Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Subsection 1 of Section 78.7302 of the Nevada General Corporation Law (“NGCL”) 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 (except in an action brought by or on behalf of the corporation) if that 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 or enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if that person acted in good faith and in a manner which that person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her 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, alone, does not create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and that, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the person had reasonable cause to believe his or her action was unlawful.
Subsection 2 of Section 78.7502 of the NGCL 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 or suit brought by or on behalf of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses, including amounts paid in settlement and attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, if the personal acted in accordance with the standard set forth above, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction after exhaustion of all appeals therefrom to be liable to the corporation or for amounts paid in settlement to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction determines that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court deems proper.
Section 78.751 of the NGCL provides that unless indemnification is ordered by a court, the determination to provide indemnification must be made by the stockholders, by a majority vote of a quorum of the board of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding, or in specified circumstances by independent legal counsel in a written opinion. In addition, the articles of incorporation, bylaws or an agreement made by the corporation may provide for the payment of the expenses of a director or officer of the expenses of defending an action as incurred upon receipt of an undertaking to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that the person is not entitled to indemnification. Section 78.751 of the NGCL further provides that, to the extent a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defenses of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsection (1) and (2), or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, that person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 78.751 of the NGCL shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled and that the scope of indemnification shall continue as to directors, officers, employees or agents who have ceased to hold such positions, and to their heirs, executors and administrators.
Section 78.752 of the NGCL provides that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation against any liability asserted against him or her incurred by him or her in any such capacity or arising out of his or her status as such whether or not the corporation would have the authority to indemnify him or her against such liabilities and expenses.
Article VI of the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, provides for the indemnification of directors, employees and agents to the fullest extent permissible under Nevada law. This Article also provides for the indemnification of officers, directors and third parties acting on behalf of the Company if such person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in and not opposed to the best interest of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the indemnified party had no reason to believe his conduct was unlawful.
The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and officers. These agreements, among other things, require the Company to indemnify such directors and officers for certain expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any such person in any action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, arising out of such person's services as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or services provided at the request of the Company to another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity. In the case of a derivative action where the director or officer is found liable to the Company, no indemnification shall be made unless a court finds that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper.
The Company maintains a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of its officers and directors arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as such.