Directorship Indemnification Agreement - Quotesmith.com Inc.
FORM OF
QUOTESMITH.COM, INC.
DIRECTORSHIP INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made as of this ____
day of May, 1999 by and between QUOTESMITH.COM, INC., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), and _________________ ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is currently serving as a director, officer,
employee and/or agent of the Company and/or, at the Company's request, as a
director, officer, employee and/or agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, and the Company wishes Indemnitee to
continue his or her service in such capacity(ies) without concern of unwarranted
personal liability;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize that litigation against
corporations has increased over past decades and increasingly has subjected
officers and directors personally to the risks and expenses of such litigation;
and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of
highly qualified individuals such as Indemnitee to serve as officers and
directors of the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to
provide them with the maximum protection against personal liability permitted by
law; and
WHEREAS, the Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the "Restated
Certificate of Incorporation") authorizes the Corporation to provide
indemnification and to advance expenses to the full extent not prohibited by
Delaware law and the Amended and Restated By-Laws (the "By-Laws") of the Company
provide that the Company shall indemnify its directors and officers, in the
manner and to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation
Law (the "DGCL"); and
WHEREAS, DGCL Section 145(f) expressly recognizes that the
indemnification provisions of the DGCL are not exclusive of any other rights to
which a person seeking indemnification may be entitled under the Restated
Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company, or an agreement
providing for indemnification, or a resolution of stockholders or directors, or
otherwise; and both the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws each
also expressly recognize that the indemnification provisions of the Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws shall not be deemed exclusive of, and
shall not affect, any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification may
be entitled under any agreement;
WHEREAS, the By-Laws also permit the Company to provide directors and
officers liability insurance and other forms of insurance protection to its
directors, officers, employees and agents; and
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WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize that the cost and
availability of directors' and officers' liability insurance has not only
fluctuated widely over time, but frequently that such insurance frequently
contains express or implied limitations on coverage of specific risks and may
involve protracted claims procedures that prevent the timely payment or
reimbursement of losses incurred by directors and officers in their own defense,
or by the Company on their behalf; and
WHEREAS, the Company wishes therefore to provide Indemnitee with an
independent contractual right to indemnification and advancement of defense
expenses in addition to that provided in the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation and the By-Laws of the Company, in a form generally approved and
authorized by the stockholders of the Company:
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises, conditions and
representations set forth herein, including without limitation the Indemnitee's
service in his or her capacity as a director, officer, employee, or agent of the
company and/or, at the Company's request, as a director, officer, employee
and/or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise, and in consideration for Indemnitee's services in such capacity, the
Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. Indemnification.
(a) Third Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee if
Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any
threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding of any kind, including
without limitation any alternative dispute resolution mechanism, in each case,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action
by or in the right of the Company) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or
was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of
the Company, or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, amounts paid in
settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld), costs of investigation, and costs
of attachment or similar bonds, and actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if Indemnitee
acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's
conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by
judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or
its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that Indemnitee did
not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee's
conduct was unlawful.
(b) Proceedings By or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall
indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made
a party
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to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by
reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, by reason of any action
or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or director or by reason
of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees)
costs of investigation, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, amounts
paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection
with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, if Indemnitee acted in
good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the Company, except that no indemnification
shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee
shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and only to the
extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which
such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite
the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case,
Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses
which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other court shall
deem proper.
(c) Mandatory Payment of Expenses. To the extent the Indemnitee has
been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or
proceeding referred to in Subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 1, or in
defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection therewith.
2. Agreement to Serve. In consideration of the protection afforded by
this Agreement, if Indemnitee is a director of the Company, he or she agrees to
serve at least for six months after the effective date of this Agreement as a
director and not to resign voluntarily during such period without the written
consent of a majority of the Board of Directors. If Indemnitee is an officer of
the Company not serving under an employment contract, he or she agrees to serve
in such capacity at least for the balance of the current fiscal year of the
Company and not to resign voluntarily during such period without the written
consent of a majority of the Board of Directors. Following the applicable period
set forth above, Indemnitee agrees to continue to serve in such capacity at the
will of the Company (or under separate agreement, if such agreement exists) so
long as he or she is duly appointed or elected and qualified in accordance with
the applicable provisions of the By-Laws of the Company or any subsidiary of the
Company or until such time as he or she tenders his or her resignation in
writing. Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to create in Indemnitee
any right to continued employment.
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3. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.
(a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all expenses
incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement
or appeal of any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding referenced in
Section 1(a) or (b) hereof (but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any
such action, suit or proceeding). Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such
amounts advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be
determined that 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 Indemnitee with thirty (30) days following delivery of a written
request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a condition
precedent to his or her 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 his
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the President 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). Notice
shall be deemed received three business days after the date postmarked if sent
by domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed; or five business
days if sent by airmail to a country outside of North America; otherwise notice
shall be deemed received when such notice is actually received by the Company.
