AGRITOPE, INC.
AGREEMENT CONCERNING INDEMNIFICATION AND RELATED MATTERS
(OFFICERS)
This Agreement is made as of October , 1997, by and between
AGRITOPE, INC., an Oregon corporation (the "Corporation"), and ____________ (the
"Officer"), an officer of the Corporation.
WHEREAS, it is essential to the Corporation to retain and attract as
officers of the Corporation the most capable persons available and persons who
have significant experience in business, corporate and financial matters; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation has identified the Officer as a person
possessing the background and abilities desired by the Corporation and desires
the Officer to serve as an officer of the Corporation; and
WHEREAS, the substantial increase in corporate litigation may, from
time to time, subject corporate officers to burdensome litigation, the risks of
which frequently far outweigh the advantages of serving in such capacity; and
WHEREAS, in recent times the cost of liability insurance has
increased and the availability of such insurance is, from time to time, severely
limited; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Officer recognize that serving as
an officer of a corporation at times calls for subjective evaluations and
judgments upon which reasonable persons may differ and that, in that context, it
is anticipated and expected that officers of corporations will and do from time
to time commit actual or alleged errors or omissions in the good faith exercise
of their corporate duties and responsibilities; and
WHEREAS, it is the express policy of the Corporation to indemnify
its officers to the fullest extent permitted by law; and
WHEREAS, the Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation
permit, and the Restated Bylaws of the Corporation require, indemnification of
the officers of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law,
including but not limited to the Oregon Business Corporation Act (the "Act"),
and the Act expressly provides that the indemnification provisions set forth
therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplates that contracts may be
entered into between the Corporation and its officers with respect to
indemnification; and
WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Officer desire to articulate
clearly in contractual form their respective rights and obligations with regard
to the Officer's service on behalf of the Corporation as an officer and with
regard to claims for loss, liability, expense or damage which, directly or
indirectly, may arise out of or relate to such service.
NOW THEREFORE, the Corporation and the Officer agree as follows:
1. Agreement to Serve.
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The Officer shall serve as an officer of the Corporation for so long
as the Officer is duly elected or until the Officer tenders a resignation in
writing. This Agreement creates no obligation on either party to continue the
service of the Officer for a particular term or any term.
2. Definitions.
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As used in this Agreement:
(a) The term "Proceeding" shall include any threatened,
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether formal or
informal, whether brought by or in the right of the Corporation or
otherwise, and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative nature, in which the Officer may be or may have been
involved as a party, witness or otherwise, by reason of the fact that the
Officer is or was an officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at
the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other enterprise, whether or not serving in such capacity at the
time any liability or expense is incurred for which exculpation,
indemnification or reimbursement can be provided under this Agreement.
(b) The term "Expenses" includes, without limitation thereto,
expenses of investigations, judicial or administrative proceedings or
appeals, attorney, accountant and other professional fees and
disbursements and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification
under Section 12 of this Agreement, but shall not include amounts paid in
settlement by the Officer or the amount of judgments or fines against the
Officer.
(c) References to "other enterprise" include, without
limitation, employee benefit plans; references to "fines" include, without
limitation, any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any
employee benefit plan; references to "serving at the request of the
Corporation" include, without limitation, any service as a director,
officer, employee or agent which imposes duties on, or
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involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with
respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or its
beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such
person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and
beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in
a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation" as
referred to in this Agreement.
(d) References to "the Corporation" shall include, in addition
to the resulting 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, and employees or agents,
so that any person who is or was a director, officer or employee 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, shall stand in the same position under this Agreement with
respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would
have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate
existence had continued.
(e) For purposes of this Agreement, the meaning of the phrase
"to the fullest extent permitted by law" shall include, but not be limited
to:
(i) to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any
amendments to or replacements of the Act adopted after the date of
this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may
indemnify or exculpate its officers or directors; and
(ii) to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of
the Act that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification
by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or
replacement of the Act.
3. Limitation of Liability.
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(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Officer shall
have no monetary liability of any kind or nature whatsoever in respect of
the Officer's errors or omissions (or alleged errors or omissions) in
serving the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, their respective
shareholders or any other enterprise at the request of the Corporation, so
long as such errors or omissions (or alleged errors or omissions), if any,
are not shown by clear and convincing evidence to have involved:
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(i) any breach of the Officer's duty of loyalty to such
corporations, shareholders or enterprises;
(ii) any act or omission not in good faith or which
involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
(iii) any unlawful distribution under Section 60.367 of
the Act (including, without limitation, dividends, stock repurchases
and stock redemptions);
(iv) any transaction from which the Officer derived an
improper personal benefit; or
(v) profits made from the purchase and sale by the
Officer of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of
Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or
similar provision of any state statutory law or common law.
