shall survive consummation of the Acquisition and shall not be terminated or amended in a manner that is adverse to any Indemnified Party without the written consent of such Indemnified Party. The provisions of this Section 8.4 are intended to be for the benefit of, and will be enforceable by, each Indemnified Party, his or her heirs and his or her legal representatives.
Director and Officer Liability Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation, and the Surviving Corporation hereby agrees, to do the following:
(a) For six years after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless the present and former officers and directors of the Company (each, an “Indemnified Person”) in respect of acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Effective Time to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware Law or any other Applicable Law or provided under the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws in effect on the date hereof; provided that such indemnification shall be subject to any limitation imposed from time to time under Applicable Law.
(b) For six years after the Effective Time, Parent shall cause to be maintained in effect provisions in the Surviving Corporation’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws (or in such documents of any successor to the business of the Surviving Corporation) regarding elimination of liability of directors, indemnification of officers, directors and employees and advancement of expenses that are no less advantageous to the intended beneficiaries than the corresponding provisions in existence on the date of this Agreement.
(c) Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall or, if the Company is unable to, Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation as of the Effective Time to, obtain and fully pay the premium for the non-cancellable extension of the directors’ and officers’ liability coverage of the Company’s existing directors’ and officers’ insurance policies and the Company’s existing fiduciary liability insurance policies (collectively, “D&O Insurance”), in each case for a claims reporting or discovery period of at least six years from and after the Effective Time with respect to any claim related to any period of time at or prior to the Effective Time with terms, conditions, retentions and limits of liability that are not materially less favorable in the aggregate than the coverage provided under the Company’s existing policies with respect to any actual or alleged error, misstatement, misleading statement, act, omission, neglect, breach of duty or any matter claimed against a director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by reason of him or her serving in such capacity that existed or occurred at or prior to the Effective Time (including in connection with this Agreement or the transactions or actions contemplated hereby); provided that (x) the Company shall give Parent a reasonable opportunity to participate in the selection of such tail policy and the Company shall give reasonable and good faith consideration to any comments made by Parent with respect thereto, (y) in no event shall the Company or the Surviving Corporation be required or permitted to expend for such policies pursuant to this sentence an annual premium amount in excess of 250% of the amount per annum the Company paid in its last full fiscal year, which amount is set forth in Section 7.03(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and (z) if the aggregate premiums of such insurance coverage exceed such amount and the Company or the Surviving Corporation, as applicable, shall obtain a policy in accordance with this sentence, such policy shall provide the greatest coverage available, with respect to matters occurring prior to the Effective Time, for a cost not exceeding such amount. If the Company or the Surviving Corporation for any reason fail to obtain such “tail” insurance policies as of the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall continue to maintain in effect, for a period of at least six years from and after the Effective Time, the D&O Insurance in place as of the date hereof with terms, conditions, retentions and limits of liability that are not materially less favorable in the aggregate than the coverage provided under the Company’s existing policies as of the date hereof, or the Surviving Corporation shall purchase D&O Insurance for such six-year period with terms, conditions, retentions and limits of liability that are no less favorable than as provided in the Company’s existing policies as of the date hereof; provided that in no event shall Parent or the Surviving Corporation be required to expend for such policies pursuant to this sentence an annual premium amount in excess of 250% of the amount per annum the Company paid in its last full fiscal year, which amount is set forth in Section 7.03(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule; and provided, further, that if the aggregate premiums of such insurance coverage exceed such amount, the Surviving Corporation shall be obligated to obtain a policy with the greatest coverage available, with respect to matters occurring prior to the Effective Time, for a cost not exceeding such amount.
(d) If Parent, the Surviving Corporation or any of its successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, or (ii) transfers or conveys all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, to the extent necessary, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Parent or the Surviving Corporation, as the case may be, shall assume the obligations set forth in this Section 7.03.
(e) The rights of each Indemnified Person under this Section 7.03 shall be in addition to any rights such Person may have under the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or under Delaware Law or any other Applicable Law or under any agreement of any Indemnified Person with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. These rights shall survive consummation of the Merger and are intended to benefit, and shall be enforceable by, each Indemnified Person.
