INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.2
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), made and executed as of , by and between GeoMet, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and , an individual resident of the State of (the “Indemnitee”).
1. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement:
(a) “Change in Control” shall mean:
(i) a “change in control” of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A for a proxy statement filed under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Act”), as in effect on the date of this Agreement;
(ii) a “person” (as that term is used in 14(d)(2) of the Act) becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act) directly or indirectly of securities representing 30% or more of the combined voting power for election of directors of the then outstanding securities of the Company;
(iii) the individuals who at the beginning of any period of two consecutive years or less (starting on or after the date of this Agreement) constitute the Company’s Board of Directors cease for any reason during such period to constitute at least a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors, unless the election or nomination for election of each new member of the Board of Directors was approved in advance by vote of a majority of the members of such Board of Directors then still in office who were members of such Board of Directors at the beginning of such period;
(iv) the stockholders of the Company approve any reorganization, merger, consolidation or share exchange as a result of which the common stock of the Company shall be changed, converted or exchanged into or for securities of another organization or any dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale or the disposition of 50% or more of the assets or business of the Company; or
(v) the stockholders of the Company approve any reorganization, merger, consolidation or share exchange with another corporation unless (1) the persons who were the beneficial owners of the outstanding shares of the common stock of the Company immediately before the consummation of such transaction beneficially own more than 60% of the outstanding shares of the common stock of the successor or survivor corporation in such transaction immediately following the consummation of such transaction and (2) the number of shares of the common stock of such successor or survivor corporation beneficially owned by the persons described in Section 1(a)(v)(1) immediately following the consummation of such transaction is beneficially owned by each such person in substantially the same proportion that each such person had beneficially owned shares of the Company common stock immediately before the consummation of such transaction, provided (3) the percentage described in Section 1(a)(v)(1) of the beneficially owned shares of the successor or survivor corporation and the number described in Section 1(a)(v)(2) of the beneficially owned shares of the successor or survivor corporation shall be determined exclusively by reference to the shares of the successor or survivor corporation which result from the beneficial ownership of shares of common stock of the Company by the persons described in Section 1(a)(v)(1) immediately before the consummation of such transaction.
(b) “Disinterested Director” shall mean a director of the Company who is not or was not a party to the action, suit, investigation or proceeding in respect of which indemnification is being sought by the Indemnitee.
(c) “Expenses” shall include all attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend,
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investigating or being or preparing to be a witness in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding, or request by a government agency for documents or other information, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative in nature.
(d) “Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm that neither is presently nor in the past five years has been retained to represent (i) the Company or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party or (ii) any other party to the action, suit, investigation or proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s right to indemnification under this Agreement.
2. SERVICE BY THE INDEMNITEE. The Indemnitee agrees to serve as a director or officer of the Company and will discharge his/her duties and responsibilities to the best of his/her ability so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected or qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate”), and the Bylaws, as amended (the “Bylaws”), of the Company and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended (the “DGCL”), or until his/her earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal. The Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other obligation, whether contractual or imposed by operation of law), in which event this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after such resignation. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon the Indemnitee the right to continue in the employ of the Company or as a director of the Company, or affect the right of the Company to terminate, in the Company’s sole discretion (with or without cause) and at any time, the Indemnitee’s employment or position as a director, in each case, subject to any contractual rights of the Indemnitee created or existing otherwise than under this Agreement.
