SONICWALL, INC. INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.2
SONICWALL, INC.
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of July 27, 2005 by and between
SonicWALL, Inc., a California corporation (the “Company”), and ___(“Indemnitee”).
RECITALS
A. The Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals to
serve as officers, directors and agents of the Company.
B. The Company and Indemnitee recognize the increased risk of litigation and other claims
being asserted against directors, officers and other agents of the Company.
C. The Company desires to provide indemnification and other rights to Indemnitee in
consideration for Indemnitee’s service to the Company.
In consideration of the covenants and promises set forth herein, and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
agree as follows:
1. Indemnification.
(a) Third Party Proceedings. 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, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”) (other than
an action by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) by reason of the
fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Company or by
reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, settlements (if such
settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld) and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the
Proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be
in the best interests of the Company, and, in the case of any criminal Proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. 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) Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a
manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company or (ii)
Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.
(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 by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of
the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Company or
by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with the defense or settlement of such action if Indemnitee acted in good
faith, in a manner Indemnitee believed to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders,
except that no indemnification shall be made (i) in respect of
any claim, issue or matter as to which
Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the
Company in the performance of Indemnitee’s duty to the Company and its shareholders unless and only
to the extent that the court in which such 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 expenses and then only to the extent that the court shall determine, (ii)
of amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing of a pending action without court approval or
(iii) of expenses incurred in defending a pending action which is settled or otherwise disposed of
without court approval.
2. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.
(a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
defending any Proceeding referenced in Section 1(a) or (b) hereof prior to the final disposition of
the Proceeding (but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any such Proceeding). Indemnitee
hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced if it shall be determined ultimately that
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby or by Section 317
of the California General Corporation Law. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the
Company to Indemnitee within twenty (20) days following delivery of a written request therefor by
Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) Notice; Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as soon as practicable and as a
condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified or to receive any advancement of
expenses under this Agreement, give the Company written notice of any claim made against Indemnitee
for which indemnification or advancement of expenses will or could be sought under this Agreement,
specifying the nature of such claim in reasonable detail. Notice to the Company shall be directed
to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, or the Chief Financial Officer if Indemnitee is the
Chief Executive Officer, in accordance with Section 14 hereof. Any delay in providing notice will
not relieve the Company from its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent such
failure is prejudicial. 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 provided for in Section 1 hereof shall be made no later
than forty-five (45) days after written notice by Indemnitee requesting payment. If a claim under
this Agreement, under any statute or under any provision of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation
or Bylaws providing for indemnification is not paid in full by the Company within forty-five (45)
days after such written notice, 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 13
hereof, 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 Proceeding in advance of its final
disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under
this Agreement or applicable law for the Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed,
and Indemnitee shall be entitled to receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection
2(a) hereof 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
its Board of Directors, any committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal
counsel or its shareholders) 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 its Board of Directors,
any committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its shareholders)
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.
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(d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to
Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in effect, the
Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of the Proceeding to the insurers in
accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter
take all commercially reasonable 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 such policies.
(e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated under Section 2(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, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, upon giving written notice to Indemnitee of its
election so to do. After giving 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 or expenses of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to
the same Proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s
counsel in any such Proceeding at Indemnitee’s expense; and (ii) if (A) the Company has expressly
authorized (and continues to authorize) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee at the Company’s
expense, (B) the use of counsel chosen by the Company to represent Indemnitee would present such
counsel with a conflict of interest or (C) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed counsel
reasonably satisfactory to Indemnitee within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of
such Proceeding, then Indemnitee shall have the right to employ counsel at the expense of the
Company in accordance herewith.
3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.
(a) Scope. Subject to Section 8 hereof and any other provision of this Agreement that
prohibits, limits or conditions indemnification by the Company, the Company hereby agrees to
indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law for any acts, omissions or transactions
while acting in the capacity of, or that are otherwise related to the fact that Indemnitee was or
is serving as, a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Company or, to the extent
Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, such other
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. 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 California corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of Directors, an officer or other
corporate agent, such changes shall be, ipso facto, within the purview of Indemnitee’s rights and
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 California corporation to indemnify a member of its
Board of Directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such changes, to the extent required by
such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have the effect on this Agreement
and the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder as is required by such law, statute or rule.
