INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.6
AGREEMENT, dated as of August 4, 2009, by and between Fortress Investment Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Xx. (the “Indemnitee”).
WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company to retain and attract as directors and officers the most capable persons available;
WHEREAS, the Company and the Indemnitee recognize the increased risks of being a director or officer in today’s environment, and, in light of such risks, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company to indemnify and advance expenses on behalf of its directors and officers;
WHEREAS, the Company has requested that Indemnitee serve or continue to serve as a director and/or officer of the Company and may have requested, or may in the future request, that the Indemnitee serve one or more entities (including affiliates of the Company) as a director or officer or in other capacities; and
WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is willing to serve as a director, officer or in a similar capacity on the condition that the Indemnitee be so indemnified.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the Indemnitee serving, or continuing to serve, the Company directly or, on its behalf or at its request, as an officer, director, manager, member, partner, tax matters partner, fiduciary, trustee or similar capacity, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions. In addition to terms defined elsewhere herein, the following terms have the following meanings when used in this Agreement:
(a) Agreement: means this Indemnification Agreement, as amended from time to time hereafter.
(b) Board of Directors: means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(c) Claim: means any threatened, asserted, pending or completed civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other action, suit or proceeding, of any kind whatsoever, including any arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any appeal of any kind thereof, or any inquiry or investigation, whether instituted by the Company, any governmental agency or any other party, that the Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other, including any arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution mechanism.
(d) Indemnifiable Expenses: means (i) all expenses and liabilities, including judgments, fines, penalties, interest, appeal bonds, amounts paid in settlement with the approval of the Company, and counsel fees and disbursements (including, without limitation, experts’ fees, court costs, retainers, transcript fees, duplicating, printing and binding costs, as well as telecommunications, postage and courier charges) paid or incurred in connection with
investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to investigate, defend, be a witness in or participate in, any Claim relating to any Indemnifiable Event (as defined below), by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is, was or has agreed to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or while serving as a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving or has agreed to serve on behalf of or at the request of the Company as a director, officer, manager, member, partner, tax partner, fiduciary, trustee or similar capacity of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in any such capacity (the Indemnitee’s “Company’s Status”), whether occurring before, on or after the date of this Agreement (any such event, an “Indemnifiable Event”), (ii) any liability pursuant to a loan guaranty or otherwise, for any indebtedness of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, including, without limitation, any indebtedness which the Company or any subsidiary of the Company has assumed or taken subject to, and (iii) any liabilities which an Indemnitee incurs as a result of acting on behalf of the Company (whether as a fiduciary or otherwise) in connection with the operation, administration or maintenance of an employee benefit plan or any related trust or funding mechanism (whether such liabilities are in the form of excise taxes assessed by the United States Internal Revenue Service, penalties assessed by the Department of Labor, restitutions to such a plan or trust or other funding mechanism or to a participant or beneficiary of such plan, trust or other funding mechanism, or otherwise).
(e) Loss: means all losses, Claims, damages, fines, or penalties, including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses (including, without limitation, any legal fees, judgments, fines, appeal bonds or related expenses) incurred in connection with defending, investigating or settling any Claim, fine, penalty or similar action.
(f) Person: means any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization, governmental entity or other entity.
2. Basic Indemnification Arrangement; Advancement of Expenses.
(a) In the event that the Indemnitee was, is or becomes subject to, a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made subject to, a party to or witness or other participant in, a Claim that arises in connection with or is by reason (in whole or in part) of an Indemnifiable Event or the Indemnitee’s Company Status, the Company, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, shall indemnify the Indemnitee, or cause such Indemnitee to be indemnified, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law in effect on the date hereof and as amended from time to time, and shall hold the Indemnitee harmless from and against all Losses that arise in connection with or are by reason (in whole or in part) of an Indemnifiable Event or the Indemnitee’s Company Status; provided, however, that no change in Delaware law shall have the effect of reducing the benefits available to the Indemnitee hereunder based on Delaware law as in effect on the date hereof or as such benefits may improve as a result of amendments after the date hereof. The rights of the Indemnitee provided in this Section 2 shall include, without limitation, the rights set forth in the other sections of this Agreement. Payments of Indemnifiable Expenses shall be made as soon as practicable but in any event no later than twenty (20) calendar days after written demand is presented along with supporting documentation to the Company, against any and all Indemnifiable Expenses.
