CHINA ENERGY CORPORATION INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT
CHINA
ENERGY CORPORATION
This
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of
this 31st day of
May 2010 (the “Effective Date”), by and between China Energy Corporation., a Nevada corporation whose
shares are publicly traded (the “Company”), and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, a citizen of the
United States, with the following address: 0 Xxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 0 #0000, Xxxx Xxxx
(the “Independent Director”).
WHEREAS,
the Company desires to engage the Independent Director, and the Independent
Director desires to serve, as a non-employee director of the Company, subject to
the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained
herein, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the
Independent Director, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as
follows:
1.
DEFINITIONS.
(a) “Corporate
Status” describes the capacity of the Independent Director with respect to the
Company and the services performed by the Independent Director in that
capacity.
(b) “Entity”
shall mean any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint
venture, trust, foundation, association, organization or other legal
entity.
(c) “Proceeding”
shall mean any threatened, pending or completed claim, action, suit,
arbitration, alternate dispute resolution process, investigation, administrative
hearing, appeal, or any other proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative, whether formal or informal, including a
proceeding initiated by the Independent Director pursuant to Section 12 of this
Agreement to enforce the Independent Director’s rights hereunder.
(d) “Expenses”
shall mean all reasonable fees, costs and expenses, approved by the Company in
advance and reasonably incurred in connection with any Proceeding, including,
without limitation, attorneys’ fees, disbursements and retainers, fees and
disbursements of expert witnesses, private investigators, professional advisors
(including, without limitation, accountants and investment bankers), court
costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, travel expenses, duplicating, printing
and binding costs, telephone and fax transmission charges, postage, delivery
services, secretarial services, and other disbursements and
expenses.
(e) “Liabilities”
shall mean judgments, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties, excise taxes,
fines and amounts paid in settlement.
(f) “Parent”
shall mean any corporation or other entity (other than the Company) in any
unbroken chain of corporations or other entities ending with the Company, if
each of the corporations or entities, other than the Company, owns stock or
other interests possessing 50% or more of the economic interest or the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock or other interests in one of the
other corporations or entities in the chain.
(g) “Subsidiary”
shall mean any corporation or other entity (other than the Company) in any
unbroken chain of corporations or other entities beginning with the Company, if
each of the corporations or entities, other than the last corporation or entity
in the unbroken chain, owns stock or other interests possessing 50% or more of
the economic interest or the total combined voting power of all classes of stock
or other interests in one of the other corporations or entities in the
chain.
2.
SERVICES OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR. While this Agreement
is in effect, the Independent Director shall perform duties as an independent
director and/or a member of the committees of the Board, be compensated for such
and be reimbursed expenses in accordance with the Schedule A attached to this
Agreement, subject to the following.
(a) The
Independent Director will perform services as is consistent with Independent
Director’s position with the Company, as required and authorized by the By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation of the Company, and in accordance with high
professional and ethical standards and all applicable laws and rules and
regulations pertaining to the Independent Director’s performance hereunder,
including without limitation, laws, rules and regulations relating to a public
company.
(b) The
Independent Director is solely responsible for taxes arising out of any
compensation paid by the Company to the Independent Director under this
Agreement, and the Independent Director understands that he/she will be issued a
U.S. Treasury form 1099 for any compensation paid to him/her by the
Company. The Independent Director acknowledges and agrees that
because he is not an employee of the Company the Company will not withhold any
amounts for taxes from any of his payments under the Agreement.
(c) The
Company may offset any and all monies payable to the Independent Director to the
extent of any monies owing to the Company from the Independent
Director.
(d) The
rules and regulations of the Company notified to the Independent Director, from
time to time, apply to the Independent Director. Such rules and regulations are
subject to change by the Company in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the terms and
conditions of this Agreement and rules and regulations of the Company, the terms
of this Agreement control.
3.
