AGRITOPE, INC.
(A DELAWARE CORPORATION)
AGREEMENT CONCERNING INDEMNIFICATION AND RELATED MATTERS
(OFFICERS)
This Agreement is made as of November , 1997, by and between AGRITOPE,
INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"), and ------------ (the
"Officer"), an officer of the Corporation.
WHEREAS, it is essential to the Corporation to retain and attract as
officers of the Corporation the most capable persons available and persons who
have significant experience in business, corporate and financial matters; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation has identified the Officer as a person
possessing the background and abilities desired by the Corporation and desires
the Officer to serve as an officer of the Corporation; and
WHEREAS, the substantial increase in corporate litigation may, from
time to time, subject corporate officers to burdensome litigation, the risks of
which frequently far outweigh the advantages of serving in such capacity; and
WHEREAS, in recent times the cost of liability insurance has increased
and the availability of such insurance is, from time to time, severely limited;
and
WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Officer recognize that serving as an
officer of a corporation at times calls for subjective evaluations and judgments
upon which reasonable persons may differ and that, in that context, it is
anticipated and expected that officers of corporations will and do from time to
time commit actual or alleged errors or omissions in the good faith exercise of
their corporate duties and responsibilities; and
WHEREAS, it is the express policy of the Corporation to indemnify its
officers to the fullest extent permitted by law; and
WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation permits,
and the Bylaws of the Corporation require, indemnification of the officers of
the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law, including but not
limited to the General Corporation Law of Delaware (the "GCL"), and the GCL
expressly provides that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not
exclusive, and thereby contemplates that contracts may be entered into between
the Corporation and its officers with respect to indemnification; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Officer desire to articulate clearly
in contractual form their respective rights and obligations with regard to the
Officer's service on behalf of the Corporation as an officer and with regard to
claims for loss, liability, expense or damage which, directly or indirectly, may
arise out of or relate to such service.
NOW THEREFORE, the Corporation and the Officer agree as follows:
1. Agreement to Serve.
The Officer shall serve as an officer of the Corporation for so long
as the Officer is duly appointed or until the Officer tenders a resignation in
writing. This Agreement creates no obligation on either party to continue the
service of the Officer for a particular term or any term.
2. Definitions.
As used in this Agreement:
(a) The term "Proceeding" shall include any threatened, pending
or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether formal or informal,
whether brought by or in the right of the Corporation or otherwise, and
whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, in
which the Officer may be or may have been involved as a party, witness or
otherwise, by reason of the fact that the Officer is or was an officer of
the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as
a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, whether
or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is
incurred for which exculpation, indemnification or reimbursement can be
provided under this Agreement.
(b) The term "Expenses" includes, without limitation thereto,
expenses of investigations, judicial or administrative proceedings or
appeals, attorney, accountant and other professional fees and disbursements
and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under Section
12 of this Agreement, but shall not include amounts paid in settlement by
the Officer or the amount of judgments or fines against the Officer.
(c) References to "other enterprise" include, without limitation,
employee benefit plans; references to "fines" include, without limitation,
any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit
plan; references to "serving at the request of the Corporation" include,
without limitation, any service as a
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director, officer, employee or agent which imposes duties on, or involves
services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an
employee benefit plan, its participants, or its beneficiaries; and a person
who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to
be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee
benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the
best interests of the Corporation" as referred to in this Agreement.
(d) References to "the Corporation" shall include, in addition to
the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any
constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which,
if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority
to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any
person who is or was a director, officer or employee 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, shall
stand in the same position under this Agreement with respect to the
resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect
to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(e) For purposes of this Agreement, the meaning of the phrase "to
the fullest extent permitted by law" shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any
amendments to or replacements of the GCL adopted after the date of
this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may
indemnify or exculpate its officers or directors; and
(ii) to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the
GCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by
agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or
replacement of the GCL.
3. Limitation of Liability.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Officer shall
have no monetary liability of any kind or nature whatsoever in respect of
the Officer's errors or omissions (or alleged errors or omissions) in
serving the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, their respective
stockholders or any other enterprise at the request of the Corporation, so
long as such errors or omissions (or alleged errors or omissions), if any,
are not shown by clear and
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convincing evidence to have involved:
(i) any breach of the Officer's duty of loyalty to such
corporations, stockholders or enterprises;
(ii) any act or omission not in good faith or which involved
intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
(iii) any unlawful distribution as defined in the GCL
(including, without limitation, dividends, stock repurchases and stock
redemptions);
(iv) any transaction from which the Officer derived an
improper personal benefit; or
(v) profits made from the purchase and sale by the Officer
of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 16(b)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar
provision of any state statutory law or common law.
