ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
The Registrant maintains insurance providing for indemnification of its officers and directors and certain other persons against liabilities and expenses incurred by any of them in certain stated proceedings and under certain stated conditions.
Delaware Corporations
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL") provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation 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 actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Section 145 further provides that a corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who 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 corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
The Registrant's certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that a director of the Registrant shall not be personally liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is hereafter amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of the directors of the Registrant, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided herein, shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the amended DGCL. Any repeal or modification of this paragraph by the stockholders of the Registrant shall be prospective only, and shall not adversely affect any limitation on the personal liability of a director of the corporation at the time of such repeal or modification. The Registrant's certificate of incorporation further provides that the Registrant's officers and directors shall be indemnified by the Registrant as provided in the Registrant's bylaws.
Under the provisions of the Registrant's bylaws, as amended, any person who is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Registrant) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant or is or was serving at the Registrant's request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another company or other entity shall be indemnified by the Registrant against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the Registrant's best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The Registrant shall further indemnify any person who 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 Registrant to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or other entity against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery 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, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendre or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the Registrant's best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
In addition, to the extent that such a person is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit, or proceeding brought against him or her by reason of the fact that he or she is the Registrant's director, officer, employee or agent, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses, including attorneys' fees, actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.
The Registrant's bylaws, as amended, provide that expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by a director or officer in defending a civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Registrant in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the Registrant. Such expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by other employees and agents may be paid upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.
Any indemnification under the provisions summarized above (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Registrant only as authorized in each specific case upon a determination that indemnification of such person is proper under the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the applicable provision. Such determination shall be made (1) by a majority vote of the Registrant's directors who are not parties to the action, suit or proceeding (even though less than a quorum), (2) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (3) by the stockholders.
The Registrant maintains director and officer insurance with respect to those claims described above in customary amounts.
The above discussion of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Registrant and the DGCL is not intended to be exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by such certificates of incorporation, bylaws and the DGCL.
The Registrant has entered into an indemnification agreement with Mr. Jones. This agreement provides that the Registrant will indemnify Mr. Jones as long as he serves as a director or officer of the Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. The Registrant will advance expenses, including attorneys' fees (but excluding judgments, fines and settlement amounts), to Mr. Jones in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available and the Registrant will indemnify him for any action or proceeding arising out of his services as a director or officer brought on behalf of the Registrant and/or in furtherance of its rights.
The Registrant also maintains general liability insurance which covers certain liabilities of its directors and officers, including Mr. Jones, arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS.
(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective Registration Statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;
provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement;
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) under the Exchange Act, that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.