REQUIREMENTS OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR. During the
term of the Independent Director’s services to the Company hereunder,
Independent Director shall observe all applicable laws and regulations relating
to independent directors of a public company as promulgated from to time, and
shall not: (1) be an employee of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary; (2)
accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory
fee from the Company other than as a director and/or a member of a committee of
the Board; (3) be an affiliated person of the Company or any Parent or
Subsidiary, as the term “affiliate” is defined in 17 CFR 240.10A-3(e)(1), other
than in his capacity as a director and/or a member of a committee of the Board;
(4) possess an interest in any transaction with the Company or any Parent or
Subsidiary, for which disclosure would be required pursuant to 17 CFR
229.404(a), other than in his capacity as a director and/or a member of a
committee of the Board committees; (5) be engaged in a business relationship
with the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, for which disclosure would be
required pursuant to 17 CFR 229.404(b), except that the required beneficial
interest therein shall be modified to be 5% hereby.
2
4.
REPORT OBLIGATION. While this Agreement is in effect, the
Independent Director shall immediately report to the Company in the event: (1)
the Independent Director knows or has reason to know or should have known that
any of the requirements specified in Section 3 hereof is not satisfied or is not
going to be satisfied; and (2) the Independent Director simultaneously serves on
an audit committee of any other public company.
5.
TERM AND TERMINATION. The term of this
Agreement and the Independent Director’s services hereunder shall be from the
Effective Date to the one-year anniversary of the Effective Date, unless
terminated as provided for in this Section 5 (the “Term”). This
Agreement and the Independent Director’s services hereunder shall terminate upon
the earlier of the following:
(a) Removal
of the Independent Director as a director of the Company, upon proper Board or
stockholder action in accordance with the By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation
of the Company and applicable law;
(b) Resignation
of the Independent Director as a director of the Company upon written notice to
the Board of Directors of the Company; or
(c) Termination
of this Agreement by the Company, in the event any of the requirements specified
in Section 3 hereof is not satisfied, as determined by the Company in its sole
discretion.
6.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. In no event
shall the Independent Director be individually liable to the Company or its
shareholders for any damages for breach of fiduciary duty as an independent
director of the Company, unless the Independent Director’s act or failure to act
involves intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of
law.
7.
AGREEMENT OF INDEMNITY. The Company
agrees to indemnify the Independent Director as follows:
(a) Subject
to the exceptions contained in Section 8(a) below, if the Independent Director
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (other
than an action by or in the right of the Company) by reason of the Independent
Director’s Corporate Status, the Independent Director shall be indemnified by
the Company against all Expenses and Liabilities incurred or paid by the
Independent Director in connection with such Proceeding (referred to herein as
“Indemnifiable Expenses” and “Indemnifiable Liabilities,” respectively, and
collectively as “Indemnifiable Amounts”).
3
(b) Subject
to the exceptions contained in Section 8(b) below, if the Independent Director
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding by or in
the right of the Company, to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the
Independent Director’s Corporate Status, the Independent Director shall be
indemnified by the Company against all Indemnifiable Expenses.
(c) For
purposes of this Agreement, the Independent Director shall be deemed to have
acted in good faith in conducting the Company’s affairs as an independent
director of the Company and/or a member of a committee of the Board of the
Company, if the Independent Director: (i) exercised or used the same degree of
diligence, care, and skill as an ordinarily prudent man would have exercised or
used under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs; or (ii) took, or
omitted to take, an action in reliance upon advise of counsels or other
professional advisors for the Company, or upon statements made or information
furnished by other directors, officers or employees of the Company, or upon a
financial statement of the Company provided by a person in charge of its
accounts or certified by a public accountant or a firm of public accountants,
which the Independent Director had reasonable grounds to believe to be
true.
8.
EXCEPTIONS TO INDEMNIFICATION. Director
shall be entitled to indemnification under Sections 7(a) and 7(b) above in all
circumstances other than the following:
(a) If
indemnification is requested under Section 7(a) and it has been adjudicated
finally by a court or arbitral body of competent jurisdiction that, in
connection with the subject of the Proceeding out of which the claim for
indemnification has arisen, (i) the Independent Director failed to act in good
faith and in a manner the Independent Director reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interests of the Company, (ii) the Independent Director
had reasonable cause to believe that the Independent Director’s conduct was
unlawful, or (iii) the Independent Director’s conduct constituted willful
misconduct, fraud or knowing violation of law, then the Independent Director
shall not be entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Amounts
hereunder.
