Exhibit 10.1
TRIPATH TECHNOLOGY INC.
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of this ____
day of ____________, 2000 by and between Tripath Technology Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and ____________ ("Indemnitee").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty
in obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, 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 officers and directors
to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage
of liability insurance has been severely limited; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of
highly qualified individuals such as Indemnitee to serve as officers and
directors of the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to
provide them with the maximum protection permitted by law.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration for Indemnitee's services as an officer
or director of the Company, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) THIRD PARTY PROCEEDINGS. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a
party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or any
alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of
the Company) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company,
by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an
officer or director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee 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, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines
and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by
the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful. The
termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement,
conviction, or upon a plea of NOLO CONTENDERE or its equivalent, shall not,
of itself, create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and
in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe
that Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful.
(b) PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to
be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in
the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to procure a judgment
in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, by
reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or
director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee 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, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees) and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee
in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if
Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, except that no
indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to
which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and
only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the
court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application
that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances
of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such
expenses which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other
court shall deem proper.
(c) MANDATORY PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. To the extent that
Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to in Subsections (a) and (b) of this
Section 1, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall
be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.
2. AGREEMENT TO SERVE. In consideration of the protection
afforded by this Agreement, if Indemnitee is a director of the Company, he or
she agrees to serve at least for the six months after the effective date of this
Agreement as a director and not to resign voluntarily during such period without
the written consent of a majority of the Board of Directors. If Indemnitee is an
officer of the Company not serving under an employment contract, he or she
agrees to serve in such capacity at least for the balance of the current fiscal
year of the Company and not to resign voluntarily during such period without the
written consent of a majority of the Board of Directors. Following the
applicable period set forth above, Indemnitee agrees to continue to serve in
such capacity at the will of the Company (or under separate agreement, if such
agreement exists) so long as he or she is duly appointed or elected and
qualified in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bylaws of the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company or until such time as he or she tenders
his or her resignation in writing. Nothing contained in this Agreement is
intended to create in Indemnitee any right to continued employment.
3. EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE.
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(a) ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company shall advance all
expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense,
settlement or appeal of any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding
referenced in Section 1(a) or (b) hereof (but not amounts actually paid in
settlement of any such action, suit or proceeding). Indemnitee hereby undertakes
to repay such amounts advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall
ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by
the Company as authorized hereby. The advances to be made hereunder shall be
paid by the Company to Indemnitee within thirty (30) days following delivery of
a written request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) NOTICE/COOPERATION BY INDEMNITEE. Indemnitee shall, as a
condition precedent to his or her right to be indemnified under this Agreement,
give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made
against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this
Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the President 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). Notice
shall be deemed received three business days after the date postmarked if sent
by domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed; or five business
days if sent by airmail to a country outside of North America; 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.
(c) PROCEDURE. Any indemnification and advances provided for
in Section 1 and this Section 3 shall be made no later than thirty (30) days
after receipt of the written request of Indemnitee. If a claim under this
Agreement, under any statute, or under any provision of the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, providing for indemnification, is not
paid in full by the Company within thirty (30) days after a written request for
payment thereof has first been received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need
not, at any time thereafter, bring an action against the Company to recover the
unpaid amount of the claim and, subject to Section 13 of this Agreement,
Indemnitee shall also be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including
attorneys' fees) of bringing such action. It shall be a defense to any such
action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in
connection with any action, suit or proceeding in advance of its final
disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the standards of conduct which make it
permissible under applicable law for the Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the
amount claimed. However, Indemnitee shall be entitled to receive interim
payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection 3(a) unless and until such defense
may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from which no further
right of appeal exists. It is the parties' intention that if the Company
contests Indemnitee's right to indemnification, the question of Indemnitee's
right to indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and neither the
failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee or
subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its
stockholders) to have made a determination that indemnification of Indemnitee is
proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard
of conduct required by applicable law, nor an actual determination by the
Company (including it Board of Directors, any committee or subgroup of the Board
of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that Indemnitee
has not met such
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applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that Indemnitee has
or has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
(d) NOTICE TO INSURERS. If, at the time of the receipt of a
notice of a claim pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof, the Company has director and
officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of
the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter
take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf
of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance
with the terms of such policies.
(e) SELECTION OF COUNSEL. In the event the Company shall be
obligated under Section 3(a) hereof to advance the expenses of any proceeding
against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the
defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the
delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election to request that the
Company advance expenses to Indemnitee. After delivery of such notice, approval
of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company,
the Company shall not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees
of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same
proceeding, provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his or
her own 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
material conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct
of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed
counsel to assume the defense of such proceeding, then the fees and expenses of
Indemnitee's counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.
4. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS; NONEXCLUSIVITY.
(a) SCOPE. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify 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, such changes shall be, IPSO FACTO,
within the purview of Indemnitee's rights and Company's obligations, under this
Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule
which narrows the right of a Delaware corporation to indemnify a member of its
board of directors or an officer, such changes, to the extent not otherwise
required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement shall have
no effect on this Agreement or the parties' rights and obligations hereunder.
(b) NONEXCLUSIVITY. The indemnification provided by this
Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be
entitled under the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any
agreement, any vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors, the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or otherwise, both as to action in
Indemnitee's official capacity and as to action in another capacity while
holding such office. The
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indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee
for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even
though he or she may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time of any
action, suit or other covered proceeding.
5. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. If Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a
portion of the expenses, judgments, fines or penalties actually or reasonably
incurred by him or her in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of
any civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding, but not, however, for the
total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for
the portion of such expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to which Indemnitee
is entitled.
6. MUTUAL 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 and officers 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. OFFICER AND DIRECTOR LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Company shall,
from time to time, make a good faith determination whether or not it is
practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of
insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the officers and
directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to
ensure the Company's performance of its indemnification obligations under this
Agreement. Among other considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of
obtaining such insurance coverage against the protection afforded by such
coverage. In all policies of director and officer liability insurance,
Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide
Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably
insured of the Company's directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or the most
favorably insured of the Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of
the Company but is an officer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall
have no obligation to obtain or maintain such insurance if the Company
determines in good faith that such insurance is not reasonably available, if the
premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage
provided, if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so
as to provide an insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar
insurance maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company.
8. SEVERABILITY. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require
or shall be construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in
violation of applicable law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order,
to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of
this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided
in this Section 8. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated
on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated,
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and the balance of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in
accordance with its terms.
9. EXCEPTIONS. Any other provision herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement:
(a) CLAIMS INITIATED BY INDEMNITEE. To indemnify or advance
expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or
brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect
to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required under
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, but such indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the
Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit; or
(b) 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
(c) INSURED CLAIMS. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or
liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) which
have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of
officers' and directors' liability insurance maintained by the Company, its
parent or any of its subsidiaries; 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.
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 with the Company, which constituent corporation, if
its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to
indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that if
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent
corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation
as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same
position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or
surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent
corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other
enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; and references to "serving at
the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer,
employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or
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involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to
an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee
acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the
interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan,
Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best
interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.
11. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
12. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall be binding upon
the Company and its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of
Indemnitee and Indemnitee's estate, heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
13. 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, the 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 of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to
be paid all court costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by
Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), 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.
14. NOTICE. Except as provided in Section 3(b), 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 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 brought only in the state courts of the State of
Delaware.
16. CHOICE OF LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and its
provisions construed 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 Delaware without regard to the conflict of law principles
thereof.
17. 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 two years from the date of
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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 two-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.
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 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 or not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a
continuing waiver.
20. INTEGRATION AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement sets forth
the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges
all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and
agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.
Tripath Technology Inc.
a Delaware Corporation
By:
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President
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AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
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(signature)
Address:
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