Exhibit 10.9
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT, dated as of May 1, 2000, by and between
SPECTRE INDUSTRIES, INC., a Nevada corporation (the "Company"), and the director
and/or officer whose name appears on the signature page of this Agreement
("Indemnitee").
RECITALS
A. Highly competent persons are becoming more reluctant to serve as
directors or officers or in other capacities unless they are provided with
reasonable protection through insurance or indemnification against risks of
claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities
on behalf of the corporations.
B. The Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board" or the "Board
of Directors") has determined that the Company should act to assure its
directors and officers that there will be increased certainty of such protection
in the future.
C. It is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company
contractually to obligate itself to indemnify such persons to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the
Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified.
D. Indemnitee is willing to serve, to continue to serve and to take
on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that
Indemnitee be so indemnified.
AGREEMENT
In consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein,
the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:
(a) "Affiliate" shall mean any corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise in respect of which the Indemnitee is or was
or will be serving as a director, officer, advisory director or Board Committee
member at the request of the Company, and including, but not limited to, any
employee benefit plan of the Company or any of the foregoing.
(b) "Disinterested Director" shall mean a director of the Company
who is not or was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which
indemnification is being sought by Indemnitee.
(c) "Expenses" shall include all attorneys' fees and costs,
retainers, court costs, transcripts, 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 asserting or defending claims.
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(d) "Independent Counsel" shall mean a law firm or lawyer that
neither is presently nor in the past five years has been retained to represent:
(i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to any such party or (ii)
any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification
hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term "Independent Counsel" shall
not include any firm or person who, under the applicable standards of
professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in
representing any of the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine
Indemnitee's right to indemnification under this Agreement. All Expenses of the
Independent Counsel incurred in connection with acting pursuant to this
Agreement shall be borne by the Company.
(e) "Losses" shall mean all losses, claims, liabilities, judgments,
fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any
Proceeding.
(f) "Proceeding" includes any action, suit, arbitration, alternate
dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, administrative hearing or any other
proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; provided,
however, that the term "Proceeding" shall include any action instituted by an
Indemnitee (other than an action to enforce indemnification rights under this
Agreement) only if such action is authorized by the Board of Directors.
2. Service by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees to begin or continue to serve
the Company or an Affiliate as a director and/or officer. Notwithstanding
anything contained herein, this Agreement shall not create a contract of
employment between the Company and Indemnitee, and the termination of
Indemnitee's relationship with the Company or an Affiliate by either party
hereto shall not be restricted by this Agreement.
3. Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify Indemnitee for, and
hold Indemnitee harmless from and against, any Losses or Expenses at any time
incurred by or assessed against Indemnitee arising out of or in connection with
the service of Indemnitee as a director, advisory director, Board Committee
member, officer, employee or agent of the Company or of an Affiliate
(collectively referred to as an "Officer or Director of the Company or of an
Affiliate"), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an
official capacity or in any other capacity while serving as an Officer or
Director of the Company or of an Affiliate, to the fullest extent permitted by
the laws of the State of Nevada in effect on the date hereof or as such laws may
from time to time hereafter be amended to increase the scope of such permitted
indemnification. Without diminishing the scope of the indemnification provided
by this Section 3, the rights of indemnification of Indemnitee provided
hereunder shall include but shall not be limited to those rights set forth
hereinafter.
4. Action or Proceeding Other Than an Action by or in the Right of the
Company. Indemnitee may be entitled to the indemnification rights provided
herein if Indemnitee is a person who was or is made a party or is threatened to
be made a party to any pending, completed or threatened Proceeding, other than
an action by or in the right of the Company, by reason of (a) the fact that
Indemnitee is or was an Officer or Director of the Company or of an Affiliate or
(b) anything done or not done by Indemnitee in any such capacity. Pursuant to
this Section, Indemnitee may be indemnified against Losses or Expenses incurred
by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee's behalf in connection with any Proceeding, if
Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, with respect to
any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was
unlawful.
