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Exhibit 10.4
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement (this "Agreement") is made as of
_______________, by and between JCM Partners, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company (the "Company"), and __________________, a member of the Company's Board
of Managers ("Indemnitee").
RECITALS
A. The Company is aware that competent and experienced persons are
increasingly reluctant to serve as managers or officers of limited liability
companies unless they are protected by comprehensive liability insurance and/or
indemnification, due to increased exposure to litigation costs and risks
resulting from their service to such limited liability companies, and due to the
fact that the exposure frequently bears no reasonable relationship to the
compensation of such managers and officers;
B. Based upon their experience as business managers, the Board of
Managers of the Company (the "Board") has concluded that, to retain and attract
talented and experienced individuals to serve as officers and managers of the
Company, and to encourage such individuals to take the business risks necessary
for the success of the Company, it is necessary for the Company to contractually
indemnify officers and managers, and to assume for itself maximum liability for
expenses and damages in connection with claims against such officers and
managers in connection with their service to the Company;
C. Article 8 of the Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company
provides that the Company may, if the Board deems it appropriate in its sole
discretion, enter into indemnification agreements with its managers and
officers; and
D. The Company desires and has requested Indemnitee to serve or continue
to serve as a manager or officer of the Company free from undue concern for
claims for damages arising out of or related to such services to the Company.
AGREEMENT
In consideration of the mutual promises made in this Agreement, and for
other good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged,
the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) THIRD PARTY PROCEEDINGS. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in
the right of the Company) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
manager, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the
Company, by
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reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or
manager or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a manager, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, except in the
case of fraudulent or knowingly illegal conduct of the Indemnitee. The
termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement,
conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of
itself, create a presumption that Indemnitee acted fraudulently or engaged in
knowingly illegal conduct.
(b) PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to
be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding by
or in the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to procure a
judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a manager,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, by
reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or
manager or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a manager, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees) and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by
the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld), in each case to
the extent actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the
defense or settlement of such action or suit, except in the case of fraudulent
or knowingly illegal conduct of the Indemnitee, and except that no
indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to
which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudicated by court order or judgment
to be liable to the Company in the performance of Indemnitee's duty to the
Company and its members unless and only to the extent that the court in which
such action or proceeding is or was pending shall determine upon application
that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and
reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which such court shall deem
proper.
(c) MANDATORY PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. To the extent that Indemnitee
has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or
proceeding referred to in Section 1(a) or Section 1(b) or the defense of any
claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in
connection therewith.
2. NO EMPLOYMENT OR BOARD RIGHTS. Nothing contained in this Agreement is
intended to create in Indemnitee any right to continued employment or continued
service on the Board.
3. EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE.
(a) ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company shall advance all
expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense,
settlement or appeal of any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding
referred to in Section l(a) or Section 1(b) hereof
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(including amounts actually paid in settlement of any such action, suit or
proceeding). Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced only
if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is
not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby.
(b) NOTICE/COOPERATION BY INDEMNITEE. Indemnitee shall, as a
condition precedent to his or her right to be indemnified under this Agreement,
give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made
against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this
Agreement (the "Notice"). Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief
Executive Officer of the Company (except that, if Indemnitee is the Chief
Executive Officer, then such Notice shall be directed to the Chairman of the
Board) and shall be given in accordance with the provisions of Section 12(d)
below. In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and
cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee's
power.
(c) PROCEDURE. Any indemnification and advances provided for in
Section 1 and this Section 3 shall be made no later than twenty (20) days after
receipt of the written request of Indemnitee. If a claim under this Agreement,
under any statute, or under any provision of the Company's Limited Liability
Company Agreement or Bylaws providing for indemnification is not paid in full by
the Company within twenty (20) days after a written request for payment thereof
has first been received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any
time thereafter bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount
of the claim and, subject to Section 11 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall also
be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees) of bringing
such action. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action
brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in connection with any action,
suit or proceeding in advance of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not
met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for
the Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed, but the burden of
proving such defense shall be on the Company and Indemnitee shall be entitled to
receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Section 3(a) unless and until
such defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from which no
further right of appeal exists. It is the parties' intention that if the Company
contests Indemnitee's right to indemnification, the question of Indemnitee's
right to indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and neither the
failure of the Company (including the Board, any committee or subgroup of the
Board, independent legal counsel, or its members) to have made a determination
that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because
Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct required by applicable
law, nor an actual determination by the Company (including the Board, any
committee or subgroup of the Board, independent legal counsel, or its members)
that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a
presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of
conduct.
(d) NOTICE TO INSURERS. If, at the time of the receipt of Notice
of a claim pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof, the Company has director and officer
liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the
commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter
take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf
of
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Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance
with the terms of such policies.
(e) SELECTION OF COUNSEL. In the event the Company shall be
obligated under Section 3(a) hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding
against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the
defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the
delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do, which notice
shall be provided within twenty (20) days of the Company's receipt of the
Notice. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee
and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable
to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred
by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding, except that (i) Indemnitee
shall have the right to employ counsel in any such proceeding at Indemnitee's
expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been
previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably
concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and
Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense or (C) the Company shall not, in
fact, have employed counsel to assume the defense of such proceeding, then the
fees and expenses of Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the expense of the
Company.
4. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS; NONEXCLUSIVITY.