(b) Without limiting the generality of subparagraph (a) above and
to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Officer shall have no personal
liability to the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, their respective
stockholders or any other person claiming derivatively through the
Corporation, regardless of the theory or principle under which such
liability may be asserted, for:
(i) punitive, exemplary or consequential damages;
(ii) treble or other damages computed based upon any
multiple of damages actually and directly proved to have been
sustained;
(iii) fees of attorneys, accountants, expert witnesses or
professional consultants; or
(iv) civil fines or penalties of any kind or nature
whatsoever.
4. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings.
The Corporation shall indemnify the Officer in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 4 if the Officer was or is a party to, or is
threatened to be made a party to, any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding by or
in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor), against all
Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, actually and
reasonably incurred by the Officer in connection with
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such Proceeding if the Officer acted in good faith and in a manner the Officer
reasonably believed was in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the
Officer, in addition, had no reasonable cause to believe that the Officer's
conduct was unlawful. However, the Officer shall not be entitled to
indemnification under this Section 4 in connection with any Proceeding charging
improper personal benefit to the Officer in which the Officer is adjudged liable
on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by the Officer unless
and only to the extent that the court conducting such Proceeding or any other
court of competent jurisdiction determines upon application that, despite such
adjudication of liability, the Officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances of the case.
5. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation.
The Corporation shall indemnify the Officer in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 5 if the Officer was or is a party to, or is
threatened to be made a party to, any Proceeding by or in the right of the
Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, against all Expenses actually
and reasonably incurred by the Officer in connection with the defense or
settlement of such Proceeding if the Officer acted in good faith and in a manner
the Officer reasonably believed was in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Corporation. However, the Officer shall not be entitled to indemnification
under this Section 5 in connection with any Proceeding in which the Officer has
been adjudged liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the
court conducting such Proceeding or any other court of competent jurisdiction
determines upon application that, despite such adjudication of liability, the
Officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such Expenses
in view of all the relevant circumstances of the case.
6. Indemnification of Expenses of Successful Party.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement other than
Section 8, to the extent that the Officer has been successful, on the merits or
otherwise, in defense of any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or
matter therein, including the dismissal of an action without prejudice, the
Corporation shall indemnify the Officer against all Expenses actually and
reasonably incurred in connection therewith.
7. Additional Indemnification.
Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 4, 5 or 6, the Corporation
shall indemnify the Officer to the fullest extent permitted by law with respect
to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Corporation
to procure a
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judgment in its favor), against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred by the Officer in connection
with such Proceeding.
8. Exclusions.
Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Corporation shall
not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification in connection
with any claim made against the Officer:
(a) for which payment is made to or on behalf of the Officer
under any insurance policy, except with respect to any deductible amount,
self-insured retention or any excess amount to which the Officer is
entitled under this Agreement beyond the amount of payment under such
insurance policy;
(b) if a court having jurisdiction in the matter finally
determines that such indemnification is not lawful under any applicable
statute or public policy;
(c) in connection with any Proceeding (or part of any Proceeding)
initiated by the Officer, or any Proceeding by the Officer against the
Corporation or its directors, officers, employees or other persons entitled
to be indemnified by the Corporation, unless:
(i) the Corporation is expressly required by law to make the
indemnification;
(ii) the Proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors
of the Corporation; or
(iii) the Officer initiated the Proceeding pursuant to Section
12 of this Agreement and the Officer is successful in whole or in part
in such Proceeding; or
(d) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale
by the Officer of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of
Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or
similar provision of any state statutory law or common law.
9. Advances for Expenses.
The Corporation shall pay the Expenses incurred by the Officer in any
Proceeding (other than a Proceeding brought for an accounting of profits made
from the purchase and sale by the Officer of securities of the Corporation
within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, or similar provision of any state statutory law or common law) in
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advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding at the written request of the
Officer, if the Officer:
(a) furnishes the Corporation a written affirmation of the
Officer's good faith belief that the Officer is entitled to be indemnified
under this Agreement; and
(b) furnishes the Corporation a written undertaking to repay the
advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that the Officer is
not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation. Such undertaking shall
be an unlimited general obligation of the Officer but need not be secured.