(b) If so requested by the Indemnitee, the Company shall advance, or cause to be advanced (within seven calendar days of such request), any and all Indemnifiable Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee (an “Expense Advance”). The Company shall, in accordance with such request (but without duplication), either (i) pay, or cause to be paid, such Indemnifiable Expenses on behalf of the Indemnitee, or (ii) reimburse, or cause the reimbursement of, the Indemnitee for such Indemnifiable Expenses. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Indemnitee’s right to an Expense Advance is absolute and shall not be subject to any condition that the Board of Directors shall not have determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under applicable law. However, the obligation of the Company to make an Expense Advance pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that a final judicial determination is made in the Claim (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing agreement by the Indemnitee shall be deemed to satisfy any requirement that the Indemnitee provide the Company with an undertaking to repay any Expense Advance if it is ultimately determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under applicable law). The Indemnitee’s undertaking to repay such Expense Advances shall be unsecured and interest-free.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification or advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses pursuant to this Agreement in connection with any Claim initiated by the Indemnitee unless (i) the Company has joined in or the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized or consented to the initiation of such Claim or (ii) the Claim is one to enforce the Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement (including an action pursued by the Indemnitee to secure a determination that the Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law).
(d) The indemnification obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall be subject to the condition that the Board of Directors shall not have determined (by majority vote of directors who are not parties to the applicable Claim) that the indemnification of the Indemnitee is not proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under applicable law. If the Board of Directors determines that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, the Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation in any venue in the States of New York or Delaware (and shall have the obligation to file a Statement in Support of a Request for Assignment to the Commercial Division as soon as practicable, provided that the Indemnitee can certify that the Claim meets the division’s requirements), seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Board of Directors or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. If the Indemnitee commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that the Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Board of Directors that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding, the Indemnitee shall continue to be entitled to receive Expense Advances, and the Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance, until a final judicial determination is made (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be so indemnified under applicable law. Any determination by the Board of Directors that the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified under this Agreement shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and the Indemnitee.
(e) To the extent that the Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any or all Claims relating in whole or in part to an Indemnifiable Event or in defense of any issue or matter therein, including dismissal without prejudice, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Indemnifiable Expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith, notwithstanding an earlier determination by the Board of Directors that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under applicable law.
3. Indemnification for Additional Expenses. The Company shall indemnify, or cause the indemnification of, the Indemnitee against any and all Indemnifiable Expenses and, if requested by the Indemnitee, shall advance such Indemnifiable Expenses to the Indemnitee subject to and in accordance with Section 2(b) and (d), which are incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by the Indemnitee, the Company or any other Person with respect to the Indemnitee’s right to:
(i) indemnification or an Expense Advance by the Company under this Agreement or any provision of the Company’s Operating Agreement, or
(ii) recovery under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether the Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, Expense Advance or insurance recovery, as the case may be; provided that the Indemnitee shall be required to reimburse such Indemnifiable Expenses in the event that a final judicial determination is made in the Claim (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed) that such action brought by the Indemnitee, or the defense by the Indemnitee of an action brought by the Company or any other Person, as applicable, was frivolous or in bad faith.
4. Partial Indemnity, Etc. If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for a portion of the Indemnifiable Expenses in respect of a Claim but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion thereof to which the Indemnitee is entitled.
5. Burden of Proof. In connection with any determination by the Board of Directors, any court or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the Board of Directors or court shall presume that the Indemnitee has satisfied the applicable standard of conduct and is entitled to indemnification, and the burden of proof shall be on the Company or its representative to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that the Indemnitee is not so entitled.
6. Reliance as Safe Harbor. The Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification for any action or omission to act undertaken (a) in good faith reliance upon the records of the Company, including its financial statements, or upon information, opinions, reports or statements furnished to the Indemnitee by the officers or employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the course of their duties, or by committees of the Board of Directors, or by any other Person as to matters the Indemnitee reasonably believes are within such other Person’s professional or expert competence,
or (b) on behalf of the Company in furtherance of the interests of the Company in good faith in reliance upon, and in accordance with, the advice of legal counsel or accountants, provided such legal counsel or accountants were selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failures to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company shall not be imputed to the Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnity hereunder.
7. No Other Presumptions. For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Board of Directors to have made a determination as to whether the Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Board of Directors that the Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by the Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that the Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law shall be a defense to the Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief.
8. Nonexclusivity, Etc. The rights of the Indemnitee hereunder shall be in addition to any other rights the Indemnitee may have under the Company’s Operating Agreement, the laws of the State of Delaware, or otherwise. To the extent that a change in Delaware law or the interpretation thereof (whether by statute or judicial decision) permits greater indemnification by agreement than would be afforded currently under the Company’s Operating Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that the Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. To the extent that there is a conflict or inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the Company’s Operating Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that the Indemnitee shall enjoy the greater benefits regardless of whether contained herein, in the Company’s Operating Agreement. No amendment or alteration of the Company’s Operating Agreement or any other agreement shall adversely affect the rights provided to Indemnitee under this Agreement.
