ICOA INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement (the "Agreement") is made and entered
into this 26th day of October, 2005, between ICOA, Inc., a Nevada corporation
(the "Company"), and Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx ("Indemnitee").
A. Indemnitee, as a member of the Company's Board of Directors and/or
an officer of the Company, performs valuable services for the Company;
B. The Company and Indemnitee recognize the continued difficulty in
obtaining liability insurance for corporate directors, officers, employees,
controlling persons, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the
cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such
insurance.
C. The Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial
increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers,
employees, controlling persons, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation
risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance
has been severely limited.
D. The stockholders of the Company have adopted Bylaws (the "Bylaws")
providing for the indemnification of the officers, directors, agents and
employees of the Company to the maximum extent authorized by Chapter 78 of the
Nevada Revised Statutes, as amended ("78NRS").
E. Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available for the
Company's directors, officers, employees, controlling persons, agents and
fiduciaries as adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and
other directors, officers, employees, controlling persons, agents and
fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to serve or continue to serve in
such capacities without additional protection.
F. The Bylaws and 78NRS, by their non-exclusive nature, permit
contracts between the Company and its directors, officers, employees,
controlling persons, agents or fiduciaries with respect to indemnification of
such directors.
G. The Company (i) desires to attract and retain the involvement of
highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in
part, in order to induce Indemnitee to be involved with the Company, and (ii)
wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to
Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.
H. In view of the considerations set forth above, the Company desires
that Indemnitee be indemnified by the Company as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of Indemnitee's service to the
Company, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Indemnity of Indemnitee. The Company hereby agrees to indemnify
Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, even if such indemnification
is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate"), 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 Nevada
corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of Directors or an officer,
employee, controlling person, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the
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 Nevada 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 except as set forth
in Section 9(a) hereof.
2. Additional Indemnity. The Company hereby agrees to hold harmless and
indemnify the Indemnitee:
(a) against any and all expenses incurred by Indemnitee, as set forth
in Section 3(a) below;
(b) with regard to any claims, penalties or other liabilities arising
out of obligations owed by the Company to federal, state or local governments
for taxes (including taxes on payroll, income, sales and use) which were or
should have been accrued on or before October 31, 2005 and
(c) otherwise to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Certificate,
the Bylaws or 78NRS.
3. Indemnification Rights.
(a) Indemnification of Expenses. The Company shall indemnify and hold
harmless Indemnitee, together with Indemnitee's partners, affiliates, employees,
agents and spouse and each person who controls any of them or who may be liable
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act"), or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act"), 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
and the Company believe might lead to the institution of any such action, suit,
proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal,
administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") 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 action, suit, proceeding, alternative
dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation, 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 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,
incurred by Indemnitee 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, controlling person, 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, controlling person, 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 including, without limitation, any and all losses, claims, damages,
expenses and liabilities, joint or several (including any investigation, legal
and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in
settlement of, any action, suit, proceeding or any claim asserted) under the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or
regulation, at common law or otherwise, which relate directly or indirectly to
the registration, purchase, sale or ownership of any securities of the Company
or to any fiduciary obligation owed with respect thereto (hereinafter an
"Indemnification Event"). Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company
as soon as practicable but in any event no later than 25 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 2 shall be subject to the condition
that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 11(e) hereof) shall not have
determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal
Counsel as defined in Section 11(d) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would
not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) and Indemnitee
acknowledges and agrees that the obligation of the Company to make an advance
payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 4(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 11(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 3(e) 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 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) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 3(a)
above for any reason is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be
unavailable to an Indemnitee in respect of any losses, claims, damages, expenses
or liabilities referred to therein, then the Company, in lieu of indemnifying
Indemnitee thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
Indemnitee as a result of such losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities
(i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
received by the Company and Indemnitee, or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i)
above but also the relative fault of the Company and Indemnitee in connection
with the action or inaction which resulted in such losses, claims, damages,
expenses or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
In connection with the registration of the Company's securities, the relative
benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee shall be deemed to be in the
same respective proportions that the net proceeds from the offering (before
deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Indemnitee, in each case as
set forth in the table on the cover page of the applicable prospectus, bear to
the aggregate public offering price of the securities so offered. The relative
fault of the Company and Indemnitee shall be determined by reference to, among
other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company or Indemnitee and the parties' relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent
such statement or omission.
The Company and Indemnitee agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section 3(c) were determined by pro rata or per
capita allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take
account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding
paragraph. In connection with the registration of the Company's securities, in
no event shall an Indemnitee be required to contribute any amount under this
Section 3(c) in excess of the lesser of (i) that proportion of the total of such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities indemnified against equal to the
proportion of the total securities sold under such registration statement which
is being sold by Indemnitee or (ii) the proceeds received by Indemnitee from its
sale of securities under such registration statement. No person found guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 10(f) of the
Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
found guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
(d) Survival Regardless of Investigation. The indemnification and
contribution provided for herein will remain in full force and effect regardless
of any investigation made by or on behalf of Indemnitee or any officer,
director, employee, agent or controlling person of Indemnitee.