Advances pursuant to this Section 9 shall be made no later than 10
days after receipt by the Corporation of the affirmation and undertaking
described in subparagraphs (a) and (b) above, and shall be made without regard
to the Officer's ability to repay the amount advanced and without regard to the
Officer's ultimate entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement. The
Corporation may establish a trust, escrow account or other secured funding
source for the payment of advances made and to be made pursuant to this Section
9 or of other liability incurred by the Officer in connection with any
Proceeding.
10. Nonexclusivity and Continuity of Rights.
The indemnification, advancement of Expenses, and exculpation from
liability provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other
rights to which the Officer may be entitled under any other agreement,
certificate of incorporation, bylaws, vote of stockholders or directors, the
GCL, or otherwise, both as to action in the Officer's official capacity and as
to action in another capacity while holding such office or occupying such
position. The indemnification under this Agreement shall continue as to the
Officer even though the Officer may have ceased to be an officer of the
Corporation or a director, officer, employee or agent of an enterprise related
to the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors,
administrators and personal representatives of the Officer.
11. Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.
Any indemnification under Sections 4, 5, 6 or 7 shall be made no later
than 45 days after receipt of the written request of the Officer, unless a
determination that the Officer is not entitled to indemnification under this
Agreement is made within such 45-day period by:
(a) the Board of Directors by majority vote of a quorum
consisting of directors not at the time parties to the applicable
Proceeding;
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(b) if such quorum cannot be obtained, majority vote of a
committee duly designated by the Board of Directors consisting solely of
two or more directors not at the time parties to the proceeding;
(c) special legal counsel selected by the Board of Directors or
its committee in the manner prescribed in subparagraph (a) or (b) above or,
if a quorum of the Board of Directors cannot be obtained under subparagraph
(a) above and a committee cannot be designated under subparagraph (b)
above, the special legal counsel shall be selected by majority vote of the
full Board of Directors, including directors who are parties to the
proceeding; or
(d) the stockholders of the Corporation.
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12. Enforcement.
The Officer may enforce any right to indemnification, advances or
exculpation provided by this Agreement in any court of competent jurisdiction
if:
(a) the Corporation denies the claim for indemnification,
advances or exculpation, in whole or in part; or
(b) the Corporation does not dispose of such claim within the
time period required by this Agreement.
It shall be a defense to any such enforcement action (other than an action
brought to enforce a claim for advancement of Expenses pursuant to, and in
compliance with, Section 9 of this Agreement) that the Officer is not entitled
to indemnification or exculpation under this Agreement. However, except as
provided in Section 13 of this Agreement, the Corporation shall not assert any
defense to an action brought to enforce a claim for advancement of Expenses
pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement if the Officer has tendered to the
Corporation the affirmation and undertaking required thereunder. The burden of
proving by clear and convincing evidence that indemnification or exculpation is
not appropriate shall be on the Corporation. Neither the failure of the
Corporation (including its Board of Directors or independent legal counsel) to
have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that
indemnification or exculpation is proper in the circumstances because the
Officer has met the applicable standard of conduct nor an actual determination
by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors or independent legal
counsel) that indemnification or exculpation is improper because the Officer has
not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be asserted as a defense to
the action or create a presumption that the Officer is not entitled to
indemnification or exculpation under this Agreement or otherwise. The Officer's
expenses incurred in connection with successfully establishing the Officer's
right to indemnification, advances or exculpation, in whole or in part, in any
Proceeding shall also be paid or reimbursed by the Corporation.
The termination of any 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) the Officer is not entitled to indemnification under Sections
4, 5 or 7 of this Agreement because the Officer did not act in good faith
and in a manner which the Officer 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 reasonable cause to believe that the
Officer's conduct was unlawful; or
(ii) the Officer is not entitled to exculpation under Section 3 of
this Agreement.
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13. Notification and Defense of Claim.