(a) on account of any action, suit or proceeding in which judgment is rendered against the Indemnitee for disgorgement of profits made from the purchase or sale by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Act or similar provisions of any federal, state or local statutory law;
(b) on account of conduct of the Indemnitee which is finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction or duly appointed arbitration panel to have been knowingly fraudulent or to constitute willful misconduct;
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(c) in any circumstance where such indemnification is expressly prohibited by applicable law;
(d) with respect to liability for which payment is actually made to the Indemnitee under a valid and collectible insurance policy or under a valid and enforceable indemnity clause, Bylaw or agreement (other than this Agreement), except in respect of any liability in excess of payment under such insurance, clause, Bylaw or agreement;
(e) if a final decision by a court having jurisdiction in the matter shall determine that such indemnification is not lawful (and, in this respect, both the Company and the Indemnitee have been advised that it is the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission that indemnification for liabilities arising under the federal securities laws is against public policy and is, therefore, unenforceable, and that claims for indemnification should be submitted to the appropriate court or arbitration panel for adjudication or decision); or
(f) in connection with any action, suit or proceeding by the Indemnitee against the Company or any of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries or the directors, officers, employees or other Indemnitees of the Company or any of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, (i) unless such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) unless the action, suit or proceeding was previously authorized by a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company, (iii) unless such indemnification is provided by the Company, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law or (iv) except as provided in Sections 12 and 14 hereof.
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party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company, or any of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by him/her in any such capacity. Pursuant to this Section 5, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him/her in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding (including, but not limited to the investigation, defense or appeal thereof), if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided, however, that no such indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action, suit or proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such Expenses which such court shall deem proper.
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indemnification for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee to which the Indemnitee is entitled.
9. PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including documentation and information which is reasonably available to the Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in writing that the Indemnitee has requested indemnification. Any Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the Indemnitee’s request for indemnification hereunder shall be borne by the Company. The Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold the Indemnitee harmless for any Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee under the immediately preceding sentence irrespective of the outcome of the determination of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification.
(b) Upon written request by the Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Sections 4 and 5 hereof, the entitlement of the Indemnitee to indemnification pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be determined by the following person or persons, who shall be empowered to make such determination: (i) if a Change in Control shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel (unless the Indemnitee shall request in writing that such determination be made by the Board of Directors (or a committee thereof) in the manner provided for in clause (b)(ii) of this Section 9) in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee; (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, (A) by the Board of Directors of the Company, by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors, or (B) if a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors is not obtainable, or if a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee. The Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors and approved by the Indemnitee. Upon failure of the Board of Directors to so select, or upon failure of the Indemnitee to so approve, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Chancellor of the State of Delaware or such other person as the Chancellor shall designate to make such selection. Such determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be made not later than 45 days after receipt by the Company of a written request for indemnification. If the person making such determination shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification as to part (but not all) of the application for indemnification, such person shall reasonably prorate such part of indemnification among such claims, issues or matters. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within 10 days after such determination.
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10. PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS.
(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification, the Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to indemnification hereunder and the Company shall have the burden of proof in the making of any determination contrary to such presumption.
(b) If the Board of Directors, or such other person or persons empowered pursuant to Section 9 to make the determination of whether the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, shall have failed to make a determination as to entitlement to indemnification within 45 days after receipt by the Company of such request, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and the Indemnitee shall be absolutely entitled to such indemnification, absent actual and material fraud in the request for indemnification or a prohibition of indemnification under applicable law. The termination of any action, suit, investigation or proceeding described in Sections 4 or 5 hereof by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself: (i) create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, that the Indemnitee has reasonable cause to believe that the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful; or (ii) otherwise adversely affect the rights of the Indemnitee to indemnification, except as may be provided herein.
