ALPHANET SOLUTIONS, INC.
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of October 14,
1996, by and between AlphaNet Solutions, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the
"Company"), and DIRECTOR OR OFFICER NAME ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is an officer of the Company and performs a
valuable service in such capacity for the Company;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the difficulty in
obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and
fiduciaries, the significant 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 directors, officers,
employees, agents and fiduciaries 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 the Indemnitee and other
directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be
willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection;
and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of
highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in
part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the
Company as an officer and director, wishes to provide for the indemnification
and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) INDEMNIFICATION OF EXPENSES. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee
to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a
party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party
to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any
hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might
lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative
dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative,
investigative or other (collectively hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or
arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the
Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request
of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason
of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such
capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses
(including attorneys' fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations
incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or
participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in
or participate in, any such Claim), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid
in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal,
state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the
actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively,
hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges
paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment
of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event
no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is
presented to the Company.
(b) REVIEWING PARTY. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations
of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the
Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined
(in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel
referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be
permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the
Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section
2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and
to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be
permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be
entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the
Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if
Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of
competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be
indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party
that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law
shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the
Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made
with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been
exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee's obligation to reimburse the Company for any
Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If
there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the
Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has
been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been
approved by a majority of the Company's Board of Directors who were directors
immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the
Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been
no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines
that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole
or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence
litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such
determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal
or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents
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to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by
the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and
Indemnitee.
(c) CHANGE IN CONTROL. The Company agrees that if there is a Change in
Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved
by a majority of the Company's Board of Directors who were directors immediately
prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter
arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense
Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws as now or hereafter in effect, the
Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined
in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company
(which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other
things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to
whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under
applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent
Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any
and all expenses (including attorneys' fees), claims, liabilities and damages
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.
(d) MANDATORY PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has
been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the
dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any Claim referred to in
Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein,
Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
connection therewith.
2. EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE.
(a) ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company shall advance all Expenses
incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the
Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five
(5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.
(b) NOTICE/COOPERATION BY INDEMNITEE. Indemnitee shall, as a condition
precedent to Indemnitee's 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). 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) NO PRESUMPTIONS; BURDEN OF PROOF. For purposes of this Agreement,
the termination of any Claim, 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
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that 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 Reviewing
Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any
particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual
determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard
of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal
proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee
should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee's
claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular
standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with
any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the
Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be
on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.
(d) NOTICE TO INSURERS. If, at the time of the receipt by the Company
of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has
liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give
prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim 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 Claim in
accordance with the terms of such policies.
(e) SELECTION OF COUNSEL. In the event the Company shall be obligated
hereunder to pay the Expenses of any Claim, the Company, if appropriate, shall
be entitled to assume the defense of such Claim 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 Claim; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall
have the right to employ Indemnitee's counsel in any such Claim 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
continue to retain such counsel to defend such Claim, then the fees and expenses
of Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.
3. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS; NONEXCLUSIVITY.
(a) SCOPE. 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 Certificate 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 New Jersey corporation to indemnify
a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary,
it is the intent of the
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parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater
benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable
law, statute or rule which narrows the right of a New Jersey corporation to
indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or
fiduciary, such change, 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 be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors, the New Jersey Business Corporation
Act, or otherwise. 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.
4. NO DUPLICATION OF PAYMENTS.
The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any
payment in connection with any Claim made against Indemnitee to the extent
Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy,
Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaw or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise
indemnifiable hereunder.
5. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION.
If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the
investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal Claim, but
not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses 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, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries 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.
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7. LIABILITY INSURANCE.
To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to
directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be
covered by such policies 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, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer
or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.
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 ACTION OR OMISSIONS. To indemnify Indemnitee for acts,
omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability
under applicable law.
(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 (1) with respect to
proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws now or hereafter in effect relating to
Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of
Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as
otherwise required under Section 14A:3-5 of the New Jersey Business Corporation
Act, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to
such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case
may be.
(c) 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; or
(d) CLAIMS UNDER SECTION 16(B). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses
and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale, or sale and
purchase, 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. 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 Indemnitee, Indemnitee's
estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the
expiration of two years from the date of accrual of such cause of
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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.
10. CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PHRASES.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" 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, employees, agents or
fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee,
agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the
request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent
or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee
benefit plan, 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, agent or fiduciary of the Company
which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer,
employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its
participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in
a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the
participants 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 a "Change in Control" shall be
deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections
13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than
a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan
of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders
of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock
of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3
under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company
representing more than 20% of the total voting power represented by the
Company's then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two
consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute
the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the
Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders was
approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in
office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose
election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any
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reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the stockholders of the
Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other
corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the
Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto
continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted
into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting
power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving
entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the
stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the
Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one
transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the
Company's assets.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall
mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the
provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed
services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than
with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this
Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).
(e) For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any
appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company's
Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of
Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is
seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.
(f) For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any
securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.
11. COUNTERPARTS.
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of
which shall constitute an original.
12. BINDING EFFECT; SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be
enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns,
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, spouses, and any heirs, and personal and legal representatives of the
Indemnitee. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or
indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially
all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by
written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, 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. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether
Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other
enterprise at the Company's request.
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13. ATTORNEYS' FEES.
In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this
Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to
enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be
entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such
action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such
action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to
such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction
over such action 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 to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to
Indemnitee's counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be
entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a
part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action 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, 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 New Jersey 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
commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of
New Jersey in and for Xxxxxx County, which shall be the exclusive and only
proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.
16. SEVERABILITY.
The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that
any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section,
paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be
invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall
remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the
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fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without
limitation, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be
invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or
unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested
by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.
17. CHOICE OF LAW.
This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and
enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to
contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed
entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws
principles thereof.
18. 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.
19. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION.
No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this
Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both 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.
20. INTEGRATION AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT.
This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties
hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations,
commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof
between the parties hereto.
21. NO CONSTRUCTION AS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT.
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving
Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
AlphaNet Solutions, Inc.
By:_____________________________________
Xxxx Gang, Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive Officer
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED
INDEMNITEE:
__________________________
Name:
__________________________
(Street Address)
__________________________
(City, State and Zip)
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