As a condition precedent to indemnification under this Agreement, not
later than 30 days after receipt by the Officer of notice of the commencement of
any Proceeding the Officer shall, if a claim in respect of the Proceeding is to
be made against the Corporation under this Agreement, notify the Corporation in
writing of the commencement of the Proceeding. The failure to properly notify
the Corporation shall not relieve the Corporation from any liability which it
may have to the Officer: (a) unless the Corporation shall be shown to have
suffered actual damages as a result of such failure; or (b) otherwise than under
this Agreement. With respect to any Proceeding as to which the Officer so
notifies the Corporation of the commencement:
(a) The Corporation shall be entitled to participate in the
Proceeding at its own expense.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 13, the
Corporation may, at its option and jointly with any other indemnifying
party similarly notified and electing to assume such defense, assume the
defense of the Proceeding, with legal counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the Officer. The Officer shall have the right to use separate legal counsel
in the Proceeding, but the Corporation shall not be liable to the Officer
under this Agreement, including Section 9 above, for the fees and expenses
of separate legal counsel incurred after notice from the Corporation of its
assumption of the defense, unless (i) the Officer reasonably concludes that
there may be a conflict of interest between the Corporation and the Officer
in the conduct of the defense of the Proceeding, or (ii) the Corporation
does not use legal counsel to assume the defense of such Proceeding. The
Corporation shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any Proceeding
brought by or on behalf of the Corporation or as to which the Officer has
made the conclusion provided for in (i) above.
(c) If two or more persons who may be entitled to indemnification
from the Corporation, including the Officer, are parties to any Proceeding,
the Corporation may require the Officer to use the same legal counsel as
the other parties. The Officer shall have the right to use separate legal
counsel in the Proceeding, but the Corporation shall not be liable to the
Officer under this Agreement, including Section 9 above, for the fees and
expenses of separate legal counsel incurred after notice from the
Corporation of the requirement to use the same legal counsel as the other
parties, unless the Officer reasonably concludes that there may be a
conflict of interest between the Officer and any of the other parties
required by the Corporation to be represented by the same legal counsel.
(d) The Corporation shall not be liable to indemnify the Officer
under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any Proceeding
effected without its
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written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Officer
shall permit the Corporation to settle any Proceeding that the Corporation
assumes the defense of, except that the Corporation shall not settle any
action or claim in any manner that would impose any penalty, limitation,
disqualification or disenfranchisement on the Officer without the Officer's
written consent.
14. Partial Indemnification.
If the Officer is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Corporation for some or a portion of the Expenses,
judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred
by the Officer in connection with such Proceeding, but not, however, for the
total amount thereof, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify the Officer
for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement
to which the Officer is entitled.
15. Interpretation and Scope of Agreement.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted to constitute a
contract of service for any particular period or pursuant to any particular
terms or conditions. The Corporation retains the right, in its discretion, to
terminate the service relationship of the Officer, with or without cause, or to
alter the terms and conditions of the Officer's service all without prejudice to
any rights of the Officer which may have accrued or vested prior to such action
by the Corporation.
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16. Severability.
If this Agreement or any portion thereof shall be invalidated on any
ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Agreement
shall continue to be valid and the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify the
Officer as to Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with
respect to any Proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated.
17. 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 the
Officer. The Officer 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.
18. Notices.
All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given upon
delivery by hand to the party to whom the notice or other communication shall
have been directed, or on the third business day after the date on which it is
mailed by United States mail with first-class postage prepaid, addressed as
follows:
(a) If to the Officer, to the address indicated on the signature
page of this Agreement.
(b) If to the Corporation, to:
Agritope, Inc.
0000 X.X. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 00000
Attention: Chairman of the Board
With a copy to:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx LLP
1600 Pioneer Tower
000 X.X. Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 00000-0000
or to any other address as either party may designate to the other in writing.
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19. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall constitute the original.
20. Applicable Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the internal laws of the state of Delaware without regard to the conflict of
laws provisions thereof.
21. Successors and Assigns.
This Agreement shall be binding upon the Corporation and its
successors and assigns.
22. Attorney Fees.
If any suit or action (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy
proceeding) is instituted to enforce or interpret any provision of this
Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the party not
prevailing, in addition to other relief that may be provided by law, an amount
determined reasonable as attorney fees at trial and on any appeal of such suit
or action.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed as of the date first written above.
CORPORATION: OFFICER:
AGRITOPE, INC.
By:----------------------------- --------------------------------
Title:--------------------------
--------------------------------
Address
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