printer-friendly

Sample Business Contracts

Indemnity Agreement - Informix Corp. and Peter Gyenes

Sponsored Links

                               INDEMNITY AGREEMENT



          THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (the "Agreement"), made and entered into this
14th day of September 2000 by and between INFORMIX CORPORATION, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and the undersigned of the Company (the
"Indemnitee").

                                   WITNESSETH:

          WHEREAS, competent and experienced persons are increasingly reluctant
to serve as directors or officers of corporations because of increased exposure
to litigation costs and risks and because the exposure frequently bears no
reasonable relationship to their compensation;

          WHEREAS, litigation against an officer or director often involves the
knowledge, motive and intent of the officer or director and the long period of
time between the events giving rise to the litigation and its final disposition
often extends beyond the time the officer or director can reasonably recall such
matters, the retirement of the officer or director, or the death of the officer
or director, with the result that he or, in the event of his death, his heirs,
executors or administrators, may be faced with limited ability and undue
hardship in maintaining an adequate defense, which may discourage such a
director or officer from serving in that position;

          WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that, to
retain and attract talented and experienced individuals to serve as officers and
directors of the Company and its subsidiaries and to encourage such individuals
to take the business risks necessary for the success of the Company and its
subsidiaries, it is necessary for the Company to contractually indemnify the
officers and directors of the Company and of its subsidiaries, and to assume for
itself maximum liability for expenses and damages in connection with claims
against such officers and directors in connection with their service to the
Company and its subsidiaries;

          WHEREAS, Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware
("Section 145") empowers the Company to indemnify its officers, directors,
employees and agents by agreement and to indemnify persons who serve, at the
request of the Company, as the directors, officers, employees or agents of other
corporations or enterprises;

          WHEREAS, the shareholder of the Company have adopted or will adopt
by-laws (the "By-laws") providing for the indemnification of the officers,
directors, employees and agents of the Company;

          WHEREAS, such By-laws and Section 145 specifically provide that they
are not exclusive and contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the
Company and the directors and officers with respect to indemnification of such
directors and officers;

          WHEREAS, the Company desires and has requested the Indemnitee to serve
or continue to serve as a director and/or officer of the Company and/or one or
more subsidiaries of the Company; and

          WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is willing to serve, or to continue to serve,
the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company as a director and/or
officer, provided that he is furnished the indemnity provided for herein.

          NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the foregoing and the
mutual promises contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:


                                       1
<PAGE>


1.        DEFINITIONS. When used herein.

                              (a)       "Agent" shall mean any person who is or
                    was a director, officer, employee or other agent of the
                    Company or a Subsidiary, as hereinafter defined: or is or
                    was serving in a fiduciary capacity within the meaning of
                    the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
                    amended ("ERISA"), in connection with an employee benefit
                    plan, as that term is defined by ERISA, which is sponsored
                    by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or is or was
                    serving at the request of, for the convenience of, or to
                    represent the interests of the Company or a Subsidiary as a
                    director, officer, employee or agent of another foreign or
                    domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
                    other enterprise; or was a director, officer, employee or
                    agent of a foreign or domestic corporation which was a
                    predecessor corporation of the Company or a Subsidiary, or
                    was a director, officer, employee or agent of another
                    enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to
                    represent the interests of such predecessor corporation.

                              (b)       "D&O Insurance" shall mean directors'
                    and officers' liability insurance.

                              (c)       "Expenses" shall include all direct and
                    indirect costs of any type or nature whatsoever (including,
                    without limitation, all attorneys' fees and related
                    disbursements, other out-of-pocket costs and reasonable
                    compensation for time spent by the Indemnitee for which he
                    is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third
                    party) actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in
                    connection with either the investigation, defense or appeal
                    of a Proceeding, as hereinafter defined, or establishing or
                    enforcing a right to indemnification under this Agreement,
                    Section 145 or otherwise; provided, however, that unless
                    otherwise expressly provided below. Expenses shall not
                    include any judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or
                    penalties, or amounts paid in settlement of a Preceding.

                              (d)       "Proceeding" shall mean any threatened,
                    pending, or completed action, suit or other proceeding,
                    whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative,
                    appellate, or any other type whatsoever.

                              (e)       "Subsidiary" shall mean any corporation
                    of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding
                    voting securities is owned directly or indirectly by the
                    Company and one or more other Subsidiaries, or by one or
                    more other Subsidiaries.