(b) Without limiting the generality of subparagraph (a) above
and to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Officer shall have no
personal liability to the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, their
respective shareholders or any other person claiming derivatively through
the Corporation, regardless of the theory or principle under which such
liability may be asserted, for:
(i) punitive, exemplary or consequential damages;
(ii) treble or other damages computed based upon any
multiple of damages actually and directly proved to have been
sustained;
(iii) fees of attorneys, accountants, expert witnesses
or professional consultants; or
(iv) civil fines or penalties of any kind or nature
whatsoever.
4. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings.
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The Corporation shall indemnify the Officer in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 4 if the Officer was or is a party to, or is
threatened to be made a party to, any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding by or
in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor), against all
Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, actually and
reasonably incurred by the Officer in connection with such Proceeding if the
Officer acted in good faith and in a manner the Officer reasonably believed was
in or not opposed to the best
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interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, the Officer, in addition, had no reasonable cause to believe that
the Officer's conduct was unlawful. However, the Officer shall not be entitled
to indemnification under this Section 4 in connection with any Proceeding
charging improper personal benefit to the Officer in which the Officer is
adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by
the Officer unless and only to the extent that the court conducting such
Proceeding or any other court of competent jurisdiction determines upon
application that, despite such adjudication of liability, the Officer is fairly
and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant
circumstances of the case.
5. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation.
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The Corporation shall indemnify the Officer in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 5 if the Officer was or is a party to, or is
threatened to be made a party to, any Proceeding by or in the right of the
Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, against all Expenses actually
and reasonably incurred by the Officer in connection with the defense or
settlement of such Proceeding if the Officer acted in good faith and in a manner
the Officer reasonably believed was in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Corporation. However, the Officer shall not be entitled to indemnification
under this Section 5 in connection with any Proceeding in which the Officer has
been adjudged liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the
court conducting such Proceeding or any other court of competent jurisdiction
determines upon application that, despite such adjudication of liability, the
Officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such Expenses
in view of all the relevant circumstances of the case.
6. Indemnification of Expenses of Successful Party.
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Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement other than
Section 8, to the extent that the Officer has been successful, on the merits or
otherwise, in defense of any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or
matter therein, including the dismissal of an action without prejudice, the
Corporation shall indemnify the Officer against all Expenses actually and
reasonably incurred in connection therewith.
7. Additional Indemnification.
---------------------------
Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 4, 5 or 6, the
Corporation shall indemnify the Officer to the fullest extent permitted by law
with respect to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the
Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor), against all Expenses,
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably
incurred by
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the Officer in connection with such Proceeding.
8. Exclusions.
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Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Corporation
shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification in
connection with any claim made against the Officer:
(a) for which payment is made to or on behalf of the Officer
under any insurance policy, except with respect to any deductible amount,
self-insured retention or any excess amount to which the Officer is
entitled under this Agreement beyond the amount of payment under such
insurance policy;
(b) if a court having jurisdiction in the matter finally
determines that such indemnification is not lawful under any applicable
statute or public policy;
(c) in connection with any Proceeding (or part of any
Proceeding) initiated by the Officer, or any Proceeding by the Officer
against the Corporation or its directors, officers, employees or other
persons entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation, unless:
(i) the Corporation is expressly required by law to make
the indemnification;
(ii) the Proceeding was authorized by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation; or
(iii) the Officer initiated the Proceeding pursuant to
Section 12 of this Agreement and the Officer is successful in whole
or in part in such Proceeding; or
(d) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and
sale by the Officer of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of
Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or
similar provision of any state statutory law or common law.
9. Advances for Expenses.
----------------------
The Corporation shall pay the Expenses incurred by the Officer in
any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding brought for an accounting of profits
made from the purchase and sale by the Officer of securities of the Corporation
within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, or similar provision of any state statutory law or common law) in
advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding at the written request of the
Officer, if the Officer:
(a) furnishes the Corporation a written
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affirmation of the Officer's good faith belief that the Officer is
entitled to be indemnified under this Agreement; and
(b) furnishes the Corporation a written undertaking to repay
the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that the
Officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation. Such
undertaking shall be an unlimited general obligation of the Officer but
need not be secured.
