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EXHIBIT 10.4
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made on ________, 1997,
between STAR BUFFET, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
_________________ ("Indemnitee"), an officer and/or member of the Board of
Directors of the Company.
WHEREAS, the Company desires the benefits of having Indemnitee serve as an
officer and/or director secure in the knowledge that expenses, liabilities and
losses incurred by him in his good faith service to the Company will be borne by
the Company or its successors and assigns in accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires that Indemnitee resist and defend against
what Indemnitee may consider to be unjustified investigations, claims, actions,
suits and proceedings which have arisen or may arise in the future as a result
of Indemnitee's service to the Company notwithstanding that conditions in the
insurance markets may make directors' and officers' liability insurance coverage
unavailable or available only at premium levels which the Company may deem
inappropriate to pay; and
WHEREAS, the parties believe it appropriate to memorialize and reaffirm
the Company's indemnification obligations to Indemnitee and, in addition, set
forth the indemnification agreements contained herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein
contained, the parties agree as follows:
1. INDEMNIFICATION. Indemnitee shall be indemnified and held harmless
by the Company to the fullest extent permitted by its Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaws and applicable law, as the same exists or may hereafter be
amended, against all expenses, liabilities and loss (including attorneys' fees,
judgments, fines, and amounts paid or to be paid in any settlement approved in
advance by the Company, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld)
(collectively, "Indemnifiable Expenses") actually reasonably incurred or
suffered by Indemnitee in connection with any present or future threatened,
pending or contemplated investigation, claim, action, suit or proceeding,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (collectively,
"Indemnifiable Litigation"), (i) to which Indemnitee is or was a party or is
threatened to be made a party by reason of any action or inaction in
Indemnitee's capacity as a director or officer of the Company, or (ii) with
respect to which Indemnitee is otherwise involved by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was serving as a director, officer, employee or agent of the
Company, or of any subsidiary or division, or 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. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Indemnitee shall have no right to indemnification 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.
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2. INTERIM EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay Indemnifiable Expenses
incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Indemnifiable Litigation in
advance of the final disposition thereof, provided that the Company has received
an undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee, substantially in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit A, to repay the amount so advanced to the extent that it is
ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the
Company under this Agreement or otherwise. 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.
3. PROCEDURE FOR MAKING DEMAND. Indemnitee shall, as a condition
precedent to his 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 set forth in Section 10 hereof (or such other address as the
Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed
received three business days after the date postmarked and sent by certified or
registered mail, properly addressed; otherwise notice shall be deemed received
when such notice shall actually be received by the Company. In addition,
Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may
reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee's power. 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.
4. FAILURE TO INDEMNIFY.
(a) If a claim under this Agreement, or 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 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, if successful in whole or in part, Indemnitee shall also be
entitled to be paid for the expense (including attorneys' fees) of bringing such
action.
(b) It shall be a defense to 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 standard 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 interim expenses pursuant to Section 2 hereof 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,
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
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Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
5. NOTICE TO INSURERS. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a
claim pursuant to Section 3 thereof, the Company has director and/or 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.
6. RETENTION OF COUNSEL. In the event that the Company shall be
obligated to pay Indemnifiable Expenses as a result 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 to do so. 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 that Indemnitee with respect to that same
proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his or
her 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 defense of such proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee's
counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.
7. SUCCESSORS. This Agreement establishes contract rights which shall
be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the successors, assigns,
heirs and legal representatives of the parties hereto.
8. MUTUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 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 may be
required in the future to undertake to 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, and, in that event, the Indemnitee's rights and the Company's
obligations hereunder shall be subject to that determination.
9. CONTRACT RIGHTS NOT EXCLUSIVE. The contract rights conferred by this
Agreement shall be in addition to, but not exclusive of, any other right which
Indemnitee may have or may hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, agreement, vote of
shareholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
10. INDEMNITEE'S OBLIGATIONS. The Indemnitee shall promptly advise the
Company in writing of the institution of any investigation, claim, action, suit
or proceeding which is or may be subject to this Agreement and keep the Company
generally informed of, and consult with the Company with respect to, the status
of any such investigation, claim, action, suit or proceeding.
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Notices to the Company shall be directed to Star Buffet, Inc., 000 Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxx, 00000-0000, Attn: Chief Executive Officer (or other
such address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). Notice
shall be deemed received three days after the date postmarked if sent by
certified or registered mail, properly addressed. In addition, Indemnitee shall
give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require
and as shall be within Indemnitee's power.
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,
unless as a part of such action, a 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 other terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to
be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by
Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such
action the court determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such
action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
12. SEVERABILITY. Should any provision of this Agreement, or any clause
hereof, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part,
the remaining provisions and clauses of this Agreement shall remain fully
enforceable and binding on the parties.
13. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. No supplement, modification or amendment of
this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the
parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be
deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether of
not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
14. CHOICE OF LAW. The validity, interpretation, performance and
enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
Delaware.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day
and year first written above.
STAR BUFFET, INC.:
By:
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Its:
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INDEMNITEE:
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Name:
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EXHIBIT A
UNDERTAKING AGREEMENT
This UNDERTAKING AGREEMENT is made on _______________, 19__, between STAR
BUFFET, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company") and __________________, an
officer and/or member of the board of directors of the Company ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, Indemnitee may become involved in investigations, claims,
actions, suits or proceedings which have arisen or may arise in the future as a
result of Indemnitee's service to the Company; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee desires that the Company pay any and all expenses
(including, but not limited to, attorneys' fees and court costs) actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee's behalf in defending or
investigating any such suits or claims and that such payment be made in advance
of the final disposition of such investigations, claims, actions, suits or
proceedings to the extent that Indemnitee has not been previously reimbursed by
insurance; and
WHEREAS, the Company is willing to make such payments but, in accordance
with Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the
Company may make such payments only if it receives an undertaking to repay from
Indemnitee; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee is willing to give such an undertaking;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein,
the parties agree as follows:
1. In regard to any payments made by the Company to Indemnitee pursuant to
the terms of the Indemnification Agreement dated __________, 19__, between the
Company and Indemnitee, Indemnitee hereby undertakes and agrees to repay to the
Company any and all amounts so paid promptly and in any event within thirty (30)
days after the disposition, including any appeals, of any litigation or
threatened litigation on account of which payments were made, but only to the
extent that Indemnitee is ultimately found not entitled to be indemnified by the
Company under the Bylaws of the Company and Section 145 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or other applicable law.
2. This Agreement shall not affect in any manner rights which Indemnitee
may have against the Company, any insurer or any other person to seek
indemnification for or reimbursement of any expenses referred to herein or any
judgment which may be rendered in any litigation or proceeding.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed
on the date first above written.
STAR BUFFET, INC.:
By:
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Its:
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INDEMNITEE:
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(Print Name)