(a) SCOPE. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement,
the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent
permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically
authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company's Limited
Liability Company Agreement, the Company's Bylaws or by statute. In the event of
any change, after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute, or
rule which expands the right of a Delaware limited liability company to
indemnify a member of its board of managers or an officer, such changes shall be
deemed to be within the purview of Indemnitee's rights and the Company's
obligations under this Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable
law, statute or rule which narrows the right of a Delaware limited liability
company to indemnify a member of its board of managers or an officer, such
changes, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be
applied to this Agreement shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties'
rights and obligations hereunder.
(b) NONEXCLUSIVITY. The indemnification provided by this
Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be
entitled under the Company's Limited Liability Company Agreement, its Bylaws,
any agreement, any vote of members or disinterested members of the Board, the
Limited Liability Company Act of the State of Delaware, or otherwise, both as to
action in Indemnitee's official capacity and as to action in another capacity
while holding such office. The indemnification provided under this Agreement
shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving
in an indemnified capacity even though he or she may have ceased to serve in any
such capacity at the time of any action, suit or other covered proceeding.
5. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. If Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a
portion of the expenses, judgments,
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fines or penalties actually or reasonably incurred in the investigation,
defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit or
proceeding, but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses, judgments,
fines or penalties to which Indemnitee is entitled.
6. MUTUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge
that in certain instances, Federal law or public policy may override applicable
state law and prohibit the Company from indemnifying its managers and officers
under this Agreement or otherwise. For example, the Company and Indemnitee
acknowledge that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has taken
the position that indemnification is not permissible for liabilities arising
under certain federal securities laws, and federal legislation prohibits
indemnification for certain ERISA violations. Indemnitee understands and
acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to
undertake with the SEC to submit the question of indemnification to a court in
certain circumstances for a determination of the Company's right under public
policy to indemnify Indemnitee.
7. OFFICER AND DIRECTOR LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Company shall, from
time to time, make the good faith determination whether or not it is practicable
for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of insurance with
reputable insurance companies providing the officers and managers of the Company
with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to ensure the Company's
performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Among other
considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such insurance
coverage against the protection afforded by such coverage. In all policies of
director and officer liability insurance, Indemnitee shall be named as an
insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits
as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company's managers, if
Indemnitee is a manager; or of the Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a
manager of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company's key employees, if
Indemnitee is not an officer or manager but is a key employee. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain such
insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such insurance is not
reasonably available, if the premium costs for such insurance are
disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided, if the coverage provided by
such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to provide an insufficient
benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained by a parent
or subsidiary of the Company.
8. SEVERABILITY. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or
shall be construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in
violation of applicable law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order,
to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of
this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided
in this Section 8. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated
on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated, and the balance
of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in accordance with its
terms.
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9. EXCEPTIONS. Any other provision herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement:
(a) CLAIMS INITIATED BY INDEMNITEE. To indemnify or advance
expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or
brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect
to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise, but such
indemnification or advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in
specific cases if the Board finds it to be appropriate;
(b) LACK OF GOOD FAITH. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses
incurred by Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee
to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction
determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee in such
proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous;
(c) INSURED CLAIMS. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or
liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) to the
extent such expenses or liabilities have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an
insurance carrier under a policy of officers' and directors' liability insurance
maintained by the Company; or
(d) CLAIMS UNDER SECTION 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for
expenses or the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by
Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar successor statute.
10. CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PHRASES.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company"
shall include, in addition to the resulting entity, any constituent entity
(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 managers, officers, and employees or agents, so that
if Indemnitee is or was a manager, officer, employee or agent of such
constituent entity, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent
entity as a manager, officer, employee or agent of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in
the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the
resulting or surviving entity as Indemnitee would have with respect to such
constituent entity if its separate existence had continued.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other
enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall
include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee
benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall
include any service as a manager, officer, employee or agent of the Company
which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such manager, officer,
employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or
beneficiaries.
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11. ATTORNEYS' FEES. In the event that any action is instituted by
Indemnitee under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all court costs and expenses, including
reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action,
unless as a part of such action, the court of competent jurisdiction determines
that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such
action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action
instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement or to enforce
or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to
be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by
Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such
action the court determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such
action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
12. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and all acts and transactions
pursuant hereto and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be
governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of
Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflict of law.
(b) ENTIRE AGREEMENT; ENFORCEMENT OF RIGHTS. This Agreement sets
forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties relating to the
subject matter herein and merges all prior discussions between them. No
modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights
under this Agreement, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the parties
to this Agreement. The failure by either party to enforce any rights under this
Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of such party.
(c) CONSTRUCTION. This Agreement is the result of negotiations
between and has been reviewed by each of the parties hereto and their respective
counsel, if any; accordingly, this Agreement shall be deemed to be the product
of all of the parties hereto, and no ambiguity shall be construed in favor of or
against any one of the parties hereto.
(d) NOTICES. Any notice, demand or request required or permitted
to be given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed
sufficient when delivered personally or sent by telegram or fax, or forty-eight
(48) hours after being deposited in the U.S. mail, as certified or registered
mail, with postage prepaid, and addressed to the party to be notified at such
party's address as set forth below or as subsequently modified by written
notice.
(e) COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which
together shall constitute one instrument.
(f) SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall be binding upon
the Company and its successors and assigns, and inure to the benefit of
Indemnitee and Indemnitee's heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
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(g) SUBROGATION. In the event of payment under this Agreement,
the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the
rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and
shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the
Company to effectively bring suit to enforce such rights.
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The parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year
set forth on the first page of this Agreement.
JCM Partners, LLC
By:
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Title:
---------------------------------
Address: 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000-0000
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
[Indemnitee Name]
-----------------------------------
(Signature)
Address: [Indemnitee Address]
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