(e) Change in Control. After the date hereof, 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 under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the
Company's Certificate or Bylaws as now or hereafter in effect, Independent Legal
Counsel (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof) shall be 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 abide by
such opinion and to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel
referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all
reasonable expenses (including attorneys' fees), claims, liabilities and damages
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.
(f) Mandatory Payment of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the
merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action
without prejudice, in the defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation referred to in Section 3(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 herewith.
4. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.
(a) Advancement of Expenses. To the extent permitted by law, 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 ten business days after written demand by
Indemnitee therefor to the Company.
(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall give the
Company notice in writing in accordance with Section 15 of this Agreement as
soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which
indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement.
(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 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 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 4(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 each of the Company's policies. 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 action,
suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation 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 shall be entitled to
assume the defense of such Claim, with counsel approved by the Indemnitee (which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) upon the delivery to Indemnitee of
written notice of its election to do so. 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 is 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.
5. 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 General Corporation Law of the
State of Nevada, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement
shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action Indemnitee took or did not take
while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased
to serve in such capacity.
6. No Duplication of Payments. The Company shall not be liable under this
Agreement to make any payment in connection with any Claim made against any
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.
7. Partial Indemnification. If any Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for any portion of
Expenses incurred in connection with any 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.
8. Mutual Acknowledgement. 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, controlling
persons, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Each
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 rights under public policy to
indemnify Indemnitee.
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 any Indemnitee with respect to Claims initiated or brought voluntarily by
Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to actions or
proceedings to establish or enforce a right to indemnify 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 Claim, or (iii) as otherwise
required under 78.138NRS regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is
determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or
insurance recovery, as the case may be; or
(b) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses
and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of
securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or any similar
successor statute; or
(c) Claims Excluded Under 78.138 NRS. To indemnify Indemnitee if (i)
Indemnitee did not act in good faith or in a manner reasonably believed by such
Indemnitee to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, or (ii)
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable
cause to believe Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful, or (iii) Indemnitee shall
have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and only to the extent the
court in which such action was brought shall permit indemnification as provided
in 78.138 NRS.
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 any
Indemnitee, any Indemnitee's estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or
legal representatives after the expiration of five 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 five-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. 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, control person, or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or
was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director,
officer, employee, control person, 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 any 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 any Indemnitee acted in good faith and
in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interests 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)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), 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,
(A) who is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing 10% or more of the combined voting power
of the Company's then outstanding Voting Securities, increases his or her
beneficial ownership of such securities by 5% or more over the percentage so
owned by such person, or (B) becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule
13d-3 under said Exchange 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 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 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 3(d) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed
services for the Company or any Indemnitee within the last three years (other
than with respect to matters concerning the right of any 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 are
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.
12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
13. 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, 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, heirs, and personal and
legal representatives. 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 with
respect to Claims relating to Indemnifiable Events regardless of whether any
Indemnitee continues to serve as a director, officer, employee, agent,
controlling person, or fiduciary of the Company or of any other enterprise,
including subsidiaries of the Company, at the Company's request.
14. Attorneys' Fees. In the event that any action is instituted by an
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, any Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by
Indemnitee with respect to such action if 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, a court of competent
jurisdiction over such action determines that 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 counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be
entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless, as
a part of such action, a court having jurisdiction over such action determines
that the Indemnitee's material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or
were frivolous.
15. Notice. All notices and other communications required or permitted
hereunder shall be in writing, shall be effective when given, and shall in any
event be deemed to be given (a) five calendar days after deposit with the U.S.
Postal Service or other applicable postal service, if delivered by first class
mail, postage prepaid, (b) upon delivery, if delivered by hand, (c) one business
day after the business day of deposit with Federal Express or similar overnight
courier, freight prepaid, or (d) one day after the business day of delivery by
facsimile transmission, if deliverable by facsimile transmission, with copy by
first class mail, postage prepaid, and shall be addressed if to Indemnitee, at
Indemnitee's address as set forth beneath Indemnitee's signature to this
Agreement and if to the Company at the address of its principal corporate
offices (attention: Chief Executive Officer) or at such other address as such
party may designate by ten calendar days' advance written notice to the other
party hereto.
16. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby
irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Nevada 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 Courts of the
State of Nevada, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for
adjudicating such a claim.
17. 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 fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement
(including, without limitations, 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.
18. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions
construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada, as
applied to contracts between Nevada residents, entered into and to be performed
entirely within the State of Nevada, without regard to the conflict of laws
principles thereof.
19. 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.
20. Amendment and Termination. No amendment, modification, termination or
cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed
by all 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.
21. 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.
22. No Construction as Employment Agreement. Nothing contained in this
Agreement shall be construed as giving the Indemnitee any right to be retained
in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
23. Corporate Authority. The Board of Directors of the Company has approved
the terms of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on
and as of the day and year first above written.
COMPANY:
ICOA, INC.,
a Nevada corporation
/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------
By: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
CEO and President
INDEMNITEE:
/s/Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
----------------------
Address: 00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