2.        AGREEMENT TO SERVE. The Indemnitee agrees to serve and/or continue to
serve as an Agent, at the will of the Company (or under separate agreement, if
such agreement exists), in the capacity Indemnitee currently serves as an Agent,
so long as he is duly appointed or elected and qualified in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the by-laws of the Company or any Subsidiary or until
such time as he tenders his resignation in writing; provided, however, that
nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to create any right to continued
employment and/or service as a director by Indemnitee.

3.        MAINTENANCE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE.

                              (a)       The Company hereby covenants and agrees
                    that, so long as the Indemnitee shall continue to serve as
                    an Agent and thereafter so long as the Indemnitee shall be
                    subject to any possible Proceeding by reason of the fact
                    that the Indemnitee was an Agent, the Company, subject to
                    Section 3(c), shall promptly obtain and maintain in full
                    force and effect D&O Insurance in reasonable amounts from
                    established and reputable insurers.

                              (b)       In all policies of D&O Insurance, the
                    Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as
                    to provide the Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as
                    are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company's
                    directors, if the Indemnitee is a director, or of the
                    Company's officers, if the Indemnitee is not a director of
                    the Company but is an officer.




                                       2
<PAGE>

                              (c)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
                    Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain D&O
                    insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such
                    insurance is not reasonably available, the premium costs for
                    such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of
                    coverage provided, the coverage provided by such insurance
                    is so limited by exclusions that there is insufficient
                    benefit from such insurance, or the Indemnitee is covered by
                    similar insurance maintained by a Subsidiary.

4.        MANDATORY INDEMNIFICATION

                              (a)       To the fullest extent not prohibited by
                    Section 145 as in effect on the date of this Agreement and
                    as may hereafter be amended, or any other statutory
                    provision permitting or authorizing such indemnification
                    which is adopted subsequent to the execution of this
                    Agreement (but only to the extent that any such amendment or
                    other provision permits the Company to provide broader
                    indemnification rights than Section 145 permits prior to any
                    such amendment or the adoption of any such provision), the
                    Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnitee if
                    the Indemnitee is a person who was or is a party or is
                    threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including,
                    without limitation, an action by or in the right of the
                    Company) by reason of the fact that he is or was an Agent,
                    or by reason of anything done or not done by him in any such
                    capacity, against any and all Expenses and liabilities of
                    any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to,
                    judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and
                    amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred
                    by him in connection with the investigation, defense,
                    settlement or appeal of such Proceeding.

                              (b)       In addition to the indemnity provided by
                    Section 4(a) hereof, the Company shall, subject to Section
                    6, 7, 8 and 10 hereof, indemnify and hold harmless the
                    Indemnitee if the Indemnitee is a person who was or is a
                    party or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding
                    (including, without limitation, an action by or in the right
                    of the Company) by reason of the fact that he is or was an
                    Agent, or by reason of anything done or not done by him in
                    any such capacity, against any and all Expenses and
                    liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not
                    limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or
                    penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) actually and
                    reasonably incurred by him in connection with the
                    investigation, defense, settlement or appeal of such
                    Proceeding.

                              (c)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
                    Company shall not be obligated to indemnify the Indemnitee
                    for Expenses or liabilities of any type whatsoever
                    (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA
                    excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement)
                    which have been paid directly to Indemnitee by D&O
                    Insurance.

5.        PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. If the Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a
portion of any Expenses or liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but
not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts
paid in settlement) incurred by him in the investigation, defense, settlement or
appeal of a Proceeding but not entitled, however, to indemnification for all of
the total amount thereof, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee for such
portion thereof to which the Indemnitee is entitled.

6.        MANDATORY ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. Subject to Section 10(a) below, the
Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with
the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal or any Proceeding to which the
Indemnitee is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact
that the Indemnitee is or was an Agent. Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay
such amounts advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be
determined pursuant to Section 8 hereof that the Indemnitee is not entitled to
be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby. The advances to be made
hereunder shall be paid by the Company to the Indemnitee within twenty (20) days
following delivery of a written request therefor by the Indemnitee to the
Company.


                                       3
<PAGE>

7.        NOTICE AND OTHER INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURES.

                              (a)       Promptly after receipt by the Indemnitee
                    of notice of the commencement of or the threat of
                    commencement of any Proceeding, the Indemnitee shall, if the
                    Indemnitee believes that indemnification with respect
                    thereto may be sought from the Company under this Agreement,
                    notify the Company of the commencement or threat of
                    commencement thereof.