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5. Actions by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee may be entitled
to the indemnification rights provided herein if Indemnitee is a person who was
or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to any pending, completed
or threatened Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to procure a
judgment in its favor by reason of (a) the fact that Indemnitee is or was an
Officer or Director of the Company or of an Affiliate or (b) anything done or
not done by Indemnitee in any such capacity. Pursuant to this Section,
Indemnitee may be indemnified against Losses or Expenses actually and reasonably
incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee's behalf in connection with any
Proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, no such
indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to
which Nevada law expressly prohibits such indemnification by reason of an
adjudication of liability of Indemnitee to the Company; provided, however, that
in such event such indemnification shall nevertheless be made by the Company to
the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall
determine equitable under the circumstances.
6. Indemnification for Losses and Expenses of Party Who is Wholly or
Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement, to the
extent that Indemnitee has been wholly successful on the merits or otherwise
absolved in any Proceeding on any claim, issue or matter, Indemnitee shall be
indemnified against all Losses or Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee or on Indemnitee's behalf in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is
not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or
otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such
Proceeding, the Company agrees to indemnify Indemnitee, to the maximum extent
permitted by law, against all Losses and Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. In any review
or Proceeding to determine the extent of indemnification, the Company shall bear
the burden of proving any lack of success and which amounts sought in indemnity
are allocable to claims, issues or matters which were not successfully resolved.
For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any such
claim, issue or matter by dismissal with or without prejudice shall be deemed to
be a successful resolution as to such claim, issue or matter.
7. Payment for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was an Officer or Director of the Company or of an Affiliate, a
witness in any Proceeding, the Company agrees to pay to Indemnitee all Expenses
actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee's behalf in
connection therewith.
8. Advancement of Expenses and Costs. All Expenses incurred by or on
behalf of Indemnitee (or reasonably expected by Indemnitee to be incurred by
Indemnitee within three months) in connection with any Proceeding shall be paid
promptly by the Company, and in any event in advance of the final disposition of
such Proceeding within sixty days after the receipt by the Company of a
statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting from time to time such
advance or advances, whether or not a determination to indemnify has been made
under Section 9. Such statement or statements shall evidence such Expenses
incurred (or reasonably expected to be incurred) by Indemnitee in connection
therewith and shall include or be accompanied by a written undertaking by or on
behalf of Indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined
that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified therefor pursuant to the terms
of this Agreement. The right to indemnification of advances as granted by this
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Section 8 shall be enforceable by the director or officer in any court of
competent jurisdiction, if the Company denies such request, in whole or in part,
or if no disposition thereof is made within 60 days. Such person's costs and
expenses incurred in connection with successfully establishing his/her right to
indemnification, in whole or in part, in any such action shall also be
indemnified by the Company. It shall be a defense to any such action seeking an
adjudication or award in arbitration pursuant to this Agreement (other than an
action brought to enforce a claim for the advance of costs, charges and expenses
under this Section 8 where the required undertaking, if any, has been received
by the Company) that the claimant has not met the standard of conduct set forth
in the Nevada General Corporation Law ("NGCL"), as the same exists or hereafter
may be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that
such amendment permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights
than said law permitted the Company to provide prior to such amendment), but the
burden of proving such defense shall be on the Company. Neither the failure of
the Company (including its Board of Directors, its independent legal counsel and
its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such
action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances
because he/she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the NGCL,
as the same exists or hereafter may be amended (but, in the case of any such
amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide
broader indemnification rights that said law permitted the Company to provide
prior to such amendment), nor the fact that there has been an actual
determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors, its independent
legal counsel and its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such
applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a
presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
9. Procedure for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification. (a) When
seeking indemnification under this Agreement (which shall not include in any
case the right of Indemnitee to receive payments pursuant to Section 7 and
Section 8 hereof, which shall not be subject to this Section 9), Indemnitee
shall submit a written request for indemnification to the Company. Such request
shall include documentation or information which is reasonably necessary for the
Company to make a determination of Indemnitee's entitlement to indemnification
hereunder and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee. Determination of
Indemnitee's entitlement to indemnification shall be made promptly, but in no
event later than 60 days after receipt by the Company of Indemnitee's written
request for indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon
receipt of Indemnitee's request for indemnification, advise the Board that
Indemnitee has made such request for indemnification.