Advances pursuant to this Section 9 shall be made no later than 10
days after receipt by the Corporation of the affirmation and undertaking
described in subparagraphs (a) and (b) above, and shall be made without regard
to the Officer's ability to repay the amount advanced and without regard to the
Officer's ultimate entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement. The
Corporation may establish a trust, escrow account or other secured funding
source for the payment of advances made and to be made pursuant to this Section
9 or of other liability incurred by the Officer in connection with any
Proceeding.
10. Nonexclusivity and Continuity of Rights.
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The indemnification, advancement of Expenses, and exculpation from
liability provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other
rights to which the Officer may be entitled under any other agreement, articles
of incorporation, bylaws, vote of shareholders or directors, the Act, or
otherwise, both as to action in the Officer's official capacity and as to action
in another capacity while holding such office or occupying such position. The
indemnification under this Agreement shall continue as to the Officer even
though the Officer may have ceased to be an officer of the Corporation or a
director, officer, employee or agent of an enterprise related to the Corporation
and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, administrators and
personal representatives of the Officer.
11. Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.
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Any indemnification under Sections 4, 5, 6 or 7 shall be made no
later than 45 days after receipt of the written request of the Officer, unless a
determination that the Officer is not entitled to indemnification under this
Agreement is made within such 45-day period by:
(a) the Board of Directors by majority vote of a quorum
consisting of directors not at the time parties to the applicable
Proceeding;
(b) if such quorum cannot be obtained, majority vote of a
committee duly designated by the Board of Directors consisting solely of
two or more directors not at the time
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parties to the proceeding;
(c) special legal counsel selected by the Board of Directors
or its committee in the manner prescribed in subparagraph (a) or (b) above
or, if a quorum of the Board of Directors cannot be obtained under
subparagraph (a) above and a committee cannot be designated under
subparagraph (b) above, the special legal counsel shall be selected by
majority vote of the full Board of Directors, including directors who are
parties to the proceeding; or
(d) the shareholders of the Corporation.
12. Enforcement.
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The Officer may enforce any right to indemnification, advances or
exculpation provided by this Agreement in any court of competent jurisdiction
if:
(a) the Corporation denies the claim for indemnification,
advances or exculpation, in whole or in part; or
(b) the Corporation does not dispose of such claim within the
time period required by this Agreement.
It shall be a defense to any such enforcement action (other than an action
brought to enforce a claim for advancement of Expenses pursuant to, and in
compliance with, Section 9 of this Agreement) that the Officer is not entitled
to indemnification or exculpation under this Agreement. However, except as
provided in Section 13 of this Agreement, the Corporation shall not assert any
defense to an action brought to enforce a claim for advancement of Expenses
pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement if the Officer has tendered to the
Corporation the affirmation and undertaking required thereunder. The burden of
proving by clear and convincing evidence that indemnification or exculpation is
not appropriate shall be on the Corporation. Neither the failure of the
Corporation (including its Board of Directors or independent legal counsel) to
have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that
indemnification or exculpation is proper in the circumstances because the
Officer has met the applicable standard of conduct nor an actual determination
by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors or independent legal
counsel) that indemnification or exculpation is improper because the Officer has
not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be asserted as a defense to
the action or create a presumption that the Officer is not entitled to
indemnification or exculpation under this Agreement or otherwise. The Officer's
expenses incurred in connection with successfully establishing the Officer's
right to indemnification, advances or exculpation, in whole or in part, in any
Proceeding shall also be paid or reimbursed by the Corporation.
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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) the Officer is not entitled to indemnification under
Sections 4, 5 or 7 of this Agreement because the Officer did not act in
good faith and in a manner which the Officer reasonably believed to be in
or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that
the Officer's conduct was unlawful; or
(ii) the Officer is not entitled to exculpation under Section 3
of this Agreement.
