Exhibit 10.12
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement (the "Agreement") is made as of August 7,
2003, by and between The A Consulting Team, Inc., a New York corporation (the
"Company"), and (the "Indemnitee").
RECITALS
The Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty in
obtaining liability insurance for directors, officers and key employees; the
significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions
in the coverage of such insurance. The Company and Indemnitee further recognize
the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting
directors, officers and key employees to expensive litigation risks at the same
time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance has been severely
limited. Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate
under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and agents of the Company may
not be willing to continue to serve as agents of the Company without additional
protection. The Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly
qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, and to indemnify its directors,
officers and key employees so as to provide them with the maximum protection
permitted by law.
AGREEMENT
In consideration of the mutual promises made in this Agreement, and for
other good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged,
the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. Indemnification.
(a) Third Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee
to the fullest extent permitted under and in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York if Indemnitee is made, or threatened to be made, a party to an
action or proceeding other than by or in the right of the Company to procure a
judgment in its favor, whether civil or criminal, including an action by or in
the right of any other corporation of any type or kind, domestic or foreign, or
any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise, which Indemnitee served in any capacity at the request of the
Company, by reason of the fact that Indemnitee was a director or officer of the
Company, or served such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust,
employee benefit plan or other enterprise in any capacity, against judgments,
fines, amounts paid in settlement and reasonable expenses, including attorney's
fees actually and necessarily incurred as a result of such action or proceeding,
or any appeal therein, if Indemnitee acted, in good faith, for a purpose which
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or, in the case of service for any
other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise, not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation and, in
criminal actions or proceedings, in addition, had no reasonable cause to believe
that his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any such civil or
criminal action or proceeding by judgment, settlement, conviction or upon a
pleas of nolo contendere, or its equivalent, shall not in itself create a
presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith, for a purpose which
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or, in the case of service for any
other corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit
plan or other enterprise, not opposed to, the best interests of the Company or
that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was
unlawful.
(b) Proceedings By or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall
indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted under and in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York if Indemnitee is made, or threatened to
be made, a party to an action by or in the right of the Company to procure a
judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director
or officer of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as
a director or officer of any other corporation of any type or kind, domestic or
foreign, of any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise, against amounts paid in settlement and reasonable expenses,
including attorney's fees actually and necessarily incurred by Indemnitee in
connection with the defense or settlement of such action, or in connection with
an appeal therein if Indemnitee acted, in good faith, for a purpose which he or
she reasonably believed to be in, or, in the case of service for any other
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise, not opposed to, the best interests of the Company, except that that
no indemnification under this paragraph shall be made in respect of (i) a
threatened action, or pending action which is settled or otherwise disposed of,
or (ii) 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 in which such action was brought, or, if no action was brought, any court
of competent jurisdiction, determines upon application that, in view of all the
circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for such portion of the settlement amount and expenses as the court
deems proper.
(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 Section 1(a) or Section 1(b) 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. No Employment Rights. Nothing contained in this Agreement is
intended to create in Indemnitee any right to continued employment.
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 referred to in
Section l(a) or Section 1(b) hereof (including 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 or, where indemnification is granted, to the
extent the expenses so advanced by the Company or allowed by the court exceed
the indemnification to which the Indemnitee is entitled.
(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 this
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and shall be given in accordance with the provisions of
Section 12(d) below. 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 and advances provided for in
Section 1 and this Section 3 shall be made no later than thirty (30) 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 thirty (30) 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 11 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, 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 Section 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 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 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 3(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, upon the
delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After
delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the
retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to
Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by
Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee
shall have the right to employ 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.
4. 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 New York corporation to indemnify a member of
its board of directors or an officer, such changes shall be deemed to be 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 New York 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 members of the Company's Board of
Directors, the Business Corporation Law of the State of New York, 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 or she may have ceased
to serve in any such capacity at the time of any action, suit or other covered
proceeding.
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 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 Acknowledgment. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge
that in certain instances, Federal law or public policy may override applicable
state law and prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors and officers
under this Agreement or otherwise. For example, the Company and Indemnitee
acknowledge that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has taken
the position that indemnification is not permissible for liabilities arising
under certain federal securities laws, and federal legislation prohibits
indemnification for certain ERISA violations. Indemnitee understands and
acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to
undertake with the SEC 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 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
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 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 parent
or subsidiary 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 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 8. 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.
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 722 of the New York Business Corporation Law, 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;
(b) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses
incurred by Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee
to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a judgment or other final
adjudication adverse to the Indemnitee establishes that the Indemnitee's acts
were committed in bad faith or were the result of active and deliberate
dishonesty and were material to the cause of action so adjudicated, or that the
Indemnitee personally gained in fact a financial profit or other advantage to
which he was not legally entitled;
(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; or
(d) Claims under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses
or 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.
10. Construction of Certain Phrases.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company"
shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent
corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a
consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would
have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, 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, the Company shall be deemed to
have requested Indemnitee to serve an employee benefit plan where the
performance by Indemnitee of his or here duties to the Company also imposes
duties on, or otherwise involves services by, such Indemnitee to the plan or
participants or beneficiaries of the plan; references to "fines" shall include
any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit
plan; and action taken or omitted by Indemnitee with respect to an employee
benefit plan in the performance of such Indemnitee's duties for a purpose
reasonably believed by such Indemnitee to be in the interest of the participants
and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be for a purpose which is "not
opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.
11. 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;
provided that no indemnification may be made to or on behalf of Indemnitee if a
judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the Indemnitee establishes that
the Indemnitee's acts were committed in bad faith or were the result of active
and deliberate dishonesty and were material to the cause of action so
adjudicated, or that the Indemnitee personally gained in fact a financial profit
or other advantage to which he was not legally entitled. 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); provided that
no indemnification may be made to or on behalf of Indemnitee if a judgment or
other final adjudication adverse to the Indemnitee establishes that the
Indemnitee's acts were committed in bad faith or were the result of active and
deliberate dishonesty and were material to the cause of action so adjudicated,
or that the Indemnitee personally gained in fact a financial profit or other
advantage to which he was not legally entitled.
12. Miscellaneous.
(a) Governing Law. This Agreement and all acts and transactions
pursuant hereto and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be
governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of
New York, without giving effect to principles of conflict of law.
(b) Entire Agreement; Enforcement of Rights. This Agreement sets
forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties relating to the
subject matter herein and merges all prior discussions between them. No
modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights
under this Agreement, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the parties
to this Agreement. The failure by either party to enforce any rights under this
Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of such party.
(c) Construction. This Agreement is the result of negotiations
between and has been reviewed by each of the parties hereto and their respective
counsel, if any; accordingly, this Agreement shall be deemed to be the product
of all of the parties hereto, and no ambiguity shall be construed in favor of or
against any one of the parties hereto.
(d) Notices. Any notice, demand or request required or permitted to
be given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficient
when delivered personally or sent by telegram or fax, or forty-eight (48) hours
after being deposited in the U.S. mail, as certified or registered mail, with
postage prepaid, and addressed to the party to be notified at such party's
address as set forth below or as subsequently modified by written notice.
(e) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which
together shall constitute one instrument.
(f) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Company and its successors and assigns, and inure to the benefit of Indemnitee
and Indemnitee's heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
(g) 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
to effectively bring suit to enforce such rights.
The parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year set
forth on the first page of this Agreement.
The A Consulting Team, Inc.
By:
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Title:
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Address: 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx 000
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
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Address: The A Consulting Team, Inc.
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx, XX 00000
