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BIGSTAR ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is effective as of this --
day of ---------, 1999, by and between BigStar Entertainment, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company") and ----------------------- ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the continued difficulty
in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents
and fiduciaries, 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 directors, officers,
employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time
as the availability and coverage of liability insurance has been severely
limited;
WHEREAS, the Indemnitee, as a director of the Company, does not regard
the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances,
and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and
fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such
capacities without additional protection;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of
highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in
part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the
Company, wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to
Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law; and
WHEREAS, in view of the considerations set forth above, the Company
desires that Indemnitee shall be indemnified by the Company as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Expenses. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee
to the fullest extent provided under the provisions of the Company's Certificate
of Incorporation, the Company's Bylaws, and to the fullest extent permitted by
law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other
participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other
participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, claim,
hearing, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing,
inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to
the institution of any such action, suit, claim, hearing, proceeding or
alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal,
administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a ""Claim") by reason of (or
arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the
Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request
of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of
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another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or
by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in
such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all
expenses (including attorneys' fees and all other costs, expenses and
obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a
witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be
a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative
dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments,
fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved
in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of
such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the
Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under
this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest,
assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect
of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon
as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written
demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.
(b) Reviewing Party. Indemnitee shall initially be presumed in all
cases to be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the terms hereof, and
Indemnitee may establish a conclusive presumption of any fact necessary to such
a determination by delivering to the Company a declaration made under penalty or
perjury that such fact is true and that, unless the Reviewing Party shall
deliver to Indemnitee, in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1(b),
written notice that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification within twenty
(20) calendar days of the Company's receipt of Indemnitee's initial request for
Indemnification, such determination shall conclusively be deemed to have been
made in favor of the Indemnitee's request for indemnification. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section 1(a) shall be
subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(f)
hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which
the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved)
that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law,
and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to
Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to
the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party
determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under
applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee
(who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore
paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter
commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a
determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any
determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted
to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall
not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final
judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of
appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee's obligation to
reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest
shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined
in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of
Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change
in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company's Board of
Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the
Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section
1(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the
Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted
to be
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indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall the right
to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or
challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof,
including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents
to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by
the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and
Indemnitee.
(c) Change in Control. The Company agrees that if there is a Change in
Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved
by a majority of the Company's Board of Directors who were directors
immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters
thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses
and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws as now or hereafter in effect,
the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as
defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the
Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among
other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as
to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified
under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of any
Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel
against any and all expenses (including attorneys' fees), claims, liabilities
and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement
pursuant hereto.
(d) Establishment of Trust. In the event of a Potential Change in Control
(as defined in Section 10(e) hereof), the Company shall, upon written request by
Indemnitee, create a trust for the benefit of Indemnitee and, from time to time
upon written request of Indemnitee, shall fund such trust in an amount
sufficient to satisfy any and all Expenses reasonably anticipated at the time of
each such request to be incurred in connection with investigating, preparing for
and defending any Claim relating to an Indemnifiable Event, and any and all
judgments, fines, penalties and settlement amounts of any and all Claims
relating to an Indemnifiable Event from time to time actually paid or claimed,
reasonably anticipated or proposed to be paid. The amount or amounts to be
deposited in the trust pursuant to the foregoing funding obligation shall be
determined by the Reviewing Party, in any case in which the Independent Legal
Counsel referred to above is involved. The terms of the trust shall provide that
upon a Change in Control (i) the trust shall not be revoked or the principal
thereof invaded, without the written consent of Indemnitee, (ii) the trustee
shall advance, within five (5) business days of a request by Indemnitee, any and
all Expenses to Indemnitee (and Indemnitee hereby agrees to reimburse the trust
under the circumstances under which Indemnitee would be required to reimburse
the Company under Section 1(b) of this Agreement), (iii) the trust shall
continue to be funded by the Company in accordance with the funding obligation
set forth above, (iv) the trustee shall promptly pay to Indemnitee all amounts
for which Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this
Agreement or otherwise, and (v) all unexpended funds in such trust shall revert
to the Company upon a final determination by the Reviewing Party or a court of
competent jurisdiction, as the case may be, that Indemnitee has been fully
indemnified under the terms of this Agreement. The trustee shall be chosen by
Indemnitee. Nothing in this Section 1(d) shall relieve the Company of any of its
obligations under this Agreement.
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(e) Mandatory Payment of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that
Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise,
including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without
prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the
defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be
indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in
connection therewith.
(f) Written Assurance. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein, the Company shall not effect any Change in
Control of the Company, unless the surviving entity agrees in
writing to assume all of the Company's obligations under this
Agreement.
2. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure.
(a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all Expenses
incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the
Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than
five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.