(b) The entitlement of Indemnitee to indemnification under this
Agreement in respect of any pending, contemplated or threatened Proceeding shall
be determined in the specific case by (a) the Board of Directors by a majority
vote of a quorum consisting of those directors who were not party to such
Proceeding, or (b) if such a quorum is not obtainable, or if a quorum of
disinterested directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion,
or (c) by the stockholders.
(c) In the event the determination of entitlement is to be made by
Independent Counsel, such Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board and
approved by Indemnitee. Upon failure of the Board and the Board of Directors to
so select such Independent Counsel or upon failure of Indemnitee to so approve,
such Independent Counsel shall be selected by the President of the Bar of the
State of Nevada.
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(d) If the determination made pursuant to Section 9(b) is that
Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification to the full extent of Indemnitee's
request, Indemnitee shall have the right to seek entitlement to indemnification
in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 10 hereof.
(e) If the person or persons empowered pursuant to Section 9(b)
hereof to make a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification
shall have failed to make the requested determination within 60 days after
receipt by the Company of such request, the requisite determination of
entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee
shall be absolutely entitled to such indemnification, absent (i)
misrepresentation by Indemnitee of a material fact in the request for
indemnification or (ii) a final judicial determination that all or any part of
such indemnification is expressly prohibited by law.
(f) The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement
or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not,
of itself, adversely affect the rights of Indemnitee to indemnification
hereunder, except as may be specifically provided herein, or create a
presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Company or create a presumption that (with respect to any criminal action or
Proceeding) Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee's conduct
was unlawful.
(g) For purposes of any determination of good faith hereunder,
Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if in taking an action
Indemnitee relied on the records or books of account of the Company or an
Affiliate, including financial statements, or on information supplied to
Indemnitee by the officers of the Company or an Affiliate in the course of their
duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Company or an Affiliate or on
information or records given or reports made to the Company or an Affiliate by
an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert
selected with reasonable care by the Company or an Affiliate. The Company shall
have the burden of establishing the absence of good faith. The provisions of
this Section 9(g) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the
other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the
applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
(h) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any
director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or an Affiliate shall not be
imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification
under this Agreement.
10. Remedies in Cases of Determination Not to Indemnify or to Advance
Expenses. (a) In the event that (i) a determination is made that Indemnitee is
not entitled to indemnification hereunder, (ii) advances are not made pursuant
to Section 8 hereof or (iii) payment has not been timely made following a
determination of entitlement to indemnification pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to seek an adjudication in an appropriate court of
the State of Nevada or any other court of competent jurisdiction as to
Indemnitee's entitlement to such indemnification or advance.
(b) In the event a determination has been made in accordance with
the procedures set forth in Section 9 hereof, in whole or in part, that
Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or
arbitration referred to in paragraph (a) of this Section 10 shall be de novo and
Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of any such prior
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determination that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, and the
Company shall bear the burdens of proof specified in paragraphs 6 and 9 hereof
in such proceeding.
(c) If a determination is made or deemed to have been made pursuant
to the terms of Section 9 or 10 hereof that Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any
judicial proceeding or arbitration in the absence of (i) a misrepresentation of
a material fact by Indemnitee or (ii) a final judicial determination that all or
any part of such indemnification is expressly prohibited by law.
(d) The Company and Indemnitee agree that they shall be precluded
from asserting that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not
valid, binding and enforceable. The Company and Indemnitee further agree to
stipulate in any such court that the Company and Indemnitee are bound by all of
the provisions of this Agreement and are precluded from making any assertion to
the contrary.
(e) To the extent deemed appropriate by the court, interest shall be
paid by the Company to Indemnitee at a reasonable interest rate for amounts
which the Company indemnifies or is obliged to indemnify the Indemnitee for the
period commencing with the date on which Indemnitee requested indemnification
(or reimbursement or advance of an Expense) and ending with the date on which
such payment is made to Indemnitee by the Company.
