本賠償協議 (本協議 「本協議」) is entered into as of the ______ day of ___________, 20___, by and between Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the 「公司」)和____________________(受益人”).
前言
A. 公司意識到,揹負起對公司服務帶來的法律風險和責任的董事和高管越來越不願意擔任或繼續擔任董事或高管,除非他們受到全面的責任保險和充分的賠償保護,由於參與這些公司服務而導致的訴訟成本和風險日益增加,通常與這些董事或高管的報酬無關。
b. 關於董事和高管職責的法規和司法裁決通常不能爲董事和高管提供有關他們所面臨的法律風險或他們應當履行受託責任和義務的方式的充分而可靠的知識。
C. 公司和受賠償人認識到,原告通常以極高金額索賠,訴訟費用可能如此之高(無論索賠是否有正當理由),以至於爲董事和高管的個人資源施行辯護和/或和解可能對其構成非同尋常的負擔。
D. 公司董事會得出結論,爲了吸引和留住揹負起對公司服務的勝任和經驗豐富的人擔任公司的董事和高管,推動公司利益和股東最大化,公司在合同上爲其董事和部分高管提供如下賠償是合理、慎重且必要的, 並承擔與針對該等董事和高管提出的要求有關的費用和損害賠償責任。
E. Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware (the “特拉華州公司法”) permits the Company to indemnify and advance defense costs to its officers and directors and to indemnify and advance expenses to persons who serve at the request of the Company as directors, officers, employees, or agents of other corporations or enterprises.
F. The Company desires and has requested the Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve as a director and/or officer of the Company, and the Indemnitee is willing to serve, or to continue to serve, as a director and/or officer of the Company if the Indemnitee is furnished the indemnity provided for herein by the Company.
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因此, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1.定義. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the corresponding meanings set forth below.
「Independent Legal Counsel」 means an attorney or firm of attorneys that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither presently is, nor in the thirty-six (36) months prior to such designation has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party, or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder.
「損失」 means any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties, settlement payments, awards and amounts of any type whatsoever incurred by
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Indemnitee in connection with or arising from an Indemnification Event. For purposes of clarification, Losses shall not include Expenses.
「組織文件」 means any and all organizational documents, charters or similar agreements or governing documents, including, without limitation, (i) with respect to a corporation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, (ii) with respect to a limited liability company, its operating agreement, and (iii) with respect to a limited partnership, its partnership agreement.
(b)其他程序. In the event that 第4條(a)款 如果不適用,則公司應按照提供的方式對受益人進行賠償 第2(a)條款 或者 2(b), 如適用,則根據提供的方式向受益人提供捐款 Section 2(d)由審查方判斷的範圍內。如果受益人蔘與的任何訴訟以對受益人不利的判決解決,不得推定受益人未符合適用的行爲標準並且無權獲得賠償。
(c)審查方判斷. A Reviewing Party chosen by the Company’s board of directors shall determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, subject to the following:
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(i)A Reviewing Party so chosen shall act in the utmost good faith to assure Indemnitee a complete opportunity to present to such Reviewing Party Indemnitee’s case that Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct.
(ii)Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of a Covered Entity, including, without limitation, its financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers or employees of a Covered Entity in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for a Covered Entity or on information or records given, or reports made, to a Covered Entity by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by a Covered Entity. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of a Covered Entity shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. Whether or not the foregoing provisions of this 第4(c)(ii)節 are satisfied, it shall in any event be presumed that Indemnitee has at all times acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Any Person seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion, by clear and convincing evidence.
(iii)If a Reviewing Party chosen pursuant to this 第4(c)部分 shall not have made a determination whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (A) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (B) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such 30 day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the Reviewing Party in good faith requires such additional time for obtaining or evaluating documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this 第4(c)(iii)節 如果(I)公司股東需判斷是否有資格獲得賠償,(II)公司董事會在股東被選爲評審方後的三十(30)天內召開特別股東大會以此目的,(III)在被召開後六十(60)天內爲此目的舉行此類會議,(IV)並在會議中作出判斷,則第4(c)(iii)節不適用。
(a)相關方. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
(b)約束效力;繼承人和受讓人. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including with respect to the Company, any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company) and with respect to Indemnitee, his or her spouse, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor or assign (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, 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 or assignment had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to Claims relating to Indemnification Events regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director, officer, employee, controlling person, agent or fiduciary of any Covered Entity.
(c)提供姓名全稱、身份證號或公司註冊號、地址、白天的電話號碼以及代表、代理人和助手的信息。 助手的數量不得超過兩個。爲便於進入年度股東大會,通知應在適當的情況下附有授權書、註冊證書和其他授權文件。. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing, shall be effective when given, and shall in any event be deemed to be given (a) five (5) days after deposit with the U.S. Postal Service or other applicable postal
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service, if delivered by first class mail, postage prepaid, (b) upon delivery, if delivered by hand, (c) one (1) business day after the business day of deposit with Federal Express or similar, nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, or (d) one (1) business day after the business day of delivery by confirmed facsimile transmission, if deliverable by facsimile transmission, with copy by other means permitted hereunder, and addressed, if to Indemnitee, to the Indemnitee’s address or facsimile number (as applicable) as set forth beneath the Indemnitee’s signature to this Agreement, or, if to the Company, at the address or facsimile number (as applicable) of its principal corporate offices (attention: 秘書),或者其他地址或傳真號碼(視適用情況),如當事方指定的。