(b) If
indemnification is requested under Section 7(b) and
(i) it
has been adjudicated finally by a court or arbitral body of competent
jurisdiction that, in connection with the subject of the Proceeding out of which
the claim for indemnification has arisen, the Independent Director failed to act
in good faith and in a manner the Independent Director reasonably believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, including without
limitation, the breach of Section 4 hereof by the Independent Director, the
Independent Director shall not be entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Expenses
hereunder; or
(ii) it
has been adjudicated finally by a court or arbitral body of competent
jurisdiction that the Independent Director is liable to the Company with respect
to any claim, issue or matter involved in the Proceeding out of which the claim
for indemnification has arisen, including, without limitation, a claim that the
Independent Director received an improper benefit or improperly took advantage
of a corporate opportunity, the Independent Director shall not be entitled to
payment of Indemnifiable Expenses hereunder with respect to such claim, issue or
matter.
4
9.
WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, and without limiting any such provision, to the
extent that the Independent Director is, by reason of the Independent Director’s
Corporate Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in
any Proceeding, the Independent Director shall be indemnified in connection
therewith. If the Independent Director is not wholly successful in such
Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but
less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall
indemnify the Independent Director against those Expenses reasonably incurred by
the Independent Director or on the Independent Director’s behalf in connection
with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this
section, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by
dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result
as to such claim, issue or matter.
10. ADVANCES
AND INTERIM EXPENSES. The Company may pay to the Independent Director all
Indemnifiable Expenses incurred by the Independent Director in connection with
any Proceeding, including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company, in
advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding, if the Independent Director
furnishes the Company with a written undertaking, to the satisfaction of the
Company, to repay the amount of such Indemnifiable Expenses advanced to the
Independent Director in the event it is finally determined by a court or
arbitral body of competent jurisdiction that the Independent Director is not
entitled under this Agreement to indemnification with respect to such
Indemnifiable Expenses.
11. PROCEDURE
FOR PAYMENT OF INDEMNIFIABLE AMOUNTS. The Independent Director shall submit to
the Company a written request specifying the Indemnifiable Amounts, for which
the Independent Director seeks payment under Section 7 hereof and the Proceeding
of which has been previously notified to the Company and approved by the Company
for indemnification hereunder. At the request of the Company, the Independent
Director shall furnish such documentation and information as are reasonably
available to the Independent Director and necessary to establish that the
Independent Director is entitled to indemnification hereunder. The Company shall
pay such Indeminfiable Amounts within thirty (30) days of receipt of all
required documents.
12. REMEDIES
OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR.
(a) RIGHT
TO PETITION COURT. In the event that the Independent Director makes a request
for payment of Indemnifiable Amounts under Sections 7, 9-11 above, and the
Company fails to make such payment or advancement in a timely manner pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement, the Independent Director may petition the
appropriate judicial authority to enforce the Company’s obligations under this
Agreement.
(b) BURDEN
OF PROOF. In any judicial proceeding brought under Section 12 (a) above, the
Company shall have the burden of proving that the Independent Director is not
entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Amounts hereunder.
5
(c) EXPENSES.
The Company agrees to reimburse the Independent Director in full for any
Expenses incurred by the Independent Director in connection with investigating,
preparing for, litigating, defending or settling any action brought by the
Independent Director under Section 12 (a) above, or in connection with any claim
or counterclaim brought by the Company in connection therewith.
(d) VALIDITY
OF AGREEMENT. The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any Proceeding,
including, without limitation, an action under Section 12 (a) above, that the
provisions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable or that
there is insufficient consideration for this Agreement and shall stipulate in
court that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this
Agreement.
(e) FAILURE
TO ACT NOT A DEFENSE. The failure of the Company (including its Board of
Directors or any committee thereof, independent legal counsel, or stockholders)
to make a determination concerning the permissibility of the payment of
Indemnifiable Amounts or the advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses under this
Agreement shall not be a defense in any action brought under Section 12 (a)
above.
13. PROCEEDINGS
AGAINST COMPANY. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Independent
Director shall not be entitled to payment of Indemnifiable Amounts or
advancement of Indemnifiable Expenses with respect to any Proceeding brought by
the Independent Director against the Company, any Entity which it controls, any
director or officer thereof, or any third party, unless the Company has
consented to the initiation of such Proceeding. This section shall not apply to
counterclaims or affirmative defenses asserted by the Independent Director in an
action brought against the Independent Director.