(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 Articles of
Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the
California General Corporation Law 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 Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time of any
covered Proceeding.
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4. 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,
fines, settlements or other amounts actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection
with any Proceeding, but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless
indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses, judgments, fines, settlements or other
amounts to which Indemnitee is entitled.
5. Mutual Acknowledgement. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in
certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from
indemnifying its directors, officers and other corporate agents under this Agreement or otherwise.
Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the
future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission 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.
6. Directors’ and Officers’ 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 directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to insure 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. To the extent the Company maintains an insurance policy or
policies providing directors’ and officers’ 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 directors under such policy or policies, if Indemnitee
is a director; or of the Company’s officers under such policy or policies, if Indemnitee is not a
director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees under such policy or
policies, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain any 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 subsidiary or parent of the Company.
7 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 or other applicable law, 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 7. 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.
8 Exceptions. Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company
shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:
(a) Excluded Acts. To indemnify Indemnitee (i) for any acts or omissions or transactions from
which a director may not be relieved of liability under the California General Corporation Law or
(ii) for
breach of duty to the Company or its shareholders as to circumstances in which indemnity is
expressly prohibited by Section 317 of the California General Corporation Law; or
(b) 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
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with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought to enforce this
Agreement or a right to indemnification under Section 317 of the California General Corporation Law
or under any other statute or law, but such indemnification or advancement of expenses may be
provided by the Company in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or
bringing of such suit; or
(c) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by Indemnitee with
respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought to enforce this Agreement or a right to
indemnification under Section 317 of the California General Corporation Law or under any other
statute or law, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material
assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous;
or
(d) Duplicate Payments. 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 Indemnitee has otherwise received payment of amounts
otherwise indemnifiable under this Agreement pursuant to (i) a policy of directors’ and officers’
liability insurance maintained by the Company, (ii) the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or
Bylaws, (iii) Section 317 or any other applicable provisions of the California General Corporation
Law or (iv) any other agreement; or
(e) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and 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.
9. Effectiveness of Agreement. To the extent that the indemnification permitted under
the terms of certain provisions of this Agreement exceeds the scope of the indemnification
specifically provided for in the California General Corporation Law, such provisions shall not be
effective unless and until the Company’s Articles of Incorporation duly authorize such additional
rights of indemnification. In all other respects, the balance of this Agreement shall be effective
as of the date set forth on the first page of this Agreement and may apply to acts or omissions of
Indemnitee which occurred prior to such date if Indemnitee was a director, officer, employee or
other agent of the Company, or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at
the time such act or omission occurred.
10. Construction of Certain Phrases.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the “Company” shall also include, in
addition to the resulting or surviving 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,
employees or agents, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent 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, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this
Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with
respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to “other enterprise” 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 director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes
duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an
employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries.
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11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall
constitute an original.
12. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its
successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s estate,
heirs, executors, administrators and similar legal representatives.
13. 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 costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by Indemnitee with
respect to such action, unless as a part of such action, a court of competent jurisdiction
determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action was
not made in good faith or was 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 costs and expenses, including reasonable 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.
14. Notice. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted
for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or
registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked or (iii)
if sent by other means, on the date such notice is actually received by the relevant party.
Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as
subsequently modified by written notice in accordance herewith. Notices to the Company shall be
sent to the General Counsel of the Company with a copy to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 000
Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000, attention: Xxxx Xxxx, Esq.
15. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably
consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California for all purposes in connection
with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any
action or proceeding instituted under this Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of
the State of California.
16. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of California as applied to contracts between California
residents entered into and to be performed entirely within California.
17. 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 effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.
18. Amendment and Termination. No amendment, modification, termination or
cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing signed by both parties hereto.
19. Integration and Entire Agreement. This Agreement (i) sets forth the entire
understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, (ii) supersedes all
previous written or oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the
subject matter hereof and (iii) merges all prior and contemporaneous discussions between the
parties.
(signature page follows)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above
written.
| SonicWALL, Inc. |
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| By: | ||||
| Name: | ||||
| Title: | ||||
| Address: | 0000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000 |
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Agreed to and accepted:
INDEMNITEE
(type or print name)
(signature)
(street address)
(city, state and zip code)
(Signature page to Indemnification agreement)