(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a condition
precedent to Indemnitee's 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 at the address shown on the signature page of this
Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to
Indemnitee). 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) No Presumptions; Burden of Proof. For purposes of this Agreement,
the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order,
settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a
plea of nolo contendere, or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that
Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any
particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not
permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing
Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any
particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual
determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard
of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal
proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee
should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee's
claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular
standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with
any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the
Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall
be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.
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(d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a
notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability
insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt
notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 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 action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such
policies.
(e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated
hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the
defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation 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 action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have
the right to employ Indemnitee's counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding,
inquiry or investigation 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 continue to retain such counsel to defend such
action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses
of Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.
3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.
(a) Scope. 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, employee, agent or fiduciary,
it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this
Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any
change in any applicable law, statue or rule which narrows the right of a
Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an
officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise
required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall
have no effect on this Agreement or the parties' rights and obligations
hereunder.
(b) Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be
in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors, the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, or otherwise. 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 Indemnitee may have ceased
to serve in such capacity.
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4. No Duplication of Payments.
The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in
connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made
against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received
payment (under any Company insurance policy, the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation, its Bylaw or otherwise from a Company source) of the amounts
otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.
5. Partial Indemnification.
If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to
indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the
investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action,
suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the
total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for
the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.
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, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries 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. Liability Insurance.
To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to
directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be
covered by such policies 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, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer
or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.
8. Exceptions.
Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company
shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:
(a) Excluded Action or Omissions. To indemnify Indemnitee for acts,
omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability
under applicable law.
(b) 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 (i) with respect to
proceedings brought to establish or enforce
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a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or
insurance policy or under the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws
now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in
specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing
of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise as required under Section 145 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, regardless of whether Indemnitee
ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense
payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.
(c) 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
(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. 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 one year 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
one-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.
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, employees, agents or
fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee,
agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at
the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee,
agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee
benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same
position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting
or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such
constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises"
shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any
excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan;
and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any
service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the
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Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director,
officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan,
its participants or its beneficiaries.
(c) For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to
have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and
14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than a trustee
or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the
Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the
Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the
Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under
said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing
more than 20% of the total voting power represented by the Company's then
outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two consecutive years,
individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of
Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of
Directors or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders was approved
by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who
either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or
nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to
constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the stockholders of the Company approve
a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a
merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the
Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by
remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the
surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the
Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding
immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the stockholders of the
Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement
for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of
transactions) all of substantially all of the Company's assets.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean
an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of
Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the
Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to
matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other
indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).
(e) For purposes of this Agreement, a "Potential Change in Control" shall
be deemed to have occurred if: (i) the Company enters into an agreement, the
consummation of which would result in the occurrence of a Change in Control,
(ii) any person (including the Company) publicly announces an intention to take
or to consider taking actions which, if consummated, would constitute a Change
in Control, or (iii) any person, other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding
securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company acting in such capacity
or a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the
Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the
Company, who is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing 9.5% or more of the combined voting power
of the Company's then outstanding Voting Securities, increases his or her
beneficial ownership of such securities by five percentage points (5%) or more
over the percentage so owned by such person; or (iv) the Board of Directors
adopts a resolution to the effect that, for purposes of this Agreement, a
Potential Change in Control has occurred.
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(f) For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any
appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company's
Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of
Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is
seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.
(g) For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any
securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
12. Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns.
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be
enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, assigns,
including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or
otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the
Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company
shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase,
merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial
part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form
and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to
perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the
Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This
Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to
serve as a director or officer of the Company or of any other enterprise at the
Company's request.
13. Attorneys' Fees.
In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this
Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company
to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be
entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such
action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such
action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to
such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent
jurisdiction over such action 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 to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this
Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by
Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred
with respect to Indemnitee's counterclaims and cross-claims made in such
action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such
action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such
action determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such action
were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
14. 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
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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.
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
commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the courts of the State of
Delaware, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating
such a claim.
16. Severability.
The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any
of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section,
paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be
invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall
remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the
fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without
limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be
invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or
unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested
by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.
17. Choice of Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and
enforced 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 the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflict of laws principles
thereof.
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 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 waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
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20. Integration and Entire Agreement.
This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties
hereto and supercedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations,
commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof
between the parties hereto.
21. No Construction as Employment Agreement.
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee
any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries.
22. Specific Performance
The Company and Indemnitee agree that a monetary remedy for breach of this
Agreement, at some later date, will be inadequate, impracticable and difficult
to prove, and the Company and the Indemnitee further agree that such breach
would cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the Company and Indemnitee
agree that Indemnitee shall be entitled to temporary and permanent injunctive
relief to enforce this Agreement without the necessity of proving actual damages
or irreparable harm. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee
shall be entitled to such injunctive relief, including temporary restraining
orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity
of posting bond or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company hereby
waives any such requirement of bond or undertaking.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Indemnification
Agreement as of the date first above written.
BIGSTAR ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
By:____________________________
Title:_________________________
00 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED
INDEMNITEE:____________________
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