14. INSURANCE.
The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain a
policy or policies of director and officer liability insurance, in an amount not
less than $5,000,000, of which the Independent Director will be named as an
insured, providing the Independent Director with coverage for Indemnifiable
Amounts and/or Indemnifiable Expenses in accordance with said insurance policy
or policies (“D&O Insurance”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, while the
D&O Insurance is valid and effective, the Company agrees that it shall
indemnify the Independent Director for the Indemnifiable Amounts and
Indemnifiable Expenses, to the extent that any Proceedings are coverable by
D&O Insurance, but in excess of the policy amount, or otherwise not covered
by the D&O Insurance, in accordance with Sections 7-13 of this
Agreement.
15. SUBROGATION.
In the event of any payment of Indemnifiable Amounts under this Agreement or the
D&O Insurance, the Company or its insurance carrier(s), as the case may be,
shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of
contribution or recovery of the Independent Director against other persons, and
the Independent Director shall take, at the request of the Company, all
reasonable action necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of
such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce
such rights.
16. AUTHORITY.
Each party has all necessary power and authority to enter into, and be bound by
the terms of, this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and performance of the
undertakings contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by each
party hereto:
6
17. SUCCESSORS
AND ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement shall (a) be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of all successors and assigns of the Company (including any transferee
of all or a substantial portion of the business, stock and/or assets of the
Company and any direct or indirect successor by merger or consolidation or
otherwise by operation of law), and (b) be binding on and shall inure to the
benefit of the heirs, personal representatives, executors and administrators of
the Independent Director. The Independent Director has no power to assign this
Agreement or any rights and obligations hereunder.
18. CHANGE
IN LAW. To the extent that a change in applicable law (whether by statute or
judicial decision) shall mandate broader or narrower indemnification than is
provided hereunder, the Independent Director shall be subject to such broader or
narrower indemnification and this Agreement shall be deemed to be amended to
such extent.
19. SEVERABILITY.
Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such
a manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision
of this Agreement, or any clause thereof, shall be determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in
part, such provision or clause shall be limited or modified in its application
to the minimum extent necessary to make such provision or clause valid, legal
and enforceable, and the remaining provisions and clauses of this Agreement
shall remain fully enforceable and binding on the parties.
20. MODIFICATIONS
AND WAIVER. Except as provided in Section 18 hereof with respect to changes in
applicable law which broaden or narrow the right of the Independent Director to
be indemnified by the Company, no supplement, modification or amendment of this
Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by each of the parties
hereto. No delay in exercise or non-exercise by the Company of any right under
this Agreement shall operate as a current or future waiver by it as to its same
or different rights under this Agreement or otherwise.
21. NOTICES.
All notices, requests, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) when delivered by hand,
(b) when transmitted by facsimile and receipt is acknowledged, or (c) if mailed
by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day
after the date en which it is so mailed:
If to Independent Director, to:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, 0 Xxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 0 #0000, Xxxx Xxxx.
If
to the Company, to: WenXiang Ding, President, China Energy Corporation, No. 57
Xinhua East Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, 010010,
or to such other address as may have been furnished in the same manner by any
party to the others.
22. GOVERNING
LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced under the
laws of the State of New York.
7
23. CONSENT
TO JURISDICTION. The parties hereby consent to the jurisdiction of the courts
having jurisdiction over matters arising in New York County, New York for any
proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The parties agree that
in any such proceeding, each party shall waive, if applicable, inconvenience of
forum and right to a jury.
24. AGREEMENT
GOVERNS. This Agreement is to be deemed consistent wherever possible with
relevant provisions of the By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation of the Company;
however, in the event of a conflict between this Agreement and such provisions,
the provisions of this Agreement shall control.
25. INDEPENDENT
CONTRACTOR. The parties understand, acknowledge and agree that the Independent
Director’s relationship with the Company is that of an independent contractor
and nothing in this Agreement is intended to or should be construed to create a
relationship other than that of independent contractor. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed as a contract of employment/engagement between the
Independent Director and the Company or as a commitment on the part of the
Company to retain the Independent Director in any capacity, for any period of
time or under any specific terms or conditions, or to continue the Independent
Director’s service to the Company beyond any period.
26. ARBITRATION.
Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement
or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitration, before one arbitrator in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect
and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any
court having jurisdiction. The arbitrator will be selected, by the parties, from
a panel of attorney arbitrators. The parties agree that any arbitration shall be
held in New York, New York. The language of the arbitration shall be in English.