                              (b)       If, at the time of the receipt of a
                    notice of the commencement of a Proceeding pursuant to
                    Section 7(a) hereof, the Company has D&O Insurance in
                    effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the
                    commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in
                    accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective
                    policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or
                    desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of
                    the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such
                    Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

                              (c)       In the event the Company shall be
                    obligated to pay the Expenses of any Proceeding against the
                    Indemnitee, the Company shall be entitled to assume the
                    defense of such Proceeding, with counsel selected by the
                    Company and subject to the reasonable approval of the
                    Indemnitee, upon the delivery to the Indemnitee of written
                    notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such
                    notice, approval of such counsel by the Indemnitee and the
                    retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will
                    not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any
                    fees of counsel subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee with
                    respect to the same Proceeding, provided that (i) the
                    Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his counsel in any
                    such Proceeding at the Indemnitee's expense; and (ii) if (A)
                    the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been
                    previously authorized by the Company, or (B) the Indemnitee
                    shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict
                    of interest between the Company and the Indemnitee in the
                    conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not,
                    in fact, have employed counsel to assume the defense of such
                    Proceeding, the fees and expenses of Indemnitee's counsel
                    shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall
                    not be entitled to assume the defense of any action, suit,
                    or proceeding by or on behalf of the Company or as to which
                    the Indemnitee shall have made the conclusion provided for
                    in (ii)B above.

8.        DETERMINATION OF RIGHT TO INDEMNIFICATION.

                              (a)       To the extent the Indemnitee has been
                    successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any
                    Proceeding referred to in Section 4(a) or 4(b) of this
                    Agreement or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter
                    described therein, the Company shall indemnify the
                    Indemnitee against Expenses actually and reasonably incurred
                    by him in connection with the investigation, defense, or
                    appeal of such Proceeding.

                              (b)       In the event that Section 8(a) is
                    inapplicable, the Company shall also indemnify the
                    Indemnitee unless, and only to the extent that, the Company
                    shall prove by clear and convincing evidence to a forum
                    listed in Section 8(c) below that indemnification is not
                    required pursuant to Sections 4 and 10 hereof.

                              (c)       The Indemnitee shall be entitled to
                    select the forum in which the validity of the Company's
                    claim under Section 8(b) hereof that the Indemnitee is not
                    entitled to indemnification will be heard from among the
                    following:

                                        (1)       A quorum of the Board
                              consisting of directors who are not parties to the
                              proceeding for which indemnification is being
                              sought;

                                        (2)       The stockholders of the
                              Company;


                                       4
<PAGE>

                                        (3)       Legal counsel selected by the
                              Indemnitee, and reasonably approved by the Board,
                              which counsel shall make such determination in a
                              written opinion; or

                                        (4)       A panel of three (3)
                              arbitrators, one (1) of whom is selected by the
                              Company, another of whom is selected by the
                              Indemnitee and the last of whom is selected by the
                              first two (2) arbitrators so selected.

                              (d)       As soon as practicable, and in no event
                    later than thirty (30) days after written notice of the
                    Indemnitee's choice of forum pursuant to Section 8(c) above,
                    there shall be submitted to such forum as the Indemnitee or
                    the Indemnitee's counsel may reasonably request, its claim
                    that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, and
                    the Company shall act in the utmost good faith to assure the
                    Indemnitee a complete opportunity to defend against such
                    claim.

                              (e)       Notwithstanding a determination by any
                    forum listed in Section 8(c) hereof that Indemnitee is not
                    entitled to indemnification with respect to a specific
                    Proceeding, the Indemnitee shall have the right, subject to
                    the provisions of Section 18 hereof, to apply to the Court
                    of Chancery of Delaware, the court in which that Proceeding
                    is or was pending, or any other court of competent
                    jurisdiction, for the purpose of enforcing the Indemnitee's
                    right to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement.

                              (f)       Notwithstanding any other provision in
                    this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall indemnify
                    the Indemnitee against all Expenses incurred by the
                    Indemnitee in connection with any hearing or Proceeding
                    under this Section 8 involving the Indemnitee and against
                    all Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with
                    any other Proceeding between the Company and the Indemnitee
                    involving the interpretation or enforcement of the rights of
                    the Indemnitee under this Agreement unless a court of
                    competent jurisdiction finds that each of the claims and/or
                    defenses of the Indemnitee in any such Proceeding was
                    frivolous or made in bad faith.