13. Notification and Defense of Claim.
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As a condition precedent to indemnification under this Agreement,
not later than 30 days after receipt by the Officer of notice of the
commencement of any Proceeding the Officer shall, if a claim in respect of the
Proceeding is to be made against the Corporation under this Agreement, notify
the Corporation in writing of the commencement of the Proceeding. The failure to
properly notify the Corporation shall not relieve the Corporation from any
liability which it may have to the Officer: (a) unless the Corporation shall be
shown to have suffered actual damages as a result of such failure; or (b)
otherwise than under this Agreement. With respect to any Proceeding as to which
the Officer so notifies the Corporation of the commencement:
(a) The Corporation shall be entitled to participate in the
Proceeding at its own expense.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 13, the
Corporation may, at its option and jointly with any other indemnifying
party similarly notified and electing to assume such defense, assume the
defense of the Proceeding, with legal counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the Officer. The Officer shall have the right to use separate legal
counsel in the Proceeding, but the Corporation shall not be liable to the
Officer under this Agreement, including Section 9 above, for the fees and
expenses of separate legal counsel incurred after notice from the
Corporation of its assumption of the defense, unless (i) the Officer
reasonably concludes that there may be a conflict of interest between the
Corporation and the Officer in the conduct of the defense of the
Proceeding, or (ii) the Corporation does not use legal counsel to assume
the defense of such Proceeding. The Corporation shall not be entitled to
assume the defense of any Proceeding brought by or on behalf of the
Corporation or as to which the Officer has made the conclusion provided
for in (i) above.
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(c) If two or more persons who may be entitled to
indemnification from the Corporation, including the Officer, are parties
to any Proceeding, the Corporation may require the Officer to use the same
legal counsel as the other parties. The Officer shall have the right to
use separate legal counsel in the Proceeding, but the Corporation shall
not be liable to the Officer under this Agreement, including Section 9
above, for the fees and expenses of separate legal counsel incurred after
notice from the Corporation of the requirement to use the same legal
counsel as the other parties, unless the Officer reasonably concludes that
there may be a conflict of interest between the Officer and any of the
other parties required by the Corporation to be represented by the same
legal counsel.
(d) The Corporation shall not be liable to indemnify the
Officer under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any
Proceeding effected without its written consent, which shall not be
unreasonably withheld. The Officer shall permit the Corporation to settle
any Proceeding that the Corporation assumes the defense of, except that
the Corporation shall not settle any action or claim in any manner that
would impose any penalty, limitation, disqualification or
disenfranchisement on the Officer without the Officer's written consent.
14. Partial Indemnification.
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If the Officer is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Corporation for some or a portion of the Expenses,
judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred
by the Officer in connection with such Proceeding, but not, however, for the
total amount thereof, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify the Officer
for the portion of such Expenses, judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement
to which the Officer is entitled.
15. Interpretation and Scope of Agreement.
--------------------------------------
Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted to constitute a
contract of service for any particular period or pursuant to any particular
terms or conditions. The Corporation retains the right, in its discretion, to
terminate the service relationship of the Officer, with or without cause, or to
alter the terms and conditions of the Officer's service all without prejudice to
any rights of the Officer which may have accrued or vested prior to such action
by the Corporation.
16. Severability.
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If this Agreement or any portion thereof shall be invalidated on any
ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Agreement
shall continue to be valid and the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify the
Officer as to Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with
respect to any Proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated.
17. Subrogation.
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In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Corporation shall
be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of
the Officer. The Officer shall execute all documents required and shall do all
acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Corporation
effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.
18. Notices.
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All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given upon
delivery by hand to the party to whom the notice or other communication shall
have been directed, or on the third business day after the date on which it is
mailed by United States mail with first-class postage prepaid, addressed as
follows:
(a) If to the Officer, to the address indicated on the
signature page of this Agreement.
(b) If to the Corporation, to:
Agritope, Inc.
0000 X.X. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 00000
Attention: Chairman of the Board
With a copy to:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Tonkon, Xxxx, Xxxxx, Marmaduke & Booth
1600 Pioneer Tower
000 X.X. Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 00000-0000
or to any other address as either party may designate to the other in writing.
19. Counterparts.
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This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each
of which shall constitute the original.
20. Applicable Law.
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This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the internal laws of the state of Oregon without regard to the conflict of laws
provisions thereof.
21. Successors and Assigns.
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This Agreement shall be binding upon the Corporation and its
successors and assigns.
22. Attorney Fees.
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If any suit or action (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy
proceeding) is instituted to enforce or interpret any provision of this
Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the party not
prevailing, in addition to other relief that may be provided by law, an amount
determined reasonable as attorney fees at trial and on any appeal of such suit
or action.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the date first written above.
CORPORATION: OFFICER:
AGRITOPE, INC.
By: -------------------------------- --------------------------------
Title: -----------------------------
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Address
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