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) Procedure. Any payment of indemnification under Section 1 of this
agreement, or any advancement of expenses under Section 3(a) of this Agreement
shall be made no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the written
request of Indemnitee therefore. If a claim for indemnification or for
advancement of expenses under this Agreement or under any statute, provision of
the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws, resolution of the board
of directors or otherwise providing for such indemnification is not paid in full
by the Company within thirty (30) days after a written request for payment
thereof has first been received by the Company, Indemnitee may, at any time
thereafter, bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of
the claim. Subject to Section 13 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall also be
entitled to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys' fees) of bringing
such action. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action
brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in connection with any action,
suit or proceeding in advance of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not
met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for
the Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed. However, Indemnitee
shall be entitled to receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection
3(a) unless and until such defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or
judgment from which no further right of appeal exists. It is the parties'
intention that if the Company contests Indemnitee's right to indemnification,
the question of Indemnitee's right to indemnification shall be for the court to
decide, and neither the failure of the Company (including its Board of
Directors, any committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent
legal counsel, or its stockholders) to
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have made a determination that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the
circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct
required by applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Company
(including its Board of Directors, any committee or subgroup of the Board of
Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that Indemnitee has
not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that
Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
(d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a
claim pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof, the Company has director and officer
liability 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 Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance
with the terms of such policies.
(e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated
under Section 3(a) hereof to advance the expenses of any proceeding against
Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense
of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to
Indemnitee of written notice of its election to request that the Company assume
the defense of such proceeding. After delivery of such notice, approval of such
counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the
Company shall not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of
counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding,
provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his or her own
counsel in any such proceeding 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
material conflict of interest between the Company and 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, then the fees and expenses of
Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.
4. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.
(a) Scope. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the
Company hereby agrees to indemnify 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 By-Laws 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 Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its board
of directors or an officer, such changes shall be, ipso facto, within the
purview of Indemnitee's rights and Company's obligations, under this Agreement.
In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows
the right of a Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its board of
directors or an officer, such changes, to the extent not otherwise required
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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 not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled
under the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its By-Laws, any agreement,
any vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors, the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware, or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee's
official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such
office. The indemnification provided under this Agreement as any action taken or
not taken by Indemnitee while serving in an indemnified capacity shall continue
even though the Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time
of any such action, suit or other proceeding covered by this agreement.
5. Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a
portion of the expenses, judgments, fines or penalties actually or reasonably
incurred by him or her in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of
any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding, but not, however, for the
total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for
the portion of such expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to which Indemnitee
is entitled.
6. Mutual Acknowledgement. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge
that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit
the Company from indemnifying its directors and officers 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.
7. Officer and Director Liability Insurance. The Company shall, from
time to time, make a good faith determination whether or not it is practicable
for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of insurance with
reputable insurance companies providing the officers and directors of the
Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to ensure the Company's
performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Among other
considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such insurance
coverage against the protection afforded by such coverage. In all policies of
director and officer liability insurance, Indemnitee shall be named as an
insured 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 the most favorably insured of the Company's
officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or
maintain such insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such
insurance is not reasonably available, if the premium costs for such insurance
are disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided, if the coverage
provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to provide an
insufficient
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benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained by a
subsidiary or parent of the Company.
8. Severability. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or
shall be construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in
violation of applicable law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order,
to perform its obligation under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of
this Agreement. If the provisions of this Agreement or any portion hereof shall
be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the
Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted
by any applicable portion of this Agreement that shall not have been
invalidated, and the balance of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be
enforceable in accordance with its terms.
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 Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or
brought voluntarily by 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 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, but such indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the
Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit; or
(b) 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
(c) Insured Claims. To indemnify 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) to the
extent such expenses or liabilities have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an
insurance carrier under a policy of officers' and directors' liability insurance
maintained by the Company, its parent or any of its subsidiaries; or
(d) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for
expenses and the payment of "short swing profits" arising from the purchase and
sale or the 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.
(e) Public Policy. To indemnify Indemnitee to the extent that
a court of competent jurisdiction has finally determined that such
indemnification would be prohibited as contrary to public policy.
10. Construction of Certain Phrases.
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(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 with the Company, which constituent corporation, if its separate
existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its
directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that if Indemnitee is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or
was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other enterprise, 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; and references to "serving at the request
of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or
agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such
director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan,
its participants, or 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.
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
12. Successor and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Company and its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of
Indemnitee and Indemnitee's estate, heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
13. Attorneys' Fees. In the event that an action is instituted by
Indemnitee under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all court costs and expenses, including
reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action,
unless as a part of such action, the court of competent jurisdiction 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 or to enforce
or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to
be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by
Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such
action the court determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such
action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
14. Notice. Except as provided in Section 3(b), 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
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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 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 Delaware Court of Chancery, unless
jurisdiction for such action shall be found to lie in another Delaware court.
16. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, as applied to
contracts between Delaware residents entered into and to be performed entirely
within Delaware without regard to the conflict of law principles thereof.
17. 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 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.
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 of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this
Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions
hereof (whether or not similar), nor shall such wavier 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.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
QUOTESMITH.COM, INC.
By: ________________________________
Name: Robert S. Bland
Title: Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Address: 8205 South Cass Avenue
Suite 102
Darien, Illinois 60561
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
_______________________
_______________________
(signature)
Address:
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________