12. REMEDIES OF THE INDEMNITEE IN CASES OF DETERMINATION NOT TO INDEMNIFY OR TO ADVANCE EXPENSES. In the event that a determination is made that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification hereunder or if the payment has not been timely made following a determination of entitlement to indemnification pursuant to Sections 9 and 10, or if Expenses are not advanced pursuant to Section 11, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to a final adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Delaware or any other court of
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competent jurisdiction of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification or advance. Alternatively, the Indemnitee may, at the Indemnitee’s option, seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator chosen by the Indemnitee and approved by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. If the Indemnitee and the Company do not agree upon an arbitrator within 30 days following notice to the Company by the Indemnitee that it seeks an award in arbitration, the arbitrator will be chosen pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”). The arbitration will be conducted pursuant to the rules of the AAA and an award shall be made within 60 days following the filing of the demand for arbitration. The arbitration shall be held in Houston, Texas. The Company shall not oppose the Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration or any other claim. Such judicial proceeding or arbitration shall be made de novo, and the Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of a determination (if so made) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification. If a determination is made or deemed to have been made pursuant to the terms of Section 9 or Section 10 hereof that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination and shall be precluded from asserting that such determination has not been made or that the procedure by which such determination was made is not valid, binding and enforceable. The Company further agrees to stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement and is precluded from making any assertions to the contrary. If the court or arbitrator shall determine that the Indemnitee is entitled to any indemnification hereunder, the Company shall pay all reasonable Expenses actually incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such adjudication or award in arbitration (including, but not limited to, any appellate proceedings).
(a) The Company will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 13(b), to the extent that it may wish, the Company, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. After notice from the Company to the Indemnitee of its election to so assume the defense thereof, Company shall not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any legal or other Expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation or as otherwise provided below. The Indemnitee shall have the right to employ the Indemnitee’s own counsel in such action, suit or proceeding, but the fees and Expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Company of its assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of the Indemnitee unless (i) the employment of counsel by
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the Indemnitee has been authorized by the Company, (ii) the Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such action and such determination by the Indemnitee shall be supported by an opinion of counsel, which opinion shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company, or (iii) the Company shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of the action, in each of which cases the fees and Expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any action, suit or proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Company or as to which the Indemnitee shall have reached the conclusion provided for in clause (ii) above.
(c) The Company shall not be liable to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action, suit or proceeding affected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall not be required to obtain the consent of the Indemnitee to settle any action, suit or proceeding which the Company has undertaken to defend if the Company assumes full and sole responsibility for such settlement and such settlement grants the Indemnitee a complete and unqualified release in respect of any potential liability.
(d) If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to this Section 13, 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. In the event that the Company is unable to indemnify or advance Expenses as provided in this Agreement, or the Indemnitee may be entitled to direct payment from such insurers, 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 the policies.
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that such insurance is not necessary or 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 the Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained by a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. However, the Company’s decision whether or not to adopt and maintain such insurance shall not affect in any way its obligations to indemnify its officers and directors under this Agreement or otherwise. In all policies of director and officer liability insurance, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide the Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if the Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if the Indemnitee is not a director of the Company, but is an officer. The Company agrees that the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in effect regardless of whether liability or other insurance coverage is at any time obtained or retained by the Company; except that any payments made to, or on behalf of, the Indemnitee under an insurance policy shall reduce the obligations of the Company hereunder.
17. INTENT. This Agreement is intended to be broader than any statutory indemnification rights applicable in the State of Delaware and shall be in addition to any other rights the Indemnitee may have under the Company’s Certificate, Bylaws, applicable law or otherwise. To the extent that a change in applicable law (whether by statute or judicial decision) permits greater indemnification by agreement than would be afforded currently under the Company’s Certificate, Bylaws, applicable law or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties that the Indemnitee enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change.
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(a) the relative benefits Indemnitee and the Company have received as a result of the events(s) or transaction(s) giving rise to that proceeding; or
(b) the relative fault of Indemnitee and of the Company and its other functionaries in connection with those event(s) or transaction(s).
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binding unless executed in writing by both parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment to this Agreement shall limit or restrict any right of the Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any act or omission of the Indemnitee prior to the effective date of such supplement, modification or amendment unless expressly provided therein.
(a) | If to the Indemnitee to: |
Facsimile:
(b) | If to the Company to: |
Two Houston Center, Suite 1850
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
or to such other address as may be furnished to the Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by the Indemnitee, as the case may be.
30. GOVERNING LAW. The parties hereto agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without giving effect to any conflicts of law principles.
(Remainder of page intentionally left blank.)
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THE COMPANY: | ||
GEOMET, INC.: | ||
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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INDEMNITEE: | ||
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[Print Name] |
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