9.        SHARE RATIFICATION. Unless this Agreement in substantially the form
set forth herein has been approved by the shareholders of the Company, this
Agreement shall be expressly subject to ratification by such stockholders. If
this Agreement in substantially the form set forth herein is not so ratified
and/or approved by such stockholders within one (1) year after the effective
date hereof, this Agreement shall be void.

10.       EXCEPTIONS. Any other provision herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement:

                              (a)       To indemnify or advance Expenses to the
                    Indemnitee with respect to Proceedings or claims initiated
                    or brought voluntarily by the Indemnitee and not by way of
                    defense, except with respect to Proceedings brought to
                    establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this
                    Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as
                    required under Section 145, but such indemnification or
                    advancement of Expenses may be provided by the Company in
                    specific cases if the Board of Directors finds it to be
                    appropriate; or

                              (b)       To indemnify the Indemnitee for any
                    Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any
                    Proceeding instituted by the 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

                              (c)       To indemnify the Indemnitee under this
                    Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of a Proceeding
                    unless the Company consents to such settlement, which
                    consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; or


                                       5
<PAGE>

                              (d)       on account of any Proceeding in which
                    judgment is rendered against Indemnitee for an accounting of
                    profits made from the purchase or sale by Indemnitee of
                    securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of
                    Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
                    amended; or

                              (e)       on account of Indemnitee's conduct which
                    is finally adjudged by a court to have been knowingly
                    fraudulent, deliberately dishonest or willful misconduct; or

                              (f)       if a final adjudication by a court
                    having jurisdiction in the matter shall determine that such
                    indemnification is not lawful.

11.       NON-EXCLUSIVITY. The provisions for indemnification and advancement of
Expenses set forth in this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other
rights which the Indemnitee may have under any provision of law, the Company's
certificate of incorporation or By-laws, the vote of the Company's stockholders
or disinterested directors, other agreements, or otherwise, both as to action in
his official capacity and to action in another capacity while occupying his
position as an Agent, and the Indemnitee's rights hereunder shall continue after
the Indemnitee has ceased acting as an Agent and shall inure to the benefit of
the heirs, executors and administrators of the Indemnitee or his estate.

12.       INTERPRETATION OF AGREEMENT. It is understood that the parties hereto
intend this Agreement to be interpreted and enforced so as to provide
indemnification to the Indemnitee to the fullest extent now or hereafter
permitted by law.

13.       SEVERABILITY. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall
be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (i)
the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of the
Agreement (including without limitation, all portions of any paragraphs of this
Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall
not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and (ii) to the fullest extent
possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all
portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held
to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid,
illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent
manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable and to give
effect to Section 12 hereof.

14.       MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. No waiver, supplement, modification or
amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both
of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement
shall be deemed, or shall constitute, a waiver of any other provision hereof
(whether or not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

15.       SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. The terms of this agreement shall bind, and
shall inure to the benefit of, the successors and assigns of the Company and the
successors, assigns, heirs, executors and administrators of the Indemnitee or
his estate.

16.       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 or (ii) if mailed by
certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day
after the mailing date. Addresses for notice to either party are as follows:

         to the Company:               Informix Corporation
                                       4100 Bohannon Drive
                                       Menlo Park, California 94025
                                       Attn:  Gary Lloyd
                                            Vice President, Legal,
                                            General Counsel and Secretary

                                       6
<PAGE>

         to the Indemnitee:            Peter Gyenes

                                       --------------------------
                                       --------------------------

or subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this
section.

17.       GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed exclusively by and
construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, as applied to
contracts between Delaware residents entered into and to be performed entirely
within Delaware.

18.       CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. Subject to Indemnitee's right to select a
nonjudicial forum under Section 8(c) hereof, the Company and the Indemnitee each
hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of
Delaware for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which
arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted
under this Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of the State of
Delaware.

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have entered into this
Agreement as of the date first above written,

INFORMIX CORPORATION
a Delaware Corporation

"COMPANY"



By:      /s/ Gary Lloyd
         ------------------------------
         Gary Lloyd
         Vice President, Legal,
         General Counsel and Secretary





"INDEMNITEE"

/s/ Peter Gyenes
---------------------------------------
Signature

PETER GYENES
---------------------------------------
Printed Name

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
---------------------------------------


Approved by stockholders on February 8, 1988.


                                       7