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EXHIBIT 10.5
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("AGREEMENT") is made as of this Day day of
Month, 19Year, by and between AccelGraphics, Inc., a California corporation (the
"COMPANY"), and Indemnitee ("INDEMNITEE").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty in
obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the increases in the
cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such
insurance;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial
increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors
to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage
of liability insurance has been severely limited;
WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as
adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other officers and
directors of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve as officers and
directors without additional protection; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly
qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve as officers and directors of
the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to provide them
with the maximum protection permitted by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. Agreement to Serve. In consideration of the protection afforded
by this Agreement, if Indemnitee is a director of the Company he or she agrees
to serve at least for the balance of the current term as a director and not to
resign voluntarily during such period without the written consent of a majority
of the Board of Directors. If Indemnitee is an officer of the Company not
serving under an employment contract, he or she agrees to serve in such capacity
at least for the balance of the current fiscal year of the Company and not to
resign voluntarily during such period without the written consent of a majority
of the Board of Directors. Following the applicable period set forth above,
Indemnitee agrees to continue to serve in such capacity at the will of the
Company (or under separate agreement, if such agreement exists) so long as he or
she is duly appointed or elected and qualified in accordance with the applicable
provisions of the bylaws of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or
until such time as he or she tenders his or her resignation in writing. Nothing
contained in this Agreement is intended to create in Indemnitee any right to
continued employment.
2. 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
director, 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 director or by reason of the
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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, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, 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 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 action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's
conduct was unlawful. 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 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, and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, 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 or suit 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 director, 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 director 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) 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 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 its shareholders, except that no indemnification
shall be made 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 action or suit 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.
(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 Subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 2 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.
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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 referenced in
Section 2(a) or (b) hereof (but not 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. 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 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. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this
Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to
Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed received three business days after the date
postmarked if sent by domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed;
otherwise notice shall be deemed received when such notice shall actually be
received by the Company. 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 2 shall be made no later than forty-five (45) 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 Articles of Incorporation or
Bylaws providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within
forty-five (45) 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 13 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 subsection 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 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
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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 a 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 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 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. 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, provided that (i) Indemnitee
shall have the right to employ his or her 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 Articles of
Incorporation, 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 California corporation to indemnify a member of its board
of directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such changes shall
automatically become part 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 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 Articles of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any
vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors, the Corporation Law of the
State of California, 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
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taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though he or
she may have ceased to serve in 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, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, fines or penalties
actually or reasonably incurred by him 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 applicable public policy may prohibit the
Company from indemnifying its directors and officers 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.
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 directors 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 directors, if
Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a
director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company's key employees, 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 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
subsidiary or parent 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 as required under
Section 317 of the California General Corporation 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.
(b) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses
incurred by the 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 the
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) which
have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of
officers' and directors' liability insurance maintained by the Company.
(d) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses
and the payment of amounts deemed 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 federal, state, local or
successor statute.
10. Construction of Certain Phrases.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "COMPANY"
shall include any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a
constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate
existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its
directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that 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
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 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; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants
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and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to
have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as
referred to in this Agreement.
(c) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "SUBSIDIARY" shall
mean any corporation of which more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities
are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, by the Company and one or more
other subsidiaries, or by one or more other subsidiaries.
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
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, legal representatives and assigns.
13. Costs, Expenses and 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
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 received by the party addressee, on the date of such
receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage
prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for
notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or
as subsequently modified by written notice.
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 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.
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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
to effectively bring suit to enforce such rights.
18. Entire Agreement, Modification and Waiver. This Agreement constitutes
the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject
matter hereof. All prior negotiations, agreements and understandings between the
parties with respect thereto are superseded hereby. This Agreement may not be
modified, amended or terminated except by an instrument in writing signed by or
on behalf of the parties hereto. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement
shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provision hereof
(whether or not similar); nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of
the date first above written.
ACCELGRAPHICS, INC.
By:_________________________________
Title:______________________________
Address: 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
Indemnitee
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(type name)
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(signature)
Address
(address)
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