9. Liability Insurance. To the extent the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, the Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for the Company’s directors and officers. If the Company has such insurance in effect at the time the Company receives from Indemnitee any notice of the commencement of an action, suit or proceeding, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the policy. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policy.
10. Period of Limitations. No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against the Indemnitee, the Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of
accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action such shorter period shall govern.
11. Amendments, Etc. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
12. Subrogation. In the event of payment by the Company under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee with respect to the Company’s Directors and Officers Liability Policy. Indemnitee shall execute all papers reasonably required and shall do everything that may be reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents necessary to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights. The Company shall pay or reimburse all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such subrogation.
13. No Duplication of Payments. The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any Claim made against the Indemnitee to the extent the Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under the Company’s Directors and Officers Liability Policy) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.
14. Defense of Claims. Indemnitee, and not the Company, shall have the right, responsibility and duty to defend any Claim(s). The Company shall be entitled to monitor the defense of any Claim, with counsel of its own choosing but shall not be entitled to conduct the defense of any Claim(s) or settle or participate in the discussion or negotiation of any settlement of any Claim(s). Indemnitee may, in Indemnitee’s sole discretion, cooperate with the Company in the defense of any Claim(s) for which Loss may be payable hereunder. In no event shall Indemnitee be required to waive, prejudice or limit any attorney-client privilege or work-product protection or other applicable privilege or protection. Indemnitee shall seek the Company’s consent to any settlement of any Claim(s) where indemnification is sought hereunder for any amounts paid in settlement, and Indemnitee shall, subject to the preceding sentence, provide all information reasonably necessary for the Company to evaluate the proposed settlement. The Company shall not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any Claim effected by Indemnitee without the Company’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
15. No Adverse Settlement. The Company shall not seek, nor shall it agree to, consent to, support, or agree not to contest any settlement or other resolution of any Claim(s), or settlement or other resolution of any other claim, action, proceeding, demand, investigation or other matter that has the actual or purported effect of extinguishing, limiting or impairing Indemnitee’s rights hereunder, including without limitation the entry of any bar order or other order, decree or stipulation, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 78u-4 (the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act), or any similar foreign, federal or state statute, regulation, rule or law.
16. Binding Effect, Etc. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company), assigns, spouses, heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (s) (whether directly or indirectly, whether in one or a series of transactions, and whether by purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise) to all or a significant portion of the business and/or assets of the Company and/or its subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis), by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Indemnitee and his or her counsel, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place; provided that no such assumption shall relieve the Company from its obligations hereunder and any obligations shall thereafter be joint and several. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether the Indemnitee continues to serve a director or officer of the Company and/or on behalf of or at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent (which, for purposes hereof, shall include a trustee, fiduciary, partner or manager or similar capacity) of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. Neither this Agreement nor any duties or responsibilities pursuant hereto may be assigned by the Company to any other person or entity without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee.
17. Security. To the extent requested by the Indemnitee, the Company shall at any time and from time to time provide security to the Indemnitee for the obligations of the Company hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral or by other means. Any such security, once provided to the Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of such Indemnitee.
18. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable and to give effect to the terms of this Agreement.
19. Specific Performance, Etc. The parties recognize that if any provision of this Agreement is violated by the parties hereto, the Indemnitee may be without an adequate remedy at law. Accordingly, in the event of any such violation, the Indemnitee shall be entitled, if the Indemnitee so elects, to institute proceedings, either in law or at equity, to obtain damages, to enforce specific performance, to enjoin such violation, or to obtain any relief or any combination of the foregoing as the Indemnitee may elect to pursue.
20. Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder to any party shall be deemed to be sufficient if contained in a written document delivered in person or sent by telecopy, nationally recognized overnight courier or personal delivery, addressed to such party at the address set forth below or such other address as may hereafter be designated on the signature pages of this Agreement or in writing by such party to the other parties:
| (a) | If to the Company, to: |
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Fax: (000) 000-0000
Attn: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq.
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP
Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
Fax: (000) 000-0000
Attn: Xxxxxx X. Coco, Esq.
| (b) | If to the Indemnitee, to the address set forth on Annex A hereto. |
All such notices, requests, consents and other communications shall be deemed to have been given or made if and when received (including by overnight courier) by the parties at the above addresses or sent by electronic transmission, with confirmation received, to the telecopy numbers specified above (or at such other address or telecopy number for a party as shall be specified by like notice). Any notice delivered by any party hereto to any other party hereto shall also be delivered to each other party hereto simultaneously with delivery to the first party receiving such notice.
21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.
22. Headings. The headings of the sections and paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction or interpretation thereof.
23. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts made and to be performed in such state without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.
| FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC | ||||
| By: | ||||
| Name: | ||||
| Title: | ||||
| By: | ||||
| Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Xx. | |||
Annex A
Name and Business Address
Attn:
Tel:
Fax:
