INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.6
This Indemnification Agreement is dated as of [________], 2026 (this “Agreement”) and is between Jersey ▇▇▇▇’s Subs Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned director/officer of the Company (the “Indemnitee”).
Background
The Company believes that, in order to attract and retain highly competent persons to serve as directors or in other capacities, including as officers, it must provide such persons with adequate protection through indemnification against the risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their services to and activities on behalf of the Company.
The Company desires and has requested the Indemnitee to serve, or to continue to serve, as a director and/or officer of the Company and, in order to induce the Indemnitee to serve, or to continue to serve, in such capacity, the Company is willing to grant the Indemnitee the indemnification provided for herein. The Indemnitee is willing to so serve, or to continue to serve, on the basis that such indemnification be provided.
The parties by this Agreement desire to set forth their agreement regarding indemnification and the advancement of expenses.
In consideration of the Indemnitee’s service to the Company and the covenants and agreements set forth below, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:
Section 2. Advancement of Expenses. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, but subject to the terms of this Agreement and following notice pursuant to Section 3(a) below, expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Indemnitee in appearing at, participating in or defending, or otherwise arising out of or related to, any action, suit or proceeding described in Section 1(a) shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any action, suit or proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses pursuant to Section 3 (an “advancement of expenses”), within 30 days after receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from the Indemnitee requesting such advancement of expenses from time to time; provided that such 30-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional 30 days, if the person or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation or information relating thereto. The Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay any amounts so advanced (without interest) to the extent that it is ultimately determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (a “final adjudication”) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified or entitled to advancement of expenses under this Agreement. No other form of undertaking shall be required of the Indemnitee other than the execution of this Agreement. This Section 2 shall be subject to Section 3(b) and shall not apply to any claim made by the Indemnitee for which indemnity is excluded pursuant to Section 6.
Section 3. Procedure for Indemnification; Notification and Defense of Claim.
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Section 4. Insurance and Subrogation.
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Section 5. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:
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Section 6. Limitation on Indemnification. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to this Agreement:
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Section 7. Change in Control
(i) A “change in control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following: (A) any person or group, within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act (other than our Principal Stockholders (as defined in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-297228)), or their respective affiliates or any subset thereof), obtains ownership, directly or indirectly, of (x) more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company or applicable successor entity (including any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for such capital stock) or (y) all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; (B) during any period of two consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors, and any new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 7(b)(i)(A), 7(b)(i)(C) or 7(b)(i)(D) or a director whose initial nomination for, or assumption of office as, a member of the Board of Directors occurs as a result of an actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents for election or removal of one or more directors by any person or group other than a solicitation for the election of one or more directors by or on behalf of the Board of Directors) whose election by the Board of the Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds 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 at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors; (C) the effective date of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation that would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) at least 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body of such
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surviving entity; and (D) the approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets. For purposes of this Section 7(b)(i) only, “person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that “person” shall exclude (a) the Company, (b) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company and (c) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.
(ii) The term “independent counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (A) the Company or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party or (B) any other party to the action, suit or proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “independent counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.
(iii) The term “Subsidiary” means, with respect to the Company (or an applicable successor entity), any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association or other business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors or other governing persons or bodies thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of the Company or a combination thereof, or (ii) if a partnership, limited liability company, trust, association or other business entity, a majority of the partnership, limited liability company or other similar ownership interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of the Company or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, the Company or its applicable Subsidiary shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a partnership, limited liability company, association or other business entity if the Company or such applicable Subsidiary shall be allocated a majority of partnership, limited liability company, association or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control the managing director, managing member, manager or general partner of such partnership, limited liability company, association or other business entity.
Section 8. Certain Settlement Provisions. The Company shall have no obligation to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action, suit or proceeding without the Company’s prior written consent. The Company shall not settle any action, suit or proceeding in any manner that would attribute to the Indemnitee any admission of wrongdoing or liability or that would impose any fine or other obligation or restriction on the Indemnitee without the Indemnitee’s prior written consent. Neither the Company nor the Indemnitee will unreasonably withhold his, her or its consent to any proposed settlement.
Section 9. Savings Clause. If any provision or provisions (or portion thereof) of this Agreement shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee if the Indemnitee was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in (including as a witness) any threatened,
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pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (brought in the right of the Company or otherwise), whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative and whether formal or informal, including any and all appeals, by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was or has agreed to serve as a director or officer of the Company, or while serving as a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent (which, for purposes hereof, shall include a trustee, fiduciary, partner or manager or similar capacity) of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by the Indemnitee in any such capacity, from and against all Losses suffered by, or incurred by or on behalf of, the Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, including any appeals, to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated.
Section 10. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for herein is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to the Indemnitee in whole or in part, it is agreed that, in such event, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, contribute to the payment of all Losses suffered by, or incurred by or on behalf of, the Indemnitee in connection with any action, suit or proceeding, including any appeals, in an amount that is just and equitable in the circumstances in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and the Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such actions, suit or proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and the Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s); provided that, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such contribution shall not be required where such holding by the court is due to any limitation on indemnification set forth in Section 4(d), Section 6 or Section 8.
Section 11. Form and Delivery of Communications. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand, upon receipt by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, (c) mailed by reputable overnight courier, one day after deposit with such courier and with written verification of receipt, or (d) sent by email or facsimile transmission, with receipt of oral confirmation that such transmission has been received. Notice to the Company shall be directed to ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel, email: [email address]. Notice to the Indemnitee shall be directed to the Indemnitee’s contact information on file with the Company.
Section 12. Nonexclusivity. The provisions for indemnification to or the advancement of expenses and costs to the Indemnitee under this Agreement shall not limit or restrict in any way the power of the Company to indemnify or advance expenses to the Indemnitee in any other way permitted by law or be deemed exclusive of, or invalidate, any right to which any indemnitee seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any law, the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, other agreements or arrangements, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in the Indemnitee’s capacity as an officer, director, employee or agent of the Company and as to action in any other capacity. The Indemnitee’s rights hereunder shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of the Indemnitee.
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Section 13. Defenses. In (i) any action, suit or proceeding brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in an action, suit or proceeding brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any action, suit or proceeding brought by the Company to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking by the Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2, the Company shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the Indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in applicable law. Neither the failure of the Company (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel or the Company’s stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Company (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel or the Company’s stockholders) that the Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the Indemnitee, be a defense to such suit.
Section 14. No Construction as Employment Agreement. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as giving the Indemnitee any right to be retained as a director or officer of the Company or in the employ of the Company or any other entity. For the avoidance of doubt, the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided under this Agreement shall continue as to the Indemnitee even though he or she may have ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company.
Section 15. Jointly Indemnifiable Claims.
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(i) The term “Indemnitee-related entities” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (other than the Company or any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise the Indemnitee has agreed, on behalf of the Company or at the Company’s request, to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent and which service is covered by the indemnity described in this Agreement) from whom the Indemnitee may be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to which, in whole or in part, the Company may also have an indemnification or advancement obligation (other than as a result of obligations under an insurance policy).
(ii) The term “jointly indemnifiable claims” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, any action, suit or proceeding for which the Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses from both the Company and any Indemnitee-related entity pursuant to the DGCL, any agreement or the certificate of incorporation, bylaws, partnership agreement, operating agreement, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership or comparable organizational documents of the Company or Indemnitee-related entities, as applicable.
Section 16. Interpretation of Agreement. It is understood that the parties hereto intend this Agreement to be interpreted and enforced so as to provide, in each instance, indemnification and advancement of expenses to the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights than applicable law permitted the Company to provide prior to such amendment). Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”, whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import.
Section 17. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the documents expressly referred to herein constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the matters covered hereby, and any other prior or contemporaneous oral or written understandings or agreements with respect to the matters covered hereby are expressly superseded by this Agreement.
Section 18. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, waiver or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provision hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver. For the avoidance of doubt, (a) this Agreement may not be modified or terminated by the Company without the Indemnitee’s prior written consent; (b) no amendment, alteration or interpretation of the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or any other agreement or arrangement shall limit or otherwise adversely affect the rights provided to the Indemnitee under this Agreement and (c) a right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or this Agreement shall not be
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eliminated or impaired by an amendment to such provision after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought.
Section 19. Successor and Assigns. All of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, shall inure to the benefit of and shall be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any direct or indirect successor (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the 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.
Section 20. Service of Process and Venue. The Company and the Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”), (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (c) appoint, to the extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, The Corporation Trust Company, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, as its agent in the State of Delaware for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the State of Delaware, (d) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court and (e) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.
Section 21. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, a court of competent jurisdiction shall make a final determination that the provisions of the law of any state other than Delaware govern indemnification by the Company of the Indemnitee, then the indemnification provided under this Agreement shall in all instances be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted under such law, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary.
Section 22. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument, notwithstanding that both parties are not signatories to the original or same counterpart.
Section 23. Headings and Section References. The section and subsection headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to a “Section” or “paragraph” refers to a Section or paragraph, as the case may be, of this Agreement.
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Section 24. Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be signed by electronic signature and electronic transmission, including via DocuSign or other similar method, and this method of signature is as conclusive of an intention to be bound by this Agreement as if signed by a party’s manuscript signature.
[Signature Page Follows]
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This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered to be effective as of the date first written above.
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JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS INC. |
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INDEMNITEE |
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