The arbitrator will have no authority to make any relief, finding or award that
does not conform to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Each party shall
bear its own attorneys’ or expert fees and any and all other party specific
costs. Either party, before or during any arbitration, may apply to a court
having jurisdiction for a restraining order or injunction where such relief is
necessary to protect its interests. Prior to initiation of arbitration, the
aggrieved party will give the other party written notice, in accordance with
this Agreement, describing the claim as to which it intends to initiate
arbitration.
27. ENTIRE
AGREEMENT. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Company
and the Independent Director with respect to the subject matter hereof, and
supersedes all prior understandings and agreements with respect to such subject
matter.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Independent Director
Indemnification Agreement as of the day and year first above
written.
AGREED
|
AGREED
|
||
China
Energy Corporation
|
Independent
Director
|
||
/s/ WenXiang Ding
|
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
||
Name: WenXiang
Ding
|
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
||
Title: President
and CEO
|
8
SCHEDULE
A
I.
|
COMPENSATION:
|
A. Fees. For
all services rendered by the Independent Director pursuant to this Agreement,
both during and outside of normal working hours, including but not limited to,
attending all required meetings of the Board or applicable committees thereof,
executive sessions of the independent directors, reviewing filing reports and
other corporate documents as requested by the Company, providing comments and
opinions as to business matters as requested by the Company, the Company agrees
to pay to the Independent Director a fee in cash of Ten Thousand Dollars
($10,000) during the Term (the “Base Fee”). The Base Fee (or such
prorated portion thereof) shall be paid in cash to the Independent Director in
equal, quarterly installments no later than the 30th day
following the end of the Company’s fiscal quarter during the Term (beginning the
fiscal quarter ending August 31, 2010).
In addition to the Base
Fee, the Company agrees to pay the Independent Director (i) a Eight
Hundred Dollar ($800) fee for each board or committee meeting attended by
telephone; (ii) a Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollar ($2,500) fee for each board
or committee meeting attended in person. The fees in Section I(A)(i) and (ii),
above, shall be paid no later than the 30th day
following the end of the Company’s fiscal quarter in which those fees are
accrued.
B. Stock
Option.
On the
Effective Date the Independent Director shall be granted a 10-year option to
purchase Twenty Thousand (20,000) shares of common stock of the Company, with an
exercise price equal to the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common
stock on the date of the grant of the option. Such option shall vest
in equal, quarterly installments on the last of the Company’s fiscal quarter
during the Term (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending August 31,
2010). The Independent Director must be actively serving as a member
of the Board of Directors of the Company as of any applicable vesting date to
receive any stock grant as of such date. The Independent Director’s
rights in respect to any grant shall be determined solely by the Board or, if
applicable, the Compensation Committee thereof, and are subject to execution by
Independent Director of any applicable agreements as established and requested
by the Company.
C. Expenses. During the
term of the Independent Director’s service as a director of the Company, the
Company shall promptly reimburse the Independent Director for all expenses
incurred by him in connection with attending (a) all meetings of the Board or
applicable committees thereof, (b) executive sessions of the independent
directors, and (c) stockholder meetings, as a director or a member of any
committee of the Board, which are approved by the Company in
advance. The Company will only reimburse the Independent Director for
economy class airplane tickets. In addition, the Independent Director
shall rely on the Company to arrange all hotel accommodations in connection with
any such meetings the Independent Director must attend. The amount of such
expenses eligible for reimbursement by the Company during a calendar year shall
not affect such expenses eligible for reimbursement by the Company in any other
calendar year, and the reimbursement of these expenses shall be made on or
before the 30th day following the end of the Company’s fiscal quarter in which
the expense was incurred.
9
NO OTHER
BENEFITS OR COMPENSATION. The Independent Director acknowledges and agrees that
he/she is not granted and is not entitled to any other benefits or compensation
from the Company for the services provided under this Agreement except expressly
provided for in this Schedule
A.
AGREED
|
AGREED
|
||
China
Energy Corporation.
|
Independent
Director
|
||
/s/ WenXiang Ding
|
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
||
Name: WenXiang
Ding
|
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
||
Title: President
and CEO
|
|||
10