Indemnification Agreement - SkillSoft Corp. and P. Howard Edelstein
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made as of this 13th
day of November, 2003, by and between SkillSoft Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and P. Howard Edelstein ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty
in obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the significant
increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the
coverage of such insurance;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial
increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors
to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage
of liability insurance has been severely limited;
WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as
adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other officers and
directors of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve as officers and
directors without additional protection; 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 permitted by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above premises and Indemnitee's
willingness to continue to serve as a director of the Company and its parent
corporation, SkillSoft PLC, 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 or proceeding, 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, by reason of (i) any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while
an officer or director, (ii) 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, or (iii) the
fact that Indemnitee, at the request of the Company, gave his consent to be
named, or is or was named, in a registration statement as about to become a
director, person performing similar functions, or partner of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and reasonably incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with such action 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 or
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proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo
contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that
(i) Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company, or (ii) with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, Indemnitee 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 to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding 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) and, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement, in each case to the extent
actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense or
settlement of such action or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in
a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the
Company and its stockholders, 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 in the performance of Indemnitee's duty to
the Company and its stockholders unless and only to the extent that the court in
which such action or proceeding is or was pending shall determine upon
application that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is
fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for expenses and then only to the
extent that the court shall determine.
(c) Mandatory Payment of Expenses. To the extent that
Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to in Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this
Paragraph 1 or the 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. 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 or proceeding referenced in
Section 1(a) or (b) hereof (but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any
such action 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 within twenty (20) days following delivery of a written request
therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall give
the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made against
Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this
Agreement (or
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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; otherwise
notice shall be deemed received when such notice shall actually be received by
the Company. Indemnitee's failure to provide timely notice to the Company shall
not affect the Company's obligation to indemnify Indemnitee unless the Company
has been materially prejudiced by the delay or failure. 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 indemnification provided for in Section 1
shall be made no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of the written
request of Indemnitee. If a claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or
under any provision of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws
providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within
forty-five (45) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been
received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time thereafter
bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim
and, subject to Section 12 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 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, but the burden of
proving such defense shall be on the Company, and Indemnitee shall be entitled
to receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection 2(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 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 2(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 the 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 2(a) hereof to pay 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, which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written
notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such
counsel by Indemnitee
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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 proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee
shall have the right to employ his 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 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.
3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.
(a) Scope. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest
extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not
specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation, the Company's Bylaws or by statute. In the event
of any change, after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute
or rule which expands the right of a 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 the 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 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 Bylaws, any
agreement, any vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, Delaware law 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 shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not
taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though he may have ceased to
serve in such capacity at the time of any action or other covered proceeding.
4. 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 in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil
or criminal action 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.
5. 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
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certain circumstances for a determination of the Company's right under public
policy to indemnify Indemnitee.
6. Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance. The Company shall,
from time to time, make the 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 directors' and officers' 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 of the
Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an
officer; or of the Company's key employees, if Indemnitee is not an officer or
director but is a key employee. 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 benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar
insurance maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company.
7. 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 obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of
this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided
in this Section 7. If 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 full 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.
8. 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, 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
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(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) which
have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of
directors' and officers' liability insurance maintained by the Company; or
(d) 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 Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar successor statute.
9. 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 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; references to "fines" shall
include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee
benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall
include any service as a director, officer, employee 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.
10. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
11. Successors 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.
12. Attorneys' Fees. In the event that any 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
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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.
13. Notice. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if
delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such
receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage
prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for
notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or
as subsequently modified by written notice.
14. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby (a)
submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in
the State of Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to
this Agreement, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or
proceeding may be heard and determined only in any such court, (c) waives any
claim of inconvenient forum or other challenge to venue in such court, and (d)
agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
Agreement in any other court. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby agrees to
accept service of any summons, complaint or other initial pleading made in the
manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 13. Nothing in this Section
14, however, shall affect the right of either party to serve such summons,
complaint or initial pleading in any other manner permitted by law.
15. Choice of Law. This Agreement and any disputes hereunder shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of
Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or
rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would
cause the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the State
of Delaware.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
SKILLSOFT CORPORATION
By: /s/ Charles E. Moran
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Name: Charles E. Moran
Title: Chief Executive Officer
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
P. HOWARD EDELSTEIN
Signature: /s/ P. Howard Edelstein
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Address:
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