11. Expenses Incurred by Indemnitee to Enforce this Agreement. All
expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the preparation and
submission of Indemnitee's request for indemnification hereunder shall be borne
by the Company. In the event that Indemnitee is a party to or intervenes in any
proceeding in which the validity or enforceability of this Agreement is at issue
or seeks an adjudication to enforce Indemnitee's rights under, or to recover
damages for breach of, this Agreement, Indemnitee, if Indemnitee prevails in
whole in such action, shall be entitled to recover from the Company, and shall
be indemnified by the Company against, any Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. If
it is determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification for part (but
not all) of the indemnification so requested, Expenses incurred in seeking
enforcement of such partial indemnification shall be reasonably prorated among
the claims, issues or matters for which the Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification and for claims, issues or matters for which the Indemnitee is
not so entitled.
12. Non-Exclusivity. The rights of indemnification and to receive advances
as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights
to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under or by reason of applicable
law, any certificate of incorporation or by-laws, any agreement, any vote of
stockholders or any resolution of directors or otherwise. To the extent
Indemnitee would be prejudiced thereby, no amendment, alteration, rescission or
replacement of this Agreement or any provision hereof shall be effective as to
Indemnitee with respect to any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in
Indemnitee's position with the Company or an Affiliate or any other entity which
Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company prior to such
amendment, alteration, rescission or replacement.
13. Duration of Agreement. This Agreement shall apply to any claim
asserted and any Losses and Expenses incurred in connection with any claim
asserted on or after the effective date of this Agreement and shall continue
until and terminate upon the later of: (a) 10 years after Indemnitee has ceased
to occupy any of the positions or have any of the relationships described in
Sections 3, 4 or 5 of this Agreement; or (b) one year after the final
termination of all pending or threatened Proceedings of the kind described
herein with respect to Indemnitee. This
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Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and
shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee's spouse, assigns,
heirs, devisee, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.
14. Severability. Should any part, term or condition hereof be declared
illegal or unenforceable or in conflict with any other law, the validity of the
remaining portions or provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected
thereby, and the illegal or unenforceable portions of the Agreement shall be and
hereby are redrafted to conform with applicable law, to provide the maximum
indemnification benefits allowable in accordance with the intention of the
parties hereto while leaving the remaining portions of this Agreement intact.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall
constitute one and the same document.
16. Headings. Section headings are for convenience only and do not control
or affect meaning or interpretation of any terms or provisions of this
Agreement.
17. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of
this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by each of the
parties hereto.
18. No Duplicative Payment. The Company shall not be liable under this
Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder if
and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment
(net of Expenses incurred in collecting such payment) under this Agreement, any
insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.
19. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
provided for by this Agreement shall be in writing (including telecopier or
similar writing) and shall be deemed to have been given at the time when mailed
in a registered or certified postpaid envelope in any general or branch office
of the United States Postal Service, or sent by Federal Express or other similar
overnight courier service, addressed to the address of the parties stated below
or to such changed address as such party may have fixed by notice or, if given
by telecopier, when such telecopy is transmitted and the appropriate answer back
is received.
(a) If to Indemnitee, to the address appearing on the signature page
hereof.
(b) If to the Company to:
Spectre Industries, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, X.X. Xxxxxx X0X 0X0
Attention: President
Phone: (000) 000-0000
Fax: (000) 000-0000
20. GOVERNING LAW. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED
BY, AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE
STATE OF NEVADA WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES
THEREOF.
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21. Entire Agreement. Subject to the provisions of Section 12 hereof, this
Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties and
supersedes all proposals, commitments, writings, negotiations and
understandings, oral and written, and all other communications between the
parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement may not
be amended or otherwise modified except in writing duly executed by all of the
parties. A waiver by any party of any breach or violation of this Agreement
shall not be deemed or construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach or
violation thereof.
[Signature Page to follow]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement
as of the date first above written.
SPECTRE INDUSTRIES, INC.
By /s/ Xxx X. Xxxxx
--------------------------------------
Name: Xxx X. Xxxxx
Title: President, Chief Executive and
Director
INDEMNITEE:
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Title: Director
Address:
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Residence Alexandra
Chateau # d'oex, Canton De Vaud
XX-0000 Xxxxxxxxxxx
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